Whether diet plays any role in the development or severity of acne has long been debated.   Recent research indicates that it does, but not by pointing to the food items that are traditionally thought of as exacerbating acne – things like pizza and French fries.

According to an article by Dr. Mark Hyman published in the Huffington Post, dairy products have been shown to have a significant impact on acne, both in the number of cases and the severity.  The reason is that milk, yogurt, and cheese all contain naturally high levels of anabolic hormones.  And, according to the article, there is no such thing as hormone free milk.  Even organic, raw, and bovine growth hormone free milk can contain up to 60 hormones, just a few of which are listed below:¹

•    20α-dihydropregnenolone
•    progesterone (from pregnenolone)
•    5α-pregnanedione
•    5α-pregnan-3β-ol-20-one, 20α- and 20β-dihydroprogesterone (from progesterone)
•    5α-androstene-3β17β-diol
•    5α-androstanedione
•    5α-androstan-3β-ol-17-one
•    androstenedione
•    testosterone
•    dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate acyl ester
•    insulin like growth factors 1 and 2 (IGF-1 and IGF-2)
•    insulin

Dr. Hyman’s recommendation for helping get acne under control is to modify your diet with these tips:¹

Eliminate – Dairy, high glycemic index foods (white flour, sugar, rice, etc.) and foods that you are sensitive to.  When cutting back on dairy, make up for the missing nutrients (calcium and protein) elsewhere in your diet.

Add – More fresh fruits and vegetables, healthy anti-inflammatory fats (omega 3’s), supplement with zinc, evening primrose, vitamin A, and vitamin E. Include foods that correct acne problems, like dark purple and red foods such as berries, green foods like dark green leafy vegetables, and omega 3-eggs.

While you are adjusting your diet to get a grip on acne, a topical benzoyl peroxide product like SkinHealth Technology’s AcneCare ClearTech® Treatment can help calm and speed healing of breakouts.  A combination of these diet guidelines and topical treatment can give the right inside-out approach to controlling acne.

1)    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/do-milk-and-sugar-cause-a_b_822163.html

According to a recent report by the BBC—US scientists believe a harmless virus that lives on our skin could be used as a treatment for acne. The virus, called a phage, is naturally built to target and kill bacteria that cause acne.¹

Experts at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and the University of Pittsburgh found 11 different versions of virus in the phage family that had this power. The researchers plan lab work to see if they can harness it as a therapy.¹

“Acne affects millions of people, yet we have few treatments that are both safe and effective. Harnessing a virus that naturally preys on the bacteria that causes pimples could offer a promising new tool against the physical and emotional scars of severe acne,”~ Professor Robert Modlin, Lead Scientist.¹

Acne is caused when hair follicles become blocked with an oily substance called sebum, which the body makes to stop the hair and skin from drying out. Normally harmless bacteria that live on the skin can then contaminate and infect the plugged follicles.¹

Phages appear to help counteract this with endolysin – an enzyme thought to destroy bacteria by breaking down their cell walls. And unlike antibiotics, which kill many types of bacteria including “good” ones that live in our gut, phages are programmed to target only specific bacteria.¹

Co-researcher Dr Jenny Kim, director of the UCLA Clinic for Acne, Rosacea and Aesthetics said: “Antibiotics such as tetracycline are so widely used that many acne strains have developed resistance, and drugs like Accutane, while effective, can produce risky side effects, limiting their use.”¹

1) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health

Getting ready for prom is an exciting time and having a flawless complexion is probably at the top of your “to do” list. If you are looking for model perfect make-up tips–look no further. Cover Girl/P&G Global Creative Design Director, Pat McGrath, selected her favorite shades this spring and developed three runway-ready looks that you can create at home.¹

The best make-up artistry in the world won’t help the embarrassment of those last minute stress blemishes that can pop up when you least expect it. If you’re down to the wire and are experiencing a break-out—not to worry. You can have clear skin in time for prom!  A new product—developed by a dermatologist–quickly reduces the redness and inflammation of mild, moderate and even severe acne!

AcneCare ClearTech™ Treatment is a fast-acting, one-step solution to those ugly, unwanted blemishes. This powerfully effective, yet gentle lotion helps heal acne and prevents further break outs. In fact, 95% of clinical trial participants showed remarkable improvements to their skin in seven days. Even better, 90% of them reported dramatic results in just three days!

Your beautiful skin will be the perfect palate for your new prom season make-up!

1) http://www.covergirl.com/makeup-look/makeup-trends?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=prom%20make%20up%20ideas&utm_campaign=CG+Evergreen+Spring+Looks+Engagement&utm_content=sdx1fEuJA|12280082318

Modern celebrations of Valentine’s Day are gushing with sweetness. Did you know, though, that mid-February was first associated with romance in a pagan celebration of fertility complete with animal sacrifice? It’s believed that the festival was Christianized by Pope Gelacius and declared as St. Valentine’s Day around 496.¹ There were several St. Valentines and there is some historic uncertainty as to which one the Pope intended to honor.

Many scholars believe a very romantic version in which a priest named Valentine falls from favor with Roman emperor Claudius II. The emperor believed married men made poor soldiers, so he forbade young men to marry. Father Valentine defiantly performed secret weddings and was ultimately jailed by Claudius. While in jail Valentine fell in love with his jailer’s daughter. Before he was executed he sent her a letter signed “from your Valentine.”²

Regardless of the history, the fact is that these days a lot of people look forward to this holiday all year. With billions of dollars spent, the retail bonanza runs the gamut – from children in grade school exchanging little cut out cards and not so yummy Sweethearts candies, to grown-ups spending way too much on jewelry and romantic weekends.

On the downside, Valentine’s celebratory chocolates and fatty dinners may be responsible for post holiday acne breakouts. While diet’s effect on acne is still in debate, it does seem to aggravate the condition in some people. Still, there is no denying that the holiday can be an excuse to indulge. Fortunately, it’s only one day and shouldn’t be a big set-back if you are struggling to get rid of acne and keep your complexion clear. A spot treatment of a breakout is likely all that most people will need to get back on track.

So go ahead and enjoy the day! It’s as good a reason as any to treat the ones you love.

1) history.com
2) infoplease.com

We have said in this blog before that diet has little effect on acne. In fact, this has been widely believed for years.

Several studies, though, implicate a high carb/high glycemic diet in many of the problems acne sufferers have to deal with.

One in particular – a two year study from Australia’s RMIT University – focused on metabolic changes in glucose and insulin levels in the body due to diet.

The results of the study led researchers to believe that spikes in insulin and glucose caused by eating a diet heavy in foods of high glycemic index could be responsible for outbreaks of acne. The test subjects who ate a diet consisting of low glycemic index carbs and protein saw improvement in their acne.

While there is still no absolute answer on what role diet plays in acne treatment, this type of diet can be beneficial not just for acne, but for overall health.

Combined with topical treatment like SkinHealth Technology’s AcneCare ClearTech Treatment, it may bring relief to people suffering with acne.

It is not surprising that people who suffer from skin conditions can develop related emotional problems. The two conditions often fuel one another and create a cycle that is difficult to break. What is surprising is the extent to which this occurs.

In fact, there is an emerging sub-specialty of psychology, called psychodermatology, that helps patients deal with this aspect of their condition.

Here are some findings from the American Academy of Dermatology and other skin groups:¹

• Major depression is one of the main results of chronic skin disorders.
• Suicidal thoughts are another consequence. Consider some statistics on psoriasis. About 5% of the 4.5 American adults with psoriasis have suicidal thoughts – three times the rate of the general population.
• Other psychosocial side effects of skin conditions are social withdrawal, anger, frustration, and lack of confidence.
• 26% of people with moderate to severe psoriasis have been forced to change or discontinue their normal daily activities.
• Adults with acne face higher rates of unemployment than the general population.
• Kids with skin disorders suffer, too. Two out of five of these children have some psychosocial impairment.

SkinHealth Technology’s line of effective dermatological skincare products are designed to treat chronic skin conditions like acne, rosacea, psoriasis, eczema, and benign purpura–the often severe bruising that can occur as skin ages.

1) Grosbart PhD, Ted. “The Emotional Impact of Skin Problems.” Psychology Today 9 Jan. 2010: 9 pars. Web. 26 Sept. 2011. .

Peptides occur naturally in the body, and like proteins, are composed of amino acids. There are twenty different amino acids in the human body. Peptides and proteins in the body are comprised of different combinations and sequences of those amino acids. When a chain of amino acids is over 50 acids long, it is called a protein, when it contains less than 50 amino acids in the chain it is a peptide. So, a peptide is a portion, or a building block, of a protein.

All peptides influence or direct the cells of the body in some way. Different types of peptides influence different types of cells. The peptides used in SkinHealth Technology’s skincare products communicate with and direct the skin cells to behave in a certain way to help heal tough conditions like psoriasis, eczema, rosacea, bruising, and acne.

They utilize glycosaminoglycans, which are peptides that inhibit enzymes that degrade and ultimately destroy the skin’s collagen network. Pollution, ultraviolet rays and age decrease the skin’s ability to resist external irritants. These peptides restore the skin’s normal equilibrium, decrease irritation and help the skin resist external assaults.

If you’re counting down the days until the end of summer and the first day of school—for better or worse—the time has come.

Maybe the summer season kept your acne at bay, but now you’re seeing a resurgence in the nasty blemishes, as the stress of the inevitable becomes apparent.

You don’t have time to wait for one of those cumbersome “acne systems” to come in the mail and take their sweet time to show some, if any, improvement in your complexion.

If this is you, the good news is:
There IS an answer…

You can have clear skin in time for the first day of school. There is a new product on the market—developed by a dermatologist– that quickly reduces the redness and inflammation of mild, moderate and even severe acne!

AcneCare ClearTech™ Treatment is a fast-acting, one-step solution to those ugly, unwanted blemishes. This powerfully effective, yet gentle lotion helps heal acne and prevents further break outs. In fact, 95% of clinical trial participants showed remarkable improvements to their skin in seven days. Even better, 90% of them reported dramatic results in just three days!

So stop stressing and click over to SkinHealthTech.com to get rid of acne in time for back to school!

The first day of school is just around the corner and no doubt looking your best is at the top of your to-do list. If you are dealing with acne it can affect your self-confidence and put a damper on your social life.

Although the majority of teens may not have what would be categorized as severe acne–nearly 100% will have some form of the skin disease–from an occasional breakout to chronic acne.

So, what causes acne?
Acne develops when pores become clogged with oil and infected with bacteria that live on the skin. All acne starts the same way, but what happens inside the clogged pore determines the type of blemish that forms–blackheads, whiteheads, pimples, or even cysts.

How can I get rid of my blemishes before school starts?
Here are some important skincare DOs and DON’Ts to start implementing right away:

Don’t over cleanse your skin! This can lead to excess oil production and actually have a reverse effect on acne.

Do cleanse your skin thoroughly with a gentle cleanser two or three times a day.

Don’t pick or squeeze blemishes. This can spread infection further and cause scarring. In fact, it’s best to avoid touching your face at all.

Do visit a professional aesthetician, if possible, for regular facials to help keep pores clean.

Don’t use alcohol-based products that can strip the skin of natural moisture.

Do use an effective, but gentle topically applied treatment that contains micronized benzoyl peroxide and is hypoallergenic, non-comedogenic and anti-inflammatory.

What’s a fast-acting, one-step topical treatment for my acne?

To clear acne fast, before the first day of school, try new AcneCare ClearTech Treatment™ from SkinHealth Technology. It’s a fast-acting, hypoallergenic lotion that helps heal acne blemishes and prevent further break outs. The exclusive, patent pending formula combines 5% specially formulated, micronized benzoyl peroxide with other potent key ingredients to provide rapid relief and quickly reduce the redness and inflammation of mild, moderate and severe acne. Clinical trials results were amazing!

90% of participants showed marked improvement in three days. 95% in less than seven days!

95% of subjects showed reduced inflammation overnight. 87% within just five hours!

77% of participants found the product worked faster than any other products used.

75% of participants with sensitive skin found the formula less irritating than other products

Get AcneCare ClearTech Treatment™ and then get back to school!

The two are often used interchangeably, however, technically speaking, acne is a skin disease and pimples are one of its symptoms.

Acne vulgaris occurs when the skin produces too much oil, or sebum, in the hair follicles, causing them to become congested. This produces an attractive environment for bacteria to grow and the hair follicle becomes inflamed. This inflammation erupts on the skin in the form of:

Seborrhea – scaly red skin

Comedones – blackheads and whiteheads

Papules – pinheads

Pustules – pimples

Nodules or Cysts – large papules

Most of these symptoms respond well to acne treatments with micronized benzoyl peroxide, such as AcneCare ClearTech Treatment by SkinHealth Technology.

Micronized benzoyl peroxide reaches deep into the pores, clearing out sebum and killing bacteria. Botanicals and anti-oxidants soothe and reduce the redness and inflammation on and below the skin’s surface. AcneCare Clean Screen Protective Lotion is a great follow-up to the ClearTech Treatment. It provides 35 SPF UVB and broad spectrum UVA protection from sun sensitivity that benzoyl peroxide can cause, plus it’s a perfect oil-free moisturizer for acne prone skin.