Onion extract topically to avoid scarring after surgery
According to the Boston-based facial plastic surgeon Dr. Jeffrey Spiegel , vitamin E and onion extract topically applied on the scar right after surgery are both scar reducing ingredients that will help slow down any scar tissue growth on your body.
Anti-aging Pillow – The Anti-sleep lines!
The enVy™ pillow is a brand new Canadian invention - not in store yet.
Not a bad idea! Its benefits are to make users sleep on their side or back in perfect alignment without putting any pressure on their face. It's also sold at a post-op tool as it claims not to negatively impact the surgical area with unwanted contact with the pillow. It also claims to be an alternative to Botox injections. It assists in avoiding developing sleep lines or asymmetries by keeping you off your delicate facial tissue while you sleep. Not convinced about this one.
Let's see if cosmetic doctors will "prescribe" it..
To know more: www.envypillow.com
Back soon!
Hi all, sorry for the lack of updates. I'm trying to figure out a better way to do this. I want to give you more of my thoughts but in a handier way.
I hope to be back soon with frequent updates and more great products for you to check out!
Amino Acids a key supplementation of the skin to rebuild collagen
AMWC 2010 was a very dynamic symposium with several major product launches and new treatment concepts.
Elena Rumyantseva, a Phd and Russian dermatologist gave a presentation on the role of a cluster of Amino Acids for skin rejuvenation. Amino Acids (AA) are necessary to stimulate protein synthesis. Without the right AA present in our body, collagen synthesis will not be optimized. Supplementing the body with the right cluster of AA - Glicine, L-Proline, L-Lysine - for collagen synthesis before and after treatment should be an important step according to Dr. Rumyantseva.
The Italian company Professional Dietetics patented a functional cluster of AA that is suitable for collagen synthesis promotion (US patent #5198465) and is widely available in Europe in the form of dietary supplements and intradermal injections. The cluster of AA can be available in very different forms:
- Jalupro® is an intradermal implant for face, hand, neck, décolleté, abdomen and thighs.
- Proglyme® is dietary supplement (in liquid form).
- Proglyme® Topical creams
How does Dr.Rumyantseva use it in her practice?
- 1 Intradermal implant a week for 4-6 times twice a year (intensive course); monthly after intensive course (support vourse)
- Proglyme®: per os 1 vial a day for 3 months
- Also proglyme® twice a day for one week prior to surgery or laser treatments to optimize healing and avoid scaring. Keep taking it once month after treatment.
This treatment is well known in Russia and Italy. www.professionaldietetics.com
At-home Light For Wrinkles
Low Level Light/Lasers (LLL) or cold lasers is a growing trend in skin rejuvenation. This type of light does not harm the skin and are not dangerous to the eyes.There is actually no “cold” feeling associated with the use of the laser – this term is just to differentiate it from thermal lasers. A standard laser or IPL will cause thermal damage as opposed to a LLL and it may not necessarily be required to regenerate skin. Most of LLL uses LEDs and Infrared lights.
LLL is a great technology for the at-home device market as it's a safe technology which can be used at home.
LightStim® - Light for Wrinkles (also called the Anti-Aging Light).It will be officially released to retail stores all over the world in August. It sells for approximately $295 US. It is totally unique in that it has 4 separate wavelengths: There are 72 LED's in total: 605nm Amber (nm stands for nanometers) and 630nm Red which together increase the production of collagen and elastin in the dermis layer of the skin. Additionally that Light has 660nm Red and 855nm Infrared, which have been associated with various medical healing procedures for almost 30 years. These two wavelengths rejuvenate your cells so that they can heal the skin and repair imperfections of the skin. Besides reducing and eliminating wrinkles, this Light also reduces pore size dramatically, firms and tones the skin, helps to increase moisture retention, soften rough dry skin and decrease puffiness around the eyes.www.lightstim.com
Cosmetic Eye Whitening
A new area has been tackled with aesthetic world: getting rid of chronic red or discolored eyes. Treatments for this condition were in short supply knowing that eye drops could make the matter worse over time. Brian Boxer Wachler M.D an ophthalmologist in Beverly Hills. He developed a technique called I-Brite which is 20-mn painless with permanent changes. Conjunctiva is removed and over the next two weeks a clear membrane naturally grows back in its place without the blood vessels. The new ultra white eyes may last 20 to 30 years. Blood vessels and discoloration are caused from decades of sun exposure. Bang-Hyan Kim, an ophthalmologist in South Korean has been performing eye cosmetic whitening for 13 years.
Sources: The Aesthetic Guide Jan-Feb 2010.
European Natural Beauty market Fact & Figures
In 2008, the European market represented € 1.5 bn.
European market size: 2.7% of total beauty market.
Largest market in Europe: Germany. It represents 50% of the total european market. In Germany, the natural & organic beauty sales represent 5.2% of the total beauty market.
In the UK, the sales of natural and organic products are only 2% of the beauty market. There are a lot of imported brands in the Uk - especially from Australia, USA and New Zealand.
The big emerging trend across all european markets is LOCAL. In Germany, 90% of the natural & organic brands are german. In the UK, all the new niche brands are UK-based. I really like 100% Organics from Cornwall (www.100percentorganics.com).
The big trend in distribution is the growth of other channels such as pharmacies & drugstores and supermarkets. In the previous years, specialist retailers were the big growth.
Figures were given by Organic Monitor
Magnesium in oil form
In-Trend went to the Europe Natural & Organic beauty show in London. It's the most attended trade exhibition for natural, sustainable, organic and healthy lifestyle products. www.naturalproducts.co.uk
I'll be presenting you some of my favourite products this week.
Magnesium Oil Soak from Better You
I'm convinced that magnesium capsules are not so effective and transdermal application of magnesium products keep coming on the market.
Magnesium Oil Soak works for sore muscles and joints, calcium build-up and bone problems, energy Support and skin Health.
How do you take it? Add 100ml into a warm footbath. Relax feet in bath for 20 minutes to ensure effective mineral absorption. Repeat twice a week. morning and night to help restore magnesium levels to normal.
Allergan’s Charity Campaign – Clever!
Allergan inc., the maker of Botox cosmetic, launched its new philanthropic campaign called "My expressions of Kindness". He uses charity and good causes to drive people to Botox.
It's well thought. The idea behind the "Expression of Kindness" is when you don't have Botox done on you, you can make bad faces; so people think you're not kind and not happy. So Botox can help you both spread kindness and save the less fortunate among us.:)
The idea is to visit www.expresskindnesscampaign.com, where participants will be asked to complete a profile, detailing kind gestures the respondents have recently experienced. They are asked either when the last time they used Botox or if they are considering having a treatment. Upon completion, users can direct a $25 donation from allergan to one of the three participating organizations, namely make it right, which builds eco-conscious and safe homes in new orleans lower ninth Ward; dress for success, which provides disadvantaged women with career tools or children’s action network, which supports and finds homes for foster children.
A campaign rich of hot celebrities ambassadors such as television personality Didiayer Snyder, Emmy®-nominated actress and singer Vanessa Williams, best-selling author Vicki Iovine, Oscar®-nominated actress Virginia Madsen and five-time gold medalist Nadia Comaneci.
Bioelectricity – the future in skincare
Consumer goods giant Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has targeted cell-to-cell communication via bioelectricity for its latest anti-aging products: Neutrogena Clinical SPF30 Activating Cream and Ion2 Complex Gel Serum & Roc Brilliance Eye Beautifyer Kit.
I've interviewed Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic, PhD, a professor of Biomedical Engineering at Columbia University. She was mentionned in US Elle article about biolectricity in cosmetics.
1- The body has a native bioelectricity mechanism to repair itself but it has been turned off. Could you please quickly explain to me what biolectricity does to our body? And why has it been forgotten by the body?
Bioelectricity is never forgottenby our body! It is a part of the cell and tissue "machinery" that keeps us alive and functional. Throughout life, electrical potentials are maintained across the membranes of our cells, with movement of ions (Na, K, Ca) across the channels in cellular membranes. Bioelectricity is also the way of communication within the body including signal transmission along the nerves, and orchestration of the contractions of the muscle cells of the heart. Measurements of electrical phenomena are important diagnostic tools for many of our organs, including brain, heart and muscles.
2- Could you please explain to me why biolectricity is so promising for skincare?
In skin, bioelectricity remains present throughout life, to support normal cell function and healing after injury. What changes is the size of voltages and electrical microcurrents, both of which decrease with age. This has motivated research into various options of applying bioelectricity to aging skin, at the levels present in young healing skin, to promote rejuvenation.
3- Would an electrical device (microcurrent for instance) be more effective than a cream to send the right signal to the cell?
Either device could be effective, but using a face cream with energized microparticles may be more practical and enable an easy everyday use. It is rather easy to use cream containing particles - so small you do not see them - just like any other cream.
4- Could we imagine a makeup with bioelectricity?
Absolutely! There are already the first rejuvenating face creams becoming available on the market. These creams contain fine particles generating microcurrents when applied to skin, and one could imagine another variation of the same product in form of cosmetics.
