Hormones:
Most of us suffer from acne during puberty when our body begins to produce hormones called androgens.  These hormones over-stimulate the sebaceous glands, which release an oily lipid secretion.  The secretion is stimulated by adrenal glands and gonads.

Sebum Production:
Sebaceous glands secrete sebum which is a lipid product made up of triacylglycerides, cholesterol, proteins and electrolytes.  Because of the overstimulation of the sebaceous glands by androgens, there is an excessive production of sebum.  As the sebum travels up the follicle and onto the skin surface, it mixes with bacteria and dead skin cells.  This extra production of sebum clogs up the follicles, causing acne.  During adolescent years, the sebum production is at its peak and usually decreases after twenty years.

Bacteria:
On our skin surface lays the bacteria Propionibacterium acne, which maintain the sebum production system.  However, when follicles are plugged, the bacteria quickly multiply, causing inflammation.  These bacteria use sebum as a nutrient for growth; the increase in sebum production allows the bacteria to rapidly increase in number as they have the necessary nutrients for growth.  Through chemotaxis or inflammatory response, the body sends white blood cells to attack the exceeding number of Propionibacterium acne.  As a result, the pimples tend to become red, swollen, and sometimes even painful.  There is also an accumulation of pus as the white blood cells hydrolyze free fatty acids in the follicles.

Follicular Obstruction:
In people with acne, sticky squamous epithelium lines the follicle.  In most people, dead cells from the follicle are shed away as they move to the skin’s surface.  However, in people with acne and increased sebum production, these dead cells are not shed away properly and become adhesive to the follicles.  Sometimes, these cells are shed away at a quicker rate, creating a mixture of sebum and dead skin cells.  This results in the obstruction of follicles and thwarts the skin from naturally renewing itself.

Genetics:
Sometimes the cause of acne is due to the genetic factors or traits we have inherited from our parents.  Researchers have not yet discovered the specific genetic factor that affects acne.

The Process of Hair Pigmentation

Process of Hair Pigmentation

Like our skin, hair get’s its natural pigment from the formation of melanin.  Melanin consists of cells known at melanocytes that position themselves at the openings of hair follicles on the skin’s surface in order to inject themselves into the keratin that our hair is composed of.  Now hair has two types of melanin pigments, a darker brownish pigment known as eumelanin and phaeomelanin, a lighter yellow pigment.  The combination of these two results in the wide array of hair colors.

Throughout the growth of your hair melanocytes continue to pass pigment to keratinocytes, the primary protein substance in hair and nails.  The combination and continual injection of melanocytes leads to different pigments in hair.

So, Why does it Gray?

Pigment production is a complex process and varies depending on genetic factors, one being the Mc1R gene.  The gene is known to have some control associated with the red pigment in human hair and a few other species.  So now what does that have to do with gray hair?

Many families studied have had members with graying hair at early ages, some even as early as their 20’s, clearly proving that genetics plays an important role in determining your hair’s health.  Researchers believe that ethnicity and stress can also be key factors in the production of melonacytes.  Stress harmones may impact the activity and growth of melanocytes, however, a clear link has not yet been found between stress and graying hair.

“Graying could be a result of chronic free radical damage,” says Ralf Paus, professor of dermatology at the University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein in Lübeck, Germany. Stress hormones produced either systemically or …could produce inflammation that drives the production of free radicals—unstable molecules that damage cells—and “it is possible that these free radicals could influence melanin production or induce bleaching of melanin,” Paus says. “There is evidence that local expression of stress hormones mediate the signals instructing melanocytes to deliver melanin to keratinocytes,” notes Jennifer Lin, a dermatologist who conducts molecular biology research at the Dana-Farber / Harvard Cancer Center in Boston.

Another research group suggests that the graying of hair occurs due to a chemical chain reaction caused by a drop in the levels of catalase.  Less catalase means that the hydrogen peroxide in our hair cannot be broken down leading to an eventual build up that bleachers our hair from inside out.  The study hopes to aid in the development of new “anti-graying” products.

Hopefully that answers some of your questions, but a ‘true’ link to the graying of hair has not been clearly defined yet.

Enjoy and feel free to share your own!!

Banana Mask

• 1 ripe banana
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 orange or lemon
• Add a few drops of orange or lemon to a mixture of banana and honey.  Mix and apply to face.  Leave on for 15 minutes and rinse.

Clay Mask

• 1 tablespoon green clay
• 3 drops of essential palmarosa oil
• 1 teaspoon apricot kernel oil
• Mix all the ingredients together and add water if needed.  Apply the mask and leave it on for 10 minutes.  Rinse off with warm water.

Milk of Magnesia Mask

• 1 bottle of flavorless Milk of Magnesia
• Apply the Milk of Magnesia to face and rinse after 10-15 minutes.

Apply Mask

• One peeled apple
• 3 tablespoons of honey
• Slice the apple and blend it together with the honey.  Apply to face and rinse with warm water after 10-15 minutes.

Cucumber Mask

• ½ cucumber
• 1 egg white
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon mint
• Mix all the ingredients and refrigerate for 10 minutes.  Apply to face and leave it on for 15 minutes.  Rinse first with warm water and then cool water for a fresh feeling.

Strawberry Mask

• Four ripe strawberries
• 1 teaspoon plain yogurt
• Smash the strawberries with a spoon or a fork and mix it with the plain yogurt.  Apply the mask to face and rinse off with lukewarm water after 10-15 minutes.

Oatmeal Mask

• 1 cup oatmeal
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon yogurt
• In a blender, mix all the ingredients listed above.  Apply the paste to face and rinse off with warm water after 10-15 minutes.

Mixed Mask

• 1 boiled potato
• 1 tomato
• Few slices of papaya
• Cucumber
• Blend all the ingredients together to create a paste.  Apply the mask and rinse off after 10-15 minutes.

Juice Mask

• Tomato juice
• Cucumber juice
• Lemon juice
• Calamine powder or gram flour
• Using the ingredients listed above create a paste.  Apply it to face and rinse off with warm water once the mask is dry.

Carrot Mask

• Carrot
• Lemon Juice
• Blend the carrots and lemon juice to create a paste.  Apply it to skin and rinse off after 10-15 minutes.

Masks for Normal Skin:

Apple Face Mask

1. 1 Apple
2. 2 Tsp Honey
3. Blend these ingredients together to create a smooth paste.  Apply the mask to your face and leave it on for 20 minutes.  Follow with rinsing and moisturizing.

Olive Oil and Egg Face Mask

1. 2-3 teaspoons of bran
2. 1 teaspoon olive oil
3. 1 egg yolk
4. Mix these items together and apply it to your face.  Rinse after 15-20 minutes.

Strawberry Mask

1. ½ cup ripe strawberries
2. ¼ cup cornstarch
3. Mix the cornstarch and strawberries and apply the paste to your face.  Avoid the eye area as strawberries can be quiet acidic.  Leave it on for about 30 minutes and rinse with cool water.  This will help you freshen up and vitalize your face.

Peach Mask

1. 1 peach
2. 1 tablespoon honey
3. 1 tablespoon oatmeal
4. Cook the peach until it is soft and then crush it with a spoon.  Then add in honey and oatmeal until it the paste is thick and consistence.  Apply the mask for 10 minutes and rinse off with cool water.

Clay Mask

In a bowl, mix together clay, cornflower, oats, one beaten egg white and floral water (rosewater is great for the skin).  Then add a drop of geranium oil and a drop of neroli oil.  Mix the paste together and apply it to the face.  Keep the mask on until it dries off and then carefully rinse it.

Papaya and Honey Mask

1. 2 tablespoons of honey
2. Half a cup of ripe, mashed papaya
3. Blend the ingredients together and apply it to the face.  Rinse it off after twenty minutes.

Carrot & Parsley Mask

1. ¼ cup of fresh carrot juice
2. 1 teaspoon fresh parsley
3. ¼ cup of white clay
4. Mix the ingredients together and apply the creamy mask on your clean skin.  Allow the mask to sit for 20 minutes.  First rinse off with warm water and then with cool water.  The mask can be stored up to 1 week in the refrigerator.

Cucumber Mask

1. 1 small cucumber
2. 1 cup of oatmeal
3. Mix the listed ingredients and apply the mask to your face.  Leave it on for 30 minutes, followed by rinsing.

Turmeric Mask

1. Half a cup of besan (gram flour)
2. 2 teaspoons of turmeric powder
3. 2 teaspoons of sandal wood powder
4. 2 teaspoons of almond oil
5. Mix the ingredients together and add some oil to make a paste.  Apply the paste and leave it on for 5-10 minutes.

Buttery Strawberry Mask

1. 1 tablespoon softened, unsalted butter
2. 1 large mashed strawberry
3. Mi the ingredients together (in a blender if you wish) and apply it to the face.  Allow the mask to sit in for 10 minutes and wash your face with lukewarm water.

Banana Mask

1. ¼ mashed banana
2. Apply the creamy banana mask onto your face and leave it for 15-20 minutes.  Rinse with cold water to close the pores.

Multani (Gypsum) Mitti

Add water to the multani mitti to make a paste.  Apply it to your face or body and rinse off when it’s dry.

Marie Antoinette Mask

1. 1 egg
2. 1 lemon (juice)
3. 4 tablespoons of non-fat dry milk powder
4. 1 tablespoon of witch hazel
5. Mix all the ingredients together with a blender.  Apply the mask to your face, chest, and neck and allow it to sit for 15-20 minutes.  Rinse off with lukewarm water.

Mustard-Rose Petal Mask

1. ½ cup of mustard
2. 2 liters of water
3. Some rose petals
4. Grind ½ cup of mustard in two liters of water.  Using some rose petals, make a paste out of the mixture.  Apply it to the face and rinse it off after 30 minutes.

Exfoliating Mask

1. 3 tablespoons olive oil
2. 1 tablespoon kosher salt mix
3. Mix the olive oil and kosher salt mix.  Gently rub the mixture onto the skin and avoid using it around the eye area.  Rinse off after gentle massaging.  This is also a great mask for elbows and feet.

Grape Cleanser

Cut a grape in half and rub the pulp over your face and neck.  Rinse off with cool water.

Cucumber-Sugar Mask

1. 1 mashed cucumber
2. Strain water
3. 1 tablespoon of sugar
4. Properly mix these ingredients and apply it to the face.  Leave it on for 10 minutes and rinse off with cold water.  You can refrigerate the mask.

Enjoy the ‘recipes’ and feel free to share any of yours by commenting below!!!

Causes of Dark Circles under Eyes:

Heredity: Try scheduling a blood test in order to establish whether dark circles run in your family.  Frequently, dark circles are linked to a hereditary trait.  However, this does not mean that your efforts at removing them will be completely unsuccessful.  Many times dark circles are also caused by carbon deposits, which are a result of unfinished protein digestion.  Lack of B6 and Folic Acid can result in insufficient production of hydrochloric acid, leading to incomplete protein digestion.  About 30% of the population does not receive enough B6 or folic acid.

Iron Deficiency Anemia: Iron deficiency anemia is a type of condition in which the blood lacks healthy red blood cells.  This condition may leave a person weak and pale, causing dark circles to become more apparent.

Allergies: Allergies to airborne substances such as pollen, dust, pet dancer can cause dark circles since people are constantly itching and rubbing their eyes.  Seasonal allergies such as hay fever might also cause dark circles, especially at the height of the season.  If the dark circles and puffiness appear regularly, then you might be allergic to some time of food or chemicals.  B6, folic acid, and B12 deficiencies are occasional in people with allergies.

Fatigue: No one truly knows exactly why inadequate sleep causes dark circles under eyes.  However, it is commonly believed that lack of sleep tends to cause our skin to become paler, thus causing our blood vessels to become more apparent.  This results in an appearance of bluish-greenish skin or dark circles.  Excess consumption of drugs or alcohol leads to a lack of proper rest, thereby causing dark circles to appear.

Sun Exposure: Exposure to sun causes your body to produce more melanin, darkening the skin under your eyes.

Fluid Retention: Consumption of dietary salt or smoking can cause the blood vessel under the eyes to engorge, resulting in dark circles.  Conditions such as heart, thyroid, kidney and liver diseases, and certain medications can cause fluid retention and blood vessel dilation, leading to dark circles.

Aging: As you age, your skin tends to become thinner and translucent as it loses collagen.  This thinning of the skin can cause the blood vessels to become more noticeable, resulting in dark circles. Sun damage can also weaken the skin.

Treatment:

Many common remedies can help diminish the appearance of dark circles and prevent them from worsening.

• Apply cool tea bags, cucumber slices or ice cubes (in soft cloth) to your eyes daily.  This will help remove discoloration and puffiness by refreshing the skin around the eyes.
• Apply creams that contain vitamin K or retinol, two ingredients that help combat discoloration and puffiness in most patients.
• Avoid rubbing your eyes as it can break the capillaries under the skin.
• Eat a balanced diet, drink plenty of water, and take regular vitamins.
• Reduce dietary salt intake.
• Quit smoking, excessive alcohol consumption and drugs.
• Apply a slice of raw potato under the eyes.
• Wear sunscreen with SPF 30, especially under the eyes.
• Get plenty of rest.  Most of us need 7-9 hours of sleep.
• Consume enough vitamin C as it helps strengthen blood vessel walls.
• Make sure you consume enough B6 and folic acid.  If not, take regular supplements.
• Try visiting a dermatologist to figure out what exactly is causing the problem.
• If nothing works, use a concealer to hide the dark circles.  Try using a peach-colored concealer, not white or gray.

Prevent teeth staining:

1. Always remember to brush and floss regularly to prevent further staining.  Also, try using whitening toothpaste that are approved by American Dental Association.
2. Give up coffee and you begin to see the difference in just weeks.
3. Higher-fiber and whole foods also act as natural teeth cleansers.
4. Reduce the amount of acidic foods, citrus fruits, sports/energy drinks, sodas, vinegar, red wine, berries, soy sauce, coffee, and tea.
5. Visit your dentist twice a year in order to maintain healthy teeth.

How to whiten teeth?

1. Crush one strawberry and mix it with ½ teaspoon of baking soda.  Using a soft toothbrush spread it over your teeth and leave it on for 5 minutes.  Brush thoroughly using toothpaste to remove the mix and rinse.  Use this treatment weekly or monthly. .  Do not use it more than once a week.
2. Make a paste using two-three teaspoons of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda.  Add some mint or toothpaste for flavor.  Gently brush your teeth with mixture for at least two minutes. Brush again with regular toothpaste to remove the taste of hydrogen peroxide.  DO NOT SWALLOW THE PASTE.  Use this treatment weekly or monthly.  Do not use it more than once a week.
3. Try getting regular dental cleanings as they help remove most stains left behind by food, tobacco, and only certain chemicals/drugs.
4. Brush more often or after every meal to remove food particles that can worsen your teeth.
5. Eat foods that naturally whiten teeth.  Chewing certain fruits/vegetables can help salivary flow and can scrub away stubborn stains.  Some of these fruits/vegetables are apples, pears, guavas, carrots, cauliflower, and cucumbers.
6. Eating green vegetables such as broccoli, lettuce and spinach can prevent stains as they create a film barrier on teeth.  They can also help remove tough stains over time.
7. There are many at-home bleaching treatments.  Visit your local drug store to find out more.  Some of the most common treatments are whitening strips.
8. Another common at home treatment requires one to wear a mouth guard contain bleaching gel, at least two hours a day for two weeks or depending upon how severe the stains are.
9. Get your teeth professionally bleached.  New techniques have been quickly emerging due to revolutionizing technology.  Ask your dentist what he/she recommends.
10. A common in-office treatment coats one’s teeth with bleaching agent while periodic flashes of light are used to activate the solution.  This treatment takes about 30 to 60 minutes and might require several appointments.
11. A common, yet expensive treatment is to get veneers that are custom build and attached to teeth with resins.  It often requires removing small amount of tooth structure, making it most invasive and expensive.

USE SUNBLOCK
With the field of dermatology quickly evolving, new cosmetic treatments are constantly arriving in the market to help with an array of problems.  However, before you start begin treating existing spots, you must first take steps to prevent any future damage to your skin. The best way to do this is, you guessed it right, by using sunscreen daily. We may have heard that advice from millions of different sources, yet we still refuse to wear sunscreen. Don’t be lazy. It’s just one more step after moisturizing and will not take more than 10 seconds of your time.  Sunblock prevents your skin and pre-existing spots from getting darker while also blocking UV rays that can cause cancer. You can even find moisturizers which have an SPF of 15 or higher and apply them in morning right after washing your face. If you have acne, you should consider using an acne repairing lotion beneath the SPF moisturizer.

Promote healthy eating habits
Like most conditions, your diet has a great impact on your skin.  Eating a diet rich in orange vegetables and fruits including carrots, tangerines, and yams can prove to be beneficial for your skin in the long run.  Leafy vegetables, vitamin A, and carotene are rich in antioxidants that help skin become resistant against ultraviolet rays, which in turn can help prevent against the development of future dark spots.

EXFOLIATE/DERMABRASION
Exfoliation is the most important stage when it comes to lightening skin or dark spots as it will help scrub away dead cells and encouraging skin cell turnover. It helps remove the dry, outer layer of skin and reveals the fresh, vitalizing skin beneath, reviving your looks. Exfoliation is essential because as you grow older, the natural process of skin renewal becomes irregular, making the skin appear dry and rough.

There are many methods of exfoliation such as chemical peels, masks, dermabrasion, and the less common home remedies. These products can be found at any local drug store. Olay Regenerist products especially the MicroDermabrasion & Peel In One System are great for your skin. You should be on a lookout for scrubs that have salicylic acid, glycolic acid, alpha hydroxyl acids, beta hydroxyl acids, hydroquinone, vitamin A, and Retin-A, an acid form of vitamin A most commonly use to combat aging. If you are looking for a specific treatment and are willing to spend a rather larger sum of money, then Mederma skin care has received great reviews. Another cost effective and great product to remove acne marks is the Neutrogena Acne Mark Fading Peel.

Chemical peels, on the other hand, are a bit more effective than dermabrasion as they work deeper into the skin. The peel works by not only speeding up the skin cell turnover rate, but also by freeing the connections between surface cells. The damage done by spots, especially age spots, is much deeper into the skin, making the peel highly effectual. The chemical peel also helps rejuvenate the surface skin, boost collagen production and soften wrinkles, improving the overall look and skin tone.

Although dermabrasion and chemical peels are great methods to remove dark spots, home remedies are much gentler, cost effective and easy to use at your own time and privacy. The most common home remedy to remove dark spots is applying lemon juice to the skin, leaving it on for ten minutes and then rinsing. However, there are other lightening agents such as vitamin C, soy, arbutin, mulberry roots, licorice extract, turmeric powder, honey, mint leaves and etc.

Treatment: LASER RESURFACING
If you are willing to pay the price to have youthful and refreshing skin, then laser resurfacing is to an extent the best treatment for spots. It not only removes spots but can minimize the appearance of scars, lines, wrinkles, and hyper pigmentation. The treatment targets the spots at much more depth compared to chemical peels and dermabrasion which only remove a thin layer of skin. Depending upon how deep the damage is, you may possibly have to go back for two or more sessions. During the process, you may receive general anesthesia but the recovery time is pretty quick ranging from few minutes to hours. Also, the great thing about laser resurfacing is that there is no discomfort, scaring, bleeding or bruising compared to many other cosmetic surgeries. Laser resurfacing will remove the old layer of skin, revealing the new fresh and youthful skin.

These are just a few of the many tips you can apply to your lifestyle for cleaner and younger looking skin.  If you have any tips of your own or questions feel free to share!  I always look forward to your comments!

1. Apply fresh lemon juice to skin and leave it on for 10 minutes. Rinse of with lukewarm water or cold water for a refreshing feeling. The acid will help remove the top layer of the skin and lighten the spots.
2. Try rubbing a sliced red onion on the spots as it has a similar effect to the lemon juice.
3. You could also make your own masks using apricots, cucumbers, strawberries or red currants.
4. Slightly heat up honey. Then apply it to the spots and make sure it is not too hot for the skin before applying it. Then rinse it off with warm water.
5. Horseradish juice/vinegar/oatmeal can help lighten freckles.
6. Mix equal amounts of parsley juice, lemon juice, orange juice and red currant juice to help reduce the appearance of dark spots.
7. Applying vitamin E or olive oil before going to bed can do wonders for your skin as it has been known to reduce spots. You can also rub castor oil onto the spots and take vitamin E pills orally.
8. Dab some buttermilk on the spots as the lactic acid will help clear up your skin. Buttermilk has been used as a skin cleanser and for other beauty purposes for centuries.
9. You can also use baking soda for at home exfoliation. You can give yourself an at home microdermabrasion treatment by mixing one teaspoon of baking soda with two teaspoons of filtered water. Then gently rub the mixture only the scar for sixty second.
10. In order to improve the appearance of your skin, you can follow these acidic treatments with massaging a pea-sized amount of olive oil onto the face. It will help moisturize and soften the skin.
11. Another great mask can be made by mixing turmeric powder, warm milk and gram/besan flour. Apply the mixture to face and leave it on for a bit (follow by rinsing).
12. Adding rosewater to a mask can also help brighten your face and make your skin smoother.