The Scientific Invention inside Atopis natural skin care
By Dr Iona Weir PhD
Chief Scientist and CEO
Atopis Skin Care
In my scientific research in YEAR I discovered that kiwifruit reduces cytokine IL6 in human cells.
Cytokine IL6 is the cellular transduction molecule responsible for the inflammation that causes eczema. (Weir et al., 2008).
Using the latest biochemistry technique called lipid fractionation technology, I then spent YEAR studying, testing and observing thousands of cells, and isolated and purified the component of kiwifruit pollen that reduces cytokine IL6.
I included this compound in Myriphytase, my US patented invention which goes inside all of my skin creams. (Weir US Patent No. ).
Myriphytase is scientifically proven to reduce this cytokine in the body and heal the cause of eczema from inside the cell.
After I invented Myriphytase, it was clinically trialed in both New Zealand and the USA and shown to help human skin including an increase in skin quality, a significant reduction in the severity of eczema symptoms, and a decrease in redness, itching, and scaling.
Like our other 100% natural ingredients, Myriphytase is not made up of mere plant extracts - our scientifically enhanced food grade compounds are clinically shown to benefit human skin.
Myriphytase is also scientifically proven to slow down the aging process by encouraging cell renewal, and contains antioxidants to neutralize environmental toxins.
Myriphytase regulates skin pH, tones and reduces pore size, and has an anti-inflammatory and redness reducing effect on skin.
It is an anti-inflammatory with potent antimicrobial and moisturizing properties.
Also inside Myriphytase are bioactive flavanoids, minerals, nutrients, vitamins and bee enzymes. It has antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and wound healing properties, and acts as a prebiotic for good bacteria on your skin as well as being an emollient. It has astringent and exfoliating properties as well as unclogging pores and reducing acne breakouts.
Myriphytase includes our patented potentiated bee pollen which is non-allergenic and contains phytosterols (a group of naturally occurring compounds found in plant cell membranes) that reduce itching and inflammation.
Phytohormones (naturally occurring small organic molecules that influence physiological processes in plants) are chemical messengers that coordinate cellular activities of plants and are inside Myriphytase to promote skin cell renewal and flavanoid antioxidants protect against environmental damage and skin dehydration.
Our patented pollen is anti-microbial and antiviral and a great source of vitamins, minerals and amino acids for your skin.
Myriphytase also contains Probiotic Peptilipids™
We create our unique patented ingredient Probiotic Peptilipids™ by growing bacteria which we have isolated from the New Zealand forest.
From these bacteria we harvest proteins and enzymes. The proteins are converted to peptides and bound to lipids which to create peptilipids.
There are no bacteria present in Atopis skin care, only the bacteria's enzymes and peptides which are scientifically shown to promote the growth of your skin's own beneficial microflora.
Treating Hormonal Skin: A Complex Journey
Hormonal skin affects most of us with nearly 85% of people getting acne at some point in their lives.
It is an up and down, tumultuous journey. Often spending money on what feels like a million products, finding that nothing has quite done the trick yet. We have all been there, while most of us are still there.
But achieving completely clear, healthy skin doesn’t happen overnight as much as we wish it did. It requires perseverance and a good skincare routine.
Our skin is actually the largest organ on the human body and is able to reflect internal matters such as gut problems, anxiety, periods and so on. Not so surprisingly, this means that skin complaints can be managed by addressing the internal issue.
For hormonal skin, breakouts are first caused by fluctuating hormones. One hormone in particular that causes bad skin is Androgen. This hormone is triggered when we experience stress and fatigue. It signals the sebaceous glands (they produce oil) to go into overdrive which results in too much oil in the pores that turn them into clogged pores (congestion).
In hormonal skin that is past the teenage years, the sebum gland wants to keep hydrating the skin because it thinks it is dry. To counteract this, choose skin care products we highly recommend natural and non-abrasive products – rather than harsh antibiotics or chemical cleaners. It is essential that after washing you apply a moisturiser to let the skin know it does not need to produce more oil.
If you use an exfoliator limit this to once a week if absolutely necessary. If practiced wrong, the skin is prone to drying out, and micro-tears from the exfoliator.
This leads us onto why exactly the way we clean the skin is so important for balancing the oil production.
There is a bacterial issue that keeps hormonal skin stuck on repeat.
What causes this is how the sebum gland works in harmony with our skin’s microflora (a mix of bacteria living on the skin’s surface).
As mentioned before, the sebum gland which is responsible for producing a reasonable level of oil is over-producing. When we cleanse the face it strips away dirt, oil and bacteria lifting it from the pores. But what we need is for the cleanser to gently and only remove the bad versions of oil and bacteria because there are good versions that live on the skin that are necessary to the microflora’s stability.
When the skin is over-producing oil, it is because it dried out too much, and this allows the bad bacteria to feed off the extra oil, increasing the chances of this nasty bacteria’s survival.
This key to avoiding this is to use a gentle natural cleanser and to moisturise morning and night. These are hormonal skin’s absolute survival essentials.
If you liked what you read and are ready to start your journey to clear skin then please learn more about our products designed specifically for balancing hormonal skin.
These 4 products create a skincare routine that cleanses, clears, moisturises, and tones the skin, so you can easily achieve healthy and glowing skin!
Atopis - Released at last
Atopis has successfully launched in New Zealand in the first week of February 2017. From the first week of the Atopis website going live orders from across the country have been steadily coming in.
What causes eczema?
If you or a family member has red, inflamed skin that’s, itchy, sore and weeping, it’s likely you are part of our sad national statistic, which reports that 20% of New Zealand children and a large number off Kiwi adults suffer from eczema.
Eczema and other irritating dry-skin conditions, such as psoriasis, are a real and miserable concern for people of all ages – the itching and irritation, the broken skin, the sores and the self-consciousness are all things that affect people who suffer from these conditions.
In many instances such conditions can be inherited, but let’s look at some of the causes and aggravators of an eczema outbreak:
1. Damaged skin barrier
Infection, lack of essential nutrients and fatty acids, environmental factors, stress and even those pesky hormones can cause dry, itchy skin conditions such as eczema or psoriasis. These conditions appear as a result of the immune system’s over-reaction to the irritant.
2. Loss of your natural skin microflora
Just like your digestive system, your skin has a natural skin microflora, made up of good bacteria (like probiotics), which prevent the build up of bad bacteria.
When the balance of good bacteria on your skin is lost, your immune system reacts with red, itchy inflamed skin.
Without the good bacteria, your skin is vulnerable to infection, which sets you up for a vicious cycle of sleep loss and itchy discomfort, scratching, infections and further inflammation.
3. Your genetics
Unfortunately, genetics can make our immune system oversensitive, causing our skin to react to even the slightest irritant. You’re more susceptible to outbreaks if you share a family history of suffering.
Treating your eczema
What you can do to reduce eczema symptoms:
- Steer clear of triggers, whether that's something like dairy, wool, soy, or dust
- Keep weeping sores covered with a light dressing if required, but air dry when you can to keep infections at bay
- Drink plenty of water
- Keep hot baths/showers and actual washing of the affected area to a minimum
- Keep your skin moisturised with an all-natural product such as Atopis Dry Itchy Skin Cream
In summer, Vitamin D from the sun and sea water swims in small doses can also help, but don't overdo it.
In winter, some people find relief from a tepid bath followed by cream liberally patted onto the skin. Remember to only sleep in 100 per cent cotton nightwear and sheets. Also make sure you are keeping the bedroom as cool and ventilated as possible.
We know eczema and dry skin conditions can ruin people’s quality of life, their confidence and, at times, can be very painful. This is what drove us to find a solution. We were also particularly worried about small children and babies and the stressful affect of their suffering on both parents and children. Our research found that Atopis soothes and calms the skin, leaving skin feeling hydrated, soft and smooth, no matter what age the user.
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Dr Iona Weir has created an all-natural cream, free from steroids and other chemicals, so that it is suitable for use by anyone, even on the new and hyper-sensitive skin of babies.
Atopis works in synergy with your immune system so you stop reacting to allergens and environmental triggers. It’s also so non-toxic and made from natural food-grade ingredients that it’s safe to use on small children and animals.
Within two weeks of use, this potent, all-natural therapy reverses the cell damage, and hydrates and restores the skin so the itching stops and the healing begins. Learn more about our clinically proven Dry Itchy Skin Cream by clicking on the product below.
MATURE SKIN? Why your regime may no longer work.
We may get wiser, but Dr. Iona Weir reveals why our tried and true skincare régime may no longer work as the years go by.
We expect a lot from our skin. We often mistreat it, yet expect it to bounce back and still look good as we age. Over the years, a combination of stress, lack of sleep, poor nutrition, dehydration, and environmental pollution, such as car fumes and UV rays from sun, phones and computers all take their toll.
So, if you’ve noticed a change in the quality and resilience of your skin, maybe it’s time to rethink your skincare régime. Caring for your skin is more than just applying moisture. As we age, the needs of our skin changes, and what used to work may not anymore.
Exfoliation Essentials
Regular but gentle exfoliation is essential as a starting point to get rid of the dead skin cells and toxins that build up on the skin’s delicate surface.
Not only do they make it difficult for moisturisers to do their job, but also cell renewal slows down as the years advance, so applying more and more cream won’t have the required effect.
In fact, smearing on the moisturiser could make things worse, leaving you looking tired instead of radiant.
Damage Limitation
Pollution and stress can trigger the skin’s outer layer, or epidermis, to go into defense mode to protect itself.
Extra layers of cells are created, thickening the skin in places. Once again, usual moisturisers can no longer penetrate into the skin, and a lot more is used than is normally required but for less effect.
Hormonal Hell
Stress wreaks havoc with hormones, causing them to overreact and change, and skin bears the brunt of this.
To help combat this, take the time to relax. Take a good antioxidant dietary supplement, and use a cream that contains potent and safe antioxidants.
As women grow older, our bodies produce less oestrogen and progesterone, resulting in slower cell renewal. Collagen is also lost, which results in the skin cells drying out, rather than having a healthy, youthful and plump appearance.
This means that it’s critical to use a cream that promotes cell renewal, and offers protection from damaging environmental effects. Simply just moisturising is no longer enough.
With this in mind, I created a dedicated anti-aging cream for the Atopis range, which contains no parabens, no solvents, no artificial fragrances, and has been only clinically trialed on humans rather than animals.
I needed to create a treatment that offers the intense hydration that mature skin needs - retexturising and plumping the skin at the actual cellular level. This helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
I say ‘actual’ because it saddens me to see multinational brands claiming their products work at the ‘cellular level’ without adequate evidence. We have the clinical trial data to prove Atopis does exactly that.
After gentle exfoliation, the concentrated anti-aging cream can be applied to the face, neck and décolletage.
Better Absorption
When applying skincare, warm it in your hands first, then pat it gently onto the skin. This prevents dragging which can easily damage the epidermis and create wrinkles.
It also has the bonus effect of allowing the cream to be absorbed into the skin more effectively, so less is wasted.
How to Manage Hormonal Breakouts
Most people learn the basics about acne at school, and it’s normally attributed to four main causes:
- Oil production through the skin’s sebaceous glands
- Dead skin cells
- Clogged pores
- Bacteria
But hormones, most prominently considered to be a ‘teenage thing’, continue to be a root cause of other breakouts as we age.
Stars of the show
In adults, Acne is usually caused by hormones, and it often appears in the lower half of face, cheekbones and jawline. It may look cystic, big and red, and can be very sensitive.
For women acne usually appears in the later stages of the menstrual cycle, so a week before or even during your period. It can also appear after starting a new form of birth control, hormone replacement therapy through menopause, or as a result of fluctuating hormones and conditions such as Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS).
The skin’s sebaceous glands interact directly with the hormones in our body. In fact it’s a particular trinity of hormones including estrogen, progesterone and androgens that make up the hormonal circus. Androgens are commonly called the male hormones and include testosterone for example. These three groups of hormones are naturally present in our body at all times but can fluctuate in level, particularly androgens, when compounded with stress, fatigue and lack of skin care.
Androgens are the worst perpetrators for causing bad skin because they stimulate growth of the sebaceous glands and increase sebum levels, making skin oily and causing severe congestion known as hyperkeratinisation. This condition means dead skin cells don’t slough off naturally and instead clog the skin’s pores. Cue the entry of bacteria and acne appears as the star of the show.
Men are particularly susceptible to breakouts because acne belongs to a grim troupe of hyperandrogenic diseases that are characterised by the excessive production of androgens. Other members of this merry band include male pattern baldness which can join acne as a misery double act.
Treating the miserable circus
It’s important for people to understand that acne is a skin disease, and it needs to be treated as one. Our skin is an effective barrier against dirt, infection and pathogens, which is designed to beat skin disease at its own game. We’re born with our own unique skin microflora of bacteria and viruses that builds our immunity and keeps skin healthy. Just like our gut microflora, the good bacteria and matter that make up our skin microflora, known collectively as your microbiome, needs to be preserved.
Here's some potential treatments for hormonal acne:
- Keeping your gut balance and microflora healthy through fermented foods and Kefir which helps replenish beneficial bacteria. These naturally combat the inflammatory effects of antibiotics, sugar, alcohol and processed foods which reduce your immunity.
- Stimulating your lymph system through exercise, drinking more water and avoiding excessive caffeine and alcohol consumption.
- Experimenting with cutting dairy out of your diet and try to incorporate Evening Primrose Oil, zinc and vitamin B6.
- Limiting stress and getting more sleep.
- Seeking medical advice to rule out any hormone imbalance or disorder that may require further investigation.
- Keeping the skin’s moisture barrier strong and healthy as this makes it more resilient and reduces the severity of acne. Don’t use soaps or cleansers that strip the skin, and gently exfoliate once a week. It’s also important to use a good moisturiser that doesn’t block the pores (non-comedogenic), and targets acne and hormonal skin complaints.
How Atopis can help
Based on her award-winning international research and successful clinical trials, Dr Iona Weir has formulated safe, natural products to help unlock skin’s own immunity and assist self-repair.
Atopis Acne Prone Skin Cream helps treat hormonal acne by limiting overstimulation and moderates the hormone receptors of the skin’s sebaceous glands. It rebuilds your skin through moisturising, controlling sebum levels and preventing that old villain, hyperkeratinisation.
Meanwhile, the probiotic peptides in Atopis, work to restore your skin’s friendly bacteria microbiome, just like probiotics in the gut.
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Drop the final curtain down on hormonal acne by trying Atopis Acne Prone Skin Cream.
Products with coconut water treat dry skin better than face oils
A client in her early 50s recently contacted us to share her delighted experience of the Atopis anti-aging cream and asked a familiar question – why does it work better than pure oil on dry skin?
Growing up in a low-humidity environment and with pale, sensitive skin, Linda explained how she always invested in her skin – taking care to always wear sunblock along with a meticulous daily cleansing and moisturising regimen.
This vigilance paid off. Through her teenage years and into adulthood a pimple was very rare and, apart from a few laughter lines, she has managed to stave off deep wrinkles. Now though, dry patches are appearing as menopausal changes approach and she’s been using rose hip, sweet almond and other oils to supplement the moisturisers. Before discovering Atopis, Linda says, she’d moved entirely to applying just expensive but good face oil at night hoping this would relieve the dryness.
The face oil seemed to just suck up the oil with little long-term effects, or worse, stay on the top dry layer of skin, she says.
The Atopis Anti-aging Cream absorbed oil too, as others have also reported, but in the morning skin felt soft and moist, without any greasy residue. Why was that, Linda asked?
As well as containing essential oils, coconut water is a key ingredient in every Atopis product. It helps oils to absorb, locking in their moisturising properties. It contains vital minerals and vitamins for your skin – vitamin C, potassium, magnesium and calcium. It also contains cytokinins, which slow down the aging process by encouraging cell growth and activation, and antioxidants to neutralise environmental toxins.
Coconut water is also antimicrobial/anti-fungal, reducing risks of acne, and regulates the skin’s pH, tones and reduces pores. It is also an anti-inflammatory and reduces redness. Coconut water also contains lauric acid, which is the main fatty acid in breast milk.
The benefits of the extracted coconut water in Atopis
- Coconut water helps your skin absorb moisturising oils.
- It contains vital minerals and vitamins – vitamin C, potassium, magnesium and calcium.
- It contains cytokinins, which slow the aging process by boosting cell growth.
- It contains antioxidants to neutralise environmental toxins.
- Coconut water is anti-fungal, reducing inflammation and redness.
- It contains lauric acid, which has anti-microbial and hormone-balancing properties.
- Coconut water regulates your skin tones, pH and reduces pores.
There has been a lot of excitement around coconut water and related products over the last few years but it’s important to remember that careful extraction and treatment is required to receive the full benefits, as found in all Atopis products.
Atopis creator Dr Iona Weir’s colleagues can’t believe that she insists the company physically extracts the water from each coconut, rather than buying it in bulk like other companies do. As a scientist and a mother, she thinks everyone who tries Atopis deserves the very best – and that’s the good oil!
Fresh coconut water has many benefits for our skin
Dr Iona Weir was horrified to see a photograph, taken this week, of a bacterial/fungal growth in someone's pasteurised coconut beverage container. Dr Weir explains that when we pasteurise coconut water we often lose most of the goodness that is beneficial for our skin. Here's also why fresh coconut water will always be best!
It’s not the latest hopeful auditioning for Alien 3, but instead this slimy guy is a huge slug which likely grew through contaminated coconut flesh. I’ve seen this happen when I undertook a global search for the best possible coconut water essential to formulate the breakthrough Atopis treatments for skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis and hormonal acne, and for treating the signs of aging.
As recently reported, in the NZ Herald a woman discovered an unwelcome addition while drinking what was, until then, her favourite coconut water. It was a popular ‘long life’ brand which is flash pasteurised. This procedure is done in a matter of seconds at temperatures of around 71C (159F).
Problem is if there is a solid-like coconut flesh and some bacterial/fungal spores present - the flash pasteurisation will not be enough to kill them. Flash pasteurisation works really well for clear juices but not good for solids in which such spores can survive up to 115C (239F).
However, the high temperature of flash pasteurisation destroys many of the vitamins, nutrients and plant hormones that are essential for health benefits and skin health.
This meant for Atopis, I will not compromise and instead we source fresh coconuts and use our unique filter sterilisation process of the fresh coconut water, which removes bacterial spores but protects the nutrients, vitamins and plant hormones.
And you can be sure that our treatments are so natural and toxin-free they could be eaten, also making our creams safe for babies and animals.
You’ll find nothing alien in Atopis – just relief and beautiful skin. Free shipping, for a limited time, at www.atopis.co.nz
How to soothe eczema in babies and young children
What is Eczema?
Eczema - or Atopic Dermatitis - usually develops in children and babies, and more specifically in people who have a family history of eczema.
The main symptom is itchy rashes and sores in the folds of the elbows and knees but can spread to the rest of the body. Over-scratching the sores and rashes can cause them to break the skin and weep. This leads to infection, scarring and have a major effect on children’s health and wellbeing.
Searching for your child's instant eczema relief? Atopis has developed a 100% natural and cruelty-free Dry Itchy Skin Cream that can be applied directly onto rashes and sores, to soothe, heal and reduce the irritation that comes along with eczema.
The Impact of Eczema
It’s a vicious cycle of itching and scratching, with heat, clothing and the related sleeping difficulties making the irritation even worse. 
We’ve spoken to many adults who despair when they see their babies going through what they also suffered from as children.
One colleague remembers being put to bed as a child with mittens on to stop the scratching. Another has photos of herself as a baby wrapped up like an Egyptian mummy in crepe bandages after being covered from head to toe in purple skin-staining antiseptic mercurochrome.
Now a GP himself, another shows his prematurely elderly and scarred hands – ‘monkey hands’ he calls them. They are the result of excessive use of harsh steroid creams on his eczema.
Unfortunately, such discomfort and pain are all too common for babies and young children whose new skin is much thinner than adults.
Although one of the most beautiful natural countries, New Zealand also has one of the highest incidences of childhood eczema in the world – likely because of high allergy rates, low humidity, and a traditional lack of central heating.
These conditions are red flags for babies and children with Eczema as they can cause the irritation to become unbearable.
Identifying Triggers
Dr. Weir recommends parents look at eczema ‘triggers’ in your children's lifestyle.
Some common environmental triggers include:
• Dairy - dairy foods are a common allergy in eczema sufferers
• Wool - coarse man-made fibers can cause irritation on the skin
• Soy - soy-based products can cause eczema symptoms to flare-up
• Dust - one of the most common triggers of allergies in eczema sufferers
It's best to keep your baby's skin regularly moisturized, ensure they drink plenty of water and fluids and try and keep hot baths or showers and overall water contact to the eczema-affected areas to a minimum.
Parents can often over-clean their children in hope to keep the sores safe from infection and help the rashes heal. Every person has their own unique skin microflora (balance of good and bad bacteria), which works in the same way as gut microflora, therefore it’s important to protect the balance of bacteria by not over-cleansing.
Many soaps and cleansers can completely wipe out all bacteria - this can lead to skin conditions, including eczema, that arises from this imbalance.
Coping With Eczema Seasonally
Winter
Winter can be a tough time for babies and children with eczema, as the dry winter air combined with indoor heating can cause symptoms to aggressively flare-up.
Some ways to provide relief in Winter include:
• Tepid baths - lukewarm baths provide some relief to the flaring symptoms,
• Relieving Creams - use eczema creams generously morning and night to keep skin moisturized
• 100 % cotton - natural fibers reduce the chance of fabrics irritating the sores and rashes even more
• Ventilation - keep the room well-ventilated and cooler as to not initiate symptom flare-ups
Summer
Summer can be just as hard for young eczema sufferers, as conditions can not only cause flare-ups, but there are more allergens present to trigger allergies.
Some ways to provide relief in Summer include:
• Vitamin D - from the sun and sea-water swims in small doses can also help, but don’t overdo it
• Don’t rub the skin - after swimming, only pat the skin dry and always use a clean towel.
• Keep weeping sores covered - with a light dressing if required, but air dry when you can to keep infections at bay.
• Cold showers & baths - when washing or showering after swimming/exercise, cold showers provide relief without the aggravation
How Atopis Dry Itchy Skin Cream Can Help Your Family
Atopis Dry Itchy Relief Cream is our answer to your child's eczema symptoms, through working in synergy with their immune system so they stop reacting to allergens and environmental triggers.
Within weeks of use, this potent, all-natural skin-cream therapy reverses the cell damage, and hydrates and restores the skin so the itching stops and the healing begins.
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Atopis Dry Itchy Relief Cream is suitable for use by anyone, from new and hyper-sensitive skin of babies to young children - and even animals!
Learn More About Atopis Dry Itchy Skin Cream