What Are Alcohols?

Alcohols are organic compounds that contain one or more hydroxyl (OH) groups (an oxygen and hydrogen atom) bound to carbon atoms. On ingredient labels, an alcohol usually ends with “ol” (ethanol, methanol, panthenol). Alcohols are characterized by their solubility in both water and oil, which is determined by the length of the molecule’s carbon chain. With a short carbon chain, an alcohol has greater solubility in water, which means it will evaporate quickly, taking water with it, while an alcohol with a long carbon chain will hinder evaporation and hold water down. Under a few specialized circumstances, such as unique chemical configuration, some short carbon chains alcohols actually display moisturizing properties instead of the drying characteristic common to small alcohols.

How Do They Function?
In our day-to-day lives, alcohols are found in products with a variety of functions ranging from lipstick to hairsprays. There are hundreds of different alcohols that can function as antioxidants, humectants, emulsifiers, surfactants, and solvents.

Many misperceptions exist about the use of alcohol in personal care products. People think of the drying effects and harshness of rubbing alcohol or they think of the dehydrating effects of alcohol found in liquor and wine. In fact, these alcohols are only one type in a very large group of chemicals that have many qualities and functions. To understand the variety within a group of alcohols, compare it to a group of insects. Within the insect kingdom butterflies pollinate flowers and provide colorful beauty in the world, while other insects like mosquitoes sting and possibly carry disease. Similarly, there are many alcohols that are good for the skin by helping deliver the benefits of moisturizing skin care products, while some alcohols can be irritating or drying to the skin and hair.

Fatty Alcohols vs. Harsh Alcohols
Most alcohols that deliver benefits to the skin are known as fatty alcohols and range in function as well. Some alcohols, like panthenol and propylene glycol, enhance a product’s moisturizing qualities because they are humectants, binding water to the skin. Stearyl alcohol acts as an emollient and an emulsifier. Tocopherol (also known as vitamin E) is well known for its antioxidant and moisturizing properties. Actually, several vitamins, including vitamin A and vitamin B5, are alcohols.

Some alcohols are not beneficial for daily skin care. Harsh alcohols, including rubbing alcohol or ethanol, are extremely drying, but serve an antibacterial function. SD-alcohol 40 is a blend of ethyl alcohol (drinking alcohol), specially denatured to make it unfit to drink. When used in skin care products, these alcohols can dry and irritate the skin because of their high evaporation rate.

Alcohol-free
You may read on a label that a product is “alcohol-free.” According to industry standards and regulations, this means that the product does not contain ethyl alcohol, which is known for its harsh, drying effects. But that same product may contain fatty alcohols, which have much different effects on skin.

Alcohols Used in Nu Skin® Products
Nu Skin employs fatty alcohols such as panthenol, propylene glycol, cetyl alcohol, butylene glycol, and cetearyl alcohol that have proven beneficial moisturizing properties. Although Nu Skin does use ethanol in a few product formulations, such as Epoch Hand Sanitizer because it serves as an FDA-required active ingredient to instantly kill germs and bacteria, there are other hydrating and conditioning ingredients in the formulations that counteract the drying effects. Nutriol HFT also contains undenatured ethyl alcohol, an ingredient that improves the delivery of the beneficial powders in the product. Nu Skin consistently holds to its founding philosophy of “all of the good, none of the bad” and, therefore, only uses alcohols that benefit your skin and make products effective.

Erase The Years

Methylisothiazolinone and Methylchloroisothiazolinone (MI and MCI, respectively) are organic compounds that are effective preservatives in a variety of cosmetic products like shampoos, conditioners, and eye makeup removers. These compounds offer antimicrobial benefits, preventing the growth and reproduction of bacteria, mold, and fungi. Derived synthetically, MI and MCI protect the efficacy, color, and consistency of products. Most personal care products contain preservatives for these very reasons.

Use of MI and MCI in Cosmetic Products
Concentrations of MI and MCI used in product formulations are extremely small. Extensive testing and research have determined that MI and MCI can be used safely in rinse-off products at concentrations below 15 ppm (parts per million) and in leave-on products at concentrations below 7.5 ppm. This means that if there were a million parts (grams) in the formula, MI and MCI would only take up 15 or 7.5.

The only Nu Skin® products that contain MI and MCI are rinse-off products at concentrations of about 5 ppm, well below the15 ppm margin of safety. These products include shampoos, conditioners, and body washes.

Research on the Safety of MI and MCI
Overwhelmingly, studies on the use of MI and MCI in personal care products attest to their safety. In 1992, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR), an independent panel of physicians and scientists that assesses cosmetic ingredients, thoroughly reviewed the research on MI and MCI and found them to be safe for use in personal care products at the recommended levels. Furthermore, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates the ingredient safety in cosmetic products, backs the use of MI and MCI when incorporated at concentrations determined safe and effective.

At a recent meeting of the American Society for Cell Biology, one abstract claimed that MI could affect the nervous system. Any concerns created by this isolated abstract are unwarranted because the context of this research does not relate to the cosmetic use of MI. The study exposed rat nerve cells in test tubes to very high doses of MI. This kind of exposure is not comparable to the minute levels of MI in a skin care product. In response to this study, the Cosmetic Toiletries and Fragrance Association (CTFA) reviewed the use of MI, reiterating the problem of comparing this research to the actual use of MI in cosmetic products:

The experiments conducted with MI on extracted nerve cells in laboratory containers do NOT remotely resemble the possible consumer exposure to this preservative. In fact, safety testing with animals has demonstrated that application of MI does NOT result in systemic toxicity to the preservative. Clinical and functional effects on the nervous system have NOT been observed in relevant safety tests. (December 6, 2004)

In short, the use of MI and MCI in personal care products is not a safety concern for consumers. MI and MCI, in recommended concentrations, provide vital benefits to products, preserving their quality, effectiveness, and safety.

Nu Skin’s Commitment
Nu Skin is committed to providing its customers with the best and safest products. Having reviewed the latest research performed by the cosmetic industry, the FDA, and other qualified sources, we can assure our customers that methylisothiazolinone and methylchloroisothiazolinone are safe and effective as preservatives in Nu Skin products.

Erase The Years

What Are Parabens?

Parabens are a very common group of organically synthesized preservatives used in cosmetics as well as drugs and foods. As a group of multiple compounds, they include methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, isobutylparaben, and butylparaben. Like most preservatives, they are antimicrobial, meaning they prevent the growth and reproduction of bacteria, mold, and fungi. This attribute allows parabens to keep products safe for repeated consumption. All daily use, personal care products must contain some form of preservation.

How Nu Skin Uses Parabens
Nu Skin uses parabens to maintain product freshness because of their proven safety record and low irritation profile—and at extremely low levels (usually between 0.1% to 0.8%). Nu Skin formulates its products within these guidelines for the beneficial qualities and safety that parabens provide.

FDA and CTFA Proclaim Parabens Safe for Cosmetic Use
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Cosmetic Toiletries and Fragrance Association (CTFA) have thoroughly researched the use of parabens in cosmetics. The FDA regulates product safety, and the CTFA provides specific ingredient safety through the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Board (CIR). The CIR is an independent panel of renowned physicians and scientists that reviews ingredients used in cosmetics since 1976. Both organizations continue to review research on parabens and, as recently as 2004, proclaimed them safe and effective for use in cosmetic formulations.

Nu Skin’s Commitment to Safety
Nu Skin actively monitors scientific research on all our ingredients, including parabens, to ensure our distributors can offer safe and efficacious products. The majority of paraben research for the past 50 years supports the safety of parabens in consumer use. However, misinformation circulated about recent paraben studies has caused undue concern that parabens may have weak estrogenic effects. Putting these study results into perspective is important as we determine whether or not parabens are safe for use in cosmetics. There are many other common substances, such as soy, that have more substantial estrogenic properties, but because these substances have been used culturally for centuries without harmful effects they do not raise concern. Additionally, the recent paraben studies were conducted with exaggerated levels of test material ingested or injected into animals rather than applied topically. The conclusion that parabens at extremely low levels in a topical application would produce a similar outcome as an exaggerated use test is without direct evidence and unproven. Since cosmetic products have very low levels of parabens, it is unscientific to assume they could be absorbed through the skin in any significant amount to create adverse effects. In fact, to date there are no scientific studies that show a causal link between topical products that contain paraben and detrimental effects. The CTFA asserted in a statement on April 17, 2003:

Suggestions that parabens have an estrogenic potential or affect the male reproductive system are not relevant to the cosmetic use of these ingredients. The level of parabens used in cosmetics is extremely low. (CTFA Response Statement, April 17, 2003; RSPT 03-12)

Nu Skin is committed to protecting product integrity and providing the best results for its customers. The long history of paraben use in cosmetics, backed by the continued, careful research of the cosmetic industry, FDA, and other qualified sources, reassures our pledge of “all of the good, none of the bad.”

Erase The Years

In line with its mission to create a better world for children, the Nu Skin Force for Good Foundation™ supports the Epidermolysis Bullosa Medical Research Foundation (EBMRF). EBMRF supports research to find a cure and treatment for Epidermolysis Bullosa at Stanford University.

What Is EB?
Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is a term used to describe a group of skin diseases where the attachment between skin cells is abnormally weak. Mild trauma pulls the skin cells apart, forming small cavities of fluid within the skin; eventually small and large blisters form. This disease derives its name from “epiderm,” which means skin; “lysis,” which means breakdown; and “bullosa,” which means blister or collection of fluid in the skin. EB can be mild, causing blisters to form on the feet after short hikes. It can also be severe, causing blisters and sores to form easily from minimal trauma to the skin; sores can also form inside the mouth, esophagus, and trachea. Children with the most severe form of EB may die an extremely painful death soon after birth because routine handling of a child can strip off large areas of skin. In addition, patients who do survive may have recurrent wounds and infections, and inadequate nutrition due to sores in the mouth or esophagus.

Who Is Affected by EB?
EB affects all ethnic and racial groups. It occurs in about one in 20,000 to one in 50,000 births. In recent years, new hope has arisen for families with children who have EB. Researchers at Stanford and other centers have identified several of the absent or incompletely made proteins that act as glue to hold the skin together. Depending on which protein is defective, the disease may be mild or severe. The protein defect is caused by an error in the child’s DNA that directs the manufacture of a specific protein. EB is therefore a genetic disease associated with specific genetic mutations. We have no precise therapy for this disease other than avoiding blister-causing trauma and treating blisters and wounds that develop. Gene therapy is the best hope for the future of individuals with EB. Gene therapy involves transferring human genetic material (DNA) into cells. In EB patients, the transferred DNA would allow the skin cells to produce the correct “glue” that the diseased cells normally cannot make.

What Research Is Being Done?
Research at Stanford University School of Medicine’s Department of Dermatology—funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Epidermolysis Bullosa Medical Research Foundation (EBMRF), and the Nu Skin Force for Good Foundation™—is directed at identifying new strategies for the treatment of EB. These strategies have displayed promise at the preclinical levels in experimental models; however, key scientific challenges remain to be overcome before bringing these efforts forward to the U.S.F.D.A. for initial clinical trials in human patients. Use of these research methods on children with EB will begin once we have completed the necessary tests to confirm safety. Funding from the Nu Skin Force for Good Foundation™ has allowed us to hire additional research scientists to complete the necessary projects in a more rapid and comprehensive manner. The Nu Skin Force for Good Foundation™ has shortened the path to therapy by more than three to five years already.

Alfred T. Lane
M.D. F.A.A.P.

Dr. Lane, a professor of Dermatology and Pediatrics and chair of the Department of Dermatology at the Stanford University School of Medicine, currently works with the Nu Skin Center for Dermatological Research at Stanford conducting research on Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB). A painful, genetically transmitted skin disorder, EB affects children and can cover as much as 75 percent of the body. As an expert in pediatric dermatology, Dr. Lane is internationally recognized for his research in infant skin care and has published more than 90 scientific papers. Board certified in both dermatology and pediatrics, Dr. Lane has been listed in Best Doctors of America, and is the coauthor of Color Textbook of Pediatric Dermatology.

Erase The Years

Paul Alan Cox, Michael J. Balick, and Vanessa Penna

From Cleopatra’s obsession with kohl eyeliner and fragranced oils to Indian henna painting rituals and Japanese Geisha makeup, traditional cultures have shaped our vision of modern beauty. These ancient rituals and recipes have been practiced since the earliest times and are now being revived by people searching for the natural path to beauty.

These days it’s not difficult to find exotic ingredients like Ayurvedic herbs from Nepal, babassu nut from Brazil, or shea butter from Ghana in your everyday shampoos and shower gels. Just browsing the cosmetics aisles can leave you with the feeling of having trekked across the globe. And you can’t pick up a beauty and fashion magazine today without reading about the newest botanical ingredient featured in everything from facial cleansers to hair gels. The obvious connection between these “exotic” extracts is that they all come from Mother Nature, and nearly all of them are plant-based. The ideas behind many of today’s best selling beauty potions come not from the laboratory, but from the knowledge of indigenous peoples—ancient cultures that have age-old knowledge of the environment and the plants that surround them. The future of the beauty industry, it seems, can be found in the past. So, what beauty editors may dub as the newest anti-aging formula might just be a recipe that’s been kicking around for a thousand years or more. As ethnobotanists—scientists who study the use of plants by indigenous cultures—we suggest that plants in nature produce a more dazzling array of beneficial molecules than could the most modern chemical laboratory, and that indigenous peoples, so-called “primitive tribes” living in remote villages, are more sophisticated in their choice of these plants, their preparation, and their utilization than highly trained beauty consultants in our most modern cities.

From the tropics and deserts to arctic regions, indigenous tribes have relied on plants and their remarkable chemistry to treat and prevent illness, and to help protect and increase their own natural beauty. But how do they identify which plants are useful as medicine or beauty aids? In our ethnobotanical studies with traditional healers around the world, we have found that the sources of discovery are often hidden in the mists of time. Some scientists believe that through trial and error, indigenous peoples who have been resident for generations in a single area, have learned which plants are useful and which are not. Sometimes indigenous peoples tell us that the uses of the plants were revealed in dreams, or by their ancestors. Regardless of how plant uses were originally discovered, when specific plants are used for generation after generation, their accumulated knowledge begins to approach the results of thousands of human clinical trials and years of market research.

As more people seek environmentally friendly and safer ways of making themselves feel better about the way they look, they are turning to plant-based beauty products; many of the ingredients in these products are based on centuries-old knowledge of traditional cultures. Our vision, as ethnobotanists, is to ensure that companies share the benefits from these discoveries and products with the indigenous peoples who have developed them.

Erase The Years

WHAT IS ENVIRONMENTAL SKIN AGING?
Environmental skin aging is a process whereby ultraviolet light, the sun, and other free radical generating environmental exposures cause changes in your skin.

WHAT IS MECHANICAL AGING?
Mechanical aging is caused from repetitive movements: the contraction of muscles, frowning, pursing your lips, squinting, etc.

HOW DOES THE SUN DAMAGE YOUR SKIN?
Every single day it sneaks into your skin and causes a variety of different changes. Now don’t be fooled, it doesn’t take a sunburn for the sun to cause damage. In fact, every day during the year there is something called UVA, which is a longer wavelength, low energy light. It is the same all year round. It gets into the skin, and because it doesn’t have the burning effect like other types of rays, it can get deeper into your skin, which is where your collagen and elastin are. UVA rays then destroy the collagen and the elasticity of your skin. It wreaks havoc on the pigmentation of your skin, so you can get freckles. You can get sagging skin, lines, and diffuse wrinkling, which is environmental skin aging and sun damage.

DOES SMOKING CAUSE WRINKLES?
Smoking is a wrinkle-causing behavior for many reasons, the least of which is pursing your lips every time you put a cigarette in your mouth. Think about how the lack of oxygen and deadly carcinogens affect the health of your skin.

CAN SLEEPING POSITIONS AFFECT YOUR SKIN?
If you look at anyone you’ll notice that no two sides of the face are alike. Everyone has a side where the wrinkles are deeper, where the naso-labial fold is deeper, even the left profile is different from the right. Chances are, the side you sleep on is the side that looks the oldest. Always start by sleeping on your back, and try to avoid sleeping on your side. If it is unavoidable, use softer pillows.

CAN WEIGHT FLUCTUATION AFFECT YOUR SKIN?
We all know someone who has lost 30 pounds and gained it back. Every time your weight increases it causes the skin to stretch, and as you lose weight the skin will sag. All of this pushing and stretching will cause the skin to wrinkle and sag. Keep your weight steady through healthy internal factors. You are what you eat.
Jeannette Graf
M.D., F.A.A.D., Clinical and Research Dermatologist

Dr. Graf is a board-certified dermatologist specializing in the research of ingredients that inhibit the signs of aging. In addition to her medical school and residency training, her love of science led to a research fellowship at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) where her work on peptides resulted in an NIH patent. Recognized as a leading American skin care expert by the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries, she consults, is an assistant professor of dermatology at NYU Medical Center, and maintains a private practice in New York.

Among her professional honors and awards, Dr. Graf received the National Institutes of Health Performance Award for Outstanding Achievements as well as an NIH patent. She has spoken on “The Role of Vitamins in Skin Care” at the New York University Medical Centers conference for Advances in Dermatology, and most recently gave a speech, “Update on Sunscreens,” at the Emerging Technologies in Plastic Surgery Meeting.

Erase The Years

Does eating chocolate give you zits? What about stress? Or the weather? You only have a breakout here and there so you don’t have acne, right? It’s time to reveal the truth about breakouts. While it’s a myth that chocolate causes pimples, stress can aggravate your skin. By kicking off the release of androgens—hormones that produce a sticky oil in hair follicles—stress can be the culprit behind breakouts weeks before they surface. As far as the weather goes, breakouts are more likely to occur on hot, humid days because your skin can be aggravated by heat and friction. And yes, even one pimple is considered acne.

It actually takes about two weeks for acne to reach the surface of the skin. That’s why, when you start treating acne, it’s normal to see flare-ups. Usually you won’t start to see results until the third or fourth week. For this reason it’s important to be patient with a new acne treatment regimen.

Acne begins when hair follicles get plugged by sebum, an oily substance made by your skin. In those who are acne prone, this oil gets trapped in the narrow follicle, causing cells to clump and form a plug—phase one of a blemish.

Phase two occurs when bacteria, which love the air-tight environment created by the plug, start feeding and breeding inside the pores. The body responds by sending white blood cells to fight these bacterial invaders. This results in phase three: inflammation—small pink bumps, pimples, and sometimes nodules and cysts. It is this inflammation that results in scarring, dark marks, and discoloration.

When does acne stop? Most people see their acne improve as they get older. However, some people don’t get acne until they are in their 20s, 30s, or even 40s. The bad news is some of the effects of past acne can last a lifetime. The good news is breakouts and the signs of past acne can be treated with the help of modern science so everyone can enjoy clear, healthy skin.

Alexa Boer Kimball
M.D., M.P.H., Assistant Professor of Dermatology and Director of the Clinical Trials Unit, Stanford University

As a board certified specialist in dermatology, Dr. Kimball advises Nu Skin on disorders such as psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, acne, and superficial basal cell carcinoma. She is the director of the Clinical Unit for Research Trials in Skin at Harvard Medical School and serves as chair of the Workforce Taskforce for the American Academy of Dermatology. A significant contributor to current medical literature, Dr. Kimball has presented her research at medical and scientific symposia worldwide. She received her medical degree from Yale University School of Medicine and her masters of public health degree from Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.

Erase The Years

Did you know that you can take control of one of the most significant skin cancer risk factors by consciously reducing your exposure to UV light? And if youthful, healthy looking skin sounds attractive, you’ve just discovered yet another good reason to stay in the shade. UV damage to the skin is largely responsible for the lines, wrinkles, and discoloration associated with premature aging.

To prevent the danger and damage associated with sun exposure, experts recommend avoiding direct sunlight whenever possible and protecting your skin when exposure is necessary or inevitable. And don’t be fooled by indoor tanning’s false promise—some studies indicate that the UVA and UVB radiation of tanning beds and booths may be more dangerous than natural sunlight. Your best bets for safe fun in the sun are sunscreens (when correctly applied and reapplied) and protective clothing (including hats).1

Sunless Tanning Lotions Get the Gold (and the Bronze)

In the quest for a safe, healthy glow, sunless tanning lotions deserve a medal. Advances in skin care product technologies have made the once streaky-orange alternative to a natural tan a beautiful, authentic looking reality. The latest sunless tanners utilize cutting edge formulas that go on evenly and develop into warm, natural tones. For providing the look of an afternoon by the pool without the damaging effects of sun exposure on your health and appearance, sunless tanners get a perfect 10.

So whether you’re spending time outdoors for relaxation, recreation, or because it’s a part of your job, using a sunless tanner and sun protection is the smart way to work and play!

1http://www.cancer.org/docroot/home/index.asp (July 2003)
  http://www.nci.nih.gov/cancer_information/ (July 2003)
  http://www.aad.org/ (July 2003)

Erase The Years

One month old Ashley Freeman of Greenwich, Connecticut, has pouty little rosebud lips and skin “just like silk,” sighs her proud mom, Kiyomi. Two week old Alejandro Lopez of Boynton Beach, Florida, “has skin like butter—no, make that cream cheese,” says his mom, Patti. Meanwhile, in Seattle, Washington, Zelie May Wynne-Jones’s skin at eight months is “so soft and delicate—as if it hadn’t been anywhere or done anything yet,” says her father, Michael.

That’s right, agrees Amy S. Paller, M.D., professor of pediatrics and dermatology at Northwestern Memorial School of Medicine in Chicago. We have a million reasons for hugging and kissing our precious little ones, but all it takes is the gentlest caress of their adorably plump cheeks or their darling little Buddha tummies, and you can have no doubt that babies possess the world’s softest, lushest, most huggable skin. The reason for that? “Baby skin is what fresh, new skin looks like—no DNA damage, no wrinkling or brown spots from the sun,” Dr. Paller explains. Many pediatricians and dermatologists claim the layer of waxy vernix that coats their skin in the womb also contributes to that softness. They point, as well, to the rich stores of collagen in newborns’ skin, and to the fact that babies (unlike the rest of us) don’t yet have a history of taxing their facial muscles. Sure, they’re famous for laughing, crying, squealing, frowning, and generally making the world’s funniest faces. But they’re just getting started; those facial muscles they’re trying out are brand new.

Of course, baby skin is delicate too, and needs extra-loving attention and care. According to Jerome Litt, M.D., a Cleveland, Ohio-area dermatologist, infants and babies under one year of age have skin with fewer oil and sweat glands. It can get dry—especially on the arms and legs, which may need added moisturization, proposes Ellis Gottesfeld, M.D., clinical assistant professor of dermatology at New York University Medical Center. Their skin also contains less pigment—meaning it has less ability to ward off sun exposure. And it’s more porous—meaning it’s easily affected by irritants such as harsh detergents. So whatever you do, keep your baby out of the sun and wash his or her clothes in a hypo-allergenic detergent or laundry soap, proposes Dr. Litt. He also suggests dressing baby in soft, loose-fitting garments that don’t chafe or irritate the skin.

As for how best to care for and nurture your munchkin’s skin, no doubt you’re aware of the numerous pre-toddler consumer options now available: super-absorbent diapers…the softestever muslin onesies…Jaguar-class strollers with state of the art sun canopies. But the latest trend, arriving in the wake of a whole new generation of independent cosmetic lines for grownups, is “boutique” quality skin care for babies.

Not surprisingly, some of these baby product lines fit into the ultra-gentle, pure and natural botanical category. The most recent of them, Epoch Baby® from Nu Skin, takes botanical products a giant step further. Epoch Baby’s trio of skin and hair products is the first-ever ethnobotanical skin care collection for tiny ones. This means that its key plant based ingredients have been used and trusted for centuries by traditional, indigenous cultures around the world to protect their offspring’s skin.

The three products from Epoch Baby® are scientifically qualified, too. Their botanicals are blended into ultra-gentle, high-performance formulations. So not only do you and your baby join a global tradition of mothers and babies from remote South Sea Islands, Indomalaysia, and rural South America, but you do so knowing these products have been prepared using the highest standards of modern skin care.

Overall, Epoch Baby® provides a new generation of skin care products to protect your baby’s flawless skin—a most precious asset.

Erase The Years

Prescription-grade tretinoin (aka Retin-A) was the first of these breakthrough products. Then came alpha-hydroxy acids, which speeded cell turnover and prompted the appearance of healthy new skin. Though derived from fruit acids and other food sources, these powerful skin-sloughers were also essentially lab-made.

The nought-nought years of the new millennium mark the start of a kinder, gentler phase of the skin care revolution with ingredient philosophies like Nutricentials,™ “a promising new generation of rejuvenators that are driven by the world of nutrition rather than cosmetic science,” says Lori Bush, Nu Skin Advisory Board member. Nutricentials ingredients are derived directly from foods. And though they’re easy on the skin, they are proving able to help ward off future damage from the sun, from pollutants in the air, from smoking, from internal stress, and from general wear and tear.

So just what are these new skin rejuvenators? They’re key tissue-nurturing antioxidants, and yes, they appeared in small doses, as vitamin A, C, and E additives, in late ’90s beauty creams. But now that antioxidants have won mainstream scientific acceptance, Nu Skin and its sister company, the natural nutritional supplement supplier Pharmanex, are combing the world for unique food sources for these free radical fighters and skin fortifiers, and are beginning to use them in pure, concentrated doses in Nu Skin treatment products. The idea, explains Bush, “is to identify key nutrients found in local diets that contribute to the qualities of healthy skin, and then to leverage the differences in skin care around the globe by gathering together the best the world has to offer.”

 

New Benefits from Olive Oil
Take the Mediterranean region for instance, where an all-important food basic is olive oil. For centuries, olive oil has also served locally as an excellent moisturizer for soothing parched skin. But recently it’s been discovered that extra-virgin olive oil from that region contains a rich supply of polyphenols, amino acid derivatives that function as powerful antioxidants. One of those polyphenols, hydroxytyrosol, patented by Nicholas Perricone, M.D., assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Yale University, is now a key component (high up on the ingredient list) in Nu Skin’s Celltrex® Ultra Recovery Fluid. This lush-to-the-touch, rapidly-absorbed serum helps diminish fine lines and ruddiness and gives the skin a new-found radiance.

 

Advantages of Algae
Moving eastward, Nu Skin is making use of another class of skin-protecting, food-derived antioxidants. These are carotenoids, natural vitamin A derivatives from algae that thrive in intense sunlight in the waters off the coast of Israel and are packed with powerful protectants. In the 1990s, carotenoids extracted from tomatoes and other food sources were mixed into skin care products, but without much success, as their characteristic orange, yellow, or dark green color made them highly impractical for topical use. Nu Skin’s Israeli carotenoids, however, are unique in that they are colorless and therefore aesthetically pleasing in treatment products. Again, high on the ingredient list, they are the star constituents in Nu Skin’s Moisture Restore™ Day Protective Lotion SPF 15, available in formulas for normal to dry and combination to oily skin. These are ideally suited as day light moisturizers that enhance the skin’s natural resistance to the environment.

Preliminary scientific testing being performed at Stanford University in conjunction with Nu Skin shows promising results for several additional skin protectants and rejuvenating nutrients. The reason for such variety? “Each antioxidant has its own unique route and its own timetable for treating the skin,” says Michael Chang, Ph.D., Pharmanex’s founder, who now serves as Nu Skin Enterprises’ Chief Scientific Officer and is a new member of the Nu Skin Professional Advisory Board.

Nutricentials™ raise the ante on skin care as healthy lifestyle components. They are not intended as temporary stopgaps, but as preventive maintenance. Indeed, these ingredients take effect gradually, over a period of weeks or months. What’s more, they need daily replenishing, says Dr. Chang, who explains that once an antioxidant molecule makes its all-important free-radical linkage, it is spoken for, so to speak.

 

An Antioxidant-Rich Diet
Of course, we can certainly get antioxidant supplies from our food intake, particularly if it’s rich in vegetables and fruits and low in sugar and saturated fats. And we can also top up our antioxidant supplies by taking nutritional supplements. But the benefit of antioxidants in creams and serums is that they’re sent to work directly at their target areas, wrinkles…brown spots…sallowness, and, as a bonus, they feel extraordinarily good on the skin.

Erase The Years