Fresh-Face Friday? Our Response to "Throw-Back Thursday"

If make-up ranks up there with food, water, and oxygen on your list of necessitates, this might come as a shock: There is a growing acceptance—indeed even an endorsement—of beauty routines that kick mascara, lip-gloss, and blush to the curb.

Sure, magazines have long served up articles about "natural beauty." But let's be honest: "natural beauty" is just a euphemism for neutral color palettes and an abandonment of "mega-lash" mascaras.

Recently, however, there has be a move toward legitimately natural beauty; that is, a rejection of make-up altogether. According to an article published in Vogue's March 2014 issue, "For spring/summer 2014, models really were sent out onto the catwalks with the bare minimum of products and styling" (Niven). 

But maybe you require more rigorous evidence than fashion trends before you chuck your new Urban Decay eye shadows. Researchers at Bangor and Aberdeen Universities conducted a study investigating participants' make-up preferences. They found that both men and women preferred models wearing 40% less make-up than originally applied.

Even if you're not totally convinced, consider wiping off a few layers of that cake-like concealer before heading out the door tomorrow morning.

Sources: http://www.vogue.co.uk/beauty/2014/03/26/raw-beauty-spring-summer-2014-no-makeup-trend

http://time.com/79584/science-women-less-makeup/

Your Own Worst [Dermatological] Enemy

Recent research suggests that the problem with many current acne treatments resides less in the medicine and more in the application. Studies estimate that only 50% of patients actually adhere to their doctors' instructions.

Imagine this: You go to your dermatologist. He writes you a prescription and tells you to apply the product twice a day. You do this for...three days? Four? Until spring break vacation? Until you leave for camp?

This is a classic story-line. Unfortunately, the ending is not a happy one. Unsurprisingly, poor adherence to anti-acne regimens causes many teens to think that their products don't work. What happens next? Usually those expensive medications are shoved to the deepest recesses of the medicine cabinet–along with expired gummy vitamins and crusty bottles of Pepto Bismol.

Luckily, GR8SKN products are easy to use and can be tailored to fit any teenage lifestyle.

Pick and choose the products that best suit your needs here! 

Bibliography: Snyder, Stephanie, Ian Crandell, Scott A. Davis, and Steven Feldman. "Medical Adherence to Acne Therapy: A Systematic Review." American Journal of Clinical Dermatology. 15.2 (2014): 87-94.

Battle of the Sexes: Guy-Versus Girl-Acne

Sure girls have it rough; between childbirth, periods, and cellulite, it seems that our sex got the short end of the biological stick.

But there is one exception: acne. Owing to higher concentrations of testosterone, young men tend to have more severe acne flare-ups during the teenage years than their female counterparts. What is it about testosterone that implicates it so strongly in the emergence of acne?

Testosterone works with the enzyme 5a reductase to create di-hydrotestosterone, which  stimulates the sebaceous glands. These glands then increase sebum production, which leads to oilier skin and a higher risk for blocked follicles. These clogged follicles become the progenitors of acne lesions.

Of course, girls aren't off the hook. Two-to-seven days preceding the menstrual cycle, women experience decreased estrogen and elevated progesterone levels, which often result in breakouts. There are treatments to mitigate these symptoms: oral contraceptives and vitamin A are two popular options. Perhaps menstrual breakouts are Mother Nature's way of balancing out the more severe testosterone-driven acne that afflicts young men!

GR8SKN products, however, are not gender-specific; they are formulated to treat guys and girls equally!

Buy yours here!

Turning Over a New...Cell?

You have probably heard those vomit-inducing statistics about shedding skin cells—how skin debris doubles the weight of your mattress, and how it composes most of the "dust" you see accumulating around your bedroom. Though I am no expert on skin debris stats, I can tell you something about the process that accounts for them: skin turnover.

Skin cells make their way up from the basal layer of the epidermis to the top layer—the stratum corneum—over a period of two weeks. Once they arrive at their destination, they should flake off within another two weeks, but sometimes this doesn't happen. When this fails to occur—when the surface cells stick together too well—the dead cells clog pores, preventing sebum (oil) from draining. The result? Pimples!

So how do you encourage a process that is invisible to the naked eye? For most skin types, regular cleansing with an appropriate, non-drying product will promote natural exfoliation. If your skin cells are especially sticky, however, you'll want to choose a cleanser with willow bark and fruit acids (Like CLEAN!) Additionally, mandelic acid, which comes from almonds, helps to dissolve those sticky bonds; you can find it on CLEAR'singredient list.

Of course, the ultimate key to turnover is vitamin A, which ensures that the bonds between cells are of the appropriate "stickiness" before they get to the surface.

The take-away for today?

Benzoyl peroxide-free at GR8SKN!

Get yours here!

Benzoyl peroxide: Derma-Friend or Foe?

Benzoyl peroxide: it might sound like a term from freshman chemistry, but I can almost guarantee that you have used it before. It may even be lurking in your medicine cabinet as you read this post. 

"BPO" is an ingredient in many—forget that, in most—anti-acne facial cleansers. So why the hype? What is it about Benzoyl peroxide that earns its prominence in the skincare world?

First, it promotes "skin turnover." By making your surface skin peel, Benzoyl peroxide allows new cells to replace the old ones. Additionally, it reduces bacteria counts, specifically the propionibacterium varieties, which are responsible for acne flare-ups.    

Ready to go stock up? Not so fast. Just because BPO is the current "go-to" ingredient doesn't mean it is without risks. For starters, that "turn-over" process can be quiet irritating, especially if you already have sensitive skin. It also increases sun-damage susceptibility and can raise your risk of hyper-pigmentation—those dreaded "brown spots." But the biggest problem with BPO is tolerance. After about a week of use, your skin becomes acclimated; you'll soon need higher doses of BPO to match that initial efficacy.  

Ok—so maybe tolerance isn't quite the "biggest" problem. Some studies link extended BPO usage with increased risk of skin cancer. However, many medical professionals privilege its acne-fighting benefits over this danger.

Our perspective? 

An A+ for Vitamin A!

Want to know the secret ingredient to great skin?

Maybe "magic" is the wrong word. There is nothing mysterious about Vitamin A, but that doesn't prevent it from providing all kinds of epidermal benefits. Operating on the level of DNA, Vitamin A reinvigorates damaged cells (hello sunburn!), to help your skin in countless ways. Here are a few benefits that interest me the most.

So how do you get some of this "secret ingredient"? No need to quest through the dense jungles of the Amazon to find it. Vitamin A is hiding in plain sight: try the produce section of your local grocery store. Cantaloupe, squash, carrots, and dark, leafy greens like kale all pack an "A+" dosage of this vitamin. 

Not into veggies? (Shame on you!) That's ok, too, because you can supplement Vitamin A externally--through the skincare products you choose. Read labels and look for ingredients like Retinyl Palmitate, Retinyl Acetate, Retinol and Retinal Aldehyde. These are all face-friendly forms of Vitamin A.

Don't know where to find reliable products? Try the GR8SKN line; we're a bunch of Vitamin A groupies.

Shop GR8SKN here!