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Does Eating Fatty Foods Affect my Skin?

February 9, 2020 by Acnetopeka

Does What I Eat Affect My Skin?

We know good nutrition is beneficial for our bodies, but we may wonder how much particular foods influence our skin and acne. You might be surprised to find out that eating certain foods high in natural fats and oils is important for healthy skin.

Does Eating Fatty Foods Give Me Acne?

Many people assume consuming fat contributes to acne, but not all fats are created equal. There are fats bad for your skin (and body), like trans fats and certain saturated fats. Fortunately, there are good fats too. In this post we’ll talk briefly about bad fats and explore good fats.

Bad Fats

Trans fats are made by adding hydrogen to the oil, you’ll see it labeled in the ingredients of products as “partially (or just plain) hydrogenated oil.” The main reason manufacturers do this is to make the oil in their products stay fresh longer. According to the American Heart Association there is no part of trans fat that is good for you or any part of your health (skin included), ever. Saturated fat, is not quite as bad, especially if eaten in moderation. However, saturated fats from animal products can cause the type of inflammation in the skin layers which contributes to the formation of pimples. (Chris Kresser, Nutrition for Healthy Skin)

Good Fats

The healthy fats that are good for your skin and body, are called mono and polyunsaturated fats. Within the group of polyunsaturated fats are oils called Omega Fatty Acids.

Omega fatty acids are crucial to our bodies for many functions. You may have heard of Omega-3 and Omega-6 oils. These two in particular are important to include in our diet because our bodies cannot manufacture them on their own and they are required for our body’s to function. Therefore, they are called Essential Fatty Acids (EFA). They are also very good for your skin!

How Do Essential Fatty Acids Help My Skin?

EFA’s are the building blocks of the surface layers of our skin, contributing to a smoother, more even, healthier complexion. According to researchers at Purdue University, EFAs also increase the production of collagen in the deep layers making for firmer skin. They also increase hydration, eliminate dry, flaky skin, deliver antioxidants for anti-aging, and lower inflammation associated with acne. EFA’s create an antimicrobial barrier against the elements. They help keep the cells in your skin moist and strong by reducing the amount of water lost through the top layer of skin. For example, in one study researchers found that those who took supplemental borage seed oil daily for two months experienced an improvement in their skin’s barrier function, and dry skin was reduced. (BETTER NUTRICION Kim Erickson, EFA’s Give Your Skin an Oil Change)

If you struggle with eczema, supplementing with Omega-3 oils can be very therapeutic. An analysis of 26 clinical trials involving more than 1,200 eczema sufferers concluded that evening primrose oil improves the symptoms of itching, crusting, inflammation, and redness of eczema, making it a safe alternative to topical steroids. (BETTER NUTRICION Kim Erickson, EFAs- Give Your Skin an Oil Change)

What Foods Contain Omega-3 and Omega-6 Fatty Acids?

Omega-3’s are found most abundant in fish, flax, walnuts, and chia seeds. Omega-6’s are abundant in vegetable oils, the most common being- corn, safflower, sunflower, and soy. Your skin needs both Omega 3 and 6. Yet in the typical American diet, the ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 is out of balance- around 10:1. We generally consume enough Omega-6 fats, but we need to consume more Omega-3 Fatty Acids. A 4:1 ratio is more ideal. (Chris Kresser, Nutrition for Healthy skin, Omega-3 Fatty Acids).

Try moderating your Omega-6 consumption and find ways to increase Omega-3’s by consuming more fish, flax seeds, chia seeds, and walnuts. Flax and chia seeds are not just the health food industry’s latest fad; they are readily available and affordable even in stores such as Walmart. There are many tasty recipes online utilizing these seeds. Simply sprinkling them on salads or putting a scoop in your smoothies is a relatively easy way to get them in your diet and they don’t ruin the flavor. It is best to get healthy fats/oils from your diet, but you can use supplements too. There are many brands of fish and flax oils or supplements sold in stores and online.

Can I Apply Omega Oils Topically?

After reading about how good consuming these EFA’s are for your skin you may wonder if applying them directly on the skin would be beneficial. The good news studies are finding there are benefits to using them topically. One study found that using the omega oils topically gave as much benefit as consuming them. (Paula’s Skin Care, How Omega Fatty Acids Help Skin). Doing both could prove very beneficial. However, some oils healthy for your skin from the inside out could be pore-clogging when used directly on your skin. Feel free to contact me about any of my products that will not only clear up your skin but also add beneficial moisturizing oils and nutrients to your skin.

In conclusion, eating the right fats directly affects our skin in the short run AND in the long run. If you struggle with chronic acne or even occasional breakouts, the food/fats in your diet could be directly affecting your skin. The good news is eating healthy fats can help clear up your skin as well as bring other benefits.

When you schedule an appointment with me, we will go over your diet and potential triggers. I also evaluate your skin and find the right combination of products to eliminate acne and promote fresh, healthy skin. Call and make an appointment with me today! Topekacneskincare.com or 913-702-4769.

Filed Under: Acne

Do we really need to be checking the pH levels of our skin care?

February 4, 2020 by Acnetopeka

Why you can’t ignore pH.

You’ve seen the term “pH balanced” on some skincare products. What does it really mean and why does it matter? Do we really need to check the pH levels of the products we put on our skin?

In short, the answer is YES. And here is why…

Lets start by reviewing what we learned about pH in grammer school.
You may remember from science class that pH shows the level of acidity of a substance. PH stands for potential Hydrogen and is measured on a scale from 0-14, with 0 being the most acidic, 14 being the most alkaline, and 7 being neutral.

What is the Acid Mantle?
Our skin is covered by a thin shield called the acid mantle. This acid mantle acts as our first defense to protect us from environmental toxins and invading bacteria, including the bacteria that cause acne. The ideal pH for this protective layer is 5.5. When our skin’s pH level drops below 4.5 or above 6.5, it inhibits our skin’s ability to handle environmental stress and fight infections.

How do I know if the pH level of my skin is off balance?
Our skin gives us clues as to whether our pH is in balance or not. Signs that your pH can be too high or low in pH include being acne-prone, oily, red, inflamed, dry, sensitive or wrinkled.

What factors affect the pH of our skin?
There are a number of factors that influence the pH level of our skin including diet, age, and the products we use.

Diet
Our diets strongly impact our gut health which plays a central role in skin pH and the growth of bacteria on the skin surface. As you likely have heard, the typical American diet, high in sugars and processed foods, does not contribute to good gut health. We can have a positive impact on our gut health and pH, both internal and external, by avoiding sugar, processed and yeasty foods and by increasing greens, fermented foods, and water.

Soaps and skincare products
Most soaps are too alkaline and strip the skin of natural oils and thus cause dryness. Using products with the correct pH is critical to the health and proper pH of our skin. A word of caution about homemade/DIY skincare products. Often the household items included in these are either too acidic or alkaline for our skin and can cause damage to our acid mantle.

Age
As children our skin pH hovers around 7 and then as we move into adolescence, it lowers to around 5.5. Our skin then tends to become more acidic as we age due to the environment and lifestyle.

What can I do to balance my skin’s pH?
If our skin is too acidic or alkaline, we may be tempted to use a product on the other side of the scale in hopes of balancing our pH. This is not a good approach. Instead, it is best to use high-quality products with a pH near 5.5. Additionally, use probiotics to improve gut health, maintain a quality diet, and treat your skin gently so as not to damage the acid mantle.

Contact me today to discuss setting up a skin-care system that will help balance your skin’s pH and make it look it’s best!

Topekaacneskincare.com

913-702-4769

Filed Under: Acne

Does Stress Cause Zits?

October 4, 2019 by Acnetopeka

The answer is:  Yes and No.

Stress alone does not cause a case of acne, but it can make it worse.  People may have a zit or two even if they aren’t experiencing stress, however stress increases the chances of a break out even in clear skin.

You may have noticed in your own life during a really stressful time more blemishes appearing- perhaps before a big date, during finals, or an upcoming interview.  What are the mechanics behind this phenomenon?

How zits are formed.

Your skin is full of tiny pores that connect the surface of your skin with the lower layers, where the hair follicle and tiny oil producing glands are located.  Your skin needs a normal amount of oil to function properly, but when your body produces too much oil and there is a build up of dead skin, this creates a plug.  A clogged pore is the perfect breeding ground for bacteria, the bacteria feeds on the sebum, which creates inflammation, this creates pressure on the outside walls of the pore, which then ruptures and creates a pimple.

How stress relates to your skin breaking out.

There have been a few studies in recent years confirming that breaking out at stressful times is not just our imagination, there is a scientific reason.  “Acne is an inflammatory disease that can be exacerbated by hormones released during stress which increase inflammation.” (Dr. Michele Green).  Another study confirmed this, showing that when you are stressed a hormone called CRH can cause the glands in the skin to produce more oil.  (Dr. Adam Friedman, George Washington University).  A study in 2003 at Beth Israel Medical Center by Dr. Alexa Kimball also found that stress could trigger breakouts, and the greater the stress, the more pronounced the breakout.

Inflammation in our bodies.

We already know stress provokes inflammation in the body.  The oil glands in the skin are a part of the immune system, so turning on this immune response increases swelling and inflammation in the skin.  In addition, since chronic stress affects the immune system, this slows healing.

Other contributing factors from stress.

What’s more, people tend to itch when they are nervous or stressed, and scratching creates swelling at the site.  People who are stressed may pick at their skin more, increasing inflammation at the site.  They also tend to sleep poorly, eat less healthy food, and don’t follow their usual skin-care routines.  All these factors contribute to breakouts when you are stressed.

Our fast pace world

The pace of modern living create stress in our lives.  A 2014 study in the Archives of Dermatological Research found that acne in women is on the rise.  Their conclusion is that the fast-paced, pressure-filled society we live in is contributing to a worsening of acne conditions.

Take an inventory of your current life. 

Evaluate if you are unnecessarily tied to activities that don’t contribute positively to your or other’s lives.  Cut them out without shame.  Ask yourself what is causing you the most stress?  What can you cut back or change?  Take a break from some activities for a time.  Remember you don’t have to do everything right now.  There are different seasons for different opportunities.  Actively practice relaxing and letting go of the hold situations you cannot change have on you.  Remind yourself that life goes on and things have a way of working out whether you worry about them or not.  The world will not fall apart if you don’t manage every detail or do everything perfectly.  Trust that you will take care of what is most important.  Make a list of the problems you can do something about and write out how and when you will deal with them.

Managing stress can be stressful in itself

Do plan in your schedule time for social connection and maintaining friendships.  Do take time to care for yourself, for example:  Make time for physical activity you enjoy, Pursue creative endeavors.  Plan margin in between your activities.  Not every minute of every week needs to be filled.  Down time is good, it is not laziness.  Set a timer for when you need to go to bed so you are getting enough sleep.  Sleep is a great way to reduce inflammation and give the body time to heal and reset.  Implement an app or system on your electronic devices that will help you cut down your screen time.  Set up a time to talk with a friend, family member, or a counselor about nagging problems in your life, perhaps they can help you be accountable to cut out unnecessary activities and implement healthy habits.  Consider yoga and/or meditation.  If you are a spiritual person, schedule regular time on your calendar to grow your faith and talk to God about your problems.

 

If you have found helpful and simple ways to reduce daily and ongoing stress please share in the comments below.  As always if you have any questions about your skin care needs or if you have an emergency with a breakout at an important moment in your life, contact me, I can help you with immediate and ongoing skin care needs.

Please contact me at 913-702-4769, topekaacneskincare.com

Filed Under: Acne

Hidden Acne Triggers in Laundry Products

March 7, 2019 by Acnetopeka

“I’ve tried everything and I continue to get Acne”

When you struggle with acne you want the quickest and easiest route to clear skin, yet it’s not always simple to achieve.  We tend to focus on products and cleansing routines and even the foods we eat to get rid of our blemishes.  You may feel like you’ve tried everything, searched every possible trigger, and yet still your skin is still breaking out.  Have you considered that environmental factors like laundry products may be a source of your acne?

Are fabrics that are coming into contact with your skin, a trigger?

Many people might not consider the fabric their skin comes in contact with, such as wash cloths or sheets as triggers for acne.  It isn’t the fabrics themselves, but the products you cleanse them with that may be contributing to your skin problems.

Are fragrances making your skin breakout ?

Detergents, fabric softeners and dryer sheets contain a host of chemicals, waxes, and fragrances that affect your skin?  In fact, the term ‘fragrance’ could be a combination of any hundreds of chemicals, because laundry product manufacturers are not required to list all their ingredients.

So how do these products actually cause break outs?  

Laundry soap and fabric softener, whether liquid or dry, leave residue on your fabrics.  That residue then transfers to your skin when it comes in contact with you.  Even in residual amounts, these substances could be a culprit for acne especially if you struggle with it in places besides your face like your back and shoulders or chest.  Contact with the elements used in laundry products causes inflammation, especially with the pores of your skin.  Simply put, no matter how minute, the chemicals left on your fabrics after washing can clog your pores.

Here are a few of the most typical offenders in your laundry care products.

Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfate (a foaming agent) is known to clog pores. Check out my blog about SLS in shampoos and conditioners here.  All laundry soaps contain surfactants because they reduce the surface tension of liquids increasing its spreading and wetting property which is great for getting your clothes clean.  However most commercial laundry detergents use synthetic surfactants which, you guessed it- clogs pores.  Perhaps worse than detergent, fabric softeners and dryer sheets coat your laundry with fat derivatives, waxes, fragrances and chemicals that quite likely keep you from experiencing clear skin if you are prone to acne.  Unfortunately, there are many more ingredients in your laundry products that are not healthy for your skin, or the environment for that matter, but we’ll keep it simple and leave it with the few I listed for this post

What are those unpronounceable names on my laundry products?

If you’ve ever looked at the list of ingredients on laundry products, most of them contain unpronounceable names that only a chemist would understand!   Generally, the more recognizable the name and natural ingredients as well as a shorter list of ingredients, the more likely the product may be safe.  However, don’t assume all natural and organic substances are non-pore clogging.  Even natural ingredients can be comedogenic- pore clogging.  Fortunately, nowadays there are more and more chemical and fragrance free soaps and detergents available and not just in special health shops.

So, what do you do…

You may enjoy the fresh smell and softness laundry products provide, but your skin will benefit if you switch to safe laundry cleansing brands, and you won’t have to sacrifice great scent or softness.  If you are leery about making hard core changes you can start by trying some widely available safer laundry products that many major brands now make.

Here is a short list of non-pore clogging, safer detergents available in most grocery stores:

+ All:  Free & Clear

+ Tide:  Free & Gentle

+ Purex:  Free & Clear

+ Seventh Generation:  Free & Clear

+ Molly Suds

Also, don’t be afraid to talk to your local Natural Grocer about laundry products they offer that are free from fragrance, chemicals, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and such.

I can’t live without my fabric softener!

As for fabric softener, if you just can’t help yourself, try Downy:  Free and Gentle Liquid Fabric Conditioner.  However, there are natural methods for softening laundry like using wool dryer balls in your dryer or even tennis balls.  You can add a drop of 100% essential oil of your choice to the wool balls to add fragrance, it won’t clog your pores.  Try adding White Distilled Vinegar during the rinse cycle or in the fabric softener slot to keep laundry plush.  A cup of Baking Soda added to the water in the washer before adding clothes is also known to soften fabric.

 

If you want to go even more hard core and switch your stain remover out for a more skin friendly product try Clorox:  Free & Clear Stain Remover and Color Booster.  Ecos:  Oxobright Multipurpose Free & Clear does not contain poor clogging ingredients either.

 

Fighting Acne can be frustrating, but in this post we have covered a topic fairly easy to implement as you work to improve your skin and identify your triggers.  If you have found a difference in changing your laundry products leave a comment below.

As always, here at Topeka Acne Skin Care and Spa I am available for any and all of your skin care needs.  Take a look around my website and checkout my Facebook page.  Call for a consultation today 913-702-4769.  topekaacneskincare.com

It’s time to finally feel good about your skin.

 

For more information on acne check out other blog posts:

+ THE FOOD & ACNE CONNECTION

+ GETTING YOUR ACNE UNDER CONTROL

+ HAIR PRODUCTS CAN CAUSE ACNE

 

 

 

Filed Under: Acne Tagged With: Acne

Hair Products Can Cause Acne, Too

October 30, 2018 by Acnetopeka

Did you know that some of the ingredients in your shampoo, conditioner, and hair-styling products could be causing pimples?

If you are doing everything you can to get rid of your acne, yet still breaking out around your hairline, it may be pore-clogging ingredients in your hair products causing the problem.

Even if a product says “noncomedogenic”, “oil free”, or “won’t clog your pores” on the bottle, that doesn’t mean it’s safe for your skin. There isn’t a government agency overseeing this, so skincare companies can claim their products promote clear skin and still contain pore-cloggers.

Leave-in products like conditioners and dry shampoos also stay on your pillowcase, then transfer to your skin while you sleep. If the products you use contain pore-clogging ingredients your acne problem will continue.

Topeka Acne Skin Care carries shampoo and conditioner that is truly acne-safe.

I’m happy to chat with you about how to clear your skin for good.

Filed Under: Acne

Daily Skin Care Made Easy

October 1, 2018 by Acnetopeka

A daily skin routine makes all the difference for healthy skin, but most people skip this important part of their routine, because they think it has to take a gazillion hours – and no one has time for that. This is my simple routine for glowing, healthy skin.

Morning:
– Cleanse
– Apply a highly concentrated Vitamin C Serum in the morning. This protects the skin from UV damage, and has proven antioxidant and regenerative properties to help fight and repair signs of aging and stimulate collagen and elastin.
– Apply sunscreen for all day protection from harmful UV rays.

Evening:
– Cleanse to remove make-up and the day’s effects.
– Moisturize while skin is still damp for extra hydration.
– Twice a week I exfoliate, sometimes with an AHA, sometimes with a product that has granules in it. For added benefit, I recommend a monthly peel or microdermabrasion treatment.
– Apply toner after cleansing to remove left-over residue and balance skin pH. Toner also adds antioxidants while rejuvenating, soothing, and hydrating skin.
– Use a Vitamin A corrective serum to encourage skin cell reproduction, circulation and produce cumulative benefits long term.
– Apply a rejuvenating eye cream.

Once or twice a week:
– Add a peptide, which helps the skin heal itself.
– Add a growth factor of Glutathione, an antioxidant that helps to neutralize free radicals in the skin.

Taking care of your skin doesn’t have to be confusing. I can help you create a routine specifically for your skin’s needs and take the guesswork out of which products are right for you.

Filed Under: Skin Care

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