Over the years the demand for new products has given rise to much hype in the skin care industry. However, most of the claims made have been largely speculative with very few proven in clinical tests.
At Sacha it has always been our view that a skin care line should be simple, effective and easy to use. It should have as few ingredients as possible to reduce the possibility of skin irritation. Remember, an ingredient, which is beneficial to one person, could seriously irritate someone else’s skin. In reality, almost all ingredients have the potential to irritate your skin.
Believe it or not your skin is the largest organ of your body. It is a living organ which heals and renews itself constantly. It covers your entire body and consists of two clearly defined layers:
1. The epidermis is the superficial or outermost layer. In other words, this is the skin we can see and feel. It forms the protective covering. This layer contains no blood vessels but has small nerve endings and is made up of five layers of cells. The pigment called melanin is found in this layer. Melanin protects the sensitive cells beneath, from the harmful effects of the sun. The greater the exposure to sunlight the greater the production of melanin.
2. The dermis or the inner layer is located just under the epidermis. This layer is highly sensitive because it contains nerve endings. It also contains numerous blood vessels, lymph vessels, sweat glands, sebaceous glands and hair follicles. These are held together by collagen and elastin fibers, which together give the skin its strength and resilience.
by Kamla RegrelloEach hair follicle has a sebaceous gland, which produces sebum. Excess sebum makes your skin look and feel oily. If the neck of a sebaceous gland is clogged, sebum accumulates, giving rise to acne. A deficiency in the production of sebum produces dry skin.
Your teenage years could be your best time or your worst time depending on your hormonal activity. Generally, puberty is a bad time for your skin.
If you are spared the onslaught of acne and pimples usually associated with the teenage years, then more than likely your 20’s and 30’s should be trouble free.
During your 20’s your skin should look its best. It can however be adversely affected by allergies, hormonal imbalances, stress, and exposure to the elements.
In your 30’s your skin may begin to lose the bloom of youth. You may begin to see the appearance of dryness and fine lines. The skin tends to be more sensitive and extra special care is required during this period.
In your 40’s your hormone production slows and the skin begins to lose tone and elasticity, giving rise to wrinkles, creases and fine lines.While these changes occur naturally as you age, they can be minimized and controlled by properly caring for your skin. Cleansing, toning and moisturizing your skin twice daily can help you rejuvenate and revive your skin.
Now that you have a better understanding of your skin and how it works, I am sure you will appreciate that the time to begin your personal skin care routine is NOW!
by Kamla RegrelloToday’s women have the choice of several different brands and types of cleansers. To simplify matters, we group cleansers into two basic categories: “tissue-off” cleansers and “rinse-off” cleansers.
• Tissue-off cleansers which are normally referred to as “cream” or “milk” cleansers have a high oil content. It is these oils, which combine with and help to remove makeup, facial oils, and grime allowing them to be easily wiped away. “Tissue-off” cleansers are less drying and are more suitable for normal to dry skin types.
• Rinse-off cleansers are water-based and incorporate some type of detergent to help remove makeup and excess oils. This type of cleanser is recommended for women with oily or combination skin. It should be mild enough to gently and effectively cleanse your skin without drying. Gels, foaming cleansers and facial washes are normally referred to as “rinse-off” cleansers.
There are many misconceptions about the role of toners and astringents in a skin care routine. Firstly, they are an essential step in the skin care routine. They remove traces of makeup or residue that your cleanser misses, and “prepares” the skin for moisturizing.
The term toner, freshener or astringent is often used interchangeably. If you have normal, combination or oily skin use an astringent containing a low percentage of alcohol and skin soothers like allantoin. For normal to dry skin use an alcohol-free freshener with ingredients such as witch hazel and other natural extracts.
by Kamla RegrelloMoisturizers act as a protective barrier between your skin and the environment. Although your skin manufactures its own oils, it is usually removed during the process of cleansing. It is therefore necessary to replenish these natural oils.
A basic moisturizer should contain water and other ingredients that attract and trap moisture onto the skin. It should also contain emollients which nourish the skin.
A mere quarter of a century ago, it was not as important to wear a sunscreen as it is today. The ozone layer, which surrounds the earth, serves to deflect the harmful ultra-violet (UV) rays of the sun. Over the years this layer has steadily deteriorated, allowing through far more harmful UV rays.
Every day you are exposed to UV rays that damages your skin causing sunburn, skin diseases and premature aging. UVB rays cause sunburn especially in the summer while UVA rays are responsible for premature aging. These UV rays are present every day whether the sun is out or not.
We strongly advise that you wear a sunscreen all year round. Sunscreen is no longer a summer time practice. It must become a part of your daily routine.
Apply sunscreen 30 minutes before exposure to the sun, giving it time to penetrate your skin. Reapply every 3-4 hours as well as immediately after swimming or profuse sweating. A waterproof sunscreen generally stays on about 30 minutes in water.
Sacha’s Daily Moisturizers with SPF 15 sun protection provide both UVA and UVB sun protection. Please bear in mind that a higher SPF does not necessarily mean better protection, but longer protection. An SPF 15 product for instance, will provide you with 95% protection while an SPF 50 product will give you 98% protection. The difference is negligable.
Sacha’s Daily Moisturizer can be used alone or as an “under makeup” base. Moisturizers with a higher SPF factor tend to be too oily. Makeup worn over an oily base has a tendency to become discolored.
by Kamla RegrelloAt the end of the day your skin needs to rejuvenate. At bedtime use a moisturizer that is rich in emollients and which contains ingredients that are designed to hydrate and revitalize your skin while you sleep. Sacha’s Overnight Moisture Lotion contains Babassu Oil, a super-rich emollient, which reduces fine lines and helps control the signs of aging.
Hydroxy acids are natural ingredients, which gently lift and remove dead cells from your skin. These mild acids are natural exfoliants which increase cell turn over and improve skin texture.
There are two basic types of these natural exfoliants:• Alpha hydroxy acids have a “drop off” rate which means that it will only work when there are dead cells to exfoliate.
• Beta hydroxy acids do not have a “drop off” rate and will continue to exfoliate even after the point when the dead cells have been removed. They therefore have a greater potential to irritate the skin.
As often as required, use a night treatment which contains natural exfoliants to remove the dead cells. Sacha’s Overnight Renewal Lotion contains 5% alpha hydroxy acids to gently exfoliate your skin while you sleep. Allantoin contained in this product helps to reduce irritation.
Though abrasive physical facial scrubs are widely used for exfoliation, they have a reputation of irritating the skin. A product containing alpha hydroxy acid is a wiser choice.
The Sacha chemists have cut out all the hoopla and have developed a skin care regime that is simple and very effective. To learn more about our Sacha skin care line, please visit us at:
http://www.sachacosmetics.com/skincare.htm
At Sacha we have taken a firm position against manufacturing any product designed to lighten your natural skin color. The potential damaging effects of skin lighteners, in our view, far outweigh the perceived benefits.
Bleaching creams as they are commonly called, generally contain hydroquinone which can cause irreparable damage to your skin. Prolonged use inhibits the production of melanin, a natural pigment which protects the skin from all the damaging effects of the sun. It also causes the skin to look transparent as it becomes “thin”.
After discontinuation of use of these products, the skin continues to lighten, sometimes for several years, with no sign of stopping. Dark spots often become very light spots. Prolonged use can also cause your skin to become red, blotchy and blistered.
We strongly advise against using skin lighteners, especially those containing over 5% hydroquinone. We recommend instead that you use a sunscreen during the day containing at least SPF 15 sun protection and an alpha hydroxy exfoliant at nights. This is in our view, a far safer approach.
by Kamla RegrelloThis is a term used to describe ingredients, which have the potential to clog pores and cause acne. Always bear in mind that acne has been proven to be hereditary and can be influenced by stress, hormonal fluctuations, medications and most certainly by excessive exposure to sunlight.
Some women have the pre-conceived notion that foundations clog pores. This is simply not true. Unlike in the past, manufacturers today have a host of substitutes for any ingredient that is suspected to be comedogenic or has the potential to clog the pores.
Having said that, for your information, the following are a list of suspect ingredients:• Acetylated Lanolin
• Acetylated Lanolin Alcohol
• Algin
• Carrageenan
• Cetearyl Alcohol and Ceteareth 20
• Cocoa Butter
• Coconut Butter
• Coconul Oil
• • Sulfosuccinate
• Ethylhexyl Palmitate
• Glyceryl-3-Diisosterate
• Hexadecyl Alcohol
• Isocetyl Stearate
• Isodecyl Oleate
• Isopropyl Isostearate
• Isopropyl Myristate
• Isopropyl Palmitate
• Isostearyl Isostearate
• Laureth
• Lauric Acid
• Myristyl Lactate
• Myristyl Myristate
• Octyl Palmitate
• Octyl Stearate
• Oleth-3
• Oleyl Alcohol
• PEG-16 Lanolin
• PG 2 Myristyl Propionate
• Polyglyceryl-3-Diisosteatate
• Potassium Chloride
• Propylene Glycol Monostearate
• Red Algae
• Sodium Chloride
• Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
• Sorbitan Sesquinoleate
• Soulan 16
• Steareth 10
• Stearyl Heptanonate
• Wheat Germ Oil
• Xylene