The Lowdown on Vitamin C

Here's a quickie post!
So lately I've been reviewing theory chapters with the girls and this week we went over ingredients. Let me just say, that I'm constantly reading and trying to understand what beauty experts/skin therapists are ranting and raving about. I've always heard about vitamin C but never really understood it's importance. Not only that BUT products with vitamins C & vitamin E work better together then they do separate. And there is no better way to explain than this lovely little infograph! Read all about it!

Get Some pH Balance in Your Life

 

 

First thing is first, pH stands for "potential hydrogen" and is used to measure the acidity of basicity of a product that contains water.

When I teach the pH scale during our chemistry portion, I always get slacked jaws and eyes drifting shut. I'll be honest, if you were to pull out a chemistry test I would, run away with my tail tucked between my legs! It's once you get past the "not knowing/ not understanding" part and relate it back to things you already know...that's when it starts to make sense and gets enjoyable. 

So I always tell this story:

The pH scale represents highschool and ranges from 0 to 14.
People that are "0" which mean that they have no friends, and they are bitter (like an acidic product). (Then I go on into polarity where I say for them to feel better they need to (+) friends.) Whereas, a person that has "14" best friends may have too many fairweather friends that they don't have the time or means to maintain so they might go a little crazy too. (They need to (-) friends.)
And those magical "7"s are juuuusssttt right! Not too little and not too many

Too much of on one side of the scale is a problem...think of it this way...you leave a really low pH chemical peel on your skin, you will experience irritation and sensitivities. You put something with a high pH like..let's say...lye on your skin, this too will cause extreme irritation and sensitivities. So pretty much, my point is that the goal of your skin care regimen should be to find a balance and maintain your skin's pH/health.

Our skin has a pH of 4.5-5.5 and is slightly acidic due to our acid mantle. The acid mantle consists of  our sebum (oil) and other fatty materials and is used to protect our skin. So when people remove all of the oil from their skin, essentially this is a poor move because this eliminates some of our skin's protection factor. A regular bar of soap has such a high pH that it can actually dry your skin and cause your skin to lose moisture. In return, your skin sends a signal to your brain ,"help!" and the brain signals for the skin to produce even MORE oil to compensate. That's why those of you who have oily skin types that wash their face a lot, actually seem to make the problem worse! With that being said, the cleansers that we use are generally on a more alkaline scale, this is used to help neutralize some of the oils and acidity and remove dirt and debris. This is perfectly fine as long as you aren't using too much.  That's why it's really important to use a toner or other products within your regimen to achieve balance.  So moral of this paragraph : STAY AWAY FROM REGULAR BAR SOAP! If you're dry, this could be your culprit and if you're oily, it can make you even more so.


Another thing that consumers don't really consider is when they "cherry pick" their favorite skin care products. A rule of thumb is to usually use the same brand of products of a regimen for at least a month to test it's efficacy. Sure, you may like certain products in other lines BUT you have to take into consideration that all of the products in professional lines are tested and pH balanced with one another. This is ideal when looking for results in skincare, especially if you have challenged skin like acne.

pH is also important when you are looking into AHA's and BHA's or receiving chemical peel like results! Whether you are looking at products are talking to your esthetician about your next treatment, pH plays a part. For example, over the counter skin care products that have AHA's/BHA's usually contain about 15% where as professional products that you can use at home usually have 11-15%. In your head you may think that you are getting the better deal with OTC, however the percentage of these are ingredients only tell you how MUCH of the ingredient it contains. The pH of the product will tell you how effective or "deep" the ingredient will penetrate. OTC usually have a pH of 3+ whereas, estheticians can use a lower pH. And as we visited in my other post, All Acids Aren't Your Friend, these ingredients work better at a lower pH to give to you benefits whether you have acneic, dry, or aging skin!

So whether you are a nerd or not, this little piece of chemistry advice can help you tweek your regimen and can even give you some health benefits ( drinking pH water can help balance your internal pH and therefore help you fight diseases!). To test your pH and the pH of your products look for pH testing kits usually found in the area of your grocery store in the water aisle or online! Maybe there will be another post on pH balancing your body but until then...remember, balance is key!

That Girl Is Poison

Forgive me for the cheesy title but UNDERSTAND it was necessary. It's the song that popped into my mind when a fellow instructor was sharing her tales from the International Congress of Esthetics event in Arlington. She had gotten some information from a company that had snake venom as one of their active ingredients...


Wait for it...
NOT! Are you kidding? You can't put poisonous venom on you face!! But, they do have an ingredient that mimics snake venom, which temporarily "paralizes" the muscles. Since the muscle cannot move then this prevents fine lines and wrinkles from occuring/worsening. Sonya Dakar was the first skincare line said to utilize this science.The synthetic peptide we're highlighting is actually called "Syn-ake" which is a lab-created peptide that mimics the snake venom. Sounds great, right?
Peptides
So peptides (short chain of amino acids) are byproducts of a protein being broken down in the body. This is ideal for ingredients in skincare because it can be broken down even further by the body and absorbed by the bloodstream. Depending on the type of peptide will determine it's functions. For example, Acetyl Hexapeptide-3 (Argieline) which when,"topically applied, treats the same type of wrinkles as botulinum toxin " (coughBotoxcough). Sound familiar? Technology is so neat! There are tons of other types of peptides that are beneficial for the skin which might make for an interesting post later.

Bee Venom

Another venom getting notice is bee venom. This ingredient contains a peptide called melliten which has antinflammatory properties and can act as a pain reliever. Inflammation for an extended amount of time can cause free radicals in the body. Not only that, it stimulates blood circulation that in return causes the synthesis of elastin and collagen THUS causing the firming and plumping effect of the skin! Wahhhlaa!

As always, the concentration of these quality ingredients are important. Make sure to read your product's ingredients. The highest quantity of the ingredients are listed first...so if those trendy advertised ingredient is closer to the bottom then it means that it may not even be an active ingredient.
Would any of you try these types of products? Any other skincare lines do you know use these ingredients?
By the way...the song is still stuck in my head.

Is Your Skin Care Regimen the Problem? FINALE

Toners, Fresheners, Astringent…oh my!

Toners are valuable to all skin types and one of the most forgotten steps in many regimens. Toners are meant to help remove excess product that may be on the surface of the skin. Also, they are used to help balance the pH of the skin. It is important for the skin’s functions to have the skin’s pH maintained at 4.5-5.5. But more on that later…

Fresheners are very beneficial to dry, prematurely aging, and aging skin. Fresheners do just that…freshen the skin. Delivering hydration to the skin and in return, helping strengthen the skin. 

Astringents are going to be best suited for oily skin types. Really, for excess oil production. Astringents will help remove the excess oil and dry the skin to allow other products to penetrate deeper into the layers of the skin. So this would be beneficial who have acneic skin too, however would not be great for dry skin types. Even those who experience a little oil, it may be too much for. 

Moisturizers and Your Skin

Moisturizers are important for every skin type. Oily skin types may try to avoid it but they really do need it. All skin types can experience dehydration (lack of water) and so finding the right product is important. The more oil your skin produces, the lighter the moisturizer you are going to need…and vice versa, the drier the skin the thicker the moisturizer needs to be. 

Whew! And finally! The regimen list is completed!

Questions? Comments? Concerns? 

I'm itching to write a research post on this product line that my class just experienced...so prepare yourselves, it's a doozy.