Guides
January 24th, 2024 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
Proteins are like long words made of just 20 letters that can be repeated many times in different orders. Just like words, some amino acid sequences can form meaningful words or, in the case of proteins, working molecules. The amino acids are the letters, and the polypeptides or proteins are the words. If you give a monkey a typewriter (or, nowadays, a computer), it is unlikely that the monkey will produce a meaningful story or a lovely poem. Oligopeptide: a few amino acids joined by peptide bonds Polypeptide: many amino acids joined by peptide bonds Proteins: large molecules comprising one or more long chains of amino acids The proteins in…
October 13th, 2022 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
You can buy my book here. At Skin Actives Scientific, we make superior skincare products because we use science to solve problems. These days we can find scientific jargon used in practically all advertising for skincare. Still, when you read the ingredient list, you will find out that the science is only being used for advertising and not in the actual formulation. Formulators are wasting efforts (and your money) because they could be using science as we do to improve skin health and appearance, but they don’t. All skincare products could be much better with minimal effort.At Skin Actives, we review scientific and industry literature to find the best skincare…
April 15th, 2022 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
More clothes? More tchotchkes? More jewelry? At 60+, we have accumulated as many souvenirs of travels and people as we want. Our shelves and walls are full. But our skin remains a priority, even when we forget it. It’s itchy, delicate, easily bruised, and sunspots “decorate” it all over. Skin Actives has real people with skin problems, so we care about every age, from babies to the elderly. What can you get for our over-60 mothers, and grandmothers (or yourself)? Hannah and her mother Slawa (Zulema), z”l. A complex lipid serum. It will help prevent bruises if you apply it (immediately, if you can) after hurting yourself against the open…
August 28th, 2021 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
There is an advantage to oily skin: it seems to age more slowly than dry skin. Myth: Moisturizers Make Acne Worse in Patients With Oily Skin Not true: moisturizers can help with retinoid or salicylic acid treatments, alleviate dryness, and make the skin feel more comfortable. Moisturizers for oily skin Oily skin may need moisturizing; just make sure that you use the right products and don’t add “bad” oils to already oily skin. A light moisturizer can also help protect your skin after washing and make-up for a “breached” skin barrier. Go for a lotion rather than a cream. Lotions are a water/oil emulsion and contain more water than creams…
August 24th, 2021 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
Why can’t we leave our eyebrows alone? Queen Nefertiti didn’t. And that was in the 1300’s BC. Figure. Queen Nefertiti of Egypt, 1360 BC. When fashion changes again (and it will!), will your eyebrows recover? Heavy eyebrows in Pompeii. Needle thin, heavy, shaved, curved. Strong brow with a high arch. Sophia shaved them off completely, then penciled them with short, thread-thin strokes that secured a bold, yet “natural” look. Mini-models become supermodels by shaving their eyebrows (but singer Mina did it long before them). I’ve seen many women whose eyebrows will not recover, ever. Why? If you simply shave them, they may take many months to regrow, because they…
August 21st, 2021 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
Before you embark on a program to increase collagen in your skin, you may wish to learn more about collagen And before you ask, no, plants don’t have (or need) collagen. Why do you want more collagen in your skin? collagen is important! Collagen fibers give the skin resistance to strain and traction and make about 70% of the skin’s mass. Total collagen decreases about 1% per year; it may look like a slow decline but a decline of such a major component of the skin will affect skin volume and its physical properties. Also, aging changes the structure of collagen. What was an organized pattern in young skin, can…
April 4th, 2021 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
What is a toner in skincare parlance? A liquid, mostly water, with additions like ethanol or surfactants, is used to remove oils and sebum. The objective: to strip the skin of oily substances and whatever else a cleanser may have left behind. Remember, however, that sebum has a purpose: it lubricates the skin and prevents water loss from the skin, so a toner may well be a waste of money or, worse, a waste of a valuable skin resource. A “typical” toner, whatever its price (you can buy one for $200) it will contain water, ethanol (or another solvent), surfactant (synthetic or saponins). The water may be replaced by floral…
March 10th, 2021 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
How many steps to a “skincare regime”? The more steps, the more products you will be using. How many? Is the number determined by your skin’s needs or the needs of the company selling to you skincare products? The many steps of skincare are more a tradition than a scientific opinion, but some steps are easy. Clean first, makes sense. Remove whatever life deposited on your skin during the day driving in a city, or cooking or working in your garden and getting all of that pollen and spores stuck to your clothes (and skin). So, go ahead and cleanse your skin but without the harsh detergents that will remove…
June 27th, 2020 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
As we age, crucial DNA mutations accumulate in our cells, and the mechanisms that regulate cell division fail. Out of control cell division plays havoc with our bodies: it’s called cancer. As the general population ages, the incidence of cancer increases. Science had progressed enormously in the understanding and treatment of cancer, and some amazingly sophisticated therapies do exist forme some specific types of cancer. For many other types of cancer, a big part of the treatment involves removing and killing cancerous cells. Thus, surgery to remove cancerous tumors is often followed by radiation therapy. In addition to dealing with sutures still healing, the patients (us) have to contend with…
September 24th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
Look at your face and hands and see what last Summer, the one that just ended, did to them. Ouch! Pigmentation is more irregular, plus there is a new scar or two and, how about those new wrinkles? First of all, as the Hitchhiker’s guide to the Galaxy will tell you: Panic is the worst advisor when you have any problem, especially a health problem, panic makes you take bad decisions. My suggestions 1) NOT suitable for sensitive skin: A good start would be a super light “peel”: 15% Vitamin C serum or alpha/beta exfoliator, but not both. More is less, in this case. Follow the instructions carefully. Rinse the…
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 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 3rd, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
You will be stressed (I remember how stressed I was and that was almost 5 decades ago). But first things first. Nobody will notice that zit because you will be smiling and your smile will distract from any complexion problem you may have. However, you will be aware of your skin so it is important that you are in control. If you get a massage, take rosehip oil with you. This way, you will get the benefits of the massage plus the nutrition that the rosehip will give to your skin. Your skin will be smoother and will feel better. What you need to have handy: 1) One month before,…
May 8th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
You may think that drastic interventions like cosmetic surgery, collagen injections and laser are the way to improve your skin, but there are alternatives. With drastic intervention comes a high risk of messing up your skin. Before you take that path, make sure you try the route that involves coaching your skin into making the changes with the help of the actives that we at Skin Actives can provide you. One example? After a couple of months using our Vitamin A Cream and Collagen Serum, you may not need blepharoplasty (look it up in Wikipedia, but skip the horror movie photographs!). Not only is the cost extremely high ($5,000 or…
May 8th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
We don’t need the same every day. A “regime” may be OK if your body is the same every day, but it isn’t. The day you wake up with a zit that came out of nowhere you will need the flawless kit. But run for the zit ender that you left in the fridge ready for this occasion. The month before a class reunion party you may want to use the glowing kit. For that week, make sure you have handy the DMAE firming serum. And just before you go into the ballroom apply the Anti-aging Hydramist. Ageless kit? From early on, maybe from your 20s, especially if you made…
May 5th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
Why so many cleansers? We wanted to offer what people need but also what they prefer. Which one do I recommend? All of these will remove the pollutants accumulated daily, plus dead cells and excess sebum. For people with acne problems: the salicylic wash/cleanser will help pores clear of dead cells preventing the formation of comedos. Perfect for people using retinoids or battling eczema, the cleansing oil will preserve the skin barrier, giving older skin the fatty acids it needs to make its own ceramides. For oily skin: sea kelp bioferment together with mild surfactants will remove pollutants without damaging the skin barrier, provides moisture and nutrients without drying the…
April 30th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
I confess, I am a older mother so I have vested interest in giving this advice. But I am writing this post because I received the following email today: “I’m 70+, will any of the creams really help my skin. I know at this age, the collagen and elastin have dissipated and it really shows on my face. It seems this year has been especially bad. Anyway, I am looking for something that will work. I would like an honest answer-too many say different things will provide some reduction of lines as well as a glow to the skin. All I am using today is avocado oil for a moisturizer…
April 25th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
Maybe neither good nor bad: it is there and we live in a world where blue light is part of the solar spectrum. And yes, there is enough energy in blue light and its intensity (outdoors) is high enough to contribute to both skin aging and carcinogenesis. But that’s life. There are molecules in our body that can absorb blue light and produce ROS* and the secondary effects that come with them. It does not matter, we still have to go out! But don’t let the merchants of LEDs “sell you” on the benefits of blue light to your skin. That’s silly (and they know it). Our bodies have evolved…
April 25th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
There are three important ways in which nutrition may affect your skin. 1) Your skin on a strict diet and/or bariatric surgery. 2) Aging and skin nutrition 3) Nutrition effect on acne You will not find in here “eat chocolate and you will get a pimple”. There is no scientific proof of this, so you know. There are some effects of nutrition (or rather, bad nutrition), that are quite obvious. Excess alcohol intake will dilate blood vessels temporarily but eventually this effects becomes permanent (and visible) damage, visible blood vessels and blotched skin. Excess alcohol intake is usually associated with a lack of attention to nutrition, another factor that affects…
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…