Lifestyle Choices

Skin Photoallergies

A photoallergy is a specific immune reaction that occurs only in certain people after they have been exposed several times to the offending substance and then sunbathed or used a tanning bed. Even a small amount of the substance can cause a red, scaly or blistering eruption when the person sunbathes. The rash usuallybegins over 12 hours after exposure.

A photoallergic reaction is very individual. (more…)

BEGIN BY STAYING OUT OF THE SUN

To preserve your skin from premature aging, in addition to the constant use of a sunscreen on your face as part of your everyday skin care, you should understand the art of sunbathing—that is if you want to tan at all. Ideally, of course, you would be far better off pale.

As we’ve already said, the sun is your skin’s worst “ager.” It has been proved that exposure to ultraviolet light brings about permanent fundamental alterations in the genetic material of skin cells and encourages the process of cross-linking. These changes are cumulative and irreversible. Even when sun-exposed skin from an arm is grafted onto a protected area such as the abdomen and left there for years, it still remains older- looking and darker than the skin surrounding it. (more…)

During winter, the relative humidity of the air declines and there are cold, drying winds. Central heating systems keep us warm but dry out the air, splitting wood furniture and doors which have lasted unharmed in the homes of our hardier ancestors. The skin loses its moisture and contracts until it splits apart just as the bottom of a recently drained lake will lose its shiny muddy surface and split into a pattern of small pieces. The earliest changes are just an accentuation of the fine surface lines but with further damage, cracks extend deeper into the skin and the surface is scaly. The skin looks and feels rough and may be itchy and sore. When the splits penetrate into living layers of skin they are extremely painful as anyone who has accidentally cut their finger-tip knows. Further damage causes more redness and swelling until the skin is weeping, completing the picture of hand eczema. (more…)

If you were to ask the person behind the cosmetic counter, ‘What is the toxicity and cellular response to this cream?’ they would look at you as if you were speaking a different language. In fact, you would be speaking another language to them, but maybe it is a language they should know. We feel that in order to make informed decisions about skincare, we need to know how the ingredients work on our skin. We have to look beyond all the e marketing material and examine each individual ingredient and its properties. Then we need to look at the combined effect of these ingredients together. The exciting news is that now some companies are doing just that and educating their users along the way. (more…)