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.
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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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.
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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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.
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
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
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!
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.
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.