Dr. Sivak’s Lab
February 14th, 2018 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
Microblading is a fancy name for permanent makeup of the eyebrow area. It is meant to be permanent and it is not hair, it is ink deposited deep inside your skin. Anybody older than 15 knows that make-up fashion changes every year, and even every season, influenced by a variety of factors including what the big makeup companies want to sell. New make-up styles will make redundant all the make up products people bought last season and that will be an infusion of cash for the industry. People older than 20 know that the price of plucking eyebrows is the eventual loss of eyebrows. I have seen women with the…
May 2nd, 2017 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
At the beginning of April 2017, Skin Actives Scientific was very pleased to be featured in a write-up for our hometown news source, AZCentral. Our Founder Dr. Hannah Sivak and CEO Jonatan Funtowicz were able to get out the message about Skin Actives’ unique philosophy and approach to business. If you missed out on reading that article, you can find it here. Much to our surprise, at the end of April the article made it to the print version of our local papers! This resulted in a huge week of requests from Arizona locals for help with their skin care regimes. It was really great getting to meet some of…
March 28th, 2017 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
A good example of an active that has been discussed in articles published in peer-reviewed scientific journals is epidermal growth factor (EGF). There are more than 50,000 pieces of scientific literature document the activity of EGF. What is a growth factor? Growth factors are naturally occurring proteins capable of stimulating cellular proliferation and cellular differentiation. Growth factors bind to specific receptors on cell surfaces and are important for the regulation of a variety of cellular processes. Among the practical uses of EGF are its use in accelerating healing of the skin and cornea (the outside coating of the eyeball). EGF was the first growth factor to be discovered and studied,…
February 28th, 2017 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
What does “skin renewal” mean? Nothing and everything: it depends on the context and who is talking. What do you need to do to renew your skin? Nothing. Your skin renews itself all the time. So what does the skin care industry mean by skin renewal? Generally, they mean that you should peel your dead skin cells off. But those dead skin cells, which make up the stratum corneum, are what make your skin impermeable to water using chemicals like ceramides. If we want to be more specific in defining what renewal means, we first need to understand what is going on in the anatomy of the skin. Skin structure The skin…
September 28th, 2016 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
From the FDA’s Consumer Updates page: “Because the manufacturers haven’t proven that the antibacterial ingredients are safe for daily use over a long period of time. Also, manufacturers haven’t shown that these ingredients are any more effective than plain soap and water in preventing illnesses and the spread of certain infections. Some manufacturers have already started removing these ingredients from their products, ahead of the FDA’s final rule.” “Following simple handwashing practices is one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of many types of infection and illness at home, at school and elsewhere,” says Theresa M. Michele, MD, of the FDA’s Division of Nonprescription Drug Products. “We…
September 23rd, 2016 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
What are ceramides? Ceramides consist of a long-chain or sphingoid base linked to a fatty acid via an amide bond. Figure: Sphingosine. Figure: ceramide, with sphingosine bound to a fatty acid via an amide. Ceramides are present at low concentration in plants and animals, so there isn’t a good source of natural ceramides for use in the industry. Extraction of a rare chemical from a plant requires laborious processes and the resulting ingredient are terribly expensive. Another source of ceramides, the central nervous system, is not suitable for epidemiological reasons. For this reason, the ceramides used in skin care are synthetic. Confusing Terminology The chemical nomenclature for ceramides is simple enough:…
September 6th, 2016 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
How vitamin A was found to be a Vitamin Vitamins are organic compounds that are essential to human metabolism, but that humans are unable to synthesize so they must be acquired through food. During evolution, we “simply” lost some enzymes required for their synthesis. Observations made before 1900: Nutritional deprivation caused corneal ulcers, blindness, and high mortality. Also, an unknown substance present in milk and egg yolk is essential for nutrition. In the early 20th century it was found that this unknown substance was fat soluble. The growth-supporting “accessory factor” in milk and egg yolk became known as ‘fat-soluble A’ in 1918 and then ‘vitamin A’ in 1920. Further research,…
August 26th, 2016 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
ROS* Terminator Has a TEAC rating of over 200 mmol Trolox/kg FW ROS* Terminator contains Skin Actives’ exclusive proteins in our Sea Kelp Coral base. Sea Kelp Coral supplies a complete nutrient medium and moisturizes skin and scalp. The substrate for fermentation is kelp, a sea macroalga (Phaeophyta). Fermentation makes the cell contents of this alga readily available to our skin and scalp. This maximizes its moisturizing properties, as well as making nutrients available that are required by the skin. The ferment also has calming, anti-itch activity. The bioferment is rich in fucoidan (see below), caragenaan, algin, minerals, and many active chemicals. It also provides minerals like iodine, copper, molybdate, magnesium, and others…
August 26th, 2016 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
In my opinion, mitochondria, antioxidants, and protection from UV are the keys to keeping skin healthy for the many years our skin has to do its job. In other words, the need to protect skin from UV and strong oxidants, and to protect the integrity of mitochondria is NOT age specific. It is not practical to have several mitochondria creams to target different ages. It is easier to formulate the best possible mitochondria cream (Revitalizing Night Cream) and “layer” products to complement its action. For example, a woman of 50 may wish to layer Anti-Aging Cream on top of Revitalizing Night Cream and/or Collagen Serum. Let me explain why mitochondria…
August 4th, 2016 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
Collagen fibers 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 organized pattern in young skin, becomes an assembly of disorganized bundles of thick fibrils in older skin. It is not only quantity, it is also quality. We know that aging decreases skin thickness and elasticity, and it is likely that collagen is a good part of the solution. If we care about…
August 4th, 2016 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
If you don’t like aluminum, you may have to move to another planet! Aluminum is so abundant on the earth’s crust (third after oxygen and silicon) that the only way to avoid it is to leave Earth altogether. It is present in our water and food along with most common items, like your shoes…it’s everywhere. And yet, some people will continue eating and drinking and living on earth, but avoid antiperspirants because they are scared of aluminum. Don’t be. If you are lucky enough to live in a place where the quality of your water and food is monitored, there will be little aluminum found in them. Your body is already excellent…
July 7th, 2016 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
The difference between a drug and a cosmetic. I have written many times about the problems that occur because of the grey area between drugs and medicines (both prescription or over the counter) and cosmetics and cosmeceuticals. In the case of Rapidlash, we see this company taking “heroic” steps to fit into the cosmetic side while trying to avoid a lawsuit by Allergan, the maker of Latisse. Allergan has exclusive rights to bimatoprost, the FDA-approved ingredient behind lash growth. In 2012, the courts found that Lifetech Resources LLC’s NeuLash and RapidLash are drugs because they are intended not as instantly effective cosmetics, but as treatments meant to grow eyelashes over time. This was found…
June 30th, 2016 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
You may have seen a pop-up ad for a free trial of a miracle product, or two miracle products that offer a “free trial” if you simply pay the $4.95 shipping charge. There are hundreds, maybe thousands of these scams using various unauthorized celebrity endorsements. The ads show badly photoshopped before and after photos of Sandra Bullock, Katie Couric and many others. Once you give them your credit card, they start charging it and charging it and charging it. Hundreds of dollars later, the victims can’t find a way to “turn it off”. These ads have targeted Dr. Oz & Ellen DeGeneres and recently Dr. Phil McGraw’s wife Robin. Some ads have even…
June 30th, 2016 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
The New York Times posted an article last month with this headline: ‘Second Skin’ May Reduce Wrinkles, Eyebags, Scientists Say. If you continue reading, you will find that title to be slightly misleading. Let’s break down what the article actually states. A silicone solution is applied to your skin and becomes a mesh that stretches and covers your skin with a transparent film that will last for up to 24 hours. It will not reduce wrinkles, just hide them underneath the transparent mask. You can’t criticize a scientist for trying to make money. We don’t pledge a Hippocratic-type oath that forbids us from benefitting financially from our breakthroughs. It would definitely not be the first time that somebody with a PhD…
May 13th, 2016 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
Just in case you got bored from hearing the words “natural and organic” or “preservative-free”, here comes a brand new catch phrase courtesy of the marketing departments of skin care companies: Probiotic. This word is borrowed from medicine, in which live bacteria are used for the gastro-intestinal (GI) system to accelerate recovery from antibiotics and other general problems. The skincare industry has no problem using a word that doesn’t apply in any way to skin care to sell you their old products as something brand new. An Interesting Dilemma Probiotics in medicine involve the delivery of live bacteria that may help change the bacterial flora of your GI system. However,…
April 4th, 2016 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
By far, the most common customer questions we receive are about HOW MANY skin care formulas are out there. Which ones are truly necessary? How many do I need and what order do I apply them? The marketing we see on a daily basis leads us to believe if we aren’t using this miracle serum or that wrinkle-busting cream we are missing out on the latest skin care miracle. With a new one every week, how different can it really be? Can it be worth these enormous retail prices? Is it all just glossy marketing? We asked Dr. Hannah to give us the breakdown of what these formulas really are…
February 9th, 2016 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
How old is the complicity between cosmetic companies and the press? Very old. Take a look at an excerpt from this article titled “The Poisonous Beauty Advice Columns of Victorian England.” “Glass and tin bottles hide snug in a case, waiting for a woman’s daily ritual. She reaches for a bottle of ammonia and washes it over her face, careful to replace the delicate glass stopper. Next, she dips her fingertips into the creams and powders of her toilet table, gravitating toward a bright white paint, filled with lead, which she delicately paints over her features. It’s important to avoid smiling; the paint will set, and any emotion will make it…
February 9th, 2016 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
The year was 2000. They told us that nanotechnology is great and that it is the “decade of nanotechnology”. Then they tried to sell us stuff by using the word “nano”. Ten years later, Robin Cook wrote a medical thriller titled “Nano”. Soon after, some people began to say that nanotechnology is bad. They ask for money to fund “non-profits” to put pressure on Congress so that everything nano can be banned. What is nano? You probably learned about this term in high school, when studying the metric system. The nanometer is one thousandth of a micrometer, which is one thousandth of a millimeter, etc. How small is a nanometer? Below is a (logarithmic) scale showing where the atom is compared to a giant sequoia. …
January 8th, 2016 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
What is a fatty acid? A fatty acid (example: palmitic acid) has a carboxylic acid attached to a long hydrocarbon chain. Why are fatty acids so important? Fatty acids are used as a major source of energy during metabolism and as a starting point for the synthesis of phospholipids, the main category of lipid molecules used to construct biological membranes (generally composed of two fatty acids linked through glycerol phosphate to one of a variety of polar groups). Why are the differences in chemical structure so important? The chemical structure makes the function possible. Stearic acid cannot do what linoleic acid can. Fatty acids can differ in number of carbon…
January 6th, 2016 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
Just like we associate certain food smells and tastes with childhood and nostalgia, fragrances from baby products trigger those same feelings. This is why, despite the fact that fragrances in baby creams, shampoos and diapers are unnecessary, they still “sell” and you will find them in most products. In most cases, these fragrances are okay. However, the fact remains that we do not know enough about allergies to tell us what can be used without risk of causing long term eczema and contact dermatitis. It seems that even the companies that manufacture these products don’t know enough, and this is bad. The most offensive example I have found is Boudreaux’s…