Striving4Zen

As one of the country’s top cosmetic chemists and the founder of his own skin-care brand called Priori, Lewis loves his double-blind, peer-reviewed studies. So when he found coffeeberry, an antioxidant from the coffee plant, he began to apply scientific rigor to natural ingredients as well. We asked him for the proof behind coffeeberry’s power and for two other natural ingredients that claim to be heavy-hitters.

Here are the natural ingredients that Lewis likes because they deliver results:

Brightening, sun-damage prevention
1. CoffeeBerry: The antioxidant is dramatically more beneficial than green tea, acai, pomegranate, gogi berry or most other commonly hyped natural ones. CoffeeBerry extract has an ORAC of 15,000. ORAC is a measurement of antioxidant potency. For perspective, a cup of antioxidant blueberries has a score of 13,427. CoffeeBerry is one of the most important natural ingredients fighting the free-radical battle. It can reduce unwanted skin pigmentation and help prevent aging.

Smooths wrinkles, boosts hydration
2. Lactic Acid: A natural alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA) found in milk and other natural sources is critical to proper skin moisture. It’s an exfoliant that can improve hydration, so it’s the first step in any anti-aging skin regimen. Higher concentrations of lactic acid are often used in spa peels to boost the results of home-care products. Lactic acid has been proven to improve the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and has a plumping effect because it increases skin’s ability to retain moisture.
Most obvious natural source: Yogurt

Serious anti-aging (deep wrinkles); acne treatment
3. Vitamin A: By far still the most prescribed anti-aging treatment by physicians because of its proven anti-aging results in the skin—correcting wrinkles, improving firmness—dating back to the landmark research in this field in the 1980s. Vitamin A, the precursor to retinoic acid, cannot be made by the human body so it must be ingested or topically applied. Even the over-the-counter version called retinol is an effective cell-communicating ingredient. What does its text message to your skin say? Act like a healthy, younger skin cell. In addition to improving discoloration and wrinkles from sun damage, it’s also been shown to be a heavy-hitter against acne.

Most obvious natural source: Carrot oil —Melisse Gelula

Labels: Alpha-Hydroxy Acids, coffeeberry, lactic acid, retinol, Vitamin A

Summer sun and seaside fun can be damaging to our skin, but even indoor skin can use a little help feeling and looking fresh.

This easy-to-make formula will help to dissolve the “glue” that binds dead skin cells together, allowing them to fall away like autumn leaves, revealing the smooth, soft skin underneath. The secret is fresh alpha-hydroxy fruit acid–in this case from tomatoes, still in season–and sugar.

Get the skin-freshening exfoliating formula here:

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup granulated sugar
Chopped fresh tomato
2 tablespoons yogurt or sour cream

1. Place the sugar in a small bowl. Add enough fresh chopped tomato to moisten, then add yogurt. Combine and apply to a clean, damp face, using fingertips to gently massage the formula into skin.

2. Allow formula to remain on skin for 10 minutes, then rinse with warm water and pat dry.

Source

Labels: Alpha-Hydroxy Acids, DIY, scrubs, skin care, tomatoes

The new "it" beauty ingredients are giving us nothing but wrinkles -- of worry!
What really works (on wrinkles, on zits)? What's safe and what's not?

Here's a primer to take with you next time you're surfing Sephora ...

Retinoids: Most effective jack of all trades (reduces wrinkles, acne and age spots by enhancing the turnover rate of skin), but may heighten sun sensitivity. VJD Pick: Topix Replenix Retinol Smoothing Serum 3x.

Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs) and Beta Hydroxy Acids (BHAs): Help reduce fine lines by increasing cell turnover, but also cause sun sensitivity. VJD Pick: Murad AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser.

Vitamins C, E and Coenzyme Q10: These natural antioxidants help to undo damage and protect against fr*ee radicals, but CoQ10 is relatively untested. VJD Pick: SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic Acid.

Peptides: Have been shown to reduce skin roughness and wrinkle volume, but need to be used consistently for results. VJD Pick: Kinerase C6 Peptide Intensive Treatment.

You may want to avoid hydroquinone, often used to lighten brown spots -- it's been linked to cancer in rodents (but not in humans).

SOURCE

Labels: Alpha-Hydroxy Acids, skincare