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Skin Care Products – Why Even Consider Them?
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.
Myokines and Weight Loss
Since the very first muscle derived myostatin protein was identified as a myokine in 1997, over 600 myokines have been identified to date (Gorgens et al., 2015). However, the majority of these myokines are still not sufficiently characterized.
Why is this important? This frequently neglected topic plays a central roll in diet and exercise in those people trying to lose or maintain their weight. Myokines are the key actors in muscle development and size, and and they influence weight gain or loss in a pretty dramatic way.
The myokines are a subclass of interlukins. Interlukins are a group of naturally occurring proteins that mediate communication between cells. They are like the rapid text messages between teenagers in the same room communicating with each other. Interleukins regulate cell growth, differentiation, and motility. They are particularly important in stimulating immune responses, such as inflammation.
Muscles Make Their Own Interlukins
A few years ago, research demonstrated in the Journal of Experimental Biology that there is a notable increase in the plasma concentration of IL-6 during exercise (Pedersen and Febbraio, 2008). This is followed by the appearance of IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) and the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. Concentrations of the these cytokines, IL-8, macrophage inflammatory protein 1a (MIP-1a) and MIP-1b are elevated after strenuous exercise.
Thus, the cytokine response to exercise is not preceded by an increase in plasma TNF-a. Even though there may be a moderate increase in the systemic concentration of these cytokines, the underlying fact is that the appearance of IL-6 in the circulation is by far the most marked and precedes that of the other cytokines (Pedersen and Febbraio, 2008).
Muscle Interlukins Create Good Inflammation
When IL-6 is produced by macrophages, it leads to an inflammatory response, whereas muscle cells produce and release IL-6 without activating classical pro-inflammatory pathways. The fact that IL-6 can sometimes act as a pro-inflammatory and sometimes as an anti-inflammatory agent appears to be more dependent on the environment (muscle versus immune cell) than on whether IL-6 is activated in an acute or chronic fashion (Pedersen and Febbraio, 2008). This essentially means that strenuous exercise is a good form of stress, stabilizing the muscle, causing growth and not adversely affecting the immune system.
Interlukins From Muscles Talk to Fat Cells
At the same time, IL-15 is expressed in human skeletal muscle (Pedersen et al., 2007). C2C12 tubule contraction in the muscle stimulates the IL-15 release. It possesses anabolic effects on skeletal muscle in vitro and in vivo and may also take part in reducing adipose tissue mass (Pedersen et al., 2007). Therefore, IL-15 has been suggested to be involved in muscle–fat crosstalk. Recently, we demonstrated that IL-15 mRNA levels were upregulated in human skeletal muscle following a bout of strength training (Nielsen et al., 2007), suggesting that IL-15 may accumulate within the muscle as a consequence of regular training.
What is fascinating is that there is a negative relationship between IL-15 and truncal fat mass, but not limb fat mass. That means that the more resistance exercise you participate in regularly, the lower your truncal fat becomes.
BDNF Stays Active Even After Exercise
Another cytokine actor in this opera of human metabolism is Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF). BDNF is a fascinating hormone produced in the brain. In humans, a BDNF release from the brain was observed at rest and increased 2- to 3-fold during exercise. Both at rest and during exercise, the brain contributed 70–80% of the circulating BDNF, while this contribution decreased following 1h of recovery. In mice, exercise induced a 3- to 5-fold increase in BDNF mRNA expression in the hippocampus and cortex, peaking 2h after the termination of exercise.
Matthews and colleagues studied whether skeletal muscle would produce BDNF in response to exercise (Matthews et al., 2009) and found that BDNF mRNA and protein expression were increased in human skeletal muscle after exercise. However. muscle-derived BDNF appeared not to be released into the circulation. BDNF mRNA and protein expression were increased in muscle cells that were electrically stimulated.
You can augment the presence of BDNF with curcumin. Curcumin is a natural isolate derived from turmeric an has been show to have anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and anti-depressant properties through its ability to raise BDNF. Using curcumin daily with a regular exercise program helps to improve brain function and reduce mental and physical stress (4, 5)
How HIFEM Exercise Is Effective
Why is this important? Because, BDNF increased phosphorylation of AMPK and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) and enhanced fat oxidation both in vitro and ex vivo. In layman’s terms, that means that regular exercise stimulates the burning of fat for 1-2 hours after exercise. This can be exercise from resistance training or from HIFEM like EMSculpt or electromagnetic stimulus.
What is the take home message from all this geeky science stuff?
Resistance exercise improves muscle regeneration, fatty acid oxidation, fat metabolism, muscle repair, mitochondrial biogenesis (increasing numbers of mitochondria). So if you are not participating in at least 3 days of resistance exercise per week, I’d encourage you to do so.
If you are looking for a simple body weight exercise program that can be done at home. I’ll send you my program for free. Go to docmuscles.com/exercise and sign up.
References:
- Pedersen BK. Muscles and their myokines. J Exper Biol. 2011. 214:337-346. doi:10.1242/jeb.048074.
- Furuichi Y, Manabe Y, Takagi M, Aoki M, Fujii NL (2018) Evidence for acute contraction induced myokine secretion by C2C12 myotubes. PLoS ONE 13(10): e0206146. https://doi.org/ 10.1371/journal.pone.0206146.
- Han LJ & Hee-Sook J. Role of Myokines in Regulating Skeletal Muscle Mass and Function. Frontiers in Physiology. Jan 2019. Vol 10:1-9. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2019.00042
- Ga-Young Choi, Hyun-Bum Kim, Eun-Sang Hwang, Seok Lee, Min-Ji Kim, Ji-Young Choi, Sung-Ok Lee, Sang-Seong Kim, Ji-Ho Park, “Curcumin Alters Neural Plasticity and Viability of Intact Hippocampal Circuits and Attenuates Behavioral Despair and COX-2 Expression in Chronically Stressed Rats”, Mediators of Inflammation, vol. 2017, Article ID 6280925, 9 pages, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/6280925
- Hurley LL, Akinfiresoye L, Nwulia E, Kamiya A, Kulkarni AA, Tizabi Y. Antidepressant-like effects of curcumin in WKY rat model of depression is associated with an increase in hippocampal BDNF, Behavioral Brain Research. 2013(239):27-30. ISSN 0166-4328, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbr.2012.10.049.
EMFace In The Office
EMFace – Less Wrinkles, More Lift!!
This is a revolutionary treatment to have in the office.
EMFace is the first and only technology that uses RF and HiFES energy to treat both skin and muscles of the face. Synchronized radio frequency (RF) remodels and smooths skin by warming the dermis and stimulating collage and elastin growth. HiFES energy restores and elevates supporting facial muscles and tissues by selectively contracting muscles and increasing density and quality of muscle structure. The combined effect of skin remodeling with muscle toning results in enhanced wrinkle reduction and over-all face lifting. There is zero downtime with this procedure.
It is truly a non-invasive facial lift.
- Increase collagen
- Increase elastin fibers
- Tone the muscles
Needle free in just 20 minutes!
EMFACE is the first device on the market utilizing the simultaneous application of both the Synchronized RF and HIFESTM.
Reduce the effects of facial aging:
- 37% wrinkle reduction
- 23% lifting effect
- 30% increase in muscle tone
Call NOW to schedule your treatment – (623) 584-7805 ext 219.
High Fat? High Protein? Low Protein? What is really ketogenic?
The daily question that I get asked by my patients, and from those around the internet, relates to burning one’s own fat. “Don’t you have to limit the calories and limit fat you eat to burn your own body fat?”
It seems everyone has a differing opinion on this question and a few of them have two opinions (you know who you are). Very few of these opinions are grounded in the actual science of weight loss.
I hear coaches, trainers and even a number physicians argue, name call and rant about the need to cut calories to lose fat. Yet, most of my patients “cut their calories” 200-1000 per day without successful fat reduction. They may increase their exercise by 400-600 calories per day and still no weight loss. This is the same crazy ineffective instruction we’ve been given for the last 50 years.
To be honest, there is a percentage of those in the fitness and modeling worlds upon which this dogma is effective and that is because of normal insulin levels and significant exercise. However, for the other 85% of the world who work over 40-80 hours a week, have children and families, serve in our churches and occasionally have a social life, myself included, it doesn’t work. If we were all paid to exercise 2 hours a day and take “butt selfies” on Instagram, it might be easier.
Yes, you will probably lose 20 lbs. with calorie restriction, but your testosterone will drop by up to 50%, sex hormone binding globulin will double, and over time your basal metabolic rate will slow due to dramatic and often permeant reduction in thyroid function. This makes it nearly impossible to lose more than that 20 lbs, and then you will regain the weight once calorie levels return to normal within 18-24 months. (No one ever talks about that little problem, do they?)
For those of you that want to see success in weight loss, let’s outline a few essential principles that the trainers, keto-coaches and social media talking heads aren’t mentioning.
First, insulin has to be kept at a baseline. The reason that 85% of people don’t, won’t and can’t see effective weight loss beyond 20-30 lbs long term (greater than 2 years) with calorie restriction is that 85% of the population has some degree of insulin resistance. It’s not a disease, it’s a syndrome associated with the effect of the standard American diet. I wrote a whole book about it called The Keto Cure. We know that insulin and catecholamines increase the rate by which fat is stored.
Second, glucacon is a counter active hormone to keep your blood sugar from bottoming out. The presence of glucagon stimulates fat burning. Intermittent fasting and ketogenic dietary intake allow blood sugar to drop below 70 mg/dL (3.9 mmol/L) causing glucagon release and stimulate increased release of free fatty acids from the fat cells.
Third, two hormones, epinephrine and norepinephrine, are produced when blood sugar drops below 67 mg/dL (3.7 mmol/L). Exercise lowers blood sugar to this level and stimulates additional burning of fat by engaging the release of glucagon and epinephrine and norepinephrine. Exercise, also, has three other myokine hormonal effects making weight loss more successful when the diet is correctly balanced.
The fourth principle that is essential to understand relates to growth hormone. Growth hormone stimulates and preserves muscle tissue, has a suppressive effect on insulin. Growth hormone increases with exercise, sleep, intermittent fasting and when protein intake is at least greater than 90 grams per day in women and around 1 gram of protein per body weight in men. This is notably higher than previous calculations on protein that I have written about in the past. Recent research, also found here, here and here, demonstrates that increased protein above 90-100 grams per day enhances muscle growth and stabilization and further suppresses insulin production beyond what we previously understood.
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Contrary to what the media has been saying about protein sources, not all protein is absorbed in the same way. When it comes to absorption in the human gut and use by the human metabolism, protein sources differ in their effectiveness:
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- Egg protein utilization – 50%
- Meat protein utilization – 40%
- Cheese protein utilization 35-40%
- Whey protein utilization – 18%
- Vegetable protein utilization – 14%
Lastly, release of fat from the fat cell is mediated by natriuretic peptides and cGMP through the release of catecholamines, prostaglandins and nicotinic acid. Interestingly, the major positive regulators of human lipolysis are catecholamines and natriuretic peptides (NPs). Fatty acid release from fat cells triples when catecholamines and natriuretic peptides are released. Catecholamines are produced by exercise, stimulants and stress, and natriuretic peptides are stimulated by short change fatty acids (ketones).
For the science geeks in who follow my blog, I’ve included the following picture that summarizes the effects of these hormones on the fat cell. The figure below shows the major pathways by which insulin, thyroid, catecholamines, testosterone and sympathomimetics effect fatty acid release from adipose tissue.
The take home message from this information is this, effective long term weight loss cannot be achieved by calorie restriction. Effective weight loss (specifically fat loss and muscle gain) is most effectively achieved when carbohydrates are restricted, protein is optimized, and proper exercise adequately triggers the release of fat burning hormones.
Click HERE and get a copy of my ketogenic diet.
Get a copy of my diet and 13 learning modules with coaching and online assistance by becoming a member of Dr. Nally’s KetoClan.
I’d like to know, what combination has been most effective for you?
Have a great day!
Adam (eat your bacon) Nally, DO