Good Skin Care Reviews

No matter how many times Mom taught us not to wait till the last minute, we still find ourselves rushing to meet deadlines, nearly missing some appointments, and, um, shopping for her at the last moment.  (!)  Thankfully, we’ve assembled the following gift guide, all with gifts available via overnight shipping on Amazon.com:

1.)  Jason Wu Orchid Rain Designer Candle ($48.00, Amazon.com).   Candles can seem like generic gifts, but this one is different.  Replete with an eco-savvy twist (i.e., soy paraffin wax, recycled cotton wick), the Jason Wu Orchid Rain Designer Candle is as beautiful and modern as the woman for whom it’s purchased.  If a candle was ever be a statement piece, this one would be it.

2.)  TRIA Hair Removal Device ($395.00, Amazon.com).  One of my new favorite devices, the TRIA Hair Removal Device is the first FDA-approved device for at-home permanent hair removal.  Employing the same laser technology used in dermatologists’ offices and medical spas, just at a lower strength, use of the TRIA Hair Removal Device once per week for three months results in reduced – if not eliminated – hair growth.  If your mother is the stick-to-it type, she’ll absolutely love this.  I got my mother one for Mother’s Day, and she was beyond thrilled!

3.)  Amazon Kindle ($79.00, Amazon.com).  I’m admittedly still the old-school type who likes the look and feel of an actual book (I’m a sucker for typefont, what can I say!), but I’ve started to transition to the Kindle.  I like it just because I can purchase 2-3 bestsellers for the cost of one hardcover, and I still have change left over to buy my favorites when they come out in softcover form.  For this price – the lowest I’ve seen – it’s definitely worth a shot, especially if your Mom reads as much as mine does!

4.)  Sterling silver heart pendant with birthstones ($39.95, Amazon.com).  This sterling silver charm comes with 12 birthstones.  You can display up to 5 inside, representing your the birth month of your mother, father, siblings, and other loved ones.  It’s a heartfelt personalized gift (no pun intended), and I think many mothers would appreciate this as a gesture if not as a pretty piece of jewelry.

5.)  ELAYDA Continuous Results skin care system ($129.99, Amazon.com).  Normally I am against giving skin care as a gift, because it is difficult to determine the right products for someone’s skin type or ailments.  Yet the ELAYDA system is great because it contains retinol, a universal anti-ager, and does so in a step-wise system that gradually increases as the recipient uses the products.  Many of my readers have had great results from the system, and while I have yet to try it, the ingredients suggest to me these comments are fully justified!

6.)  SPA Finder Gift Card ($50.00, Amazon.com).  Gift cards can at times seem a bit flippant or inconsiderate: “I didn’t take the time to pick out a gift for you, so I got you this,” especially if the gift card is for a store or service the recipient doesn’t particularly like.  But a spa gift card can only say, “You deserve to be pampered.”  It’s definitely a quick gift that practically gets an automatic seal of approval!

7.)  My Mom, Style Icon ($12.89, Amazon.com).  Considering the fact that you’re reading a beauty blog right now, and they say “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” your Mom will enjoy this hardcover book featuring over 200 color photographs of stylish mothers through decades of American culture.  It’s definitely a fun read.  P.S. – Don’t forget to inscribe it!  Love, Nicki  :-)

About the author:  John Su is a Weekly Contributing Writer to FutureDerm.com.  John is an established skin care expert and aspiring dermatologist.   He also runs a blog, The Triple Helix Liaison, dedicated to providing unbiased, meaningful, and insightful information about skin care. For his full bio, please visit our About page.

Over the past two weeks, we’ve elucidated the differences between various classes of hydroxy acids (HAs) and established their mechanisms of action. But we have yet to explain and rationalize away some of the misplaced stereotypes of HAs and their entailing effects. A clear understanding of these misconceptions is crucial when finding and recommending products for yourself and others.

Misconception #1: Salicylic Acid (SA) is a Beta Hydroxy Acid (BHA).

Obagi Clenziderm Cleanser contains 2% salicyclic acid.

I’m sure many of you have noticed in Parts I and II, that I made a distinction between SA and BHAs. Like I said in Part I, SA is characterized by its functional groups being attached to an aromatic benzene ring, rather than a linear carbon chain like those seen in BHAs. This means that SA is not only structurally different from BHAs, but also physiologically so.

But how did this misconception arise? Most likely, SA was marketed as a BHA when actual BHA products were introduced to the industry, in order to establish a sense of validity. After all, most people wouldn’t recognize the subtle technicalities of chemical nomenclature. In this case, the confusion revolves around the fact that the carbons of aromatic (think cyclic) compounds like SA are given Arabic numerals, rather than the Greek letters given to those of non-aromatic (think linear) compounds like BHAs.

These days, while SA being categorized as a BHA is a misnomer, the misconception is so widespread that even dermatologists refer to SA as a BHA. For them, it’s SA’s many therapeutic benefits that are important, rather than semantic “correctness.”

Misconception #2: Only the concentration of an HA product matters.

While it’s easy to oversimplify skin care products and say that an 8% HA cream is more potent than a 10% HA one, several other factors contribute to the efficacy of an HA product: the pKa of the acid, the pH of the vehicle, and the vehicle itself.

Don't be scared off by the math: John explains it here.

pKa is the acid dissociation constant (Ka) on a logarithmic scale. Ka is a number that indicates the strength of an acid in solution (vehicle), which is determined by how much an acid dissociates. This further indicates how much of the free and salt forms of the acid develop. Only the free form of the acid causes exfoliation and is physiologically significant. Note that pKa is used in place of Ka because the latter cannot be easily compared to the pH of a solution. But pKa in itself is meaningless without Ka.

The pH of a solution goes hand-in-hand with the pKa of an acid, because the pH of a solution is irrelevant without knowledge of the pKa of the acid present. Keeping in mind that only the free form of the acid is active, here’s how pH and pKa interact:

• When the pH = pKa, that signifies that equal amounts of the free and salt forms of the acid are present in solution (50/50).
• When the pH > pKa, that signifies that more of the salt form, and less of the free form of the acid are present in solution.
• When the pH < pKa, that signifies that less of the salt form, and more of the free form of the acid are present in solution.

Depending on what you’re looking for in an HA product, one of these scenarios may be more desirable than another.

Finally, the characteristics of a vehicle are the most difficult to enumerate and measure because so many factors contribute to how well they work with any given HA. Generally, the best rule of thumb to remember when determining efficacy is that the less viscous a vehicle is, the more effective the HA will be and vice versa: the more viscous a vehicle is, the less effective the HA will be. Therefore, liquid and gel HA products tend to be more potent than lotion or cream ones.

Misconception #3: All HAs make the skin more sensitive to UV light and consequently, to carcinogenesis.  

This idea comes from the logic that, because HAs induce exfoliation and thin the stratum corneum, they will allow UVR to penetrate more deeply, given that there will be less layers of dead cells to halt that UVR. Unfortunately, like most things, it is more complicated than that.

Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs), particularly glycolic acid (GA) (being the smallest and therefore, most deeply penetrating HA), have been shown to indirectly photosensitize the skin and make it more prone to pigmentation (1). However, the thinning of the stratum corneum cannot completely account for the reasons behind such photosensitization. In fact, studies reveal that it’s more about the fact that GA smoothes the skin, which alters its ability to scatter and absorb UVR (2), rather than stratum corneum thickness.

That same study (2), which used cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs), erythema, and sunburn cells (keratinocytes that have undergone apoptosis) as biomarkers for UVR-induced damage, also tested SA in addition to GA. It found that SA does not photosensitize the skin. In fact, both the vehicle and salicylic acid groups resulted in LOWER amounts of CPDs than the untreated group, which suggest that SA may actually have photoprotective characteristics. Several others studies also suggest this concept. However, the exact mechanism isn’t fully understood. Some studies indicate that it’s because SA, being a salicylate, may act as a sunscreen via direct UVR absorption (3). Remember that several commonly used chemical sunscreens like homosalate, are actually part of the salicylate family of compounds. Other studies indicate that the anti-inflammatory properties of SA via inhibition of the mitogen activated protein-kinases (MAPK) cascade and that of the cyclooxygenase pathway, allow less erythema (a biomarker of UVR-induced damage) to present itself (4).

Ultimately, AHAs do slightly make the skin more sensitive, while SA does not; it may even be photoprotective. But does that mean that over time, AHAs like GA promote carcinogenesis, and SA does the opposite? Fortunately, a study that involved a 10% GA solution, with a pH of 3.5 applied for 40 weeks, did not show any elevation in the photocarcinogenesis induced by UVR (5). So really, the photosensitizing effects of AHAs are very, VERY slight. But regardless, you should be wearing sunscreen anyways! That same study (5), also suggested a photoprotective effect of topically-applied SA, which follows the trend we saw with the other studies. Granted 4% of SA was used in the study, which is higher than what’s typically seen in OTC products. But still, it’s a positive indication.

With all of that in mind, perhaps it’s clearer now why I recommend people to use SA products during the day, and AHA ones at nighttime.

I hope you all learned something from this! Stay tuned for Part IV, which will include product recommendations for all four different HAs mentioned in Part II. Speaking of which, LHA and Gluconolactone being relatively new, don’t have much research pertaining to interactions with UVR. All the more reason for them to be further studied! Don’t forget to enter my brush giveaway, which closes in less than a week (http://thetriplehelixliaison.wordpress.com/2012/05/07/win-an-assortment-of-brushes-v-0-02/)!

Links/References:

(1)   http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10906645

(2)   http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2791365/

(3)   http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1676212

(4)   http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12106797

(5)   http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/ntp/htdocs/LT_rpts/tr524.pdf

Other Posts You Might Enjoy:

• Hydroxy Acids Part I:  What are Hydroxy Acids?
• Hydroxy Acids Part II:  The Differences Between Glycolic Acid, Salicyclic Acid, Lipohydroxy Acid and Glucolactone
• The 12 Most Shocking Facts about Skin Care in 2012
  
• The 5 Most Common Skin Care Mistakes Even Experts Make
  
• Do Skin Care Supplements Really Work?
• What Helps the Skin More: Eating or Topically Applying a Key Ingredient?
• Is Ethanol in Skin Care Safe?
  

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Courtney, better known as Phyrra, is a writer and beauty blogger in Tampa, Florida. She is well-known for her in-depth makeup reviews with lots of color swatches, and is a color expert.  She loves makeup, standard poodles, writing and gaming. Phyrra is a beauty blogger at Phyrra.net and contributing writer to MyBeautyBunny.com.  We are happy to introduce her as a weekly contributor!

Golds may look hard to wear. Yet, when worn properly, they are one of the most universally flattering types of eyeshadow out there!

Golds. I absolutely love gold eyeshadow! There’s nothing quite like brightening your eyes with a bit of gold. I see golds as being something of a neutral and there’s at least one shade that everyone can wear.

However, some people are unsure of how to wear gold, so I’ve got some tips on how to wear golds! I’ve got gorgeous golds, complimentary mattes, and refined highlighters to show you how to put together a gold look that you can wear without worry.

First, the products:
Fyrinnae Shenanigans, BftE Salted Caramel, Fyrinnae Book of the Dead, Silk Naturals Bareback, and Meow Santa Honey

These are all loose gold eyeshadow colors (with the exception of Bareback, which is a matte crease) that I find exceptionally beautiful. I think that Santa Honey would look fantastic on darker complexions, while Salted Caramel and Book of the Dead are stunning on lighter complexions. However, I do believe everyone can wear these shades.

Inglot 7, Inglot 43, Flirt! Vanilla Truffle, MAC Soft Brown, MAC Handwritten, Makeup Geek Glamorous, Makeup Geek Purely Naked

Some colors from TheBalm Nude ‘tude palette.

Sultry, Sexy and Sleek.

Finally, the last group of products included are:

Urban Decay Midnight Cowgirl, Urban Decay Half-baked, Tarina Tarantino Jasper, Tarina Tarantino Agate, Illamasqua Heroine, (not pictured is tarte the Bright Side Duo)

All of the colors are swatched on my bare skin in the photos. You can intensify your eyeshadow colors by using an eyeshadow primer such as Too Faced Shadow Insurance. You can mattify colors by using a primer such as Urban Decay Eden. You can mute colors by using a base such as MAC Paint Pot in Bare Study. The other benefit to using a primer is that your color will stay around longer and remain creaseless.

While you could certainly use any of these colors as a wash on the lid, I think that Midnight Cowgirl or 7 would be exceptionally pretty for just an added sparkle to brighten your eyes.

Salted Caramel, Book of the Dead, Half-Baked, Santa Honey, Glamorous and 43 are great for lid shades.

Shenanigans would make for a dazzling gold liner if you wanted to just line your eyes for a stunning effect

I’ve got several mattes here that are perfect to coordinate with these golds. For more natural contour shades you can try Bareback, Heroine, Vanilla Truffle, Sultry, Purely Naked or Soft Brown.

You can choose to have a more dramatic crease with Sultry, Sexy, Sleek, Handwritten or Shenanigans.

By using a gold on the lid and a matte in the crease you can create an appropriate look for day or night. The matte lid contrasts with the gold to create a more sophisticated look.

Since you’re using a metallic on your lid, you really want a subtle and refined highlight shade. I would recommend using either a matte highlight shade or a subtle highlight like Jasper, Agate, day, or night.

Some possible combinations:

• Salted Caramel on the lid, Bareback in the crease, day to highlight
• Book of the Dead on the lid, Handwritten in the crease, night to highlight
• 7 on the lid, Sleek in the crease, Agate to highlight
• 43 on the lid, Heroine in the crease, Jasper to highlight
• Vanilla Truffle as a wash on the lid and crease, Shenanigans wet as a liner, day to highlight under the eyebrows and at the inner corner of the eye
• Midnight Cowgirl as a wash on the lid and crease, Jasper to highlight
• Santa Honey on the lid, Sleek or Sexy in the crease, night to highlight
• Glamorous on the lid, Purely Naked in the crease, day to highlight
• Half-Baked on the lid, Soft Brown in the crease, Agate to highlight

Truly the combinations are endless! If you don’t have these colors, you can shop your makeup stash! Choose a gold color that you like and apply it to your lid. Choose a matte crease color that works as a contour for your skintone, a shade like Soft Brown is very popular. You can use a transitional color to blend out the edge of the crease color on your browbone, usually this shade should be a matte color that matches your skintone. For a highlight, apply the color right under your eyebrows and at the inner corner of your eye. This will brighten your eyes.

Now you know how you can incorporate golds into your daily makeup routine! What do you think? Will you give golds a try?

About the author:  FutureDerm.com is proud to introduce Dr. Hanan Taha, M.D., on our staff as a Contributing Writer. Dr. Taha received her MD from Kuwait University in 2002, and a master’s degree in Dermatology from the University of Alexandria in 2010.  She also runs a blog in Arabic dedicated to spreading the knowledge about dermatology and cosmetic dermatology in a simple, concise manner (www.elbashra.com).  For her full bio, please visit our About page.

For centuries, we relied on natural sources as moisturizers such as vegetable oils, butter, or wax. The art of moisturizer manufacturing started only about a century ago, and is still progressing to this day.⁽¹⁾

Today, we can classify moisturizers into three classes or “generations”: occlusive, humectant, and reparative.

First generation or occlusive moisturizers: these coat the skin and prevent trans-epidermal water loss. Examples include petrolatum, mineral oil, triglycerides, sunflower oil, soybean oil, jojoba oil, evening primrose oil and olive oil. The bad thing about them is that they are messy and not very cosmetically appealing. So you can’t rely on them if you’re going to work or a party. However they are very helpful in severe dryness. Since they are heavy, I like using them in the winter and at bedtime.

Second generation or humectant moisturizers: these absorb water from the atmosphere and also from the lower layers of the skin, making the upper skin that is touchable, more moisturized. Examples include glycerin, glycerol, sorbitol, urea, and lactic acid. The bad thing about them is that sometimes they can actually be drying rather than moisturizing, plus in higher concentrations they tend to be irritating to the skin.⁽²⁾ Since they are lighter and cosmetically more appealing, I like using them in the summer and in day time.

For optimal results, most available moisturizers in the market contain a mixture of both occlusive and humectant ingredients.

Third (or New) generation moisturizers have both occlusive and humectant properties, but they also work by repairing the damaged skin barrier and replenishing the lost barrier components. So they don’t just treat the symptom (dryness) but also treat the cause (damaged barrier).

Third generation moisturizers are useful if you are a long term sufferer of dry skin, due to excessive hand washing, exposure to dry, cold weather, or environmental or chemical irritants. It is also helpful if you have atopy, eczema or psoriasis.

One example is Bioderma’s Atoderm PP cream, containing vitamin B3 (or vitamin PP), which studies have shown can repair the skin barrier, improve skin moisture, reduce inflammation, blotchiness, hyperpigmentation, wrinkling, and even inhibit skin cancer formation. ^(3,4)

Another 2 options are IMPRUV cream, and Eucerin Professional Repair Extremely Dry Skin Lotion, containing ceramides, which also play an important role in skin barrier function. ⁽⁵⁾

Cetaphil RestoraDerm Skin Restoring Moisturizer contains both B3 and ceramides.

Hyaluronic acid has long been used as an injectable filler. Now it is being introduced as a component in creams as well (e.g. Atopiclair) to restore hydration to the skin, since it can retain up to 1000 times its weight in water.⁽⁶⁾

The entire Eucerin Redness Relief Line contains a licorice extract from the hard but fun to read plant, Glycyrrhiza inflata (try saying it ten times real fast!). This works to both repair the skin barrier and reduce skin redness,^(7,8) so if you have rosacea and dry skin, this might be the line for you. Licorice root extracts have countless other benefits, but that’s for another day!

Finally, Palmitamide monoethanolamine (present in Mimyx cream) is also speculated to improve barrier function and decrease inflammation, which makes it helpful in dermatitis. ⁽⁹⁾

Bottom line:

Advances are constantly being made. The dream is to treat stubborn dryness such as seen in eczema, but more research is needed. If you try OTC products and your skin is still dry and itchy, maybe it is time to see your dermatologist.

Good luck always! Don’t forget, if you know someone who’d like to read about skin in Arabic, tell them to stop by my blog at elbashra.com!

Sources:

1-     TE. Weber et al. Hand and Foot Moisturizers. In: Cosmetic Dermatology: Products and Procedures 2010; Chapter 17: 130-7.

2-     http://www.skintherapyletter.com/2001/6.13/2.html

3-     W Gehring. Nicotinic Acid/ Niacinamide and the Skin. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology 2004; 3(2): 88-93.

4-     DL. Bissett et al. Topical Niacinamide Reduces Yellowing, Wrinkling, Red Blotchiness, and Hyperpigmentation Spots in Aging Facial Skin. International Journal of Cosmetic Science 2004; 26(5): 231-8.

5-     JM. Jungersed et al. Ceramides and Barrier Function in Healthy Skin. Acta Dermato- Venereologica 2010; 90: 350-3.

6-     HE John et al. Perspectives in the Selection of HA for Facial Wrinkles and Ageing Skin. Patient Preference and Adherence 2009; 3: 225-30.

7-     J. Emer. Botanicals and Anti-inflammatories: Natural Ingredients for Rosacea. Seminars in Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery 2011; 30 (3): 148-55.

8-     L. Kolbe et al. Anti-inflammatory Efficacy of Licochalcone A: Correlation of Clinical Potency and In-Vitro Effects. Archives of Dermatological Research 2006; 298 (1): 23-30.

9-     ZD Draelos. New Treatments for Repairing Impaired Epidermal Barrier: Skin Barrier Repair Creams. Clinics in Dermatology 2012; 30 (3): 345-8.

Acne, a photo by Jason Craft on Flickr.

I have acne scars on my cheeks, ice pick type scars – not discoloration, and would like to smooth them a bit. I do not want to go to the dermatologist but instead would like to find an at home treatment. Do you know of anything that would help these that I could do at home?

Sincerely,
Hannah
Dear Hannah,
The best treatments for acne scarring are, unfortunately, available from a dermatologist’s office.  However, with time and effort, there are several treatments that will make a difference at home.

As with in-office treatments, at-home treatments vary for raised, “ice-pick” type acne scars versus flat, “saucer-like” acne scars (Acne: Diagnosis and Treatment, 2000):

Non-raised Scars: Microdermabrasion, bovine collagen (available only from a dermatologist), local excision (available only from a dermatologist)

The advice makes perfect sense. According to Dr. Audrey Kunin, M.D., microdermabrasion is only used for flat “saucerlike” acne scars, as microdermabrasion superficially sandpapers the skin, sloughing away the surface layers. This means microdermabrasion is not to be used for jagged ice-pick type scars or raised scars, as the irregularity would not be improved, and could actually be made worse.

Still, microdermabrasion can make a world of difference for flat acne scars.  Once reserved for spas and salons, you can now purchase your own microdermabrasion at home kit for a reasonable price.  These kits often come with their own exfoliating wand, cleanser, and moisturizer. They’re great for removing dead skin, helping with acne, and massaging away fine lines – but they can also be rough on sensitive skin, so proceed slowly. Check out some microdermabrasion products online at retailers like ShopNBC.

Raised Scars: Use Retinoic acid (available only by prescription), steroid cream (available only by prescription), intracisional triamcislone (available from a dermatologist)

Retinoic acid is one of the only agents that has been shown to reduce the appearance of raised or hypertrophic scars. In one study in the British Journal of Dermatology, the appearance of scars was reduced by 77-79% with daily application of 0.05% retinoic acid. The results were confirmed as retinoic acid has been shown to produce a decrease in fibroblast collagen production and proliferation within the dermis of the skin, resulting in less scar formation (Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 1986).

Unfortunately you are not as likely to experience the same results from over-the-counter retinol, which is about twenty times less potent than retinoic acid (Clinics in Dermatology, 2001). Considering the fact that an OTC product like  Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle Cream contains only about 0.025% retinol (from my best guess), imagine what other, more potent formulas could do! Some of my favorites of these include Green Cream Level 6 (with 0.6% retinol) and Skinceuticals 1.0 (with 1.0%) retinol. Keep in mind, however, that retinol can cause redness, flaking, and itching upon initial use, and should be kept to use every other day until your skin comes to tolerate it. As always, however, check with your dermatologist first.

Bottom Line

Scarring is a serious business, and dermatologists have many more tools at their disposal than we do at home to deal with it. Nevertheless, if you have a raised scar – i.e., keloid scar, or an “ice-pick” type scar like Hannah – you cannot use microdermabrasion and would benefit more from over-the-counter retinol. Conversely, if you have a flat scar, you would benefit more from microdermabrasion. At any rate, while other agents, such as alpha hydroxy acids and salicyclic acid, may refine the skin, these have not been documented to improve scarring like retinoic acid for raised scars and microdermabrasion for flat scars. As always, consult with your dermatologist!

This is Logan, my 8 year old. Yesterday, after he got off the school bus, he saw his brother Miles and I playing outside.  Deciding whether or not he wanted to join us, he took a look at the posts on my deck, measured them out and seemed to be concentrating rather hard.

…

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The following is a guest post from CEO Ada Polla, the CEO of a brand we love, Alchimie Forever.  In addition to her duties as CEO, Ada still finds time to be involved in several ventures such as the Washington Spa Alliance and Fashion Group International (DC chapter), the editorial board of GCI Magazine and as a committee member for the International Spa Association. We thank Ada for her sharing her time and expertise with us.

Every couple of years, our industry comes up with a new buzz word, a hot topic that everyone is talking about and that promises to revolutionize skin care. For the last couple of years, that buzz phrase has been “stem cells.” Last week, I spoke about stem cells at the International Esthetics, Cosmetics and Spa Conference (IECSC) in NYC. Here are some highlights:

What are stem cells?  

Stem cells are undifferentiated cells characterized by self-renewal (they can multiply to produce new stem cells) and by differentiation: upon exposure to tissue-specific biochemical signals, they turn into tissue-specific specialized cells (see image below).

Stem cells play a key role in tissue development, regeneration, and cellular renewal. There are two major categories of stem cells: embryonic and adult. Embryonic stem cells have the extraordinary potential to form all tissues of the body. They can be found in the early embryos (human embryos between 0 and 3-5 days) and are also present in the umbilical cord blood collected at birth.

Adult stem cells have been found in most tissues and organs of fetuses, children, and adults, including the skin. They contribute to tissue quality and ensure tissue renewal. Adult stem cells are somewhat less powerful than embryonic stem cells, as they are already “pre-determined”, i.e., engaged in a certain direction for differentiation. Their potential is thus more limited: you cannot create a whole human being with a single adult stem cell.

In adults, stem cells are not randomly distributed, but are concentrated in tiny regions called “niches.” In the skin, “niches” are found in hair follicles which maintain skin stem cells in a non-differentiated state. The epidermis stem cells are essentially located in the erector muscle of hairs. Skin stem cells may migrate either towards the surface of the skin to regenerate the epidermis or towards the base of the hair follicle to give rise to its constituents. Skin stem cells also continuously renew the skin.

Do Cosmetics Brands Use Actual Human Stem Cells?

While there are a number of brands on the market touting the use of human stem cells, read the fine print. No cosmetic brand is currently using whole human stem cells. Instead, they are using human stem cell extracts. That one additional word is key, indicating that the formulations are based on growth factors. Typically, should skin stem cell extracts be used, you will have a product containing epidermal growth factors (which can only be found in human skin stem cells), which will have powerful rejuvenation and repair benefits to the skin.

What about plant stem cells?

All plants contain stem cells that are located at their apical and root meristem. The meristems are composed of stem cells capable of generating an entire organism. Plant stem cells are found in those regions of the plant where growth takes place. There are nearly inexhaustible reservoirs of undifferentiated cells capable of self-sustaining and of providing precursors for differentiated cells.

It is therefore possible, from only small fragments of a plant’s meristem, to create multiple copies of the same plant, as well as to produce plant stem cell extract. Why should we care about plant stem cells? Well, plant stem cell extracts have already an anti-wrinkle effect on human skin (in vitro and in vivo).

Do Any Stem Cells in Particular Show Promise?

Plant stem cells contain molecules that help the skin’s repair and rejuvenation systems. While all plants indeed have stem cells within them, the most discussed in cosmetics today are edelweiss, the “magical apple,” and lilac stem cells.

The Edelweiss plant (which originates in Switzerland) is of interest even beyond stem cells as it is able to grow in extremely arid climates (minimal water, freezing temperatures). Specifically, the edelweiss plant contains various leontopodic acids, which have extremely high antioxidant activity. As the data below indicates (from IRB, the Italian manufacturer of Edelweiss stem cells), stem cell extracts from this plan show stronger antioxidant activity than many natural antioxidants including resveratrol and vitamin C in vitro, and fabulous clinical results (reduction of wrinkles) in vivo.

Beyond the edelweiss plant, much has been written in the press about the “Magical Swiss apples” (I love all of this talk of Switzerland!). The supplier of Uttwiller Spatlauber applies is Mibelle, also from Switzerland. You will find brands including 3Lab and Sonya Dakar touting the benefits of these magical apples, which also focus on rejuvenation and anti-aging.

Finally, lilac stem cells are also of interest, for their anti-inflammatory benefits (the supplier in this case is Covalence Laboratories, from Arizona). This extract is particularly suited to acne-prone skin.

Bottom Line

In conclusion, plant stem cells represent the latest tool in our fight against skin aging. They do not mean that all our current tools (retinoids, peptides, antioxidants, vitamins, and more) need to be discarded. On the contrary, as is true often in cosmetics, a multitude of tools combined on the skin will an optimal therapeutic result. Incorporate plant stem cell products in your routine, but don’t throw away all of your other products!

Other Posts & Sites You May Enjoy

• Alchimie Forever Official Site
• Spotlight On: Amino Acid Peptides
• Product Review: Hydroxatone
• Product Review: Olay Regenerist 14-Day Intervention
• Product Review: Sephora Age Prevention Moisturizer SPF 15 
• Would You Use an Umbilical Cord on Your Skin?:  Novo Solutions MD Review

About The Author:  FutureDerm is pleased to welcome Leah Argento to our staff as a Contributing Writer. For a complete bio please visit our About page.

We talk a lot here on FutureDerm.com about products & home care, but what about the professional facial? Do you really need one? Is it a good investment?  Yes and yes are the answers!

A facial treatment is much more than paying someone to wash your face. Think of it as physical therapy. Sure, you could perform the basic steps of a facial at home – cleanse, tone, exfoliate, even steam – and save yourself the money. But the missing (crucial) ingredient is the massage that accompanys a professional facial treatment. Massage is shown to have positive effects on both our psychologic being and our physiologic being.

Psychologic vs. Physiologic Effects

Because stress damages your health (and your skin) at the cellular level, Dr. Howard Murad, M.D. has determined through clinical research that managing stress is critical to optimizing health because it promotes and protects cellular integrity.

And what better way to reduce stress than through some personal pampering? A 2009 study out of Kyushu University (Facial Massage Study) found that a 45-minute facial massage reduced anxiety and negative mood status, and increased sympathetic nervous activity. It was concluded that the facial massage reduced the psychological distress of the 32 healthy women who participated in the study.

Professional facial treatments typically involve multiple wellness therapies (massage, acupressure, aromatherapy) that work together to relieve stress. And when we relieve stress we see a decrease (a physiologic change) in cortisol levels in the body. Less cortisol means less oxidation (aging) of skin cells. What’s more, numerous studies from the Touch Research Institute (TRI) showed decreased cortisol levels following massage improved the depression of study participants.

Another study from (Science Direct) recorded a drop in systolic blood pressure immediately following a 20-minute facial massage. As well, subjective levels of alertness were reduced (i.e., sleepiness was induced) during the massage.

Dynamic Wrinkles & Puffiness

“The whole idea behind dynamic wrinkles – those caused by facial movement – is that when your muscles contract in the same direction, it causes wrinkles,” says Dr. Jody Alpert Levine, M.D., a New York-based dermatologist. “I use Botox to get rid of and prevent wrinkles because it relaxes muscles and stops wrinkles from forming. But massage also relaxes facial muscles, though the effects are more subtle.” Massage helps decrease puffiness as well. “If you move the muscles and skin on your face, it increases blood flow, which brings oxygen and nutrients to the area,” she says. “As [the lymph] flows away from the skin and back to the heart, it is, essentially, decongesting the skin.”

According to the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA), there are thousands more studies currently underway about massages’ impact on health and aging. Consider SpaEvidence.com, the world’s first evidence-based medicine portal designed to help people explore the hard science behind spa and wellness therapies.

Bottom Line:  Science Thus Far Does Support Facials Due to Massage, Relaxation

Ahhhh…now imagine yourself in a quiet, dimly lit room. Soft, lilting music playing as your face, head, neck, and shoulders are gently massaged. You just can’t duplicate that at home!

There’s no time like Spring to refresh your wardrobe, begin a new diet, or start anew virtually any other way you can imagine!  Yet it can be difficult to afford all of the improvements you desire.  That’s where the following great Springtime giveaways come in:

Tria Laser: “Mother & Daughter Spa Giveaway” contest!

This Mother’s Day, you can win a relaxing day at the spa with $1,000 SpaFinder Gift Certificate and a Tria Hair Removal Laser for both mom and daughter (two devices at $790 value)!.  Enter at http://www.triabeauty.com/mothersday. This limited-time giveaway runs through 5/15/12.

We’ll be reviewing the FDA-cleared Tria Hair Removal Laser on FutureDerm.com soon.  It has been approved as the first and only hair removal laser available for at-home use!

Mustela:  Ultimate Baby Shower Gift!

The baby brand Mustela is giving away the following:

Three grand prize winners:

• Over $500 in Mustela products for mom and her guests
• $250 Diapers.com gift card
• Eleni’s New York ‘Baby on the Way’ cookie gift box
• $100 Tiny Prints gift card
• 1 BABYBJORN Baby Carrier Miracle

Plus, 10 winners will receive 1 Mustela Newborn Set and 15 lucky winners will receive 1 Mustela Dermo Cleansing.  Pretty awesome!  To enter, go to Mustela’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mustela-USA/107648435933190?sk=app_166013376782265 and “Like” their page until May 31, 2012!

Beauty Thesis

Win the Mini-May Giveaway on May 7 for Marcelle products!  Enter at:  http://www.beautythesis.net/featured/mini-may-giveaway-marcelle

Lipgloss Break

Whether you love Bethenny Frankel or not, Lipgloss Break is giving away a Skinnygirl Face Solution Set to one lucky reader on May 14, 2012!  What’s not to love about that?!  http://www.lipglossbreak.com/2012/05/giveaway-break-skinnygirl-face-solution.html

Polarbelle

Win a Hydroxatone AM/PM Anti-Wrinkle Complex and Declatone Neck & Decolette’ Complex!  May 10 deadline:  http://www.polarbelle.com/2012/05/hydroxatone-ampm-anti-wrinkle-complex.html  Limited to US residents! 

Got a great giveaway to share?  Let us know in Comments!

Beauty Beginner

Beauty Beginner Birthday Bash Giveaway!

http://beautybeginner.wordpress.com/2012/05/02/beauty-beginner-birthday-bash-giveaway/

Date ending: May 10, 2012 @ 11:59PM

Beauty Info Zone:

Aveeno 2-in-1 Pure Renewal shampoo & conditioner

http://beautyinfozone.com/aveeno/aveeno-pure-renewal-2-in-1-shampoo-conditioner-review-and-giveaway/

US only until May 6th 11:59 p.m. EST

also Reviva Labs April Giveaway – Ultra C cream and Vitamin E stick

http://beautyinfozone.com/lip-balm/reviva-labs-april-giveaway/

US only until May 3rd 11:59 p.m. EST

Pammy Blogs Beauty

Reviva Labs May Giveaway!

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k263/pamschmitt/IMG_5882.jpg

ends June 1st

Have you seen those commercials for the new Orbeez Soothing Spa?  I’m just so turned off.  Call me crazy, but the thought of putting my daughter’s feet in those little wet orbs more than once is just gross.  Add into the mix a couple of girls and a pedicure party. No thank you!

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