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Coffee is my one serious addiction. I have tried to cut it out but failed miserably. I have one cup of black espresso a day (and about once a month a second which leaves me jitter and not quite right for the rest of the day). My naturopath friend Ben Brown wrote about the psychoactive effects of coffee in his recent blog titled “Caffeine and your mood: friend or foe?” which outlines how some people feel caffeine improves their mood (me with one coffee) and others feel the opposite (me with more than one cup of coffee). Ben writes that “caffeine can improve mood, alertness, attention and energy. The positive effects of caffeine on mood occur at lower doses (50-100 mg) and may be limited to regular caffeine users.” However, caffeine may also be “detrimental for people with anxiety, particularly if you are sensitive to caffeine or consume high amounts (300 mg or about 3-4 cups of tea or 2-3 cups of coffee).”

Of course if you consume too much caffeine from coffee, tea or soft drink can also cause skin problems, particularly dehydration. Caffeine is a diuretic which means it encourages the body to expell water via urine. If you drink a lot of caffeine containing drinks and don’t top up with water, it is highly likely your body and therefore your skin will be dehydrated. 

It is a different story when applying caffeine topically - for a start isn’t addictive!  As mentioned in a previous blog, caffeine can help to stimulate local fat metabolism increasing lipolysis (fat burning) which may help with cellulite. Read full article here.

Caffeine may also have a positive effect on the delicate skin around the eyes. The skin around the eyes is different from skin elsewhere on the body for a number of reasons:

It has minimal sebacious glands, which means it produces no protective sebum making it prone to dryness.

It is much thinner than other facial skin making it more sensitive and prone to reactions

It has a dense capillary network and has limited fat padding, making the area prone to puffiness.

When applied to the tissue around the eye area the stimulating effect of caffeine helps to tighten the skin by reducing capillary permeability (leaky blood microvessels) and increases constriction thereby moving the fluid away from the eye area. This effect has been shown to help with puffy bags which are characterised by fluid build up and leaky microvessels. I want to note that there is a difference between puffy eyes and skin sag or fat deposits below the eye. Usually puffy eyes will be worse in the morning and clear up as the day progresses. So to be clear, it is unlikely that caffeine will have any impact on skin sag. At this stage I am not sure if it will assist with fat deposits under the eyes despite the stimulating effect it has on lipolysis as there just isn’t enough research to indicate a positive effect.

Eye care products that contain caffeine may also help with dark circles due to their ability to reduce capillary permeability however, dark circles are notoriously difficult to treat topically and can often be the result of other health issues.

Caffeine can be included in eye care products in the form of caffeine-rich green tea, however, this won’t be as effective as use of coffee or pure caffeine. Lavera My Age Intensive Eye Cream incorporates organic caffeine from coffee and Fair Trade organic green tea to ensure a stimulating effect.

As to my own caffeine use, I am going to relax and enjoy my one cup of coffee a day and on the days that I need it, instead of a second cup, apply some caffeine containing eye cream to my eyes. Please let me know if you have had any experience with caffeine containing products and what results you got.

Pea, hibiscus & gum may sound like a strange mix for skincare but these are the origins of some of nature’s potent anti-aging ingredients. With different effects on skin from the likes of vitamin C, A and AHAs, these ingredients enhance traditional cosmeceutical products rather than replacing them:

• Pisum Sativuum is an extract from the leguminous Pea plant. The molecule stimulates the production of collagen and elastin and protect the dermal and epidermal proteins which directly impact on skin firmness and elasticity. This is considered an “anti-wrinkle” active ingredient.
• Hibiscus Esculentis is another active constituent wihci is rich in oligopeptides. They have a “botox-like” activity on the skin by naturally relaxing the muscle. This directly impacts by smoothing expression line sand slowing down the deepening of expression wrinkles.
• Natural Active Acacia gum – An exudate obtained from stem and branches of Acacia tree. Acacia tree plantation reduce deforestation and desertification; helps local actions integrated in a Sustainable Development program. This ingredient provides an immediate tightening effect so is great if you have an event or wake up on the wrong side of bed as it will help to smooth skin. The other ingredient that has the same immediate tightening effect is Argania spinosa extract which also has a longer term biological effect particularly on neck wrinkles.

A few ranges are taking advantage of these ingredients, including them in new cosmeceutical ranges. In particular, La Mav has a focus on sustainable plant extracts that have anti-aging effects but are also good for your skin by being organic & natural.

So from the La Mav range for an immediate tightening effect, go for Line Perfector and as a complete treatment serum, choose Line Smoothing Serum.

So when can you start to see results? Your skin should start feeling soft and supple very quickly, within 1-2 days. If you are using products with Acacia gum or Argan you will see immediate effects. With continued use you will start noticing the positive changes in your skin within 1-2 weeks.

This month (August) with any phone, mail or internet order you receive a complimentary La Mav sample and $10 La Mav dollars to use with your next La Mav purchase. View the La Mav range.

I have been experimenting with products of late and one of the product groups I have tried over the last 4 months is skin lightening creams. Now don’t be alarmed, of course I used only natural products that contain herbal or vitamin skin whitening ingredients. There were no skin bleaches such as uric acid or hydroquinone in any product I put on or even near my skin. These ingredients are potentially damaging to the skin. Nor do I in any way promote the use of lightening agents for the purpose of making overall skin tone lighter. However to help manage pigmentation and age spots, they can be useful. So the results of my experiment: I just wish I had taken before and after photos of my skin. As I didn’t I will just have to explain…and so back to January.

Over summer, despite my best efforts I always get freckles. This year after two weeks at the beach I not only had freckles but also light brown pigmentation all over my cheeks and nose that almost joined the freckles together. From a distance it looked like I had applied brown blush all over my cheekbones. I have the type of skin that burns when I look at the sun, so I am careful to protect it using sunscreen, hats and often long sleeve shirts or an umbrella to cover up. Living in Queensland still makes it hard to avoid sun damage and so over the years I have developed some light sun spots on my forehead and the side of my face. My hands and arms are also covered in permanent freckles that don’t fade anymore. I have grown to accept this about my skin and so generally don’t get too worried about it. However, this January I decided that I was going to see if skin lighteners really worked (I don’t recommend things I can either prove on myself or find the appropriate research for). Over the next 3 months I applied a skin whitening cream to my face and the backs of my hands at night only. During the day I used a moisturizer with SPF 30.

The results were extraordinary. After about 6 weeks I noticed that the background pigmentation on my cheeks had faded dramatically. After 3 months, it was like it had never existed and all the normal freckles I have had gone as well. I have to stress, this pigmentation was not long term or hormonal pigmentation but nonetheless I hadn’t expected such a remarkable result. My hands started to look freakish because they were so much paler than my arms…so I stopped it and just used on my face. It is now May and some of the long term sun damage areas have faded. There is only one remaining that is on my nose near my eye and I think this is more about not applying the cream properly rather than the cream not working. In any case I am stoked with the results!

Naturally I wanted to know how lightening products worked so I researched the key ingredients:

• Bearberry Extract – blocks tyrosinase which is an amino acid involved in the formation of melanin and therefore skin colouration
• Kojic Acid – sourced from fermenting rice and works by inhibiting the formation of pigmentation. This means it helps blocks new freckles and sun damage.
• Vitamin C – several forms of vitamin C have been shown to reduce melanin formation and provide a skin whitening effect when applied topically. These include l-ascorbic acid, magnesium ascorbyl phosphate and sodium ascorbyl phosphate, all of which are in fat soluble form.
• Natural AHAs – increase skin cell turnover so newer un-pigmented cells come to the surface faster

The process of normal skin colouration is extensive and occurs in various stages. Usually most skin lightening treatment will target several stages of this process at once. The most crucial step is the first where tyrosinase converts to tyrosine and by blocking this step, it follows that you can block the entire melanin formation process. Then as skin cells die and turn over, new lighter skin cells come to the surface. This is why the process of lightening the skin takes up to 4 months. Skin cell turnover is approximately 90-120 days. If you choose to try a skin lightening cream or serum to manage pigmentation, be aware that it will take time so don’t expect overnight results.

I do want to make a note about hormonal pigmentation. While the ingredients I discuss above may help reduce pigmentation, unless the underlying driver of the pigmentation is addressed and any hormonal imbalance is normalised, it is likely to return.

The cream I used to get these results is Devita Rx Complex KBA Hyperpigmentation Formula. It is a moisturiser as well so I didn’t need to apply anything over the top. There is also a Devita Skin Brightening Serum that contains the same ingredients designed for use under moisturisers. I have ceased using the lightening cream over winter but continue to use an SPF 30 moisturiser. I am considering starting to use it again in the lead up to summer as a way of minimizing the effects of sun exposure.

I would love to hear if you have had any experiences with lightening creams that have work, or not.

Making my own Beetroot Cheek Tint is something I have wanted to do for ages. So this week when I received two big beetroots in my weekly organic food box, I decided that the time was now. Below I have outlined each step with photographs and directions so you can also give it a go:

Ingredients:

• 1 small beetroot (organic is ideal)
• 30mls of vegetable glycerin (I couldn’t get any at the time so used pharmaceutical grade glycerin from the chemist)

Utensils: a vegetable grater, a saucepan, a double boiler or aluminium bowl and water for the double boiler.

Step 1. Set the water in saucepan to boil and then grate about half the beetroot into the bowl (the instructions I had said 45g – I guesstimated how much that was):

Step 2. Add 30 mls of Glycerin to the grated beetroot and place the bowl on gently boiling water.

Step 3. Stir grated beetroot and glycerin for about 10 minutes on a gentle heat. You know it is done when the beetroot starts to look limp and the liquid is deep red. Once complete, remove from the double boiler and strain into a jar (or a receptacle that has a lead so you can seal it from the air).

Step 4. Kept in a sealed container, in the fridge, your cheek tint should last about 3 months. You can apply the tint to your cheeks or lips as below:

The tint is quite liquid and blends in very easily. You may need more than one application.

I had an assistant during the process of making the cheek tint. He wasn’t much help but very good company:

Please let me know if you have made any DIY skin care products. I would love to hear about your experiences and find out some more recipes.

I love it when I come across a product that is just fantastic and by fantastic I mean that it provides a solution or exceeds expectations in some way. That is just what happened when I came across Live Live Bee Yummy Skin Food. A raw food product rich in unpasturised honey and honey cappings, Bee Yummy is a real solution for those with acne prone, oily or congested skin. The healing properties of the raw ingredients are extensive…too many to write about (can’t be getting RSI!) so of course, I have done a video blog instead (can you get RSI of the mouth?).

Just before we launch into the video blog, I want to mention the growing raw food trend. Emerging from the US, raw food is really coming into the fore in Australia of late and while I think that many Australians would do well to eat more raw and “live” foods, like many trends it has so many positive aspects and some downsides. I am going blog my opinion (because thats all it is!) about raw foods very soon however, I have to say, back to the product, Bee Yummy has all the best of the raw food/skin care trend and none of the downsides.

View Video Blog: Bee Yummy Review. View related Live Live products

Every day we are exposed to air pollution, sunlight, smoke and more all which give rise to the production of “free radicals”.  Damage to our DNA, protein (collagen & elastin) and protein remodeling (skin healing) are all side effects of the production of free radicals. Internally the metabolism, the effects of stress and emotions and the result of everyday body process that utilize oxygen all create free radicals. Externally ultraviolet light from the sun and environmental stressors such as smoking, pollution, poor dietary habits and chemical exposure also contribute. The production of free radicals and the damage they cause is one of the key mechanisms of aging.  As one ages, the skin’s structural foundation weakens. Specifically, collagen which keeps the skin firm and elastin which maintains elasticity and helps prevent the skin from sagging. Free radicals attack your skin’s collagen and elastin layers, accelerating the creation of fine lines and wrinkles.

Skin-aging caused by free radicals occurs over time however, the damaging effect of free radicals is exacerbated in the presence of an antioxidant

deficiency which can accelerate this process considerably. Consider for example the skin of a smoker aged 40 years compared to a non-smoker. In this case, the antioxidant defenses of the skin are far outweighed by the production of free radicals as a byproduct of the daily cigarette habit. Much research has been done with regard to the benefits of antioxidants to combat the production of free radicals. Antioxidants neutralize the free radicals that harm the cells, causing damage and premature aging. Specifically antioxidants help to maintain the health of the skin cells such as collagen and elastin which keeps skin supple.

There are two ways to slow the effects of free radical damage on the skin:

Reduce the production of free radicals. You can’t really do much

about reducing free radical product that is the byproduct of everyday bodily processes however you can reduce your exposure to the environmental factors such as ultraviolet rays, pollution, chemicals and poor dietary habits. So the key advice such as minimizing exposure to midday sun and giving up smoking apply here.

Improve your antioxidant status. The neutralizing effects of antioxidants don’t prevent the effects of free radical damage however ensuring that your antioxidant status is optimal will certainly slow skin aging. Antioxidants can be increased internally and topically by:

1. Eating plenty of antioxidant rich foods – colourful fruit, vegetables and wholegrains are excellent sources of antioxidants. Key antioxidant rich foods for the skin include mangosteen, turmeric, green tea and berries of any kind.
2. 

   Antioxidant Supplements can help top up your levels

   Antioxidant Supplementation – specifically vitamins C and E, as well as lipoic acid and flavonoids (green tea and grapeseed), exert protective effect against oxidative stress in the skin and help protect the skin from damage caused by the sun. Lycopene, lutein, and zeaxanthin as a specific subset of carotenoids may also be used as oral sun protectants and contribute to the maintenance of skin health.

3. Topical antioxidants – provide some protection against environmental damage to the skin and may help slow down skin aging. However, the effectiveness of topical antioxidants depends on a number of factors including skin permeability, the concentration of the antioxidant and the other ingredients in the cream and whether they are water or fat soluble among other things. Also keep in mind that just because an ingredient is an antioxidant, doesn’t mean that it will be effective for slowing skin aging and indeed that different antioxidants have different effects on the skin. Some of the more effective topical antioxidants that have been researched thus far include:

• Vitamin C – supports and stimulates collagen synthesis and reduces free radical damage
• Vitamin E – assists with skin healing, protects cellular membranes which helps maintain the health of the skin cell
• Green tea – reduces erythema and the effects of ultraviolet radiation, anti-inflammatory effects.
• Betacarotene & Carotenes – helps minimise sun damage
• Vitamin A (as retinoic acid) – increase synthesis of collagen, reducing fine wrinkles, improve skin texture and increase skin thickness
• Coenzyme Q10 – improving the cells ability to produce new collagen. It also increases the ability of the cell to minimise damage from free radical production.
• Lipoic acid – inhibit cross-linking which contributes to the ageing process

Whether in our diet, as supplements or topically applied, antioxidant play an important role in slowing down the aging process. Of course to get the best effect it is important to consider all three delivery methods. In addition, minimising your exposure to the environmental factors that cause free radical production, will significantly add to slowing the aging process, not just of your skin, but of your whole body.

The pleasure of a morning cuppa had been increased by the emergence of the many health benefits from tea of all kinds – black, green and oolong (white). Heart disease, gum disease, cancer and even weight loss. In addition to these health benefits tea has emerged as a significant therapeutic ingredient active against skin damage.

The many medicinal properties of tea are attributed to phytochemicals called polyphenols of which catechins are the

principle subtype. White and green tea has the highest concentrations of catechins with up to 25% being standard. While black tea contains 4% on average. There are many types of catechins but those that have been studied most extensively in relation to skin phyto-ageing are epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG).

Research assessing the benefits of green tea for skin has shown that topical application can reduce sun damage. Green tea does not have a UV ray blocking effect like titanium dioxide or zinc oxide however there is a synergistic effect when combined with either of these ingredients. The benefit is achieved by blocking free radicals and reducing inflammation and apart from reducing sun damage it may also help slow the skin aging associated with sun damage.

The findings above applied equally to white tea in clinical trials. Interestingly, while black tea contains less than a quarter of the EGCG of green or white tea, it also has a protective effect against sun damage and reduces erythema (reddening of the skin). Based on these findings it is worthwhile considering a sunscreen that contains green, white or black tea extract.

Green tea in particular has been showed benefits for papulopustular rosacea. The particular study used a lotion containing a

tea extract which produced a 70% improvement in rosacea when compared to use of a lotion containing the base ingredients alone. The most significant finding was a reduction in inflammatory lesions when compared to placebo.

While not focused on topical application an interesting result using oolong tea was achieved in patients with chronic atopic dermatitis. Patients in the trial maintained their standard dermacological treatment and at the same time drank 3 cups of oolong tea per day that had been steeped for 5 minutes. After only one month of treatment, which is a relatively short period of time, 63% of patient showed marked to moderate improvement and the response was still evident 6 months after the trial in 54% of patients. The authors of the trial suggest the antiallergic properties of the tea polyphenols are responsible for the result.

One study that looked at the role green tea may play in slowing photoaging gave participants a 10% green tea cream and 300mg supplement twice daily or placebo over an 8 week period. However, while there was a significant improvement in elastic tissue there were no obvious visible signs of skin improvement. Given the trial was only 8 weeks, longer supplementation may be required for clinical results to become obvious.

Another quite specific use for green tea is to reduce the skin damage from of radiotherapy. Skin toxicity is a common side effect of radiotherapy for solid tumors. In one study a green tea extract made by steeping a green tea bag in water was applied to damaged skin. It showed that green tea supported the restitution of skin integrity by inhibiting inflammation and mediating local immune responses. In addition the higher catechin content of green tea may be responsible for the considerable antibacterial effect often seen in super-infected skin lesions common to hospitalised patients. This study shows potential for green tea to have greater benefit than just reducing inflammation, in particular an antibacterial effect which significantly widens the scope of use in skin conditions such as acne and skin infections.

The benefits for green tea are numerous and particularly effective in the area of sun protection and phytodamage. The issue with the use of creams that there is generally no indication of the percentage of extract in the cream and it could be anything from waving a tea bag over the top to significant levels up around 10%. In addition, the quality of extract may not be known or not specific for skin application. For example, the green tea extracts that are beneficial contain more caffeine (although

this isn’t the only active required) where as EGCG or catechins are required (as far as we know from clinical trials) to help slow sun damage.

Tea Tips

• Look for sunscreens that contain green, white or black tea for the additional phytoprotective effect
• Make your own tea treatment at home by brewing quality organic green or oolong tea and freezing into icecubes or put into a spritz bottle and refrigerate. Alternatively use our Remedica Hydra Mist with a base of green tea.
• Use the left over tea bags as soothing patches for eyes
• Make up your own green tea cream by adding the chosen extract to a base cream. Base it on the extract making up 10% of the final mix. Use an extract standardized to EGCG.
• During Summer, make up a pot of green tea, add some ice cubes and honey to taste. Refrigerate and drink throught the day.

This is a special bulletin because I’ve just partnered up with an associate of mine and her team at Outrageously Healthy. Their mission is to help as many people on the planet as possible, live their best life. One way they do this is by finding the most outrageously healthy experts to interview and bring those live interviews to people like you at no cost!

And guess what? I am this week’s Expert! I will be interviewed by Lenore and you can listen in live either by phone or webcast this Friday 23rd of October at 9am (Brisbane time). To gain access to this call and to all future expert calls just go to http://www.outrageouslyhealthy.com/rep/anandamahony.html and sign up for their Free Ruby Membership when you do you will also receive a gift from Lenore and the Team the MP3 ‘Feeling Great for No Good Reason’. The call details will be emailed to and a reminder sent a few hours before the call.

So come join us and learn about my favourite Outrageously Healthy topic this week, I can’t wait to hear you on the call.

Have an outrageously happy healthy week till then,

Ananda Mahony
(here is me looking excited about the interview!)

http://www.outrageouslyhealthy.com/rep/anandamahony.html

In the last 2 week I have had numerous queries about the use of nanoparticles in sunscreens. Nanoparticle is a general term that is used to describe substances and process that are smaller than 100 nanometers (nm). The nanoparticles used in sunscreens are from 20 to 30 nm making the zinc oxide or titanium dioxide invisible to the naked eye. Unlike traditional zinc oxide products which can leave an opaque white coat on the surface of the skin, nanoparticles rub in clear.

The issue with the use of nanoparticles in sunscreens is that when exposed to

UV light (sunlight) the ingredients produce dangerous free radicals, cause DNA damage and cell toxicity. In addition, research suggests that the penetration of nanoparticles is greater when skin is damaged or thinner eg. eczema, acne, sunburnt skin, babies and the elderly. While is no clear outcome as to what this means for human skin however, the likely outcome is ongoing damage.

Research is ongoing, however the above information does suggest we should treat nano-sunscreens with extreme caution until we know they’re safe. At this stage no labeling is required for nanoparticles in cosmetics. To set your mind at rest, our Third Stone Botanicals and Devita products with sun protection use micro particles of zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. Micro particles are considered safe as they do not penetrate the skin surface.

See the video blog below for more information about the difference between nano and micro particles and how to avoid nanoparticles in your cosmetics.

For more information and a full report go to Friends of the Earth.