According to Unilever research, these are the factors that bring about good ageing in 40 – 70 years old women.
In China
Less sun exposure – 2.9 years younger
Working indoors – 6.5 years younger
Pre-menopause – 3.5 years younger
Frequent use of moisturiser – 2.4 years younger
Frequent use of night cream – 2.4 years younger
In Spain
Eating fruit and veg every day – 2.1 years younger
Healthy diet – 1.8 years younger
Never using a sunbed – 5.7 years younger
Ever used HRT – 2.5 years younger
Frequent use of moisturiser – 2.8 years younger
Non smoker – 1.8 years younger
Falling asleep quickly – 2.5 years younger
Also in my practice – healthy lifestyle, lots of sleep and a good skincare routine accounts for 80 % of success in delaying skin ageing.
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
@ 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
There are many interesting conferences to attend in 2012, starting with:
The Anti-Ageing Conference in June, London
http://www.summit-events.com/cms.php?page=233&utm_campaign=AA12%201st%20announcement%20Oct11&utm_source=emailCampaign&utm_medium=email
The Stratum Corneum 2012 in September, Cardiff
http://stratumcorneum2012.com/Scientific_Program.asp
The Skin Forum 2012 in September, Cardiff
http://www.skin-forum.eu/events.html
IFSCC Congress in October, South Africa
http://www.ifscc2012.co.za/programme.htm
My recommendations for women with pre-menstrual acne have been published in the June issue of the US Allure magazine. About 4 in 10 women in their 40′s still experience spots on the chin prior to their period. They feel unattractive, particularly in the work environment and when dating.
Please share this with your family & friends who still suffer with pre-menstrual acne! For more information please email info@faceworkshops.com.
The Allure Magazine Link
http://www.allure.com/beauty-trends/health/2011/facials-and-acne
I was invited to give a talk on facial skincare to the skincare industry last week and when preparing for the talk I came across a few insights that are worth sharing:
Understand the importance of Night Care. Although more than 8 in 10 British women use face creams daily, only 3 in 10 apply a night cream every night. As this is something I come across also in my private consultations, I would like to encourage you to use an appropriate night care if you want to see results!
Invest In Your Face. Modern skincare is effective – a good routine can deliver benefits comparable to the benchmark dermatologist treatment. The Brits spend about half on facial skincare compared to the French and yet they feel “they spend lots of money”. Learn to enjoy using your skincare products and make them a pleasant part of your daily life.
Slow Down. Long working hours in Britain and the fact that 3 in 10 women are losing weight have an impact on premature lines and wrinkles. Fast paced lifestyle and quick-fix solutions are not beneficial for your face in the long-term.
Synopsis – Multi-tasking Moisturisers: Meeting Consumers’ Needs?
Skin concerns change during our lives and factors including age, health, hormonal influences, lifestyle and even seasons play a significant role. Market research indicates that skincare products are still unable to be truly multi-tasking and fully meet complex consumers’ needs, even with currently available advanced technologies. Understanding the physiological changes going on in our skin that underpin these concerns is essential for formulating clinically and commercially successful skincare products. Focusing on facial moisturisers, this presentation will explore the latest understanding of consumers’ needs in line with the British ageing narrative and scientifically proven claims of chosen marketed skincare products.
Source: http://www.bacsnet.org/uploads/attachment/538/multitasking-cosmetics.pdf
New ground-breaking research shows that even small changes in skin surface topography (wrinkle depth, volume, skin relief) are noticeable to our eyes and affect the perception of our facial age and attractiveness!
It is widely known that visible signs of ageing impact on how attractive we appear to others. Perception and noticeability of skin surface topography was studied by computer manipulation of six facial images of British women, aged 45–65 years. All topography cues (e.g. wrinkles, skin relief) were removed from the cheeks, the “crow’s feet” and the under the eye area, above the upper lip, and on the forehead at once and also gradually (in 20% increments). The images were judged by 300 Americans and Germans (aged 15–55 years) who were asked to determine the “younger looking” and “more attractive” image in a comparative pair.
It could be expected that images with wrinkles removed were judged as significantly younger and more attractive than the originals. As we look into people’s eyes when talking to them, it is also apparent that the forehead and the eye area are the most noticeable. In these areas, we are able to detect at least a 20% visual change in skin surface topography e.g. wrinkle reduction.
What Does It All Mean
- Frown lines, crows feet and the under eye area are the most important in how young we look.
- Even a small effect in terms of wrinkle reduction has an impact!
- Practice facial yoga to relax your face and buy skincare with good efficacy. Our ability to understand and quantify the discerning power of our eyes enables us to predict the efficacy of chosen skincare products.
Reference: www.mdlinx.com/dermlinx/news-article.cfm/3176525
We all want to look good for our age but we age at a different rate!
French research shows that women of the same age living in the Paris area (with relatively homogeneous genetics and lifestyle) can look 10 years younger or 10 years older for their age. Skin type and avoiding extreme lifestyle behaviours (suntanning, diet and smoking) explain only 10 % of this variation! It is the more subtle genetic and lifestyle factors e.g. stress as well as our skincare routines that are of greater importance in terms of how well we age.
As you may enjoy trying different products ad hoc, we have put together a few anti-ageing hints & tips to highlight the particular focus points appropriate for your age group.
Watch our new videos on Humber TV.
Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12437451
