Stephie Estie

The 'E' In Healthy Skin

Vitamin E

Dry and aging skin need not despair!  Vitamin E is excellent in smoothing away fine lines and wrinkles while keeping skin supple and providing a radiant glow.

Have oily skin? There is a silver lining to all that shine.

Read on to find out what vitamin E can do for you!

Who: Vitamin E

What skin conditions it can help: Aging.

Where it’s found: Foods high in vitamin E include vegetables, oils, seeds, corn, wheat germ and egg yolk.

For topical uses look for: Vitamin E, Tocopherol, Tocotrienols, Alpha-Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopheryl Linoleate, Tocopheryl Succinate, Tocopheryl Nicotinate.

Why it’s important: Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin, an antioxidant that quenches free radicals and is instrumental in wound healing.  It’s also the most abundant antioxidant found in human skin; however, it declines with exposure to UV rays, pollution and age.

How it affects the body and skin: Vitamin E is needed to prevent muscle weakness (atrophy), loss of muscle mass, abnormal eye movements, vision problems and unsteady walking.

Topical use of vitamin E smooths skin, prevents moisture loss (excellent for dry skin!), and can reach living cells, therefore increasing the effectiveness of sunscreen. Studies have shown it to reduce sunburn cells after UV exposure- but this isn’t a free pass to subject your skin to sunburns!

Vitamin E is naturally delivered to the skin’s surface through sebum (oil), providing nourishment for the skin, and could be a possible reason why oily skin types age better.  Combined use of vitamin E and vitamin C enhances these effects.

Have a favorite vitamin E product?  Do share!

Happy Tuesday!

Disclaimer: The contents on this website, and any related links, are provided for general informational purposes and should NOT be considered medical advice. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read here. Please consult a healthcare provider if you have any questions about a particular health condition.

Ingredient Importan-C!

Vitamin C

Crazy weather and flu season usually sends us sprinting to our nearest pharmacy to stock up on vitamin C in hopes of strengthening our immune system.  Aside from boosting our immune system and hearing about collagen production, what else do you really know about vitamin C?  What health ailment did sailors endure because they lacked vitamin C and what role does it play in skincare?

Read on to find out!

Who: Vitamin C

What skin conditions it can help: Aging, hyperpigmentation.  Sensitive skin may tolerate it at lower percentages or as magnesium ascorbyl phosphate.

Where it’s found: Foods high in vitamin C include oranges, broccoli, strawberries, papaya, bell peppers and kiwis.

For topical uses look for: Vitamin C, Vitamin C ester, L-ascorbic acid, ascorbyl palmitate and magnesium ascorbyl phosphate.

Why it’s important:  Humans cannot synthesize vitamin C, which is why it has to be obtained by external sources (i.e. fruits and vegetables or through supplements). Vitamin C stimulates collagen synthesis which is needed for wound healing, and is also crucial for iron absorption. . It’s required for tissue growth and is a proven antioxidant, fighting free radicals that cause damage to healthy cells and DNA.

How it affects the body and skin: Oral vitamin C is needed to prevent scurvy, a disease which at one time plagued many sailors who only consumed cured and salted meats, and dried grains for extended periods of time. Scurvy has many skin manifestations including fragile skin, gum disease, easy bruising and bloody nail beds. Scurvy is reversed however, by adding vitamin C into the diet either through supplements or fresh citrus fruit.

Topical use of vitamin C results in a reduction of fine lines and wrinkles, promotes the formation of collagen- important for improved skin texture-  and protects the skin from photodamage, also known as UV damage. It can also reduce pigmentation due to its brightening properties.

Disclaimer: The contents on this website, and any related links, are provided for general informational purposes and should NOT be considered medical advice. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read here. Please consult a healthcare provider if you have any questions about a particular health condition.

Who's "A" In Skincare?

 

vitamin A

Unlike the show Pretty Little Liars, where season after season the elusive “A” remains a mystery, here is one “A” that isn’t hard to find- no detective skills required.

Who: Vitamin A

What skin conditions it can help: Acne, aging, hyperpigmentation, psoriasis, and textural issues.

Where it’s found: Foods high in vitamin A include sweet potatoes, kale, carrots, mangoes, turnip greens, spinach and papaya.  Low fat and skim milk, margarine, and cereals are commonly enriched with vitamin A.

For topical uses look for: Vitamin A, retinol, retinoic acid, tretinoin, retinyl palmitate, retinyl actate. Popular prescription brands include Retin-A and Renova.

Why it’s important: Vitamin A is needed for cells to divide and mature, vision, embryonic development, immunity, growth, bone formation, reproduction and wound healing.  Vitamin A deficiency manifests itself as dry eyes, night blindness, diarrhea, and skin problems.

How it affects the body and skin: It’s an important antioxidant that protects your body from free radicals. Eating carotenoids from colorful veggies gives the skin a healthy glow. Carotenoids (beta-carotene), found in vegetables helps maintain and repair the skin. *Note: Because Vitamin A is fat-soluble, high amounts can lead to toxicity.

Vitamin A used topically is known as retinol, which speeds up cell turnover and stimulates collagen. Vitamin A can also reduce hyperpigmentation, inhibit enzymes from breaking down collagen, and resurfaces and rejuvenates skin by reducing fine lines and wrinkles, and rough patches.

Happy Tuesday!

Disclaimer: The contents on this website, and any related links, are provided for general informational purposes and should NOT be considered medical advice. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read here. Please consult a healthcare provider if you have any questions about a particular health condition.

ACE Skin Health!

ACE

The adage, “You are what you eat,” holds true, especially when it comes to our skin.  Afterall, our skin is a mirror that reflects what is going on internally as well as externally in our bodies.  Proper nutrition is not only vital in keeping us functioning properly but it also helps us radiate beauty from the inside out.

There are 13 essential vitamins that are needed for the body to function, which include vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin K, and vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, and B12. Vitamins are grouped into two categories: fat-soluble and water-soluble.  Fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K) are stored in the body’s fatty tissue and can lead to toxicity if consumed in high amounts.  Water-soluble vitamins are used by the body right away, and any left over water-soluble vitamins leave the body through the urine.

In regards to topical application, vitamins absorb into the skin like a sponge. Vitamins A, C, and E seem to have garnered the most interest from skincare companies to makeup lines.  How many times have you seen that ‘X’ product now contains vitamin C to help brighten skin and help combat hyperpigmentation?  Even when taking vitamin supplements, you can’t help but notice the various beauty benefits purported on the labels.

So what makes ACE important in the skin care realm and overall health?

Stay tuned this week to learn the individual beauty benefits of this triad!

Disclaimer: The contents on this website, and any related links, are provided for general informational purposes and should NOT be considered medical advice. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read here. Please consult a healthcare provider if you have any questions about a particular health condition.

Face On/Face Off

Precleanse Wipes

The weekend’s here and after a long, potentially stressful week, you’re ready to go out.  Perhaps you choose to dance the night away or enjoy a lovely dinner at a new restaurant.  You apply your makeup- maybe a smoky eye, bold lip, or false eyelashes- style your hair, wear your favorite outfit.  After relishing a night out, you come home tired, grimacing at the idea of having to remove your makeup.

Enter Dermalogica’s PreCleanse Wipes, my current favorite makeup remover.  They’re wipes saturated with Dermalogica’s PreCleanse Oil that facilitate this daunting process.  Removing false eyelashes or stubborn makeup doesn’t require harsh pulling or tugging, making them also perfect for those who work in dance and theater arts.  You can take them with you when traveling without having to worry about a messy oil spill.

The only drawback I can think of is the price ($18 for 20 wipes). Because of the price, I usually save these for when I wear more makeup than usual or false eyelashes.

Overall, I would recommend them because they’re very effective at removing makeup, I don’t break out using them (super important!), and it’s more convenient than lugging around a cleansing oil bottle when on the go.

Thoughts? Comments? Do share!

Happy Friday!

The Teas Have It!

green-tea

Chances are at some point in the day, we treat ourselves to a comforting sip of tea, especially when the weather outside is cold. Green tea seems to be a popular drink of choice but what exactly is it that makes this ingredient so stellar? Polyphenols.

Green tea, harvested from the Camellia sinensis plant, contains polyphenols which are antioxidants that protect the body from oxidative damage. Specifically, the polyphenol epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) naturally found in green tea, is what makes green tea extremely effective as an antioxidant and also an anti-inflammatory.  Research has shown that green tea polyphenols are potent suppressors of carcinogenic activity from UV radiation.  As a result, it protects skin from UV-induced damage such as sunburns and photoaging.

As a topical ingredient in skincare, green tea is ideal for common skin concerns.  In acne and other inflammatory conditions, it can be used as an anti-inflammatory; in aging, it provides excellent antioxidant properties against sun damage.

So what about white tea?  The same benefits from green tea apply, except white tea is said to have a higher concentration of polyphenols.

Happy Tuesday!

Got Cream In Your Cleanser?

Milk

 

 

Cream based cleansers allow the skin to maintain its natural protective barrier and lipids, making them perfect for normal to dry skin types. During winter, they can also be beneficial for combination skin if your regular cleanser leaves skin feeling dry and tight.  When choosing these types of cleansers, look for words like ‘cream’ or ‘milky’ in the name.

My personal favorites: Monarach Beauty Herbal Milky Cleanser and Dermalogica Essential Cleansing Solution.