Archive for March 2019
March 11th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
Hyaluronic acid (HA, a.k.a. hyaluronan) is a natural component of the skin and a major component of the dermal matrix. A huge molecule capable of retaining 1000 times its volume in water, it facilitates the exchange of nutritional and regulatory metabolites.In our skin, it stabilizes the intercellular (in-between cells) space in the dermis, and contributes significantly to cell proliferation, migration, and skin repair, activities essential to skin health. Hyaluronic acid is a linear polysaccharide, made by animals and by some bacteria, with long chains made of N-acetyl-D-glucosamine alternating with glucuronic acid.By definition, the molecular weight of hyaluronic acid is in the millions. Small fragments of broken hyaluronic acid can’t hold…
March 6th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
1. What is the number one mistake that women make when it comes to anti-aging skincare? Following “tradition”. Tradition is not necessarily based on science or experience but rather a set of rules that may no longer valid. Clean your skin? Yes, but be careful not to remove valuable lipids that make up the skin barrier. Toner? Why? Toners used to contain alcohol to dehydrate the skin and make it feel taut. Now we know better. Then, moisturize to try and replace the valuable skin components that you removed by following the first two rules? Silly! 2. Which key ingredients should a woman look for in an anti-aging product? Epidermal…
March 4th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
If you think about it you can tell that this is all rubbish. Your face is not made of butter but of skin and muscle and bones. Maybe it can be changed using Photoshop but otherwise you will need the surgeon knife. And then, anything can happen, most of it bad. And yet, skin care advertising uses “sculpting” with abandon. Then, it is time to look at ingredient lists, like the one from City Multi Action Sculpting Cream. And no, don’t expect Skin Actives to sale anything like this! Without the solvents and thickeners, this is what the ingredient list looks like: Caviar Extract 2 (fish egg puree), Hydrolyzed Silk…
March 1st, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
The composition of any product you apply to your skin or hair is always important. When is the time to re-examine your skin care products? If possible, when you start “trying”, even before you find out that you are actually pregnant. It is very important to examine carefully what you put in your body and what you apply to your body when you are pregnant. Because lactation continues the connection between your body and the body of your child, you will still have to remember to check the ingredients of your cosmetics after birth. First recommendation: if you are in doubt, ask your doctor: show him/her the ingredient list of…