Monday, May 28, 2007

Beauty IQ 2



Ready your printers as we move to part 2 of our Beauty IQ.

Glutathione
(Better thank Miss Jan for suggesting this ; )

“..Is a tripeptide molecule composed of glutamic acid, cysteine and glysine. It is one of the main nonprotein antioxidants in the cell, and has been reffered to as the body’s “master antioxidant.”

Glutathione is present in nearly all living cells, and without it they can’t survice. The major functions of glutathione in the body include protecting cells against destructive effects of free radicals; detoxifying external substances such as drugs, environmental pollutants and carcinogens; maintaining cell membrane stability; and amino acid transport..”

- Ward Dean, MD Click here to see the whole article.
In plain English, it simply states that Glutathione is 1. present in our bodies 2. Has an antioxidant effect (neutralizes free radicals much like what Vitamin C and E does, but a lot more powerful).

This comes in pill form (what is currently available on the market), and is marketed as a Skin Whitener. I’ve always been a firm believer in eating the right foods instead of stocking on supplements and eating poorly. As usual. Consult a physician before trying anything. I just don’t get it why people love to have paler complexions.. Dark skin is fabulous! You can get away with a lot of things (a little weight gain or cellulite is not as visible on tan skin), trust me.

Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate

Look on the label: d-alpha Tocopheryl Acetate (Natural) and dl-alpha Tocopheryl Acetate (synthetic). I repeat, d- Natural, dl synthetic. Why is this important? Natural Vitamin E is more readily absorbed by the body than synthetic Vitamin E. That’s why the price is comparatively higher.

I found a variety of uses for Vitamin E. For topical applications, use 400IU (I believe Myra E has a face cream that has Vitamin E). I break open a soft gel to: 1. Prevent scarring after popping a pimple 2. Moisturize intensively those sunburned areas (may feel a little sticky, but trust me its all better the next day- versus using ordinary lotions) 3. Getting your eyebrows to grow back after overzealous tweezing 4. You’ll love this- applied directly and patiently (and gently) at night to eyelashes makes them grow! I got that tip from a model’s Beauty Bible, a book I practically memorized in Powerbooks, yet never bought (P2,000? C’mon! I’ll just memorize it! The pages were practically dog-eared from my reading hihihi)

Pyrithione Zinc
Abbreviated as ZnP, is an antifungal agent best known for its use in treating dandruff. Look at the back of your Head & Shoulders, you’ll find it under active ingredients.

Aluminum Zirconium
No, this isn’t what your stainless steel sink is made of. It is actually an active ingredient in antiperspirants. Make sure you are not allergic, so try a variety of antiperspirants that does the job, and doesn’t cause irritation or darkening (yikes!).

Benzoyl Peroxide
There are a lot of brands, and different preparations- there are bars, facial wash, gels, etc. The best I’ve tried is Pan Oxyl. Always start with the lowest concentration so that there is less chance of irritation. The best pimple treatment ever. Period. Warning: Wash fingers after application because Benzol Peroxide bleaches fabrics. Sayang naman ang So-en mo LOL!

Tea Tree Oil
Is a clear to very pale golden color essential oil. It is taken from the leaves of the Melaleuca alternifolia. It is a potent antiseptic and is a known antifungal agent. The Body Shop has this range of Tea Tree Oil products you can try.

Zinc Oxide
Chemical formula ZnO. It is a primary ingredient in Sunblocks. It is less opaque than Titanium Dioxide, which means less Chin Chun Su effect (i.e. no white cast).

Retinyl Palmitate, Retinol
Vitamin A also is known as retinol. It is necessary for development and maintenance of normal skin, as well as other tissues and bones. It is consumed in the diet and stored in the liver. Retinol circulates from the liver to the skin and other tissues. Once in the tissues, retinol is converted to retinoic acid (same as Retin A & Renova). Retinoic acid is thought to be the retinoid having the biggest impact on new skin development. Many researchers agree that most retinoids can cause the skin epidermis to become thicker plumper and more youthful looking.

I trust you will now know the lingo and decipher the maze of active ingredients they put in your favorite face cream. Got any queries or suggestions for a topic? E-mail me or leave a comment ; )

4 comments:

Miss Bea said...

hello! stumbled on your site, love this blog hehe hindi galing write-up ng kung sino. hehe. just wanna ask what brand of vitamin E do you use?

Thad said...

@ miss bea: Squibb is a good brand, but Myra 400 E is turning out to be quite excellent for both oral and topical application.. It could get expensive though, so I usually just beg my folks to buy Natural Vit E supplements from the US- cheaper in the long run. Have a great day!

artlifebeauty said...

Hello,

I would like to know your comments about the product the sell at Mercury and Watsons, it is called "GLOWWW." Is it a whitening product or a Vitamin E product? What does it exactly do?

Also, is there a medicine that I could take to prevent pimples? Does Vitamin E help in preventing acne?

Thank you so much!

Anonymous said...

so the active ingredient of chin chun su is titanium oxide?

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