Sunlight and Sunscreen (part 1)

Sunlight is the source of all lives on earth, but sunlight is also the biggest cause of skin aging.  The reason is that ultraviolet rays can damage the DNA of skin cells and cause mutations of genes.  This in turn results in abnormal skin cells that produce more pigmentation and produce less collagen.  The end results: more brown spots and more wrinkles on your face!

 

To avoid these awful problems, you should do everything to protect your skin from sunlight.  The best thing to do is to stay indoors forever.  I am just kidding.  That’s not possible.  Everyone needs to get out sometimes to have fun and to go to work.  Luckily, we have many ways to protect our precious skin from sunlight: sunscreen, clothes, hats, and sunglasses.

Let’s start with sunscreens.  I am sure most of you have used sunscreen before (at least I hope so).  But here are a few important tips I want to remind everyone:

1. No matter what type or what strength of sunscreen you use.  Apply generous amount of it on your skin.  To be more specific, I am going to use the term fingertip units.  A fingertip unit is measured from the tip of your index finger to the first crease of your index finger.  So for your whole face, you should apply at least 1 fingertip unit of sunscreen.  You may apply more than 1 fingertip unit, but you should apply at least 1 fingertip unit to get enough sun protection.  For the different body parts:

Face: 1 fingertip unit

Neck: 1 fingertip unit

One hand: 1 fingertip unit

One arm:  3 fingertip units

One foot:  2 fingertip units

One leg:  6 fingertip units

1. Reapply sunscreen every 4 hours.  If you sweat a lot, then you should reapply every 2 hours.  For women with makeup on the face, you may use makeup with sunscreen to reapply.

 

 

 

 

 

How to protect your skin in Spring

Flowers are blooming and birds are chirping.  Yes, the most popular season–Spring–is upon us.  Just before you head out into the great outdoors, there are 3 important things to remember for your precious skin.

The first is the Sun.  Our skin is more susceptible to sun damage and aging in the spring.  That’s because our skin has been receiving relatively little sunlight in the wintertime, and therefore, it has lost much of its pigmentation.  As a result, when we jump into the sunlight during a nice spring hike or a quiet fishing trip, our skin is especially susceptible to UV radiation.  So, lather your skin up with sunscreen and put on a broad-brim hat before you head out to the great outdoors.

The second is bugs.  That’s right.  The seemingly ubiquitous insects.  They love the spring just as much as we humans do.  Their number explodes in April and May after the winter departs.  Bees, wasps, mosquitos, ticks, ants, and even spiders are out in force.  The fact that we people also starting to wear short-sleeved shirts, shorts, and swimsuits didn’t help the matter either.  We have more skin exposed for the bugs to feast on.  Aaah! the joy of Spring.  Do not despair, all is not lost.  We can certainly protect our skin by taking just a few tips.  Insects tend to be most active in early morning and late afternoon.  We can avoid going outdoors at those times.  But there is a problem, early morning and late afternoon are the best time to go outdoors because of low UV radiation.  OK, to go around that conundrum, we can go to the second tip: insect repellents.  Insect repellents, containing DEET, are very effective in warding off these vermins.  One application will last anywhere between 3 to 8 hours.  If you are still paranoid about bugs, you can bear the heat and wear long-sleeved pants and shirts to minimize exposed skin area.

The third danger in springtime are the plants.  In early April, it’s wall-to-wall green in your backyard again.  But it’s important to know what’s growing back there, as some plants may spell trouble.  Poison ivy and poison oak are the most common causes of plant-induced contact dermatitis.  The simplest way to identify these plants is to remember that they have clusters of 3 leaflets.  If you accidentally touch these plants, be sure to wash your skin with plenty of water and soap.  You should also watch what your pets get into, as they may transfer the poison ivy/oak allergen to you via their fur.

Eczema in winter time

Winter and Eczema

As Christmas and New Year’s day approach, I have been seeing more and more cases of dry skin and eczema. Eczema is a very broad term that covers several conditions, but all of them seem to have one thing in common–it gets worse in the winter months. Most people with eczema complain of dry skin, itching, and a rash consisting of red patches. Most commonly affected areas are the hands and the lower legs, but it can show up on any part of the skin.

Before resorting to prescription medications, you can take several measures to improve your eczema:

1. Take shorter baths with cooler water (I don’t mean cold water. You can enjoy warm baths/showers but just not super hot)

2. Eliminate or reduce the use of soap on the involved areas

3. Apply moisturizers several times every day if possible. The best time to slather moisturizers on your skin is right after your bath/shower. (I recommend blotting your skin dry first before application of moisturizers)

4. Use humidifiers. Especially in households that use heaters regularly.

If your skin is not on the mend after religiously adhering to the aforementioned steps for 2 weeks, then you need to see a dermatologist for additional help.

Welcome to Isis Dermalogic

Our mission at Isis Dermalogic is to produce the finest skin care products through the best of nature and science. Our products feature patent-pending, Red Wine extract that has potent anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Other botanical ingredients, such as White Tea extract, Mulberry extract, and Songyi Mushroom extract can also be found in our products. All these powerful natural ingredients are encapsulated and delivered to the skin cells using the newest nano-particle technology. This delivery system ensures that our products’ ingredients stay active longer and penetrate deeper into the skin to maximize the benefits of their anti-aging properties.

Welcome to Isis Dermalogic. For more information, please visit:
www.isisderm.com
www.dermatologyca.com