Have you been confused about how to care for your skin? Everyone has advice to give on this topic. Yet, most of it is opinion and little is based in true scientific outcomes. There is lots of buzz about hundreds, even thousands, of skin care products and ingredients. A handful of women I meet are well versed in effective skin care, but most men have no clue where to start. So, this article will serve as your basic primer on where to begin, and give you some basic back ground on skin care.
When good skin care is paired with a ketogenic or carnivorous diet, you will literally begin to look years younger as you continue to care for your skin.
Two of the most popular and well decorated soldiers in the brigade of foundational skin care are Vitamin C and Hyaluronic Acid. Both of these are very effective, and there is good science backing the skin care of those using both. Both of these products can offer benefit to all skin types which make them sound investments in any skin care routine. Additionally, these two make a synergistic team . . . Vitamin C evens out your skin tone and gives you a wonderful healthy glow, and Hyaluronic Acid is the powerful hydrator of the skin. They become a daily “dynamic duo” without having to raise the proverbial “Bat Signal.”
The key is to understand that they both do their best work when applied under specific conditions:
- Vitamin C should be applied to clean dry skin to penetrate the skin cells.
- Hyaluronic Acid should be applied to a damp face allowing it to pull water into the skin.
Hyaluronic Acid
This is a powerful humectant. It pulls water into the top layer of skin, giving it an immediate improvement in the way the skin looks. It takes out the ashy, dry, dull appearance. Humectants, like a sponge pull up to 1000 times their own weight in water into the top layer of skin (1). Most experts consider hyaluronic acid to be the gold standard in hydration of the skin.
A derivative of Hyaluronic Acid is sodium hyaluronate. This is also a powerful humectant but penetrates deeper into the skin because of its smaller molecular size and hydrates at those deeper skin levels. It can also be used as an injectable dermal filler. Where Hyaluronic Acid works better on the skin surface, sodium hyaluronate works in the deeper skin layers. Frequently companies don’t differentiate between these two products, so check your labels.
Because of its ability to penetrate, sodium hyaluronate is often paired with other products like peptides to help them penetrate the outermost layers of skin. This makes it more effective for hydration, tissue repair and eye moisture. In our office, we’ve paired sodium hyaluronate with biomimetic oligopeptides for greater collagen and elastin stimulus (see Oligopeptides below). The use of oral hyaluronan has been shown to also be very effective in stabilizing collagen and elastin (3).
Vitamin C
This is the beloved skin-brightener and it helps to combat those dark age-spots called “solar lentigos” or what your Grandma called “liver spots.” Vitamin C lightens them and reduces inflammation (2). It fights ultraviolet (UV) photo damage common from exposure to the Arizona sun and wind, and it dramatically improves the appearance of your skin. It is, also, an anti-oxidant, protecting the skin from free radicals, these are not terrorists you hear about on the news, these are the oxygen particulates that build up with bad diet, exposure to chemical toxins, UV exposure and aging that can damage cellular DNA.
Vitamin C is a vital part of collagen synthesis and collagen cross-linking that supports skin firmness (2). It doesn’t just stimulate the collagen, it also stabilizes collagen (2) leading to wrinkle reduction. Because it is a cofactor in elastin as well, it gives your skin a plump and youthful appearance.
When using Hyaluronic Acid and Vitamin C in your skin care regimen, apply your Vitamin C first at let it dry. Then pat on your hyaluronic acid. Because vitamin C is unstable, it loses potency when exposed to air, light and water, which is why it needs to be applied to clean, dry skin, right after washing. Let it dry completely. Then add on your Hyaluronic Acid. You don’t have to be as precise with the hyaluronic acid because it will also pull in moisture from the surrounding environment.
Then, top everything off with a great moisturizer to seal in the hydration. We offer all three of these products in pharmaceutical grade topicals in our office.
Both Vitamin C and Hyaluronic Acid can be used twice a day, however, many people just use the hyaluronic acid in the evening.
Stabilize your Skin from the Outside and the Inside
You can support the skin barriers additionally from the inside by 1) getting adequate animal protein in your diet and 2) using a quality bone broth daily. I personally like Kettle & Fire’s bone broth. Bone broth is high in hyaluronans. The use of oral hyaluronan has been shown to also be very effective in stabilizing collagen and elastin (3).
Ceramides
We cannot forget the Ceramides. Ceramides make up around 50% of the lipids found in the skin forming the natural skin barrier. Ceramides essentially act like the glue that hold our skin cells together keeping our skin barrier intact and healthy. A healthy skin barrier helps seal in moisture and seal out harmful elements. Lower ceramide levels are linked to skin conditions such as acne, eczema, psoriasis and rosacea (4). Sun exposure, harsh climates, and age also impact ceramide levels and can compromise your skin barrier function contributing to dry skin (5).
Oligopeptides
You’ve probably heard about peptides in some of your skin care products in in skin care advertising. Yet, there are so many proteins, amino acids and polypeptides in various skin care products, you may feel the need to get a doctorate in biochemistry to understand what you are supposed to be using on your face. However, I’ve done the research for you, attended the biochemistry lectures and have personally used and prescribed these products in my practice.
Peptides are building blocks that make up protein molecules. These are chains of two or more amino acids held together by peptide (amide) bonds. They are smaller than proteins, but when you link them together they become the basis for proteins. In skin care and laser post-care treatments, peptides prompt your skin to make more collagen, which is the most abundant protein in the skin. It’s this collagen that limits and reduces wrinkles and fine lines.
Peptides are divided into two categories: Oligopeptides, which have few amino acids (between 2 to 20), and polypeptides, which have more than 20 amino acids. Most brands and manufacturers use the term “peptide” to refer to oligopeptides, or any short chain amino acid.
This is a case where size, or length matters. Smaller peptides, the oligopeptides, are able to move deeper into the cellular level of the skin when applied topically. That’s why you don’t dust your face with collagen powder, it’s a molecule that is just to large to get through the skin barrier. Products bound to oligopeptides are able to be carried deeper into the layers of the skin.
Studies have demonstrated that oligopeptides in skin care do indeed cause an increase in proteins development like collagen and reduce wrinkles and fine lines. Oligopeptides also have the following benefits:
- Stimulate growth and repair
- Increase hydration
- Fight inflammation
- Protect against free radicals
Around age 30, all of us stop producing collagen and elastin as effectively as we did when we were younger. This is the cause of wrinkling, lose skin, age spots and thinning of skin and hair. All ages and skin types benefit from using oligopeptides, but those age 30 will reap the most visible benefits. We also use them in the office after laser treatments to speed healing and repair.
As time goes on, our bodies decrease production of hormones that kept our skin healthy and youthful. Our diet and our daily exposure to chemicals like xenoestrogens, pesticides and petroleum derivatives play a very large role in this process.
At DocMuscles Med Spa, we want to keep you as healthy and youthful as possible. Weather you’re just getting a little Botox, MicroNeedling or you are planning your EMFace treatment followed by a Charcoal Laser Facial, we’ll identify the most effective health program for you, and offer a complete line of skin care products to finish off your daily skin care. The sooner you start taking care of your skin, the younger and healthier you will remain.
Call NOW for your appointment to get you the skin care treatment you need today (623) 584-7805.
References:
- Papakonstantinou E, Roth M, Karakiulakis G. Hyaluronic acid: A key molecule in skin aging. Dermatoendocrinol. 2012 Jul 1;4(3):253-8. doi: 10.4161/derm.21923. PMID: 23467280; PMCID: PMC3583886.
- Telang PS. Vitamin C in dermatology. Indian Dermatol Online J. 2013 Apr;4(2):143-6. doi: 10.4103/2229-5178.110593. PMID: 23741676; PMCID: PMC3673383.
- Oe M, Sakai S, Yoshida H, Okado N, Kaneda H, Masuda Y, Urushibata O. Oral hyaluronan relieves wrinkles: a double-blinded, placebo-controlled study over a 12-week period. Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol. 2017 Jul 18;10:267-273. doi: 10.2147/CCID.S141845. PMID: 28761365; PMCID: PMC5522662.
- Sahle, F, Gebre-Mariam, T, Dobner, B, Wohlrab, J, Neubert, R. Skin Diseases Associated with the Depletion of Stratum Corneum Lipids and Stratum Corneum Lipid Substitution Therapy. Skin Pharmacology and Physiology. (2015);28:42-55.
- Coderch L, López O, de la Maza A, Parra JL_. Ceramides and skin function. American journal of clinical dermatology_. 2003;4(2):107-29.