° WHY DOES SKIN AGE?
Renewal of the epidermis cell cycle slows by 30% to 50% during the third and fourth decade in a woman’s life, producing dull, rough skin and wrinkles. The natural moisturizing factor of the upper cells in the epidermis holds moisture, and the middle cells of the epidermis form a protective barrier to hold water in. The cell renewal process slows with aging, causing the skin to appear dehydrated until the cell cycle is stimulated by topical or systemic nutrients.
The major structural component of the dermis is collagen, a strong natural protein that strengthens and supports the skin. Our skin cells have estrogen receptors, which increase blood supply and improve the structure of the elastic fibers. The 30% estrogen decline that occurs in the first year of menopause decreases the production of elastin and collagen in connective tissue. This explains the appearance of deep nasolabial folds, thinner lips, sagging skin above the knees, etc. Estrogen also increases the skin’s water content by increasing the production of hyaluronic acid. This substance contributes to skin softness and thickness. Many topical skin products that contain hyaluronic acid hydrate the skin as found in Tzone’s Super Firming Crème, Luminous Peptide and Restorative Marine Crème. Chemical peeling also extremely helps in hydrating and thickening the skin. Skin rejuvenation is a term that encompasses procedures designed to improve skin tone and texture. Chemical peels in combination with cosmeceuticals are popular choices for skin rejuvenation. The term “cosmeceuticals” is a functional term that refers to topical ingredients sold as cosmetics and marketed to improve skin appearance. The ability of any cosmeceutical to enhance skin
function depends on its formulation. It must maintain the integrity of the active ingredient, deliver it in a biologically active form to the skin, reach the target site in sufficient quantity, produce effectiveness, and properly release the carrier vehicle.
Many newer skin care products contain antioxidants. No single antioxidant ingredient has proven to be effective for skin, but the combination of antioxidants can exert a synergistic cumulative action. Tzone’s cosmeceuticals are always formulated using a combination of antioxidants. Vitamins and nutrition that protect, support and restore skin structure and strengthen the skin matrix are important to skin health but have only short-term effects when taken orally. Topical application of the proper formulation, delivery and penetration of a vitamin can produce more definitive results.
Mineral makeup can enhance the healing phase of skin restoration. True mineral makeup is made from micronized minerals with properties that resist bacteria growth, allow the skin to breathe and block harmful sun rays. Mineral cosmetic products are nontoxic and incorporate vitamins and potent antioxidants that can reduce the body’s internal toxin load.
° BEAUTY TREATMENTS THAT STOP SKIN CANCER
Considering a skin-smoothing peel or laser resurfacing? You’re not vain; you’re cancer proofing your skin! These antiaging treatments actually help clear up precancerous lesions called actinic keratoses – scaly or crusty spots caused by too much sun exposure. Adults over 40 have an average of eight of these blemishes, some of which may turn into squamous cell carcinoma.
In a study at Stanford University, researchers gave 24 patients with the spots a five percent fluorouracil at-home cream, a chemical peel or laser skin resurfacing. All three worked equally well to remove the precancerous lesions, getting rid of about 90 percent of them. The superficial chemical acid peel was the most popular because it was fast, caused little discomfort and healed quickly. “It may be the easiest route, in terms of cancer prevention,” says lead author Basil M. Hantash, MD, PhD, dermatologist.
° BEWARE – TANNING HAS
ADDICTIVE QUALITIES
How many times have you met a person – usually a young woman – with wrinkled, mottled, terrible-looking skin, who tells you she’s tanning every day? When you ask why, she may say something to the effect that tanning makes her “feel so good” or “it’s so relaxing”? Have you ever wondered if these people are tanning more for the feel than the look?
There’s growing evidence that tanning has addictive qualities. One survey of beachgoers assessed whether respondents’ tanning behavior met standard psychiatric criteria for substance abuse. They also used a questionnaire modified from an alcohol dependence questionnaire to see if UV exposure behavior had qualities associated with dependence. The investigators concluded that UV exposure behavior could be a type of substance disorder.
A more recent study surveyed adolescents about their UV exposure behavior. A high proportion of tanners reported difficulty quitting, another sign of dependency. But is all this just a response to societal pressures to look dark? Not even extreme behavior is an addiction. A real addiction involves physiological mechanisms.
Other studies suggest frequent tanning is driven by actual physiological effects in addition to appearance. Our research group had frequent tanners use two tanning beds, one that emitted UV light and one that did not. Otherwise, these beds were identical. The frequent tanners used both beds first on Monday and then again on Wednesday, so they couldn’t determine which bed gave them a tan. Then on Friday, they were allowed to choose from the two beds, almost invariably, they chose the UV bed, saying that tanning bed was more relaxing.
Ultraviolet light can cause skin cells to release endorphins. We wondered whether endorphins were involved in frequent tanners’ choice of the UV bed. To test this, we gave frequent tanners the narcotic blocker naltrexone, thinking that it would block their ability to tell the two beds apart. Sure enough, it did seem to reduce the tanners’ preference for UV. But something surprising happened: About half the tanners had withdrawal symptoms when given a narcotic antagonist. Tanning behavior does exhibit characteristics consistent with other substance abuse behaviors. It also seems to be more than just societal pressure driving the behavior
in the frequent tanners. It appears that tanning has physiologic effects, too, contributing to an addiction in some of our frequent tanners. Steven Feldman, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Medical Editor
° PEPTIDE UPDATE
Small proteins that stimulate the production of collagen, peptides have been on the cusp of antiaging skin care for a while. The excitement began several years ago with NIH-backed research on the ingredient Matrixyl (palmitoyl pentapeptide-3), showing its ability to stimulate collagen production in skin. Today, further studies on additional peptides continue to generate research news.
Studies on formulations such as Argireline (acetyl hexapeptide-3) show they can produce a mild, Botox-like effect, inhibiting the release of neurotransmitters that keep facial muscles from forming wrinkles. Even newer peptide formulations act like growth factors, stimulating skin cells tomake a quicker turnover, much like young skin.
What’s new for peptides in 2008? Formulations that seem to yield overall improved results. They are really getting the science down now, learning how to stabilize the peptides and at the same time inhibit collagenase (the breakdown of collagen).
