DIY recipes
January 2nd, 2021 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
You can’t buy a probiotic for your skin. Why? By definition, probiotics contain live bacteria.For safety reasons, it’s against the law to sell skincare products containing live bacteria. We test every product sold to make sure it is clean and free of bacteria and mold. Our sea kelp bioferment is filtered carefully to terminate fermentation and remove bacteria. We can call it “prebiotic” because it may promote the growth of good bacteria, but not “probiotic”. How come some companies sell skincare probiotics? Easy: they lie. You can make a nice probiotic mask at home, a good excuse to relax. Mix the following: 1 cup yogurt (full fat, plain) 1 tablespoon…
November 10th, 2020 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
KGF is a signal molecule, it will tell the keratinocytes in your skin to divide and synthesize macromolecules and make your skin stronger. It will encourage your scalp to grow hair, and your eye brows and eyelashes to be stronger, thicker and increase in density. How can you use it as an ingredient to make your skincare better? How? Add it to a cream, a serum, sea kelp bioferment, almost to anything. Exception: KGF is a protein and as most proteins, it does not like extremes of pH (acids, alkali) or alcohols like ethanol and isopropanol. Where? It will help your nails! It will help your scalp and hair! It…
October 29th, 2020 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
For a rich body lotion, you may have to unlearn some stuff you read on the internet! Really? Yes, for misinformation on skincare (and other stuff), the internet is king. What happens in winter? Why dry skin? It has to do with the low humidity of the air, and heating in the house does not help. There might be a bit of “I don’t see it, I forget about it” about our skin covered in heavy clothes from head to toe (and now, also masks). Any lotion will benefit from the addition of some petrolatum or mineral oil, to “patch-up” your skin barrier. But if you think long term (and…
September 30th, 2020 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
Fixed oils are oils like we use to cook: welcome them to your bath but don’t slip! Be careful going in and out. Essential oils are those that give flowers their fragrance. Be careful when/if you add them to your bath. However beautiful the ambiance, you may end up with itchy skin. Why fixed oils in the bath? If you choose the right ones, you will get multiple benefits Smoother skin Nutrition Calming effect for itchy skin No danger of acne Anti-inflammatory effect Which oil? My favorites are rosehip and pomegranate, because of their fatty acid composition, perfect to “rebuild” the skin barrier. My super favorite is Every Lipid Serum,…
July 18th, 2020 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
1) Check this first: what do you want from your product? Do you have a particular skin problem? 2) Don’t copy a product just because it is advertised or has “good reviews” or is ridiculously expensive. Does it have a good ingredient list? It may be an icky or ineffective list. Or, worse, bad for you. 3) Make sure the actives you choose to match your objective. The best way? make a shortlist of both actives and objectives, side by side 4) Did you choose your actives? Start with a couple of them, not everything has to go in the same product. 5) Important: To make the fantastic DIY product…
July 11th, 2020 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
Dear Skin Actives clients: I want to discourage you from spending money with us, or, rather, discourage you from wasting money I don’t want you to buy actives “just because”. Buying too many actives and mixing them “willy nilly” leads to disappointment and we at SAS prefer to keep our clients for many years. Before mixing your own products, I suggest you try our pre-mixed products. Look for the product that corresponds most closely to the type of skin or skin problem you may have. Try to decide what your aims are for your skin, then we can work out together how to achieve those aims. Trying first our pre-mixed…
June 22nd, 2020 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
Sea kelp coral is a fantastic base because it is already full of great stuff. In short, you can’t go wrong! Use it as a mask, by itself, as a one-stop beauty treatment. If you feel like it, add other actives you can find in your kitchen. Examples: a spoonful of plain yogurt (full fat is better) for nutrition and a very mild alpha hydroxy acid exfoliation. Rinse well after your nap, otherwise, the mask will dry as a film that will stretch your skin. Add some fresh pineapple or kiwi puree for exfoliation. Both kiwi and pineapple contain proteases, and your skin will feel fresh and smooth after you…
June 21st, 2020 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
Looking for a long explanation? Find it here. The short explanation is this: a small chain of amino acids. Yes, you still need to know that amino acids (about 20) make up the proteins that make up our body. Let’s take the myth away from the word “peptide”. No magic in them! The shorter they are, the less they can do (unless we are talking glutathione). Those short peptides advertised by the skincare industry are mostly useless. A few of them can age your skin, but not because of the peptide but because of the copper they carry (run when you see blue!). Where can you find real value for…
April 18th, 2020 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
One of the most wanted ingredients in skin care is in your fridge. You will find lactic acid at a perfect concentration in plain yogurt (you don’t want the sugar). Lactic acid will give you a nice, light acid peel, just leave it on your skin while you relax. If lactic acid is so good, why doesn’t SAS offer it? We do, in a very special product: alpha/beta exfoliant. Go to our great exfoliant any time, it will do its job in just under 10 minutes. But for a relaxing “spa time”, go for yogurt. Anything you can add to yogurt? Almost any active we sell in Skin Actives, like…
April 11th, 2020 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
Here it is: Essential 2020 Booster 4ml Ingredients Fragrance (Eucalyptus citriodora (Lemon Eucalyptus) Leaf Oil (and) Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Oil (and) Citrus limon (Lemon) Peel Oil (and) Lavandula hybrida (Lavandin) Flower Oil (and) Eugenia caryophyllata (Clove) Stem Oil (and) Backhousia citriodora (Lemon Myrtle) Leaf Oil (and) Origanum majorana (Marjoram) Leaf Oil (and) Origanum vulgare (Oregano) Leaf Oil (and) Cymbopogon martinii (Lemongrass) Leaf Oil (and) Salvia officinalis (Dalmation Sage) Leaf Oil), Punica Granatum (Pomegranate) Seed Oil, Tocotrienols, Tocopherols, Astaxanthin, Lycopene, Xanthophyll, Thioctic Acid, Beta-Carotene, Minthostachys Verticillata (Peperina) Extract. You can also read about these essential oils here Skin Actives Essential 2020 Booster is a blend of 13 essential oils that…
February 9th, 2020 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
The collagen in your skin is a treasure you must take good care of. Collagen on your skin? It could help. Collagen in pills? Not at all. Let’s look at collagen and what it does for your skin. From my book: What is collagen? Collagen is a protein, its very complex fibers (see figure) give the skin resistance to strain and traction. Collagen constitutes about 70% of skin mass, but total collagen decreases about 1% per year. It may look like a small decline, but as such a major component of the skin it will affect skin volume and its physical properties. Also, aging changes collagen structure. What was an…
February 5th, 2020 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
I know, I very recently published a post about how to take care of your feet after Summer. But then I noticed that at a certain age, (my) feet need care all year round (it’s Winter in Arizona). Let me remind you of the basics: The soles of human feet lack sebaceous glands and. The skin in this area is very thick. 1+ 1 = 2. Thicker skin that produces no sebum will tend to crack. Cracked soles can be painful. If you let it go on without correcting the problem, inflammation and more pain will ensue. Infection is more likely because the skin barrier is interrupted. The cracks…
January 18th, 2020 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
Dear Reader, This is the introduction to my new book “Four degrees of Do It Yourself skin care”. I am assembling the chapters that will deal with botanical ingredients. I welcome suggestions on the ingredients you wish me to discuss in the book. Hannah We get attracted to plant extracts for many reasons. Besides advertising, there are cultural influences (what did your grandmother use when you were sick?), the attraction of the exotic (if it is Korean, it must be better), and even the common name of the plant (dragon’s blood, anybody?). As a scientist, I have to be more careful with how I choose plant extracts as…
January 18th, 2020 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
We get attracted to plant extracts for many reasons. Besides advertising, there are cultural influences (what did your grandmother use when you were sick?), the attraction of the exotic (if it is Korean, it must be better), and even the common name of the plant (dragon’s blood, anybody?). As a scientist, I have to be more careful with how I choose plant extracts as an ingredient for our Skin Actives products. Yes, I look at plants that were used for centuries by different peoples. I read the publications that deal with the ethnological use of the plant extracts, but that is only the beginning. Maybe the ancient people who used…
December 13th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
The answer to the question: not really. What matters is the ingredient list and the formulator may have to change the consistency of the product to make sure that the actives are dissolved completely. From my book Types of skin care products Cream: an emulsion of oil and water in approximately equal proportions that penetrates well the outer layer of skin. Both oil soluble and water soluble actives can be used. Creams have a higher viscosity (thickness) than lotions. Lotion: a low viscosity topical preparation. Gel: a jelly-like material that can have properties ranging from soft and weak to hard and tough. By weight, gels are mostly liquid, yet they…
December 11th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
Leave fruit or cheese or bread long enough in your fridge and before long it will be covered in mold. This is mold that you can see. Leave yogurt in the fridge long enough and you will even see a film of colorful bacteria growing on it. Long before you see anything, bacteria and mold will be feasting on the food you leave uneaten. That’s good: that is the cycle of life (and the cycle of nitrogen, carbon, etc.). This is the way nature works but it may not be good for you. You may get sick if any of those molds or bacteria produce chemicals that your body does…
October 7th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
You can buy an ounce (30mL) of the following for $245. Ingredients: Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil , Dimethicone , Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride , Water\Aqua\Eau , Trisiloxane , Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil , Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil , Polydecene , Hydrogenated Polydecene , Butylene Glycol , Propanediol , Glycerin , Algae (Seaweed) Extract , Brassica Campestris (Rapeseed) Seed Oil , Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil , Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil , Eucalyptus Globulus (Eucalyptus) Leaf Oil , Camelina Sativa Seed Oil , Oxycoccus Palustris (Cranberry) Seed Oil , Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil , Hippophae Rhamnoides Oil , Medicago Sativa (Alfalfa) Seed Powder , Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower)…
September 28th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
At $330 for 4 vials with 0.18 oz each, or 20mL, it works out at $16 per mL. or about $1 per drop. You may wish to imitate it and save hundreds of dollars but look at the ingredient list: Ingredients : Water/Eau (Aqua), Glycerin, Cyclopentasiloxane, Salix Alba (Willow) Leaf Extract, Solanum Tuberosum Extract, Algae Extract-Paraffin, Gingko Biloba Leaf Extract, Hydrolyzed Malt Extract, Propylene Glycol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Arginine, Phenoxyethanol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Methylparaben, Sorbic Acid, Tetrasodium Edta, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Thymus Mastichina Oil, Chlorphenesin, Methylparaben, Butylparaben, Ethylparaben, Propylparaben. (cont. limonene, linalool) Ingredients (translated by Hannah) : Water (solvent), Glycerin (humectant), Cyclopentasiloxane (silicone), Willow Leaf…
September 25th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
Why is it worth your while to make a skin care product yourself? I can see two reasons: 1) When what you want does not exist in the market 2) When what you want does exist but it is too expensive. However, first you should make sure that what you want is what your skin needs, and not something that has been pushed on you by advertising. When not to do DIY 1) Don’t make a product so that you can add to it all the peptides that are in fashion. Why? Because such a product is unlikely to benefit you or your skin. If the ingredients are not beneficial,…
September 22nd, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
What do your hands need? The same that your face does, plus more! If you compare the skin of your hands with your face, you will notice that the hands are showing off your age even more. Why? They are exposed to UV just as your face is, plus they are exposed to even more stress if you wash them often or, because of your profession you use use disinfecting gels, or if you do the dishes again and again, or, like me, had a lifetime in the laboratory exposed to acids, liquid nitrogen and who knows what else. How does the stress show? Dry skin, mottled appearance, scars here…