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Posts Tagged ‘skin’

Is Olay Pro-X As Good As A Dermatologist?

March 8th, 2010

The FLHC

Modistmoz asks…I’ve just begun looking into starting an anti aging regiment for my skin (I am 30 with very fair skin). I’m working hard to research products to find the best fit. I was wondering what the Beauty Brains has to say about the new Oil of Olay Professional Pro-X line. Is it any good?

The Right Brain replies:

Is Pro-X any good? According to one study, it’s as good as prescription anti-aging from a dermatologist. Maybe.

Doubtful data?

According to Cosmeticsdesign testing done by Procter Gamble, makers of Olay, shows that its Pro-X line performs as well as a tretinoin-based prescription treatment. (Tretinoin is also known as Retin-A.) Now, we can guess what you’re thinking: Yeah, but it’s P&G’s test that shows that it works! Can we trust them? The answer is yes, if the study was designed and executed properly. The real question is exactly what was the test designed to prove? Test data can be used to support many different conclusions depending on the study design.

X-rated action

In this case, P&G had expert graders look at pictures of the panelists after treatment with both product regimines and rate the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. After 6 months the graders rated both products as performing similarly. But since the Pro-X treatment regimen is moisturizing while the tretinoin treatment tends to be irritating, the tretinoin dosage started low and was ramped up over time. One could argue that this methodology gave the Pro-X product a head start in the treatment, but P&G points out that this application process is consistent with how people actually use tretinoin in real life to help reduce irritation. So, their conclusion is that “prescription efficacy for improving fine lines can be achieved with a cosmetics regimen as well as being better tolerated by patients.”

The Beauty Brains bottom line

If you like the way tretinoin makes your skin look but you find it irritating, you might have better luck with the Olay Pro-X line. But don’t expect miracles.

What do YOU think? Have you had luck with any wrinkle fighting anti-aging skin treatments? Leave a comment and share your experiences with the rest of the Beauty Brains community.

Source: British Journal of Dermatology

2010, Issue 162, Pages 647 – 654
A randomized, controlled comparative study of the wrinkle reduction benefits of a cosmetic niacinamde/peptide/retinyl propionate products regimen versus a prescription 0.02 percent tretinoin product regimen
J.J.J. Fu, G.G. Hillebrand, P. Raliegh, J. Li, M.J.Marmor, V. Bertucci, P.E. Grimes, S.H. Mandy, M.I. Perez, S.H. Weinkle, J.R. Kaczvinsky

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Posted in Beauty

Tags: beauty brains, Dermatologist, G.G. Hillebrand, Good, J. Li, J.J.J. Fu, J.R. Kaczvinsky, M.I. Perez, M.J.Marmor, oil of olay, Olay, P. Raliegh, P.E. Grimes, prescription treatment, pro x, procter gamble, ProX, right brain, S.H. Mandy, S.H. Weinkle, skin, treatment, treatment regimen, Tretinoin, V. Bertucci, X

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Is Tobacco Good For Your Skin?

March 1st, 2010

The FLHC

Penguinbiter pleads…How does cigarette smoke cause wrinkles?

The Right Brain responds:

When Penguinbiter (BTW I love that name) asked this question in our Forum, Jami was quick to point out several links that answered the question very nicely. I won’t repeat them here but you can find them if you click here. This research shows there’s no doubt that smoking is bad for your skin. But, it turns out that tobacco might actually be good for skin.

Tobacco road

CosmeticsDesign reports that Italian researchers have discovered a sugar-peptide found in wild tobacco plants could have anti-aging properties for skin. This complex has antioxidant properties as well as the ability to promote collagen synthesis.

The researchers were focused on finding compounds that could protect crops from environmental stresses but they discovered that the path ways they uncovered in plants had applications to animals as well. Specifically, they found that human keratinocytes treated with this sugar-peptide mix increased expression of two sirtuin proteins which are thought to be linked to aging.

Will tobacco farmers everywhere breathe a sigh of relief for a more healthier use for their crops? Only time will tell.

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Posted in Beauty

Tags: beauty brains, cause wrinkles, collagen synthesis, Good, human keratinocytes, Penguinbiter, skin, Tobacco, tobacco farmers, tobacco plants, wild tobacco

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Bag Balm: What Does It Do For Skin?

February 22nd, 2010

The FLHC

Lydia’s lost… Ok, I know that I spend way too much time shopping online when I have this fact stuck in my head: Bag Balm is the #3 best selling beauty product on Amazon.com. What’s up with that?!? What’s in this stuff, what does it do, and do I need to buy some?

The Left Brain’s leading reply:

Bag Balm reminds me of “Mane ‘n Tail:” They are both products designed for animals that humans have adopted for their own use. That’s right, Bag Balm is actually a product intended to treat skin condition of animals.

Bombastic about Bag Balm

According to the website for Dairy Association Company, Inc, the company that makes Bag Balm, it’s been used since 1899 to keep cows from becoming chapped. I assume this means it’s used to moisturize and protect the sensitive skin of the udders. For more background on the history of Bag Balm read this USA Today article. Just for the record, the website makes no mention of use on humans, which is not surprising since the product contains a drug active that is not approved for over the counter use on people.

Bag Balm ingredients

Since this isn’t a typical cosmetic product it doesn’t have to follow the labeling rules for cosmetics and therefore the package doesn’t have to carry a complete list of ingredients. But according to Drugstore.com I see that it contains 8-Hydroxyquinoline Sulfate at 0.3% in a petrolatum and lanolin base. Petrolatum and lanolin are both common skin care ingredients and are also used in heavy duty ointments and wound care products. The real star of the show is the 8-Hydroxyquinoline Sulfate. According to several sources such as this one, this compound is a bacteriostatic and fungistatic agent and it’s used to prepare antiseptics, deodorants, antiperspirants, and fungicides. (Personally, I’ve never seen this used in any products for humans.)

The Beauty Brains bottom line

I see Bag Balm as a product that combines excellent moisturizing ingredients with a drug active that has antiseptic properties. However, since the active agent is not approved for use on people, the company can not legally make claims in this regard. You may see benefits from using it but legally the company can only promote it for use on animals.

What do YOU think? Have you ever used Bag Balm or Mane ‘n Tail? Leave a comment and share your animalistic thoughts with the rest of the Beauty Brains community.

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Posted in Beauty

Tags: Bag, bag balm ingredients, Balm, beauty brains, deodorants antiperspirants, hydroxyquinoline sulfate, left brain, Lydia, Product, skin, skin care ingredients, wound care products

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Do Sunless Tanners Damage Skin?

February 20th, 2010

The FLHC

Sonia says…Lately I’ve been using Clarins Liquid Bronze Self Tanning, and I like how it looks, but I was wondering, this sounds just too good to be true, don’t these self tanners damage the skin in the long term?

The Right Brain replies:
Don’t worry, Sonia. Self tanners use an ingredient called Dihydroxyacetone (or DHA) that creates a brownish color when it reacts with the upper layers of skin. The upper layers of skin are dead anyway and DHA doesn’t penetrate into the deeper layers so there’s really no danger. If you want more info, read our previous post on how sunless tanning works.

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Posted in Beauty

Tags: beauty brains, brownish color, Damage, DHA, dihydroxyacetone, Don, layers of skin, right brain, Self, self tanning, skin, Sonia, Sunless, Tanners, upper layers

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Is Collagen In Coffee Good For My Skin?

February 17th, 2010

The FLHC

Julie says…I don’t know if it’s available in the States, but in Malasia there’s is a coffee with collagen that supposedly has anti-aging effects. Is this product really good for my skin?

The Left Brain responds:

The product that Julie is referring to is the Nestlé’s “Nescafe Body 3-in-1 Coffee with Collagen.” According to what I read it is sold only in Singapore but Nestle has experimented previously with similar products in Japan. This is one of several new Nescafe products that promote “beauty from within.” But does it really work?

Collagen quandary

On one hand, there does appear to be some science behind this. According to at least one study (Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 2009 Apr 23;73(4):930-2. Epub 2009 Apr 7.) daily ingestion of collagen peptide can help control UV-B induced skin damage and photoaging. In this particular study, subjects ingested 0.2 g of collagen peptide per kilogram of body mass per day. That’s approximately 11 grams of collagen per day for a 125 pound woman. On the other hand, coffee doesn’t appear to be an effective way to administer that much collagen. The Nescafe product contains about 200 mg (or .2 grams) per cup, so you’d need to drink about 55 cups of coffee every day to achieve the benefits that the collagen study identified. (You’d also need to drink 26 glasses of wine to calm down from all that caffeine!)

The Beauty Brains bottom line

Based on a quick review of a single study, there does appear to be a possibility that ingesting enough of the right kind of collagen may be beneficial for your skin. But don’t fall for the marketing hype of collagen coffee.

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Posted in Beauty

Tags: beauty brains, Coffee, Collagen, Good, Japan, Julie, left brain, nescafe, nestl, photoaging, pound woman, Singapore, skin, skin damage, study

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Self-Check For Skin Cancer

November 23rd, 2009

News

One of the most commonly diagnosed diseases is skin cancer, if you know what to look for, it can be easily detected.

You should examine your body on a monthly basis for atypical moles, unusual patches of skin, discoloration, etc. Begin in a well-lit area then start with your face and examine literally every inch of your body down to your toes.

Posted in News

Tags: body, Cancer, diseases, lit area, patches, skin, skin cancer, skin discoloration, toes

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Age Naturally and Gracefully

November 20th, 2009

News

All that dominates our skin care market is high-tech lotions and “magical” potions that promise to bring youth to your skin.

Posted in News

Tags: care, lotions, magical potions, market, skin, skin care, skin care market

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Make yourself a fruity face masks

November 16th, 2009

The FLHC

I remember when I was a teenager and my friends and I would try to invent our own facial mask at sleep over parties. We had so much fun coming up with such wild creations. The fun doesn’t have to stop now! There are several fruits, oils and oats out there that can be transformed into a fabulous facial mask.

Try one of the recipes below to attain silky soft skin with a healthy glow.

Avocado Addiction: is great for people with dry skin because it will help penetrate deep moisture

Ingredients

1 tablespoon ripe avocado, mashed
1 teaspoon honey
3 drops cider vinegar
sesame oil (measure to eye)

Mix the avocado, honey and vinegar together and add enough sesame oil to create a spreadable consistency.
Spread the mask over your cleansed face and leave on for five to ten minutes.
Rinse off with warm water and pat skin dry with a soft towel.
If you have toner you can apply it to the face and then apply moisturizer as usual.

The Gracious Grapefruit: this works great for oily skin and will help to clean out any excess oils

Ingredients

1 teaspoon grapefruit juice
1 teaspoon sour cream
1 egg white

Beat the egg white until it’s smooth and fluffy.
Blend the beaten egg white, sour cream and grapefruit juice together in a bowl.
Apply to your face and allow it to rejuvenate your skin for about 15 minutes.
Rinse with warm water, pat softly dry and then use any toner and moisturizer as you would normally do.

So the next time you go to try out one of these facial mask, make sure to call your friends over for a full night of fun and pampering!

Posted in Beauty

Tags: cider vinegar, facial mask, fun, grapefruit juice, honey and vinegar, mask, oil measure, ripe avocado, silky soft skin, skin

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Discover the diet of youth to obtain naturally glowing skin

November 16th, 2009

The FLHC

With each birthday, comes aging and with aging comes wrinkles. I have found the fountain of youth to keep all of us fresh and glistening. Okay, so it might not be an actual fountain of youth, but it’s pretty close!

Sometimes starting from the inside is the best way to obtain true beauty on the outside. Nutritionist expert Joy Bauer says that nutrition can help minimize or prevent wrinkles and acne while enhancing your skin’s natural beauty. Her secret is to follow a very rich diet, containing antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and plenty of water. So how do we travel back in time to our youthful years? Here’s how:

Stock up on fruits and veggies that are rich in Vitamin C such as peppers, oranges, strawberries, lemons, and broccoli. Vitamin C is involved in collagen production and protects cells from free radical damage.
Start to load your shelves with wheat germ, fortified cereals, nuts, olives and seeds. These foods contain Vitamin E. Vitamin E helps protect cell membranes and guard the body against UV radiation damage, enhancing the protection of anti-aging skin.
Similar to Vitamin E, Selenium helps preserve the skin from sun damage and delays aging by protecting skin quality and elasticity. You can find Selenium in Brazilian nuts, tuna (canned, light in water), red meat, eggs, liver, crab, wheat germ and garlic.
I never though fat could be good for you, but apparently Omega-3 fats are something you should be eating . Omega-3 fatty acids help maintain cell membranes so that they serve as an effective wall, allowing water and nutrients in while keeping toxins out. Good sources of Omega-3 are oily fish, sardines, salmon, flax seeds, and walnuts. If your not a seafood person than try taking fish oil tablets, you won’t even sense the taste.

Here’s a recipe combining all the key elements to bring you back to your youthful appearance. Combine all of the following ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.

The Smoothie of Youth

• 2 cold oranges, peeled and cut into sections.

• 1/2 chopped mango, cold

• 1/2 cup sliced frozen (unsweetened) strawberries

• 1 medium carrot, peeled, shredded

• 1/2 cup plain, non-fat yogurt, chilled

• 2 tablespoons wheat germ

• 2 tablespoons ground flax seed

• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Now that you know what essentials you need, play around with the ingredients and create your own recipe. Drink up, enjoy and watch yourself travel through time.

*For fun: see if you can envision both the old women and the young lady in this picture. There are two ways of seeing it.