Advice For Winter Dry Skin & Eczema Sufferers

WINTER DRY SKIN

Lack of hydration in winter months demonstrates as dry, tight feeling skin that is red, itchy and scaly. Winter skincare is all about protecting the strength of your skin barrier! When walking outdoors, wrap up warm and watch for that tight feeling that signals low levels of hydration. It leaves your skin more open to environmental damage including broken capillaries and more lines and wrinkles.

• Change your skincare to protect and strengthen your skin barrier – tone down active ingredients.
• Change your cleanser in the evening - a rich cleansing milk or a balm with a muslin cloth.
• Change your moisturiser to a richer cream with hydrating, occlusive ingredients. Use low SPF in the morning.
• Exfoliate once every two weeks. Use nourishing masks once a week.

ECZEMA

Former Leeds Skin, now Evocutis, have produced, in collaboration with Professor Michael J Cork BSc MB PhD FRCP, an interesting video about the treatment of eczema. Prof Cork has developed a special interest in `translating´ the complex pathophysiology of skin disease into cartoons and language that can be understood by a child of six, used by National Eczema Society and the Skin Care Campaign.

Successful treatment of eczema requires to strengthen the skin barrier that is thinnest on the face. It is genetic predisposition and environmental influences that make skin barrier thin and skin open to allergens. Complete emolient therapy + antimicrobials work well together by soothing the skin, breaking the negative itch-scratch cycle and preventing Staphylococcus aureus from breaking the skin barrier further and activating the immune system. As always, a skincare routine works better than a single product.

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I have not tried Eczmol, the Evocutis product. I usually recommend two brands that are above the average:  Evolve Plus ( a spray for good efficacy and ease of use, particularly for men) or Spiezia Organics (for a borderline eczema and people with strong eco credentials).

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More information about these two brands:

SPIEZIA ORGANICS. http://www.spieziaorganics.com/organic-face–view–7.html

The belief of Spiezia brand is that products you put on the skin should be good enough to eat and in fact edible! Handmade on an organic farm in Cornwall, none of them contain anything other than 100% organic ingredients certified by the Soil Association. Each Spiezia product has aromatherapy qualities so it can uplift; soothe and calm. The chief carrier oils are jojoba and olive oil, the closest oils to the sebum. Because Spiezia don’t dilute any products with water so a little goes a long way and they naturally bring the skin back to it’s natural balance. 

For the past three years Spiezia have been working with people with cancer with the Made for Life Foundation, a charity with an integrative programme designed to support and work with people diagnosed and recovering from cancer. All Spiezia products are fine to be used during chemotherapy with no contraindications.

Evolve Plus http://it-evolve.com/

A 100% natural moisturising emollient, it contains only a hypoallergenic, second generation, medical grade lanolin which is similar to the lipids in the skin which regulate moisturisation. Evolve Plus contains no emulsifiers, solubilisers, preservatives, fragrance, water, alcohol, colourants, petrolatum, mineral oil or diluents. It is suitable for use on all types of dry skin including sensitive conditions such as eczema and psoriasis. Evolve Plus is a soothing, non-sticky, cooling spray – good for sore, itchy skin.

Save or Spend? Lancome Genifique vs. L’Oreal Youth Code

Being an insider allows me to comment on the technology used in skincare: not many people understand that Lancome is a L’Oreal brand and sharing technologies across the board within one company is to be expected.

Genifique £55/30ml vs. L’Oréal Youth Code £17.19/30 ml

FaceWorkshops Recommendation: SAVE £37 (but only if you like more fragranced skincare).

- Both products contain Biolysat, an anti-ageing ingredient, beneficial for facial skin. There is some scientific evidence for  Biolysat, Adenosine, Salicyloyl Phytosphingosine – albeit coming from L’Oreal and Degussa but published in peer reviewed journals. The main ingredients improve inflammation and skin sensitivity, however, the high level of alcohol is not ideal for sensitive skin types.

AESTHETICS:

• As always with prestige skincare, the aesthetics of Genifique is more refined and there is less perfume than in the Youth Code.

EFFICACY: 

• Genifique contains more of Hyaluronic acid (temporary plumping effect through hydration) and Adenosine, less Salicyloyl phytosphingosine and no Peptides. 

The products have similar efficacy – save your money and buy the Youth Code if happy with the stronger perfume! Personally, I like the Genifique texture more with more hyaluronic acid and no peptides. 

Read more about both products..

Ethical Skincare: Sustainable or Organic?

I prefer recommending ethical skincare as I feel better using products that respect nature and help local communities. Is sometimes sustainable better than organic? To differentiate the benefits of both, please read below.

Sustainable Skincare Helps Local Communities

The Cradle-To-Cradle certification follows rigorous independent assessment by the Environmental Protection and Encouragement Agency (EPEA) to ensure that ingredients meet ecological and health criteria based on the Cradle to Cradle Design Concept (C2C).

• The ingredients must be either continually reusable or biodegradable and renewable.
• They must be healthy for users and for the environment.
• Their production and use must also offer social and economic benefits for its producers.

For beauty and personal care products, the Cradle-To- Cradle concept means that ingredients are extracted from natural materials, or, “biological nutrients,” that are given back to nature after usage to become part of the ecological cycle.

Aveda has been the first beauty company to receive Cradle to Cradle certification for four botanical ingredients: sandalwood oil from Australia, rose oil and lavender oil from Bulgaria and uruku from Brazil. The first Aveda ingredients to meet or exceed the stringent standards of Cradle to Cradle certification are:

- organic uruku sustainably harvested by the Yawanawa people in the Brazilian Amazon;

- rose and lavender essential oils grown and processed on a sustainable organic farm in Bulgaria;

- sandalwood oil which is wild harvested and processed by the Mardu peoples of Western Australia.

Each of the four key ingredients is a “biological nutrient,” grown or harvested sustainably. The methods used by the cultivators and collectors are traditional and assure the long-term sustained production of their ingredients.

Uruku, rose and lavender are grown to certified organic standards; sandalwood is wild harvested by methods that meet the standards of an indigenous raw materials certification developed by the Songman Circle of Wisdom, an indigenous group developed to oversee the sustainable production of Australian sandalwood.

Aveda’s numerous corporate and social responsibility associations include CERES (Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies), ISO (International Organization for Standardization), Coop-America/Green Business Network, SVN (Social Venture Network), BSR (Business for Social Responsibility), Environmental Grant Makers, American Botanical Association, Organic Trade Association, Cosmebio, National Recycling Coalition, and the U.S. Green Building Council.

To read more about Aveda program, please go to http://www.c2cportal.net/2010/06/aveda-cradle-to-cradle-and-paradigm.html

Aqueous Cream Bad For Eczema and Atopic Dermatitis

Research carried out by Procter&Gamble and London School of Pharmacy shows that Aqueous Cream prescribed by many GPs is bad for eczema and atopic dermatitis.

Aqueous cream BP contains sodium layrul sulphate, a known irritant, that should not to be used on damaged skin!

Aqueous Cream BP is frequently prescribed for patients with eczema and is known to induce sensitivity in certain patients and also to decrease the thickness of the stratum corneum (SC).  The aim of the present study was to investigate changes in corneocyte size, corneocyte maturity, selected protease activities, protein content and transepidermal water loss (TEWL) in normal forearm skin after a 28-day twice daily application of Aqueous Cream BP.

• Results indicate that corneocyte maturity and size decreased with increasing number of tape strips, and were significantly lower in treated sites compared with untreated sites.
• Protease activity and TEWL values were higher (P < 0·05) for the treated sites compared with untreated sites.
• The amount of protein removed from deeper layers of treated sites was significantly lower than from untreated sites.

• Treatment with Aqueous Cream BP is associated with increased desquamatory and inflammatory protease activity.
  
• in corneocyte maturity and size are also indicative of accelerated skin turnover induced by chronic application of this emollient.
  
• These findings question firmly the routine prescription of this preparation as a moisturizer in patients with atopic dermatitis!

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21443526

The Facts Behind Skin Absorption

@ Skin Forum

Professor Hadgraft, an expert in transdermal absorption at the London School of Pharmacy,  is getting increasingly frustrated with false statements in womens’ and life style magazines and web sites.

“The skin is the largest organ of the body and absorbs 70% of the topically applied products!”

These statements are often substantiated by references to experiments on rodent or rabbit skin which are totally inappropriate. Other discussion members add that:

• These articles are written in response to new product launches and become no more that an advertising opportunity.
• The journalists are bedazzled by the hype presented by marketing.
• If scientists were to contribute to the information packs then these false statements would never have seen the light of day.

The Facts Behind Skin Absorption

• The skin possesses an outer layer, stratum corneum, which is a very impressive barrier. It is about one sixth the thickness of a piece of paper but stops us losing excessive water because of its unique structure.
• The stratum corneum has a structure of a brick wall, the skin cells – keratinocytes – are the bricks. If the bricks are bigger, the path any active ingredient has to go through when penetrating into the skin is longer, if smaller, the path is shorter.
• The “mortar” layer is an organised structure of orderly hydrophilic and hydrophobic domains. Actives soluble in water,  eg. vitamin C, cannot penetrate into the lipophylic layer and oil soluble actives eg. vitamin A and E, cannot penetrate into water soluble layers. Actives soluble both in oil and water perform best.
• Absorption is variable depending on: the skin site and its condition, the properties of the active applied, the product in which the active is applied. Absorption is usually higher in the face than on the body;  it is related to the cell size. Cheek corneocytes are small and the protease activity is higher on the cheek than forearm, leading to more penetration.

• For most of ingredients the percent of dose absorbed is around 1-2%. For some it is less than 0.1% For some, very few, it is 10-20%.

• The barrier properties of the skin and the subsequent low absorption of actives into the skin are a major problem in the topical treatment of skin diseases! The majority of active ingredients that have potential to affect the biology of the skin are rarely delivered in amounts to allow them to realise that potential!

Source: Skin Forum on LinkedIN and Inaugural SCS Lecture October 2011

Personalised And Slow. SkinCare.

“An individual is not simply a body. There is also the psyche and personality to take into account. The physical and mental body exists together with personality, each having the capacity to influence the others.”

 

Anthroposophic Medicine attempts to include the individuality of the patient, as well as the accepted features of an illness, in the treatment process. For just as each person is unique, so is each treatment and a diagnosis aims to form a picture of the physical, psychological and personal circumstances that have paved the way for an illness. The integrative diagnosis is guided by scientific findings, medical experience, personal discernment and intuition.

SlowSkincare

SlowSkincare will soon become a chapter in Slow Movement – a range of efforts that seek to connect us more meaningfully with others, with place, and with ourselves and counteract the fast–paced, commodity–focused, unbalanced, and impersonal nature of much of modern human culture.

By taking the appropriate amount of time to experience the various activities of our lives – including skincare – we are able to get in touch with what is deeply satisfying and fulfilling.

http://www.pafam.org.uk

http://www.theworldinstituteofslowness.com/home

http://www.create-the-good-life.com/slow_movement.html