Skin Actives Products
July 18th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
Ask your doctor before you get plastic surgery or laser treatment whether this product will help you. But, also, keep it in your fridge, ready for that burn/cut/accident waiting to happen. Accelerate healing with the actives in this cream, which includes the valuable epidermal growth factor. Incidentally, did you know that a hint of rose hip seed oil on the “ouchy”, applied immediately after the bump, will suppress or decrease the intensity of the bruise? Restoration cream The actives: sea kelp bioferment, pomegranate seed oil, rosehip seed oil, hydrolyzed collagen, hyaluronic acid, aloe vera leaf extract, glycerin, ceramide-3, coconut fruit juice, Boswellia serrata extract, Centella Asiatica extract, carnosine, fucoidan, Arthrospira…
July 17th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
First of all, WHY do you have to use retinoids? Because retinoids will help you with very common problems that everybody will have at one time or another: acne and skin aging (wrinkles, etc.). What retinoids do After retinoic acid enters the cell, it binds to specific nuclear receptors. These “activated” nuclear receptors, in turn, bind to specific regulatory sequences (called retinoic acid response elements) in the DNA inside the nucleus and directly change gene expression of specific genes. Such changes in gene expression translate into changes in the production of proteins, and are responsible for the biological and therapeutic effects of retinoids. Acne and retinoids In the 1970s, retinoic…
July 17th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
Help sooth sore muscles and joints after a workout with this cream, it will absorb quickly and help you recover faster from the strenuous (or not so strenuous) workout (don’t forget your ankles!). The actives: Squalane, Aminobutyric Acid, N-Acetyl Glucosamine, Cetyl Myristoleate, Sodium Chondroitin Sulfate, Pomegranate Seed Oil, Tocotrienols, Tocopherols, Astaxanthin, Lycopene, Xanthophyll, R-Alpha Lipoic Acid, Beta Carotene. Squalane. Loss of skin lipids result in an increased water loss and increased penetration of harmful compounds. Use of squalane should alleviate skin dryness and sensitivity. Used it to repair damaged skin or to maintain healthy skin. Gamma Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) is a non-essential amino acid necessary for brain metabolism. GABA helps …
July 17th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
T-zone serum is a typical Skin Actives product: complex and different from everything else in the market. The secret is in the ingredients, the way it should be. The actives in T-Zone serum: Seakelp (Lactobacillus/Kelp Ferment Filtrate) Bioferment, Potassium Azeloyl Diglycinate, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Epigallocatechin Gallate, Niacinamide, Nobiletin, Fucoidan, Porphyridium Polysaccharide, Arthrospira Extract. Sea kelp bioferment (of magic broth fame), discourages bad bacteria, promotes good skin bioflora and helps with healing. Arthrospira (Sprirulina) platensis extract contains phycocyanin and other actives that enhance cell proliferation and promote wound repair. Fucoidan is a sulfated polysaccharide that has antiinflammatory and antioxidant properties. Fucoidan applied to the skin will increase the density of…
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
The Skin Actives way is to look at what is out there and see whether we can improve on it. When it comes to hair loss, it will not surprise you to learn that there are just a few actives out there, and they are effective but…their mechanism of action is a bit convoluted. What are they? Minoxidil (Rogaine) seems to work by y widening blood vessels and opening potassium channels, allowing more oxygen, blood, and nutrients to the scalp. Finasteride (Propecia) is a 5α-reductase inhibitor that prevents the synthesis of dihydrotaestosterone (DHT), finasteride reduces androgen signaling in tissues like the prostate gland and the scalp. Other hormone modulators, like…
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 26th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
Our Zit Ender should become a “disruptor” in the skin care world. In business, a disruptor is a “theory, a disruptive innovation is an innovation that creates a new market and value network and eventually disrupts an existing market and value network, displacing established market-leading firms, products, and alliances.” Our Zit Ender should end the reign of benzoyl peroxide, a Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS*) producer, as a go-to ingredient for acne. “Should” does not mean that it will happen but here I present you the reasons why it should happen. Benzoyl peroxide. How does it work? Benzoyl peroxide is a bully of an ingredient that ages your skin as it…
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 20th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
Dermaplaning: Microneedling: Microdermabrasion (diamond or whatever) Laser …and whatever else comes in fashion this next year. With high energy comes great risk (with apologies to Spiderman’s uncle). Remember that “FDA approved” means nothing that matters. It is an advertising tool that makes people think that a procedure is safe when in fact it means that sometime, in the past, something similar was approved by the FDA even if it had to be discontinued for whatever reason, including side effects. What that pesky “FDA approval” actually means If your skin has a tendency to react to stress with hyperpigmentation, any and all of the above could result in more of the…
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 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 8th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
Because I had no choice. When you discuss “nutrition” you need to take into account how live cells actually work. Not a cartoon of a cell but the real thing. This has to do with the principle of the limiting factor. Once you learn it, you can’t unlearn it. From my book: Limiting factors in skin care The graph above describes most biological processes that depend on the supply of nutrients or substrates. Let’s use the graph to describe, for example, the division of skin cells, a process we want to promote in our aging skin. Do the cells need glucose? OK, let’s give them glucose and division rate should…
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…
May 5th, 2019 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
You could, of course, use just water, but in this case, the “grime” of the day will stay put. You could use some soap and water, but you may remove stuff that needs not be removed, like fatty acids and ceramides that are part of your skin barrier, which prevent the outside pollutants from getting in, and keep water inside. You could go for alcohol, or witch hazel alcoholic extract, but you would be eliminating the same components that water and detergent would remove, plus you would be drying your skin badly. You could go for proteases like papain but that would be a bit of an overreach, because you…
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…
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…