Benefits of Vitamin C for Skin Health

Vitamin C is not made by our bodies and so it must be ingested. Rich sources include citrus fruits, peppers, parsley and berries. Vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin and so it is not found in oils. Although rose hips may be a good source of vitamin C, the oil extracted from rose hips is not a source of vitamin C as many claim. 

Signs of Vitamin C deficiency are follicular hyperkeratosis (rough, raised bumps), petechial hemorrhages (red marks), swollen or bleeding gums, and joint pain.

Vitamin C is also known as L-ascorbic acid and it likes to work with flavonoids for full activity. Its actions include:

1. It is a cofactor for the enzyme lysyl and prolyl hydroxylase. These enzymes are necessary to form the three dimensional structure of the skin matrix protein, collagen. Improving collagen leads to firmer skin.

2. Vitamin C inhibits the enzyme tyrosinase which results in decreased production of melanin. This helps reduce pigmented age spots on the skin.

3. Vitamin C is an antioxidant and inhibits lipid peroxidation and DNA damage caused by UV light. In doing so it also helps protect against UV induced skin damage.

 

4. Vitamin C inhibits the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines including IL-1α, IFN-γ, IL-8, IL-2, TNF-α, and eotaxin  as well as CRP. This may result in decreased reddening and irritation of the skin.

5. Ascorbic acid participates in the synthesis of carnitine. (β-hydroxy butyric acid). Carnitine is an antioxidant, is thought to firm the skin and is involved in the production of energy from fats.

6. Ascorbic acid is involved reactions necessary for activity of oxytocin; the love hormone that is stimulated by skin to skin contact.

For a face care product that has vitamin C try Springtide Gold by Colorado Aromatics.

Beauty Benefits of Peppers

Beauty Benefits of Peppers

Peppers come in all sizes, shapes and colors and we love them all. This time of year many of them are ripe and you can find a wide variety at farmers markets. Peppers even come in different flavors from sweet to hot. But you’ve been wondering, haven’t you; what are the beauty benefits of peppers?

Nutrients found in Peppers:

Peppers are high in:

Vitamin A, a nutrient that is important in cellular turnover in the skin.

Vitamin C which is important for production of collagen. In fact, one bell pepper provides more than your daily minimum requirement for vitamin C.

Antioxidants such as flavonoids that help repair cellular damage in the skin.

Vitamin B6 or pyridoxine which is important in neurological health. Deficiencies in vitamin B6 are linked to dermatitis and some types of cancer.

Any of these properties not only make peppers a good food to eat for healthy skin but you can also use peppers mashed on the face for a food facial, a good farm to skin treat! To see more about how to use food in a facial see Farmers Market Peach Facial. I wouldn't use a hot pepper for a facial though.

Hot peppers contain capsaicin, and related compounds called capsacinoids.  This is the family of chemicals that cause the heat in a hot pepper. Capsaicin and the related capsacinoids are analgesic, meaning they have pain relieving qualities even though they are also an irritant. The capsacinoids appear to affect the nerves that signal pain. It has been used to relieve the pain of arthritis, psoriasis, diabetic neuropathy, shingles and more. You can find topical ointments that contain capsaicin, or you can make your own compress or poultice from hot peppers. However, do not use on broken skin, near the eyes or near mucus membranes.

To make a pepper poultice or compress for a sore back or joints follow these instructions:

Poultice

Grind one hot pepper (jalapeno or other) in a food processor. Add a teaspoon or so of oil (olive or other) to get a good consistency.

Wet a rag or cloth bandage in the hot pepper mixture and lay on skin or wrap around if it is a joint area. Leave on as long as necessary. You can also wrap this in plastic wrap to keep in place and keep off of furniture.

Compress

A compress is very similar but instead of applying the mashed pepper to the skin you are using more of a tea or extract soaked in the pepper extract. The most common way of doing this with hot pepper is to make a vinegar of cayenne.

Add 1 tablespoon of cayenne pepper to 8 oz of cider vinegar. For this you can use dried, powdered cayenne or a fresh hot pepper that has been mashed.

Boil, then simmer on low heat for 5-10 minutes.

Soak a rag or bandage in this vinegar and apply to skin. Again, you can cover this with plastic wrap to keep it from seeping out.

Remove if it becomes too hot or uncomfortable to the skin.

For more on the science of how hot peppers help with pain read this from Science Daily.  

 or

Capsaicin to Reduce Pain, Clinical Pain Advisor

Foods to Block UV Skin Damage

Ultraviolet radiation

Although sunscreen is important to prevent sunburn of the skin, there are also dietary measures you can take to help protect the skin against ultraviolet (UV) radiation damage to skin. UV radiation damage to the skin includes damage to both DNA and structural proteins. This damage leads to photoaging of the skin such as wrinkles, yellowing, roughness, dryness, abnormal pigmentation and a leathery appearance. 

Antioxidants can help prevent skin damage caused by UV radiation. Here are some foods that research has found to decrease skin damage caused by UV radiation:

Green Tea

Pomegranate Juice

Genistein, a phytoestrogen found primarily in Soy

Resveratrol found in grapes, nuts, fruits and red wine

Carotenoids, particularly lutein and zeaxanthin found in green leafy vegetables

Vitamin C and Vitamin E, especially in combination. Bell peppers, green leafy vegetables and strawberries are high in vitamin C while almonds and sunflower seeds are high in vitamin E.

Might I suggest frequent salads of green leafy vegetables with a soybean oil dressing topped with bell peppers, nuts and grapes partnered with a cup of green tea, wine or pomegranate juice this summer to keep your skin healthy?

What are Wrinkles

Changes in the texture of the skin that appear as lines, creases or folds are called wrinkles. They are normal changes in the skin that occurs with aging. Medically, wrinkles are known as rhytides.

The two layers of skin include the outer epidermis which lies on top of the second layer called the dermis. With time there is a decrease of large structural molecules including collagen, elastin and glycosaminoglycans in the dermis. This leads to decreases in elasticity, firmness and structure of the skin resulting in wrinkles.
The cells of the outer layer or epidermis slow their rate of cellular reproduction causing the epidermis to become thinner with age.

With time the epidermis and dermis tend to separate some. This separation leads to decreased blood supply and nutrients to the cells of the epidermis.

Wrinkles begin as fine lines and deepen with time. They occur mostly on the face, neck, backs of the hands and the forearms. They are not physically harmful, but can of course influence a person’s self-perception, and lead to a lack of confidence.

Expression lines that occur on the forehead, eyes and the corners of the mouth from talking, laughing and frowning can begin as early as in a one’s twenties. These lines eventually deepen into wrinkles and folds that affect deeper layers of the skin. Wrinkling of the skin caused by sun exposure can show up in the thirties. In the forties as dry skin becomes a problem, lines begin to deepen and progress through the fifties and sixties.

This process of aging skin is accelerated by exposure to excess sunlight, environmental pollutants and cigarette smoke. Internal factors associated with aging skin include decreases in estrogen levels that occur with menopause and decreased in metabolic activity of the skin cells. Fair skinned people are also more prone to wrinkles. There is no real evidence that stress promotes wrinkle formation, but many of us feel we have ‘earned’ our wrinkles through life’s challenges.

Protecting the barrier function of the skin is an important way to decrease the formation of wrinkles. Use of a good moisturizer to help maintain water in the skin and prevent water loss can delay and diminish lines. Look for a moisturizer that contains water and high quality oils to help prevent loss of moisture from the skin. Humectants such as glycerin, hyaluronic acid, hydrolyzed proteins, even hydrolyzed oat products can help.

There is of course extensive research done each year to investigate possible ingredients for skin creams that can help in the treatment and prevention of wrinkles. Although many ingredients end up being marketing hype, there are a few ingredients that have potential to help decrease the appearance of wrinkles. The trouble is that some of the anti-aging creams are able to garner large price tags and it has
to be questioned whether it is worth the price without solid data to back up the claims.

Nutrients such as antioxidants help combat environmental damage and are important in diminishing wrinkles as well. Antioxidants include vitamin C, vitamin E, alpha lipoic acid, carotenoids and green tea. Most importantly using these nutrients topically can only go so far, what we eat is also very important so remember to eat fruits and vegetables that are high in these nutrients.