Makeup Down Under

Free radicals are well-known enemies of our body’s immune system and the health of our skin. One of many originators of these free radicals comes from undergoing conventional cancer treatments (breast cancer and others). During treatments, a patient’s body is bombarded with free radicals (inclusive of the skin) stemming not only from radiation exposure, but also the drugs involved and surgery, which attack the immune system. In order to heal from this onslaught, antioxidants need to be replenished then built up in a patient’s skin and body.

The wound-healing ability of a quality Vitamin C serum is related to its positive effect on collagen production and its antioxidant effect. Collagen requires Vitamin C for hydroxylation, which is a process that allows the collagen molecule to form a stronger molecular configuration. This stronger collagen molecule is needed to give support to the body and skin to enhance wound healing and maintain healthy blood vessels. In other words, Vitamin C protects all blood vessels and has a profound effect on neutralizing the free radicals generated by a wound.

Research has shown that Vitamin C can:

• Help build strong collagen molecules
• Stimulate collagen synthesis
• Lighten and brighten skin tone
• Accelerate healing by reducing inflammation and discoloration
• Protect skin from sun
• Prevent further skin damage because of its antioxidant properties that reduce free radicals

Buyer beware, however, when it comes to finding products that are stable vehicles for delivering Vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid) to your skin. When repeatedly exposed to light and air, Vitamin C quickly becomes ineffective at best and can be detrimental to your skin care/healing regimen at the worst. When it is compromised, Vitamin C serums will turn a brownish color. Knowing the tremendous benefits of Vitamin C, yet understanding the challenge of making a stable version available, RX System pF came up with a unique packaging for its Age Defense Antioxidant Serum C, giving it the best possible protection from light and air. This serum is packaged in individual packets in a light-controlled environment, removing as much free oxygen as possible before they’re sealed. It has a 20% free acid concentration and a pH of 2.6. This packaging and delivery system is nearly without worry as to whether it has been rendered ineffective from exposure to light and/or air when you open a packet to apply it.

The fact that using Vitamin C is more than a preventive measure for your skin’s health can be great news for those dealing with already damaged skin as a result of radiation burns, scarring from surgery or immune system damage from chemicals. Finding a quality, stable version will get you well on your way in the healing process and to less visible skin damage.

Desquamation…sounds horrible, doesn’t it? But actually, desquamation is a very healthy process…the process by which your skin cells are shed and then replenished. The process is supposed to help keep your skin looking fresh and youthful. Unfortunately, when parts of the process go awry, it gives acne an opportunity to attack your skin on top of, and sometimes below, the skin’s surface.

It all begins many layers beneath the surface of your skin (the stratum corneum). There are five layers (or stratums) in all that your skin cells move through, the deepest of which is the stratum germinativum. This is where the cells begin and multiply, as they then make their way through three more layers (mucosum, spinosum, and granulosum) before reaching the surface. By the time your skin cells reach the “top”, they are, for all intents and purposes, dead cells and need to be removed to make way for the next batch that is on its way.

This whole process takes about 28 days; and in that time the dead skin cells that are awaiting exfoliation can become a part of mild to severe acne attacks or breakouts. It’s the combination of these dead skin cells, along with sebum and bacteria, that clogs the pores of your skin, creating blemishes.

These blemishes come in many shapes and sizes, from bumps to whiteheads and blackheads to papules and pustules, nodules and cysts. But the source goes back to your sebaceous gland, hair follicles, pores, dead skin cells and excess sebum.

In order to help battle acne and wage a serious war on its army of blemishes, it’s extremely important to try and keep dead skin cells from collecting on your skin where they can clog your pores. It’s also tactically important to fight to control excessive oiliness.

One of the weapons that should be in your arsenal to help with exfoliating those dead skin cells is salicylic acid. A cleanser containing salicylic acid will prepare the battlefield, so to speak, clearing away the dead skin cells and excess sebum on your skin’s surface so that your army can move in and address the actual acne blemishes and lesions.

A second weapon to look for when battling acne breakouts is azelaic acid. When pores get overridden and clogged with excess sebum and dead skin cells, the skin’s environment becomes a place where Propionibacteria can thrive, causing inflammation. Azelaic acid fights to reduce the amounts of this acne-causing bacteria in your skin’s pores, thus reducing serious flare-ups. Topical products containing azelaic acid can help win the war against acne breakouts.

Finally, a ‘secret weapon’ to help you win the war is micronized, elemental sulfur for spot treating blemishes. This weapon has antibacterial properties. The concentration of the elemental sulfur intensifies its antibacterial effect and its ability to eliminate active acne lesions.

There is nothing easy about dealing with acne, but with the right army of acne-fighting products and ingredients, you have a much better chance of eventually winning the war!