Resources
July 4th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
What is it? It is normal, if we define normal as something that is very common and not dangerous or even problematic. It is harmless and does not hurt or itch. So why does it have a Latin name? Just like “cellulite” a serious-sounding name makes it worth a product that will make money for the companies that sell it. But go to a dermatologist and he/she will tell you to forget about it. Remedies: wait. As we age, the skin gets thinner and the K.P. goes away. Keratosis pilaris results from the buildup of keratin. The keratin forms a scaly plug that blocks the opening of the hair follicle.…
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
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
Once upon a time, people thought that disease was (a well deserved) punishment for sins. That was before germ theory of disease, and before Pasteur and vaccinations, but there is still a superstitious bit in us still believes that, especially when it comes to acne. Acne is a complex condition that includes faulty skin keratinization, increased sebum production, and acne bacteria overgrowth, followed by follicular rupture and inflammation. A complex condition will have a complex relationship with your body and the environment. Avoid people who tie acne (or any other health problem) with “morals”. And avoid people who blame you for being sick or have bad skin! Indeed, avoiding bad…
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 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…
May 27th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
We all know (!) that age makes women wiser and men more handsome. I don’t think this has to do with differences in skin anatomy but rather with cultural expectations. The skin of men ages just as much of that of women. If anything, as men tend to wear their hair short, they even lack the protection than longer hair gives to the back of women’ necks have. At the back of the neck, solar elastosis (thickened, dry, wrinkled, reddish skin) is usually limited to men. Do men need skin care at all? YES. We accept men’s aging skin not because it looks or works better than that of a…
May 10th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
We paint nails and stick fake nails on them to make them pretty and, in the process, we may even forget that they are attached to a very living body. You may forget it, but nails don’t. We all had, at some time or another, “nail problems”. Older people often have discolored nails, often the result of fungal infection. This is not necessarily a serious problem but it can be. Why not avoid problems by remembering that nails, though made out of “dead” protein, do grow and that the nail bed required nutrition to make them? And, just as our skin received less nutrition as we age, nails do too.…
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 5th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
If you thought that the “home use laser whatever ” was safe to you, think again. This is what FDA approval means for stuff inserted into your body! And don’t be surprised if the laser used on your sun spots leaves you with larger, permanent spots, of a different color. It seems to me that people can be incredibly blase when it comes to their own bodies. You would not buy a used car from people like that but you will let them do permanent make-up (tattoos), use high energy laser beams on your dear skin and test their new theories on your body. Hannah From the New York…
May 4th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
You’re back from vacation with a nice suntan and you look in the mirror to see the acne is worse. That is because ultraviolet (UV) light is another factor that affects acne. It will promote the formation of free radicals and inflammation. UV rays are not your friend. Now it’s almost time to go back to school. What to do? Even more important, what NOT to do? First, remember that acne is a very common condition. So, breathe deep. But just because a skin condition is common, that doesn’t mean that it isn’t serious. What happens to one’s skin happens in front of the world, and acne is a good…
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 28th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
This very emollient and soothing cream contains melatonin, sea kelp bioferment, ceramides, Boswellia serrata extract, rosehip oil, tamanu (foraha) oil, bisabolol, pomegranate oil, plus a broad spectrum of water and oil soluble antioxidants. This nice cream will help skin to retain water, ease itching, reduce scaling and soften cracks. Application of this cream will facilitate penetration of actives in other creams and serums. Ingredients: Water, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Squalane, Sea Kelp (Lactobacillus/Kelp Ferment Filtrate) Bioferment, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitol, Butylene Glycol, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Punica Granatum (Pomegranate) Seed Oil, Rosa Canina (Rosehip) Seed Oil, Calophyllum Inophyllum (Foraha) Nut Oil, Aleurites Moluccana (Kukui Nut)…
April 25th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
1) Don’t use oxidants like benzoyl peroxide: they age your skin. 2) Acne is an inflammatory problem: use anti-inflammatory actives 3) Strengthen the immune system so it can fight the acne bacteria 4) Use actives that top-up the skin’s own anti-acne weapons! Example: granulysin 5) Keep pores open so the acne bacteria can’t prosper, but do it without removing the skin barrier 6) Don’t irritate your skin with unnecessary fragrances and allergenic ingredients like tea tree oil. 7) Don’t treat your skin as you would treat a wall. Your skin is ALIVE!
April 25th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
Our skin ages, and there are two main types of factors that influence skin aging: intrinsic, which have to do with the way our body functions (decrease in hormones, shortening of teleomeres, accumulation of damage by free radicals formed during respiration, etc.), and extrinsic, that have to do with the way the environment affects the skin. Nowadays we have active ingredients that can help with both sides of the equation. From the extrinsic factors, ultraviolet light in the sun (and sun beds) are the most important. UV light generates reactive oxygen species (ROS*) when it reaches the skin and a number of biochemical changes result in the breakdown of proteins…
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…
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 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.…
February 23rd, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
1) the skin barrier is broken 2) almost any product you apply will sting and/or hurt 3) they can be self-inflicted ailments. In the case of diaper rash, it can be inflicted by a mother on a baby if the mother does not know how to read an ingredient list and she is obsessed with “natural products”. A mother obsessed with “natural” “honest” “green” etc will choose a dangerous product for her baby. How, you will say, if the FDA does now allow dangerous ingredients in skin care products? The FDA does not legislate on allergy, it can’t, because allergies depend very strongly on the individual. This, however, depends on…
February 17th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
The years don’t always bring wisdom. I see plenty of older people who seems strangely passive when it comes to their bodies, including their skin. You can’t just stand there and let your skin and hair deteriorate because you will need them for many years to come. Expressions like “I have dry skin” or “I have sensitive skin” are misleading, they make you feel like a passive observer, and that is dangerous. I prefer to say “these days my skin is sensitive” because it implies that it is a temporary situation, not fate. Then you can start looking for options that will allow you to change the status quo. Think…