05.29.08
Posted in hyperpigmentation at 12:32 am by Administrator
In addition to depigmenting effects some of the natural ingredients discussed in our hyperpigmentation article have other benefits.
Vitamin C helps to decompose preformed melanin, is a photoprotectant and anti-inflammatory, and is required for and stimulates collagen synthesis. After application it cannot be washed or rubbed off.
Licorice extract inhibits tyrosinase activity and reduces UV induced inflammation.
Green Tea’s catechin constituents are responsible for its ability to inhibit tyrosinase. The anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and UV protectant properties of green tea catechins are also well-documented.
Lactic acid inhibits tyrosinase, increases natural ceramides (barrier lipids) and stimulates the biosynthesis of glycosamineglycans (GAGs), making skin soft and supple.
Paper mulberry contains active depigmenting agents.
Ku shen (Sophora flavescens) contains flavanone derivatives shown to inhibit melanin production. It has a number of uses in Chinese medicine, including the control of inflammation.
About Hydroquinone
Hydroquinone is known to produce serious side effects when used over a long period of time. It is reported to increase the risk of developing leukemia, liver cancer, skin irritation, irreversible hyperpigmentation and reproductive damage. Hydroquinone photosensitizes the skin and makes it susceptible to skin cancer. It is completely banned for use in cosmetics in Europe and Japan. Fortunately it is possible to get excellent results without using this dangerous product. I strongly encourage people who are using a product containing hydroquinone to consider other alternatives.
About Vitamin C and kojic acid
Applied topically, Vitamin C is an excellent antidote against photoaging of the skin. Research studies have shown that regular application of topical Vitamin C provides wavelength-independent ultraviolet protection and results in clinically visible anti-wrinkling. When exposed to sunlight, topical Vitamin C products prevent sunburn damage without blocking vitamin D synthesis, unlike other sunscreen products in the market.
The problem with Vitamin C is that it is unstable, unless it is in a dry form. In the presence of air, liquid or other oxidizing agents vitamin C is easily converted to oxidized forms. The oxidized vitamin C is not only incapable of boosting collagen synthesis or scavenging free radicals, it may actually promote free radical formation because it has become an oxidant. In other words, Vitamin C in serums or creams may already be oxidized by the time you apply them to your skin. In this case they will be working against you, not for you. In addition, only highly concentrated preparations (10% or more) deliver enough vitamin C to the cells to be topically effective. One solution is to dissolve a small amount of a powdered form of ascorbic acid into a sun lotion, then apply it directly to the face.
Kojic acid is a by-product in the fermentation process of malting rice for use in the manufacturing of sake, the Japanese rice wine. Research indicates that is highly effective in reducing the pigment in melasma patients Unfortunately it is too unstable to be used in cosmetic formulations–upon exposure to air or sunlight it can turn a strange shade of brown and lose its efficacy. Many cosmetic companies use kojic dipalmitate as an alternative because it is far more stable in formulations. However, there is no research showing kojic dipalmitate to be as effective as kojic acid, although is it a good antioxidant. As with Vitamin C, your best bet is to keep kojic acid away from light. Dissolve a small amount into serum or water, then apply to the face. Use at night, and use a good sunblock in the morning.
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05.28.08
Posted in Facts About UV Protection, Skin Aging Facts, hyperpigmentation at 11:25 pm by Administrator
Skin color is influenced by melanin, and variation in skin pigmentation is attributed to the levels of melanin produced and the number of melanocytes present. Fair and darker skinned people may have the same number of melanocytes, but darker tones obtain where melanin production is higher. In addition, the rate of degradation of melanin in the epidermal layers of darker skin is lower.
Melanogenesis (melanin biosynthesis) is influenced by genetics, environmental factors, diet and medication. Many people want to use a skin lightening product to address irregular pigmentation issues including malasma, age spots (Lentigus senilis) or liver spots (associated with sun damage or aging sometimes appearing as raised spots Seborrheic keratoses) and freckles (Lentigo aestiva). Unfortunately many products on the market are either dangerous, as in the case of hydroquinone (see “about hydroquinone” below), or they don’t seem to have much effect. The good news is that you can get excellent results with a product containing safe ingredients. The bad news is that you won’t see changes overnight, so patience is required. Remember to use an effective sunblock every day whether you are on a skin brightening program or not; it is your first line of defense against further skin damage.
Many studies indicate that natural agents can help to lighten skin gradually, over time. Let’s take a look at how and why they work.
Melanogenesis
The production of melanin by specialized cells called melanocytes occurs through the action of the enzyme tyrosinase. The rate-limiting step in melanogenesis is the conversion of L-tyrosinase to melanin, through the action of tyrosinase. Controlling melanin synthesis is usually accomplished at the first step of the melanogensis process by inhibiting tyrosinase, though other products/ingredients may affect other stages of the process: physical sunscreens block UVA rays which initiate tyrosinase activity, anti-oxidants chelate metal ions like copper which catalyze tyrosinase activity, and anti-inflammatories control inflammation which can often induce hyperpigmentation because it affects proliferation and functioning of melanocytes.
We can look at melanogenesis as a three-step process, as diagrammed below:
TYROSINE
I
I ———UV light
I
I ——-tyrosinase
v
L-DOPA
I
I —Cu+
I —tyrosinase
I
v
DOPA QUINONE
I I
I I
v v
Eumelanin Pheomelanin (reddish-brown)
(brown-black)
There are many natural ingredients that work well to control melanogenesis at the first stage by inhibiting tyrosinase. These ingredients are better tolerated than hydroquinone, which has been banned for use in Europe and Japan.
STEP ONE: Arbutin from the leaves of the common bearberry (Arctophylos uva ursi), glabridin from licorice (Glycrrhiza glabra roots), catechins from green tea, paper mulberry (Brouzzometria kazinoki + B. papyrifera), Sophora flavescens (ku shen), lactic acid and ascorbic acid all work at the first stage by inhibiting tyrosinase activity.
STEP TWO: Kojic acid (a bacterial carbohydrate metabolite) works by chelating copper ions from the active site of the enzyme. Other chelators include other antioxidants and rice.
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05.27.08
Posted in Facts About UV Protection at 8:56 pm by Administrator
There are some misconceptions about sun protection and the role afforded by sunscreens that I think are important to clear up. Here’s a test to see how sun savvy you are:
Answer true or false:
1) An SPF of 45 gives me all-day protection
2) An SPF of 30 gives me all the protection I need
3) Mexoryl is the only way I can get UVA protection
4) If I am in Australia I need to stay out of the sun during certain hours
5) SPF protection is proportional
6) UVC rays are blocked by the ozone layer
7) Zinc oxide does not protect as well as micronized zinc oxide
Zinc oxide provides more protection than titanium dioxide
9) If I don’t care about getting wrinkles I don’t need to wear a sunscreen
10) You need a chemical sunscreen to get the best protection
1) False: SPF provides a rough estimate for the length of time you can stay in the sun without burning, but it depends on the individual’s burning time. Starting with a baseline of SPF 15 sun protective agents are double in concentration, so 15 to 30 is a doubled concentration while 15 to 45 triples it without providing much more protection (from about 93.3% protection in SPF 15 to 96.6% in SPF 30. If you are a “burner” you are better off applying SPF 15 every hour than SPF 30 every 2 hours.)
2) False: SPF ratings refer to amount of UVB protection only. Some sunscreens will say “full-spectrum UVB/UVB protection” but you need to look at the ingredients to make sure you are getting complete UVA protection.
3) False: Mexoryl is a chemical sunscreen that protects up to 380 nm. The UVA range is actually 320 to 400 nm.
4) True: The ozone layer is thinning in some places on the planet, and no sunscreen protects against UVC rays. UVC rays pose a very serious risk for skin damage in some areas, and your best bet is to wear clothing and stay in the shade, especially during peak burning hours.
5) False: SPF protection goes up incrementally as concentrations of active ingredients double. SPF 8 = 87% protection, SPF 15=93.3%, SPF 30=97.7%. SPF ratings beyond 30 are fairly meaningless.
6) False: this is a qualified false and borders on opinion on my part. Some scientists insist ozone absorbs all the UVC rays, while some suggest that in places where the ozone layer is thinning there might be a risk. I believe in erring on the side of caution. In any case, fair-skinned people should limit their amount of beach time during peak burning times no matter where they are—reflections from water (and snow) increase UVB and UVA exposure.
7) False: Zinc oxide in larger particles (100 microns and larger) provides better protection because it works by reflecting or scattering UVA/UVB rays. In addition, nanoparticles may be absorbed by the skin and even enter the bloodstream, and the repercussions there are unknown. But that’s another story.
True: Zinc oxide protects in the 280 to 400 nm range, so provides full-spectrum UVB/UVA protection. Titanium dioxide protects from 280 to 360 nm. Micronized versions probably provide less protection, but no studies have been done in this area.
9) False: Again, I kind of sit on the fence about this one. UVB rays have been linked to squamous cell and basal cell carcinomas, and most scientists accept that more than 90% of skin cancers are the result of sun exposure. However, no link has been established between deadly melanomas and sun exposure, so if you don’t care about wrinkles, sun spots, premature aging and possibly getting a basal cell lesion then fine, don’t wear sun screen. I have noticed that men more than women fall into this category (no, really?) and to them I just provide one cautionary note—if you’re bald wear a hat to prevent painful sunburn. And to avoid lesions on the most susceptible part of your face, your poor little nose, at the very least slap some zinc oxide on your schnozz while you’re at the beach or skiing.
10) False: chemical sunscreens may irritate skin at higher concentrations, and about 15% of the population will break out from a chemical ingredient in a sunscreen product. The following ingredients have been linked to increasing free radical generation upon exposure to UV:
• octocrylene
• octylmethoxycinnimate
• benzophenone-3
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Posted in Facts About UV Protection at 8:53 pm by Administrator
We’ve talked a lot about the different wave-lengths of UV light, in particular UVA and UVB and how they affect the skin: UVB=burning, UVA=aging.
The discussion hasn’t touched on UVC for two reasons; 1) UVC rays are prevented from reaching the earth by the ozone layer, for the most part, and 2) I don’t want to be the one to sound alarm bells. However, so much misinformation abounds surrounding the complicated topic of sun protection that I feel I must take up the torch once again. This time the discussion will be around UV light and its relationship to skin cancer.
UVB: The UVB rays are the burning rays. They:
• Penetrate the epidermis
• Are present from 10AM to 4 PM
• Reflect off shiny surfaces
• are linked to squamous and basal cell carcinomas, damage DNA
• are 1000x stronger than UVA
• stimulate melanin biosynthesis and keratinocyte production
UVA: The long wavelength, low energy UVA rays are the aging rays. They:
• penetrate glass and clouds, penetrate to the dermis (Only 10% of UVB rays reach the dermis, about 50% of UVA rays do)
• present from sun up to sundown
• cross-link collagen and elastin
• damage DNA, carcinogenic (though the least associated with skin cancer)
• destroy langerhans cells and immune function
• turn melanin darker
• 1000x more prevalent than UVB
• cause hyper-hypo-pigmentation and broken capillaries
UVC: The short wavelength, high energy UVC rays. They are:
• the most carcinogenic
• sterilizing rays used to kill small organisms
• mostly absorbed by the ozone layer, sunscreens provide NO protection
Skin cancer facts
When it comes to skin cancer, we know that more than 90% are the result of sun exposure, with over 1 million new cases being reported each year. One of three fair-skinned people will develop a skin cancer, and one out of five of the general population will do the same. However, while the link between the UVB rays (and to a lesser extent UVA rays) and squamous and basal cell carcinomas has been established, the link between deadly melanomas and sun exposure is less sure. Knowing the facts will help you make an informed choice about the degree of protection you want for yourself. Here are some things to look at before coming to a decision:
Cosmetic
If you want to avoid premature wrinkling or sunspots use full-spectrum UVA/UVB protection. Recommended: Zinc oxide at 20% concentration.
If you don’t care about any of these issues (and many men I have encountered fall in this category though few women, what a surprise) then wear a hat to protect your bald spot and put sunblock on your nose at the beach to protect against basal cell lesions and you’ll probably be fine.
Safety
Squamous and basal cell carcinoma risks are reduced with full-spectrum UVA/UVB protection. Zinc oxide at 20% concentration is your best protection. At least be aware of UVC risks, and if you are in Australia limit your sun exposure. During peak burning hours ANYWHERE where burning is a problem, at high altitudes, at the beach, in the water or skiing, you are better off to stay in the shade as much as possible.
Children
Children are looking at 100 years of sun exposure, and these days also at 100 years of exposure to ingredients in sunscreens. You have to balance for yourself which is ultimately more lethal. But here is my take on it.
For the first five years you can depend on a child’s natural protection to do the job for the most part. At the beach wear hats, clothing and slather them with diaper cream or 20% zinc oxide from a safe product. At other times, and if your child burns easily, look at using Vitamin C directly on the skin. Wet it with green tea to get more natural protection. Overture also contains astaxanthin to protect against burning naturally. Neither of these will interfere with Vitamin D synthesis. My recommendations for children 5 and under:
1) Vitamin C
2) Astaxanthin
3) For serious sun, zinc oxide from diaper rash cream or Sun Serum
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Posted in Outside the Box at 4:44 pm by Administrator
There is something you can do that’s even more beneficial for your skin than swilling water or popping pills. Taking care of your skin means taking care of the whole person, and lest we forget, as the brain is to intellect, the skin is to sensuality. It thrives on a healthy love life. Unfortunately, these days that is easier said than achieved. I don’t know how many of you have tried internet dating, but I have and it’s been disastrous. But because we all live on the internet it makes sense to use the internet to help us out of the dilemmas the internet may have gotten us into in the first place. A friend of mine turned me on to a website that does just that. Like all great ideas, we didn’t know we needed it until it showed up. Check it out–here’s an excerpt from one of their press releases.
NEW YORK, April 8, 2008 /PRNewswire/ — Consumers of online dating
services are often frustrated by repeated disappointment and no convenient way to review and learn from their dating experiences. Many married and committed individuals need a professional source of love-life information and guidance but are unwilling to identify themselves in an office setting. In response to this urgent love-life need, Dr. Thomas Jordan, a Manhattan clinical psychologist and university professor, developed anonymous, professionally conducted Internet workshops called the Love-Life Workshops –
www.lovelifeworkshops.com.
The website employs a large staff of 60 New York State licensed psychologists ready to explore personal love-life issues
in more than 100 workshops per week. Their sole objective is to provide very affordable, personalized information, guidance, and support to anonymous members experiencing difficulties in their love-lives, from dating to marriage to divorce.
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Posted in Outside the Box, skin care news at 4:38 pm by Administrator
You’ve all heard you are supposed to drink at least 3 liters of water daily to maintain healthy skin. If you were reading the above article carefully you may have noted that gradual intracellular dehydration is a key feature, even cause, of aging. Zs.-Nagy weighs in with this note, “…there is a continuous relative dehydration of the living systems during their whole life spans.” Some doctors have gone on record saying that most of our ills can be related to water deprivation.
Three liters a day is a helluva lot of water. There can be such a thing as too much water, as witness the boy who died in a recent water-drinking contest. I would say try to get about a liter or so of water a day if you can, but don’t forget, while we human beings are about 70% water, fruits and vegetables are usually more than that. Fruits and veggies do count as water intake. And if you are like me and you have a hard time drinking water, green tea is a great substitute. Eat a green salad, drink a few cups of green tea a day, and when you do drink water add a little juice like aloe vera, goji or watermelon to it. These juices are high in polysaccharides so you get the water-binding properties you need to stay hydrated. Watermelon also has lycopene, another skin-saver. Thirsty?—eat a slice of watermelon.
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Posted in Facts About UV Protection, skin care news at 4:31 pm by Administrator
The nanoparticle controversy brings up the all-important question of testing. What do we know, what tests are presently available, and what is on the horizon? I talked to Dr. Jay L. Nadeau, professor of bio-medical engineering at McGill University, who heads a nanotechnology research group funded under EPA’s STAR (Science and Technology to Achieve Results) program. One of the results of their research has been the publication of a quantitative test of free-radical generation from nanoparticles in solution.
I described to her the difficulties associated with testing levels of UVA protection in sunscreen. Testing protection against longer UV wavelengths (from 330 to 400+ nanomaters) is not as intuitive as UVB testing, which simply tests for protection against the immediately visible effects of burning. UVA rays don’t burn you, they age you, so it makes sense that these longer-term effects would be harder to measure. However, one test that has been adopted by Japan and Europe, called Persistent Pigment Darkening, (PPD), uses essentially the same methodology as is used in SPF testing. L’Oreal Research presented such a PPD test model in their recent study.
In the L’Oreal study human volunteers were exposed to 330-440 nm of light 3 times a week for 4 weeks. Exposed sites were compared with nonexposed sites, exposed sites protected with a broad UVA absorber, and exposed sites to which a sunscreen vehicle had been applied. Various parameters related to early photoaging due to UVA exposure, including pigment darkening, stratum corneum thickening and changes in elasticity, were measured.
This is a clumsy testing method to say the least, especially as it requires the use of human volunteers who must be subjected to potentially harmful UV rays. Dr. Nadeau suggests that “absorbance spectroscopy and fluorescence-based assays can also quantify UVA absorption.” (see “Photosynthesis of dopamine-modified quantum dots and effects on biological systems,” Clarke, Hollmann, Zhang, Suffern, Bradforth, Dmitrijevic, Minarik and Nadeau, Nature Materials 5(5): 409-17 (2006).
In other words, nanoparticles may be instrumental in resolving issues around nanoparticle safety, which certainly makes for an elegant solution. I am very hopeful that we will soon be seeing less invasive and more reliable testing coming from the nanotechnology community.
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Posted in Facts About UV Protection, skin care news at 4:25 pm by Administrator
In the event that there are potential risks associated with nanoparticle use, Friends of the Earth has recently begun a campaign advising the public to avoid using products that contain them. Their argument is that since the physics of nanoparticles is different we can’t predict their behaviour. They quote a 2004 report by the United Kingdom’s Royal Society, which recommends that “ingredients in the form of nanoparticles should undergo a full safety assessment by the relevant scientific advisory body before they are permitted for use in products.”
(Please see Friends of the Earth press release at this link for more details) http://www.foe.org/new/releases/may2006/nanorelease5162006.html
FOE points out that many companies continue to use nanoparticles in the absence of independent safety testing, and advise a moratorium on their use until studies can demonstrate their safety.
Companies use nanoparticles for different reasons. Many are using them as delivery systems in anti-aging creams, arguing that nanoparticles will drive other anti-aging ingredients (specifically anti-oxidants) into the dermis where they will promote collagen production and prevent cell damage. FOE points out, and rightly, that if they do indeed drive other ingredients into the skin then the risk of doing damage would correlate to how many harmful ingredients contained in the product are also being carried to the dermis, notably parabens, other preservatives and fragrances. However, as we do not really know whether nanoparticles penetrate intact skin, or whether they act as uptake for other ingredients, it’s at best an academic argument and at worst unduly alarmist. As an anti-aging mechanism nanoparticles show promise, but we are a long way from knowing whether they are creating more damage than they are delivering benefits.
Many companies are adding micronized mineral particles to their sunscreens, and FOE adds a caveat about this practice: “Nanoparticles of titanium dioxide and zinc oxide-used in large numbers of cosmetics, sunscreens and personal care products-have been shown to be photoactive, producing free radicals and causing DNA damage to skin cells when exposed to UV light.” This is a large claim, and while perhaps sounding a warning klaxon a bit on the side of shrill, it does underline the crying need for more testing of this new technology.
UVA Protection-We know we need it, but do we know to get it?
Aside from the question of whether nanoparticles generate free radicals, there is another problem associated with micronized sun protection products that we can state unequivocally: the smaller the particle, the less effective the UVA protection. This is because mineral sunblocks work differently than chemical sunscreens, which absorb UV rays, lowering energy levels and releasing energy as heat. Mineral sunblocks reflect or scatter energy rays, and for this reason are non-irritating, unlike chemical sunscreens which may cause skin irritations and even rashes, especially at higher concentrations. Micronized minerals are not as efficient at the physical process of scattering rays, so the question arises–we may have a product that disappears on the skin that people will wear, but how much protection are they actually getting?
The temporary answer, at least until such time as we know more about the effects of nanoparticles, lies in using a product that contains a high concentration of non-micronized zinc oxide. FOE lists companies that do not use nanoparticles in their sunscreens/blocks, and there are other small companies not listed that also do not use nanoparticles. Marie-Veronique Skin Therapy is one of them–though FOE did not list our company as one of the “good ones”, rest assured that we are waiting for more information about nanoparticle safety before we use them. There are also several good diaper rash creams on the market that contain high concentrations of zinc oxide in all-natural formulas. You may mix them with your daily sunscreen to ensure that you are getting adequate protection.
Sunscreens and skin cancer
On another note. A new sunblock has come out on the market that is a micronized zinc oxide at 16% concentration. It claims that it gives UVC protection. UVC are the very short wave-lengths of light that do not enter the atmosphere as they are blocked by the ozone layer. Clearly in areas where the ozone layer is thin or absent (like Australia) UVC is a problem. It is said that everybody over 40 in Australia has skin cancer (usually of the basal cell carcinoma type, where lesions are slow-growing and require removal by a physician, but are not life-threatening). However UVC exposure is a potential and very real hazard. No sunscreen or sunblock protects against UVC rays—so if you live in a high-risk area you should limit your sun exposure and wear clothing and hats. As much as I admire zinc oxide for its great benefits I know it doesn’t protect against UVC rays. Beware sunblocks or sunscreens that claim they offer UVC protection—it’s not true, and it is extremely irresponsible, bordering on criminal in my opinion, for companies to be making such a claim.
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05.06.08
Posted in Skin Aging Facts at 7:02 pm by Administrator
The Vicious Cycle of Aging
The newsletter which can be found on http://www.antiaging-systems.com/index.htm frequently provides thought-provoking articles. I earmarked the “Vicious Circle” article for inclusion in one of my newsletters at some point, because it gets to the heart of why I am so adamant about using some of the ingredients I use in my products. (For more stories on this and other anti-aging topics please see the April newsletter, which will be posted on www.marieveronique.net soon. You can also sign up for the free newsletters on this site.)
This overview gives a little background on how aging happens at the cellular level, and bases its conclusions on the work of one of my favorite researchers in the field, Imre Nagy. Professor Nagy is internationally renowned as the originator of the Membrane Hypothesis of Aging, which is a variant of the free-radical theory.
First what I’d like to do is just highlight what happens at the cellular level. From there we can go on to what really charges our batteries, namely, what we can do to keep the aging effects at bay.
Here is the vicious circle of aging at the cellular level, in a nutshell.
1) OHRs damage cell membranes continuously. OHRs are hydroxyl radicals, which are the most reactive of all the reactive oxygen species. They can react with lipids in the various membranes of the cell, especially mitochondrial membranes.
2) Accumulating cell membrane damage gradually reduces potassium and water permeability, so water leaves and potassium accumulates, increasing intracellular viscosity.
3) Increasing intracellular viscosity reduces enzyme action, including RNA synthesis
4) Reduced RNA synthesis reduces new protein synthesis
5) Reduced protein synthesis reduces efficiency of cell membrane damage repair, which damage is caused by 1), and the vicious circle of increasing cell membrane damage and cell dysfunction/aging rolls on.
Since the vicious circle starts with OHR damage to the cell membrane it makes sense that one solution would be to intersperse a OHR-scavenger throughout the cell membrane. We know that the chief non-enzymatic OHR-scavenger is ascorbate, or Vitamin C. Vitamin C in sufficient quantities is incredibly important in maintaining skin health, but it won’t help us with membrane protection, because ascorbate is water-soluble. It occurs in the watery compartments like blood, extra cellular fluid, cytoplasm, and so on. Lipid-soluble tocopherol (vitamin E) is the chief membrane anti-oxidant, since membranes are composed of lipids, proteins and glycoproteins. Unfortunately, tocopherol does not quench OHR. This is quite a dilemma. We need something which will quench OHRs like Vitamin C and intersperse membrane lipids like Vitamin E. This is where centrophenoxine and DMAE come in.
Centrophenoxine and DMAE: site-specific antioxidants
The OHR-scavenging ability of DMAE is well-confirmed by many studies. When the active part of centrophenoxine (CPH), namely DMAE, enters various cells, it is phosphorylated into phosphoryl-DMAE, which is then converted to phosphatidyl-DMAE (PhDMAE). PhDMAE is then incorporated into the cell membrane. We need to ask ourselves, does this PhDMAE actually work in membranes as an effective site-specific antioxidant?
The studies, and they are quite numerous, indicate that it does. If you’d like to research these studies in more detail please go to the website indicated above. I’d just like to make the leap here into what a superior anti-aging system looks like. It should include:
L-ascorbate acid or Vitamin C
Vitamin E
Centrophenoxine and/or DMAE
This is just for starters. We’ll go into other ingredients and the role they play in protecting and repairing the skin in future newsletters. If you have an ingredient in mind you would like me to elaborate on please let me know. Just email me at marieveronique@m-vskintherapy.com
Who should not use DMAE or centrophenoxine
Please note, because of its strong cholinergic effects DMAE and centrophenoxine should not be used by pregnant women or nursing mothers.
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