sun damage Archives - Amazing Health Advances

60% Of Sunscreens Would Fail Federal Safety Tests!

The AHA! Team — Mon, 06 May 2024 18:43:37 +0000

Al Sears, MD, CNS – Here in South Florida, spring break is in full swing. Temperatures are in the mid-to-high-80s, and tourists are flocking to our beautiful, sunny beaches. Of course, that also means it’s prime time for sunscreen companies to kick up their marketing efforts in an attempt to whip up more fear over the sun. They want to scare you into thinking that each time the sun strikes your unprotected skin, you risk malignant melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. If you’re a regular reader, you know that I’ve been vocal about Big Retail’s money grab and how they put out misinformation because they profit each time you slather on their toxic sunscreens. But here’s what they’re not telling you… Two-thirds of all sunscreens on the market wouldn’t even pass the safety tests proposed by the FDA.1 According to a study by the Environmental Working Group, the nonprofit organization found that more than 60% of the products evaluated either didn’t offer adequate sun protection or they contained potentially harmful chemicals. And worse yet, these harmful chemicals that you apply topically are being absorbed into your blood. A recent clinical trial funded by the FDA and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association confirms this. Researchers studied the effects of the active ingredients in four popular sunscreens applied topically and found that the chemicals were absorbed into the bloodstream. And at higher concentrations than an established FDA threshold. Yet the FDA continues to tell us that sunscreen is safe, despite the toxic chemicals. Sunscreen delivers chemicals and known carcinogens onto your skin and into your bloodstream — chemicals that are banned in other countries. One of the main chemicals used in sunscreens to filter out UVB light is octyl methoxycinnamate (OMC). This toxic compound can be found in the vast majority of sunscreens on the market, even though studies found it can kill mouse cells — even at extremely low doses. Other harmful chemicals include benzophenone and avobenzone. These attack the cells in your body, causing premature aging. They are also estrogen mimics that can create hormonal imbalances, cause allergic reactions and skin irritation, and are known to promote the onset of breast cancer.2 Additional chemicals commonly found in sunscreen that you should avoid include: Parabens. A well-known endocrine disruptor, parabens mimic estrogen, upset hormonal balance, and cause reproductive cancers in men and women. PABA (may be listed as octyl-dimethyl or padimate-O). Para-aminobenzoic acid attacks DNA and causes genetic mutation when exposed to sunlight. Mineral oil, paraffin, and petrolatum. These agents coat your skin like plastic. This clogs pores, traps toxins, slows skin cell growth, and disrupts normal hormone function. They’re also possible carcinogens. Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS). Sometimes listed as “from coconut” or “coconut-derived,” when combined with other chemicals, it becomes nitrosamine, a powerful cancer-causing agent. SLS penetrates your skin’s moisture barrier, allowing other dangerous chemicals to enter your bloodstream. Phenol carbolic acid. Animal studies show this is toxic at even low doses. It can cause circulatory collapse, paralysis, convulsions, coma, and death from respiratory failure. Acrylamide. Animal studies show it can cause breast cancer, testicular cancer, and reduce sperm count. Propylene glycol. A major component of antifreeze, this common skincare additive, can lead to dermatitis, as well as kidney and liver abnormalities. PEG, polysorbates, laureth, ethoxylated alcohol. These are potent carcinogens containing dioxane. Short-term exposure to this forever chemical causes eye, nose, and throat irritation, while long-term exposure to leads to kidney and liver damage, as well as cancer. How to build a safe sun barrier using 2 natural ingredients I recommend natural compounds that allow you to have fun in the sun without burning. If you’re planning a summer beach vacation, now is the time to start supplementing! Take tocotrienols, your sun-protection powerhouse: Vitamin E is actually eight vitamins in one — four tocopherols and four tocotrienols. Research shows that tocotrienols are the real powerhouse. Studies reveal consuming tocotrienols halts sun damage that may have been triggered during the day and reduce the likelihood of any skin cancer cells forming.3 One study found that the more tocotrienols you have in your diet, the more it accumulates in your skin. That means you’re constantly building up your own personal natural sunscreen.4 Most people can’t get enough tocotrienols in their diet, so I recommend supplementing with 50 mg of tocotrienols twice a day. Like all fat-soluble vitamins, take them with a meal. And make sure you get supplements that contain natural vitamin E — not its synthetic form. Vitamin E in the form of all-rac-alpha-tocopherol-acetate or dl-alpha tocopherol should be avoided. There are serious questions about their safety. Get sunburn protection with SOD. Superoxide dismutase, or SOD, is your body’s master antioxidant. It works by neutralizing dangerous superoxide radicals in your body called “anions.” Ultraviolet rays from the sun can create these anions. Most antioxidants can’t help. But SOD has 3,500 times the antioxidant power of vitamin C. It triggers the conversion of these superoxide radicals into hydrogen peroxide, a less harmful oxygen-based free radical.5 In other words, they become harmless oxygen and water. SOD then remains “on site” to extinguish the fiery rampage of inflammation that follows. In one study, 15 people who were hypersensitive to the sun took SOD. They all reported a higher tolerance to the sun. They also had fewer tendencies to redden or have skin irritation from the sun.6 Another study showed that SOD allowed fair-skinned people to get eight times more sun before burning.7 I recommend supplementing with 500 mg superoxide dismutase formula. To Your Good Health, Al Sears, MD, CNS References: 1. LaMotte S. “Majority of sunscreens would flunk proposed FDA safety tests, report to say.” CNN. May 15, 2019. Available at: https://edition.cnn. com/2019/05/15/health/sunscreen-fda-safety-standards-study/index.html. Accessed on March 25, 2023. 2. Hanson K, et al. “Sunscreen enhancement of UV-induced reactive oxygen species in the skin.” Free Radic Biol Med. 2006;41(8):1205-1212. 3. Yamada Y, et al. “Dietary tocotrienol reduces UVB-induced skin damage and sesamin enhances tocotrienol effects in hairless mice.” J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo). 2008;54(2):117-123. 4. Ghazali N, et al. “Effects of tocotrienol on aging skin: A systematic review.” Front Pharmacol. 2022; 13: 1006198. 5. Faraci F, Didion S. “Vascular protection: superoxide dismutase isoforms in the vessel wall.” Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2004;24(8):1367-1373. 6. Laverdet C. “Glisodin sun study pilot.” Attachee de Consultation des Hopitaux de, Paris. July-September 2003. 7. Mac-Mary M, et al. “Evaluation of the effect of glisodin on the intensity of actinic erythema.” Presented at the CARD (Annual Congress of Dermatological Research) meeting in Brest, France. Accessed on March 25, 2023. To read the original article click here.

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Probiotics Reverse Skin Damage

AHA Publisher — Thu, 24 Sep 2020 07:00:55 +0000

Al Sears MD, CNS – Our skin was designed to be porous enough to soak up moisture from the air. But these same open pores make your skin vulnerable to assault by the harmful chemicals in our modern environment. Today’s airborne pollutants are so tiny that it’s easy for them to enter your pores or easily slip through the fat-filled spaces between skin cells. In a recent study by the Leibniz Research Institute, researchers followed 743 Chinese women ages 28 through 70. By the end of this long-term clinical trial, they determined that almost every volunteer had 25% more hyperpigmentation — or age spots — than when the study began. A follow-up study1 by the same researchers determined these pollutants also increase the likelihood of: Uneven skin tone Enlarged pores Redness Dry, itchy skin Eczema Atopic dermatitis Acne Skin cancer But airborne pollutants aren’t the only toxins that destroy your skin’s delicate microbiome… Surprising Cause of Skin Aging Is Sitting on Your Bathroom Counter Turns out… the products we choose to put on our face do the most damage to this delicate microbiome. Some of the most common ingredients in skincare products are actually the same chemicals listed under “hazardous materials” on warning signs and labels. They definitely shouldn’t be used in your skincare routine. The four worst offenders include: Sodium lauryl sulfates. These harsh, corrosive ingredients help body washes and shampoos bubble and lather. But you’ll also find them in household scrubbing solutions and car wash soap. They cause skin irritation, flaking and increased dryness. Over time, that develops into fine lines and wrinkles. Ethanol, methanol and other alcohols. These are all drying ingredients that strip away skin’s natural oils and lead to premature aging and irritation. Mineral oil. Derived from petroleum, it forms a film over your skin, clogging pores and hindering the skin’s natural ability to cleanse itself. With extended use, it can encourage acne and actually irritate and inflame skin. This results in an aging effect that makes fine lines and wrinkles much more visible. Soap. Unless you’re washing your hands, steer clear of commercial soaps. Not only are they drying, most have a pH of 10. And that’s the pH level that bad bacteria thrive in. Nothing can throw your microbiome out of balance faster. Many of today’s commercial skincare products cover your face with chemicals and strip your skin of its natural defenses. Even with the help of soaps and cleansers, you almost never get the environmental toxins and grime out of your pores where they’re hiding. So, what to do? Here are my recommendations for clean, protected skin that will keep you looking young and healthy. Feed Your Skin’s Microbiome to Protect, Repair and Reduce Signs of Aging Clean with rosehip seed oil. Plant derived oils contain essential fatty acid chains that closely resemble your skin’s own lipid matrix. They also contain prebiotics that help nourish and protect the microbiome. One of the best is rosehip seed oil since it’s naturally high in retinoic acid — a cousin to vitamin A. It’s been proven to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and scars.2 Look for rose hips in your body cleansers. Regenerate tired skin with aloe vera juice. Since ancient Greece, aloe has been used for its ability to reduce inflammation, provide moisture and help restore damaged skin. But today, we know it’s a powerful prebiotic that feeds beneficial bacteria to keep your skin’s biome in balance.3 Note: don’t buy aloe vera gel from the pharmacy. It’s synthetically thickened. Get edible aloe from your health food store. Or grow your own plant. Feed your skin with probiotics. Topical probiotics act like a physical barrier and block harmful microbes from damaging your skin. My favorite is a proven strain called Bifidobacterium longum. In my last letter, I introduced you to foods rich in this probiotic that improve your skin microbiome from the inside. But when its combined with enzymes that help break it down, it brings dull, dry skin back to health. In fact, a recent study found that it strengthens your skin barriers by 25% and stops skin moisture from evaporating.4 To Your Good Health, Al Sears, MD, CNS 1. Hüls A, et al. “Traffic-related air pollution contributes to development of facial lentigines: Findings epidemiological evidence from Caucasians and Asians.” J Investig Dermatol. 2016:;136(5):P1053-1056. 2. Griffiths C, et al, “Restoration of collagen formation in photodamaged human skin by tretinoin (retinoic acid).” NEJM. 1993;329(8):530-535. 3. Kim Y, et al. “Lactobacillus brevis strains from fermented aloe vera survive gastroduodenal environment and suppress common food borne enteropathogens.” PLoS One. 2014;9(3):e90866. 4. Guéniche A, et al. “Bifidobacterium longum lysate, a new ingredient for reactive skin.” Exp Dermatol.2010;19(8):e1-8. To read the original article click here. For more articles from Al Sears, MD click here.

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Stem Cell Treatments ‘Go Deep’ to Regenerate Sun-Damaged Skin

AHA Publisher — Mon, 01 Jun 2020 07:00:12 +0000

Wolters Kluwer Health via EurekAlert – For a while now, some plastic surgeons have been using stem cells to treat aging, sun-damaged skin. But while they’ve been getting good results, it’s been unclear exactly how these treatments – using adult stem cells harvested from the patient’s own body – work to rejuvenate “photoaged” facial skin. A new microscopic-level study provides the answer: within a few weeks, stem cell treatment eliminates the sun-damaged elastin network and replacing them with normal, undamaged tissues and structures – even in the deeper layers of skin. Injection of the patient’s own mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is “appropriate, competent and sufficient to elicit the full structural regeneration of the sun-aged skin,” according to the report by Dr. Luis Charles-de-Sá, MD, of Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Natale Gontijo-Amorim, MD and Gino Rigotti, MD of Verone-Italy University and colleagues. Their study appears in the June issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). The researchers assessed the cellular- and molecular-level effects of MSC treatment on sun-damaged (photoaged) facial skin. All 20 patients in the study, average age 56 years, were scheduled for facelift surgery. The patients lived in northeast Brazil, a region where intense sun exposure is expected. For each patient, a small sample of fat cells from the abdomen was processed to create patient-specific MSCs. The cultured stem cells were injected under the skin of the face, in front of the ear. When the patients underwent facelift surgery three to four months later, skin samples from the stem cell-treated area were compared to untreated areas. Histologic and structural under the microscope analysis demonstrated that MSC treatment led to improvement in overall skin structure. Treated areas showed “partial or extensive reversal” of sun-related damage to the skin’s stretchy elastin network – the main skin structure affected by photoaging. In the layer immediately beneath the skin surface, the stem cell-treated areas showed regeneration of a new, fully organized network of fiber bundles and dermal ECM remodeling changes. In the deeper skin layer, “tangled, degraded, and dysfunctional” deposits of sun-damaged elastin were replaced by a normal elastin fiber network. These changes were accompanied by molecular markers of processes involved in absorbing the abnormal elastin and development of new elastin. The findings suggested that stem cells triggered each of the many cellular- and molecular-level pathways involved in skin repair and regeneration. Use of the patient’s own fat-derived MSCs “may be a relevant proposal for the anti-ageing action in regeneration of photodamaged human skin,” Dr. Charles-de-Sá and colleagues write. “The researchers conclude that stem-cells can lead to regeneration of sun-aged skin,” according to a video commentary by Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Editor-in-Chief Rod J. Rohrich, MD. In his video, Dr. Rohrich walks viewers through the dramatic changes in the microscopic appearance of skin samples obtained before and after MSC treatment. “The re-building of structures below the surface translates to true improvements to the strength and appearance of the facial dermis,” Dr. Rohrich adds. He emphasizes that patients interested in stem-cell treatment for aging, sun-damaged skin should discuss their options with a Board-certified plastic surgeon. To read the original article click here.

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Study Shows Biocell Collagen Ingestion Reduced Signs of UVB-Induced Photo-Aging

AHA Publisher — Wed, 06 May 2020 07:00:05 +0000

BioCell Technology via EurekAlert – New peer-reviewed, published research finds branded dietary matrix of hydrolyzed collagen type II, chondroitin sulfate and hyaluronic acid reduced the formation of wrinkles and helped maintain skin elasticity in a laboratory study within 14 weeks. Building on an extensive body of research on the efficacy of BioCell Collagen®, a new published laboratory study finds that daily supplementation with the branded matrix reduced common signs of UVB-induced photoaging compared to the group that did not receive the supplement. The study found that oral supplementation with BioCell Collagen, with controlled UVB exposure, resulted in reduced signs of photoaging, including significant decreases in wrinkles and transepidermal water loss, and significant increases in skin elasticity and hyaluronic acid (HA) content. The full findings of the peer-reviewed study were published in the May issue of Journal of Functional Foods and are available to view on ScienceDirect. UVB and Visible Changes to the Skin Photoaging – skin damage caused by exposure to sunlight and ultraviolet (UV) light – is responsible for 90 percent of visible changes to the skin. UVB-induced photoaging, like that administered in the study, damages the outermost layers of the skin, and contributes to premature aging, like wrinkles, fine lines, loss of skin elasticity and hydration. “Nearly everyone is exposed to UVB-induced photoaging at some level and minimal research exists on options for reducing it through nutritional supplementation,” said Brooke Alpert, RD and a leading skin nutrition expert. “This laboratory research study, along with prior studies in humans demonstrates that BioCell Collagen’s unique matrix of hydrolyzed collagen type II peptides, chondroitin sulfate and hyaluronic acid may be used to address common, visible signs of photoaging, and is a promising step forward. These findings are incredibly encouraging for anyone desiring healthier-looking skin, especially for those seeking an effective, safe, non-invasive option for their skin routine.” BioCell Collagen is a clinically tested branded dietary ingredient with nearly two decades of research, that promotes youthful-looking skin, active joints, and healthy connective tissues. The Study Conducted by an independent research team, the study evaluated the use of BioCell Collagen in hairless mice, which have skin absorption levels comparable to human skin. There were 40 hairless mice in the study, equally divided into four groups: a group receiving no UVB exposure and no supplement, a group receiving UVB exposure with no supplement; and two active groups receiving UVB and different dosages of the supplement. Over the course of 14 weeks, the intervention groups supplemented once daily with BioCell Collagen at 200 mg/kg (human equivalence to 1g daily) or 600 mg/kg (human equivalence to 3g daily). For UV exposure, each animal was exposed to UVB radiation (290-320 nm) three times per week. The skin was measured and graded to determine the efficacy of BioCell Collagen on measurements of wrinkles, transepidermal water loss, skin elasticity and collagen levels. BioCell Collagen significantly impacted skin-related changes commonly associated with UVB-induced photoaging(compared with non-supplemented controls), with supplementation found to reduce the negative effects of UVB on: The formation of wrinkles, including the number, area, length, and depth of wrinkles Skin elasticity Skin hyaluronic acid content Two things commonly attributed to UVB-induced skin aging: transepidermal water loss and matrix metalloproteinases enzyme content. These findings follow numerous published studies on the efficacy of BioCell Collagen and show how the dietary supplement is a safe and effective option for healthy skin and joint aging. Once-daily administration over 14 weeks was well-tolerated, with no reported side effects. Healthy Addition to Your Skin Health Routine “These findings are consistent with prior research on the efficacy of BioCell Collagen as a safe and effective component to a skin health routine,” said Suhail Ishaq, president of BioCell Technology which sponsored the study. “Photoaging effects nearly everyone and is responsible for a vast majority of visible skin damage. While BioCell Collagen cannot replace your sunscreen, this study is further evidence that BioCell Collagen can serve as a safe, easy-to-take, non-invasive addition to a skin care regimen. Pairing daily oral supplementation of BioCell Collagen with a quality topical sunscreen to prevent damage can be the foundation of a good year-round skin care routine.” Alpert points to BioCell as an accessible solution for Americans who are facing both new and seasonal changes to their usual grooming and skincare routines. Look for Products Supported by Research “As we head deeper into spring and toward summer, the UVB-rays that cause photoaging will again become a challenge for our skin health making the use of a quality topical sunscreen imperative,” said Alpert. “Even as we stay inside, practicing social distancing, we are faced with additional skin stressors, including dryness due to HVAC systems and issues related to increased screen time. This is a viable time for those seeking more subtle ways to support their skin health to introduce BioCell Collagen supplementation into a skin care regimen, along with a topical sunscreen.” “When seeking skin health solutions, look for products supported by research,” said Alpert. “The unique bioavailable matrix of BioCell Collagen is conducive to good absorption in the body, which means that you can actually get the benefits shown by research.” This article has been modified. To read the article click here.

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