THE 7 AMAZING BENEFITS OF AFRICAN BAOBAB TO THE SKIN
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ACMELLA OLERACEA EXTRACT: A NATURAL ANTI-WRINKLE, ANTI-AGING ALTERNATIVEThe beauty industry introduces so many treatments, creams, and serums to combat the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and to ultimately, delay aging. Who doesn't want to reduce wrinkles and delay aging anyway? Some people would even go for Botox: the drug most doctors use to treat wrinkles and side creases. However, Botox has several side effects including chronic migraines, uncontrollable blinking, and even overactive bladder.
Knowing the side effects of Botox injections, people would have second thoughts to undergo the procedure and would want to go the natural way. For people who opt to do it the natural way, there’s good news! A wonder product, Acmella Oleracea extract is a natural way to reduce wrinkles and delay the signs of aging. A product taking over the organic cosmetic community is Acmella Oleracea extract. According to clinical studies, the Acmella extract is now considered a natural alternative to Botox and can serve as an anti-wrinkle, anti-aging product. Plants and their extracts play a critical role in modern health care as they symbolize the long history of use and safe application for humans and sustainable extraction from the environment (Joseph & George, 2013). Cosmetic companies, such as FirstBase Skincare, are returning to the fundamentals of health science and seeking clean, organic products for a holistic approach to skincare. FirstBase believes that it is better to use herbal products for medicinal purposes (for humans and the environment) rather than use the hard to pronounce, harmful synthetics being produced in labs. WHAT IS ACMELLA OLERACEA EXTRACT? The extract is from the Acmella flower buds of the Acmella oleracea plant. Acmella oleracea, also called Paracress or Jambu, family Asteraceae, is an annual herb plant that is native to Brazil’s tropics (Sahu et al, 2011, 1105). However, the plant and its plant species are distributed widely across tropical and subtropical regions in the Americas, North Australia, Africa, India, Borneo, and Malaya (1106). WHAT ARE THE USES OF ACMELLA OLERACEA? ANALGESIC, ANTI-INFLAMMATORY, ANTIMICROBIAL PROPERTIES Acmella Oleracea has a long history of medicinal use for: scurvy, scabies, pain for its analgesic activity, and its anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant activity (1105-1106). ORAL CARE AND ANESTHETIC ACTIVITY As seen in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology, the plant extract has a strong correlation to anesthetic and numbing effects and can be used as a mucoadhesive film containing crude extract of jambu treated with activated carbon is a potential alternative for oral, topical use, encouraging future clinical studies. The plant is traditionally known as the toothache plant and has been coveted for its numbing effect with toothaches, swelling, gum infections, and mouthwashes (1105). Currently, it is added to toothpaste and is an oral analgesic in gels (Barbosa, Carvalho, Smith, & Sabaa-Srur, 2016, 128). TREATS SKIN DISEASES Acmella Oleracea has been used to treat skin diseases such as ringworm, athletes’ foot, and nail infections (Sahu et al, 2011,1106). OTHER USES One of the more influential uses of the plant is its ability as an insecticide to kill mosquitoes that spread malaria and dengue fever. (128). It is also used as a spice in Brazilian dishes, as its leaves and acmella flowers are popular for their pungency, tingling, numbing, and mouth-watering sensory properties (128). HOW CAN ACMELLA OLERACEA IMPROVE YOUR SKIN? Acmella Oleracea Extract has Anti-Wrinkle and Anti-Aging Properties A more recent discovery that the plant extract has a strong correlation to fight wrinkles and delay the signs of aging. The Acmella oleracea plant extract can be a substitute for Botox in anti-wrinkle and anti-aging products (Demarne & Passaro, 2009). Acmella Oleracea extract contains Spilanthol, which is an active antiseptic alkaloid that is extracted from the plant (Sahu et al, 2011, 1106). The active compound, Spilanthol acts as a natural alternative to Botox because of its botulinum toxin-like action of stopping the subcutaneous muscles, especially those in the face, from contracting (Demarne & Passaro, 2009). The bioactive compound Spilanthol (C14H23NO) which is found in Acmella Oleracea, Source: Barbosa, Carvalho, Smith, & Sabaa-Srur, 2016 In other words, it can relax facial muscles and muscle tension to help quicken the repair of functional wrinkles, resulting in smoother, less wrinkled skin. The Acmella Oleracea extract can be added to serums or creams to “stimulate, reorganize, and reinforce the collagen network”, which also helps to firm and tighten the dermis (skin) (Joseph & George, 2013, 2785). Other benefits of the Acmella Oleracea extract are its to ability to treat skin diseases such as swimmer’s eczema (Barbosa, Carvalho, Smith, & Sabaa-Srur, 2016, 131). ACMELLA OLERACEA: THE FUTURE OF SKINCARE The skincare industry has always been improving and there seems to be a new product introduced. People would always look for ways to delay the signs of aging in one way or another and the acmella oleracea extract is definitely a good skincare ingredient to watch out for. Speaking of Chemistry, our skin is considered organic and it is best to apply organic products to it as well. Although chemicals made in the lab are not necessarily bad, there are certain side effects we can't deny. Choosing plant-based ingredients like the Acmella oleracea extract can do wonders to the skin especially when you want to reduce fine lines and wrinkles. The good news, this has been proven by multiple clinical studies. HOW CAN FIRSTBASE’S DOUBLE DOSE VITAMIN C SERUM HELP IMPROVE YOUR SKIN? FirstBase integrated the Acmella Oleracea Extract in our Vitamin C Serum to provide clients with a product that has rich Botox-like assets and antioxidant properties. The extract helps smoothen wrinkles and fine lines—especially expression wrinkles. In addition, this serum will help protect skin from external aggression and damage caused by drying and dehydration, to ultimately help delay signs of aging. HOW TO FIX CONGESTED SKINWe all want flawless skin, but this is often easier said than done when you suffer from congestion. In order to return balance to your skin, it’s important to get to the root of the problem and take the time to know your skin better. With these simple tips you’ll be on your way to flawless in no time!
What is congested skin? How to fix congested skin isn't just one thing, its a combination of things. If your skin is congested, you might notice bumps underneath the skin, blackheads, whiteheads and an overall dull appearance. These can be caused by a combination of oil, dead skin cells, tiny hairs, dirt, debris at the surface, and sometimes bacteria. There are several other factors that cause skin congestion to occur as well. Such as overactive sebaceous glands, hormonal fluctuations, an unhealthy diet, the lack of a regular skincare routine, using incorrect skincare products and so on. How do you fix congested skin? The best place to start is clean the surface of your skin and unclog your pores with a strict cleansing routine, regular exfoliation, hydration and using non-comedogenic products. If you can be consistent with this you’ll be well on your way to glowing skin. It is important to note that dehydration can lead to further issues that result in skin congestion, so it’s important to keep the skin well hydrated. Products formulated with retinol and other topical forms of vitamin A can also help fight against congestion by increasing cell turnover and preventing the skin’s opportunity to congest. Vitamin A can also reduce sebaceous gland secretions (oil production), which also help in the reduction of congestion. Overall, work with your skin rather than fighting against it. Supporting the natural skin barrier, by reinforcing it with antioxidants, hydrating and soothing ingredients can protect the skin from damage by pollution, bacteria and outside aggressors. HOW CAN I TELL IF I HAVE CONGESTED SKIN? A way to do it is to do a little finger check. All you have to do is to run your finger across your skin – does it feel bumpy and rough? Next, look at your skin in a well-lit mirror. Take a look at your nose and chin as these are commonly the most congested areas of the skin. Do they look dull? Can you see bumps, acne and small blackheads? If you just checked yes to all of those questions, your unlucky stars say you are experiencing skin congestion. WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF CONGESTED SKIN? Overproduction of oil in the sebaceous glands is the main culprit of congested skin. However, there are other factors why you are facing this skin problem. The key on how to fix congested skin is to understand the causes to properly care and choose the right skincare products for overall skin health. HORMONAL FLUCTUATIONS Hormones affect how the sebaceous glands behave. For women, the monthly menstrual cycle increases the production of sebum, the skin's natural oil. The same can be said to men. When testosterone is released excessively, it increases the amount of oil produced by the sebaceous glands which lead to acne breakouts. Acne found in the nose, chin, and forehead areas of the face is mostly caused by hormonal changes. UNHEALTHY DIET Diet greatly affects how our skin looks. Numerous health studies claim that healthier skin is linked to healthy, well-balanced meals. The junk food we consume can make our skin feel like trash as well. Fatty foods, sugary drinks, and alcohol can trigger acne, and it's best to consume those in moderation. LACK OF A REGULAR SKINCARE ROUTINE Minimal to no skincare routine at all can do damage to the skin without us even knowing it. The everyday material we face can penetrate to the pores, thereby causing blackheads, whiteheads, or worse, acne. Practicing a regular skincare routine can make a lot of difference. USING INCORRECT SKINCARE PRODUCTS If you already have a skincare routine, chances are you already experienced bad products. Some of these products are toxic to the skin and can potentially cause breakouts. Choose dermatologist-approved skin care products that suits your skin type. WHAT TO AVOID WHEN YOU HAVE CONGESTED SKIN Dermatologist Emma Hobson, Education Manager for the International Dermal Institute and Dermalogica shares some things to avoid when you have congested skin. Here are some of her tips:
Simple steps to an even skin tone.What is uneven skin tone? Skin tone is characterized by the amount of the pigment produced by your skin. When some parts of your face start producing more melanin (a natural skin pigment) the skin color will start to vary. This means that areas such as, around your eyes and mouth can look darker than the rest of your face. What can cause uneven skin tone? There can be many things to contribute to uneven skin tone. Some of the major causes are things such as:
Experts have emphasized the importance of exfoliating daily. Exfoliating removes dead skin cells from your skin, dirt, makeup residue and excess oils. The academy of Dermatology reports that exfoliation can leave your skin looking brighter and even enhance how well your topical skin care products work by improving absorption. Dead skin cells that are built up can clog your pores and lead to breakouts, which in turn can change the evenness of your skin tone. Use an exfoliant that is mild and is gentle on your skin followed with a good moisturizer. 2. Use a Sunscreen Sun is the number one culprit for uneven skin tone. The sun penetrates through windows, doors and all around us throughout the day. The sun can cause dark spots which can lead to cancer if left untreated. Hyperpigmentation is also common when not using sunscreen. Dermatologists suggest that in order to get an even skin tone, using sunscreen daily is crucial. Sunscreens with UV protectants can be found in moisturisers and sprays. 3. Use topical Antioxidants Antioxidants fight oxidative damage in your skin, which is responsible for age spots, sun spots and creating uneven skin tone. This can be described as a chemical burning of the skin caused by free radicals. Free radicals are formed when molecules in our skin lose electrons. Antioxidants help an electron stabilize free radicals and prevent skin from damage. Some antioxidants that will help to even skin tone include Vitamin C, Retinol (Vitamin A), Vitamin E, Coenzyme Q10, Flavonoids, Niacinamide and Polyphenols. 4. Eat for Healthy Skin A diet that is improper can spike our hormonal levels and imbalances and cause breakouts. Stay away from such things as refined sugars, flour, caffeine, cola and processed food. Things such as fruits, vegetables provide the skin with the property vitamins that are rich to enhance the skin. Fish, eggs and leafy greens can help to even out skin tone. Drinking lots of water a minimum of 1 liter per day will help flush out the toxins and hydrate the body and skin. 5. Lasers, Chemical Peels and Microdermabrasion There are other ways to help by seeking a qualified dermatologist that can diagnose which route is best for your skin get even tone. Lasers are able to target sun and penetrate deeper layers of the skin barrier to reveal a fresh layer of skin cells. They are generally done in a few treatments to ensure there is a healthy cell turn over and are painless and non-invasive. Chemical peels use hydroxy acids like lactic acid or glycolic acid to exfoliate the top layer of the skin. This will help to even the skin tone and the skin will peel off to form a new layer of skin. Microdermabrasion involves micro crystals that will help to scrub and remove the top layer of the skin which can renew and tone the texture of the skin and create an even skin tone. Multiple treatments may be required but it is important to consult a dermatologist in your area who is able to determine which method is best for your skin. Home remedies on how to get even skin tone There are many all natural remedies that we have specified below that have been used to treat and get an even skin tone. Always try a patch test before trying the following;
VITAMIN C SERUM BUYERS GUIDE: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT VITAMIN C SERUMS FOR SKINCARE AND BEAUTY
WHAT IS VITAMIN C SERUM? In the most simplest form, a vitamin C serum is a topical infused with high concentrations of vitamin c along with other active ingredients to promote skin care and health. WHAT DOES VITAMIN C SERUM DO? Vitamin C Serums attempt to accomplish two things: make your skin biologically healthier and make your skin look aesthetically better. Different serums attempt to achieve this through different means, and thus not every vitamin c serum is equal. THE PROBLEM WITH VITAMIN C SERUM The wrong Vitamin C serum, at best, will have no effect, but at worst can damage your skin and cause breakouts. Thus, understanding what makes a Vitamin C Serum "effective" is important. First, we need to set a goal for the product. In the case of Firstbase skincare, some of what our product achieves includes:
You'd think that all the Vitamin C Serums online are similar enough, or well researched enough that there wouldn't be a big difference between brands, but nothing could be further from the truth. Understanding what makes a Vitamin C Serum "good" isn't actually about the Vitamin C itself, but about which secondary ingredients are added to the serum. This matters because a few questions you should be asking yourself are:
Over the course of this article, we'll outline the different ingredients that the Firstbase Skincare team has selected for our Vitamin C Serum, which common compounds we intentionally left out, and we'll answer all of the questions above along the way. HOW TO CHOOSE A PHARMACOLOGICALLY EFFECTIVE VITAMIN C SERUM Understanding the skin-repair process will help you pick an effective vitamin C serum. A vitamin C Serum that's effective needs to do 3 things: 1. Exfoliate the upper layer of dead/damaged skin 2. Nourish the newly exposed skin. 3. Add a layer of protection to safeguard the newly exposed skin. OUR VITAMIN C SERUM ACTIVE INGREDIENTS So when looking at the ingredients of a Vitamin C Serum, you need to make sure that they check those 3 boxes. For example, at Firstbase Skincare, we use Willow Bark Extract to exfoliate, Acmella Oleracea Extract to relax the skin, Lotus Flower Extract to nourish it and Baobab Extract to moisturize and protect the skin. WHAT ARE VITAMIN C’S BENEFITS FOR SKIN? Not all Vitamin C Serums are created equally. In this section, we're going to go over, in detail, the benefits of our unique Double Dose Vitamin C Serum formula. DOES VITAMIN C SERUM HYDRATE? While most Vitamin C Serum creators will opt-in to use artificially isolated ingredients like Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate for hydration, we've taken a different, more natural approach by using Baobab Extract. FOR HYDRATING SKINCAREThe key player in maintaining moisturized, nourished, and healthy skin is your skin barrier, otherwise known as the outermost layer of the epidermis. A nourished skin barrier gives you the "glow" you dream of. By keeping the outer layer nourished, you can achieve soft and smooth skin that won't dry out. VITAMIN C SERUM FOR HYDRATION While other skincare products harm the skin barrier, the Baobab Extract used in our Vitamin C Serum nourishes it, thus helping retain moisture and hydration. VITAMIN C SERUM FOR COLLAGEN Your skin's strength comes from a protein known as Collagen. As you get older, your collagen production naturally decreases. And while it's important to maintain a healthy diet to support new collagen production, it's equally as important to support existing collagen and prevent breakdown. The Baobab Extract in our Vitamin C serum helps you with exactly that. PROTECTING COLLAGEN Lastly, our Vitamin C Serum is loaded with anti-wrinkle ingredients. Wrinkles and fine lines come from the breakdown of collagen. As we explored in our previous section "Vitamin C Serum for Collagen", the Baobab Extract specializes in maintaining existing collagen and preventing that breakdown, thus giving your skin a chance to recover. VITAMIN C SERUM FOR FINE LINES AND WRINKLES Hence, the Firstbase Skincare Vitamin C Serum's mechanism of action involves protecting your collagen, preventing further breakdown, and allowing your skin to recover. The end result is the reduction of fine lines and wrinkles. VITAMIN C SERUM FOR BLACKHEADS If your skincare routine includes comedogenic ingredients, then that's why you experience blackheads. A comedo is the earliest, identifiable form of acne. Acne comes from clogged pores which become infected. Thus, cosmetic ingredients that can clog pores are known to be comedogenic. Unfortunately, many traditional vitamin C serums include comedogenic ingredients and can contribute to breakouts if those ingredients are found in high enough concentrations. And that's an important point to understand - the same ingredient can be both comedogenic and noncomedogenic, it just depends on how highly concentrated it is. When formulating our Vitamin C Serum, the team at Firstbase Skincare paid particular attention to produce the most non-comedogenic product possible. VITAMIN C SERUM FOR ANTI-AGING One of the key ingredients in our Vitamin C Serum for anti-aging is Lotus Extract. Traditionally used in Asian countries for its medicinal purposes, we found it to be a powerful ingredient in our own Vitamin C Serum. While other skincare products might use artificial ingredients that could damage your skin barrier, Lotus Extract is a natural ingredient absolutely rich with polyphenol, vitamins, antioxidants and flavonoids. ANTI-AGING VITAMIN C SERUM Aging is caused by the unraveling of the end-caps of your DNA. These end-caps are known as telomeres. The easiest way to imagine a telomere are that they're like little caps at the end of your DNA, found in each cell. As these caps loosen, you age. Although Vitamin C Serum can't reverse this process, it can reduce the aesthetic impact that this leaves on your skin. ANTI AGING As we were looking for a natural ingredient, with maximum upside, we came across dozens of published research to back up lotus extract's efficacy as a Vitamin C Serum ingredient. According to a 2011 paper published in the Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering, Nelumbo Nucifera extract (lotus extract) was proven to be an effective anti-wrinkle cosmetic agent. PROTECTS AGAINST SUN DAMAGE Other studies, such as the 2015 publication found in the Preventive Nutrition and Food Sciences journal found Lotus Extract to be a powerful agent in protecting the skin from UVB radiation. VITAMIN C SERUM SKIN PROFILE AND SAFETY According to a published 2013 research by the Indian Dermatology Online Journal, Vitamin C has one of the safest skin profiles amongst topical agents. People with hypersensitive skin may experience minor skin irritation, but for most people, applying Vitamin C serum to their skin is safe. FIRSTBASE SKINCARE VITAMIN C SERUM |