Ingredients
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”.…
May 3rd, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
Which types of vitamin C products will help your skin Any good product (serum or cream) should give the vitamin C an environment that preserves its structure. Otherwise, an oxidized vitamin C will work against your skin! How? Oxidized ascorbic acid is a pro-oxidant. Just as ascorbic acid can donate electrons to your skin, oxidized ascorbic acid will be hungry for its missing electrons. Copper or iron will promote ascorbic acid oxidation. Unfortunately, this basic fact of life is unknown to some people in the skin care business so you will find this unfortunate combination is some skin “care” products. How does vitamin C work FOR your skin? As a…
April 27th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
There are skin “treatments” that women take because they want to feel good and pampered. Could we please re-examine this idea so that we don’t damage our skin and bodies when we pamper ourselves? I am all for a good massage (not those that leave you hurting) and a yogurt mask while you take a nap on your couch. But, do you know what sonicating does to live cells? In a biochemical lab we use sonication to break cells. Sound waves break cell membranes (all of them). You are not an inert piece of jewelry that needs to be cleaned. Did you know that cascara sagrada (Frangula purshiana), a laxative,…
April 26th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
Sometimes (look at Skin Actives website) there may be two products with similar names, like antioxidant, with one a cream and the other a serum. Is there any reason to have two versions? I know that in the industry, the word serum is used to convey the idea that it has a higher concentration of the magic ingredient. This is not necessarily true. In my case, I use a serum when the ingredients are either water soluble OR oil soluble; and I use a cream when I want to include two types of ingredients, some soluble in water and others in oil. A cream is an emulsion of oil and…
April 24th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
Living in the city can be stressful to the skin: high concentrations of pollutants in the air will stress your skin through the production of free radicals. Free radicals are high energy molecules that are missing an electron and will go about starting chain reactions and destroying molecules in their search for the missing electron. The molecules they stole electrons from will become ROS* themselves and continue a chain reaction. What we see in a polluted city is a “cloud” of very fine particles floating in the air, and the air smells strange. We should be concerned because those fine particles are full of strong oxidants that can increase respiratory…
April 24th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
Petroleum is a fossil fuel derived from fossilized organic materials. Fossils are leftovers of life that existed eons ago. Petroleum is as natural as plants and animals that live right now. What is different is that the remains of all that old organic matter settled at the bottom of the sea or lakes or mud and in certain environment conditions including very little oxygen it decomposed first into something called kerogen, a waxy substance that includes fulvic acids and other solids, and then into liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons. So petroleum is as natural as me and the tress is my backyard. Why the “horror” of some people at the thought…
April 23rd, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
Skin Actives capillary health cream contains the best that tradition and phytochemistry can offer us to protect the fine capillaries that bring oxygen (and take away the carbon dioxide) to our cells. Essential fatty acids present in the traditional rosehip seed oil will help the skin build a strong barrier to keep water inside and bad stuff out. Sea kelp bioferment, has all the benefits that brown algae bring from the ocean. Horse chestnut and butcher’s broom have been used for centuries to protect blood vessels and phytochemistry has elucidated which are the chemicals in them and how they work. You will also find other traditional extracts: liquorice, grape seed,…
April 23rd, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
First, what is a line corrector? It is an emergency/makeup trick to “hide” wrinkles when you are getting ready for a party. It is not a long term anti-aging treatment. What can you do? You have options. “Fill” them. A thick serum that contains some reflecting powder may help. This is the strategy of some products now on the market. This may have a (slightly) artificial look and be visible depending on the type of lighting. Smooth them. Our anti-aging Hydramist contains the mineral strontium and will smooth your fine lines temporarily. Another useful property: it may prevent a rosacea flare when you enter a warm room. The best of…
April 23rd, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
Once upon a time I was in love with algae (I almost named my daughter after a Diatom, class Bacillariophyceae). Then I fell in love with polysaccharides. In fact, I am still in love with both. So what could be more perfect that to work with algae polysaccharides? Nothing, but, in top of the beauty of algae and the complexity of polysaccharides, there are all the health benefits that these special polysaccharides have for us, humans. What so special about algae? It depends. All the plants we are familiar with, like the palms in my back garden or the roses in the front, evolved from green algae. The basic cell…
April 22nd, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
The effects of solar elastosis One of the most recognizable and striking signs of skin aging is actinic elastosis. You know what it looks like: thickened, leather-like, deeply fissured skin seen on the back of the sun-exposed neck, but in some people it is also on their faces. These are the most striking wrinkles because they are deep and large. The little wrinkles we complain about are nothing when compared with these huge valleys and mountains in the skin of people who have exposed their faces and necks to UV damage for decades. Do you know what is going on in actinic elastosis? Probably not, but you don’t have to.…
April 22nd, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
Not really. Plant secondary metabolites are chemicals present in the plants that are not required for the basic survival, they are not related to respiration, photosynthesis, cell structure, cell division etc etc. Secondary metabolites are there to fight predators or to defend against bacteria and virus or as antioxidants. What is certain is that the plant is not making secondary metabolites for your benefit. In fact, you may be one of the predators the plant is fighting against! So, when you are grateful to the plant that makes vanilla pods for the lovely vanilla extract you use in cupcakes or the apocynin you are using as anti-age, that’s OK, but…
April 22nd, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
First, it is your responsibility (or mine) to read the ingredient lists. Second, I have nothing against apples. I think some of them are delicious and they are great on cakes and a good supply of vitamins. But they should not be in your skin care product. Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Anti-Wrinkle Moisturizer (1.7 fl oz.) $70 Apple juice, grape juice, lemon juice, aloe vera juice, Caprylic/capric Triglyceride, Jojoba Seed Oil)*, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearic Acid, Sunflower Seed Oil, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Xanthan Gum, Shea Butter, apple buds, grape buds, lemon Bar, Vitamin E, evening Primrose, Linseed Oil, Borage Seed Oil, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate,…
April 22nd, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
Note: as usual, please feel free to skip stuff as you wish. There is a lot of “jargon” below. Do you remember the stories about sirtuins, resveratrol and the “French paradox”? Sirtuins are proteins with a very important role in the cell: they control the enzyme that converts acetate, a source of calories, into acetyl CoA, a key point of entry to cellular respiration. Because of this crucial role, it has been proposed that it may be possible to control age-related disorders in various organisms, and in humans. These disorders include obesity, metabolic syndrome, type II diabetes mellitus, Parkinson’s disease and the “ultimate disorder”: aging. What is the French paradox?…
April 21st, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
Skin Actives Anti-aging Hydramist improves the appearance of sun damaged skin and aged skin. But it can also help alleviate the flaring of rosacea when you enter an environment that triggers it. I had applied with Mary Hunter, a skin care specialist, for a patent. It turned out that a patent required the help of lawyers we could not afford at the time, but the information is still very relevant. Some of our forum members who have rosacea found that the then Celestite Spritz alleviated their symptoms. Skin Actives anti-aging HydraMist which temporarily will smooth up wrinkles. Strontium divalent ions in a distillate of orange flower petals (neroli floral water), …
April 20th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
Answer: the ingredients What it does Helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles because it gives the skin all it needs to repair damage and protect its components. Provides low and high molecular weight antioxidants to reduce oxidative stress caused by free radicals produced by pollution and the skin itself as it respires. It is a source of nutrients that allows your skin to follow the instructions provided by the epidermal growth factor. How? The director of the orchestra: epidermal growth factor (replenishing endogenous EGF that decreases with age) Botanicals with anti-age activity: Centella asiatica. Used in traditional Chinese and Indian medicine. it contains the terpenoids asiatic acid,…
April 10th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
For not reading the ingredient list. Example: How do you get a 30% alpha hydroxy acid solution that does not burn your skin? Answer: you don’t. You lie! Add acids to 30% and neutralize the hell out of them with sodium hydroxide or any other base. How can you tell? It is all there, in the ingredient list: Glycolic Acid, Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Water, Sodium Hydroxide, Daucus Carota Sativa Extract, Propanediol, Cocamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Salicylic Acid, Potassium Citrate, Lactic Acid, Tartaric Acid, Citric Acid, Panthenol, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Tasmannia Lanceolata Fruit/Leaf Extract, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Xanthan gum, Polysorbate 20, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Ethylhexylglycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol.…
March 11th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
Hyaluronic acid (HA, a.k.a. hyaluronan) is a natural component of the skin and a major component of the dermal matrix. A huge molecule capable of retaining 1000 times its volume in water, it facilitates the exchange of nutritional and regulatory metabolites.In our skin, it stabilizes the intercellular (in-between cells) space in the dermis, and contributes significantly to cell proliferation, migration, and skin repair, activities essential to skin health. Hyaluronic acid is a linear polysaccharide, made by animals and by some bacteria, with long chains made of N-acetyl-D-glucosamine alternating with glucuronic acid. By definition, the molecular weight of hyaluronic acid is in the millions. Small fragments of broken hyaluronic acid can’t…
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…
March 4th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
If you think about it you can tell that this is all rubbish. Your face is not made of butter but of skin and muscle and bones. Maybe it can be changed using Photoshop but otherwise you will need the surgeon knife. And then, anything can happen, most of it bad. And yet, skin care advertising uses “sculpting” with abandon. Then, it is time to look at ingredient lists, like the one from City Multi Action Sculpting Cream. And no, don’t expect Skin Actives to sale anything like this! Without the solvents and thickeners, this is what the ingredient list looks like: Caviar Extract 2 (fish egg puree), Hydrolyzed Silk…