DIY recipes

July 11th, 2021 by Dr. Hannah Sivak

If you buy a lip gloss that has a glass container and a brush applicator, it is possible to add a couple of drops of a serum that will convert make-up into lip care. Why take the time (and trouble)? This is why: Polybutene, Diisopropyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Tridecyl Trimellitate, Polyethylene, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Crambe Seed Oil, Avocado Oil, Phospholipids, Sodium Chondroitin Sulfate, Atelocollagen, Hyaluronic Acid, Tocopherol, Soluble Collagen, Synthetic Beeswax, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Palmitic Acid, Aluminum Calcium Sodium Silicate, Silica, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Benzoic Acid, Fragrance, BHT. May Contain: Mica, Titanium Dioxide (Cl 77891), Yellow 6 Lake (Cl 15985), Red 28 Lake (Cl 45410), Red 33 Lake…

July 10th, 2021 by Dr. Hannah Sivak

The objective of a foundation is to cover up skin imperfections with a color that approximates the color of your skin. There may be some light reflecting particles (mica) in there too, but it is mainly a solution of medium viscosity that keeps pigments (iron oxides, etc.) in suspension. Titanium and zinc oxide will provide some sun protection and will reflect light.These are the ingredient of a typical foundation: Water, Isostearyl Neopentanoate, Dimethicone, Isohexadecane, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Lauryl PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Trehalose, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Hdi/​Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Dimethicone/​PEG-10/​15 Crosspolymer, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Tocopheryl Acetate, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Propylene Carbonate, Lecithin, Laureth-7, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Dimethicone Silylate,…

July 5th, 2021 by Dr. Hannah Sivak

DIY (do it yourself) allows the consumer to be creative and make a product that is designed to his/her liking. But DIY also allows the consumer to evade limits to the concentration of ingredients, including those affecting acidity and toxicity of the final products.  Don’t! Unless you are a chemist and MD, you are unlikely to know enough to avoid costly mistakes. This is especially true about “hacking” skincare products using the ingredient lists. You may not notice the word “sodium hydroxide” towards the end of an ingredient list that includes glycolic acid and says on its label “70% glycolic acid peel”. Now, they even omit the strong base on…

April 4th, 2021 by Dr. Hannah Sivak

First, you don’t need to have “issues” to take special care of your hair (or eyebrows. By the time you detect hair problems, you may have already lost a lot of it and the rest may be thinning. By taking care of your hair you are actually taking care of your scalp, where the hair is formed. You can read more about the subject here and here.  I have posted too many articles about hair, but these two should be enough. And when do you have hair problems? Going on a low calory diet, menopause, pregnancy, illness, are some of the many conditions, good and bad, that will affect your…

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…

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…

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…