Monthly Archives: April 2011

Mother’s Day Special

Mango Madness Skin Care is offering a 5% discount on its website for anyone buying a gift for their Moms. Or for anyone’s Mom – or even for themselves!

Select among our medical-grade skin care products to find the best gift.

If you are in the West Palm Beach, Florida, area, the 5% Off Mother’s Day offer is also good at our CityPlace store. Just say, “Mothers Are Special” and you get 5% off your entire purchase.

(Offer expires 5/9/11 and may not be combined with other offers.)

Happy Mother’s Day!

Ever heard of Squalane as a skin care ingredient?

Often included in better moisturizers and wrinkle creams, squalane now is obtained from vegetable sources such as olive oil. Once typically made from the liver oil of sharks, animal-friendly skin care companies such as Mango Madness Skin Care only use olive oil-derived squalane.

Due to its tiny molecular size, squalane is able to penetrate skin more easily and therefore does not impart any feeling of greasiness. This small molecule size also helps squalane create new skin cells and fight bacteria.

Squalane is very good for soothing rashes and skin irritation when all else fails. It’s also good for cracked, dry skin and works on age spots, too. Squalane has no odor or color and feels smooth to the touch. Because it can be safely ingested as a source of dietary antioxidants, it is completely safe to use topically on your skin.

Our bodies produce small amounts of squalane when we are young. As we age, however, the body produces less, so we need to supplement it by using skin care ingredients containing this natural moisturizer.

Spices that are good for your skin

Like to cook? Want healthier skin? Do both by including these spices in your culinary creations: Mustard, Turmeric, Thyme, Cinnamon, Basil, Ginger, Clove Oil, Oregano, and Chili peppers.

Thyme is an antioxidant; mustard is a good source of beta-carotene (Vitamin A), well-known for its benefits to your skin. Cinnamon stimulates blood flow to your skin.

Glycolic acid exfoliation yields immediate benefits for your skin

Due to its ability to penetrate skin layers efficiently, many skin care products contain glycolic acid. Typically, it is used to exfoliate or peel skin. Consumer preparations of glycolic acid typically contain concentrations up to 20 percent. Above that level, due to the possibility of skin irritation, the application of glycolic acid should be performed by a dermatologist. These doctors will use preparations containing up to 70% glycolic acid.

This popular exfoliating agent will remove older, dead skin cells on the surface of your skin to reveal younger looking, newer skin. Many people like the fact that glycolic skin exfoliation offers instant benefits – as soon as you wash it off, your skin will feel much smoother and softer.

Exfoliation with any good product, including abrasion scrubs, has the added benefit of allowing your wrinkle creams and moisturizers to penetrate more deeply where they will do the most good.

Nutrition for your skin

Besides using good creams and lotions, your skin needs to be sustained with the right dietary nutrients. The living layer of your skin (the dermis) is packed with tiny capillaries. These vessels provide oxygen to your skin cells and remove CO2 and other metabolic byproducts. Because the top layer of your skin has no blood vessels, it must be nourished from below by the dermal later. If there is insufficient nourishment from below, the visible, top layer of your skin will look unhealthy and more susceptible to wrinkling and aging. Therefore, good nutrition is equally as important for healthy skin as are good skin care creams.

What is good nutrition for your skin? It’s no surprise that it’s the same as you’ve heard for years that is good for your general health – fruits, vegetables, whole grain foods, and a balanced diet. Be sure you are getting enough vitamins (A, C and E in particular). And of course, drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.

Vitamins for your skin: A, C and E

Vitamin A (or, beta carotene) is found in yellow, green and orange vegetables and fruits. Vitamin A protects these foods from sun damage and is thought to have the same benefit in humans. Vitamin A is used in many preparations as Retinol to combat wrinkles.

Vitamin C (or, ascorbic acid) is a water soluble vitamin that occurs in citrus fruit and dark vegetables such as spinach, as well as tomatoes and cabbage. By helping to boost collagen production, Vitamin C can increase skin firmness and smoothness.

Vitamin E (or, tocopherol) can be found in nuts, seeds, dark green vegetables, and oil from the livers of cold water fish such as salmon. Vitamin E as an antioxidant protects cells and assists your skin in staying moist. It is also helpful for reducing the visibility of scar tissue and age spots.

Sun Damage causes 80% – 85% of skin aging

There are two kinds of ultraviolet solar radiation that can affect your exposed skin: UVA and UVB Rays. UVA Rays make up about 95% of the UV rays on earth and can cause deterioration of collagen and elastin in your skin. This can lead to thinning and wrinkling of skin – sun damage.  With age, elastin and collagen fibers gradually decrease – UV radiation speeds up this process.

Ultraviolet B rays (UVB) are the ones that cause your skin to turn red and give you a sunburn. The resulting darkening of your skin is cause by your body trying to defend itself against further solar damage by producing a pigment known as melanin.

Too much ultraviolet light will damage your skin cells. Some say that UVB isn’t as damaging as UVA rays – while they don’t penetrate your skin as deeply, UVB rays can still harm your skin.

Protect your skin with a good titanium-dioxide based, full spectrum, UVA/UVB sunblock with a SPF of at least 30. Avoid direct sunlight for two hours before and after noon, and remember that tanning beds are not a safe alternative. If you want a tan, look for a good paraben-free sunless tanning lotion.

The beauty of retinol for wrinkle creams

Retinol, a Vitamin A derived wrinkle cream, is an important component of your skin care routine. Retinol is a type of retinoid, which has a small enough molecular size to penetrate into the deeper layer of the epidermis to help repair the dermis. This helps promote collagen and elastin production.

Retinol needs to be converted into retinoic acid to yield beneficial results on your skin. The difference is that retinoic acid is stronger and only available with a doctor’s prescription. Retinol can be purchased over the counter.

Although pure retinoic acid offers very good anti wrinkle results, it can irritate skin and cause other problems.

A large number of retinol skin cream products don’t use a sufficiently high concentration to do much good. You want preparations that contain 1,000,000 International Units per ounce (equivalent to about 1.0% retinol).

What are peptides in skin care?

Peptides are the protein building blocks of collagen. Your skin is composed mostly of collagen, which gives skin its thickness, firmness, support and vitality.

Scientific evidence demonstrates that peptides can minimize wrinkles in your skin and reverse the signs of aging. How do they make your skin look younger? Many skin care products contain peptides, but what are they?

Peptide Molecule

As we age, collagen is destroyed by environmental and other factors, including sunlight, and is not completely replaced. As a result, smooth, young skin gradually becomes thinner and wrinkled over time. As collagen breaks down, certain peptides are released.

Research by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) shows that these released peptides signal your skin that it has lost collagen and needs to produce more. Developers of anti-aging skin care products have used this knowledge to develop products containing certain peptides that mimic this process and signal your skin to manufacture new collagen.

Specific Anti Aging Peptides that Reduce the Appearance of Wrinkles

The most frequently utilized “signal” peptide for skin care is Matrixyl (palmitoyl pentapeptide). The NIH has demonstrated that after four months, Matrixyl decreases wrinkle depth by 27%, skin roughness by 13%, and wrinkle volume by 36%, when used on the face and neck twice a day.

Argireline (acetyl hexapeptide) has been marketed as a safer, less expensive, and milder alternative to Botox. This anti-aging peptide works by causing facial muscles to relax, thereby reducing the appearance of wrinkles. Leuphasyl, which lessens small muscle contractions, is especially beneficial for minimizing wrinkles around the eyes and forehead. Octapeptide lengthens and extends muscles under tension, reducing the depth of lines.

Peptide 6® wrinkle cream, offered exclusively by Mango Madness Skin Care, contains Matrixyl, Argireline, Leuphasyl, Octapeptide, and others for a total of six distinct peptides, each at the maximum effective dosage.