Ingredients
September 19th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
Remember: All protective mechanisms in the skin are interconnected and regulated by redox-dependent processes. What is glutathione? Figure: glutathione (a.k.a. γ-L-Glutamyl-L-cysteinylglycine), with that all-important SH group. When oxidized, two glutathione molecules are joined together to make a S-S bridge. L-Glutathione (gamma-L-Glutamyl-L-cysteinyl-glycine) is a tripeptide composed of the amino acids L-glutamine, L-cysteine, and glycine. Glutathione is part of the antioxidant defense system of the cell, together with superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutharedoxin, thioredoxin, alpha-D-tocopherol (vitamin E), ascorbic acid (vitamin C), and others. GSH protects cells by neutralizing (i.e., reducing) Reactive Oxygen Radicals (ROS*). This conversion is illustrated by the reduction of peroxides: 2 GSH + R2O2 → GSSG + 2 ROH (R…
September 14th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
What makes an oil “special”? Its fatty acid composition. Why? Because we, humans, can’t make every fatty acid we need, so we must obtain what we can’t make from the outside world, as food or topically (for our skin). What are the so called essential fatty acids, i.e. those we can’t make by ourselves? They are two: alpha-linolenic acid (an omega-3 fatty acid) and linoleic acid (an omega-6 fatty acid). Other fatty acids are considered “conditionally essential”, in the sense that they can become essential under some developmental or disease conditions; they include docosahexaenoic acid (an omega-3 fatty acid) and gamma-linolenic acid (an omega-6 fatty acid). How do you make…
September 14th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
Striae distensae or stretch marks are deep scars caused by the skin being stretched beyond its capacity to stretch, followed by ineffective repair of the damage. Latin does not make them any less noticeable. They may start as striae rubra, which are reddish streaks (indicating increased blood flow), and “mature” to as striae alba, which are hypopigmented atrophic bands. Location: abdomen, thighs, breasts, more or less anywhere when the skin was stretched too fast. What you see is skin that has less elasticity, more roughness, and lower dermal density than normal skin. At the molecular level What you see at the molecular level is that in normal skin, dermal collagen…
September 13th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
Did you see the latest “personalized” Clinique? But the new gimmick takes some chutzpah: 15 products (5×3) is not personalized. What do you get for $39? You get 3.9oz (117mL) of a base cream, lotion or gel, plus 0.1 oz (3mL) of a concentrate that contains some ingredients with undefined anti-aging benefits like caffeine, taurine and whey protein. What’s the problem? I like Clinique moisturizers because they work for very dry skin because they contain mineral oil (you can add this to any base cream for 5 cents, though). But, Clinique has very few actives as such. Its products can moisturize and very little more. For example, Clinique’s concentrate for…
August 22nd, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
Incidentally, the “celery tacos” is an obscure reference dedicated to mothers and grandmothers of children 2-5 years old who watch Wonder Pets. Some plants, like lime, lemon, celery and many others, contain chemicals called furocoumarins that absorb UV radiation. If a product containing this chemical is applied to the skin, UV will start a chain of chemical reactions that can damage the skin severely. The phototoxic inflammatory eruption usually appears 24 hours after exposure and peaks within 48-72 hours. Initial burning erythema is followed by blistering, epidermal necrosis and desquamation. Hyperpigmentation is one the the long-term effects. Furocoumarins absorb UV-A (320-380 nm) light enable furocoumarins, increasing the energy state of…
July 16th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
I can’t guess the structure of a chemical (or mix of chemicals) from a name like saccharide isomerate. This name means (sort of) sugars that have been modified in such a way that they become different sugars. Uh? However, saccharide isomerate is sold in the skin care industry as a glycerin alternative and is used in many skin care products. Why not use glycerin? Maybe saccharide isomerate is cheaper,or easier to use, I don’t know, but I like my ingredients to have a chemical structure I can recognize. In any case, you should not use sugars “just because”. Why? Protein glycosylation is why the skin of people with diabetes ages…
July 12th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
Yes, they can both be true. If there was ever an example of why you should not have “absolute”preferences (be dogmatic about a subject), this is it. I have posted a lot about natural vs. synthetic chemicals in skin care that you may wonder if I have anything new to say. I think I do. It is unlikely that a natural chemical will be bad for you, unless they are trying to sell you a poisonous plant extract like Nerium oleander as skin care (!). This does not happen very often simply because there are not that many silly people willing to spend money on a poison. Case 1) Natural…
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 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 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 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
Why I love apocynin, tonic for our skin stem cells. You will love it too! 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 of all, 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 hemp, its chemical…
June 4th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
Skin Actives makes it easy to avoid the few products we make that contain ingredients not suitable for vegans. In the past, skin care companies used a few animal sourced ingredients. One example would be extracts from cow organs used because of their high content of epidermal growth factor. This sourcing was never made evident in the ingredient lists. Another if the use of growth medium that contains fetal cow or horse serum, again because of the presence of growth factors that cells in culture require to grow and divide. This source is not disclosed in ingredient list, as the name used is “human fibroblast conditioned growth medium”. Unless you…
May 24th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
You will find Centella asiatica extract in several Skin Actives products, including the capillary health cream, restoration cream, scar vanishing gel , ultra calming cream, and antiaging cream. We also sell it as a Do It Yourself (DIY) ingredient. As you can see, it is a favorite active that we have been using since we started Skin Actives. Centella asiatica (Gotu kola, a.k.a. Hydrocotyle asiatica). This oriental herb has been used for centuries in both traditional Chinese and Indian medicine. The active chemicals in the extract are terpenoids including asiatic acid, madecassic acid, and asiaticoside. Centella asiatica promotes wound healing, apparently by stimulating the production of type I collagen and…
May 22nd, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
You’d better rethink that. Sulfate is just one of the ways that life forms, including us, take sulfur from the environment. You may have a bad feeling about sulfur if you live near a volcano which emits sulfur smelling gases. If you also believe in the existence of the devil and the underworld, you may associate the smell of sulfur to bad stuff or the Holemouth of Buffy . On the other hand, if you work in a laboratory that has drain problems (old Michigan State Biochem lab!) then the smell of hydrogen sulfide may warn you that you have to pay attention to the drains (hint: keep sinks wet).…
May 16th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
Zinc PCA is the Zinc salt of pyrrolidone carboxylic acid. It helps control acne and decrease sebum secretion while helping the skin retain its humidity. The mechanism of action of Zinc on acne may still be a matter of discussion, but there seems to be an agreement that salts of this metal decrease inflammation caused by acne, perhaps through inhibition of the enzyme that catalyses the production of dihydroxytestosterone, a hormone that controls sebaceous gland activity. Zinc is also an antibacterial, and its salts are used to control dandruff. At Skin Actives we decided to offer zinc as zinc PCA. Pyrrolidone carboxylic acid, PCA, also called L-pyroglutamate, is a derivative…
May 16th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
Kojic acid dipalmitate is a derivative of kojic acid and a fatty acid (palmitic acid), and one of the many active we use to alleviate the problem of hyperpigmentation. Sometime ago, may be our skin was uniformly pigmented, but as soon as we got our first suntan, that perfection was gone. Small areas appeared that were more heavily pigmented than others. Why? Because synthesis and accumulation of melanin in the skin is an exquisitely complicated mechanism which is easily disrupted. When disrupted, hyperpigmentation ensues. There are many ingredients that can be used to help with hyperpigmentation and this is a good example of when not to go for harsh “treatments”.…