TRUTH in SKINCARE

Poor Baby Vaseline Marketing! Stay away from the Pink Jar.

2012-12-10T11:23:00.006-05:00

Happy Monday all!

I was walking down the aisle of a store in Queens when I noticed the two different Vaseline Jars next to each other. One was pink Baby Vaseline and the other being the common blue jar of Vaseline. So of course this piqued my curiosity...What is the difference between the two? In my mind, I assumed incorrectly (like most people I'm sure) that the Baby Vaseline would be somehow more gentle or appropriate for babies. I don't know how you could even make Vaseline more gentle anyway....so this is why I turned the jars around to read the labels.

Much to my dismay, I found out what makes "Baby" so special. Take a look at the picture. The jar on the left in the second picture corresponds to the Baby Vaseline and the one on the right is the regular Vaseline.

Here are the ingredients...
REGULAR VASELINE: 100% White Petrolatum.
BABY VASELINE: 99.96% White Petrolatum, Fragrance.

Seems like making a product smell particularly "baby fresh" by adding artificial fragrance deems it better for babies than pure product without the fragrance. Shame on you Unilever. In today's age of issues with baby allergens and exposure to hormone altering chemicals in every-day products, we should be extra-vigilant to ensure our growing babies receive only the best in their healthcare products. Now, I'm sure the fragrance is overall quite harmless, but WHY would you even include it in a product aimed for babies, when the regular Vaseline product is completely fragrance free!? This is just an example of marketing at it's best (or worst).

How Antifreeze Wound Up in Your Cosmetics

2012-11-20T14:35:00.001-05:00

Head on over to DAME Magazine to read this quick and well written article written by Katherine Fleming. It'll provide insight into some very basic and ubiquitous skincare ingredients.

How Antifreeze Wound Up in Your Cosmetics

Nice work!

P.S. It's nice to be back!

Difficult to achieve an even all-over tan?

2010-08-09T07:10:00.001-04:00

Good article on why our body parts tan differently. As well as some other common findings about skin types and tanning ability.

ScienceDaily (Aug. 3, 2010)

A consistent all-over tan may be impossible to achieve

because some body areas are much more resistant

to tanning than others, a study has found.

Clear here to read

Wanna get a tan online?!?

2009-05-30T02:06:00.004-04:00

Here's something I've been wanting to post for a long time now. It's the newest revolution!

Did you know that you can now use your computer LCD screen to create UV light that can be used to tan yourself.

I just had to bring you the good work that ComputerTan.com is doing. Click on the link to get your own "free computer tan" now.

Spoiler:
Please visit the site first if you want to experience it first. Because here comes the spoiler . . . What a concept, kinda scary actually if it were true. The website has been massively popular and contains a free trial to use your computer, but when visitors click on a free trial, the lights start, and then a message come us . . . talking about SKIN CANCER! Yup, it's actually a site devoted to skin cancer!

BTW did you really think I would promote excess tanning on this site?!? Hope you enjoy

Product Review: Simple Regeneration Facial Wash

2009-05-19T07:34:00.008-04:00

Well, here is another product I picked up from my previous European trip. It's another product I picked up from London. I don't know what it is, but I have been giving pretty good reviews to a lot of the inexpensive products that I've been finding there! (Click here to read about Clarity by Superdrug, one of my favorite products). I've included this product review because a lot of readers were asking me to review some fragrance-free products, so here we go . . .

I've been using this product, Regeneration, by the Simple skincare company of the U.K. I've pretty much used it as an "everyday, just reach and wash" product . . . hey, I barely have time for any more than just that since I either come home exhausted from work or scramble to leave for the hospital just before the crack of dawn :-) Overall, it is just what it is, a no frills wash.

Honestly, I doubt there's much special about this product as far as any miraculous claims, but you all know that I do love the fact that there's absolutely no fragrance in this product. As far as the active ingredients in this product, well, I'll talk about that below, but here's the ingredient listing:

Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Decy Glucoside, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Butylene Glycol, Fomes Officinalis Extract (Trunk Rot Mushroom), Sodium Chloride, Propylene, Glycol, PEG-55, Propylene Glycol Oleate, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Panthenol, Glycol Distearate, Methyparaben, Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate, Camellia Sinensis Extract (Green Tea), Polyquarternuim-39, Tocopheryl Acetate, Cocamide MEA, Laureth-10, Disodium EDTA, Dipropylene Glycol, Citric Acid, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Benzoic Acid, Glycerin, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract (Oat Kernel), Anthemis Nobilis Oil (Camomile), Sodium Benzoate, Chlorphenesin, Potassium Sorbate, Sorbic Acid, Propylparaben.

As far as the natural ingredients in red, they certainly do have proven helpful effects. The mushroom extract, however, is the only one that is likely in any significant amount in this product. Notice that the others are all listed after the start of the preservatives in the listing (in purple). Likely that means that they make up less than 1% of the product.

A good thing about this product is the price, you can find this product for less than 5 Pounds or 8 USD or so. So, overall, decent product, good price, and overall a favorable review.

To learn more about ingredient listings you can read my previous post on how to decipher ingredient listings by clicking here! This post is a must read to bolster your ability to exam a product and its ingredients a lot more analytically!

Review: Sisley Buff and Wash Facial Gel

2009-05-02T03:18:00.005-04:00

Hello! Gosh I've missed blogging! Life's been a bit hectic for me as of late, spending way too many hours in the hospital. Anyway, I'm finally getting a chance to get through some more products. This review is on Sisley's Buff and Wash Facial Gel. Now I do have to hand it to the French, they surely do know how to market their beauty products like no one else, after all, even American lines try and pretend that they're French so they can upsell themselves (Revive, hello?).

Basically, this was a completely unimpressive product for me. Nothing really stood out. The buff, not so good, I didn't even feel like there was enough exfoliating particles to do a decent job. Cleansing was fine. Now I'll spare you a lot of the details, because, as readers of this blog, you know how I feel about the usual fragrances, preservatives, etc. Let's take a look at what this product has . . .

Ingredients: Water, glycerin, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, silk amino acids, peg-40, hydrogenated castor oil, polyethylene, lemon extract, propylene glycol, papaver rhoeas (field poppy) extract, carbomer, triethanolamine, phenoxyethanol, sodium methylparaben, sorbic acid, edta, lavender oil, litsea cubeba oil, methylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben, ethylparaben, isobutylparaben.

I've highlighted the stabilizers and preservatives in red for you above. You know I believe skin care products should have preservatives, but this seems like overkill, seriously. And the ingredient litsea cubeba is just an evergreen like shrub, most likely here because it is used as a source of citral which gives the product its fragrance.

If you like a product with a 'natural, herbal' scent, this is definitely that. The good thing is that there is no artificial fragrance (smile), but on the other hand, the litsea oil is a natural source of fragrance, however, without any known beneficial effects on the skin.

Overall, decent ingredients . . . but I'm going to give it a thumbs down . . . why? Well, it's the price baby. Just over 3 ounces of this product costs anywhere between a whopping $75 (sale price) to $120.

There is not one ingredient in this listing that could even justify that price range! Not one. And in these economic times, there are plenty better ways to spend a C-Note than on this bottle of face wash!

Shame Shame: Johnson & Johnson baby shampoo (and copycat products)!

2009-02-03T21:43:00.004-05:00

Johnson & Johnson has been a reputable name for so many years. No doubt with the help of it's well known baby care products, who hasn't grown up with their "No more tears" shampoo? In fact this shampoo is used in so many hospital, including the ones I have worked in. Hopefully this post will illustrate that even a big industry leader like J&J can make a stinky error of "non"-disclosure.

This is another one of my favorite topics . . . that's right, I'm talking about INGREDIENT LISTING problems!! Call it misleading or call it an omission, call it whatever you'd like! I just wish you'd call J&J and complain (their consumer hotline is (800) 294-3632)!

The front label clearly touts "natural lavender", however, you don't find lavender in the ingredient listing whatsoever! [BTW if you click on the picture, you can just make out the "with natural lavender" right under the word shampoo]. The funny thing: it seems like J&J was not necessarily wanting to keep from disclosing its ingredients, but, rather, this story goes to show you that the ingredient list is a lagging afterthought. Another possibility may be that there are indeed other "natural" ingredients that are just labeled as "fragrance" and that's that!

Copycat products with copycat osmissions! Pick up that store-brand knock-off of J&J's original lavendar baby shampoo, and guess what? Yup, they make the same ingredient labeling mistake. The front says with "natural lavender" but nary an inclusion in the ingredient listing. I believe the store brand that I was checking out at the time was Target. Come on guys, get it together. Let's hope the next run of these products will include a full disclosure of ingredients on their labels!

This post isn't necessarily mean to bash J&J (although I'm sure they could take it!) but to point out that ingredient errors/omissions are made by all types of companies, including those with billions of dollars and untouchable reputations!

Till next time readers!! Be well, and remember, the only good tears are those of gratitude!

Latisse: Are you ready for bigger lashes?

2009-01-27T00:50:00.008-05:00

Bigger, thicker lashes. Sure, everyone looks better with them, but how far are we willing to go. It's been a while since the FDA approved bimatoprost for cosmeceutical use, a prescription drug originally used for glaucoma treatment. The simple gist is that glaucoma patients using this drug developed thicker, longer lashes. This little finding ended up being a jackpot for Allergan, the company behind the drug.

This is actually one example of a pharmaceutical company truly getting the ultimate success in a product, namely being able to repackage a drug for a secondary market, especially when the market is even larger than its orginal target audience. Sure Allergan may have had decent sales (over $100 million) with Lumigan (the glaucoma version of the drug), but we all know the real money is had in cosmeceuticals. Being able to repackage the drug for cosmeceutical use (under the name Latisse) is going to make Allergan more money, many times over, than they could have as a limited to glaucoma drug. In fact, sales are predicted to be over half a BILLION dollars, and product popularity will only continue to grow. Oh yeah, guess what other blockbuster product Allergan is behind? Botox! And they think that Latisse will rival sales of Botox!

But it's our job to take a closer look here at Truth in Skincare, right? So let's get into it now. The active ingredient in both these products is bimatoprost, which is similar to prostaglandins, basically fatty acid derived active compounds, which in this case, help decrease the pressure inside the eye. This is an essential activity to help relieve the pressure in Glaucoma and reduce damage to the optic nerve. Overall, it's a seemingly safe drug and cleared by the body extremely quickly. And there's no doubt to its benefits for glaucoma patients, but as a cosmetic agent, well, that's a different story.

First lets start with the side effects:

Occurring in up to half of all patients:

1. Increased blood flow (redness) in the eyes

2. Itchiness

3. Eyelash growth

4. Itchy eyes

In roughly 10% of patients:

1. Infections (colds and upper respiratory infections)

In roughly 5 to 10% of patients:

1. Headaches

2. Abnormal liver functions

3. Hirsuitism (excessive hairyness throughout entire body)

These side effects occur in roughly 3-10% of patients:

1. Dry eyes

2. Visual disturbances

3. Burning

4. Foreign body sensation

5. Eye pain

6. Cataracts

7. Eyelid redness

8. Eyelash darkening

Occurring in 1 to 3% of patients:

1. Eye discharge

2. Excessive tearing

3. Photophobia (sensitivity to light)

4. Allergic conjunctivitis (another form of "eye redness")

5. Strained eyes

6. Pigmentation of the iris

7. Eye swelling (edema)

Had enough yet?

So we're going to be using this active drug to lengthen out lashes! To be honest, I don't know how the FDA got around to approving this drug for cosmetic use. The concentration of the active ingredient is the same in both products, however, the application process is not the same. Lumigan (the glaucoma drug) is in the form of eye drops. However, Latisse, the cosmetic form is in drop form too, however, it is dropped onto an applicator. The applicator is then used to apply to the eyelash area, not directly into the eye (although it will find it's way into the eye anyway!).

On top of all this, it will require daily use and maximum results won't be found for 16 weeks. That means a dedication of 4 months! I don't know readers, what do you think? I think that there are probably more useful ways to devote your time than to this experimental beauty regime. The most unfortunate aspect is the people who most justifiably would need this are chemotherapy patients who have lost their eyelashes, but this is just one of the groups of people that the FDA suggests more research should be conducted. So, the people that may need this product the most are the ones that more research needs to be done in order to prove the product's safety and effectiveness.

Is it me, or does this seems like an excessive cosmetic regime that we can do without? For safety's sake (come on, do you want to go through any of the above side effects?) I'd recommend staying away from Latisse. Period. At least wait a few years to see what this products full effects will be. Now that this product is approved for cosmeceutical use, the number of patients using it is exploding as well, and we will soon find out what the full list of side effects are anyway.

I say . . . just be smart and don't be a guinea pig, stick to your favorite mascara for the time being!

Happy 2009!

2009-01-07T00:33:00.002-05:00

A belated Happy New Year to the readers of this blog! I'm so excited to start this new year with fresh blogs and continued emails from all of you! Thanks so much for the kind words! Let me take a moment to wish you the best for this coming year and beyond.

While I talk much of skincare on this blog, certainly there are times I'd like to write about more important things such as what's happening in this world (and that's quite a lot huh?). So for this new year, of course I'll be writing more skincare blogs, but I'll also be throwing in some more personal rants and raves and writing about things I believe should be talked about.

I think in the bigger scope of things we can all agree that skincare takes a much needed backseat to other issues in our lives! As Americans, and with our current troubled economic times, there are certainly larger thoughts looming for us all. Expanding the scope of the blog I think will hopefully give it a more personal and interesting new depth (let's hope!). So, kinda like a plate of skincare with a side of current affairs!

Again, I wish you all the best in this new year and hope that whatever we are going through, good or bad, we can always be grateful for what we do have and plan to become better people to ourselves and to others as each day goes by.

Love, dr d

Returning from NYC!

2008-09-28T22:34:00.005-04:00

It's been almost a month!! Well, let me explain where I've been! On vacation mostly! A well needed trip back to NYC! Oh, I didn't realize how much I've missed NYC until I was there.

Nothing like a beautiful late summer / early autumn night in NY and there were plenty! Anyway, real life is back and calling me. I apologize for the long absense and I promise to give you a heads up next time!

Other than that, my work in the hospital is quite demaning right now as well! So I'll probably be posting only a couple times a week (hopefully).

Oh yeah, remember the Project Runway star that I left you hanging with last posting? Well, that was my old neighbor Danny! But unfortunately as I have come to find out, he was booted from the show. No worries, I have no doubt he'll make it in the biz.

Till next time peeps!

xoxo

A friend on Project Runway!

2008-09-04T06:00:00.000-04:00

Here is a fun post. Lately I've had not much positive to say about television and today's media and entertainment industries. So now I have something that begs me to say something and it's a very positive thing for a change!

I had no idea for the longest time that a friend of mine (I used to live just downstairs from him in Manhattan) was on TV. Actually, on Project Runway which I actually like. Which says a lot for me since I don't even currently have TV because I'm just "over it", even the news seems like such crap these days. Yes, people think that's kinda weird, but honestly even if I liked TV, I don't have time to watch it . . . way way way too busy. So anyhow . . . getting back to the point!

I can't say what this person is like on Project Runway (since I haven't seen it yet!!) but I can tell you this person was one of those unique talents. I had been to a couple showcases of said designer while in NYC (said person was still a design student at the time). One time I was at a fashion show that was featuring the best of the city's student designers. Well, I can say that night, this Project Runway challenger's stuff was like magic, a distant winner. Not only that, it was clever too!

Know who I'm talking about? I'll reveal tomorrow!

A quick response to some emails on Parabens

2008-09-03T06:00:00.000-04:00

Here is a quick response to some misconceptions on parabens. Many people have emailed me thinking that we need to eliminate parabens to prevent "even the smallest amount" from entering out systems. I have some bad news for anyone trying to eliminate parabens from their skincare "diet". Parabens are not just in skincare! It's would be important to say that Parabens are actually used to preserve different types of medications/immunizations that are injected directly into our system!

PARABENS REVIEWED

2008-09-02T06:00:00.001-04:00

Here is the finally summary about parabens. It's the culmination of all the Paraben Posts 1-6 that I had written. Now the links are in one easy post. I am still receiving a lot (I mean A LOT) of emails about parabens and their safety (or lack of safety). I've responded in the comments sections to these questions as well.

So click on the Parts below to read the posts.
A suggestion: you might want to right-click and "open in a new tab" if you want to keep this page open.

Part 1: This is just an introduction to the series that I did when I first set out to write about parabens and their "controversial" uses in skincare products.

Part 2: This is a nice primer to the background on parabens. Their chemical profile, what they are and what they are doing in products. It's always best to start with something concrete, huh? We'll get into the controversy in following posts . . .

Part 3: This post is dedicated to clarifying just who is saying what. What's all the fuss? Haven't heard of parabens, then maybe you should start hearing what others are so up in arms about (or maybe not!).

Part 4: Here is a nice perspective using parabens to illustrate the divergences among "the Industry vs Science vs Reality". It's important to know, what's "popularly known" doesn't make it the least bit true! The skincare industry is certainly a place where these forces are unfortunately most at odds!

Part 5: This post on parabens is a summary of what I think. I try to put the whole paraben debacle into perspective. There are a ton of "bad things" that are thrown at our body systems everyday, but our body's have a great ability to fight these things off (and sometimes its a good thing to be exposed to "bad things"). I say this because a tactic used by "fear mongers" (maybe they learned from the Bush administration, sorry, I had to!!) is bombarding you with "the dangers of this or that ingredient" but it is taken out of context from the truth and the real science behind any sort of claim.

Part 6: Alas, the final post on parabens (for now at least!). This post discusses the ingredients that you should NOT mix parabens with, as well as, other non-paraben combos that should not be used in skincare products since they release higher amounts of formaldehyde.

Missing You All & More Posts Underway!

2008-08-30T17:07:00.002-04:00

I've missed you all so much! I'm sorry it's been so long! I've been spending long hours in the hospital and, unfortunately, my blogging has suffered. Sometimes I do get downtime, but, alas, our computer systems block out blogging sites so I haven't been able to blog from work.

I have figured out a work-around though, and I'll be able to use my downtime to be more productive! Anyway, I will be working on some new posts during the amazing labor day weekend!

Enjoy your weekends everyone and stay safe!
xo
dr david

Product Commentary: CLUBMAN Shave Gel

2008-08-11T06:00:00.000-04:00

CLUBMAN Shave
Shave Gel
Sensitive Skin

I wrote about CLUBMAN Shave Cream, which is an exceptional product.

However, this shave gel I did not think was nearly as good as the creme version. The biggest problem was that it did not do a good job cutting down on the friction of shaving. It was painful to shave. If this is not too much of an issue for some shavers, than the fact that this product is clear and doesn't really lather up, can make for a nice visible shave. This is one product where you can really see where you are shaving.

So, if you want a visible shave, this could be the product for you. Could be good for trimmed/shaped beards, etc. But if you need a more comfortable shave, this product probable is not for you.

One thing that I (of course) don't like is the artificial and natural fragrances (not the best for sensitive skincare, as this product is claiming to be). I must say though, it does smell great. Masculine and clean, an excellent scent for a men's shaving product.

Product Review: Clarity by Superdrug

2008-08-08T06:00:00.001-04:00

Clarity Skin Rescue
2 in 1 Deep Cleasing Wash/Mask
150 mL
~$5.00 USD

Here's another thing I've picked up while on my little European Adventure. This little wonder comes from Superdrug, the English drugstore. If you go to their website, there isn't even a good tagline for this product, in fact, not even a product description!

This is too bad, because I have to say that this is definitely one of the best products I have ever come across. Did I also mention it was pretty darn cheap, with the affordable price of less than 2 Pounds a bottle (that's around $4-5 in USD).

First let's start off with the ingredients:
Water, Glycerin, Kaolin, Bentonite, Titanium Dioxide, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Polysorbate 60, Cetearyl Alcohol, Salicylic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Trideceth-9, Parfum*, Benzyl Alcohol, Sodium Hydroxide, Benzophenone-4, Postassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Hexyl Cinnamaldehyde**, 2-(4-tert-butylbenzyl)propionaldehyde, Benzyl Salicylate, Linalool, Cl 42051, Cl 60730.
*you know I don't like artificial fragrances! **this ingredient is a naturally derived aroma agent from chamomile, with possible allergenic properties in high doses. Overall though, a pretty safe ingredient as far as "aroma" agents go.

So as far as the ingredients go, of course there are a few I could do without. You know my usual rant about artificial fragrances! Overall, however, the ingredients selected in this product is why I LOVED this product. Let's talk about it!

This product combines Kaolin Clay, Bentonite Clay, and Salicyclic Acid. Making this a super product for improving complexion (not to mention an excellent adjuvant to acne care and oily skin). I can go on and on about the wonders of natural Kaolin Clay (click here for a post about Kaolin) as well as Bentonite. And Salicyclic Acid is a well proven anti-acne ingredient as well (and has anti-inflammatory properties as well). I have to give kudos for someone who actually decided to put these products together to create a face wash. It is pretty rare to see these clays in a wash, but they make all the difference, in fact, I do believe there will be notible differences in the skin's appearance with the use of this product.

Now before you think this product is all peaches & cream, not so fast. It says it's a face wash, and it certainly does clean the face, but you won't get that "sudsy" effect from this product at all. However, with all the clay ingredients, it's pretty hard to create a "sudsy" product, by you really don't have to. This is only an aesthetic issue. It certainly works great as a mask and dries up just like a mask would.

In my opinion, it is very nice to see a product like this, and hopefully other companies will follow suit. I believe this should be a must-have product in everyone's shower line up.

I'd suggest leaving the mask on for a few minutes if possible before washing it off.

NY Times Article on skincare targeted to cancer patient

2008-08-06T06:00:00.000-04:00

A while back I was interviewed by the NY Times about skincare products targeted to cancer patients. I'm glad to see the article presents these products lines for what they are . . . of little substance. There, of course, is no proof in the pudding as they say. I wrote a piece on the rubbish that is the Lindi Skincare line and their shameful targeting towards a most vulnerable population.

This piece from the NY Times discusses the sad state and contradiction that is our health care system. Our cancer hospital gift shops may sells these product lines and many patrons might think that they work (why else would a hospital sell them) but in fact, neither are these products endorsed by the hospital, nor are they particularly effective at treating cancer patients' skincare needs.

Even though the oncologist physicians quoted in the interviews agree that these products aren't necessarily superior to any other skincare line, it would have been nice to get some quotes in by Dermatologists who could have much more easily dismissed the like of Lindi Skin and others.

The article also does a nice job at illustrating the rip-off prices of these products as well. Nice Job.

PARABENS PART 6: DON'T MIX!!!

2008-08-04T06:00:00.000-04:00

SO it comes to an end. This is my last piece in the Parabens Series before I do a 'wrap-up' of them all. This is certainly an important piece, mostly because it will list specific ingredients to watch out for the next time you go shopping.

So I've said all along that there is no need for alarm about parabens used in skincare products as opposed to other preservatives. It has a good safety history (which is more than I can say for "paraben alternatives" used mainly for marketing purposes) and has been around much longer than almost all the other preservatives.

One of the scare tactics associated with parabens is that they release formaldehyde. This is actually not true of the parabens by themselves. However, if certain preservatives are mixed together (this applies to non-paraben and parabens alike) their combination can indeed release trace amounts of formaldehyde. By the way, formaldehyde is that nasty stuff used to embalm dead bodies or to fix tissues for laboratory work. Actually, it has a ton of uses, but all mainly in the realm of preserving things (that are not alive of course!). This is because it is very toxic and carcinogenic. So the last think we want is to be adding this to our bodies.

This being said, out bodies do produce (extremely small) amounts of formaldehyde as by products of certain processes. In fact, if people drink wood alcohol (methanol) they go blind. This is because the body breaks down that methanol into formaldehyde. It's the formaldehyde that causes this blindness, and, yes, it's permanent.

So here we go . . .
Parabens by themselves and combinations of parabens are NOT formadehyde releasers.

On the other hand, these non-paraben preservatives are in fact paraben releasers and will release formaldehyde in the products that contain them. In short, I would try and stay away from these ingredients if possible, especially if a product contains more than one of the following ingredients (this is because they can additively release even more formaldehyde into the product). So here is the list

Formaldehyde Releasing Preservatives:

2-Bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol
DMDM Hydantoin
Diazolidinyl Urea
Hydroxymethylglycinate (click for more on this)
Imidazolidinyl Urea
Quarternium-15
Trishydroxymethylnitromethane
2-Bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol
The Urea's, in general

Some of these mixed in with parabens will help to release formaldehyde from the paraben components as well. So my suggestion is to stay away from the listed ingredients above. No need to add more formaldehyde to our skincare diet!

New Blog Posts on the way!

2008-08-03T05:47:00.004-04:00

Well it feels like it's been forever! It's been a pretty hectic several weeks. I got sick somewhere along the way to my brother's wedding (which was fantastic I am happy to report) and coming back to Hawaii, and since I've been working like crazy lately, I've had like zero energy! But I am so glad to be blogging for you all again! Here's what to look for in the weeks ahead . . .

I'll be posting another blog about Parabens, then summarizing all the posts on parabens that I've already written about. More ingredient posts, reviews, Q&A's, and more! Check back Monday!

It's been a while!

2008-07-23T12:54:00.001-04:00

Hey there guys!
I know it's been a while. I've had a very busy couple weeks and just got back from NY/NJ for my brother's wedding! So it was all good stuff and now I'm back in Hawaii and will be back to blogging soon. I'll also tell you about my own tragic "beauty" fumble as well! Enjoy your Wednesday everyone!! xo

Getting Research Articles for yourself

2008-07-14T06:00:00.000-04:00

This post is dedicated to walking you through and possibly ordering the latest (or any) research papers available. Unfortunately, without the access privileges of a large school or university, it can be limited and costly.

All the latest research is almost always published in scientific journals. There are hundreds of journals out there covering the broadest subject ranges.

A caveat:
Remember, good quality and poor quality research can both be published. Journals like Science and Nature as well as many of the medical society journals are among the best when it comes to quality research. Many of these top journals have some serious, serious approval requirements and scrutiny when it comes to being published in their annals. That being said, good research and poor research can pop up everywhere. Assuming the authors have been honest, there is still a critical mind that is necessary (usually developed through rigorous academic training) to evaluate the reserach itself to deem it worthy. Even many doctors today don't have this training to contrast good studies from bad. Unfortunately, neither does the media, and this is why we always hear stories that are way out there. How many times have you heard news headlines like this . . . "chocolate can protect you from heart disease" or "X ingredient can help you prevent cancer"? Unfortunately, too much. Most of these headline making studies are so flawed, that they are really just a joke, but, hey, as long as some researcher published something somewhere, its fodder for the media beast.

Another Caveat:
This is about the limited availability of research articles to the public. I am going to show you in this post how to search for articles on anything that you want, however, that doesn't mean that you'll be able to just click and receive. Many of these articles are available only if you either subscribe to that journal (hundreds of dollars a year for just one subscription) or are willing to purchase the article (through a convoluted system that is expensive and time delayed).

Okay, so after those gloomy words here is a possible upside. If you have access or are part of a college or university (especially a larger research university) your science library should carry many of the journals you may be looking for. However, for the most extensive availability, only the best-endowed school libraries will have this voluminous catalog. Okay, maybe another caveat, most universities are going electronic with all their journals anyway, so if you aren't officially a student/faculty member, you probably won't have access, since the libraries are doing away with the print issues of the journals!

So, for the smallest number of you that have made it this far in the post here's what you can do. You'll have to search PubMed. I have carried a link for this, check under the section entitles "Dr. David Loves . . . these links of truth" on the left sidebar of this blog. Now this should open up PubMed.

Here's the easy part, just type in whatever you are looking for! Some suggestions: be specific for what you are looking for. I suggest entering ONLY keywords, and as many keywords that MUST be in the articles you are searching for.

Okay, so you have a bunch of results that pop up. If you're looking for something general, let's say, latest treatments for psoriasis or skin cancer, I suggest once you get the results, click on "Review" and this will give you what are known as "Review articles" which are articles that have actually gone through a bunch of other articles and published an overview or a "Review" articles with the information from a bunch of articles available in that field. It's more bang for your buck.

If you're looking for something really, really specific, you might not find as many Review articles available, so you can just stick to the "All" section which is the default.

Now, just cause you can't obtain the full article, you can get the gist of it by looking at what is called the 'abstract'. Go to the Display dropbox and click on "Abstract" and the titles will expand showing you the abstracts. This is a kind of "summary" illustrating the major points of the study and usually the conclusion as well. You can kind of get the whole point of the study in the conclusion. But BE WARNED: it's not very scientifically accurate to assume the author's conclusion is either correct or valid. There is no way to know for sure what the value (if any) is of the study without scrutinizing the whole article, especially the study methods, conduct, and approach.

Unfortunately, unless you have full access (through an institution that pays the heavy fees for jounal access), this is all you get. You can not see the whole article. Rarely some journals have some articles available, if so, you will see a link saying so and you can click and open up the whole thing.

So, you've found an article you just MUST have?!?! Or you really want to start actually getting these articles, but don't have access to them. Unfortunately, your options are limited. But here they are.

1. You can contact the publisher of that journal and request a free copy/fax of the study, they will usually oblige (I can't vouch for this, but I've heard from collegues they will do this). You can also contact the author, although I wouldn't recommend this.

2. One sure fire way to get them is through something called Loansome Doc. This is a service that allows you to sign up with a local medical library to get copies of the article from them. Like I said before, this isn't so simple. You may have to apply first to the library to be approved, some charge a deposit as well. And then you should find out how much the library charges for each article and what methods of delivery are available (fax, email, physical pick-up). Some charge outrageous rates of up to $20 or more per article. So, if you want to start that endeveor anyway, just click here and find out all there is to Loansome Doc.

I'm sorry this is such an unhelpful post, but when I found out just how difficult is was for the lay person not associate with an institution to get a significant number of articles at east, I was very upset. Ideally, it would be nice to have this knowledge and information available to the mass public. I think a nice change would be to completely overhaul the "loansom doc" service and integrate it into the pubmed searches better than it is now. It's quite cumbersome.

Well, hope this helps for those of you that can afford price requried of opening the gates of knowledge :-) Not to digress, but kids these days have it much better, I remember in college (it wasn't that long ago) I had to dig through the stacks of publications past to track down specific articles. Today, all I have to do is just go to PubMed through my University and in one click I have the whole article right there. WOW, it's nice to see techonology improving lives (and saving time and effort). Now if just everyone could have access!

Athletes & the Coodies: Resistant Staph Infections

2008-07-11T06:00:00.000-04:00

Here's a story from the American Academy of Dermatology. Microorganisms resistant to antibiotics have been on the rise for years now and is a major concern in most hospitals and to the community at large. This is an interesting look into how these nasty bugs are affecting us in our daily lives. This example is one concerning athletes, especially those sharing facilities (locker rooms, showers) as well as equipment. Hey, I've always, had a thing for community showers, and I developed a habit of always wearing flip-flops whenever I had to use them. I encourage any one else to do the same!

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, commonly referred to as MRSA, is a type of staph that causes infections resistant to a class of common antibiotics that includes methicillin, penicillin, amoxicillin and oxacillin. While MRSA infections were traditionally associated with extended hospital stays, they are now becoming more common in everyday life. In fact, this newer form of MRSA known as community-associated MRSA (CA-MRSA) can affect otherwise healthy individuals without any recent healthcare-related issues – raising fears that the infection can strike anyone, anywhere or anytime.

Now, dermatologists are finding that MRSA infections have become increasingly common among people participating in sports, including high school and college athletes. In the report entitled, “Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and athletes,” published online in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, dermatologist Brian B. Adams, MD, MPH, FAAD, associate professor of dermatology at the University of Cincinnati and director of dermatology at the Veterans Administration Medical Center, in Cincinnati, addressed the occurrence of MRSA in athletes and recommendations for preventing the further spread of the infection.

“Our review found that physical contact, shared facilities and equipment, and poor hygiene all contribute to MRSA among athletes,” said Dr. Adams. “With slight modifications in these areas, individuals participating in contact and non-contact sports can reduce their risk of contracting MRSA.”

Dr. Adams noted that CA-MRSA most frequently appears as an infection of the skin and underlying tissues, and looks like a pimple, boil or abscess, sometimes with draining fluid or pus. These lesions may be red, swollen, warm and tender to touch. The most widely reported contact sport linking MRSA infections to athletes is football. In fact, football players experience a variety of factors predisposing them to MRSA infections. These include skin injuries that can occur during play, turf burns from artificial turf that can exacerbate skin trauma, and even an athlete’s ingrown toenail can lead to a MRSA infection.

One prominent study conducted during the 2003 football season of members of the St. Louis Rams professional football team found eight occurrences of MRSA infection among five of the 58 Rams players – or 9 percent of the team. Dr. Adams pointed out that all of the lesions occurred on areas of the skin not covered by clothing or equipment where players had suffered turf burns. The players that experienced the infections were more likely to have a higher body mass index and play the lineman or linebacker position.

“Considering all factors, the authors of the St. Louis Rams study concluded that frequent antibiotic use, compromised skin barriers, skin contact between players, close proximity of teammates, and inadequate hand and personal hygiene by trainers and athletes may have contributed to the team’s MRSA outbreak,” said Dr. Adams. “In addition, infections found in players from an opposing team suggested that transmission may have occurred during play.”

Other studies of high school and college football players concluded that shared facilities were likely responsible for MRSA transmission. In each instance, the main risk factor included more than 10 cuts, abrasions or turf burns. One study found that whirlpool use greater than or equal to two times per week increased the risk of MRSA infection in players with covered lesions; in another study a member of the high school dance team developed MRSA infection – with the only link to the football team involving the use of a shared weight room where the dance team changed into their uniforms before football games.

Rugby is another sport that also involves intense physical contact and could potentially expose players to risk factors for contracting MRSA. For example, Dr. Adams explained that the limited use of padded equipment in rugby creates the potential for more skin-to-skin contact but also reduces the risks associated with abrasive, shared or unclean equipment. “One report from the United Kingdom found that five members of a rugby team developed large abscesses on the upper areas of their arms, back, neck and face,” said Dr. Adams. “Because the MRSA infections developed only in forward players, the investigators concluded that the outbreak probably resulted from sustained physical contact rather than from transmission through shared facilities or equipment.”

In addition, studies show that wrestlers, who often engage in prolonged physical contact and experience frequent mat burns, also may be prone to MRSA infections. In a statewide survey of high school athletic trainers, the Texas Department of Health noted six MRSA infections involving wrestlers; another report issued by the Indiana Department of Health identified two high school wrestlers infected with MRSA.

“In this latter study, the two affected teammates had never wrestled each other because they competed in different weight classes,” said Dr. Adams. “Therefore, transmission of MRSA may have occurred through the use of shared items instead of personal contact – although the high level of person-to-person contact in wrestling remains a potentially significant means of transmitting the infection.”

Dr. Adams noted that additional studies among athletes point to shared personal items as contributing factors for MRSA transmission. Two separate outbreaks involving college athletes in Pennsylvania and California resulted in multiple football players requiring hospitalization due to MRSA infections. The reporting health departments in each instance recognized the sharing of unwashed bath towels, balms and lubricants as possible modes of transmission of the infection.

While numerous studies have identified potential risk factors for MRSA infection among athletes, few studies have examined the effect of preventive hygienic practices. In an investigation conducted by the University of Southern California over the course of three football seasons from 2002 to 2004, the number of MRSA infections among the same college players declined over the three-year period when preventive hygienic measures were implemented.

These interventions included covering wounds, using hexachlorophene 3% (an antibacterial skin cleanser), prohibiting multiuse pump lotions or other topical massage products, and educating players and trainers about hygiene and the importance of not sharing equipment, towels or other personal items.

“It appears that the primary mode of MRSA transmission involves person-to-person contact, but the significance of this risk factor varies among different sports,” added Dr. Adams. “Even in largely non-contact sports such as soccer, volleyball, cross-country, fencing and weight lifting, outbreaks of MRSA infections have been reported – suggesting that shared facilities or shared personal items were the likely culprit.

American Academy of Dermatology (2008, June 25). Athletes Susceptible To Antibiotic-resistant Staph Infections. ScienceDaily. Retrieved June 28, 2008, from http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2008/06/080624151110.htm

A Challenge to Celebrities: On Camera with no make-up

2008-07-09T06:00:00.000-04:00

Out of concern, mostly for people's psychological health, I'd love to see the start of a movement where Celebrities start going without make-up in front of the camera. Maybe Oprah should be the first since this idea may be right up her alley. I don't know, I'm thinking maybe "Reality Week" or "No Make Up Week" where a bunch of shows, programs and the like encourage their reporters, actors, etc to go on without make up. One week in a year for all of us to get a dose of reality to be able to recenter our perceptions, especially our unhealthy mind-body-appearance connections that may be off a bit.

Just watching TV, we are probably unconsciously overloaded by an outpouring of "fake faces" and "fake beauty". You all know how no one on TV or movies has a single pore visible. How about uneven skin? Forget about it! It's all even-toned, glowing skin, with layers of make-up covering about 20 years of the natural aging process, including wrinkles, sagging, lines, spots, scars, and on and on.

It's unhealthy, not only for adults, but especially for children. Most kids aren't able to make the connection that what they are watching is skewed, not till they are at least 6 or 7 years old at the earliest. That's years of TV without understanding that those people certainly don't really look like that! The trouble comes when these kids are older; we are already so open to TV and take it without judgments, it can form serious insecurities in us all.

That's why I also encourage parents to start talking to children early so that they recognize these things, it can help, especially during their traumatic years as teenagers. A dose of accurate perception of one's self and the world is a healthy antidote to the forces out there that make us all feel inadequate. Hey, I don't anticipate "No Make Up Week" anytime soon, so hopefully we can just be more aware of the damage it can do unless we are well aware (at the earliest of ages) to how unrepresentative the figures on TV are!

Okay, that's my drivel that I had to just get off my chest! Hope this posting finds you all well!

P.S. If you want just do a search for "celebrities without make up" and you'll find lots of pics, it may also be a good tool to illustrate to kids, just how "off" the images on the small or big screen are from reality. I could name a bunch of sites that have these pics, but, unfortunately, they are out for the shock value. I don't want to promote that! Those pics should be used for realization purposes, not making fun of people, whether famous or not.

Men's Product Review: CLUBMAN Shave Creme

2008-07-07T06:00:00.001-04:00

Clubman Luxury Shave Cream
~$12.00

Well, here is another one of my product reviews (completely unsolicited of course!) since everyone wants to know what I use. Here is another men's product that I find to be nothing less than amazing.

Clubman Shave is a shave cream made by the famous house of Ed Pinot which has been around since 1810. Ring a bell? If not, check out the pic below, that shaving cream can has been around forever, and still is today (although I've yet to try that, so can't comment on the original green can version).

The Shave
I have to say this is right up there as one of the best shaving creams I've ever used (definitely top 3). And is right there on top along with Anthony Logistics shaving creme. Click here for that review.

I have a full, thick beard so I need a good close shave and need it with out pain. This product definitely delivers. No nicks, no pain, and I can easily shave against the grain (well, after I shave with the grain first of course!).

So if you need an amazing shaving creme, and the regular ones don't cut it for you, this is definitely one worth trying out. Girls, you want to treat your husband to a good shave, this along with Anthonly Logistics shave creams, I think are the best as far as performance goes. It costs more than typical shave cremes, but certainly not at the top of the cost ladder. But when you have a thick beard, only the best will do.

'Nuff said: THUMBS UP

I am in no way affiliated with Clubman, or it's products, and receive no remuneration. This is a completly unsolicited post.

Weekly Rewind 6/30 - 7/4

2008-07-06T19:23:00.001-04:00

Hope your week's have been great and hope you had a terrific Independence Day! Me, I watched the fireworks at Ala Moana in Honolulu, and they were top notch! Here's the weekly review!

Monday: Here is a review of another European wonder that I found. It's Superdrug's Tea Tree face wash. See what I have to say about it and why I liked it.

Wednesday: A couple of your Q&A's answered right here.

Friday: A long awaited Parabens continuation. Click here for "Part 5: What do I think?" of the Parabens debacle.

Well, it's back to the grind tomorrow, huh? Thanks for reading my posts here!