Traditional eczema treatments – more harm than good?
As parents, we often use traditional eczema treatments learned from our own families when treating our children.
With that in mind, Atopis creator Dr Iona Weir asks: could use of these remedies actually worsen your child’s skin in the long term?
As parents we seem to be hardwired to reach for what we believe to be a longtime staple of the first aid kit or the bathroom cupboard, especially in the middle of the night when stress levels are high and our child is miserable and crying.
We might even go into the kitchen and whip up a treatment that has been used in the family for generations, or fossick around the drawers for at least what’s left in an elderly tube of steroid cream.
This might provide temporary relief, but there are real dangers for a young child’s skin from the use of steroid and even traditional skin treatments and remedies – even those used for generations.
I recently asked my customers what they’ve used on skin complaints like eczema and psoriasis in the past. I got back what a scientist like me would consider a veritable ‘witches brew’ of potentially harmful substances – particularly in the long term. These included: urea creams, baking soda, antibiotics, tar products such as pinetarsol and other ‘general use’ petroleum-based preparations.
In an earlier blog, I also talked about a GP colleague who suffers from what his children call ‘monkey hands’. Wrinkled and unsightly, his hands were smothered with steroids as a child by his well-meaning mother. Unfortunately, this has led to irreparable damage. Not only do steroids cause skin thinning, but in children under three years there is increased risk of cancers such as leukemia and stunted growth.
The short-term relief from these treatments will not restore your skin’s microflora, which plays a vital role in supporting your immunity system, nor lead to healing of the skin. Instead, it will dry it out and remove any good bacteria – damaging the skin’s pH level and epidermal barrier. This will worsen the eczema and make you even more sensitive to allergens. When you are in a wretched itch-scratch-apply cycle from using some remedies, this can also lead to scarring and infection, which is likely to require skin-thinning steroids.
Due to these risks and having worked on pharmaceutical eczema products and seen the outcomes, I decided to develop a suitable product (Atopis) that could be used to reduce eczema flare ups and therefore limit the use of steroids, except in the most extreme cases. After many years of research and clinical trials, I was thrilled to release to market an all-natural eczema cream.
The vicious itch-scratch-apply cycle needs to be broken for the good of your child’s skin and wellbeing. With Atopis, you’re using a clinically proven treatment and nature’s own healing and immunity properties to provide not just relief but restoration to your skin’s unique microflora.
For those unfortunate parents on night duty, the Atopis cream’s natural effectiveness lasts two years in the tube so it’s perfect for the bathroom cabinet or even if it’s lost at the back of the kitchen drawer!
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To find out more about the Atopis Dry Itchy Skin Relief Cream, click here.
Beauty cream fillers make up majority of product but have no active role
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The global manufacturers won’t tell you, but the fillers that are going into your treatments and beauty creams make up the majority of what you’re paying for, writes international cellular scientist and creator of Atopis, Dr Iona Weir.
Like most women, I’ve always been a label reader. Whether it’s buying my family’s breakfast cereal or a skin cleanser, I won’t buy it unless I’m satisfied with what’s on the label.
In the consumer product industry, food and ingredient labelling is a comparatively new phenomenon, sparked by widespread demand to know exactly what is in the products we’re consuming. The good news is that the government listened and introduced regulations to make manufacturers accountable for their products.
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) established The Food Labelling Guide in 1994 to guide the industry, while Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) set out its legislative requirements labelling in the Food Standards Code (2003).
Although the legislation was predominantly aimed at food manufacturers, the same labelling principles are now being applied to most health and beauty products to help consumers make informed choices about the products they purchase. For food particularly, it can also help prevent adverse or life threatening reactions.
Regulations are very clear, particularly in New Zealand, Australia and the US, that a label needs to be legible and, most importantly tell the truth. Occasionally some beauty and health products can slip into the market not telling the whole story. Just do a quick Google search and you will find countless examples of where a particular ingredient might have been excluded because it’s such a small quantity, or the ingredient is being disguised under another name, such as palm oil-derived ingredients that can have more than 20 different name variations.
Consumers need to check the amount of each ingredient including what is known as ‘filler’ like benign cream of something like petroleum-derived waxes such as paraffin. If the filler is the highest-listed component and the active ingredient is less than or similar to the preservative amount, forget it.
Thankfully, this issue is rare in most reputable brands. However it highlights why it’s so important for consumers to understand not only what ingredients are being used, but what quantities are being used in each product. When you know this basic information, the next step is to ask yourself: ‘Am I getting value for money?’ This is like buying what you think is mango juice, which is only 5 percent mango, and the rest apple juice, - check the amount of each ingredient. Again, if a filler is the highest-listed ingredient and the active is less than or similar to the preservative amount – don’t buy it.
So, what is in your skincare products?
The ‘breakthrough ingredient’ sits within, in most skin products, ‘the rest.’ In other words, the filler. This means the bulk of what you’re buying does nothing at all.
Too many ‘beauty creams’ at all levels of the market fall into this category, and while it’s not harmful, the filler still has no active role to play. It does exactly what it’s supposed to do – fill up the bottle.
Every product needs some emulsifier to bind the cream ingredients together, but many companies use them in excess to bulk, or “fill” the product. This is why I was determined to make Atopis – a clinically trialled skincare range that effectively treats common skin conditions as well as signs of aging – a complete, concentrated product. Every Atopis product only has a very small amount of emulsifier to help bind it, but you can be assured that the majority of the cream is made up of active ingredient.
The key ingredient in all Atopis treatments is Myriphytase, which includes our own probiotic peptilipids, using a unique fermentation process. Instead of mixing Myriphytase into a filler product, Atopis is concentrated further with coconut water – a substance containing vital minerals and vitamins as well as cytokinins, which slow down the aging process by encouraging cell renewal, and antioxidants to neutralise environmental toxins. Coconut water regulates the skin pH, tones and reduces pores and is anti-inflammatory, and reduces redness.
Beware of claims from so-called ‘coconut-based’ creams, which purport to contain coconut water or oil. Instead of real coconut, they might contain a synthetic chemical that is actually coconut-smelling glycerine filler.
Why should you care?
As an entrepreneurial scientist, over the years I’ve turned down some very lucrative opportunities with international manufacturers based on ethics. I will not lie to consumers nor will I ever rip off the original innovator.
This is particularly important when choosing a treatment product for a particular skin complaint such as eczema, acne, psoriasis or very dry and itchy skin. As a consumer you should know what level of ‘active ingredients’ is required to control and treat your skin condition – and check to see if it’s really in the product.
Anti-aging products drive one of the largest segments of the global beauty and cosmetics industry, and many manufacturers aren’t shy in making claims that their revolutionary, age-defying product, in regard to the appearance of your skin, can literally turn back time. It is not unusual to enter a department store or beauty salon and see names like ‘liquid gold’, or ‘skin caviar’ listed on packaging. These luxe creams are marketed at high-end consumers and are often based on such claims.
However, just because a product touts the latest global ‘active ingredient’ trend with a flashy price tag doesn’t mean you should just jump on the bandwagon – always check the percentage of the claimed active ingredient in the product.
Think value and percentage of active ingredient
Again, when buying any product, keep value in mind and ask what amount of active ingredient you are really paying for. Whether it’s a small or large purchase, always read the label and look for a product that is as concentrated as possible.
The entire product has to work for you, so do your research and pay for a product that offers you the honesty and transparency that you and your family deserve.
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Explore the Atopis product range and rest assured you're feeding your skin natural, organic ingredients.
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For more information, see:
http://www.foodstandards.govt.nz/industry/labelling/Pages/default.aspx
https://www.ran.org/palm_oil_s_dirty_secret_the_many_ingredient_names_for_palm_oil
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Probiotics: The answer to good skin health
Using probiotics and prebiotics to keep your gut healthy has long been known to assist good bowel function and control metabolism. What is lesser known is that keeping bacteria in balance is just an important for skin health, writes Dr Iona Weir.
Over the years many products have claimed to give us clear and beautiful skin and have focused on getting rid of bacteria. In this process all bacteria are destroyed, including the good stuff, from our skin.
This means that clear skin doesn’t last long as bad bacteria quickly grow back again and replace the good.
Our skin, like the gut, has its own unique microflora (balance of good and bad bacteria). In order to reduce skin allergies, restore immune function and prevent infection that balance must be restored.
Lack of balance can be caused by a number of reasons including using too many cleansers and soaps. Instead of protecting against infection, this over-scrubbing results in damaging your own natural and unique protection.
That’s when the bad bacteria run wild, causing outbreaks of acne, inflammation, redness or dry irritated skin.
This means not only should you exfoliate less and resist over cleansing, but also use a cream such as Atopis that contains a prebiotic and the peptides from probiotic bacteria, which work to promote good bacterial growth while inhibiting bad bacteria.
Too clean a house, hands and you open yourself and family to infections and allergies. You need bacteria in balance.
Prebiotics have different functions to probiotics
Each person has their own unique microflora, gut and skin; this is directly inherited from your mother.
Earlier in my career, I was Chief Scientific Officer for the team that developed Phloe – a natural kiwifruit product that restores balance of bacteria in the gut to maintain bowel health. It is now an international best-selling brand and a leader in its field.
Phloe, like Atopis, centred on the idea of prebiotics as the plant-based enzyme that helps nurture and provide a boost of probiotics, the live bacteria, and provides sustained balance.
Of course the use of probiotic supplements can help, but over time your body will no longer benefit as the microflora remains out of balance. As prebiotics support the growth of probiotics, use these with a probiotic. Then, once your gut microflora is restored, continue to take a prebiotic to keep the balance in place.
It is also important to remember probiotics can die in the capsule, or die on the way through the digestive tract. Always look for high-quality, high colony-forming unit probiotics. Probiotics that work are expensive as they have to be micro encapsulated to be protected from the digestive enzymes and acid in the stomach. This is why it’s so important to take probiotics after a meal too.
Gut microflora has been discovered to be central to preventing allergies including the skin, immune function and, when out of balance, result in eczema, rashes, hives and conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, and auto-immune disorders.
What has really surprised scientists is that there is now a confirmed link between gut microflora and schizophrenia, anxiety disorders and possibly ADHD and autism.
What’s clear is that our gut and skin health work in synergy. Balance is the answer to beautifully clear and glowing skin.
What are probiotics and prebiotics?
Probiotics are live good bacteria, while prebiotics are specialised plant fibres that beneficially nourish the good bacteria. Prebiotics help your good bacteria grow, which improves the good-to-bad bacteria ratio.
Seasonal skin conditions
Since developing and then launching Atopis onto the market earlier this year, Dr Iona Weir has been contacted by a number of customers about seasonal skin conditions and allergies, seeking relief for when their home climate causes their eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis and other skin conditions to be at its worst.
Seasonal Changes Affecting Your Skin
Along with the temperature, environment and required clothing changes, the transition of the seasons themselves can play havoc with people’s skin – particularly those born with sensitivities.
So first let’s talk about the obvious signs. Dryness and humidity fluctuations will affect everyone’s skin regardless of time of year and predominant skin type.
As a basis you have to protect your skin’s unique microflora – the balance of good and bad bacteria that protects your skin and assists the immune system in warding off skin irritation and infection. The best way to do this is to make sure you don’t over-cleanse and this also means only gently exfoliating. This goes for both your face and your body.
Then, whatever skin type you have, a good quality moisturiser is the key to skin health. For everyone, I can’t stress enough how much quality doesn’t necessarily mean high price. Rather than cost, the most important thing to look for is a high level of active ingredient as a percentage of the overall product it is mixed in. You want to pay for the ingredients that work, not a lot of ‘filler’ like glycerine.
For some, this is not enough to keep your skin irritation or blemish free. In winter, over-heated rooms, harsh fabrics and bracing cold conditions can lead to the misery of over-dry skin, eczema and dermatitis. Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, summer is bringing allergies from plants and animals, heat and humidity causing boils and itching, and sport-related sweat rashes. All the while, discomfort is causing sleepless nights and scratchy days.
For both seasons, wearing breathable fabrics such as cotton is a must. Clothes – no matter how many or how few you are wearing as dictated by the season – need to be washed using mild and gentle laundry soap. These are now widely available in stores and the internet is full of recipes to even make your own.
The Little-Known Key To Skin Health: Probiotics And Prebiotics
Probiotics and prebiotics are not just for stomach health, but are increasingly found to be essential for overall wellbeing, and this means for your skin (the body’s largest organ) too. We've actually done a whole post on Probiotics and Prebiotics - feel free to have a read of this too. As well as taking supplements, Atopis’ Dry Itchy Skin Relief Cream and Acne Prone Skin Cream provide a boost of good bacteria straight to your skin for sustainable relief.
Both preparations not only relieve the itching, inflammation and target the infection, but active probiotics and prebiotics help the immune system heal the damage and make the skin healthier by assisting in the restoration of its microflora.
Atopis is also so safe it can be used in conjunction with steroids and antihistamines for severe sufferers, and you and your medical professional can be assured that the creams use all natural ingredients and contain no parabens, solvents, or artificial fragrance.
One of the pleasures of life is enjoying the changing seasons and the different activities and experiences they bring.
Whatever the weather, having healthy, beautiful and irritant-free skin is possible.
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Dietary Supplements – Are they worth it?
Dietary Supplements – Are they worth it?
Did you know that all pharmaceutical drugs originate from plants or microbes.
For example, aspirin comes from Willow bark.
Not all Supplements are created equal – here’s why?
Quality dietary supplements can be very effective in helping with issues such as arthritis, digestive health, hormonal balancing, immune support, aging and cognitive function.
But make sure you do your homework first before you buy. Check out how and where they are made and are there clinical trials behind the product.
A product that says scientifically tested means it was tested in the lab and the results extrapolated - So there is a big difference between scientifically tested and clinically trialed.
To do a clinical trial a company must first prove to an independent ethics committee the safety and good quality manufacturing of the product, so this alone already means the product has been properly reviewed by independent professionals.
Timing and compatibility - How to make supplements work for you
Following is a classic example of how supplements can be damaging to each other.
When you take and how you take a dietary supplement is critical to their efficacy. For instance, if you take Phloe (kiwifruit digestive enzymes) and Kyolic (garlic) together they inhibit (obstruct) each other.
This is because garlic contains Allicin a protease (digests proteins) inhibitor, which blocks viral replication but also inhibits digestive enzymes (proteases).
So for them both to work, you need to take Phloe or any digestive enzyme before a meal and take Kyolic or garlic during or after a meal.
Getting the most from your supplements – What to check for
Always check for the synergistic benefits (as well as for any potential interference) to get the most from your supplements.
Supplements can truly complement each other – here’s how.
Take an antioxidant such as grape seed extract with an omega 3 and it increases the bioavailability and potency of the grape seed extract.
Why MORE is not necessarily better
Vitamins and minerals can be beneficial at times of stress such as pregnancy and illness, but generally, they should not be required on a long-term basis if you are consuming a healthy diet.
Your body only needs a certain amount of vitamins every day, so if you take more than you need all that happens is that the vitamins end up being excreted from your body never used.
Damage control - Vitamins can also be toxic if the recommended dose is exceeded, for example, Vitamin A at high doses can cause liver damage. So the continuous use of vitamins means that your body adapts, and no longer uses the vitamins optimally.
So always stick to the recommended dose of vitamins, and preferably use food as your main source of vitamins and minerals.
How do I know that my dietary supplement or my skincare is working?
To be approved as a drug a pharmaceutical drug generally needs to have a clinical benefit within 24 hours, preferably sooner.
But dietary supplements, when you have clinically tested them, take 3 weeks for the full benefits to be seen. This is because dietary supplements work on issues that are not based on a single chemical reaction, but rather complex issues such as the gut microflora, cellular damage due to oxidative stress, premature aging of cells, cognitive function.
It’s the same with skin - Similarly, with the skin, it takes 3 weeks for the new skin cells to come through.
So if you want to know whether your dietary supplement or plant-based skincare is truly benefitting you, check after three weeks. It will also take three weeks for the benefits to wear off.
A balance of supplements and diet - Now you know the tricks for best value
So supplements do work and can be beneficial to your health when taken correctly, but for general well-being, nothing beats a healthy well-balanced diet packed with fruits and vegetables.
One more trick - the reason why the Mediterranean diet is so healthy is that the olive oil, with a dash of garlic, works in synergy with the flavonoids and lycopenes in the tomatoes to increase bioavailability (absorption) and potency.
Enjoy.
What are fillers - how do they affect you?
What are Fillers?
A filler is used as a bulking agent or carrier to fill out a capsule or bulk up a skin cream or food item. Fillers are like the dietary supplement equivalent of candy – they fill you up but have no health benefits.
A cheaply priced dietary supplement generally means the supplement contains the minimum amount to make a claim that it has a health benefit, but otherwise contains fillers. Regulators put a minimum amount for well-known ingredients, e.g. omega 3 oils, in order to make a claim. But the filler ratio can vary from 10% to 90%.
Fillers are basically known in the industry as excipients – all products need them so that the essential ingredients remain in suspension until they reach your gut (where they need to separate to be absorbed). However, by increasing the amount of excipient from say 3% to 30% a company can save a lot of money on the expensive item – the plant bioactive. The consumer needs to carefully read the label to find out how much per capsule and do the maths, you want to buy as pure as possible.
What happens to excipients when you ingest them?
Too much excipient holds the bioactive component in suspension not only in the capsule but also all the way through your gut and into the toilet bowl, resulting in no benefit at all for you. For skincare, by adding lots of filler such as glycerin, the cream will feel soft on the skin and spread easily but will have minimal benefit to the cells below. Thus your skin will not change, and you will over time need to use more and more as your skin dehydrates.
Remember when you were young and did not have dry feeling skin, but then you needed to use moisturizers and the more you used the more you needed? This is because the natural barrier function of your skin becomes smothered by the fillers and damaged by over cleansing.
How to optimize your dietary supplements
For more cost effective benefit from dietary supplements, you are better to buy the quality products but use less of them. For instance, a quality probiotic you only need to take 1 every second day to get the benefit, whilst for a probiotic packed with fillers you could take 10 a day and have minimal effect (the fillers though are a great laxative). The same applies to skin creams, less is more.
Think of muesli bars, if you buy the cheap version packed with fillers you will need to eat several to obtain the same amount of nutrients as a quality bar, but you will also have consumed a large amount of sugar and other unnecessary ingredients which have blocked the absorption in your gut of any beneficial nutrients and interfere with your metabolism.
What is really in those “all natural plant extracts”?
Learning what is in your natural plant extracts
As the consumer demand for more natural products has grown, there has been an ever-increasing trend to use whole plant extracts in skin creams and dietary supplements, instead of highly purified single molecule ingredients. This approach is very good as the synergistic benefits of the whole plant extract are concentrated and are in a form that your body knows and recognizes.
But in choosing which ones you use, you need to be aware there are many ways in which to make plant extracts, some which increase the potency, some which have no benefit and other techniques which can be harmful.
How do they make extracts?
Dietary supplements are plant based extracts that have been made using a variety of manufacturing processes. Some of these techniques will produce a highly concentrated plant bioactive, while others use solvents to pull the bioactive compounds out of the plant material.
Freeze drying is an expensive process in which the plant material is gently frozen to a highly concentrated form using water. There is also spray drying which passes the liquefied plant material through a high-pressure nozzle and removes the water.
The use of solvents
Alternatively, the far cheaper and more common form of making plant extracts is the use of solvents such as methanol, ethanol, isopropyl alcohol and acetone. This process works by absorbing the bioactive compounds out of the chopped up plant material and then evaporating the solvents off and drying the extract.
The problem with evaporating off solvents such as methanol is that not all of the solvent is removed and traces remain. Some of the solvents used and the other chemicals that are often mixed in during this process can be toxic and affect your long-term health.
Regulatory environments allow these solvents to be used based on the premise of limited exposure.
What to look for
When choosing which skincare to use or dietary supplement to take, check which process they use to make their plant extracts.
Using a solvent to make an extract is very cheap and allows companies to make bulk extracts for minimal cost, but traces of the solvent can remain.
Also remember information about the extracts used in skin creams does not have to disclose if they contain solvents, parabens or preservatives, only the finished cream.
Plant extracts can also contain traces of herbicides, pesticides and excess levels of heavy metals. Some countries have regulations requiring routine testing of these as well as solvents and microbial contamination, but others do not.
So the “all natural” product may not be as pure as suggested. It pays to really do your homework and check where companies are sourcing their “natural ingredients”.
How Does Sun Exposure Affect Your Skin?
When summer rolls around, there is nothing better than hitting the beach and soaking up the sun to get that Instagram-worthy golden tan. When you're young, it's easy to forget about skin-protection, and sunburn just seems like temporary damage.
However, the consequences of not considering the effects of too much sun exposure to the skin can cause permanent skin damage and premature aging, also known as photoaging.
Are you noticing the effects of sun exposure causing wrinkles, lines, and discoloration on your skin?
Our Atopis Anti-Aging Cream has been designed for skin that has lived, including over-exposure to the elements over time. Using 100% natural ingredients, our cream stimulates collagen production to plump your skin, reduce wrinkles, and restore your youthful glow.
How Does The Sun Affect My Skin?
Sun exposure is responsible for up 90% of the visible changes attributed to aging (WHO report) that we generally consider as a normal part of aging. This process is known as ‘photoaging’.
Signs of Photoaging include:
• Fine lines and wrinkles - around the eyes and mouth.
• Skin dryness - flaking of the skin in patches.
• Skin laxity - loss of collagen and elasticity in the skin.
• Pigmentation - discoloration of parts of the skin in the sun-exposed areas.
• Vascular abnormalities - such as spider veins on the nose, cheeks, and neck.
But there are far more sinister aspects to photoaging than just the appearance aspects.
Melanin and Skin Pigmentation
UV exposure causes skin cells to produce melanin, which results in the “beautiful” golden tan, but this is essentially the skin trying to protect itself from damage.
Melanin is actually the end byproduct of oxidative stress within the cell. It is the same chemical process as when an apple or banana goes brown, so getting a tan is not healthy, but rather a sign of your skin suffering high levels of oxidative stress.
Unfortunately, UV does not just cause melanin production, it also causes DNA damage which if not repaired will in later life result in actinic keratosis or worse, melanoma.
Oxidative stress caused by UV Rays
As far as prematurely aging your skin, UV rays cause intense oxidative stress within your skin cells.
As well as the DNA in your nucleus being damaged, UV ray exposure can also result in mitochondrial impairment.
Mitochondria are the powerhouse of your cells, and their job is to fight free radicals to control the level of oxidation in a cell and to produce cellular energy.
Any damage your mitochondria results in your cells destroying your antioxidation system and energy supply.
This causes an increase in free radicals within the cell and a decline in cellular energy production. If left unchecked, this build-up of free radicals can also damage the DNA within the mitochondria - potentially resulting in skin cancer.
Unfortunately, by damaging your cells mitochondria powerhouse, you impair energy production.
This creates a long-term potential for large-scale cellular damage across the body which can cascade into changes in your metabolic state, leading to potential weight gain, diabetes, and fatigue.
So it is absolutely critical to protect your mitochondria from UV and oxidative stress to avoid potential longer-term negative effects.
Can our skin rust?
Nuclear ferritin (iron) in your cells protects your DNA from free radicals.
UV exposure results in the release of ferritin, and its oxidation means that your defense systems are damaged, your iron levels are reduced, and your DNA is now at risk of being damaged.
Although this is the same chemical process as what occurs with metals and rusting, your skin cells do not technically rust, but your cellular iron does oxidize in the same way.
Controlling Wrinkles
Unfortunately, UV damage does not stop there, it changes the three-dimensional structure of vital proteins including collagen so that they lose their “bounce” and become flattened.
This results in wrinkles and thinning of the skin. Nothing will prematurely age you more than UV exposure.
It takes the skin two years to “recover” from sunburn on the surface, the cellular damage, however, can remain with you for life.
Make sure you use a high SPF sunscreen that meets US standards, as these are the highest in the world. Apply regularly and make sure you cover up your skin.
Prevent Photo-Aging With Atopis
If you are looking for a product to reduce sun damage, Our Atopis Anti-Aging Cream has been scientifically formulated to work below the skin to balance hormones, which will give you visible results on the appearance of your skin.
Our Anti Aging Cream uses 100% natural ingredients that stimulate collagen production which plumps the skin, reduces wrinkles, and restores your youthful and healthy glow!
Using sunscreen initially is the best way to make sure your skin is protected. However, if the damage is done, using a cream packed with antioxidants for your skin body will give your mitochondria the help they need to function properly. Remember oxidative stress anywhere in your body will show on your skin.
Learn More About Atopis Intensive Restore Cream
Understanding The Seven Types Of Eczema
All types of eczema cause itching, dryness, and redness, but some may also cause your skin to blister, “weep”, or peel. It is important to understand which type of eczema you or your loved one may have. Learning about and understanding symptoms and possible triggers can also help how to treat and manage your own or your child’s eczema.
1. Atopic dermatitis
The most common form of eczema and usually occurs in childhood. The symptoms include dryness, scaling, itching and redness. Atopic dermatitis is first and foremost a result of lack of filaggrin protein resulting in the ongoing cycle described above.
2. Contact dermatitis
Also caused by a lack of filaggrin where the skin has become sensitized to allergens and has an allergic reaction upon contact. Managing contact dermatitis is about avoiding irritants, protecting the skin barrier and reducing the immune sensitization.
3. Seborrheic dermatitis
Commonly known as dandruff is caused by an overgrowth of yeast and the cells on the scalp results in excessive shedding of the cells appearing as white flakes. However seborrheic dermatitis can also occur on the skin such as the face, arms, legs and body and can be mistaken for nappy rash. This type of eczema appears as red, itchy skin and can be so bad it burns. Infections are also common. Treatment involves the use of specific creams such as antibiotics and salicylic acid to manage the yeast overgrowth and heal the skin.
4. Neuro-dermatitis
Where a person develops a skin irritation due to scratching out of habit.
5. Dyshidrotic dermatitis
Generally caused by seasonal allergies and stress, and results in severe itching, cracking and blisters of the hands and feet. The use of oral antihistamines and cream to heal the skin is the best way to manage this form of eczema.
6. Nummular (discoid) dermatitis
This is a type of eczema that is circular and can be red and itchy but this varies. The cause remains unknown but can be triggered by an immune response to an insect bite, wound or general inflammation.
7. Stasis dermatitis
Where there has been a decline in blood flow to the legs resulting in dry itchy scaly skin. This is very common in elderly or those with vascular issues. It is critical to keep the skin moisturized to avoid cracking, blistering and the risk of infection.
Dr Iona Weir formulated Atopis’s Dry Itchy Skin cream with eczema in mind. This works for all seven types of eczema including dyshidrotic eczema. The therapy cream clears and then fortifies the skin in order to reduce flare ups. The active ingredients in the cream restore the skin’s natural microflora, and works with the immune system to reduce overreaction of the immune system to environmental triggers.
While the information given in this post is important, it is also important to note that the best way to be sure whether you or your loved one has eczema is to make an appointment with your doctor. Your doctor may refer you on to a dermatologist.
What Causes Breakouts?
What Causes Breakouts?
Breakouts can be annoying, painful and damaging to our self-esteem. Most of us have had the pleasure of experiencing them at some point in our lives, but for those of us who struggle with prolonged bouts of acne, the problem can be even more frustrating.
It’s important to understand what type of break outs you’re experiencing and what’s causing them, so you can find the most suitable and effective treatments. We’ve explored the key causes and triggers below so you can begin your journey to healthy, clear skin.
Causes and Triggers
Genetic Makeup
Studies suggest that you’re more likely to struggle with breakouts if your direct relatives have suffered from acne. Skin types are passed down through your genes and play a key part in how your skin responds to your hormones and how well it deals with sebum (oil), bacteria, anti-inflammatory properties and the re-generation of skin cells.
Hormones
One of the biggest culprits of acne is fluctuations in your hormones. Across a variety of ages, hormones and hormonal imbalances can lead to detrimental effects on our skin. Read more about how your acne can vary as you age here.
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).
Androgens (male sex hormones) can fluctuate in level 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.
Lifestyle
Though less of a factor than genetics and hormones, your lifestyle can certainly be reflected in your skin. Poor cleansing (or over cleansing), dehydration, stress, smoking, poor diet and abrasive product use can all be detrimental to your skin.
Types of acne
Some spots can be more troublesome or obvious than others, most appearing on our face while some appearing all over our body. It’s important to identify your acne type so that you can ensure you’re not mistaking it for other potential skin conditions.
We’ve put together a list of common offenders below:
- Blackheads - Small dark spots
- Cystic Acne - Usually painful, larger pus-filled spots.
- Nodules – Hard and under the surface of your skin.
- Whitehead - Small white raised bumps.
- Pustules – On the surface red pimples with pus.
- Papules – Pink, smaller bumps on top of the skins surface.
- Body Breakouts – Any of the above descriptions but outside of the facial area, with
typical places including back, neck, chest and shoulders.
Preventative Measures
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 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.
There are many lifestyle changes that can be made to improve your skin’s health and enhance its ability to self-heal.
These include:
- 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.
- Quitting smoking – this will enhance your skins ability to heal.
- Avoiding touching your face.
- Keeping your hair out of your face to avoid it from touching your face.
- Using water based, nonalcoholic cosmetics.
- Taking off your make-up every night and using a gentle, natural cleanser and moisturizer. Stay clear from abrasive, artificial products that could aggravate your skin.
How Atopis Can help
Some of you may be all too familiar with the hopeless feeling of having tried everything and failing to see any improvements to your skin. Try to remain patient through this process, your skin requires around 8 weeks to fully respond to new treatments or products.
When choosing your skin care products, we highly recommend sticking to natural and non-abrasive products such as our all Natural Acne Cream. Based on 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 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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