|
GreatSkin® skin care Clinics
For MDs & Estheticians
Meet Mark Van Wormer, MD,
Medical Director
Meet Lori Van Wormer, LE,
Aesthetic Director
Recommend This Site
Contact GreatSkin®
Customer Service
|
|
 |
| |
Skin Care News & Specials
A monthly e-zine from GreatSkin®.com
January, 2004
Mark Van Wormer, MD, ABAAM - Publisher |
|
|
|
 How
To Combat Dry Skin Caused by Winter
By Lori Van Wormer, L.E.
Lori’s Beauty
Tip of the Month
“Drink
lots of water˜at least half your body weight in ounces per
day.
Install a humidifier in both your home and office.
Dry skin may sound like a rather mild, benign condition, and
it is, however, it can lead to more unpleasant skin problems.
If neglected, dryness can diminish the epidermis's ability to
provide protection leading to eczema, hypersensitivity, and rough
skin, so I hope that you'll find these tips helpful.”
|
When
temperatures drop, unfortunately so does our skin's moisture level. Actually,
our skin can lose up to 8 ounces of water a day, and that's before environmental
forces like wind and indoor heat rob us of even more moisture. When skin
is exposed to cold air, the lipid content is depleted causing dehydration.
If neglected, the skin in winter can feel like a slab of beef forgotten
in the freezer! We all sometime in our lives have struggled and tried desperately
to soothe chapped lips, dry heels, and cracking of the fingers – Ouch!
The following are some pointers to help combat winter dry skin.
Limit showers to 3-5 minutes and avoid using hot water and soap. Instead,
use a moisturizing shower gel and tepid water. Try our new Greatskin's
Orange Sorbet Bath Gelee.
Two to three times a week apply a body scrub to slough of dead skin cells,
targeting especially rough areas on your elbows, knees, and heels of the
feet. Try our Greatskin Sea Salt Body Buff.
After showering while skin is still damp, apply a rich emollient body cream
to seal in moisture. Rule of thumb is the drier the skin, the thicker the
product. Try our new Greatskin Orange Sorbet Cream.
Before bedtime, apply a rich, emollient cream to hands and feet and slip
on cotton gloves and socks. Try Greatskin's Moisture Mitts and Peppermint
Foot Therapy.
Lips are almost always exposed to the elements, and they lose moisture
faster than any other part of the face because they only have an extremely
thin outer protective layer. When it's cold and dry outside, we tend to
lick our lips thinking we are providing moisture when indeed we are just
dehydrating them further. Try Greatskin's Vibran C Lip Treatment.
Like the body, the facial skin should be cleansed with tepid water and
a gel or cream cleanser (not soap) followed by exfoliation at least two
to three times a week with either a non abrasive scrub, glycolic, or retinol
product. Remember, fine lines are much more noticeable in dehydrated skin,
so a hydrating mask three times a week, and a daily moisturizer containing
hyaluronic acid is a must for plumping up the skin with moisture. Next,
apply oil free silicone based lipid serum over your moisturizer and before
your makeup application for a flawless look! Since the eye area has extremely
thin skin and is so very delicate, be sure to apply a protective emollient
eye serum daily. Try Greatskin's Ultra Gentle Cleanser, Vital Hydrant Toner,
Facial Scrub, Green Tea Mask, Hyaluronic Moisturizer, Eternal Beauty Serum
and new DCX Eye Serum.
» return
to top
|
 Current Concepts of AntiAging
By
Mark E Van Wormer, MD
Medical Director, GreatSkin® Clinics of the Southwest
Quote from Dr. Van Wormer
“AntiOxidation
and control of ongoing Silent Inflammation is the key to longevity
and quality of life.”
|
I
have just returned from the 11th International Congress on AntiAging
and Biomedical Technologies in Las Vegas Nevada, held Dec 12-14 2003.
The entire "thrust" of the conference has shifted toward combating oxidation.
It is clear now that scientists are really attacking "oxidation" as the
true culprit of aging. Beyond that, inflammation" which can be roughly
defined as a state of rapid and unstable oxidation in the body is an accelerated
type of oxidation, like "rusting real fast." It is obvious that Insulin
and Cortisol levels are the primary mediators of "silent inflammation." It
is easy to test for the amount of "silent inflammation" occurring in the
body. Silent inflammation is the cause for all cardiovascular and cerebrovascular
disease. That covers the majority of diseases that cripple us in the modern
world from heart attacks to any form of dementia or degenerative central
nervous condition including Parkinson's disease, ADHD (childhood and adult
attention deficit disorders) and multiple sclerosis. In other words, our
Western lifestyle is silently killing us. The Japanese still have the record
for Longevity, least amount of cancer and least of amount of heart disease
on the planet, and why? They are oxidizing (rusting) at a much slower rate
than we are.
The main defense that we can mount against silent inflammation and rapid
oxidation are the following. We have to loose body fat down to our mean
body mass index. Excess fat causes the body to pour out more insulin. Toxic
waste is stored in fat cells along with insulin resulting in excess oxidation.
High insulin levels result in spasm of our blood vessels and hypertension.
The very common "Syndrome X"...hypertension, truncal obesity, diabetes,
and lipid abnormality is killing many Americans. Damage begins at a cellular
level, starting with the mitochondria (the little power motors of the cells.)
It is here that all energy is born to allow for cellular repair in the
face of oxidation.
The main substances one can take to combat oxidative aging are as follows:
- Coenzyme Q-10 (about 100 mg per day)
- Fish Oil (2-5 grams per day, high quality without mercury)
- Acetyl-L-Carnitine (500 mg twice daily, transports fuel into the
mitochondria)
- Glutathione (750 mg daily)
- Vitamin E (800 IU's per day)
- Magnesium (400-800 mg daily)
- Vitamin C (2000 mg daily)
- B vitamins with Folic acid (to combat homocystine)
- Natural plant derived Omega 3 Fatty acids
- Alpha Lipoic Acid (250 mg twice per day)
- Pycnogenol
- Policosanol (10mg twice per day, to lower cholesterol and raise HDL)
- Resverotrol (20 mg twice per day, activates a "fasting like state,
the ingredient in red wine which causes the "French Paradox.")
The above list represents the absolute best protection one can have against
ongoing silent inflammation and oxidation. Obviously eating a "Zone Diet," (low
glycemic), and getting some exercise will augment the effect of this powerful
list of nutrients.
In January, GreatSkin® will be hosting the grand opening of our Pharmanex® Biophotonic
Scanner. This is the first laser based scanning device for accurately
detecting levels of antioxidants in your tissue, non-invasively. We will
actually be providing a scored printout detailing your antioxidant levels.
We will also be providing a "nutraceutical prescription," for you to increase
your antoxidant protection. For the first time, we can really quantify
whether your current antioxidant program is working. We can also take steps
to provide you with the optimal program and quantify your results so no
guess work is involved. Wouldn't you like to know if your supplements are
really being absorbed and working at the cellular level?
|
|
