There have been questions about safety of vitamin A/ retinoids and sun exposure/risk of skin cancer. This blog addresses this issue and hopefully puts the myth to rest once and for all..

Sunless tanners have come a very long way since the original formulations that were orange and streaky. Maybe its time to give them a second look..

Dry, chapped lips are a frustrating winter skin condition that we have all experienced.  Chapped lips may be caused simply by exposure to the cold, windy winter weather; though your lips can also become chapped from licking them or using irritating cosmetic products.

So how can you avoid this winter headache?  Saliva evaporates quickly, so licking your lips can leave them drier than they were initially.  Avoid flavored lip balms, which may tempt you to lick your lips more often.  Use a lip balm that contains petroleum or beeswax, and one with sun protection if you will be outside.  Drink plenty of water, and consider keeping a humidifier in your home.

Chocolate has been associated with romance since the age of the Aztecs, and its aroma is said to have as much power as its substance. So…go ahead, enjoy this day and the chocolate love that goes with it. Cocoa and chocolate foods can contribute significant amounts of heart (and skin)-healthy flavanols to the diet. The antioxidant content of dark chocolate is four times that of green tea. Also, chocolate’s built-in antioxidants help protect the skin from free-radicals.

 

Chocolate has another benefit—it contains caffeine,  and studies show that topically applied caffeine may provide some protection against skin cancer and are anti-inflammatory as well. Not only the cacao beans, but also preparations of cacao bark, oil (cacao butter), leaves and flowers have all been used to treat burns, bowel dysfunction, cuts and skin irritations.

Background: All chocolate products begin with the cacao tree, which grows in tropical climates. In the process of making chocolate, pods are harvested and de-seeded....

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Counterfeit perfumes increase risk of contact dermatitis.

Counterfeit perfumes may be causing that itchy rash on your neck.  Recent information from ABCNews.com states that counterfeit fragrance sprays may contain ingredients such as bacteria, urine and antifreeze that are absorbed in the skin.  These ingredients may be added to the counterfeit perfumes for their color or pH stabilizing qualities. 

Authentic perfumes may also cause contact dermatitis (irritation), but there is a much higher rate of contact dermatitis with use of counterfeit perfume sprays.  When using counterfeit perfumes, one may feel stinging or notice redness soon after application.  If this happens, it is best to stop using the offending perfume and follow up with your dermatologist for appropriate treatment.

Perioral wrinkles, also known as smokers lines (even if you never smoked), are those annoying lines around the mouth, especially just above the upper lip line that are more common in women and downright rare in men.  Dutch researchers found that  the skin tissues around the mouth in women contain fewer sweat and sebaceous (oil) glands than in men, which could influence the natural filling of the skin, as well as  the fact that there are fewer blood vessels in this area in women than in men. It may be that better circulation may help slow wrinkle development.  Also, in women, the closer attachment of muscle fibers surrounding the lips to the middle layer of skin may cause an inward traction, which may create deeper wrinkles.

Finally, loss of volume in this area, of bone and loss or shifting of  teeth, as well as sun expsoure, may contirbute to the lines forming and becoming more prominent over time. The best treatments include botox, soft tissue fillers such as juvederm, and laser resrufacing and can offer a dramatic and very natural improvement.

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