Archive for June 2019
June 28th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
Es difícil encontrar una definición precisa de “piel sensible”, pero la piel sensible existe: cada vez más personas se definen como personas con piel sensible, alcanzando proporciones tan altas como el 50%. Es posible que tengamos que redefinir lo que es normal, porque si más de la mitad de nosotros tiene piel sensible, este valor de referencia se convierte en una nueva normal. Claramente, debe haber algo que estamos haciendo mal. En “nosotros” incluyo a personas en general y a quienes elaboran productos para el cuidado de la piel. ¿En qué consiste una reacción “exagerada” de la piel? Puede tratarse de dolor, escozor, sequedad, inflamación, enrojecimiento, reacciones a productos o…
June 27th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
It is hard to find a precise definition of sensitive skin, but sensitive skin does exist: more and more people are defining themselves as having sensitive skin, reaching numbers as high as 50%. We may have to re-define normal, because once more than half of us have sensitive skin, this becomes the new normal. Clearly, there must be something that we are doing wrong. In “we” I include people and manufacturers of skin care products. What is “exaggerated” reaction? It can be pain, stinging, dryness, inflammation, redness, reactions to products or environmental conditions that usually are not described as irritating or allergenic. In my opinion, this huge increase of people…
June 26th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
Esta breve guía vale para hacerte saber que podés disfrutar de la piscina y al mismo tiempo proteger tu piel y tu cuerpo. Mientras estés en la piscina, poco podés hacer, excepto usar antiparras para proteger tus ojos. ¿Qué podés hacer antes de entrar en la piscina? Abandoné un club porque no confiaba en el agua de su piscina: el agua estaba turbia y no debería estarlo. Agua turbia, sin circulación de agua, con una película (bacteriana) cubriendo la superficie son señales que tenés que tomar en serio. Las tabletas o la solución de cloro que se introducen en el agua de la piscina forman diferentes químicos que matan los…
June 26th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
Dos productos, sin contar los de pestañas y cejas. Como siempre propone Skin Actives, mirá la lista de ingredientes. Primero, déjame contarte algunas de las formas en que los ojos son especiales. Tenemos que tener cuidado de no irritarlos y tener mucho cuidado de no aumentar las posibilidades de contraer una infección ocular. Los orzuelos y las infecciones en los párpados también son muy incómodos. Además, la piel de los párpados y del área de los ojos es delgada y adelgaza con la edad, lo que hace que lo que suceda en los capilares inferiores se torne muy visible. Los ojos, como los pulmones, están abiertos al medio ambiente y…
June 25th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
Two products, not counting those for eyelashes and eye brows. As always for Skin Actives, look at the ingredient list. First, let me tell you about some of the ways that eyes are special. We have to be careful not to irritate them and be very careful not to increase the chances of getting an eye infection. Styes, infections in the eyelids, are also very uncomfortable. Also, the skin of the eyelids and in the eye area is thin and gets thinner with age, making what happens in the capillaries below very visible. Eyes, like the lungs, are open to the environment and exposed to pollutants and irritants. What do…
June 25th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
This short guide is to let you know that you can get enjoyment from the pool and still protect your skin and body. While in the pool, there is little you can do except for wearing googles to protect your eyes. What about before you get into the pool? I quit a club because I did not trust its pool water, the water was cloudy and it shouldn’t be. Cloudy water, no water circulation, a (bacterial) film covering the surface are signals you must take seriously. The chlorine tablets or solution that go into the pool into the water form different chemicals that kill microorganisms and bacteria by attacking the…
June 19th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
Había una vez en que la gente pensaba que la enfermedad era un castigo (muy merecido) por los pecados cometidos. Eso es anterior a la teoría de los gérmenes como causa de las enfermedades, y antes de Pasteur y las vacunas, aunque todavía arrastramos un poco de superstición y a veces creemos algo de eso, especialmente cuando se trata del acné. El acné es una afección compleja que incluye queratinización defectuosa de la piel, el aumento de la producción de sebo y la multiplicación excesiva de las bacterias del acné, seguido de ruptura folicular e inflamación. Una condición compleja tendrá una relación compleja con tu cuerpo y el medio ambiente.…
June 18th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
Once upon a time, people thought that disease was (a well deserved) punishment for sins. That was before germ theory of disease, and before Pasteur and vaccinations, but there is still a superstitious bit in us still believes that, especially when it comes to acne. Acne is a complex condition that includes faulty skin keratinization, increased sebum production, and acne bacteria overgrowth, followed by follicular rupture and inflammation. A complex condition will have a complex relationship with your body and the environment. Avoid people who tie acne (or any other health problem) with “morals”. And avoid people who blame you for being sick or have bad skin! Indeed, avoiding bad…
June 18th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
La pereza no es mala a menos que estés repitiendo viejas fórmulas que todos saben que no funcionan (o que te hacen peor!). Para quienes piensan que las compañías extranjeras hacen mejores productos que Estados Unidos para el cuidado de la piel, he aquí una advertencia: Babor es una compañía alemana que utiliza ingredientes estadounidenses comunes y corrientes para vender productos con grandes márgenes de ganancia. Aquí, de nuevo, el precio ridículamente alto se debe al valor de la marca, ciertamente no a la calidad de los ingredientes. Otro hecho irritante: bautizan ingredientes viejos y baratos con nombres novedosos y luego te dejan a vos intentando adivinar de qué ingrediente…
June 18th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
Lazy is not bad unless you are repeating old formulas that everybody knows don’t work. To those who think that foreign companies make better skin care products, here comes a warning: Babor, is a German company that uses very American run-of-the-mill ingredients to sell products with huge mark-ups. Here, again, the brand value is in the ridiculously high price; it is certainly not in the quality of the ingredients. Another irritating fact: they baptize old, inexpensive ingredients with novelty names and then they leave you to try to guess which ingredient is which. Maybe it doesn’t matter? Here are some examples: “Telovitin, extends the life cycle of skin cells. Agicyl,…
June 15th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
La forma de proceder de Skin Actives consiste en mirar lo que hay y ver si podemos mejorarlo. En lo que atañe a la pérdida de cabello, no te sorprenderá saber que lo único que hay son solo unos pocos activos, que son efectivos pero … cuyo mecanismo de acción es un poco complicado. ¿Cuáles son? El minoxidil (Rogaine) parece funcionar ensanchando los vasos sanguíneos y abriendo los canales de potasio, permitiendo así que más oxígeno, sangre y nutrientes lleguen al cuero cabelludo. El finasteride (Propecia) es un inhibidor de la 5α-reductasa que previene la síntesis de la dihidrotaestosterona (DHT). La finasterida reduce la señalización de andrógenos en tejidos como…
June 15th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
El cobre está presente en nuestra agua y aire. Según sea la edad de tu casa, puede haber demasiado cobre en el agua que usás. Según sea dónde vivís, puede haber demasiado cobre en el aire que respirás. Pero necesitamos cobre para una buena salud. ¿Cuánto? Tenemos enzimas muy importantes que dependen del cobre para la actividad: citocromo oxidasa, superóxido dismutasa de cobre / zinc, tirosinasa y más. ¿Por qué es tan importante el cobre en estas enzimas? Por su capacidad para tomar y donar electrones. La tirosinasa, por ejemplo, es una oxidasa que necesitamos para producir melanina, la piel y el pigmento del cabello. Las personas que intentan aclarar…
June 15th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
En primer lugar, me gusta porque es antigua. La apocinina es tan antigua como las plantas que la fabrican, y son muchas. Incluso sus propiedades en pro de la salud son conocidas desde hace bastante tiempo. Antigua significa que sabemos más de sus trucos, sus beneficios y qué es adecuado para el uso humano. En segundo lugar, me gusta porque tiene actividad antiinflamatoria. Los extractos que contienen apocinina se han utilizado durante siglos para ayudar con el asma y los problemas cardíacos. Purificada por Schmiedeberg en 1883 a partir del cáñamo canadiense, su estructura química se conoce desde 1891 cuando fuera sintetizada por Otto. ¡Eso es mucho tiempo! Huele bien,…
June 14th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
Argan oil is extracted from the seeds of the fruit of the argan tree (Argania spinosa). The fruit takes a long time to mature and is not really edible, it is used as animal feed. Everything in the fruit is used: the peel and pulp of the fruit for animal feed, and the same for the paste that remains of the kernel after the oil is extracted by pressing. The nut inside the fruit contains one (occasionally two or three) small, oil-rich seeds; the oil is pressed from these seeds. The method used to extract the oil depends on what is available. Using stones is the most basic method. The…
June 14th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
How much is too much? The answer to this apparently simple question is very complicated: as complicated as the number of ingredients used in skin care. Also, for a good answer, you may have to go to numbers that are much smaller than a percent (1%) and go to parts per million. In the best of cases more is likely to be a waste of money. You are throwing away the money you spent on the active by trying to add more. For example, if you add more ascorbic acid to a serum than will possibly dissolve (as determined by the laws of nature and how water interacts with ascorbic…
June 14th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
In April 2017, we offered a limited run of our Hyaluronic Acid Serum with EGF as a Bonus and we received tons of great feedback. Although we are unable to add this to our line-up of great products, we think you’ll find that it’s super easy to make for yourself! If you are just looking for an anti-aging product that contains both Hyaluronic Acid and Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF), then we still recommend our Collagen Serum. Collagen Serum is our best anti-aging product and contains these ingredients and many more to help promote healthy skin. However, those of you who are looking for a light, water-based moisturizing serum with some added benefits should look no further. All of…
June 14th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
I am not going to advertise this “cool” product by naming it. I just want you to see how it looks like when you take off the new clothes off the emperor. First, the ingredient list, second with the label value ingredients in italics. Third, with the label value ingredients deleted. Ingredients:Water/Aqua/Eau, Glycerin, Caprylic/ Capric Triglyceride, Isopropyl Isostearate, Pseudozyma Epicola/Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil/Glucose/Glycine Soja Meal/Malt Extract/Yeast Extract Ferment Filtrate (Pseudozyma Epicola/Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil/Glucose/Yeast Extract Ferment Filtrate), Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate SE, Cetearyl Alcohol, Pentylene Glycol, Plantago Lanceolata Leaf Extract, Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil, Citrullus Lanatus (Watermelon) Seed Oil, Passiflora Edulis Seed Oil, Schinziophyton Rautanenii Kernel Oil, Sclerocarya Birrea…
June 14th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
The Skin Actives way is to look at what is out there and see whether we can improve on it. When it comes to hair loss, it will not surprise you to learn that there are just a few actives out there, and they are effective but…their mechanism of action is a bit convoluted. What are they? Minoxidil (Rogaine) seems to work by y widening blood vessels and opening potassium channels, allowing more oxygen, blood, and nutrients to the scalp. Finasteride (Propecia) is a 5α-reductase inhibitor that prevents the synthesis of dihydrotaestosterone (DHT), finasteride reduces androgen signaling in tissues like the prostate gland and the scalp. Other hormone modulators, like…
June 13th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
Copper is present in our water and air. Depending on how old is your house, there may be too much copper in your water. Depending on where you live, there may be too much copper in your air. But we need copper for good health. How much? We have very important enzymes that depend on copper for activity: cytochrome oxidase, copper/zinc superoxide dismutase, tyrosinase and more. Why is copper so important in these enzymes? Because of its capacity to take and donate electrons. Tyrosinase, for example, is an oxidase that we need to make melanin, the skin and hair pigment. For people who are trying to lighten their skin, or…
June 13th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
Updated 10/8/2019: SAS line with apocynin is now available! Let me tell you all the reasons why I love apocynin. First of all, I like it because it is old. Apocynin is as old as the plants that make it, and they are many of them. Even its health promoting properties have been known for quite a while. Old means that we know more of its tricks, its benefits and that it is OK for humans to use it. Second, I like it because it has anti-inflammatory activity. Extracts containing apocynin have been used for centuries to help with asthma and heart problems. Purified by Schmiedeberg in 1883 from Canadian…