Cosmetics manufacturers are always looking for newer, better, more effective ingredients that can be used to improve the skin. It’s not a simple process. Many ingredients claim to provide benefits, yet only a few are supported by scientific studies. While it doesn’t mean that ingredients lacking clinical studies are necessarily ineffective, it does mean that we should perhaps think twice about rushing to the cosmetics counter to part with our hard earned money. Pomegranate is one such ingredient, resting at a crossroads.

Today, I’ll explain the things we do know about pomegranate in relation to how it affects your skin.

Research And The Effects Of Pomegranates

Pomegranates have been found to deliver a variety of health benefits due to its antioxidant action. They are rich in ellagic acid, which can help to prevent damage related to free radicals. As well, pomegranate seed oil contains punicic acid, an anti inflammatory ingredient that can aid cell regeneration and proliferation. 

Studies have shown that pomegranate can expedite the wound healing process. It may also help to repair sun damaged skin. It’s thought that these actions are related to pomegranate’s ability to extend the life of fibroblasts, cells which are responsible for the production of collagen and elastin. Collagen and elastin are part of the skin’s supporting network, which give skin its strength, support and elasticity.

The one caveat is that many studies using pomegranate involve oral consumption and not topical application. We know that pomegranate has formidable antioxidant properties upon oral consumption and studies with topical application in animals show promise. While it’s likely that studies will reveal benefits to human skin with topical application, more research is needed. 

Proven Formulations

As you might imagine, there’s no shortage of cosmetic “miracle” products that include pomegranate extract as a key selling point. Whether you decide to purchase one or not is your call. The evidence is still in early stages and while pomegranate extract will deliver antioxidant benefits, some of the other claims attached to its use do require further investigation. 

Enjoy pomegranate juice, devour the seeds (I do!) and if you want to try a product that contains pomegranate, by all means do. Understand though, that while you will be reaping some antioxidant benefits that for now it’s a trendy ingredient that still needs to prove itself.

If you’re looking for proven solutions, choose from ones that do have science to back them up:

UltimaSkin Potent C Serum - 12% stabilized L-ascorbic acid can fight free radical damage, even skin tone and promote collagen production.

Green Cream - high potency retinol to help unclog pores, reverse sun damage and stimulate collagen production. A star anti-aging skin care ingredient.

Credentials Glycolic Acid Face Creme - glycolic acid has considerable evidence to support its use as a topical exfoliant. It can help to even skin tone and studies have also shown that it can stimulate collagen production diminishing the appearance of fine lines.

The importance of exercise can’t be underestimated. In addition to helping maintain your physical health, it’s been shown to  increase your blood circulation, thereby improving the delivery of nutrients throughout your body. Regular exercise can also boost the immune system and help to prevent disease including Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and obesity. It is also useful in increasing mental health and fighting depression. With all the health benefits attributed to exercise, can it also help to improve your skin?

Skin Basics

Under the epidermis (the top layer of skin) lay a number of tissues, including the dermis and subcutaneous tissue. The dermis is where collagen and elastin fibers reside. If these fibers are structurally sound, fewer wrinkles and fine lines will manifest at the skin’s surface. Capillaries, which help deliver oxygen and nutrients, are also located in the dermis. The subcutaneous tissue is mostly comprised of fat cells.

How does exercise contribute to great looking skin? First, by increasing circulation and delivery of nutrients to skin cells, toxins are cleared away. As well, exercise increases the availabilty of oxygen and nutrients providing optimum conditions for increasing collagen production. This helps to keep wrinkles and lines away. Exercise can also help to control the production of certain hormones - testosterone and DHEA - that have been linked to the development of acne. These hormones may be produced in response to stress, which exercise can help to lower, resulting in a decreased production of these hormones.  And, the sweat that accompanies exercise, can help to unclog pores, leading to a clearer complexion.

Can Exercise Help Eliminate Cellulite?

Cellulite is a different matter. For those of us who deal with it, exercise is probably your best bet (as opposed to expensive and well-advertised creams and other topical solutions). Pilates, weight training or yoga help to tone and reverse muscle tension, which reduces the appearance of cellulite. Keep in mind that you probably won’t be able to get rid of cellulite completely. But, you’ll at least be able to develop muscle to reduce its severity.

One Caveat

Stay away from facial exercises and specific movements which claim to help you tone facial muscles. Often accompanied by devices that exercise specific facial muscles, the benefits are not lasting. Due to the aging process, facial muscles cannot be exercised like the rest of the body. And in fact, they may lead to an increase in wrinkles, just the opposite of what you’re trying to achieve.  

How To Improve Your Skin

As much as exercise will benefit skin, the use of well formulated skin care products are just as important. Exfoliating, moisturizing, and protecting skin from the sun’s UV rays will improve skin. The delivery of antioxidants can help to limit free radical damage associated with skin aging. Here are 4 products worth considering:

Green Cream With Retinol - Retinol, a Vitamin A derivative, increasing skin cell turnover, unclogs pores and can help to reverse the signs of premature aging and sun damage.

UltimaSkin Honey and Soy Moisturizer - This formulation soothes and hydrates aging skin with potent emollients including soy. Soy is an antioxidant and has been shown to boost collagen production. 

Anthelios XL SPF 60 Cream - This well formulated sunscreen contains both Mexoryl XL and SX to provide broad spectrum protection from the sun’s damaging UVA and UVB rays.

UltimaSkin Potent C Serum - With a generous 12% vitamin C concentration, this new serum offers the benefits of antioxidants to inhibit the spread of damaging free radicals.

Botox has been used successfully for years to get rid of wrinkles. The problem is that it’s an expensive procedure, requires injections, and the results are temporary. And, since we haven’t used it for a long time, there is the concern for long term side effects. Skin care product manufacturers have quickly responded by offering scores of topical applications that promise to do the same thing as Botox, only safer. The question is do they work? Are manufacturers’ claims substantiated with a significant amount of clinical evidence?

Today, I’ll provide an overview regarding how Botox works to eliminate wrinkles and fine lines. In doing so, it will be easier to understand why topical formulations cannot work in the same manner. We’ll explore Argireline and a couple of other Botox alternatives. Then, I’ll describe 2 products that take a different approach to reducing the severity of wrinkles.

How Botox Works

Facial muscles contract and relax based upon signals received from nerves. The muscles and nerves are connected by a neuromuscular junction. When the nerves send signals to the muscles, neurotransmitters are released and bind to receptors on the junction. This causes a chemical reaction which ultimately makes the muscles contract. Botox inhibits the receptors in the muscles that would normally identify the presence of these neurotransmitters. By doing so, it prevents the chemical reaction that causes muscle contractions. In effect, by paralyzing the underlying muscle, Botox doesn’t allow the wrinkle to develop.

Topical Alternatives To Botox

Topical Botox alternatives claim to work in the same manner, by blocking the receptors and thereby preventing the muscle from contracting. Here are a few popular products that manufacturers claim will do the same thing as Botox:

Argireline - this ingredient is supposed to result in relaxed facial muscle tension by inhibiting the release of neurotransmitters. Studies by the manufacturer of argireline, Sederma, used a 10% concentration and demonstrated a reduction in wrinkle depth of up to 60% in one month.

Crease Release - this product was created by Dr. Fredric Brandt, who claims to have been involved in the clinical trials that eventually led to Botox’s FDA approval. He also claims that Crease Release uses a GABA (gamma amino butyric acid) to encourage internal muscle relaxers to smooth the skin and get rid of wrinkles. It is difficult to find any clinical research to substantiate GABA’s claims. 

Freeze 24/7 - another “solution” that purports to include a number of topical muscle relaxers, including GABA. Despite persuasive marketing, there is no research to support GABA’s efficacy for inhibiting muscle contractions.

Formulations To Reduce Wrinkles

If you don’t want to undergo Botox injections, there are topical formulations that can help smooth your skin and reduce the outward appearance of wrinkles. The best way to reduce wrinkles is to minimize exposure to UV rays, which can result in the degradation of collagen and elastin and ultimately lead to wrinkles. Your anti aging skin care routine should include effective sunscreens, antioxidants like Vitamin C, a retinoid and moisturizers. Peptides, such as Matrixyl should also be considered. Matrixyl is a peptide with research to back up its benefits in stimulating collagen. Following is an effective solution to consider:

Credentials Botanical Peptide with Matrixyl - This preparation includes Matrixyl, a peptide that stimulates the synthesis of collagen, elastin and glycosaminoglycans to restore the skin’s structural integrity thereby reducing wrinkles.

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Besides facial wrinkles and age spots, your hands can actually give away your age. And that’s because along with the face, your hands are one of the most exposed parts of your body. Not only do we put them through the rigors of our daily work, but they’re also exposed to damaging environmental influences, such as harsh weather and UV radiation. It’s important to take preventative measures to ward off the premature aging effects of these influences. Today, I’ll describe the benefits of using moisturizers and sunscreens as part of your anti-aging skin care routine for your hands.

Using Moisturizers

It’s common for hands to become incredibly dry when they’re constantly exposed to the weather and sun. If neglected long enough, they can become chapped, cracked, and lifeless looking. In severe conditions, they might become so dry that they begin bleeding. You should be using a well formulated moisturizer repeatedly throughout the day. Whenever you wash your hands, apply it by thoroughly massaging it into your skin. Apply it again whenever your skin calls out for moisture. Ideally, you should try to have access to a moisturizer wherever you are (in your car, at work, and at home).

In addition to emollients, moisturizers can contain antioxidants, skin lighteners and sunscreen. These additional ingredients can protect skin by fighting against damage or helping to reverse some of the effects of aging.  

Protection From UV Radiation

Most people realize that the sun’s UV rays can cause long-lasting damage. Because your hands are constantly exposed, they’re extremely susceptible. Part of the damage is caused by damage due to free radicals, unstable molecules that can speed up the aging process. This damage is accelerated by UV radiation, resulting in the loss of collagen as well as DNA damage and other effects. Your hands should not be neglected from protection with a broad spectrum product that blocks both UVA and UVB rays. UVA rays, in particular, can penetrate deeply into the skin, causing wrinkles and other signs of premature aging.

Those are the basics of an anti-aging skin care routine for your hands. The important thing to remember is that their constant exposure to the weather and UV radiation makes them extremely vulnerable to cellular damage. Over time, that can cause them to lose their youthful appearance. Below are a few highly-effective formulations that you can use for protection.

Lac-Hydrin Lotion - This exfoliating lotion clears away dead skin cells and will sooth dry, rough and itchy skin anywhere on the body. 

La Roche Posay Hand Repair Cream - For severely dry hands, this moisturizing solution restores the skin’s protective hydrolipidic layer, offering resistance from the damaging effects of the environment.

La Roche Posay Iso-Urea - This formula hydrates and rids dry skin of roughness by restoring the protective hydrophilic film of the skin.

Anthelios Sunscreens - offer broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection against the sun’s UV rays. There are a range to choose from; apply to hands and rest of body.

There are dozens, even hundreds, of ingredients that skin care and cosmetic manufacturers put into their products. And there’s no shortage of claims regarding the efficacy of those ingredients. However, most lack substantial research that includes double-blind, placebo-based clinical studies to support the claims. Vitamin E is one of the few ingredients for which a significant amount of research has been conducted. It is a fat-soluble antioxidant that can deliver a number of benefits to the skin.

Vitamin E is is the collective name for a set of 8 related tocopherols and tocotrientols, with α-tocopherol(also referred to as alpha-tocopherol) being most easily absorbed and used by the body. Today, let’s take a closer look at Vitamin E and how it protects skin cells. I’ll also explain why combining it with a Vitamin C concentration increases its effectiveness. Finally, I’ll describe a few topical applications that use Vitamin E to protect and heal the skin.

Advantages Of Vitamin E

There are several ways in which Vitamin E offers protection. First, as a powerful antioxidant, it helps to protect against free radical damage. Because free radicals cause damage by breaking down collagen fibers, they lead to wrinkles and other long term damage. Vitamin E prevents that from happening. It is also effective for protecting the skin’s outermost layer from early UV damage, limiting the potential for sunburns.

Vitamin E is particularly useful as an ingredient in topical formulations because it can be absorbed into the skin. This helps it to improve the effectiveness of active ingredients that are found in most well formulated sunscreens. Its absorption quality also helps it maintain the skin’s protective barrier by preventing the loss of moisture.

Vitamins E And C: A Potent Duo

Even though Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that helps protect skin cells, it’s even more effective when combined with Vitamin C, a water-soluble antioxidant. Research has shown that both vitamins can enhance the antioxidative properties of each other. That makes them natural partners for the prevention of cellular damage caused by free radicals. Studies show that they work well together to inhibit lipid peroxidation - a condition that results in the breakdown of lipids.

Topical Application

By preventing the spread of free radicals, protecting the epidermis from UV damage, and increasing the efficacy of active sunscreen ingredients, both Vitamins E and C are potent ingredients. In addition, formulations that include both tend to yield better results than either vitamin can deliver on its own. Following are 3 solutions that use Vitamin E to protect and maintain the cellular structure of your skin.

Reversa Skin Firming Gel - A solution that includes Vitamin E to reduce wrinkles by improving the skin’s elasticity and encouraging the production of elastin and collagen.

Anthelios Fluide Extreme SPF 50+ - This extremely popular and effective sunscreen not only contains effective sun filters, but also Vitamin E to further protect skin cells against UV damage. 

Credentials Glycolic Face Creme 8% - Glycolic acid, antioxidants - grapeseed extract and licorice extract plus Vitamin E help to exfoliate skin and calm skin, providing a perfect solution to dry, mature skin.

There is an ongoing debate regarding whether the use of toners is necessary for keeping your skin looking and feeling healthy. In truth, a lot of people misunderstand the benefits that toners provide. They’re commonly confused with cleansers and similar products that are supposed to remove excess residue from your skin. Today, I’ll describe the benefits of using toners, so you’ll understand what they offer and why you should include them in your daily skin care routine.

Benefits Of Facial Toners

First, to clear up any confusion, you should be using a gentle cleanser on your skin to help remove face and eye makeup as well as excess oil. That said, cleansers are often not enough. Some cleansers aren’t as effective at unclogging your skin’s pores as toners. As a result, oily skin can still develop blackheads. A toner can cleanse your skin by removing oil, particles, and other material that would otherwise clog your pores.

Another benefit is that they can help support the skin’s natural protective barrier. Some cleansers are harsh and can strip this barrier away. People who have sensitive skin are often susceptible to contaminants and other environmental influences such as pollution. If the protective barrier isn’t left intact, tiny particles can accumulate on their skin. Over time, these particles can cause a reaction.

A toner may also help remove dead skin cells before they build up on the surface of the skin. It does this by incorporating exfoliants that clear away the dead skin cells, preventing them from filling and clogging the pores. Finally, after using harsh soaps or facial washes, the skin’s ph balance can be disturbed. Facial toners can quickly restore the ph balance.

Selecting The Right Toners

Not all toners are created equal. Some are gentle on your skin while others can be overly harsh. It’s important that you use a toner that doesn’t irritate your skin, causing reactions or redness. Also, you’ll want to select a formulation that doesn’t dry your skin in the process of removing excess oil. The following 3 solutions offer a high level of efficacy:

Neostrata Toning Solution - A formulation designed specifically for oily skin, it uses an 8% glycolic acid concentration to remove excess oil and unclog pores while leaving the skin’s protective barrier intact.

La Roche Posay Physiological Solution - Perfect for sensitive skin, this solution causes tiny particles resting on the skin’s surface to bunch together, making them easier to remove. It includes soothing cleansing ingredients that help get rid of impurities without causing irritation.

Reversa 3 in 1 Gel Cleanser - This gentle formulation is a facial cleanser, makeup remover and moisturizer all in one. Rich in humectant glycerin, it lifts away dirt, excess oil and makeup without stripping your skin’s natural lipids.

Billions of dollars are spent each year on cosmetics and most of the sales are driven by the major brands. They spend millions of dollars annually on marketing to help them maintain a continuous presence and spread the word about their products. But, that doesn’t mean their products are better. Cosmetics vary widely with regards to the quality of the ingredients used. The question is, are big brands better than small brands?

Today, we’re going to explore the infrastructure of large cosmetic companies. In doing so, I’ll shed light on how their process might affect the quality of their products.

Marketing Vs. Quality Ingredients

It’s important to understand that all companies, whether they sell cosmetics, clothes, or cars deal with finite financial resources. Large cosmetic manufacturers have a limited budget, portions of which are allocated to marketing, research, and ingredients. They usually devote most of their resources to marketing and advertising in order to keep profits flowing while operating a huge corporation. And while it’s certainly not the case for every big brand or every product produced by a large scale manufacturer, there are two potential problems.

First, there may be less money available to invest in high-quality ingredients. The millions of dollars spent on marketing siphons money away from production. Second, there is constant pressure and temptation to cut corners. This can translate into using lower-quality ingredients or lower concentrations of effective ingredients, both which help to reduce costs. In the end, this balancing act relies on more marketing, to encourage customers to buy cosmetics that could have been manufactured to a higher standard.

Big Brands Are Slow To Adapt

Clinical research is ongoing in the skin care industry. One of its goals is to uncover new ingredients that can be used in cosmetics to offer higher levels of efficacy. This presents another obstacle to large brand name cosmetic companies. Their corporate structure often prevents quick adaptation to new soltuions. Thousands of employees, expensive buildings, layers of management, and expectant shareholders can all contribute to slow changes. As better ingredients are constantly discovered, tested, and used by smaller brands, large companies may find it difficult to respond.

Cutting Edge Cosmetics

One of the advantages of smaller brands is that they’re not hampered by the enormous costs of running a massive corporate structure. They can react to new discoveries quickly, using the highest-quality ingredients in their cosmetics. Smaller companies spend very little on marketing, preferring to allocate their resources to research and production. Good skin care products come from both large and small companies. Gauge the product by its virtues and not because its manufacturer has a massive marketing  budget. Here are three that deliver, regardless of who manufactured them: 

Anthelios SPF 60 Cream with Mexoryl XL - One of the most powerful sunblocks available, this formulation uses Mexoryl XL and Mexoryl SX to offer broad-spectrum protection from both UVA and UVB rays.

Green Cream - This high potency retinol cream helps to stimulate collagen production, increase cell turnover, unclog pores and should be considered an integral part of any anti aging skin care regimen.

UltimaSkin Potent C Serum - This formulation is one of our most recent additions and includes a 12% Vitamin C concentration. Not only can it inhibit the spread of harmful free radicals, it also offers protection from the sun’s damaging UV rays.

Coenzyme Q10, or simply CoQ10 (also called ubiquinone) is a compound found in human cells that exhibits antioxidant properties. Because of this, cosmetic manufacturers have included it in a number of skin care products. The theory is that applying topical agents which include CoQ10 will deliver its antioxidant benefits to the skin. Today, I’ll describe the compound in more detail and explain how it promotes healthy skin. I’ll also share the factors that can reduce the CoQ10 levels within your body.

Basics Of CoQ10

All human cells have traces of CoQ10 which help generate cellular energy. It has vitamin-like qualities and is produced efficiently in the body during the first 20 years of a person’s life. It acts as an antioxidant and can prevent the chain-reaction oxidation of molecules. However, by the time a person reaches 30 years of age, the body’s production of CoQ10 declines. This can lead to a number of damaging effects to the skin, including a breakdown in collagen fibers and elastin.

How It Benefits Your Skin

As an antioxidant, CoQ10 has a natural ability to neutralize molecular oxidation, thereby helping to limit damage generated by free radicals. When free radicals spread throughout the body, they cause damage at the cellular level. When that happens, collagen and elastin begin to break down and the skin starts to show signs of aging, including wrinkles and fine lines. CoQ10 encourages the production of collagen fibers and elastin and can help to minimize damage caused by free radicals. There is also some evidence that suggests topical application of CoQ10 has anti-inflammatory effects on the skin.

Factors That Reduce CoQ10 Levels

There are a number of things that can cause a reduction in CoQ10. Chief among them is exposure to the sun’s UV radiation, though you can prevent this happening by using an effective sunscreen. Another influence is age. When a person grows older, their body becomes less capable of producing CoQ10. Other factors that can reduce production include stress and certain medications. When levels decline, the compound can no longer help eliminate free radicals.

Is CoQ10 Vital For Skin Health?

CoQ10 is one of many useful antioxidants that can be incorporated into skin care products. There is evidence to support its effectiveness when applied topically and because it is a small molecule it penetrates skin easily. One study showed that Coenzyme Q10 had an effect in reducing crows feet (wrinkles around the eyes). Clinical studies are limited - by all means use producst with CoQ10, but keep in mind that it is one antioxidant of many.

Consider Credentials Face Firming Complex with its combination of DMAE, an ingredient that’s been shown to increase the strength of skin’s supporting network. It also contains a range of effective antioxidants including alpha lipoic acid, CoQ10 and Vitamin C ester. 

Other effective antioxidant products that have demonstrated skin benefits include:

UltimaSkin Potent C Serum - A recently-released formulation that offers a potent 12% Vitamin C concentration to deliver its antioxidant benefits into the skin’s deep layers.

La Roche Posay Active C - This solution uses an active Vitamin C concentration to help eliminate wrinkles and fine lines while encouraging the production of collagen fibers. 

 Anthelios XL SPF 60 Sunscreen - Because exposure to UV radiation is one of the main factors that lead to CoQ10 depletion, it’s important to use a powerful sunblock. This formulation offers the highest level of protection available from UVA and UVB rays.

If you were to read through skin care ads, you’d be convinced that cosmetics companies spent far more time coming up with catchy slogans and new phrases than in actually developing products that worked.

Stem cells. Gene therapy. Immune protection. Growth hormone. The latest concepts in science are making their way into ad campaigns for beauty products.

This month, for example, advertisements for the Olay Regenerist line of face treatments tout the company’s “Aquacurrent Science” as a skin care technology “that helps reverse the look of lines and wrinkles.” According to promotional material, the technology was inspired by the discovery of aquaporin water channels (pores that conduct water in and out of cells) for which Dr. Peter Agre won a Nobel Prize in chemistry.

Meanwhile, from L’Oréal comes Skin Genesis. The line includes a gel cleanser that offers “cellular level cleansing,” according to magazine advertisements.

Are marketers trying to dupe us into buying products with claims we can’t understand? According to representatives from L’Oreal and P & G Beauty, their products do work. Olay Aquacurrent Science includes products that use a form of vitamin B to increase water concentration in the outermost layer of the skin. In other words: it helps moisturize the skin. “Cellular level cleansing” in the  L’Oréal Skin Genesis line,” refers to the “action of promoting cell turnover at the surface level”. In other words: it helps exfoliate the skin.

“There is a tremendous increase in the number of products that use DNA, growth factor and stem cells in labels or marketing claims,” said Taya Tomasello, a senior beauty analyst at Mintel International Group Ltd., a market research firm. This year, beauty companies introduced 311 face products that promise to work on skin at a “cellular level” compared with 116 face products that make more generic anti-aging claims, according to Mintel’s new products database.

“You see ‘cellular’ and you think, ‘this is really going to help with my anti-aging,’ ” Ms. Tomasello said.
Medical-sounding affixes like bio-, micro- and pro- also abound (think biologic, microscopic and probiotics). Some terms found last week at cosmetics retailers and in fashion magazines included: “biomolecular” eye cream; “microtechnology bio active” foundation; “pro-collagen” serum; “microsmoothing” face serum; and a “bio-stimulating” night cream with “microlift.”

Industry analysts, scientists and consumers interviewed for this article offered a variety of theories for the increased use of such jargon: it lends face creams the air of high technology; it helps distinguish one product from a myriad of others; it helps justify the price tag.

Laure Rittié, a research investigator in dermatology at the University of Michigan, said that simple skin physiology could account for the fancy microbiological-sounding claims on some beauty products. She explained that dead cells compose the very top layer of skin and that any product (even a washcloth or sandpaper) that exfoliates the dead cells, exposing underlying skin cells, might call itself regenerative, multicellular or biologically stimulating.

So what’s the take away from this? A marketer’s job is to sell us their product. And if they pepper their products with words we don’t understand, the overall effect is to convey youth, beauty, science, positivity and renewal, and to get us to buy. Be prepared. Understand the ingredients and the science behind the claims and you won’t be fooled by slick ads with terminology you can’t understand. 

Read the full article here.

Dry skin, flaking, itching, cracking, and even bleeding… these are some of the symptoms that skin can exhibit with the more serious cases leading to eczema. In severe cases of eczema, itching can lead to infection. According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, up to 30% of the U.S. population is affected by eczema. Unfortunately, there’s no known cure and the objective of most treatments is to simply provide relief from the symptoms.

There is a substantial amount of evidence from clinical studies that essential fatty acids (EFAs) are an effective treatment. Through both topical application and consumption, they help to maintain cell structure and function keeping skin moisturized, smooth and healthy. EFAs have also been shown to have an anti-inflammatory effect on the skin, providing a level of relief from symptoms associated with eczema.

What Are Essential Fatty Acids?

Essential fatty acids are valuable because they help keep skin healthy. They cannot be produced from within the body and therefore must be delivered through a person’s diet or through topical solutions. The two EFAs are truly essential include Linoleic Acid (LA) and Alpha Linolenic Acid (ALA). LA and ALA are used to produce other fatty acids, which play specific roles in the maintenance of good health. The fatty acids derived from ALA and LA include Gamma Linolenic Acid, Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA), and Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA).

Decades Of Research

Beginning in the 1930’s, scientists noted a link between a deficit in Omega-6 fatty acids and inflammation of the skin. Studies by Burr and Burr, as well as those by AE Hanson, proved that there was a correlation between atopic eczema and a shortage of particular fatty acids. Placebo-controlled experiments were conducted starting in the 1950’s to test the results of topical steroids containing Omega-6 fatty acids. The results supported earlier findings: the topical application of certain fatty acids inhibited the symptoms of eczema. Further research during the 1980’s showed that administering linoleic acid (through evening primrose oil) to adults with atopic eczema also had an anti-inflammatory effect on their symptoms.

Relieving Symptoms Of Eczema

By providing moisture to the skin, essential fatty acids prevent dryness and flaking. Patients can find relief from severe itching and other symptoms by taking dietary supplements and applying creams that contain these fatty acids. The FDA has approved the use of topical prescriptions such as Protopic for treating symptoms related to eczema. Aside from a doctor’s prescription, here are 3 alternative solutions to consider:

Thorne Fish Oil - These gel caps, containing an Omega-3 fatty acid, make an ideal dietary supplement.

Sharmani Pillay Daily Essentials Supplements</a> - These supplements provide a daily dose of vitamins, minerals ane EFAs essential to overall wellness and skin health. 

Lipikar Lipid Replenishing Cream - This soothing, moisturizing formulation delivers essential fatty acids to the skin, replenishing dry skin with soothing lipids. It repairs the skin’s protective barrier from irritants that can trigger symptoms related to eczema.