Ingredients
September 23rd, 2021 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) is crucial to life. It works as an electron/hydrogen carrier that facilitates the transfer of energy between nutrients and the cell’s energy currency, ATP. In these oxidation-reduction reactions, the active part of the coenzyme (the one that gets reduced and oxidized again and again) is the nicotinamide. Note: the name used in chemistry is nicotinamide, but the skincare industry uses “niacinamide”. The rose by any other name… Although NAD+ is crucial to life, some live forms can make it and other can’t. Humans can’t, and we have to ingest it as food (or vitamin supplements). It is a vitamin, a form of vitamin B12, also plays…
September 12th, 2021 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
What is a beta-glucan? β-Glucans are large molecules made out of small sugars like glucose bound to each other in a particular way called a beta glycosidic bond. These basic characteristics leave a lot of variation in size, branching, and sugar composition, leading to great variation in physical properties like solubility, capacity to form gels and films, viscosity, and the physiological effects on animals, including humans. Figure: beta 1,4 glycosidic linkage in cellulose (by NEUROtiker, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons). The orientation of a linkage (as alpha or beta) changes the properties of the resulting oligo o polysaccharide. Starch, for example, has glucose monomers linked to each other in alpha…
September 11th, 2021 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
…and that oral antibiotics work on too slowly (for an inpatient grandmother)? …and that adapalene doesn’t seem to alleviate? Try Skin Actives Zit Ender! It makes me happy that my grandson now thinks that I am a genius. Eventually he will realize that I’m not, but in the meantime it feels great. What’s in SAS Zit Ender? Sea Kelp (Lactobacillus/Kelp Ferment Filtrate) Bioferment, Salix Alba (White Willow) Bark Extract, Water, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Epigallocatechin Gallate, Kaempferia Galanga (Galangal) Root Extract, Oleanolic Acid, Zinc PCA, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate (Licorice Extract), Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Extract, Galactoarabinan, Fucoidan, Beta Glucan (Yeast), Beta Glucan (Oat), Opuntia Ficus Indica (Prickly Pear) Extract, Pyrus…
September 3rd, 2021 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
Oxidation is good (most of the time) We are not plants, so we can’t make “food out of air” like in photosynthesis, by which plants make carbohydrates out of carbon dioxide and water using light’s energy. No, we humans (and all other animals) need to eat carbohydrates and other stuff made by the plants and oxidize them using respiration. This is the way we get ATP and reducing power to live on and make exactly what we need to grow and reproduce and keep making more humans. If oxidation is good, why do we need anti-oxidants? Once we make our beautiful proteins and nucleic acids, and our skin, etc. we…
August 25th, 2021 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
Tremella is a great example of symbiosis. It is also a great example of how important fungal components have become in skincare. Figure: the snow fungus is more than “just” a fungus. Let me first remind you of what symbiosis is. The word comes from Greek συμβίωσις, symbíōsis, “living together”, from σύν, sýn, “together”, and βίωσις, bíōsis, “living”. It refers to any close, long-term biological interaction between two different biological organisms. The organisms, each termed a symbiont, must be of different species. How does it apply to the pretty “snow fungus”? Tremella fuciformis is a parasitic yeast that grows as a slimy film until it encounters its preferred hosts, also…
August 25th, 2021 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
Inside and outside my espresso. You can read more about caffeine here. In short? Caffeine decreases the risk of skin cancer promoted by UV irradiation; apparently by slowing down repair of DNA mutations caused by UV making it more precise and preventing mutations that may lead to cancer. This is why you will find caffeine in our unique UV repair cream. But, beware! Caffeine also decreases the thickness of subcutaneous fat layer by inducing lipolysis, so while it may be a good idea to treat “cellulite” with caffeine, women who lose subcutaneous fat from their faces as they age, should be careful using it. Topical application of caffeine is safe,…
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…
August 13th, 2021 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
An oil is as good as its composition, i.e. the fatty acids that make up its triglycerides and sometimes because of the “impurities” that are extracted when the oil is pressed from the seeds or fruits. The label value is the benefit (to the seller) that having a certain name in the ingredient list adds to the product, usually making the consumer think that he is getting “value for money”. It makes us feel rich if we see the words diamond and, yes, Marula! Marula oil is extracted from the nuts of the Marula trees (Sclerocarya birrea) fruit and is used in cosmetics. It is also used as cooking oil,…
July 28th, 2021 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
We, humans, and the many bacteria that live in us and on us have evolved together for millennia. This stuff may sound yucky but what is actually is yucky it’s when the bacteria are not there. Our body needs them, they are crucial to the immune system and epidermal development and differentiation. Microbe colonization of our skin is no longer perceived as a threat but as a factor to be evaluated depending on the circumstances. Bacteria are so enmeshed with the human body that, for some purposes, they could be considered part of it. This relationship starts as soon as a baby makes its way through the birth canal, collecting…
July 14th, 2021 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
Glycolic acid 70% is too strong for skincare use. It burns the skin. Then, how come it is being sold wisely? It isn’t, it’s called FRAUD. How come they can get away with it? Because people don’t know how to read an ingredient list. Here are examples of products sold as 70% glycolic acid peels. Product #1:Deionized Water, Glycolic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Potassium Sorbate, Hexylene Glycol. Product #2: Distilled Water, Glycolic Acid This is funny (or sad): The answer to this question: “How could it be 70%? Water comes first” the manufacturer answered: “70% denotes the strength of the acid, not how much of it…
July 9th, 2021 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
I enjoy watching the videos from Epicurious, “4 levels of…”. They show how to make a variety of foods at different levels of expertise, and a food scientist explains how the flavors develop and the composition and interaction of different ingredients. You will find them here https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcjhYlL1WRBjKaJsMH_h7Lg Have fun! Hannah
July 4th, 2021 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
The easiest, and perhaps, most rewarding, way to DIY (do it yourself) skincare is to personalize a ready-made product you already like. You don’t need to start from scratch making a serum or cream or lotion. Just take a product you like and make it suit your body even better. Do you want a product that will firm your skin? Maybe you like our Canvas or European cream? Or our sea kelp bioferment? Add to either of these a hint of any of the following sea kelp bioferment (with extra fucoidan), collagen peptides or hyaluronic acid. What other benefits, besides instant skin tightening, will you get? Pullulan (from my glossary)…
June 11th, 2021 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
…it’s just as sweet. And gentle on your skin. Ultra Clarifying Blemish Oil Rosa Canina (Rosehip) Seed Oil, Linum Usitatissimum (Linseed) Seed Oil, Salicylic Acid, Calophyllum Inophyllum (Foraha) Nut Oil, Hippophae Rhamnoides (Seabuckthorn) Fruit Oil, Bisabolol, Retinyl Palmitate, Docosahexaenoic Acid, Coleus Forskohlii Oil, Punica Granatum (Pomegranate) Seed Oil, Tocotrienols, Tocopherol, Astaxanthin, Lycopene, Xanthophyll, Thioctic Acid, Beta Carotene, Alpinia Galanga Root Oil, Cedrus Deodara Oil. The idea behind the product That acne is a complex problem with several components. Work on all of them and you can take control of your skin. Discourage and/or kill acne bacteria Keep pores open (no anaerobiosis here!) No food for you, nasty acne bacteria Decrease…
June 10th, 2021 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
The INCI name of the ingredient is Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract. But, what is Tremella? Figure: Tremella fuciformis a.k.a. snow fungus, snow ear, silver ear fungus, or white jelly mushroom. Tremella fuciformis is a parasitic yeast that grows as a slimy film until it encounters its preferred hosts, also fungi like Annulohypoxylon archeri, which the yeast invades, triggering the fast growth required to form the fruiting bodies found on decaying wood. So there are three components to this ingredient. The three-species “organism” can be cultivated on fallen wood if the two species of fungus are inoculated together. Benefits Let’s start by saying that this is an edible mushroom, and safety…
June 6th, 2021 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
How does it work? Take a scientific-sounding word and insert it in a story where your product solves all problems and skin issues. An old one: deconstructed water. Ignore it: it doesn’t exist, and La Mer was forbidden from using it in the UK, where they take advertising a bit more seriously than in the USA. But wait! Here comes Activated Water: Pure water is infused with aloe barbadensis leaf extract and then supercharged to hold both positive and negative ionic charges to help skin absorb moisture more easily. No! And then, the real scientific words: exosomes, sirtuins, stem cells. All real, but don’t let advertisers sell you science that…
June 1st, 2021 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
Testing skincare products on animals is not only cruel, but it’s also useless. Lists of “comedogenic ” ingredients come from an old study where products would be applied to a rabbit ear for days and then checked for comedo formation. It is a silly assumption that the skin of a teenager would behave like a rabbit ear. There were old laws that demanded from ingredients and products proof of safety, and at the time governments believed that animal testing could prove safety. This is old news, animal testing on animals has been banned in Europe since the 2000s, earlier in some other countries. Maybe not so old news, since the…
May 30th, 2021 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
Since before Theophrastus ( c. 371 – c. 287 BC), licorice root has been used to heal skin lesions. Licorice root is an ingredient of traditional Japanese Kampo and Chinese medicines. But ethnopharmacological use, however ancient, is not proof of effectiveness. Does “modern” science (phytochemistry, biochemistry) support this use of licorice? Yes and no. Licorice root contains many different chemicals, let’s look at them. this use of Figure: Glycyrrhiza glabra This is from my Glossary Licorice Natural sweetener, anti-inflammatory, skin brightener. Licorice root has been used in Europe since prehistoric times, documented since the ancient Greeks, for its anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activity. Its sweetness comes from glycyrrhizin. The extract, which…
May 24th, 2021 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
Azelaic acid is good and for several skin problems. Why? Azelaic acid is a saturated dicarboxylic acid found in wheat, rye, and barley. Like most (but probably not all) chemicals, azelaic acid can also be made in a lab by a good organic chemist. Figure: Azelaic acid Azelaic acid and more soluble derivatives like azeloyl glycine (a.k.a. Potassium Azeloyl Diglycinate) can be used to treat some skin problems, usually as part of a combo with other chemicals. Acne Azelaic acid is used to treat mild to moderate acne, it works by killing acne bacteria that multiply within blocked pores. Rosacea Azelaic acid decreases inflammation in rosacea. The mechanism of…
May 12th, 2021 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
Plants don’t need collagen. Water, cell membranes, and cell walls keep the plant erect while there is enough water. Take the water away and the plant wilts. We don’t. Then, what’s in Vegan Collagen Lash Serum & Primer? Obviously, there is no plant collagen but here is the list of ingredients. Water, carnauba wax, stearic acid, glyceryl stearate, mica, oleic acid, hydroxyethylcellulose, alkyl hydroxystearoyl stearate, sr-hydrozoan polypeptide-1 (vegan collagen), tocopheryl acetate, panthenol, kaolin, lauroyl lysine, glycerin, silica, potassium sorbate, caprylyl glycol, glyceryl caprylate, sodium benzoate, ethylhexylglycerin, phenoxyethanol. The protein here, sr-hydrozoan polypeptide-1 bears no relation to human collagen or to plants. It is a jellyfish protein fragment produced by fermentation…
May 9th, 2021 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
From my Glossary: Skin brightener, increases skin elasticity.Secreted by the pineal gland in response to sunlight, it has been shown that topical application decreases the accumulation of melanin. Topical use of synthetic melatonin appears to be beneficial to the skin in many ways. Used in conjunction with magnesium ascorbyl phosphate (MAP), melatonin improves skin elasticity. It may also help with mouth sores (stomatitis), decrease the side effects of radion therapy on the skin and improve skin texture. Melatonin may help improve hair texture in female alopecia. Figure: Melatonin chemical struture A bit more information: Melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxy tryptamine) is synthesized in our bodies from tryptophan, an amino acid, with serotonin as…