Delta-5 Oil: Articles (page 1)

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DELTA-5^® Technology Accelerates Recovery from Facial Cosmetic Treatments and Relief from Skin Conditions

DELTA-5^® Technology Accelerates Recovery from Facial Cosmetic Treatments and Relief from Skin Conditions

DELTA-5^® technology-based companies SciaEssentials® and Sciadonics announced the launch of their premiere skincare product, DELTA-5 oil. SciaEssentials is scientifically proven and clinically studied to reduce redness and inflammation, boost collagen and promote aggressive healing of the dermis and epidermis.

Voted one of “The Most Innovative Skin Products” by Johnson and Johnson and Nu Skin, and considered by a luminary of the cosmetic world to “represent a revolutionary scientific breakthrough in the beauty industry” the natural and organic oil consists of Sciadonic Acid DELTA-5, derived from exotic conifer seeds. DELTA-5 technology works to reduce pro-inflammatory eicosanoid molecules present in skin layers via a unique molecular mechanism, offering benefits like steroidal and non-steroidal topical solutions, but without the side effects. The unique fatty acid was formulated, patented, and tested for over 30 years by Dr. Alvin Berger, Professor and Ph. D.

DELTA-5 oil is engineered to restore skin cells and facilitate the healing process following cosmetic facial procedures. The oil’s natural healing properties protect the skin from free radical damage, resulting in glowing and clearer complexion.

As a result, patients experience a reduction in redness, wrinkles and downtime, and a collagen boost. According to Surgery.org*, $1B was spent in 2018 on cosmetic injectable treatments; with Botox® and Fillers up 39% the past five years. DELTA-5 quickly revitalizes the skin for any facial treatment, including lasers, dermabrasions and micro needling.

DELTA-5 technology has over 20 scientific studies with no adverse effects; and is reported to quickly address discomfort from acne, rosacea and psoriasis. According to Professor of Dermatology Roberts Dellavalle**, 50% of all skin problems can be attributed to inflammation. DELTA-5 provides relief from inflammation within 24 hours, to effectively reduce redness, soreness and itching.

“In a world of ineffective and toxic skin chemicals, we have re-ordered another supply of the product (DELTA-5 oil) online, since it is as good or better than most prescription dermatological preparations available commercially today. ” – Dr. Simon H. Stertzer, MD, renowned Emeritus Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at Stanford University and Balloon Angioplasty Pioneer

The All-in-One solution provides a near instant remedy across a variety of skincare conditions, whether it’s post-procedural, or to address minor skin issues like sunburn or acne, and potentially long-term conditions like lupus and psoriasis.

DELTA-5 is available for purchase in the United States and internationally.
About DELTA-5^® Technology

Sciadonics, Inc. was established in 2016 to commercialize sciadonic acid and related fatty acids to combat the chronic inflammation epidemic. SciaEssentials LLC is the consumer arm of Sciadonics, Inc., established in 2018. The anti-inflammatory DELTA-5 fatty acids have been lost to industrialization but are used in Traditional Chinese medicine and by indigenous populations and can be combined with other functional skin ingredients. The company’s product offerings represent an innovative technology and a game-changer in the anti-inflammatory oil space to combat acute and chronic inflammation. The first product from SciaEssentials is DELTA-5^® Sciadonic acid-enriched oil to combat skin inflammation.

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Sources

*https://www.surgery.org/media/news-releases/new-data-shows-that-americans-spent-more-than-2-billion-on-silicone-gel-breast-implants-and-injectables-in-2
**https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28416341

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A Closer Look at Anti-Inflammatory Drugs vs. Delta-5

In a previous technical blog post from Dr. Berger’s corner, we reviewed the inflammatory cycle and its role in chronic skin problems. We explained the difference between acute and chronic inflammation and mentioned that Delta-5 oils curb inflammation by displacing pro-inflammatory arachidonic acid (ARA) in specific phospholipid pools. Let’s dig deeper.

The five cardinal signs of inflammation are Rubor (redness), Dolor (pain), Calor (heat), Tumor (swelling), and Functio Laesa (loss of function). Show cartoon picture. Why the Latin you ask? These classical signs of inflammation have been known since the 1st century AD by the Roman medical writer Aulus Cornelius Celsus, when Latin was the spoken language. Each of these physiological responses is mediated by signaling molecules, released from specific cells. For example, pain may be mediated by the molecule Bradykinin; heat and swelling by the molecules histamine, serotonin, and bradykinin; Ref.

The molecules above, and many others, are themselves acted upon by other molecules, or lead to the release of other molecules, in what is termed a “signaling cascade”. For example, bradykinin may induce release of the pro-inflammatory fatty acid ARA from specific phospholipid pools (via enzymes known as phospholipase A2, sn-1 diacylglycerol lipase, and monoglycerol lipase). The ARA then becomes a substrate (precursor) to form pro-inflammatory molecules known as eicosanoids (“eicosa”, from the latin “20” because the first eicosanoids discovered were from 20 carbon molecules, although today it is recognized that any fatty acid with 18 carbons and two or more double bonds can serve as precursors). Bradykinin may also release intact pro-inflammatory eicosanoids, independent of ARA acting as a precursor. Yikes, this is getting complicated. But the important point is that inflammation is largely mediated by eicosanoid molecules from fatty acid precursors in the skin and many other tissues. Eicosanoids may be responsible for initiating an inflammatory response to an acute inflammatory insult (say a cut), and without these acute responses, we would die. Following the acute response, the inflammation must be resolved (stopped), by a class of eicosanoids known as resolvins. It is the inability to resolve the acute inflammatory response that can lead to chronic inflammation.

Eicosanoids are important for mediating inflammation, and they also have many other positive roles. For example, the eicosanoid known as prostaglandin E2 induces contractions of the smooth muscle cells of the uterus, leading to uterine contractions during childbirth. Because of the biological importance of eicosanoids, drug companies have been hard at work to find ways to slow down the inflammation cascade and diminish the cardinal signs of inflammation.  A process such as calor likely evolved as a means to kill pathogens (think of colds and flu here). Thus, taking a pill to diminish mild fever for your comfort might actually prolong the infection. The most common means to reduce eicosanoids using drugs is to reduce their formation from ARA. ARA is converted to eicosanoids via enzymes such as cyclooxygenase (COX), lipoxygenase (LOX), epoxygenase, and others, so drugs have been developed to inhibit these enzymes. Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) and plants containing natural salicylates, are molecules that inhibit COX (COX-1 and COX-2) and downstream pro-inflammatory prostaglandins such as Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). Natural sources of salicylic acid have been known since 3000 BC in willow, and acetylsalicylic acid was coined “Aspirin” in 1899. Reference. So, drugs are a great way to combat chronic inflammation by reducing the formation of pro-inflammatory eicosanoids, right? Yes, but these classes of drugs have several major limitations:

1. Tapering off of benefits: They are very effective at first, but the effectiveness tapers off. The patient must then switch medications or take higher and higher doses.
2. Side effects: Side effects can include burning, redness, gastrointestinal toxicity, and more. Although it was developed as an oral drug to treat arthritis, remember the Merck drug Vioxx. It was a selective COX-2 inhibitor that was advertised to be easy on the stomach, but it lead to more than 27,000 heart attacks and sudden death, and was withdrawn from the market at a cost to Merck of $8.5 billion. Ref. The tumor necrosis (TNF) inhibitors or TNF receptor inhibitors advertised for psoriasis and other skin conditions constantly on TV and radio (marketed as Humira can also have nasty side effects (the fast talk or small print on the advertisements).
3. Cost, prescriptions, not natural: Drugs are expensive, require a prescription, and are not natural. They can be too potent, whereas other more natural approaches can resolve the inflammation more slowly, but without side effects.

So, drugs inhibiting eicosanoid formation from ARA are not the panacea we hoped for in inhibiting chronic inflammation. Could there be a more natural, safer, and effective way. It is well known that consuming fatty acids, or applying them to the skin, can decrease levels of ARA itself. Reference. There are claims that consuming certain fatty acids orally can benefit the skin (so called “Beauty from Within”), but formal clinical evidence is still lacking in our estimation. By targeting levels of ARA, we are acting earlier in the signaling cascade to reduce inflammation Show my figure from my slides. Fish oils and algal oils containing EPA and DHA are known to reduce ARA—could they be applied to the skin to reduce inflammation? Possibly, but the starting sources are either fishy, or easily oxidized (because of the presence of 5-6 double bonds). Once a fatty acid becomes oxidized, a rancid odor is generated. Evening primrose oil (EPO) and borage oil have been used to treat a variety of skin conditions (eczema, psoriasis, acne) for many years now. It was commercialized in the 1980s by the company Efamol. It contains the fatty acids gammalinolenic acid (GLA), which is converted to the anti-inflammatory PGE1 molecule (via dihommogammalinolenic acid, DGLA). Unfortunately, regulatory authorities who reviewed the published evidence of efficacy found EPO to be mostly a snake oil story (Reference).

The fatty acids GLA, EPA, and DHA all work by reducing levels of ARA, and forming less inflammatory eicosanoids or possibly an anti-inflammatory eicosanoid in the case of GLA. All these common fatty acids reduce the arachidonic acid levels from phospholipid (membrane) lipids. The most abundant sources of phospholipids are phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylserine (PS), and phosphatidylinositol (PI). GLA, EPA, and DHA all reduce levels of ARA from the PC, PE, and PS pools, but not the PI pool. The PI pool is actually a minor lipid pool, representing only about 3% of total phospholipids in membranes. Thus, it is quantitatively unimportant, so why should we care about it? PI and its phosphorylated derivatives (PIP, PIP2, etc.) are super important signaling molecules affecting a plethora of biological pathways, including inflammation.

In traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), and in native tribes, they were consuming very specific gymnosperm (conifer) seeds and their oils orally, and likely topically, for thousands of years. Well before that, ancient herbivorous dinosaurs consumed conifer species rich in sciadonic acid, based on several lines of evidence. Source. Potent anti-inflammatory properties were reported in the ethnobotanical, ethnobiological, and TCM literature for these seed sources. Upon analysis of these seeds beginning during my Ph. D thesis research beginning in 1988, I discovered that the seeds contained a fatty acid known as sciadonic acid (named after an abundant conifer species, Sciadipitys verticallata). Over the next 30 years, we and many others investigated the anti-inflammatory properties of sciadonic acid (now coined Delta-5 because the first double bond is at the fifth position from the carboxyl end of the molecule in a non-methylene interrupted double bond arrangement relative to the other double bonds) in a variety of model systems. In model systems and skin models, we observed a potent reduction in pro-inflammatory eicosanoids and reductions in inflammation (as backed up by testimonial data).

So, what makes Delta-5 sciadonic special, relative to the other fatty acid, such as EPA and DHA:

1. Sciadonic acid is not a substrate for eicosanoids, basis data on hand. Other fatty acids form less active eicosanoids.
2. Sciadonic acid reduced ARA from PL pools including PC, PE, PS AND PI. Other fatty acids reduce ARA only from the PC, PE, and PS pools.
3. Sciadonic acid has only three double bonds, and only two of those are subject to oxidation (hydrogen abstraction). Hence, sciadonic acid is oxidatively more stable and suitable for skin and oral applications than most other fatty acid sources.
4. Sciadonic acid is plant based, can be from organic sources, and has no odor. In fact, we remove all odor producing compounds from the starting source.
5. Through 30 years of research, we have discovered the most abundant natural sources of sciadonic acid, and we have the technical means to further increase the levels of sciadonic acid.
6. IT WORKS. It works for a variety of skin conditions, because over-production of ARA or ARA-derived eicosanoids, is involved in many underlying skin etiologies. We know how sciadonic acid works, and we can predict what conditions it will most benefit, either alone or in synergy with other ingredients. The testimonial reports indicate tremendous efficacy for the skin and formal clinical trials are planned.

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Science of Skin Care Series: Dr. Berger’s Corner: How Does Pregnancy Affect Your Skin?

Your body goes through incredible changes during pregnancy, and your skin is included in that process! Some of those changes can be permanent, some will reverse themselves within weeks to a year of giving birth.

There are a variety of things that may happen with your skin as your hormones fluctuate. Sadly, only the lucky few get to experience that famously coveted “pregnancy glow.” More often than not, what shows up are sensitivities, breakouts, dry itchy skin, sun sensitivity, rashes, stretch marks, dark patches, skin tags, and varicose veins.

The good news is that while many women experience these annoying changes, the problems will usually go away within weeks of delivery.

What Causes Skin Changes During Pregnancy?

I’m told the last thing pregnant women want to hear is talk of hormones, but that’s just it. Hormonal fluctuations are generally the culprit for much of what is going on with your skin. “Changes in estrogen and progesterone levels influence skin in all pregnant women,” says Judith Hellman, MD, a board-certified dermatologist affiliated with Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York.

Hormones tell your pores to secrete excess oil, make you vulnerable to heat rash, and susceptible to skin discoloration. On top of that, your immune system is suppressed, and your blood vessels are stretched to the max, creating perfect conditions for surface inflammation.

Women start to experience these changes at different times in their pregnancies, some as early as their first trimester. Oftentimes, your skin may look worse as your pregnancy progresses.

Stretch Marks

Almost 90% of all pregnant women experience stretch marks, so don’t feel like you’re alone in this malady. They appear as pinkish or reddish streaks along the abdomen and breasts and sometimes thighs. They’re the result of your body growing quickly. They’ll usually show up in the last three months.

After delivery, they’ll fade to silvery-white scars and be much less noticeable. No one knows how to prevent them, but you can help to head them off somewhat by exercising, gently exfoliating, and thoroughly moisturizing those at-risk areas as much as you can. Look for products that contain the antioxidant vitamin E and alpha-hydroxy acids, and massage the areas well while applying.

Pregnancy Breakouts

The increase in progesterone levels also trigger more “sebum (oil) production, causing breakouts,” explains Ranella Hirsch, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Cambridge, Massachusetts. This may particularly be true if you’re already prone to acne.

Keep a strict cleansing routine, washing your face two to three times daily. If you opt to use acne products, pay attention to ingredients. Avoid products with retinol, retinoids, and salicylic acid, as they may cause possible birth defects. Benzoyl peroxide is sometimes recommended, but it can be absorbed into the bloodstream as well, so may not be worth the risk. Natural remedies like tea tree oil and lavender are viable alternatives, as well. “You can safely use lactic acid, tea tree oil, or sulfur to treat acne,” says Melissa Schweiger, coauthor of Belli Beautiful: The Essential Guide to the Safest Health and Beauty Products for Pregnancy, Mom, and Baby.

DELTA-5 Oil, a unique fatty acid penetrates the skin to deliver powerful natural ingredients, building and improving the skin’s ceramide structure. By decreasing inflammation and strengthening the skin’s barrier function, inflammatory blemishes can be put to rest. “As if on cue, a pimple reared its ugly head on my chin. I used a few drops of Sciaessentials DELTA-5 Oil on it and immediately the redness went down. The pimple healed a little faster, too,” says Giorgia Guazzarozzi.

Pigment Changes During Pregnancy

Nearly 50% of pregnant women will show signs of the “mask of pregnancy,” or melasma. The increase in hormones causes your skin to produce more pigmentation, showing up as symmetrical dark splotchy spots most commonly seen on your forehead, nose, and cheeks. “Estrogen, progesterone, and melanocyte-stimulating hormone” – which regulates skin color – “are highest during the third trimester,” explains Matthew Schulman, MD, Assistant Professor of Plastic Surgery at Icahn School of Medicine. More melanin is produced, resulting in the hyper-pigmentation.

There’s not much you can do to prevent it, but avoiding the sun will help to keep it from worsening. When you’re out and about use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30. Darkened areas will probably fade within a few months after delivery, but for some women, it may become permanent. Continuing to use sunscreen is essential, and there are some topical creams that may be used to lighten these areas.

For many women, their nipples and/or areolas will darken in color. These pigment changes tend to be permanent. Some women will develop a dark line running from their navel to their pubic bone, called a linea nigra. This will usually disappear completely once you’ve had your baby.

Other Pregnancy Skin Changes

Not only are your stomach and emotions sensitive now, but your skin is, too. Perfumes may irritate your skin. It may easily become red if you scrub or exfoliate.

Go easy on your skin. Many moms-to-be switch to unscented products and natural lotions and washes containing fewer chemicals. Avoid scrubs and exfoliants and opt for a soft, textured washcloth. “You certainly don’t want anything causing micro-tears on your skin,” says Schweiger. “The more cuts and wounds on your skin, the easier it is for chemicals to be absorbed into your bloodstream. Ingredients to stay away from in soaps and body washes include triclosan, parabens, and fragrance.” Not only are they irritating, but they could pose a health risk to your baby.

I’ve created DELTA-5 to effectively improve the skin’s barrier function. It helps to decrease molecules that cause inflammation of the skin, helping to break the cycle.

Skin Tags

Skin tags are small, loose growths of skin attached to the body by a narrow base. They’re commonly found in high-friction spots like underarms, groin, under breasts, and at the base of the neck. They can appear in the second and third trimesters and are harmless. Dr. Schulman explains, “during pregnancy, elevated levels of estrogen and progesterone stimulate the growth of the skin’s outer layers.”

Some may disappear after you give birth and some may not.

Dry, Itchy Skin

Your growing belly is causing your skin to stretch and tighten, resulting in dryness and itching. You can help to alleviate this by drinking plenty of water, keeping your skin moisturized, and taking warm oatmeal baths. Oils like DELTA-5 have the ability to alleviate irritation and improve the barrier function. It contains linoleic acid plus sciadonic acid, a key fatty acid, to help build and improve the skin’s ceramide structure.

In about one in each 50 pregnancies, a condition called cholestasis appears late in pregnancy. This results in severe itching, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, fatigue, and/or jaundice. Contact your doctor if you experience these things, as it may be a result of impaired liver function. The problem resolves itself after pregnancy.

Intense itching that spreads to your arms and legs with reddish, raised patches on the skin could be pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy (PUPPP). Hormones are to blame here, too. It occurs in about one in every 150 pregnancies, but will go away after delivery.

If you take good care of your skin through pregnancy, many of these problems can be lessened or alleviated altogether. Keep DELTA-5 on hand and relief will always be close by.

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Battling Eczema

If you suffer from eczema (atopic dermatitis), you’re probably beyond the point of frustration and irritation. There is no cure, and it tends to be hard to treat. Popular remedies can be slow-acting, expensive, and in some cases, ineffective. The disease tends to go through cycles of remission (symptom-free periods), and flare-ups, with symptoms oftentimes becoming quite severe.

So what can be done to battle eczema?

First, you should understand the disease.

What Is Eczema?

Eczema is a group of inflammatory conditions in which the skin becomes severely dry and itchy. Scratching or rubbing to alleviate the itching often leads to scaly, crusting skin that can crack, peel, or leak a clear fluid. It can even become leathery. Eczema is a lot of things, but one thing it isn’t is contagious.

It can run in families, since certain genes can cause some people to have extra-sensitive skin. An overactive immune system also comes into play, as people with eczema are also prone to allergies like hay fever and asthma. Sometimes the environment may be a contributing factor, and certain activities may cause the skin to be more sensitive. Certain defects in the skin barrier will allow moisture out and germs in.

What Can Trigger Eczema Flare Ups?

Given its ties to inflammation, it’s no surprise that certain things can trigger eczema into action. A trigger isn’t something that causes eczema, but it can cause a flare-up,or make symptoms worse. Typically, the most common triggers are substances that irritate the skin or actions and environments that cause the skin to dry out or become otherwise sensitive.

• Stress
• Contact with irritating substances like wool and synthetic fabrics
• Heat
• Sweat
• Cold
• Dry climates
• Dry skin
• Soaps and cleansers
• Perfume
• Makeup
• Dust and sand
• Chlorine
• Solvents
• Environmental irritants
• Cigarette smoke
• Prolonged exposure to water
• Not moisturizing after bathing

Flares may also be triggered by certain conditions that have an effect on the immune system like a cold or the flu, bacterial infections, or allergic reaction to things like mold, pollen, or pet dander.

What Does Eczema Look Like?

Usually your skin will itch before the rash appears. You’ll notice patches of chronically itchy, dry, thickened skin usually on the hands, face, and legs. Children will also show signs in the inner creases of the knees and elbows.

You should resist the urge to scratch, or you could turn those dry patches of skin into open sores with crusts that could get infected.

How To Take Care of Eczema

Eczema is frustrating, at best, but working with your dermatologist to formulate a plan that can control your itch and rash will provide you with relief. It is important that your approach will not irritate the skin any further.

There should be four main goals to your treatment protocol:

1. Control the itching
2. Prevent infections
3. Heal the skin
4. Prevent future flare-ups

Of course, limiting your exposure to things that you know can trigger your flare-ups is the cornerstone of your treatment plan.

Creams and ointments are designed to help control the itching and heal your skin. Most of them are designed to be anti-inflammatory in nature. They may include corticosteroids or non-steroidal anti-inflammatories. Some medications are meant to turn down your immune system’s response, keeping it from overreacting. Antihistamines may help relieve some itching, though might dry your skin out further.

When scratching has led to a bacterial skin infection, antibiotics are warranted.

UV light therapy may help to keep the immune system in check, as well. Though it should always be used with discretion and under a doctor’s supervision, as it increases your risk for skin cancer and can prematurely age your skin.

Keeping your skin healthy can prevent the dryness and flare-ups, lessening the need for medications.

1. Use only warm water to bathe, not hot. And avoid too much bathing or handwashing. Employ only gentle fragrance-free cleansers instead of soap.
2. Moisturize your skin (both face and body) daily. Make sure it’s a fragrance-free version. You may want to go for one that is a thicker skin cream or ointment that has more oil at night.
3. Limit your contact with irritants like cosmetics, cleaners, detergents, and anything else that may make your condition worse. Wear rubber gloves when doing the dishes.
4. Wear cotton clothes that have a comfortable fit.
5. Avoid getting overheated and sweaty when possible. If you sweat while you work out, rinse off right away in a warm shower.

Stress levels also play a role in inflammation of your skin, so find ways to lower your stress level and make sure you have plenty of time to relax.

One Oil Can Do It All

SciaEssentials DELTA-5 has the ability to not only alleviate irritation, but can help to improve the skin’s barrier function. It contains linoleic acid plus sciadonic acid, a key fatty acid, to help build and improve the skin’s ceramide structure, making it a potent player in restoring the moisture balance. It’s an effective, yet gentle approach to reducing inflammation as it helps to decrease molecules that cause inflammation of the skin, helping to break the cycle.

It is gentle enough to use as a topical treatment by itself during times of a flare and versatile enough to mix with your moisturizer in between flares.

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The Price We Pay For Smooth Skin: Shaving Done Right

You’ve practically been doing it almost your entire life. Chances are you don’t even think about it anymore, you’re so confident in your shaving prowess.

But if you suffer from red bumps after you shave, or you’re not getting the smooth-as-silk results you see on other people, perhaps it’s time to rethink your strategy. If you do shaving right, there shouldn’t be an uncomfortable price for smooth skin.

So often we get into the habit of being in a hurry when we shave and cut corners, but the payoff isn’t as great as you would like to think. Read on for tips to get your shaving done the right way.

Exfoliate

Exfoliating before shaving clears the way for smooth shaving. It helps to get rid of dead skin cells that could clog up your razor. You can use either a mild scrub or an everyday exfoliant.

Soak

Hopefully you know that you shouldn’t be dry shaving. That’s just plain torture! But did you know that you should actually soak your skin for up to three minutes before shaving? “Hydrating the hairs makes them up to 60% easier to cut,” says Anita Sturnham, Venus Ambassador. That’s because soaking will soften the hair and open up the follicles. If you shave at the end of your shower, or just after you get out, your timing is perfect. Your skin will be warm, moist, and free of excess oil and dead skin cells that can clog up your razor blade.

To really do your skin a pampering service, use a moisturizing shave cream designed to absorb into the skin and soften the hair follicles for a more comfortable shave.

Lather Up

To get a good, clean shave, lather is really important. But you don’t want lather from your bar soap, which can dry out your skin. Using soap “doesn’t create enough lubrication for a razor to slide easily against your skin, which can up the odds of cuts,” states dermatologist Ellen Gendler, M.D. Just using whatever’s in the shower can “increase your risk of redness and irritation, and blunt your razor blades,” according to Sturnham.

Grab a good shave cream or conditioner. Cream-based products help to provide moisture, making for a smoother shave. Gels help to reduce friction while shaving, lessening your chances of irritation. If you have very dry or sensitive skin, look for one that says “sensitive skin” on the label.

Use the Right Razor

While convenient, those single-blade disposable razors aren’t doing your shave job or your skin any justice. The right tool is one that is rounded with a pivoting head and a handle with a soft grip. Maneuverability is key when working around places like your chin, knees, and ankles, where the bone is close to the skin surface.

The more blades the better, so you won’t have to go over the same area more than once, increasing your chance of cuts and nicks. “A razor with more blades means that the pressure is distributed across more evenly,” says Adam Boulding of Venus Scientific. “Therefore less pressure is applied to any one spot of skin during the shave, reducing the probability of cuts.”

On top of using the right razor, you should change your blades regularly. A blunt blade increases friction against the skin and makes it more likely you’ll miss hairs. Because there are so many variables that go into how fast you burn through blades, you should pay attention. Sarah Woods, Marketing Director at Edgewell says you should change your blade whenever you start to feel tugging or pulling. That works out to be about once every 10 shaves.

Store your razor and blades upright in an area where it can dry out.

Shaving Technique is Key

With the right tools in place, and your pre-shaving routine done, you’re ready to begin the task.

Always shave in the direction that the hair grows to prevent razor bumps and burns, at least on your first pass. “If you’d still like a closer shave, reapply the gel and shave again – against the direction of hair growth,” Says cosmetic dermatologist, Neal Schultz, M.D. If you have sensitive skin, don’t shave upward at all.

Rinse the razor after each swipe. Once you’re completely finished, make sure that you rinse your skin completely before toweling off. If you can handle cold water, that’s a great way to help to “close” your pores.

Aftercare

Moisture is essential to keep your skin from becoming dry and irritated. Wait until your skin is completely dry before applying a moisturizing cream. Avoid lotions that contain alcohol, as they may cause irritation. Stay away from an exfoliating moisturizer, too, as it may contain alpha-hydroxy acids.

If you have areas of irritation or are prone to trouble after shaving, treat preventatively with a light skin oil designed to decrease inflammation, bumps, itchiness, and rashes. After stepping out of the shower, pat dry, and apply a product like DELTA-5 in a thin layer over the freshly shaved area. DELTA-5 can be used daily if you are dealing with ingrown hairs or razor burn. It has been well-received for its ability to quickly alleviate burns, cuts, scrapes, and nicks. Chances are, though, that if you follow the steps above, you’ll have sexy smooth skin, with no problems.

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Dealing With the Pain of Shingles

Do you remember having chickenpox?

Do you remember staying home from school, covered in itchy, red, blistery bumps?

Do you remember the itch that almost drove you crazy, covered in calamine lotion, while your mom chastised you for scratching?

Probably not until I reminded you. But if you have ever had chickenpox or even been vaccinated for it, you are at risk of getting shingles.

What Is Shingles?

After the chickenpox clears and you’ve long forgotten the havoc it wreaked, the virus stays in the body. If it reactivates, you could get shingles. It’s not clear what actually reactivates or “wakes up” the virus, but a short-term weakness in immunity may play a role. Herpes zoster, or shingles, is accompanied by a painful, blistering rash.

“Although shingles is much less contagious and itchy than chickenpox, it tends to cause more pain,” said board-certified dermatologist Daniela Kroshinsky, MD, MPH, FAAD, Assistant Professor of Dermatology, Harvard Medical School. “In addition, although the shingles rash usually clears in a few weeks, some people can experience pain, numbness, itching and tingling that can last months or even years.” This nerve pain, called post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN), can last for years after the rash goes away.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly one million Americans experience shingles every year. The disease is most common in older adults.

You can only get shingles if you’ve already had chickenpox or been vaccinated for it. If you’ve never been exposed to chickenpox and come into someone with shingles, you may develop chickenpox.

What Does Shingles Look Like?

Typically, when shingles rears its head, it usually takes the following course:

• An area of your skin may burn, itch, tingle, or feel very sensitive. This usually happens only on one side of the body in a small area. These symptoms may be constant or come and go. Most people will experience this for one to three days, but it can sometimes last longer.
• A rash begins to form in that same area.
• The rash turns into clusters of clear blisters, which then turn yellow or bloody before crusting over and healing. They last usually two to three weeks and can be quite painful. These blisters can carry the virus, causing you to be contagious, so never scratch or pop them.
• The pain can last two to four weeks and varies in variety and intensity. There may be a tingling or pins-and-needles sensation, itching, burning, and/or a deep pain. The skin may feel painful when touched.
• There may be a fever or flu-like symptoms including a headache and/or fever associated with it.
• It’s possible there could be short-term weakness of certain muscles, though it’s rarely life-long.

What To Do For Shingles Discomfort.

The symptoms usually last two to four weeks, but the pain, burning, itching, and all-around discomfort can make the symptoms tough to ride out. Your doctor will typically prescribe an antiviral medication to fight the virus and a corticosteroid like prednisone to combat the pain and swelling (inflammation), though this treatment is not common as it can cause the rash to spread. Sometimes the pain is severe enough for your doctor to prescribe medication, though the pain tends to lessen once the blisters heal, which may take two to three weeks.

The American Academy of Dermatology recommends some tips for helping to relieve your skin of the pain and discomfort of shingles:

• See a dermatologist as soon as your symptoms appear. When prescribed within the first 72 hours of the rash appearing, antiviral medications may make your symptoms milder and shorter.
• Cool the rash by applying ice packs, cool wet cloths, or by taking cool baths. Add colloidal oatmeal to help calm the itching.
• Apply calamine lotion to the rash and blisters.
• Cover the area(s) with loose, non-stick, sterile bandages.
• Wear loose-fitting cotton clothing to avoid causing your sensitive skin further discomfort.

A Natural Pain-Relieving Anti-Inflammatory

One product stands out above the rest for relieving the pain and symptoms associated with inflammation: SciaEssentials DELTA-5. When treating already-irritated skin, it’s important to use an approach that doesn’t further anger the skin. DELTA-5 is a patented and effective, yet gentle approach to reducing inflammation. It’s lightweight, non-greasy formula doesn’t clog pores or cause acne.

DELTA-5’s first ingredient is a powerful fatty acid that halts the inflammatory process in its tracks. It has both the ability to heal and protect, providing relief from itchy, irritated, red, and inflamed skin.

To use, apply two to three times daily to affected area(s). You can apply this soothing oil directly on the areas with rash, or mix a drop in with the calamine lotion to provide both cooling, and anti-inflammatory relief.

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Coconut Oil: Friend or Foe?

By way of introduction, my name is Dr. Alvin Berger. I hold a MS, Ph. D, Post-doctoral NIH Fellowship, two Adjunct Professorships in Nutrition, and 30 years of industrial experience heading up nutrition and lipid (fat, oil) programs for large multi-national companies. Of all the fats I have studied over these many years, saturated fat as a class, but particularly coconut oil, is the most controversial. It is either considered a miracle fat or a poison. Let’s delve into the history and then the science supporting each position.

Historical aspects of fat consumption in humans: As a species, man is physiologically an omnivore, eating mixtures of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates, depending on availability of each source for survival purposes. Fat would have been a preferred energy source for early man, hunters and gatherers, and hunters prior to food industrialization (throughout the 1800s), since it provides more than twice the caloric density of carbohydrates and proteins. Also, some fats are essential meaning they cannot be made in the human body and must be consumed in the diet, such as linoleic (a fatty acid component of skin ceramides) and alpha-linolenic acids (ALA). Fats such as EPA and DHA, present in marine and algal oils, are conditionally essential, meaning some should be consumed intact in the diet, because for a variety of reasons, they are typically only minimally converted from dietary precursors, including ALA. These types of fats were important for the development and advancement of the human brain relative to other species, as DHA is a major structural component of our brains and the most abundant brain and retinal lipid [1]. Fats with missing double bonds (a non-methylene interrupted double bond position, termed NMIFA including Delta-5 NMIFAs) may also have been widely consumed in ancient diets as components of conifers and animals eating conifers, but have now been largely eliminated from our food supply during the course of industrialization. Delta-5 anti-inflammatory oils are now sold for skin use by SciaEssentials.

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Saturated Fats 101

Now turning to saturated fats, fats such as butter and lard were considered a great energy source during World War II years, where the glycerin component was also used to make explosives [2].

In the 1980s, soybean oil (another interesting story) accounted for more than 70% of edible oil consumption and palm and coconut oils accounted for only 4% (coconutresearchcenter.org). Driven by endorsements from the American Soybean Association and the consumer crusader Phil Sokolof, we experienced the tropical oil scare or tropical grease campaign. During this period, oils such as coconut oil and palm oils were considered to be poisoning America, and they proposed warnings on product labels.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans Committee (DGAC) are a set of consumption guidelines published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), compiled by leading academic nutrition experts reviewing peer-reviewed literature. The 8th Edition, covering 2015-2020, recommends limiting calories from saturated fats (less than 10% of calories from saturated fat), consuming fat free or low fat dairy, and eating lean meats (source). Their conclusions are consistent with those of the American Heart Association (AHA), citing evidence that saturated fats are detrimental to heart health. They rely on the so-called lipid hypothesis, stating that there is a direct relationship between the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol in the diet and the incidence of coronary heart disease, as proposed by Ancel Keys in the late 1950’s. Numerous subsequent studies have questioned his data and the conclusions from his “Seven Countries Study” which relied on “fat disappearance” in an epidemiological study. Rather than saturated fat, Key’s famous graph associating fat and saturated intake with heart disease death across seven countries, could also be fitted to sugar consumption and mortality, in these same countries (source). Nathan Pritikin was a strong and respected advocate for low fat diets, although he recognized the many flaws in this approach (lack of energy, people could not stay on the diets). His diet called for elimination of sugar and processed foods, but it was the reduction in fat that received the most attention.

The latest guidelines recognize that some whole foods such as nuts rich in oils, or some fat-rich whole grains, and some monounsaturated (MUFA) and polyunsaturated (PUFA) oils are healthy (see page 25), but specifically calls out the tropical oils coconut oil, palm kernel oil (PKO), and palm oil as fats to avoid because of their high fat content. Saturated fats should be limited to 10% of calories per the latest guidelines. Oils are otherwise recommended to be consumed at a level of 27 grams (5 teaspoons), as part of a 2000 calorie diet. Cholesterol is associated with saturated fats in non-plant sources. It is noteworthy that the DGAC now recommends dropping limits on dietary cholesterol, citing no appreciable relationship between dietary cholesterol and serum cholesterol or clinical cardiovascular events in general populations; very early studies in rabbits were actually studying oxidized dietary cholesterol.

In sharp contrast to these DGAC recommendations, groups embracing so called “keto” and “paleo” lifestyles (and many other related terms), feel the DGA should be recommending much higher fat intakes, and not demonize saturated fats and tropical fats. They emphasize that decreasing our fat intake and saturated fat intake led to increased added sugar intake, did not decreased caloric intake, and worsened obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome incidence.

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Coconut Oil and Its History of Use

Coconut oil has been used as a food ingredient and in folk medicine for millennia in tropical regions where coconut trees grow (India, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Polynesia, Indonesia). The oil attracted attention of European traders in the late 19th century, during a time of increased demand for edible oils and soap stock. Europeans established coconut plantations in the Caribbean, Southeast Asia, and South Pacific from 1890s-1920s and coconut oil was widely used as a cooking oil in Europe and the United States until 1940. During WWII, supply of coconut oil was cut off to the USA and the soy industry boomed (Coconut Oil Boom, Laura Cassiday, INFORM 27: 6-13, 2016). There are two main types of coconut oil. Copra is produced by crushing dried coconut kernels to extract the oil, and the oil may then be refined, bleached, and deodorized (RBD). Virgin coconut oil (VCO) is made by pressing shredded wet coconut kernels to squeeze out the oil and coconut milk to form an emulsion. VCO has higher concentrations of tocopherols, tocotrienols (forms of Vitamin E), and healthy polyphenols. Apart from the oil of coconuts, Pacific Islanders used to cook with coconut meat. Now that they cook with coconut oil, they have the worst rates of obesity in the world, although other factors can be involved. In Kerala State in India, they widely consume coconut oil, and have the highest average blood cholesterol level in India (Gupta et al. 2017).

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Coconut Oil in the Recent Press: Poison or Miracle Fat

Coconut oil is either the panacea that helps everything from bad hair and mental grogginess to obesity and hemorrhoids; or a poison according to Karin Michels, an epidemiologist at the Harvard TH Chan school of public health (source). Michels poured scorn on the superfood movement and singled out the fad for coconut oil in particular, calling the substance “one of the worst things you can eat” that was as good for wellbeing as “pure poison.” Michels made her comments in a recent lecture entitled “Coconut oil and other nutritional errors” at the University of Freiburg, where she holds a second academic position as director of the Institute for Prevention and Tumor Epidemiology. The speech, delivered in German (translated here), has now been watched nearly a million times on YouTube! Michels based her warning on the high proportion of saturated fat in coconut oil, which is known to raise LDL (bad) cholesterol, and risk of cardiovascular disease. Coconut oil has 80-86% saturated fat, twice the amount found in lard.

Last year [3], the AHA reviewed the evidence on coconut oil among other foodstuffs. While three quarters of the US public considered coconut oil to be healthy, the review noted that only 37% of nutritionists agreed that coconut oil was healthy. The authors attributed the gulf in perception to the marketing of coconut oil in the popular press. “Because coconut oil increases LDL cholesterol, a cause of cardiovascular disease [and stroke], and has no known offsetting favorable effects, we advise against the use of coconut oil,” the review concluded. Other organizations have issued similar warnings. “Coconut oil can be included in the diet, but as it is high in saturated fats should only be included in small amounts and as part of a healthy balanced diet,” the British Nutrition Foundation said. “There is to date no strong scientific evidence to support health benefits from eating coconut oil.” Despite the advice, promotions from health food shops and celebrity endorsements from Gwyneth Paltrow and others have helped sales of coconut oil surge. In the US, coconut oil sales appear to have peaked in 2015 at $229m.

Not all nutrition experts agree that coconut oil is harmful and should be avoided (source). Saturated fats in general tend to have been studied in flawed animal models and the aforementioned flawed Keys studies. They raise total cholesterol, but also raise good HDL cholesterol; and the type of LDL (bad) cholesterol raised, tends to be of the large, buoyant type, which is less strongly associated with CVD than small dense LDL particles.

A meta-analysis (compilation of different clinical studies) of 21 studies published in 2010 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (AJCN) concluded that the “consumption of saturated fat had no observable correlation to heart issues.” It included 347,747 people, followed for an average of 14 years [4].

In another notable meta-analysis, the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (“PURE”) study, offered a modern view of what a daily diet should look like, with higher fat-to-carb ratios than the long-standing status quo. Self-reported dietary data from 135,335 people in 18 countries was collected between January 2003 and March 2013, and grouped according to amount of carbohydrate, fat, and protein consumed. After tracking participants’ health over a seven-year period, researchers found that those with the highest intake of dietary fat (35% of daily calories; low relative to some countries) were 23% less likely to have died than those with the lowest intake of fat (10% of daily calories). Oppositely, for carbohydrates, those with the highest intake (77% of daily calories) were 28% more likely to have died than those with the lowest intake (46% of daily calories). From these findings the authors’ main conclusion is that “high carbohydrate intake was associated with higher risk of total mortality, whereas total fat and individual types of fat were related to lower total mortality” [5].“ Since the Harvard publication, contrarians are speaking out on the internet. Coconut oil has been safely used for hundreds of years and has been shown to have a number of health-promoting properties,” says Stephen D. Anton PhD, Associate Professor at the University of Florida’s Institute on Aging. “Specifically, coconut oil has been shown to increase the ratio of HDL to LDL and lower overall cholesterol count.”

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Opinions of Dr. Berger on Coconut Oils for Nutritional and Personal Care Use

Nutrition: Early rodent studies testing coconut oil were flawed in that the coconut oil was often hydrogenated producing deleterious trans fatty acids; fed in excessive amounts without essential omega 3s; and to rodent species that are poor models for studying cholesterol metabolism (carry most cholesterol in their HDL particles rather than their LDL particles). We can also agree that the early Keys studies was flawed and that subsequent meta analyses and epidemiological studies were flawed or overstated against saturated fats including coconut oil.

I still do not encourage my customers and patients to consume more than 1-3 tablespoons coconut oil per day (see link).

Here is why:

Coconut oil is not a ketogenic fat: Despite what is in the lay press and being sold, recent work confirms that coconut oil is not a ketogenic fat [6]. This is not surprising because coconut oil only contains 10-15% of ketogenic C8/10 medium chain fatty acids (as medium chain triglycerides, MCTs), and 50+ percent C12 or lauric acid (similar compositionally to PKO). For more about MCTS, please see this link. In early textbooks, C12 was considered to be a long chain fatty acid (LCFA). In some more recent text books C12 (lauric acid), perhaps guided by commercial interests and publications, has been considered a MCFA, so that coconut oil can then be claimed to be ketogenic and anti-microbial. Lauric acid is metabolized mostly like other long chain fats in being oxidized or stored in body fat, rather than being preferentially converted to ketone bodies. Some parties claim coconut oil is ketogenic because they have a vested commercial interest, and others are are sponsored by Palm and Coconut oil Boards. In the recent study by Vandenberghe et al., nine healthy adults consumed 2 X 20 mL portions per day of emulsified MCT oils, consisting of coconut oil, C8 MCT oil, C10 MCT oil, C8/10 55:35 MCT oil, or coconut oil diluted 50:50 with the C8/10 or C8 oils. Blood was sampled every 30 min for 8 hours in a cross-over design. C8 MCT oils were the most ketogenic of the MCTs with highest blood ketones. Other MCT oils tested were less ketogenic than C8. A dose-response could only be shown for C8 MCT, suggesting it is C8 in MCTs that drives the ketogenic response. C10 was not a very ketogenic. Coconut oil alone had a minor effect on increasing ketones, and only after 4-8 hours when no meal was provided (during this same time with food, C8 MCT was 3.4-fold more potent). Coconut oil mixed with C8 MCT oil reduced the ketogenicity of C8 MCT oil by 75% as expected. Coconut oil was not more ketogenic after 7-8 hours than the control-some increase in ketones due to fasting observed.

Coconut oil is not antimicrobial in vivo: Despite the plethora of internet claims and some scientific literature, the so-called “anti-microbial” properties of lauric acid and lauric acid bound to glycerol, have not been demonstrated in vivo (in living people). When PKO or coconut oil is consumed, the C12 is bound to glycerol to form triglycerides. The C12 as a free fatty acid or monglyceride is generated during digestion when acted upon by lipases, and the rapidly re-esterified to triglycerides and carried in chylomicron particles in the lymph system, and eventually deposited into fat adipose tissues. So, there are several issues in claiming C12 is antimicrobial. First, any killing properties of lauric acid were demonstrated for the free acid or monoglyceride form (MAG), not the digested triglyceride (TAG) form. Second, the anti-microbial properties of lauric acid as a FFA or MAG were found to occur in test tubes or other experimental ex vivo systems outside the living body. Third, people confuse the well-established food preservative microbial-killing properties of lauric acid as a FFA or MAG, with the ability to kill organisms in vivo in humans. Fourth, with the recognition that many microbes are good for us in the human gut (and on the skin), it is a vast over-simplification to speak of “anti-microbial” properties so broadly. Fifth, assuming there were anti-microbial properties, we need to establish, in vivo, not only that harmful organisms are killed, but that the level of killing has physiological relevance. Last, what dose of lauric acid would be needed to have positive anti-microbial properties in vivo. So called “oil pulling” or swishing coconut oil in the mouth to kill microbes, popular in traditional Indian culture and now the USA, has no proven efficacy beyond anectodes. Claims made for coconut oil having benefits for the skin are in some cases also flawed, because there is focus on the anti-microbial properties of lauric acid, without recognition that lauric acid in the free form or MAG form would only be generated upon skin lipase action, which is largely of microbial nature.

Coconut oil can have a soapy taste and other QC issues: Since soap is sodium dodecyl (C12) sulfate (SDS), or sodiumlauroylsulfate, if lauric acid is present as a free fatty acid (free fatty acids do occur in coconut oils), and has opportunity to react with sodium and sulfate, then soaps are formed. In our household, we have had soapy coconut oil in the house, and the taste was quite terrible. It is published that coconut oil in contact with water generates rancid coconut oil that is not suitable for oral and cosmetic applications. Coconut oil can also be adulterated, with PKO or RBD coconut oil added to virgin coconut oil to cut costs.

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Crude Coconut Oil May Not Be Healthier Than Processed Coconut Oil

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are formed by combustion and thermal decomposition (pyrolysis) of organic substances in coconut shells. Some PAHs are highly carcinogenic such as benzo-[a]-pyrene and dibenzo-[a,h]-anthracene. It is reported that crude, less refined coconut oils can have higher levels of PAHs and that PAHs are mostly or completely removed during oil refining [7]. Processing of palm oils is also reported to decrease PAHs in most cases. Moreover, in developing countries of South Asia, PAH concentrations are strongly influenced by the monsoonal rainfall system in the region and it has been supported by many studies that higher concentrations were measured during the winter season as compared to summer. Biomass burning (household and brick kilns activities), open burning of solid wastes and industrial and vehicular emissions were categorized as major sources of PAHs in the region [8]. I have heard from reliable sources, that burning of car tires in the vicinity of coconut oil production, also generates PAHs. So PAHs can become incorporated into coconut oils from a variety of sources. Overall, then the consumer purchasing virgin or less processed coconut oils, must have a deep understanding of the source they are purchasing and ask to see analytical results on PAHs and other contaminants.

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References:

1. Crawford, M.A., The early development and evolution of the human brain. Ups J Med Sci Suppl, 1990. 48: p. 43-78.
2. Walker, T.B. and M.J. Parker, Lessons from the War on Dietary Fat. Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 2014. 33(4): p. 347-351.
3. Sacks, F.M., et al., Dietary Fats and Cardiovascular Disease: A Presidential Advisory From the American Heart Association. Circulation, 2017. 136(3): p. e1-e23.
4. Mensink, R.P., et al., Effects of dietary fatty acids and carbohydrates on the ratio of serum total to HDL cholesterol and on serum lipids and apolipoproteins: a meta-analysis of 60 controlled trials. Am J Clin Nutr, 2003. 77(5): p. 1146-55.
5. Dehghan, M., et al., Associations of fats and carbohydrate intake with cardiovascular disease and mortality in 18 countries from five continents (PURE): a prospective cohort study. The Lancet, 2017. 390(10107): p. 2050-2062.
6. Vandenberghe, C., et al., Tricaprylin Alone Increases Plasma Ketone Response More Than Coconut Oil or Other Medium-Chain Triglycerides: An Acute Crossover Study in Healthy Adults. Current Developments in Nutrition, 2017. 1(4): p. e000257-e000257.
7. Wijeratne, M., U. Samarajeewa, and M. Rodrigo, Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in coconut kernal products. Journal of the National Science Foundation of Sri Lanka 1996. 24(4): p. 285-297.
8. Hamid, N., et al., A Review on the Abundance, Distribution and Eco-Biological Risks of PAHs in the Key Environmental Matrices of South Asia. Rev Environ Contam Toxicol, 2017. 240: p. 1-30.

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What Could Be Causing Your Dry Skin

Dry skin can be caused by any number of things, some out of your control, but many within it. The uncomfortable itchiness can be an annoyance. And the red flakiness can have you feeling embarrassed and self-conscious.

You’ve covered yourself with lotion, but there’s still no relief. So where are you going wrong? What could possibly be causing your dry skin?

Too Much Sunshine

Yes, this once again makes it to the top of the list for bad guys when it comes to doing your skin wrong. The sun’s rays penetrate deeply into your skin’s dermis layer, robbing it of moisture and oils.

Don’t stay out too long, especially while the sun is at its strongest (10am to 4pm). Be sure to apply broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 20 and reapply it every two hours. More often if you’re swimming or sweating.

Showers That Are Too Hot or Too Long

While this is great for stiff, tired, and sore muscles, it’s terrible for your skin. “Excessive exposure to water, especially hot water, can strip the skin of natural oils and disrupt the skin barrier,” explains Joshua Zeichner, MD, Director of Cosmetic and Clinical Research in Dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. Too much hot water removes the natural moisturizing ability of skin’s surface cells. If your skin feels overly tight after bathing, you’ve soaked too long.

Keep your shower time short, and avoid excessive temperatures. 84° is plenty hot enough. Apply a moisturizer or oil immediately after you get out while your skin is still damp.

Fragrance

“Fragrance has a tendency to irritate dry skin or make it worse, so avoid deodorants and skin care products that are filled with fragrance,” says Amy Forman Taub, MD, an assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Northwestern University.

Check ingredient labels for the word fragrance. Body lotions and creams are commonly packed with perfumes and can cause more harm than good. If you like the idea of products that smell good, look for formulas that contain ingredients like honey and vanilla, and bean-based butters like cocoa and shea, for hydration that also coats skin in delicious, non-drying scents.

Cold Air

Cold weather is also the driest. The low humidity means that moisture is constantly being pulled away from your skin’s surface. This can lead to skin that can crack and flake, leaving you even more exposed to outside irritants and more likely to have an inflammatory response. Cranking your air conditioner up can have the same effect, as well.

Try to avoid prolonged exposure to cold temperatures and make a concerted effort to moisturize more often. Adding a humidifier to your bedroom will also help to quench your parched skin.

Harsh Soap

“Traditional bar soaps use harsh cleansing ingredients called surfactants that have an alkaline pH,” explains Zeichner. “Alkaline products can disrupt the outer skin layer and prevent the skin from protecting itself properly, causing dryness and irritation.” Soaps and harsh cleansers remove protective lipids and damage skin proteins, weakening the skin’s surface and exposing deeper and deeper layers to additional moisture loss. Your skin doesn’t just lose water – it loses the ability to retain water.

Look for a gentle, unscented soap to better match the slightly acidic pH of your skin. It should fully cleanse without compromising the integrity of the skin, Zeichner adds.

You should also choose your laundry detergents carefully for the same reason. Joel Schlessinger, MD, a dermatologist in Omaha, Nebraska, warns against harsh detergents and fabric softeners if you have dry skin. Look for gentle laundry soaps like All Free and Clear.

Genetics

Not really what you wanted to hear, but researchers at the University of Dundee in Scotland now say that dry skin can be inherited. They have found mutations in genes that control the production of the protein filaggrin (which plays a role in forming and hydrating the skin barrier) can cause several skin conditions. People with these mutations suffer drier skin and have a greater chance of developing eczema.

If dry skin runs in your family or if you’ve always suffered dry skin, it’s essential that you’re diligent with your daily moisturizer. “Look for ceramides and lipids in moisturizers, which help build and reinforce the skin barrier,” says Zeichner.

Too Much Exfoliation

While exfoliation can be very helpful for dry skin, too much exfoliation can lead to microscopic tears that result in inflammation, redness, dryness, and peeling. “The purpose of exfoliating is to remove dead cells from the surface of the skin and enhance radiance by allowing light to reflect off the skin surface,” explains Dr. Zeichner. When you do it too often, you’re removing healthy skin instead of just the dead skin.

Use those washes once or twice a week according to the label, and look for ingredients like salicylic acid or glycolic acid. “These ingredients dissolve the connections between skin cells so the cells gently exfoliate from the skin surface,” Zeichner says.

For relief for your dry skin, look to SciaEssentials DELTA-5 to effectively improve the skin’s barrier function. It contains linoleic acid plus sciadonic acid, a key fatty acid, to help build and improve the skin’s ceramide structure. Not only that, but it also helps to decrease molecules that cause inflammation of the skin, helping to break the cycle and provide relief for dry, itchy, flaky skin.

“Removed redness, flaky skin, and irritation around her nose immediately and continued showing improvement when used for 3 days. Amazing!” – Rebecca Brand

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Science of Skin Care Series: Dr. Berger’s Corner: How Do Poison Plants Cause So Much Inflammation?

If you have never had an allergic reaction to one of the infamous “poison” plants, consider yourself very lucky. The sustained irritated itching has been described as unbearable by some. Yet roughly 85% of Americans report a sensitivity to poison ivy, poison oak, or poison sumac.

Just how is it that these plants can have such a hugely uncomfortable impact on our skin for seemingly weeks after contact?

What is That Rash?

Whether you’re talking about poison ivy, poison oak, or poison sumac, the result is still the same if you’re one of the unfortunate majority that are allergic to them. No matter which type of plant “poisons” you, the rash that ensues is indistinguishable.

This rash sometimes becomes severe enough to develop additional symptoms such as fever, swelling, and blisters. Possible allergic reactions may also follow. In the most severe cases, people can develop a life threatening anaphylactic reaction.

Contrary to popular belief, the rash is not contagious, nor does it spread any further once you have washed your skin following contact with the plant. The popular wive’s tale that the blisters can cause the “poison” to spread are also false.

The reaction lasts anywhere from one to three weeks and will usually subside on its own without treatment, though often times intervention can help alleviate the discomfort of the reaction.

What Causes the Poison Rash?

So let’s get to the crux of our discussion: Just what is it that allows these plants to cause so much discomfort? How is it that a simple plant can unleash a rash that seems to grow and migrate and spread?

The rash comes from a sensitivity to an oily resin found in all three of these plants called urushiol. Exposure to even a tiny amount – less than one grain of table salt – of urushiol will lead to a rash in most people. No part of the plant is safe, as the substance is found in all parts of the plant: leaves, stems, flowers, and roots, and is still active even after the plant has died.

Sensitivity occurs usually after the body has been exposed to the plant at least once, so most people don’t typically develop the rash the first time they’re exposed. With repeated exposure, sensitivity ultimately develops.

Why Does the Rash Appear To Spread?

The rash is caused by direct contact with urushiol by touching the plant. It can also be transferred from other locations that are carrying the oil. These include a pet’s fur, tools, clothing, or other surfaces. It can also include someone else’s arm if they haven’t washed yet after their exposure.

It is only the urushiol oil that causes the reaction, so once someone has washed the oil off of their skin, they are no longer “contagious.”

The rash also doesn’t usually develop immediately following contact; it takes about 12 to 72 hours, and some areas of the skin may develop at different times, even with the same exposure, making it look like the rash is “spreading.” In some instances, new lesions may continue to appear for up to two to three weeks. Areas that have been exposed to a larger amount of urushiol may develop the rash more quickly, and the rash may appear more severe.

The blisters containing body fluid such as serum, lymph, plasma, blood, or pus may ooze but that fluid does not contain urushiol, so therefore doesn’t spread the rash.

What Does the Rash Look Like?

Signs and symptoms of poison ivy, oak, or sumac rashes include:

• Redness of the skin
• Swelling of the skin
• Itching of the skin
• An outbreak of small or large blisters

The rash could appear bumpy, streaky, linear (in a line), or patchy.

Why Does Your Skin Do That?

This rash is a form of allergic contact dermatitis. The body actually thinks that it is under attack by the urushiol, springing your immune system into action, making antibodies to fight the invader. A chain of events causes a release of chemicals, including histamine, which causes blood vessels to expand paving the way for lots of itch.

What You Can Do

In most cases, OTC corticosteroid cream or calamine lotion for the itching can keep you fairly comfortable. Avoid anything that contains antihistamines or anesthetics, as they can contribute to their own allergic reaction.

Cool showers or a mixture of baking soda and water applied to the area can provide some relief as well.

There is one magical product out there has the ability to alleviate the inflammation that controls the itch, soothe angered skin, and help the repair process.

Launched in March 2018 after decades of painstaking scientific research, DELTA-5 can both heal and protect. It is a topical oil containing sciadonic acid (SA), a powerfully effective fatty acid that can uniquely reduce inflammation.

“I haven’t had any itchy sensation whatsoever since beginning treatment with DELTA-5.” – Beth Zaccari

Developed from the special conifer seed, it breaks the inflammation cycle by interfering with the inflammatory response cycle early in the biochemical process. DELTA-5 oil has been processed into the highest level of SA commercially available, which is then formulated into a high-grade, stable cosmetic oil.

It also has the ability to improve the skin’s barrier functions, keeping bacteria and other irritants from penetrating the skin and causing even more complications.

Its bioactive mechanism uniquely delivers more than just skin barrier protection. It provides relief from itchy, irritated, red, and inflamed skin. Use it twice a daily on affected areas.

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Worried About Wrinkles

Didn’t anyone ever tell you not to be a Worry Wart? There’s really no use worrying about anything, because worrying never really solved anything.

Especially not wrinkles!

No, that’s actually the truth. There is definitely evidence of a positive correlation between stress and inflammation and the aging rate of your skin. Sooooooo worrying will actually make your wrinkles appear faster, and worse!

If you can’t worry about wrinkles? What can you do about them? How about prevent them, for starters?

When You Should Think About Wrinkles

The time to think about wrinkles is not after you already have them (more on that later). The time is right now. Before you start to show signs of aging (wrinkles included) is when you should be thinking about wrinkles.

About preventing them.

The way to fight all of those signs of aging is to effectively prevent them before they actually show up. I know, I know. Thinking so far in advance can be difficult, but how you treat and care for your skin now will set the stage for how your skin will look 20+ years from now. The damage we inflict on our skin over time is cumulative. That means, it all collects over time. Preventing visible signs of skin aging is much easier and less expensive than trying to get rid of it.

How To Prevent Wrinkles

 

• Stay Away From The Sun.  Yup. You’re hearing it again. Protecting your skin from damaging UV rays is absolutely vital to preventing damage down the road. You’ve heard it from everyone ‘till you can’t stand it anymore, but the truth is, they’re right. Without question, sun protection is the best way you can prevent your skin from aging . . .or at least drastically slow that process down. According to Mona Gohara, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist, 90% of the signs of aging come from unprotected UV exposure.

 

Your skin is going to go through natural aging changes on its own, but photoaged skin will take on a leathery, lax, wrinkled appearance. UV radiation causes a shortage of collagen by causing cells to break collagen down, instead of maintaining it.

Sun damage accumulates over time, so protecting yourself sooner, rather than later, is prudent! Your skin care routine should incorporate the daily application of a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 20.

 

• Make Good Choices.  All of the toxins that you ingest, environmental pollutants you’re exposed to, and sun exposure you get takes a toll on your skin. These things can result in waste products called free radicals. They’re the byproducts of cellular metabolism, and they’re careening around your body looking for another electron, wreaking havoc in their path. That damage can accumulate, too, unless you do something about it now.

 

Lifestyle choices and environmental factors can drastically increase the number of free radicals in the body, in turn dramatically increasing oxidative stress on the body. Things like eating fried foods, drinking alcohol, environmental pollution, UV rays, and eating charcoal broiled meats will increase this oxidative stress, but cigarette smoking is, by far, the most potent free radical generator in the body. Avoid as much of these insults as possible now to save your skin in the future.

 

• Employ a Good Skin Care Routine.  Start a solid routine that consists of cleansing, toning, and moisturizing. That’s it! It doesn’t have to be difficult! It’s the ingredients that are important. Choose your skin care products wisely, and they will work ahead of their years for you. When you care for your skin properly, you’re able to nip any excess damage in the bud and mitigate any factors that contribute to aging.

 

Look for ingredients that are scientifically proven to fight the aging process. You can help your body to nab those free radicals by utilizing a skin care routine rich in antioxidant ingredients to counter all that damage. A healthy diet should be your number one choice, but topical antioxidants have been found to be effective, as well.

One Product To Alleviate Your Worry

DELTA-5 by SciaEssentials is a perfect complementary skin care step. DELTA-5 is an extensively-tested, scientifically-formulated all-natural, non-greasy face oil that treats a variety of skin concerns, including fine lines and wrinkles. The key ingredient, sciadonic acid is a type of fatty acid that has demonstrated positive results in the reduction of skin inflammation, wrinkling, and redness.

“This product really works, my redness and wrinkles around my mouth look better in one use. Addicted!” – Gwen

What does that mean? It means DELTA-5 can work on both ends of the wrinkle worry spectrum. In helping to alleviate inflammation and strengthen the skin barrier, it works to prevent wrinkles and fine lines from forming. It’s antioxidant properties help to eliminate them after they’ve formed by working to resolve the damage done by a polluted environment and to reverse harm that comes from the sun.

A little bit of elbow grease in your early years in the form of a smart skin care routine can really go a long way in combating daily insult, leaving you with really very little to actually worry about!

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When Athlete’s Foot Has You Benched

Intensely itchy feet.

If you’ve ever suffered from an athlete’s foot infection, you know that feeling well. That itching, burning sensation that goes along with the unsightly blistering and scaling.

But what, exactly, is athlete’s foot, and what can you do to treat it? How do you get relief from this nasty infection?

What Is Athlete’s Foot?

Athlete’s foot, or tinea pedis, is a catch-all phrase for almost any inflammatory skin disease that affects the sole of the foot and skin between the toes. Typically the skin is scaly and may have raw-like eruptions with weeping and oozing and possibly small blisters.

While it may be caused by a variety of different reasons, a fungal infection is usually the most common culprit. Fungus loves warmth and moisture, so in the dark spaces between the toes is a great place to set up shop, especially if your feet are wet for long periods of time or you sweat. It’s very closely related to other fungal infections such as ringworm and jock itch.

Where Does Athlete’s Foot Come From?

Athlete’s foot (tinea pedis) caused by fungus can be contracted in a variety of locations, including gyms, locker rooms, swimming pools, communal showers, nail salons, or from contaminated socks, shoes, or clothing. Most people get it by walking barefoot where someone else with athlete’s foot had recently walked. It doesn’t affect everyone, as some are more prone to it than others.

Other causes of athlete’s foot can include contact allergy, erythrasma, bacterial infection, pompholyx, intertrigo, and occasionally psoriasis.

What Does Athlete’s Foot Look Like?

Athlete’s foot usually causes a red, scaly rash that typically begins in between the toes. The rash is incredibly itchy and is usually accompanied with a stinging and burning sensation. The itch is typically at its worst right after you remove your socks.

Some types of athlete’s foot can also cause blisters or ulcers. The moccasin variety causes chronic dryness and scaling that reaches up the side of the foot. It’s often mistaken for eczema or even simply dry skin.

If you notice any of these symptoms, you should talk with your doctor:

• Itching, stinging, and burning between the toes
• Blisters on the feet that itch
• Dry skin on the soles or sides of the feet
• Discolored, thick, and crumbly toenails
• Itching, stinging, and burning on the soles of the feet
• Cracking and peeling skin on the feet, especially between the toes and on the soles
• Raw skin on the feet
• Toenails that pull away from the nail bed

How To Treat Athlete’s Foot

The first step towards getting back to comfort is to promote a clean, dry, and friction-free environment for the feet. Avoid any shoes that are made of non-breathable materials like vinyl. Avoid nylon socks, too, for the same reason. Opt for absorbent cotton socks that wick water away from your feet.

Sometimes soaking the feet in salt water or diluted vinegar may help to dry up any blisters.

You can’t know if your infection is caused by a fungus or not unless you go to the doctor to have a test done. The doctor will scrape a small area of infected skin and place it in potassium hydroxide (KOH), which destroys normal cells and leaves fungal cells behind so they are easy to see under the microscope.

If the cause is fungal in nature, athlete’s foot can often be treated with OTC topical antifungal medications. These could include miconazole, terbinafine, clotrimazole, butenafine, or tolnaftate. If an OTC solution isn’t working, your doctor may prescribe medications that include:

• Topical, prescription-strength clotrimazole or miconazole
• Oral antifungal medications like itraconazole, fluconazole, or prescription-strength terbinafine
• Topical steroid medications to help reduce painful inflammation
• Oral antibiotics if necessary to combat a secondary bacterial infection

A Revolutionary New Alternative

The main cause of fungal athlete’s foot is an opportunistic pathogen. During its infection, arachidonic acid is released by your body which is a big part of the inflammatory cascade. It leads to the formation of yeast hyphae, producing more yeast. An important fatty acid, sciadonic acid, has been found to stop this process.

“Immediately after applying the oil, I felt an intense sense of relief and soothing, as if I had just taken a very strong pain or numbing medicine.” – Dr. Alvin Berger

For the first time, a revolutionary product, DELTA-5 by SciaEssentials, can offer the amazing strength of sciadonic acid, combining the potent anti-inflammatory properties, with its ability to fight fungal infections. Pressed from Mountain cypress seeds and harnessed into a non-greasy, non-toxic formula, DELTA-5 boasts a unique mechanism of action when incorporated into specific phospholipid pools, displacing pro-inflammatory arachidonic acid. Formulated into a high-grade, stable cosmetic oil, it has a longer shelf life than most oils.

The bonus is that in addition to decreasing the inflammation caused by the infection, DELTA-5 can improve the skin’s barrier function by strengthening the skin cells below the outer layer which serve as the skin barrier. Linoleic acid penetrates the skin and provides lipids and sciadonic acid to help to build and improve the skin’s ceramide structure.

So the next time you’re suffering the aggravating itchy-burny discomfort of athlete’s foot symptoms, what are you going to reach for? A straight-up anti-fungal or a can-do-it-all wonder that can improve the infection, give you relief, and help to repair the skin?

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Banish Blemishes

Banish Blemishes

The last thing anyone wants to do is wake up in the morning before a big interview, roll out of bed and squint bleary-eyed into the mirror only to find that something went terribly wrong with your face last night.

You’re chastising yourself for not washing your face before you went to bed last night. Especially after you went out for drinks with your friends in that dive bar that served the really comforting greasy french fries loaded with fake cheese and bacon.

Now you’re digging frantically through your medicine cabinet trying to find a remedy or a patch or a coverup for the red, swollen, blotchy pimples that are dotting your face, today of all days.

Not stressing is easier said than done, but it’s almost guaranteed to make your acne worse. Hopefully you have a little bottle of SciaEssentials DELTA-5 on hand because that’s almost all you need to win this battle.

Where Does Acne Come From?

Acne is the skin condition responsible for pimples and breakouts, which can manifest as whiteheads, blackheads, pustules, and papules. As sebum is produced by sebaceous glands and travels up through your pores, dead skin cells are carried up with it to be washed away. Sometimes the gland produces too much sebum, which can clog the pore, forming a plug. As the pore is clogged with sebum, oil, and bacteria, the bacteria can multiply, leading to an infection, swelling, and inflammation around the clogged pore. Sometimes you’ll notice a white tip of purulent discharge (pus).

Things like hormonal imbalances, traveling, genetics, and medication can all play a role in the development of acne. The good news is that these types of breakouts are normally temporary. There are things that you can do to help speed up their disappearance.

Stress and Blemishes

Emotional stress won’t necessarily trigger a new case of acne, but it could worsen symptoms of a current breakout. According to Lisa A. Garner, MD, FAAD, a clinical professor of dermatology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, “When you already have acne and you get into a stressful situation, that seems to be when your acne really flares up.”

The cells that produce sebum have receptors for stress hormones. Somehow, these sebum-producing cells are stoked to produce more sebum when you are upset or worried. On a good day, sebum helps to protect your skin. When too much is produced, it mixes with dead skin cells and bacteria to clog hair follicles, leading to blemishes.

Chronic inflammation is usually the culprit. Acne inflammation can occur with or without acne bacteria present. Though if bacteria is present, a chronic inflammatory response will turn a few easy-to-kill bacteria into a situation involving way too many inflammatory chemicals. Stress hormones can also trigger the release of chemicals that will cause the skin to redden and become irritated, meaning bacteria doesn’t even have to be present for acne to get started. All it takes are lots of the inflammatory chemicals. The problem is that many acne treatments also cause damage to healthy skin, as well, which leads to more acne.

So while de-stressing isn’t necessarily going to cure your current breakout, it can help to keep you from being your own worst enemy.

Caring For Your Face Through Breakouts

The first rule of thumb to follow is don’t squeeze your pimples. This can make them worse, causing the infected pus to spread infection. Apply acne treatment products twice a day; when you wake up and before bedtime. They may take a little bit of time to work, but will help to prevent any new pimples from forming. You’ll want to stay away from any products that contain oils. They’ll only serve to further clog your pores.

Take these steps now to help curb your breakout and prevent it from getting any worse:

1. Cleanse your face twice daily with a foaming cleanser that contains salicylic acid. This should help to clear current blemishes and keep more from popping up. Gently rub your face for at least one minute. The cleansing will help to rid your skin of all the grime that could lead to more clogged pores.
2. Massage in an oil-free moisturizer, designed to be non-comedogenic (non pore clogging). Even if your face tends to be greasy or oily, it is still in need of a good moisturizer.
3. Apply DELTA-5 oil directly onto blemishes. So gentle, it can even be combined with your moisturizer and applied all over.

Beware of excess exfoliation. I said excess. Some exfoliation is helpful in improving acne, but too much can actually make things worse by removing too much oil. Your skin may decide to compensate by producing even more oil!

How Can DELTA-5 Banish Blemishes?

“As if on cue, a pimple reared its ugly head on my chin. I used a few drops of Sciaessentials^® Delta-5^® Oil on it and immediately, the redness went down. The pimple healed a little faster too.” – Giorgia Guazzarotti

This unique fatty acid takes full advantage of the inflammation-stopping power of sciadonic acid. In addition, it contains linoleic acid, which penetrates the skin to deliver the sciadonic acid, building and improving the skin’s ceramide structure. By decreasing inflammation and strengthening the skin’s barrier function, inflammatory blemishes can be put to rest.

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Just What is a Carrier Oil Carrying?

If you’ve ever used essential oils or a medicinal or facial oil, they are often times paired with a carrier oil. Why is that? Just what is the carrier oil supposed to do?

What Is a Carrier Oil?

Also known as base oils, carrier oils are often mixed with other oils like essential oils (EOs) to dilute these highly concentrated oils, since many EOs should not be applied directly to the skin in their concentrated form. When they are, they can cause irritation. Carrier oils dilute the concentrated essential oils so they can be applied to the skin without side effects, helping to prevent skin irritation and other adverse reactions.

Since they’re diluting the therapeutic oil, they make for a more efficient delivery system, spreading a smaller portion of the oil over a larger area, allowing for less waste of product.

Typically, they’re sourced from the nut, seed, or kernel of a plant, but are unscented or lightly scented with a faint smell that is sweet and nutty. They don’t interfere with the other oils’ (the ones they’re carrying) therapeutic properties.

Unlike EOs, carrier oils do not evaporate, so they also help to add some stability to the mixture.

Are Carrier Oils Just Used For Essential Oils?

Carrier oils aren’t just used with essential oils. They can be used for the same purposes, but with other types of therapeutic oils – or, should we say – real oils.

Chemically speaking, real oils are a type of lipid, giving them their ability to stay separated from water and give them a greasy feel. There are many types of lipids such as fatty acids, phospholipids, glycolipids, cholesterol, triglycerides, waxes, and steroids. Lipids are an essential part of your skin and support the skin’s barrier function.

These fatty oils can be ingested, used as carriers for another important ingredient, or be the primary effective ingredient itself. Many of these oils have been shown to have beneficial effects for the skin when applied topically, including nourishing, anti-aging, and rash-tempering properties.

Essential oils aren’t true oils. They’re highly concentrated hydrophobic liquids made up of volatile aromatic compounds extracted from the leaves, root, or flower of a plant. As a volatile oil, they’re ready to vaporize, quickly changing states from solid or liquid to a gas. The liquid contains the characteristic fragrance of the plant from which it’s derived, its essence.

Where Does DELTA-5 Come In?

While carrier oils are typically known for their close association with EOs, they are readily seen in many other oil products, too. DELTA-5 Oil by SciaEssentials is one such instance. Dr. Alvin Berger has identified and purified a naturally occurring oil that benefits skin by reducing inflammation, wrinkling, and redness, and providing anti-aging benefits. The revolutionary key ingredient is Mountain Cypress oil, containing the powerful sciadonic acid (SA) in the highest concentrated level commercially available, formulated into a high-grade stable cosmetic oil.

SA is a unique, anti-inflammatory, eco-friendly, fatty acid derived from the seeds of the conifer. Extracted from the oil bodies in the form of an oil, it works immediately upon applying it to your skin.

“I’m a big fan, especially for anyone who is concerned about aging or who suffers from acne, rosacea, or other inflammatory conditions” – Andrew Ignash

The carrier oil in DELTA-5 is a combination of tocopherols, highly therapeutic on their own! Tocopherols are part of a group of compounds forming Vitamin E: four tocopherols and four tocotrienols. Vitamin E is known as an antioxidant superhero that provides awesome protection for your skin when included in body care products. It’s also known to help regenerate healthy skin cells.

Tocopherols’ antioxidant properties also help to protect products by acting as a preservative, making it a great natural way to prolong the shelf life of such a strong healing product.

What Other Carrier Oils Can Be Used?

Different carrier oils have different properties and uses. The type of carrier oil that is best for you depends on your skin type, whether you have any allergies, and how and where you’ll be applying the oil. To find the best oil for you, experiment with a couple using a patch test to see how your skin responds.

You’ll want to apply a thinner oil to your face such as grapeseed oil or sunflower seed oil, especially if you’re acne prone.

Some popular carrier oils include:

• Olive
• Sweet almond
• Apricot
• Avocado
• Jojoba
• Rosehip
• Black seed
• Grape seed
• Argan
• Sunflower
• Coconut (both unrefined or fractionated)
• Aloe vera
• Sea salt
• Witch hazel
• Castile soap

Storage Tip

Carrier oils should always be stored away from heat and direct sunlight to prevent the oil from going rancid quickly. When cold pressed or cold expeller pressed, the oils are processed with minimal to no heat, so those methods are preferable for preparation.

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Science of Skin Care Series: Dr. Berger’s Corner: Cell Regeneration

You’ve probably heard that your skin is more than just a pretty covering.

Your skin is the largest organ of the human body and is comprised of a vast network of supporting materials, nourishing capillaries, and communicating nerve endings. It protects you against exposure to dangerous things in the environment, repels water, and also keeps you from losing too much water to the outside. It also protects everything that lies underneath it like blood vessels, muscles, nerves, and other organs.

It protects you from infections and germs.

You consider your skin care in a broad sense. You ponder what cleanser will do the best job of getting your face clean. You question what moisturizer will give you the most effective anti-acne results.

But do you ever really stop to think about just how your skin functions and why these decisions are so important?

Your skin weighs approximately 6 pounds in total and is made up of several different components:

• Water
• Protein
• Lipids
• Vitamins
• Minerals

You have a lot of skin cells! There are about 19 million cells in every inch of your body.

There are three main layers to the skin, each having its own unique job.  

 

• Epidermis: The outer layer, is the thinnest layer of the skin, but is the part most responsible for protecting you from the environment around you. Different types of cells live here: keratinocytes, melanocytes, and langerhans cells.

 

 

• Dermis: The middle layer, has a lot to do. Fibroblast cells live here. This is a very complex layer, housing a combination of blood vessels, hair follicles, nerves, and sebaceous (oil) glands. Collagen and elastin, two proteins that offer the skin support and elasticity, are also located here. So when you start to see wrinkles, you have the dermis to blame. Here is where your hair originates and where you sense pain, touch, and temperature.

 

 

• Subcutis or Basal: The inner, fatty layer, plays host to sweat glands, fat, and loose connective tissue. It’s responsible for conserving your body’s heat and protecting your inner organs. When this tissue gets thinner as you age, your skin starts to sag.

 

Let’s take a quick look at what the different types of cells do:

Keratinocytes produce the protein keratin, which is the main component of the epidermis.

Melanocytes produce skin’s pigment, called melanin.

Langerhans cells prevent foreign substances from getting into your skin.

Fibroblasts synthesize collagen and elastin.

Taking good care of your skin is absolutely essential to maintaining the health and vitality of this protective organ.

How Does Skin Regenerate

Your skin is constantly changing all throughout your life. As old cells die, new ones are created to take their place in an ever-revolving door. Your skin will completely regenerate itself about once every 27 days. Only your liver can compete with that.

Without the ability to regenerate so quickly, the protective barrier function and many other important functions of your skin would be lost.

Each different layer of skin regenerates in response to injury using a different process. When you’re concerned about anti-aging skin care or acne treatment, you’re mainly concerned with the epidermal layer.

In order to keep things “fresh” your body is always making new skin cells and getting rid of older ones. It gets rid of 30,000-40,000 old skin cells every day.

• New skin cells in the epidermis are formed in the bottom layer (the one closest to the dermis).
• When they’re first formed, they are alive, fat, and square.
• They get pushed upwards as more new cells are formed beneath them.
• Over the course of about 27 days, they continue being pushed towards the outside, getting squished and flattened as they go.
• They also die along the way. These dead cells protect your skin from the sun, infection, and injury.
• When they reach the top, they flake off.

What You Do Affects Your Skin’s Regeneration

Healthy skin is constantly regenerating at a rate of millions of cells per day. You can only imagine how poor lifestyle, diet, and bad skin care choices can hinder this important process. What you eat, how you live, and how well you take care of your skin has a big effect on how healthy your skin is.

 

• Feed Your Cells so they can do their job! Remember the list of things that go into making a skin cell?

 

Water * Protein * Lipids * Vitamins * Minerals

Those have to come from somewhere! While your body is pretty magical at making things happen and taking care of itself, it can’t produce anything out of thin air. That means you have to eat a healthy, well-balanced diet to ensure that you’re getting what you need.

Vitamins A, C, D, E, K and the B vitamins (especially B3, or niacin) are imperative for cell growth. So are the minerals copper, zinc, and selenium. You can find them in a variety of lean meats, poultry, fish, fresh vegetables and fruits, whole grains, legumes, and nuts.

Drinking plenty of water is also necessary.

 

• Get Plenty of Sleep. Your body needs at least seven hours of sleep every night. Your skin actually does its best work while you’re catching your zzz’s. That’s when most of the regeneration, healing, and repair processes take place. Sleep deprivation also leads to a weakened immune system, which can lead to multiple skin problems.

 

 

• Take Care of Your Skin From the Outside. If the dead skin cells don’t slough off, they begin to form layers, making your skin look dull and have an uneven tone. You can help new cells rise to the surface faster by exfoliating gently. You’re not looking to damage the skin, just help the process along. Follow a good skin care regimen consisting of cleansing, toning, exfoliating, and moisturizing.

“Benefits: Use (SciaEssentials’ Delta-5) on chapped lips; Use over matte lipstick; Add gloss to lipstick; Anti-redness, anti-acne, Great for under eye and scar reduction.” – Katie van Daalen Wetters

You can also treat your skin to a little pampering, by using products that help to protect it from external damage and aid in the wound-healing process. SciaEssentials’ DELTA-5 is a unique blend of oil pressed from nature’s best conifer seeds, bringing with it the powerful effects of sciadonic acid, proven to relieve inflammation, aid healing, and strengthen the skin’s barrier.

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Beyond Chapstick: Lip Treatments That Work

When you smilin’, when you smilin’
The whole world smiles with you.
Yes when you laughin’ oh when you laughin’
The sun comes shinin’ through.

But when you cryin’, you bring on the rain.
So stop your sighin’ baby, and be happy again.
Keep on smilin’, keep on smilin’ baby,
And the whole world smiles with you.

Louis Armstrong sings it like it is. Your lips can work some serious magic when they want to. So why is it that they are probably one of most neglected portions of your skin care routine?

As we age, we start to think more and more about the care of our skin, from the choice of cleansers, moisturizers, and serums to what sort of facial treatment we’ll splurge on next. A lot of thought and research is put into these choices, looking for brands we can trust, and products that are lined with ingredients that will be real powerhouses in our anti-aging skin care routine.

Yet not a thought goes into your lip care routine. In fact, I guarantee most of you are guilty of a non-routine when it comes to your lips. Unless you’re suffering from chapped lips for one reason or another, you don’t even think about them at all.

They’re an afterthought.

As you’re standing in line at the grocery store waiting to check out, you happen to remember ruining your last tube of lip balm in your pants pocket in the laundry, so you grab at whatever inexpensive, unnamed, colorful tube happens to be next to the rag mag that you’re peering at.

Probably not the best plan to take care of one of your best and most influential assets.

Why Are Lip Treatments Important?

“The skin on your lips is thinner than the skin on other parts of your face, making it more vulnerable to the elements,” Dendy Engelman, MD, a dermatologist in New York City, points out.

Did you ever notice that your lips are the first to feel dry and parched . . . . before you even notice getting thirsty. They get chapped when you’re outside skiing before your face even starts to feel the effects of being windburned.

Why All Lip Treatments are Not Created Equal

It’s definitely just as important to avoid products that can cause chapping as it is to start using treatments that will actually heal your lips! Typically, most of the grab-and-go variety, and many of the higher priced versions of lip balms contain ingredients that don’t actually fix dry, chapped lips, and may even make them worse.

Some ingredients could just be an irritant to lips, while others may instigate allergies. Be wary of the following ingredients if you suspect your lips aren’t responding well to what you’re currently using:

• Menthol
• Camphor
• Chemical sunscreen ingredients
• Flavour
• Color pigments
• Fragrance
• Essential oils
• Beeswax
• Castor oil
• Lanolin
• Petrolatum
• Mineral oil
• Silicones
• Hydrogenated polyisobutene

Not all of these should necessarily be avoided at all costs, though. Sometimes they may have their place. For instance, a potential allergen like lanolin is actually one of the most powerful moisturizers available. If you’re not allergic to it, it’s wonderful! Occlusives like mineral oil help with the barrier quality to protect the skin and seal in moisture. But they don’t deliver moisture, either, so they won’t do you any good when it comes to healing your lips.

What to Look For in A Lip Treatment

When you’re really looking for something to go to bat for parched, cracked lips, you’re looking for an emollient. They actually work to bring moisture to your skin through the composition of the product. They can be either water-based or oil-based, though oil-based emollients tend to stick around longer.

An emollient will help to soothe and heal the external barrier layer, which will tell the immune system to take a break, helping to alleviate inflammation. They absorb well into the skin, filling in cracks and preventing moisture loss.

“Look for ingredients like shea butter, glycerin or natural oils,” advises Dr. Cybele Fishman, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City. “I often recommend that my clients try coconut oil,” adds Dr. Jessica Wu, a Los Angeles-based dermatologist and assistant clinical professor of dermatology at the University of Southern California’s School of Medicine. “You can also opt for a sweet almond oil.”

If your lips are super chapped, try using the emollients in their pure form, rather than in combination with others. Since your lips are really sensitive, using the least number of ingredients as possible will help to minimize the risk of irritation or allergic reaction.

Best Lip Treatments

“I applied a drop of Delta-5 oil to my lips at bedtime. The oil was rapidly absorbed and soothing. In the morning, my lips felt smoother, lustrous, puffed, full, and it brought out my natural color. I don’t even need my lipstick!”- Anna B.

1: If you’re tired of not getting relief from conventional treatments, but want the convenience of a ready-to-go preparation, grab DELTA-5 by Sciaessentials. This soft oil is absorbed quickly and penetrates your skin deeply, leaving your lips feeling softer, smoother, less flaky and irritated. The powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects can heal lips overnight with just a drop. It’s been proven to have anti-aging properties, aiding in decreasing wrinkle formation directly surrounding the lips, as well.

2: Medical grade lanolin has a similar molecular structure to that of human sebum. As long as you’re not allergic, lanolin is a fabulous ingredient for healing dry, chapped lips. Not only is it a powerful emollient, but has semi-occlusive properties, as well.

3: Coconut oil is a well-known treatment for burns in alternative medicine circles due to its moisture properties and its analgesic properties. That makes it a great choice for painful flaking lips. Coconut oil also has anti-inflammatory properties, so it may reduce swelling.

4: Shea butter is a stable fat with excellent moisturizing properties. Since it’s usually very thick, it has both emollient and occlusive properties, creating a protective seal on top of the lips.

5: Squalane is the saturated form of squalene, an oil naturally produced by the human body, keeping our skin moisturized and protected. It has a finer texture than other oils, so it penetrates well. It’s also stable and non-irritating, though it doesn’t tend to produce quite as good of a barrier as the others, so it may work best layered under a more occlusive product, especially if you’re out in the harsh weather.

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Skin Troubles: When to Spot Treat and When to Cover Your Face

No, silly. We’re not talking about covering your face with a paper bag to hide your embarrassment over your adult-onset acne. Though it seems like a good option sometimes, it’s just not realistic.

When you’re suffering from skin troubles like acne, psoriasis, or dry itchy skin, it’s helpful to know just how far you need to go in order to alleviate your symptoms . . .and your troubles!

We’ve made it easy for you. Check out our easy quick reference guide to some of the most common skin ailments, common treatments, and how DELTA-5 oil by SciaEssentials can effectively go to bat for you and your skin.

Spot Treat vs. Full Coverage

When fighting skin troubles, there are multiple treatment routes you and your dermatologist can choose to take. Sometimes only one is enough, sometimes combining multiple options works best.

Full Coverage Treatment (FCT) involves applying a topical treatment or medication all over the skin. This is especially helpful in skin conditions that cover a very large area, or may continue to worsen or spread to unknown areas (like acne).

Spot Treatment (ST) involves adding just a very small amount of the active topical ointment or cream to one area of concern. This is done when there is no concern about further locations becoming a problem in the future. People will frequently spot treat one single blemish to help it on its way to oblivion.

There are also other options that can be added in to handle a problem. Sometimes systemic medication is required. In this case the effective drug travels through the body internally. This is usually delivered through an oral pill, though a few extreme cases warrant intravenous delivery. Physical treatments like surgery or light therapy can also be a strong addition to your arsenal.

How Does DELTA-5 Help?

“His AMAZING all-in-1 luxurious high-quality antiaging skincare product from Scia Essentials not only minimizes fine lines and wrinkles and gives skin a lovely luminous glow, but it also reduces red inflamed skin, acne, sunburn, and is super hydrating for dry skin too! It leaves skin feeling so soft, smooth, and supple for a natural, more youthful appearance! ” – Cindy

DELTA-5 oil is the most versatile skin treatment you have in your hands. With the ability to help strengthen the skin barrier and alleviate inflammation, it’s a powerful ally to your treatment protocol. Add in the fact that this easily-absorbed, non-greasy formulation is safe enough to use full-strength as a spot treatment, and gently powerful enough to be combined with your regular treatment or skin care routine for full coverage.

What to Do: Common Skin Troubles

Acne occurs when oil and dead skin cells clog the pores. Topical treatments and other medicines can help unclog pores and prevent new breakouts. Both may prove helpful.

• Full Coverage: Wash face gently with a mild cleanser and use oil-free moisturizer.
• Spot Treatment: Is helpful to zap a breakout fast with salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide.
• DELTA-5: Can be mixed in with face wash or moisturizer for overall control or used to spot treat.
• Others: Blue light therapy, prescription oral antibiotics.

Diaper Rash is a common ailment with babies and mild cases typically aren’t painful or harmful unless allowed to progress untreated. It’s caused when the skin comes into contact with urine and feces in the diaper.

• Full Coverage: There is absolutely NO need to cover your whole baby with ointment. Diaper rash typically only occurs IN the diaper!
• Spot Treatment: with an over OTC diaper rash cream. Your pharmacist can recommend one.
• DELTA-5: Can be helpful in alleviating the inflammation that causes discomfort, as well as working to repair the damaged skin barrier.

Eczema is a dry, itchy condition that may cause a red rash and/or blistering. Though often unpredictable, symptoms of eczema can be managed by including medicines to relieve itch and inflammation and prevent flare-ups.

• Full Coverage: May be necessary if the effects of the eczema are wide-spread enough. These may include gentle bathing and following a good moisturizing routine.
• Spot Treatment: Are typically applied to the affected area(s) of the skin to help ease redness, rash, dryness, and itching.
• DELTA-5: Useful in assisting the skin’s barrier function and alleviating inflammation that contributes to redness, rash, dryness, and itchy breakouts.
• Others: Phototherapy, systemic medications, biologics, and diet.

Psoriasis is a long-term skin condition that can also affect the joints. It cannot be fully cured, but symptoms may be managed. Symptoms of psoriasis can include dry, raised, red patches of skin covered with silvery scales.

• Full Coverage: Is merited if symptoms are widespread enough and may include special moisturizers or tar preparations.
• Spot Treatment: May be helpful in treating specific locations. These may include corticosteroid creams or ointments or vitamin D preparations.
• DELTA-5: Combine with moisturizer to cover a wider area, or use to spot treat a specifically uncomfortable location. Aids in strengthening the moisture barrier and relieving inflamed areas.
• Others: Ultraviolet light therapy.

Hives are itchy, raised welts that can be red or skin-colored. They usually occur due to an allergic reaction. Hives are usually temporary, though some cases may be chronic.

• Full Coverage: Is usually not necessary.
• Spot Treatment: Antihistamines can help to block or reduce the body’s allergic response and ease the itch.

DELTA-5: Used on the rash can help to calm the skin’s reaction and halt its progress by interrupting the inflammatory cascade.

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Magic Mirror on the Wall, What’s the Most Versatile Skin Oil of Them All?

Do you believe in magic?

We’re told constantly that there is no magic fix-it-all out there. OK, fixing everything is a little pretentious, unless we’re discussing duct tape.

But what if we told you that there is a cosmetic skin oil out there that has powerful healing and anti-inflammatory effects useful to help in alleviating all sorts of skin concerns?

It’s benign enough to be used alone or in combination with conventional treatments.

It’s versatility allows it to be applied as a full strength spot treatment, or blended with your skin care and cosmetics to allow for full-coverage.

This amazing oil can be used to soothe psoriasis, acne, irritated and inflamed skin, bug bites, pain, dry skin, and so much more!

No, you’re not in the Enchanted Forest.

This didn’t come from Glinda the Good Witch.

It wasn’t crafted with pixie dust.

DELTA-5 oil by SciaEssentials is almost too good to be true. Like it’s magic.

“Loved the oil. I apply day and night. Love how it feels light, but concentrated at the same time. My skin feels hydrated and has wonderful glow. I truly love the oil and I am obsessed with it.” – Alma

What is DELTA-5 Oil?

Launched in March 2018 after decades of painstaking scientific research, DELTA-5 has the ability to both heal and protect. This cosmetic and health breakthrough is a topical oil containing sciadonic acid (SA), a powerfully effective fatty acid that can uniquely reduce inflammation.

Developed from the mountain cypress conifer seed, it breaks the inflammation cycle by interfering early in the biochemical process. DELTA-5 oil has been processed into the highest level of SA commercially available, which is then formulated into a high-grade stable cosmetic oil. It is natural and vegan, containing no parabens, petrolatum, sulfates, or synthetic fragrances.

It can be used in conjunction, or mixed with other skin care and cosmetics products like sunscreen, moisturizer, or shampoo. In fact, the more creative you are with its use, the more you should see results that make you and your skin happy.

It also has the ability to improve the skin’s barrier functions, keeping bacteria and other irritants from penetrating the skin and causing even more complications. Its bioactive mechanism uniquely delivers more than just skin barrier protection. It provides relief from itchy, irritated, red, and inflamed skin.

DELTA-5 can even be used on pets’ skin concerns, too.

How Does DELTA-5 Work?

DELTA-5, named so for the specific formulation of sciadonic acid (Delta-5-sciadonic acid), is created from only two ingredients: mountain cypress seed oil and tocopherols. Its beauty is in its simplicity.

There are several forms of tocopherols, but they’re collectively known as vitamin E, a very powerful antioxidant superhero that can help to protect the skin and provide powerful anti-aging effects. Tocopherol acts like a shield that protects your skin and body from free radical damage. Free radicals are rogue molecules that have been damaged by toxins like UVA/UVB rays or pollution. They love to break down your skin’s collagen, cause cancer, hyperpigmentation, and other signs of aging like wrinkles. Tocopherols can counteract the damage done by free radicals while preventing it from happening in the future. They’re also a strong natural preservative.

While vitamin E is an incredible workhorse, the real magic comes from the mountain cypress oil by way of SA. After years of testing, founder Dr. Alvin Berger discovered that SA had healing properties that could exceed those of fish oil. SA also had the ability to protect by making a positive impact on the skin’s lipid layer, contributing to its overall health and wellness and making you look more beautiful and feel better.

Its most impressive function, though, is the ability to decrease chronic inflammation in the skin by working very early in the inflammation cascade. It competes for a spot in the process with arachidonic acid, which plays a big role in producing inflammatory molecules. Overall, it decreases the levels of inflammatory molecules.

The deeply-penetrating formula will absorb into your skin instantly, leaving no greasy residue behind. It may improve barrier functions, keeping bacteria and other irritants from penetrating the skin and causing even more complications.

How Can DELTA-5 Be Used?

There’s no need to consult your magic mirror or wishing well here. DELTA-5 is definitely the most versatile cosmetic oil out there. Use it topically by itself or in conjunction with other products. It is readily-absorbed undiluted.

Just take a look at our testimonials for real stories of how people have incorporated it into their skin care routine and medicine cabinet!

Here are just a few suggested uses for this amazing oil:

• Combat the inflammation associated with:
  • Dermatitis (eczema)
  • Rosacea
  • Psoriasis
  • UV damage/sunburn
  • Acne
  • Post-shaving irritation

• Maintain well-groomed nails and cuticles
• Fight scalp problems like:
  • Dandruff
  • Psoriasis
  • Seborrheic dermatitis
  • Folliculitis

• Wage war on common signs of aging like:
  • Fine lines
  • Wrinkles
  • Sun spots

• Guard your skin against the impacts of pollution and UV radiation and repair damage caused by the environment.
• Reduce skin redness and make it less dry and flaky.
• Aid your reflection and give your skin a beautiful glow.
• Zap the sting and itch of summer insect bites.
• Heal dry, chapped lips.

It’s about as close as you can get to a “magic potion”!

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Science of Skin Care Series: Dr. Berger’s Corner: Free Radicals, Oxidation, Antioxidants, and Inflammation

There’s much talk out there about the damage free radicals can inflict on our skin and the benefits of antioxidants, both internally and topically. You’ve got the gist that free radicals are bad and antioxidants are good. But do you really have a grasp on the situation?

And how does inflammation fit into all of this?

Let’s start at the beginning and break it all down for you, and tie it all in together.

The Basics

 

• Atoms are the building blocks of everything. They’re made up of tiny protons (that hold a positive [+] charge) and neutrons in their center, while electrons (that hold a negative [-] charge) rotating in orbits around the outside.

 

 

• Attaching more than one atom together creates a molecule. It can take hundreds to thousands of atoms to make up things like DNA, proteins, and fats.

 

• Chemical reactions in the body constantly rearrange the molecules by breaking them apart into smaller pieces (with less atoms), or combining them into larger molecules (with more atoms). This can be the result of metabolism of sugars, fatty acids, and amino acids. During this process, protons and electrons must be evenly paired overall to zero out the molecule’s charge, creating a stable molecule.

 

• When something happens to cause an oxygen molecule to inadvertently lose an electron, the result is a free radical. It’s missing an electron, so it’s constantly searching for another one to take its place. The splitting is called oxidation. The free radical will travel through the body, scouring for an electron it can take. Free radicals are unstable, electrically charged molecules that can react with other molecules (like your DNA) and damage them. If you’ve ever seen rust on a railing or watched an apple turn brown after you’ve cut it, you’re witnessing oxidation in action.

How Bad Are Free Radicals?

Free radicals have been linked to numerous diseases including cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease. They’re implicated in the skin’s aging process, which has been defined as a gradual accumulation of free radical damage, according to Christopher Wanjek, the Bad Medicine columnist for Live Science.

The food we eat, medicines we take, air we breathe, and water we drink all contain substances that generate free radicals, according to Huntington’s Outreach Project for Education at Stanford University. These can include pesticides and air pollutants, tobacco smoke, alcohol, and fried foods!

Free radicals are also the natural byproducts of chemical processes like metabolism. Dr. Lauri Wright, a registered dietitian and an assistant professor of nutrition at the University of South Florida says, “Basically, I think of free radicals as waste products from various chemical reactions in the cell that when built up, harm the cells of the body.”

Free radicals chip away at your cell walls and at your DNA. As they continue to harm your cells, they eventually cause their death. This process occurs throughout your body and in every organ. It is a natural and normal process, however, if it is not tamed and controlled then the aging process and other side effects can occur more rapidly.

What Role Does Inflammation Play?

Aging and/or environmental stress may enhance this oxidative stress and may also lead to chronic inflammation, which can further exacerbate damage. Inflammation is the body’s way of initiating healing responses, but inflammation that is unregulated can result in excessive free radical activity and tissue destruction. Many skin disorders are a result of inflammation.

Chronic systemic inflammation is not confined to a particular tissue, but involves the lining of blood vessels and many internal organs and systems. This inflammatory process is often associated with free radical damage and oxidative stress. Chronic inflammation is a pathological condition characterized by continued active inflammation response and tissue destruction. The inflammatory process induces oxidative stress and reduces cellular antioxidant capacity. Overproduced free radicals react with cell membrane fatty acids and proteins, impairing their function permanently. In addition, free radicals can lead to mutation and DNA damage that can be a predisposing factor for cancer and age-related disorders.

How Can You Combat This Inflammation?

Antioxidants are celebrated as the agents that save us from free radicals. They donate one of their electrons to the free radical, putting it out of commission so it’s no longer careening around seeking another electron. They’re a hugely essential part of a healthy diet, and are key ingredients in quality skincare programs. The benefits of paying attention to antioxidants are widely known.

But you can do yourself a world of favor by not only adding antioxidants to your diet and skin care products, but also by battling inflammation at the same time.

My DELTA-5 Oil has been scientifically tested and shown to have numerous benefits to the skin on the first application, including a profound effect on skin inflammation. As a renowned lipid nutrition expert with 30 years of experience studying and researching special fatty acids, I discovered the unique mode of action of Delta-5 Sciadonic Acid, which displaces pro-inflammatory molecules from lipid pools. This halts the inflammatory process in its tracks.

There’s no sense in trying to combat a problem with only one weapon. Arm yourself with the most powerful ingredients out there to ensure you have the best success countering inflammation resulting from free radical damage.

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Why Moisturizing is Essential

Your skin is not just a hapless covering for your muscle and bone structure. It’s actually the largest organ in the body and is a complex network of supporting tissue, nerve endings, blood vessels, and a protective support structure. It requires some maintenance to stay young, blemish-free, and healthy.

It’s made up of three main layers: the epidermis (outer layer), dermis (in between layer), and hypodermis (inner layer). Your skin’s main functions include keeping moisture in, pushing waste and toxins out, and protecting you from the outside elements.

It must maintain hydration in order to function as it should. The skin is made up of 64% water. (Drink up, friends!)

The very outermost layer of the epidermis is the stratum corneum. It’s made up of corneocytes which hold large amounts of water, and a mesh of fatty acids and other lipids that serve to protect the rest of the skin, retaining its moisture.

How Does Skin Lose Moisture?

Skin loses moisture through a process known as transepidermal water loss (TEWL). Trans, meaning across; so across the outer skin layer. Things like stress, dry climate, and chemicals or pollutants can contribute to a larger TEWL. That means that things like your health and the external environment will have an impact.

As moisture is lost through TEWL, the skin cells dehydrate. Once that happens you notice cracks in the stratum corneum, which creates even more moisture loss. When your skin is dehydrated, it tries to rectify the situation by creating more sebum (oil). This can actually block, the pores and cause acne.

What Does Moisturizing Do?

The obvious answer to that question is that it keeps your skin from getting dry. But there are many other reasons that using a moisturizer twice daily can prove to be beneficial for you in the long run. Preventing dry skin is a definite reason to moisturize, but it’s far from the only one. There are many reasons that your skin will benefit from a moisturizer, including cutting down on the number of wrinkles you develop later in life.

 

• Moisturizing Helps Your Skin Stay Young – The skin on your face, ears, neck, and chest are very sensitive to environmental changes and are the most common areas of the body known to develop skin cancer. These areas of skin also shed cells more rapidly than other parts of the body and therefore need moisture to repair themselves, which allows for younger skin cells to rise to the surface. Also, the massaging effect that is used when applying lotion helps stimulate blood circulation and new cell generation.

 

• Moisturizing Reduces Skin Problems – Moisturizing every day can reduce the chance of developing extreme dryness or oiliness. Both extremes are harmful for skin and cause common skin conditions like acne.

• Moisturizing Conceals Other Skin Blemishes – Using a daily moisturizer ensures that the skin’s blemishes are camouflaged. That is because moisturizing tends to give the skin a slight sheen, and those with any tint or self-tanner can even out different skin tones.

How to Prevent TEWL

You can help or correct the situation completely by using a moisturizer, which will trap water in the epidermis before it has a chance to evaporate, effectively moderating sebum production. Moisturizers will also add water back into the dehydrated skin cells.

Web MD advises that choosing a moisturizer is a must, no matter what kind of skin you have – oily, dry, or a combination of both. “Everyone needs moisture, but the texture of your moisturizer will differ depending on your skin type,” notes New York City esthetician Jordana Mattioli.

They come in the form of creams, gels, lotions, oils, and ointments, but basically can all be broadly classified into three categories.

 

• Occlusives will form a barrier on the surface of the skin that water can’t penetrate, locking moisture inside the skin, making them effective in keeping skin hydrated for a while. They sit on the surface, preventing water from leaving. Petroleum jelly is an occlusive. If you have dry, itchy skin, you’ll want to lock in moisture with a thick ointment.

 

• Emollients make skin feel smoother by working to fill the spaces between the cells where the skin is missing fatty acids and lipids. They fill in the cracks and are found in lotions that contain oils and fatty acids.

• Humectants attract moisture from the environment and help the skin retain it inside. Most lotions will contain humectants.

Enhancing the Effects of Your Moisturizer

Sciadonic acid, derived from the seeds of a conifer tree, is an actual cosmetic and health breakthrough. It has the ability to reduce inflammation from the inside out. Incorporated as the main ingredient in DELTA-5 oil and used topically, it can aid in alleviating dry skin, rash or irritation, burns, or acne. It’s also great for scars, wrinkle prevention, and as a lip enhancer.

Mix one to three drops with your regular moisturizer to enhance its effects. Scientific research, case studies, and testimonials show it’s effective in the following ways:

• Help to guard your skin against the impacts of pollution and UV radiation and can repair damage caused by the environment
• Prevent fine lines and wrinkles and reverse signs of aging
• Provide anti-inflammatory benefits and can reduce the effects of rosacea and acne
• Reduce skin redness and make it less dry and flaky
• Help your complexion and give your skin a beautiful glow

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Science of Skin Care Series: Dr. Berger’s Corner: Conventional Anti-Inflammatory Skin Treatments vs. DELTA-5

When your skin is irritated, it’s trying to poke you to get your attention. The acne breakouts, redness, or flakiness that is flaring up is your skin trying to tell you that something is wrong. Irritants like UV exposure, allergens, and chemicals from skincare products are throwing things off.

As I discussed in a previous article, some inflammation is good for you. It means your body is primed and working as it should to fight the battle against foreign invaders. But if you don’t clear the problem, that inflammatory response could turn chronic and produce harmful hormones, enzymes, and free radicals that could cause damage to your skin tissue.

According to medical research, somewhere around 80% of all people around the globe will deal with different instances of skin inflammation at different points of time in their lives. Some may be more severe than others.

There are multiple routes you could take to treat these conditions. Some conventional, some not. Some medicinal, some botanical. How does DELTA-5 hold up in comparison?

How Your Skin Gets Inflamed

There are many different kinds of skin inflammatory conditions, symptoms, and root causes. Basically, your skin is showing inflammation any time it breaks out into itchy, red, or irritated areas, often accompanied by bumps, burning sensations, dryness, or other signs.

Redness, chapping, and stinging are just part of the message. In response to the insult of an allergen, sunburn, or a new retinoid, your skin turns red. That’s because blood comes rushing to the site carrying with it oxygen and immune cells meant to try to fix the problem by combatting the foreign invader or irritant.

When it’s done fighting, the swelling goes down, redness disappears, and the wound heals. But when it gets out of control, it causes your body all sorts of grievous problems.

Common Traditional Anti-Inflammatory Medications For Your Skin

There’s a world of traditional medications used to treat inflammation and inflammatory conditions. Some useful, some not so much. They all tend to have one thing in common: a list of potential side effects a mile long.

You have to ask yourself: “Could there be something better out there?”

 

• Anthralin is used to help reduce inflammation and treat psoriasis. Anthralin is not used very often, however, because it can be irritating and can stain the hair, skin, and fabric.

 

• Benzoyl peroxide is used to treat acne by reducing the amount of acne-causing bacteria and by causing the skin to peel. Users of benzoyl peroxide frequently suffer reactions such as peeling, itching, irritation, and reddened skin, especially at the start of treatment.

• Corticosteroids are used to treat skin conditions. Corticosteroids are helpful in treating skin conditions linked to autoimmune diseases, including vasculitis and inflammatory diseases like eczema. They work to soothe inflammation, though have a long list of side effects, including effects on the liver, blood pressure, and disorders like eye problems, osteoporosis, and diabetes.

• Salicylic acid is commonly used to treat acne, though it can be absorbed into the bloodstream and may cause an allergic reaction or contact dermatitis.

• Immunosuppressants like azathioprine and methotrexate can be used to treat conditions including severe cases of psoriasis and eczema. Immunosuppressants work by weakening the immune system to help your body accept a new organ (in the case of an organ transplant) or to prevent further damage to your joints. There is a long list of negative side effects, including nausea, hair loss, diarrhea, joint/muscle pain, liver damage, and more.

• Enzyme Inhibitors shut down an important enzyme to the immune system so that the inflammation system is interrupted.

• Retinoids are used to treat severe psoriasis by reducing skin cell growth. They can cause severe birth defects if used while pregnant or nursing.

 

 

A Better Alternative For Skin Inflammation

When treating inflammation of the skin, whether it be acne, dermatitis, or rosacea, it’s important to use an approach that will not irritate the skin further. DELTA-5 is a patented and effective, yet gentle approach to reducing inflammation.

The potent anti-inflammatory properties of sciadonic acid (SCA) from Mountain cypress seeds have been harnessed into this topical formulation. It is a powerfully effective fatty acid with a unique mechanism of action when incorporated into specific phospholipid pools. It displaces pro-inflammatory arachidonic acid (ARA), stopping the inflammatory cascade early in the biochemical process.

The incredible components of DELTA-5 have been shown to have numerous benefits to the skin on first application, including a profound effect on skin inflammation. It halts the inflammatory process in its tracks.

Most inflammatory conditions can be linked back to dietary decisions, allergies that are deemed to be genetic, or other predispositions that you may have had handed down to you from your ancestors.

There are tremendous amounts of foods that cause inflammation, and they should be avoided if you’re looking to give your skin some respite. The most common offenders are simple and complex carbohydrates and other heavily processed foods that are full of chemicals.

Watching what you eat may go far towards helping things settle down with your skin.

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The Trouble With Toenails

Some people have a thing for feet. Call it a fetish. They like feet. Some people have a complete aversion to feet and want nothing to do with them, ever.

Regardless of what camp you’re in, there is nothing attractive about feet with sick toenails. So what causes toenail troubles? What can you do to fix them?

One Treatment For Most Nail Troubles?

While a consultation with your doctor is always advisable, one treatment seems to stand above the rest when it comes to alleviating fungus, inflammation, and pain, and healing tender, injured skin: DELTA-5 oil by SciaEssentials. It soothes and protects the skin and nails, preventing peeling cuticles and improving overall nail health.

It’s a topical oil that contains sciadonic acid (SCA), a fatty acid that has been proven to reduce inflammation and redness. Its unique mechanism of action displaces pro-inflammatory components, stopping the inflammatory cascade early in the biochemical process and having a positive effect on slowing or stopping fungal growth.

Developed from a naturally-occurring molecule found in special conifer seeds, it can improve the skin’s barrier functions, keeping bacteria and other irritants from penetrating the skin and causing even more complications.

Developed by nutritionist and biochemist Dr. Alvin Berger, it’s an organic, safe, and effective way to treat skin inflammation. Take a look at some of the common types of toenail troubles and what you can do about them.

Toenail Troubles

There are a host of problems out there that can plague your nails. Toenails especially, seem to get hit hard. They’re little more than thickened extensions of the top layer of our skin and are made up of the same protein, keratin. Acting as a strong barrier between the soft tissue of the nail bed under them and the environment beyond, they grow out from an area below the skin that is closely connected to the blood vessel and nerve-rich nail bed beneath it.

Because of the nature of the shoes we wear and the way we walk, our nails are under a great deal of stress- rubbing on shoes, stubbing our toes, or being subjected to large quantities of bacteria and fungi. Just imagine what the inside of your shoes look like under a microscope!

It’s no wonder toenails can develop troubles!

Toenail Fungus

Onychomycosis, or toenail fungus is a slow-growing infection of the nail and the skin beneath it. It’s caused by the same type of fungus as athlete’s foot. It can affect anyone, but is more often found with aging. People that frequent locker rooms, swimming pool areas, and showers are more prone to coming into contact. Certain conditions that affect limb circulation like diabetes, circulatory disorders, or suppressed immune systems make people more susceptible, since it affects blood flow to the nails.

Some people are more prone to fungal infections than others. Some of the leading causes of fungal infections include:

• Athlete’s foot spreading to the nail bed
• Constant exposure to wet areas
• Smoking
• Constricting footwear
• Weakened immune system
• Medical conditions like psoriasis, circulatory problems, and diabetes
• Damage to or next to the nail

Symptoms:

• Discoloration beneath the nail (brown, yellow, or white)
• Thickening of the nail
• Increase in white debris beneath the nail (keratin)
• Part of the nail may become loose or separate from the nail bed
• Nail appears to “crumble” or break down

DELTA-5 Treatment:

Apply topically to affected area(s) three times daily.

Ingrown Toenail

An ingrown toenail usually happens when the edge or corner of the toenail grows into the skin next to it (the lateral nail fold). This usually occurs in the big toe and is the result of a variety of things including: poorly-fitting shoes, odd toe shape, nail trauma, clipping the nails too short, fungal infections, or poor circulation.

Symptoms:

• Pain along the side of the toe
• Swelling
• It may become infected, causing redness, swelling, pain, warmth, or discharge.

DELTA-5 Treatment:

1. Soak your foot in an Epsom salt solution using room-temperature water.
2. Massage the side of your nail gently using DELTA-5 oil to soften the skin and nail and relieve inflammation.

Trauma to the Toenail

Trauma can come from anywhere; whether you drop a hammer on your foot, or just repeatedly rub your nails when hiking or running (wearing ill-fitting shoes). Usually repeated trauma happens to people involved in sports or exercise such as soccer players, runners, and dancers. Changes may be mild to severe including blood and bruising beneath the toenail, toenail thickening, or toenail loss.

DELTA-5 Treatment:

1. Have your toe and nail evaluated by a podiatrist to see if removing the damaged toenail surgically is a good idea.
2. Apply DELTA-5 oil topically three times daily to ease pain and inflammation, and prevent infection.

Psoriasis of the Nails

Psoriasis is an autoimmune disorder that typically causes red, scaly patches on the skin, but can often affect the nails.

Symptoms:

• Diagnosis of psoriasis
• Thickened nails
• Ridges on the nails
• Nails may loosen and separate from the nail bed

DELTA-5 Treatment:

1. Apply DELTA-5 oil topically to affected area(s) two to three times daily to ease inflammation. Also apply to irritated patches of psoriasis on the skin.

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Sun Spots: What Do They Have to Do With Your Liver?

Liver spots were once thought to be associated with liver problems, but they actually don’t have anything to do with your liver at all. They’re actually better known as “age spots.”

The hyperpigmentation from age spots can be known by a host of other different names too: senile lentigo, lentigines, or sun spots. These dark spots appear on the face, arms, and hands as we age. They can be a major result of sun damage, appearing on the areas of our skin that get the most exposure to UVA/UVB rays.

Where Do Liver Spots Come From?

Your genetics and skin color are factors contributing to how you’re affected by these age spots. People with red hair and light skin are more likely to develop them than darker-skinned people, but sun exposure is the biggest factor. When your skin absorbs too much sun, it produces extra melanin. That’s the pigment that gives your skin color and makes you tan. Melanin’s purpose is to help protect your skin from harmful UV damage. Over time, melanin clumps together, forming age spots. Uncontrolled free radicals instigate that process.

While anyone can develop them, liver spots are typically more common in people over 40. Sun exposure accumulates over time, and there are some people that just produce more melanin as they age.

“Damage due to inflammation, UV exposure, and other environmental insults causes the cells to produce more pigment to protect themselves,” says Carl R. Thornfeldt, M.D., a dermatologist in Fruitland, ID. Changes in estrogen levels (due to birth control pills or pregnancy) can also play a role.

This results in uneven pigmentation, a common condition that can affect any skin tone, “but in different ways,” says Elizabeth Tanzi, M.D., Assistant Clinical Professor of Dermatology at George Washington University. Lighter skin tones tend to develop freckles and sun spots, while darker skin looks shadowed or patchy, she explains.

Can You Prevent Liver Spots?

You can!

The best way to prevent those pesky spots from forming is to protect your skin from the sun. Wear protective clothing when you’re outside in the form of long sleeves and pants and a wide-brimmed hat. Many clothing companies utilize materials with an ultraviolet protection factor (UPF). UPF 40 to 50 offers the best protection. Of course, it’s always best to stay in the shade when the sun’s at its highest and most intense, between 10am and 2pm.

Any exposed skin should be covered with a generous portion of sunscreen. Apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen that’s at least SPF 30. That should protect you from UVA rays, which cause burning, and UVB rays, which cause aging and sun damage. You’ll want to be sure to apply it 15 to 30 minutes before you go outside to give it enough time to absorb. Re-apply it every two hours (or more if you’re swimming or perspiring).

Skin Care to Combat Liver Spots

Since free radicals are contributing factors to age spots, utilizing an effective skin care regimen that incorporates beneficial antioxidants (which neutralize free radicals) can be a great way to slow the process down. Vitamin C is a popular ingredient for treating skin pigment issues, as it brightens skin naturally and can help to fade out hyperpigmentation. It can also help to prevent your body from creating too much melanin.

SciaEssentials has developed a revolutionary oil, derived from the seeds of conifer trees. It has skin healing properties and the ability to turn back the clock, calming inflammation that can lead to many skin aging changes, including liver spots. Just place a small amount of oil on the affected area(s) up to three times a day. This oil is versatile enough that you can incorporate it into your favorite skin care products. Mix a drop or two in with your moisturizer or foundation to apply evenly over your entire face.

Other Factors to Help Prevent Liver Spots

Diet is a contributing factor, too. Cut out the polyunsaturated fats like vegetable oils, margarine, and nut oils and trade them for saturated fats like coconut oil, real butter, and animal fats. Get rid of excess iron in your diet. Most processed foods like grain products are fortified with iron. You shouldn’t need that multivitamin if you’re eating a good, balanced diet full of variety. Your body stores more iron when it’s low on copper, so eat lots of foods like shellfish, liver and dark chocolate.

A diet rich in antioxidants can strengthen your body’s defense system to combat the damage caused by free radicals. Ripe fruits and easy-to-digest veggies are great sources.

Excess estrogen levels have been linked to age spot formation, and multiple factors can contribute. Be aware if you take synthetic hormones like the pill, have increased stress, or a protein deficiency, because all of these are known to contribute to increased estrogen levels.

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Inner Beauty and Youth is the Key to Staying Young

“For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people. For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry. For beautiful hair, let a child run his or her fingers through it once a day.

People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed. Never throw out anybody.

The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mole. True beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows, and the beauty of a woman with passing years only grows.”  – Audrey Hepburn

Many people are on a great quest to remain youthful and beautiful. Who can blame them? With so much emphasis placed on staying young-looking, it’s hard not to succumb to the pressure. Get a facelift to smooth out the wrinkles, apply this serum to diminish age spots, inject your lips to appear fuller, dye the gray away.

But does all that really keep you young? Healthy? Vibrant? After all, we seek those treatments in an effort to maintain the appearance of being youthful.

Why do we feel the need to try so hard to fake it, when it would just be easier to be more youthful?

No, you can’t turn back the clock, but you sure can slow down the hands of time by keeping yourself healthy and beautiful on the inside.

What is Beauty?

True beauty has nothing to do with the physical attributes of a person. Beauty isn’t a physical thing, it’s an internal thing that radiates from the inside out. It has everything to do with how you feel, which determines how you act.

The younger you believe you are, the younger you feel, the younger you act, the more beautiful you are.

Beauty is Easy As Mind Over Matter

It all starts with your mindset. Recapturing the zest and optimism you felt when you were younger is essential to leading a healthier, happier life in the long run. If you’re able to turn back your internal clock, you’ll be back to feeling like you’re 25 again.

Studies have shown that our mind’s perception of time has a huge impact on how our body’s metabolic processes respond. It’s not necessarily the body influencing the mind all the time, it’s your mindset about aging that has an equally important role in aging.

Florida State University College of Medicine psychologist and gerontologist, Antonio Terracciano has shown that mindset affects cognition: a belief in a higher subjective age correlates with cognitive impairments and even dementia. Terracciano advises:

“If people think that because they are getting older they cannot do things, or cut their social ties, or incorporate this negative view which limits their life, that can be really detrimental. Fighting those negative attitudes, challenging yourself, keeping up an open mind, being engaged socially, can absolutely have a positive impact.”

So if your brain is on board with the younger version of you, how else can you take care of yourself to maintain your beauty?

Get More Sleep

The easiest way to feel younger right now is to get plenty of zzz’s. “The only time your body can truly restore itself is when you’re asleep,” explains Henry Lodge, M.D., co-author of Younger Next Year for Women. “It helps build a more vibrant body and brain.”

You probably haven’t been getting as much sleep as you need. Set your clock straight by vowing to take six weeks to get eight hours of sleep every night. You’ll definitely notice the difference in the form of more energy and fewer dark circles.

Eat Plenty of Nurturing Foods

You definitely want to load up on the healthy stuff. Begin every meal with a big glass of water and a fruit or vegetable. That’ll ensure that you’re loading up on the beneficial vitamins and antioxidants those foods carry. They’ll make you feel refreshed, recharged, and reenergized.

It’s ok to indulge in dessert every now and then. Just make sure that you don’t overdo it. Give yourself permission to fully enjoy that piece of pie!

Stay Positive

The older we get, the more the world tends to weigh on our shoulders. “The goal is not to deny the less-than-pleasant stuff that is happening, but rather to focus on what’s going well,” says Elizabeth Lombardo, PhD., author of A Happy You. “Cultivating a greater sense of optimism will provide you with more positive energy to motivate you to do youthful things.”

Exercise Smarter

Strengthening your muscles leaves you less vulnerable to injuries and can build your stamina. “When done properly, weight-training makes microtears in the muscles, which leads your body to generate thicker, stronger, muscle fiber,” says Bob Greene, trainer and author of 20 Years Younger. He believes that the right kind of training has the ability to make you feel up to 30 years younger than you are.

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Why a Good Diet is Key to Your Skin’s Health

There’s no doubt about it: A good diet is essential for your overall health. The effects of a poor diet have a wide-ranging reach all throughout your body, damaging your metabolism which causing weight gain and affecting your vital organs like your liver and heart.

Vital organs like your skin, as well.

What you put in your mouth is even more important to your skin’s health than what you apply on your skin. If you really want to have fabulous skin, eating a good diet is probably the most important thing you could do.

Does Diet Really Affect Skin?

It certainly does! A poor diet can affect everything from acne to eczema to aging. Sometimes it may just take a while to show up, but it will. “You could have sallow skin, dry skin, older-looking skin. It’s not going to happen overnight, but starve your skin long enough, and it’s going to show,” says Samantha Heller, MS, RD, a clinical nutritionist at NYU Medical Center in New York City.

An unhealthy diet could land you with more serious problems. “You may find yourself suddenly breaking out in acne, eczema, psoriasis. Any number of chronic skin problems can be directly linked to diet,” says biochemist Elaine Linker, PhD and Co-founder of DDF skin care.

While there’s not one star ingredient that will guarantee your skin’s health, a very poor diet will lead to poor skin health. In fact, problems with your diet will often show up in your skin, hair and nails before you even see any evidence elsewhere.

How To Choose a Healthy Diet For Your Skin

“Everything you eat becomes a part of not only your inner being, but the outer fabric of your body as well. The healthier the foods are that you consume, the better your skin will look,” says Heller. The opposite is also true. The worse your diet, the more problems you’ll see with your skin.

Heidi Waldorf, MD, dermatologist with The Mount Sinai Health System, recommends a good variety. “I suggest my patients enjoy a varied diet containing antioxidants as well as important building blocks like protein and good fats. A daily multivitamin and a cup of green tea ensure vitamins and antioxidants.”

If you drink plenty of water and eat a balanced diet that includes a lot of variety in plant and animal sources, chances are you’re getting what you need. If your idea of a healthy meal consists of nachos, wings and ice cream, you may have cause for concern. Vegetarians are at risk for imbalances in their vitamins, since many of these are obtained from animal sources.

Waldorf warns against overdoing any one particular thing. “Don’t overdo anything. For example, salmon and tuna are great sources of good omega fats, but too much can lead to a dangerous mercury level.”

Why These Nutrients Are Important for Skin Health

Ximena Jimenez, nutritionist with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics advises that you look for certain nutrients like antioxidants. The following nutrients have been shown to be especially beneficial for healthy, glowing skin:

Vitamin A: This vitamin plays an essential role in the development and maintenance of the epithelial tissue (the lining of your skin). One of the main functions of the epithelial layer is to serve as a barrier to bacteria. Low levels of vitamin A can lead to a dry, flaky complexion.

What to eat: carrots, spinach, kale, apricots, and papaya

Vitamin E: This nutrient has been found to provide some skin protection. It is another important vitamin for the maintenance of epithelial tissue which helps to promote healthy looking skin. In a recent study published in the Annual Review of Nutrition, researchers explained that continuous exposure to ultraviolet rays is linked to skin disorders such as sunburn and skin cancer. The risk may be lessened by incorporating more foods rich in vitamin E into your daily diet.

What to eat: oranges, spinach, and almonds

Vitamin C: In addition to promoting a strong immune system, this water soluble vitamin has anti-aging properties according to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Vitamin C also has an important role in the synthesis of collagen, a major protein of body tissues that include the skin.

What to eat: broccoli, green leafy vegetables, mango, watermelon, and red peppers.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids: This healthy fat nourishes your skin and promotes overall skin health. It has been found to protect the skin against damage from UV rays. Research has shown that Omega-3’s anti-inflammatory properties are responsible for having a protective effect against the incidence of skin cancer and aging. It protects against sunburn and helps to prevent premature aging. A symptom of Omega-3 deficiency includes dry skin.

What to eat: sardines, tuna, walnuts, canola oil, flaxseed, and salmon.

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What a Good Skin Care Routine Consists Of

Life is just crazy busy these days. We all have a lot on our minds, and our plates are full. No one has time to waste on useless, time-consuming endeavors that don’t offer us any benefit.

Skimping on your skin care routine might shave a few minutes off of your day, but it’s not enough to just wash and go. Taking good care of your skin requires some forethought and planning, and what you do now has a very large impact on the future you. Just because you’re not seeing an immediate difference doesn’t mean subtle changes aren’t taking place under the surface that could cause you more heartache in the long run in the form of dry skin with premature lines, wrinkles, and age spots.

The process doesn’t have to be difficult or hugely time-consuming, but it does need to be effective, safe for your skin, and provide healthy benefits.

Skin Care Steps

Effective skin care involves multiple basic levels of action:

• Cleansing
• Correcting
• Hydrating
• Protecting
• Treating

Each of these are essential to a healthy, long-term glow, but there is no one-stop shop that provides an all-in-one product. That’s why your regime must include multiple steps. Each component in an individual product line has been formulated to complement the other pieces perfectly, working synergistically. Piecing together different products from different lines may not offer you the benefits you’re looking for.

Taking advantage of these synergies is the hallmark of the best beauty product lines. It takes years of scientific research to find the right blend and balance of ingredients that will work together to offer you optimal results.

You don’t have to make things difficult. Just incorporate the steps that accomplish the above goals of cleansing, correcting, hydrating, protecting and treating to see the benefits start to show on your face.

Cleansing Your Skin

Washing your face is the most basic and essential step of any routine, says New York City dermatologist, Dr. Carlos Charles. “Our skin comes in contact with environmental pollutants, dirt, and other factors each day that should be gently removed.” You should choose a cleanser designed to remove any dirt and grime you’ve collected through the day, and toxins your skin expels through the night. At the same time, your cleanser should be gentle enough that it doesn’t remove any of the healthy oils your skin needs.

Wash twice daily (morning and night) to avoid problems like clogged pores, dullness, and acne.

Treating With Serum

Serums are a blend of highly concentrated beneficial ingredients that can penetrate deep into the inner layers of your skin, providing nutrients, hydration, and compounds that help to build collagen and elastin while fighting acne. Look specifically for ingredients like vitamin C, retinol, niacinamide, and sodium hyaluronate.

Apply serum after cleansing and before moisturizing.

Moisturizing Your Skin

As your skin ages, it loses its ability to retain moisture, so applying a daily moisturizer is key to maintaining a healthy balance.

Apply moisturizer after serum. Gently apply a dime-sized dab and use an upward, circular motion to lightly massage into face.

Protecting Your Skin

Applying sunscreen is one of the most important things you can do to protect your skin from damaging UVA and UVB rays. Direct sun exposure causes damage to your skin cells that collects and builds up over time, resulting in sun spots and wrinkles.

Apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen of at least 30 SPF about a half an hour before going outside. A good moisturizer will often incorporate sunscreen into its formula.

Treating Your Skin

Treating concerns or problems you have is essential if you’re looking to clear your skin up or alleviate dry skin. You may find specific treatment formulas, or you may find an appropriate skincare line consisting of ingredients geared towards correcting the effects of aging or treating acne.

DELTA-5 by Sciaessentials is an easy-to-use, organic, sustainable oil derived from the seeds of conifers and is a versatile addition to your vanity or medicine cabinet. It can be applied directly to the skin or combined with your favorite moisturizer or foundation for overall coverage. It’s bioactive mechanism uniquely delivers more than just skin barrier protection, showing relief from dry, itchy, irritated, or wrinkled skin. It also has the ability to combat the inflammation that leads to acne. It’s been proven to produce rapid and radical anti-inflammatory benefits for the skin within the first 24 hours of application.

The oil, which is absorbed quickly, leaves the skin feeling immediately softer, giving the benefit of more hydration with less flakiness and scaling.

Apply DELTA-5 oil to skin after your moisturizer to combat signs of aging, dry skin, or problems like psoriasis and acne.

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Science of Skin Care Series: Dr. Berger’s Corner: The Scientific Process and Product Development

Phenomenally-effective skin oils like my DELTA-5 aren’t just dreamed up every day. They’re meticulously researched, lovingly developed, and created with care.

It’s the research part that is the most important aspect of what we do at Sciadonics.

How Does a Product Get Started?

It may sound simple, but a product begins with an idea, a vision, usually based on an observation. Something catches the scientist’s attention. It may spark interest or curiosity, or imagination for the future.

I’m a world-renowned lipid nutritionist and biochemist. I studied the diets and remedies used by indigenous people and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). I noticed that conifer (certain evergreen) seeds were consumed for their purported anti-inflammatory properties, helping with a variety of conditions. These seeds are loaded with sciadonic acid (SCI). Further digging showed that the molecular structure of SCI is similar to arachidonic acid (ARA), which is a key  factor in the inflammatory cascade. I wondered if it was possible to replace ARA with SCI to halt inflammation in its tracks.

What is the Scientific Method?

The scientific method (SM) is a process for experimentation that is used to explore observations and answer questions. Shown as a series of basic steps, some areas of science need to modulate how they follow the process. For instance, in studying how stars change as they age, astronomers can’t harness a star and age it millions of years in a laboratory. So, the procedures vary from one field of inquiry to another, but they are frequently the same or similar.

It relies on data. It formalizes an observation by taking measurements, analyzing the results, then feeding these findings back into theories of what we know about the world.

While there could be multiple different steps in between, the basic format for SM is the same:

1. Make an Observation
2. Ask a Question and Formulate a Hypothesis
3. Make a Prediction Based on the Hypothesis
4. Test the Prediction/Collect Data
5. Draw a Conclusion
6. Iterate: use the results to make new hypotheses or predictions.

Formulate a Question or Hypothesis

The first step in the Scientific Method is creating the idea. Something sparked my interest in SCI. I then defined the research question and formulated my hypothesis:

Could SCI displace ARA from the lipid pool, serving to stop the inflammatory process in its tracks by severing the chain of events that typically results in pro-inflammatory eicosanoids?

Defining a research problem is the fuel that drives the scientific process and is the foundation of any research method and experimental design.

I had an idea way back in the 80’s that SCI could be harnessed and used for a variety of anti-inflammatory purposes, so I reviewed literature that suggested its importance in the diets of indigenous peoples. Juniper berries are consumed as a minor part of diet in the Scandinavian countries, and pine nuts have been a part of the diet in Mediterranean countries and were a staple in the American Southwest for centuries. I noticed that in the past these seeds were consumed in far greater quantities, but as organized agriculture and industrial agriculture, in particular, started to take hold, the consumption of these seeds started to fall by the wayside.

In places where these seeds have been consumed, the oils of these seeds have been known for their health properties.

Test the Hypothesis/Collect Data

I’ve been studying SCI for over 30 years, doing much of my PhD work on it at the University of California-Davis, only fueling my conviction.

In order to prove if a hypothesis is true or false, you must experiment, or test it. Science revolves around experiments to collect data. Through the decades, I have done numerous studies and experiments. It all began in 1987, when I conducted experiments on rodent models, testing if SCI had potent anti-inflammatory properties.

An experiment tests whether your prediction is accurate. It either supports your hypothesis or it does not. An experiment must be reliable and repeatable, and this can be ensured by following proper experimental procedure. This can be very tedious and time-consuming work.

I have tested SCI’s effects through a variety of different experiments, coming at its function from multiple angles. In addition, I’ve followed numerous other studies and experiments involving the acid, collecting data that contributed to my conclusions.

Come to a Conclusion

By analyzing the data and measurements from the experiments, you then draw a conclusion. Sometimes scientists find that their predictions were not accurate. Or if they find that their hypothesis was supported, they may decide that they want to test it again in a new way.

By repeating this process over and over, a plan began to form for a product with global appeal.

After three decades of dedicated research and development of this distinctive fatty acid, DELTA-5 was launched for people suffering from dry, flaky, and inflamed skin. Sciadonic acid has the potential to aid many people suffering from inflammation through topical application.

The oils in DELTA-5 are derived from very specific conifer seeds that are processed to provide the highest level of DELTA-5 SCI commercially available, which is then processed into a high-grade stable cosmetic oil. It holds a bioactive mechanism involving more than just skin barrier protection. It’s been studied through the scientific process by my colleagues and myself in over 22 studies on inflammation, detailing its diverse anti-inflammatory benefits.

We first analyzed seeds from around the world to find sources of SCI that would be economically-feasible, available in suitable supply, and with some history of safe use. The unique sources were then patented. The next steps were to develop a commercial extraction process, complete the regulatory milestones before moving on to clinical testing (also utilizing the scientific process).

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