92 DERMASCOPE October 2009

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Maximillian Charles
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92 DERMASCOPE Octber 2009 I deeply believe that rganic skin care prducts can deliver dramatic and lng lasting results. What we put n ur faces shuld be as safe and pure as the fd we eat.

1 92 DERMASCOPE Octber 2009 I deeply believe that rganic skin care prducts can deliver dramatic and lng lasting results. What we put n ur faces shuld be as safe and pure as the fd we eat. It shuld be like a fresh meal fr yur face! During my educatinal seminars fr aestheticians, I like t swallw a spnful f ne f my masks r creams t make this pint. After all, if a ltin isn t safe t eat why wuld we think it is safe t put n ur skin?

2 Octber 2009 DERMASCOPE 93

3 What is a green cream r ltin? It shuld be an emulsin a mixture f water and unprcessed ils blended tgether with an emulsifier. Ideally it cntains an infusin f btanicals in water (tea), plant ils, a natural emulsifier like sy bean lecithin, vitamins, and ther nutrients frm rganic surces. The preservatives used are preferably natural and nn-txic. Appearance and Texture One reasn many skin care prduct manufacturers add chemicals in their creams, is because they seem t care mre abut its appearance and the way it feels, than its perfrmance. Fr years, we ve assumed that all creams and ltins must be white and fluffy. Hwever, if a ltin is truly made frm natural ingredients, it can t be white (unless it was made frm snw!). Fr example ne ppular smthing ingredient is dimethicne, which is derived frm silicne and cmmnly used as a skin cnditining agent and emllient. Accrding t the Envirnmental Canada Dmestic Substance List, dimethicne is biaccumulative in humans and wildlife. Earlier this year, a wman wh represented a plymer manufacturer at a csmecuetical summit in Orland gave me a demnstratin f hw ne f their plymer prducts wrked. She put sme n my arm and let it dry. We were then able t peel it ff like a piece f saran wrap! If I put her plymer in my prducts, she assured me, it wuld make my cream feel expensive. But in reality, it wasn t really my skin that felt smth. It was the plastic-like film it created n tp f my skin that was smth! What t Lk Out Fr in Yur Ltin It s nt in questin that many cnsumer prducts cntain txins they d, says Alan Green, MD, clinical prfessr f pediatrics at Stanfrd University and authr f Raising Baby Green (Jssey-Bass, 2007). Mst are felt t be in t tiny f a quantity t pse any real risk. But smetimes, very small expsures can have large impacts. As medical science cntinues t srt ut hw the chemicals we put n ur skin affects ur health, yu want t chse safe and effective prduct lines fr yur clients and thrughly review each prduct yu put n their skin. Dn t frget t read the entire list f ingredients! Ideally, the prducts yu use n yur clients are rganic and plant-based. Why rganic? Yu want the ingredients t be free f txic fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides and t cme frm envirnmentally clean areas. They shuld als be free f transfats, txins, and chemical slvents. But smetimes reading the ingredients isn t enugh. Lvely sunding btanical ingredients can be disslved in txic slvents that by law dn t have t be put n the ingredient list! Cmmn Ingredients t avid include Diethanlamine (DEA), Triethanlamine (TEA), and But unlike yu and me, chemicals shuld never be cnsidered inncent until prven guilty. In fact we must cnsider them guilty until prven inncent! We must demand that industry prve a substance safe befre it is allwed t be sld t millins. by Dr. Harvey Karp Natinally renwned pediatrician and authr f Happiest Baby n the Blck MEA (Mnethanlamine. DEA and DEA-related ingredients are used as emulsifiers r faming agents in csmetics, r t adjust the acidity (ph) f a prduct. In 1998 The Natinal Txiclgy Prgram (NTP) cmpleted a study that shwed a link between the tpical applicatin f DEA and certain DEA-related ingredients and cancer in labratry animals. While it did nt shw a direct assciatin between DEA and cancer in humans, there was a carcingenic respnse and the study suggests that it s cnnected t pssible residual levels f DEA. Althugh DEA is n lnger used in many csmetics, DEA-related ingredients are still widely used. The fllwing are sme f the mst cmmnly used ingredients that may cntain DEA: Ccamide DEA Ccamide MEA DEA-Cetyl Phsphate DEA Oleth-3 Phsphate Lauramide DEA Linleamide MEA Myristamide DEA Oleamide DEA Stearamide MEA TEA-Lauryl Sulfate Triethanlamine Sdium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) is ften described as being derived frm ccnut, disguising its txic nature. SLS is cmmnly used in shamps, tthpaste, faming facial and bdy cleansers, and bubble bath. Accrding t the Campaign fr Safe Csmetics, bth SLS and SLES are irritating t the skin, and SLES cannt be metablized by the liver. Accrding t The Jurnal f the American Cllege f Txiclgy: SLS enters and maintains residual levels in the heart, liver, lungs, and brain frm skin cntact. SLS denatures prtein, impairs prper structural frmatin f yung eyes damage permanent. SLS can damage the immune system; cause separatin f skin layers and cause inflammatin t the skin. Prpylene Glycl, Plyethylene Glycl, and Ethylene Glycl: All f these cmpunds cme frm petrleum and are used as slvents, surfactants, and wetting agents. They easily penetrate the skin, and can weaken prteins and cellular structures. 94 DERMASCOPE Octber 2009

Prpylene Glycl (PG): Accrding t the American Academy f Dermatligists Inc., Prpylene Glycl can cause several reactins and may be a primary skin irritant even in lw cncentratins.

It may als cause eye and skin irritatin, while repeated expsure can cause gastr-intestinal disturbances, nausea, headache and vmiting, and central nervus system depressin.

It cats the skin like a plastic film, and can clg yur client s pres. Clgged pres prevent the skin frm eliminating txins, which can lead t acne and ther skin disrders.

An Online Cmmunity A Wrd abut Artificial Fragrance Many peple d nt understand the difference between artificial fragrances that can cntain txic chemicals and natural fragrances derived frm pure plant

4 Prpylene Glycl (PG): Accrding t the American Academy f Dermatligists Inc., Prpylene Glycl can cause several reactins and may be a primary skin irritant even in lw cncentratins. The Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) states that PG may be harmful by ingestin r skin absrptin. It may als cause eye and skin irritatin, while repeated expsure can cause gastr-intestinal disturbances, nausea, headache and vmiting, and central nervus system depressin. Mineral il is anther petrleum derivative (frm crude il) that is cmmnly fund in face and bdy creams, as well as csmetics. Believe it r nt, baby il is 100 percent mineral il! It cats the skin like a plastic film, and can clg yur client s pres. Clgged pres prevent the skin frm eliminating txins, which can lead t acne and ther skin disrders. Other petrleumbased ingredients t avid include paraffin wax, paraffin il, and petrlatum. An Online Cmmunity A Wrd abut Artificial Fragrance Many peple d nt understand the difference between artificial fragrances that can cntain txic chemicals and natural fragrances derived frm pure plant essences. Althugh plant essences ffer arma therapeutic and ther benefits, mst cnventinal skin care prducts cntain synthetic fragrances made frm chemicals. Back in 1986, the Natinal Academy f Sciences cited synthetic fragrances as ne f the six categries f chemicals that shuld be tested fr neurtxicity prblems. Accrding the reprt, 95 percent f the chemicals used in fragrances are actually synthetic cmpunds derived frm petrleum. These include benzene derivatives, aldehydes, and many ther knwn txics and sensitizers, which can cause cancer, birth defects, central nervus system disrders, and allergic reactins. Preservatives T preserve skin care prducts with nly natural ingredients is a big challenge. Many csmetic frmulatrs dn t believe it s pssible withut using synthetic chemicals. The questin REGISTER TODAY! Octber 2009 DERMASCOPE 95

becmes, fr hw lng d we want t preserve them? Fr mass-prduced cmmercial lines, it must be a year. But fr fresh, handmade specialty prducts six mnths is enugh.

5 becmes, fr hw lng d we want t preserve them? Fr mass-prduced cmmercial lines, it must be a year. But fr fresh, handmade specialty prducts six mnths is enugh. That s because skin care prducts shuld be made fresh like gd fd, in small quantities and sld and used within that time frame. S when it cmes t the creams and ltins we use n ur skin, we are faced with the same chice as we d with ur fd: D yu want a spngy laf f bread preserved with chemicals that make it last fr a very lng time, r a freshly baked, armatic laf which will harden in a few days, but will taste s much better! I believe that finding the perfect cmbinatin f natural substances t preserve each skin care frmula is actually an art frm. It s wrth the effrt thugh, because by aviding the use f txic chemicals t preserve the ltins and creams we put n ur skin we help preserve ur health as well. Cmmnly Used Preservatives t Avid Parabens Parabens are chemicals that are widely used as preservatives in csmetics. They include: methylparaben, butylparaben, and prpylparaben, r any ingredient yu see that includes the wrd paraben. Accrding t lead researcher and nclgy expert, Philippa Darbre at the University f Reading, in Edinburgh, the chemical frm f parabens was fund in 18 f the 20 tumrs tested! The results indicated that the tumrs riginated frm a substance applied t the skin, mst likely antiperspirants, creams, ltins, r bdy sprays. Unfrtunately, sme manufacturers are able t hide ptentially txic preservatives in their prducts by using trade r brand names in their ingredient lists. Fr example Germaben II, which is used t prevent micrbial, yeast, and mld grwth in skin care prducts, cntains parabens. Hwever, all the manufacturer has t include n its ingredient list is Germaben n need t mentin the parabens. An easy way t find ut if an ingredient cntains additinal txic ingredients is t d an Internet search fr the name. By law manufacturers f chemical cmpunds like Germaben have t prvide material safety data infrmatin. Anther example f this can be fund in frmaldehyde. This ppular txic preservative can be fund in skin care prducts and is a suspected carcingen and neurtxin. But instead f seeing it n an ingredient list yu may see Germall Plus cntains Diazlidinyl urea which acts like a frmaldehyde releaser. S, again a txin is just hiding inside a cmpund with a trade name. Accrding t the Safe Shpper s Bible by David Steinman & Samuel S. Epstein, the fllwing cmpunds may als cntain frmaldehyde, may release frmaldehyde, r may break dwn int frmaldehyde: 2-brm-2-nitrprpane-1,3-dil Diazlidinyl urea DMDM hydantin Imidazlidinyl urea Quaternium 15 Natural Preservatives The gd news is that effective skin care prducts can be created free f txic preservatives. They can be preserved with cllidal silver and essential ils with strng antimicrbial prperties like: cinnamn bark, clve, geranium, lavender, lemn, lemngrass, regan, rsewd, sage, and thyme. Other natural preservatives that wrk include: ptassium srbate (a fungi inhibitr) and pwerful antixidants like vitamin E (Tcpherl), rsemary (Oleresin), and thers. What t Lk fr in a Green Ltin The Case fr Seasnal Adjustments: I als believe that skin care prducts shuld be adjusted seasnally because in tw r three mnths yur skin can becme acclimated t a particular frmula and it will stp respnding the same way. Als, as yu knw, yur skin has different needs during different seasns. Fr example, mst f us need mre emllient creams and ltins in the winter, and lighter frmulatins in the summer in rder t cmpensate fr the effects f ht and cld weather. I believe that skin care frmulatins shuld nly include whle, natural ingredients t take advantage f the nature s ability t prvide just the right balance f nutrients. After all, hw can yu expect t benefit frm a btanical r vitamin that has been preserved in a txic base, r chemically prcessed in sme way? Nature prvides her wn perfectly balanced nutritinal ccktails and des nt need ur help by islating ingredients frm the harmny f nature! Here are sme beautiful ingredients that, when derived frm whle, rganic surces, will help heal and feed yur client s skin: Seabuckthrn Oil Seabuckthrn il is exceptinally rich in unsaturated fatty acids, vitamins, cartene, flavnids, phytsterls, sertnin, amin acids, and trace elements. Traditinally the medicinal value f seabuckthrn il lies in its ability t help regenerate and rejuvenate the skin and mucus membranes. It als helps heal sun damaged, irritated, dry, and itchy skin. 96 DERMASCOPE Octber 2009

Baltic Amber The healing prperties f baltic amber have been knwn fr ages. Rman ladies f the curt used t play with it, hlding it in their hands and strking it t maintain a yuthful lk.

Veniamin Khazanv f the Russian Academy f Science, Institute f Pharmaclgy at the Tmsk Scientific Center.

6 Baltic Amber The healing prperties f baltic amber have been knwn fr ages. Rman ladies f the curt used t play with it, hlding it in their hands and strking it t maintain a yuthful lk. Baltic amber is three t eight percent succinic acid. Succinic Acid Fr aged peple, succinic acid has prved t be indispensable, writes Dr. Veniamin Khazanv f the Russian Academy f Science, Institute f Pharmaclgy at the Tmsk Scientific Center. It is capable f restring the energy balance at the cellular level, which is ften upset as the years g by, and helps the patient regain his yuthful energy. Spirulina This blue-green algae prvides an incredible blend f phytnutrients fr the skin. Spirulina thrives in warm, alkaline bdies f fresh-water. Its name, spirulina cmes frm the Latin wrd fr helix r spiral, because it s cmpsed f swirling, micrscpic strands. Spirulina is a great surce f essential fatty acids (EFAs) and gamma-linlenic acid (GLA), and als cntains alpha-linlenic acid (ALA), linleic acid (LA), stearidnic acid, and thers, as well as vitamins B1 (thiamine), B2 (ribflavin), B3 (nictinamide), B6 (pyridxine), B9 (flic acid), vitamin C, D, and E. Spirulina als includes many natural pigments. like chlrphyll-a, xanthphyll, and beta-cartene. Arnica (Arnica Mntana) this has been used fr medicinal purpses since the 1500s and remains ppular tday. Eurpeans and Native Americans have used arnica t sthe muscle aches, reduce inflammatin, and heal wunds. It is ften the first remedy used fr injuries such as sprains and bruises. MUMIO this is a wnderful surce f natural skin nutrients and is a prduct f muntain bees mixed with mineralized herbal remnants. It cntains many minerals like calcium, phsphr, magnesium, idine, sdium, and irn, as well as trace elements such as nickel, cbalt, chrme, mlybdenum, cpper, and zinc; Octber 2009 DERMASCOPE 97

remnants f rganic substances and sme essential amin acids. It has been well knwn as a remedy fr a number f diseases fr thusands f years.

I believe we can get everything we need fr beauty and wellness frm rganic gardens, clean frests, and pure ceans.

Surces: CFSAN/Office f Csmetics and Clrs, December 9, 1999; Revised, Octber 27, 2006 http://ntp-server.niehs.nih.gv The Jurnal f the American Cllege f Txiclgy; Vl. 2, N 7, 1983.

7 remnants f rganic substances and sme essential amin acids. It has been well knwn as a remedy fr a number f diseases fr thusands f years. T lk and be ur very best, we wuld d well t avid emtinal, as well as envirnmental stress. We als need t reduce ur txic intake, and chse wisely when it cmes t what we eat and what we feed ur skin. I believe we can get everything we need fr beauty and wellness frm rganic gardens, clean frests, and pure ceans. The beauty f nature can be reflected in us, but nly if we prtect ur unique little planet frm urselves! Surces: CFSAN/Office f Csmetics and Clrs, December 9, 1999; Revised, Octber 27, The Jurnal f the American Cllege f Txiclgy; Vl. 2, N 7, ( Txiclgical prfile fr ethylene glycl and prpylene glycl (update). Agency fr Txic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), Atlanta, GA; U.S. Department f Health and Human Services, Public Health Service.) Neurtxins: At Hme and the Wrkplace (Reprt by the Cmmittee n Science and Technlgy. U.S. Huse f Representatives, Sept. 16, 1986) [Reprt ]. This research wrk n parabens is frm Cncentratins f Parabens in Human Breast Tumrs by P.D. Darbre, A. Alijarrah, W.R. Miller, N.G. Cldham, M.J. Sauer and G.S. Ppe, and appeared in the Jurnal f Applied Txiclgy, 24, 5-13 (2004). Elina Fedtva is an rganic skin care innvatr, csmetic chemist, herbalist and aesthetician. Fr mre than a decade her handmade, rganic, trans-dermal skin care prducts have been featured in the finest clinics in the wrld. She is als the CEO f Elina Organics and the funder f the Assciatin fr Hlistic Skin Care Practitiners Elina s gal is t prmte a hlistic apprach t beauty, health and life. 98 DERMASCOPE Octber 2009

The website Pro Hair Help is dedicated to Hair Loss and Scalp Conditions.

The website Pro Hair Help is dedicated to Hair Loss and Scalp Conditions. The website Pr Hair Help is dedicated t Hair Lss and Scalp Cnditins. If yu have Hair Lss, Thinning Hair r a Scalp Prblem, yu will relate t the infrmatin prvided within the site. It is an interactive site