Dermatologists refer to two aging processes. The first they call intrinsic—it’s the natural slowing-down of collagen production, which makes your skin less elastic. The second is the one we have more control over. It’s called extrinsic, and it’s aging accelerated by exposure to external factors. Of these factors, the most culpable is sun. How does exposure to UV rays make you look older? Where do sunspots come from? How does sun affect people with a condition called melasma? (And what even is melasma?) These are questions that require a cellular-level understanding of how our skin gets color. Melanocytes are cells...
Here today, gone tomorrow… or at least that is how coco trend came and went. It’s not that it is all bad but, like anything, needs to be used correctly and in moderation. When this trend started, people were so lathered head to toe in coconut oil they could slip in slide on dry concrete. But it seems that all good things must come to an end… here’s the skinny. If you are breaking out and your skincare regimen includes coconut oil or products that contain coconut oil on your face, it is likely the cause. This oil is comedogenic which means...
Enzyme has become a buzzword in the skincare and cosmetic industries. You might remember it from high school biology, but unless you’ve done a lot of research you might not know that enzymes are incredible things that play an essential role in keeping your body healthy. Enzymes are proteins that speed up the rate of chemical reactions, sometimes in astounding measures. Processes that should take millions of years take milliseconds when they’re being acted upon by enzymes. Essentially, in this instance, they are bodily catalysts meaning they increase the rate at which a chemical reaction occurs. Without digestive enzymes...
Superfoods are all the rage these days. What are they? Why are they better than other foods and what makes them super? Some experts will tell you they’re just a marketing ploy and that a grain from halfway across the world isn’t some kind of elixir that will keep you young, healthy, and at the peak of your fitness game for the rest of your life. Certainly there’s truth to this critique. No single food can save your life. But further research shows that while the moniker may be presumptuous, there is indeed something magical about superfoods. That’s the thing...
