Gloria Vilchez founder of kanwaminerals.com announces an addition to its Healing Clay Product line. Clay Mask, manufactured by Zion Health naturally absorbs bacteria related to acne, blackheads and whiteheads. Now consumers can alleviate symptoms of acne without medication and harsh cleansers that often produce negative side effects. Clay Mask contains herbs and montmorillonite clay that pulls impurities to the surface until the skin is clear.

Ms. Vilchez claims, “Anyone who has acne knows that standard remedies redden and irritate the skin, and result in only short term effects. Clay Mask can be applied overnight and rinsed off in the morning to prevent severe teenage acne.” Most teenage acne which is related to hormonal changes needs an ongoing treatment to prevent acne from recurring. Teenagers and adults can benefit from use of Clay Mask without resorting to harsh medications that may dry out the acne but damage the skin.

Clay Mask manufactured by ZIon Health contains a unique type of clay called Calcium Montmorillonite. Calcium Montmorillonite serves many uses in Alternative Medicine. Montmorillonite contains more than 60 trace minerals that have been commonly used by Native Americans and African tribes to heal wounds, and absorb poisons from food. Montmorillonite which is in a similar family to Bentonite Clay contains common detoxifying properties, however, supplies a much greater nutrient content than bentonite.

Zion Health Clay Mask is available at Akin’s Chamberlin Natural Foods Market, Yogi House, Whole Foods San Mateo, Vim & Vigor Michigan, Abundant Health Texas, Nature’s Way Pennsylvania, Bee Healthy Arizona, Health Nutz Palm Springs, Rainbow Grocery, Pollack Herbs, Earth Beam and online at kanwaminerals.com.

Bird droppings!

If you thought the whole gloves-and-socks-in-bed thing was weird, wait till you hear Victoria Beckham’s latest beauty fix.

The former Spice Girl reportedly has bird poo facials.

Lovely!

Posh regularly treats herself to £100 Geisha Facials, which use a paste made from nightingale droppings, in a bid to combat acne she has suffered since her teens.

‘When Victoria was in Japan recently she was admiring the local women’s clear skin and discovered to these facials,’ reveals a pal to Closer magazine.

‘She was intrigued and when she got back to the US she found that some New York beauty salons now offer the treatment.  She tried it and loved how great her skin looked. She also uses a cream derived from nightingale poo at home.’

Read the full story in Closer magazine, on sale tomorrow

Clinique last fall launched its Acne Solutions line, a three-step system similar to its classic skin-care sets, but containing anti-acne ingredients.

“In talking to our own consultants at the (retail) counter, mature customers complain of acne … and that led us to one of our major endeavors of the last five years,” says Tom Mammone, executive director of research and development at Clinique, who says several studies backed the concept that more adults say they have acne.

Peter Scocimara, CEO of Therative, the company that makes the ThermaClear heat-based, anti-acne device, says he initially thought the product would be marketed primarily to teenage boys, but that adult women have turned out to be the primary consumer. “The teen market is huge but the more sensitive market to the individual pimple is the adult woman.”

Adult acne is more common on the jawline, neck, chest and back, while teen acne tends to cluster on the forehead and cheeks, says Dr. Katie Rodan, one of the two dermatologists behind the skin-care brand Rodan + Fields.

“pimples move south with age,” Rodan says. “They’ll be fewer in number but bigger in size.”

Teen acne is typically blamed on hormonal changes, while stress can be a more likely factor for adults, she says.

But bacteria can be the real culprit, and adults can allow heated bacteria to fester on their skin anytime they do an activity such as bikram yoga or 30 minutes on the stationary bike at the gym and enjoy their smoothie before showering.

“You stew in your own sweat,” Rodan says. “That heat you generate helps the bacteria and adults tend to do more heavy, sweaty, gym-intense exercise.”

“Showering after exercise is the easy part of curbing adult acne; living stress-free is much harder,” she adds.

Dr. Mary Lupo, clinical professor of dermatology at Tulane University, who also consults for beauty brand Philosophy, says occasional acne can be treated with over-the-counter products that include benzoyl peroxide to kill bacteria or salicylic acid to unclog pores.

But for anything consistent, she recommends prescriptive treatments that will treat an existing outbreak and could help prevent future ones.

The estrogen and progestin in the Yaz birth control pill – an option only for women – and the anti-androgen action of the hormone-therapy drug Spironolactone, which suppresses oil output, are effective, says Lupo, as is Accutane. All of those, however, should be taken while under a doctor’s care because there are potential side effects.

Laser treatments also can help active acne and acne scarring by stimulating collagen – a bonus is that they also can help with fine lines and wrinkles, she adds. But treatments average $250-$500 and patients typically need three.

The best treatment might be to accept that adult acne happens – and to know you’re not alone, says self-esteem adviser and blogger Jess Weiner, who is featured in Seventeen magazine among other media outlets.

She is no stranger to an outbreak, she says, and she used to do her best to cover it up with topical treatments and makeup.

“The blemish becomes magnified, at least in your own mind,” Weiner says. “It impedes you from feeling sexy, or fresh, or clean. … Just like when you were in junior high, a bad case of acne can completely level your confidence for the day.”

Recently she decided to change her approach and she has seen an improvement. She goes out without concealer – and no one else seemed to notice, Weiner reports.

“I also figured out how to dress around my zits. I wear hats! Hats became the great distractor. I also wear my glasses a lot, scarves or cleavage-baring shirts because then people weren’t looking at my face.”

During the teen years, girls tend to develop acne sooner than boys. On average most girls will start to develop acne by about age 11, as contrasted with age 13 for boys. The reason isn’t hard to find. Girls mature sooner. They tend to enter puberty a few months to a couple of years before boys.

During those years the human hormone system sees rapid increases in levels of a number of well known hormones, such as estrogen or testosterone. But there’s a class of hormones that are less well known by name, but more relevant at this stage to acne onset: androgens.

As the name suggests, these hormones are shared by both males and females. But, as noted, the rise in females occurs sooner. Once they reach puberty, the androgen levels rise higher in males, so they tend to suffer more severe acne.

About 2/3 of all teens will develop acne, at least in mild form. But for females, the condition tends to last longer, at least cyclically. As a woman enters her 20s, her menstrual cycle tends to raise the likelihood of developing at least mild acne. Since that occurs approximately once per month, so does the acne. The week prior to the onset of flow is typically the worst for almost 62% of women.

The problem persists for women throughout the years of reproductive capacity. Over 50% of women (as opposed to only 42.5% of men) between ages 20-29 develop acne. The numbers dip radically for the years 30-39 to 35.2% and 20.1% respectively. By the time she’s reached her 40s, the number has lowered to 26.3% (12% for men). For those aged 50 and older the numbers are about 15% and 7% for women vs men.

The severity follows a similar pattern. Between the third and fourth weeks of the menstrual cycle, inflammations increase about 25%. Even blackheads and whiteheads rise about 20% during this time.

Pregnancy offers some relief, but it mostly shifts the pattern. It doesn’t eliminate acne entirely. During pregnancy, breakouts can occur at random. Skin changes, even for those who have never had acne, are a common occurrence when a woman is carrying.

Here again, significant hormonal changes are taking place. The largest number of cases tends to occur during the first trimester. That shouldn’t be surprising, since this is the interval during which hormone levels are changing most rapidly from their usual amount and distribution. Delivering the baby will often put an end to the outbreaks, but they tend to persist longer in women who breastfeed.

Though a woman has to always be more careful about what medications she takes, normal over the counter treatments are considered safe. Some studies have suggested, however, that isotretinoin (brand name: Accutane) and tetracycline (doxycycline), treatments for severe acne, should be avoided during pregnancy. They may cause birth defects or development problems in the fetus.

When in doubt, consult a dermatologist.

Lillian is the victim of a laser hair removal procedure gone bad. Before the disastrous operation, all the woman had wanted was to rid herself of facial hair. But her beautician chose the wrong laser-head for the job, and ended up badly burning her face. Lillian, who may have to live with a body-image problem, is among the hordes of people who today are checking into cosmetic and dermatological clinics in search of youthful skins. Going by the numbers seeking to alter their looks, beauty has indeed become a modern-day obsession.

Popular Skin care techniques today

Not long ago, a rub of Vaseline on the face was all it took to help a man face his day. The cosmetics corner at the supermarket was a woman’s section — and dermatologists were consulted only for genuine skin diseases.

Today, however, the line between illness and aesthetic imperfection is thin. We have myths, Tyra Bank’s secrets, secret portions, serums, creams, and a host of dermatological tricks to help everyone inch closer to that elusive fountain of youth, at least visually. Men, women and children are jostling for space at the cosmetics shop and dermatologist clinics. The fact that modern chemicals and procedures usually cost a fortune is not deterrent enough.

And many people, as aesthetician Maria Goes points out, will not be content until they have visited a facility like the Upperhill Laser and Aesthetic Centre in Nairobi, which she co-runs with Dermatologist Dr Saroop Singh Bansil. Converging at the clinic, friends and acquaintances are heard sighing in surprise: “I never knew you come here,” one says. “I never knew you come here,” the other responds. And they laugh it away.

Maria explains: “Women do not want to grow old. Look at me. You would never tell I have a 21-year-old child.” And she is right. Looking at her face — taut skin, not one sagging muscle or wrinkle in sight, plus her skin glows like that of a young girl — you would think she is in her early 20s. Maria is among the few women who have discovered that a beautiful, youthful skin is attainable, all without having to endure the scalpel. “The problem is that women, especially white women and those from the Asian community, will never refer you to the person who takes care of their skin or tell you what they do to have a beautiful skin,” she says.

Some skin care techniques

The clinic receives all manner of clients, skin colours and social classes. Even high-profile politicians and their wives consult with them.

Modern technology promises everything. Possible today are techniques like the non-surgical treatment of skin cancer lesions; procedures to rid clients of wrinkles, acne, laughter or smoker’s lines, sagging skin and pigmentation; and others to tighten lips and create dimples, even where none existed!

Whether one is a father or a mother, a son or a daughter, old or young, male or female, there is a procedure just for you. Here is a detailed look at the techniques in the dermatological menu.

Anti-wrinkle injections

Botox is an aesthetic injection that is used to reduce visible wrinkles temporarily. A brand name of Botulinum toxin, a potential lethal chemical produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, Botox is a therapeutic muscle-relaxing agent which works by blocking impulses from the nerve to the tiny facial muscles that are related to expression lines. When injected into selected facial muscles, this chemical paralyses and keeps them from folding. Botox controls wrinkles, frown lines, crow’s feet, forehead creases, and neckbands.

“We use Botox for everything from sweaty hands to a smile that is not okay,” Maria explains. “If one wants a dimple, we can do that. If you do not want a lot of gum showing when you smile, we can help.”

Botoxing takes about 10 minutes and does not require anaesthesia. Following administration, an “improvement” in frown lines is evident within three to seven days, and the effects can last for between four and six months, after which readministered becomes necessary. With repeat treatments, thinning of the muscles occurs. This produces longer-lasting results.

One bottle of Botox costs about Sh22,000, and interested users must factor in procedure costs. In February, America’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned that the toxin can spread beyond the target site, paralysing or weakening the muscles used for breathing and swallowing, sometimes with potentially fatal side effects. There is also fear that continued use might have other side effects.

Micropeels and Chemical Peels

Susan has been visiting the clinic for the last two years. Initially, she had sought help for a general skin problem. It was during an early visit that an advert on medical microdermabrasion caught her attention. In this technique, the face is made crisply smooth and more attractive by ridding it of dead skin cells through mechanical ‘sandpapering’. Apparently, there were no side effects. Why not give it a try?

She remembers: “The first time I tried it out, I actually saw the effects almost immediately. My skin was a lot clearer… a lot of dirt had been removed.”

Microdermabrasion is a recent skin-care technique. It is often used as an alternative to the more costly procedures like plastic surgery, chemical peels and aesthetic injections. In the technique, the aesthetician uses a device like a fine sandblaster to shoot tiny crystals like aluminium oxide, sodium chloride or sodium bicarbonate across the face. Gentle abrasion is combined with suction procedures to remove the dead, outer layer of skin and used up crystals.

The logic behind the technique is that if you remove or break up the outer layer of the skin, the body interprets that as a mild injury. In a self-preserving response, it rushes to replace the lost skin cells with new, healthier ones. This faster cell production and replacement encourages blood flow, improves cell nutrition, skin elasticity and texture. The result is a fresher, healthier skin with enhanced absorption of medicinal cream and moisturisers.

Microdermabrasion is used to treat the skin’s visible imperfections, like clogged pores, sun damage, hyper-pigmentation, blemishes, age spots and blackheads.

Says Susan: “I have done the procedure five times. I would say it worked. I no longer do it so often now.”

The initial procedure cost her Sh10,000. She also uses a cleanser that costs Sh3,700 which, she says, lasts three months. “It is not expensive. Compared with the amount of money we use on creams, scrubs and cleansers — which worsen our faces — this is actually cheaper in the long term.”

Irene Kagundo, who has also been going for a micropeel for the last two years, is all praises for the procedure. “I had bad acne,” she recalls. “My face was very bad.” In another two months, she believes, her face will be in great condition.

Maria believes that most skin catastrophes result from using the wrong products. “A lot of people experiment with their faces,” she says. “They see the advertisements of products and they look very appealing. They buy a very expensive cream and try it out and it turns out to be disastrous.”

Dermal fillers

These are used to fill or replace the lost volume in static wrinkles, lines and folds. Unlike anti-wrinkle injections, dermal fillers do not affect facial muscle contraction. They are used in the treatment of lines and folds that appear at rest, rather than those that appear during facial expression. Dermal fillers smooth out wrinkles, plump lips, and remove smile lines, nasolabial folds and acne scars.

They are also used to change the shape of, or enlarge, lips, cheeks, chin and nose, and for eyebrow lifting. One branded dermal filler, JuvÈderm, is a gel implant that includes hyaluronic acid, a natural complex sugar that bolsters skin elasticity. Says Maria: “The transparent gel goes in and fills the space like cement. After six-to-nine months, the compound is naturally absorbed into the body and you have to go for another injection”.

The procedure takes about 15 minutes. Side effects include redness, tenderness, or pain at the injection site. Reversible discoloration may occur. One tube of JuvÈderm costs about Sh20,000, exclusive of procedure.

Laser Skin Treatments

Medical lasers have become common in cosmetic procedures. They are mainly used to treat skin ailments like psoriasis, eczema and acne, and for removal of hair, pigmentation and skin tags. Dr Bansil stresses the need for clients to insist on a properly trained practitioner. “In other countries, lasers cannot be handled without the direct supervision of a qualified doctor,” he stresses, explaining that some non-medical personnel in Kenya offer laser services.

Many clients, Maria adds, have been misled. “A woman goes to the beautician, he does laser without finding out why she is developing facial hair. And when the operation goes bad, she comes to us to correct it.”

Laser hair removal helps reduce hair growth and increases the manageability of excess hair by selectively targeting and disrupting hair follicles. To achieve a 60 to 80 per cent reduction in hair growth, about eight sessions are required at intervals of four-to-eight weeks.

Here are some homemade acne care solutions that you can easily try. Because of different skin types, different atmospheric and environmental conditions and differed food habits, one solution may not work for everyone. You may have to do some experimentation before you find one of the magic homemade acne remedies that does the trick for you.

Use an herbal cleanser to clean your face and skin. This will remove excess oil. Make a paste of gram flour and use it to clean your face and skin. This will clean your skin well and would not be harsh. However make sure to rinse the skin well with water to remove the gram flour paste.

Sandalwood and turmeric have been used for acne care for a very long time. Mix sandalwood and turmeric powder in equal quantities to create a fine paste. Apply this paste to your pimples and leave it for about an hour. This mix has excellent healing and antibacterial properties, which makes it one of the best homemade acne remedies.

You should also remove dead skin cells from your face once or twice a week. You can do this by using diluted apple cider vinegar or lemon juice. Apply the solution to your face with a cotton ball and leave it for about 10 minutes before wasting with water.

If you have severe pimples then pulp of acidic fruits has really worked well. Take some orange and grape fruit pulp and drain out the juice from it. Apply the pulp to your face and leave it for 20 to 30 minutes before rinsing with water. This acne care solution is extremely effective for cystic acne and also to fade the scars.

Use Antioxidants on your skin. To heal the damaged skin and prevent new acne breakout you will require a homemade acne remedy that has good healing and antioxidant properties. Aloe Vera works really well for healing and acne prevention. You can use gel from an Aloe Vera leaf and directly apply it to your skin. Otherwise you can buy Aloe Vera Gel from one of the herbal wellness stores.

Here are some secrets you don’t know yet – Do you know that there are some natural techniques that can get rid of acne, pimples, zits, beachheads and acne in a few days for sure. This may seem impossible, but is actually 100% true. To get access to these secrets click here – Acne Care

Most of the successful cases reported three main ways of using olive oil for acne prevention. The first way is to use a cleanser based on olive oil. One small group of friends actually conducted their own experiment. They tested 3 different brands of olive oil cleanser: a cheap brand from their local departmental store, a high-end brand from an upscale boutique, and another high-end brand bought from a catalog. They found that the cheap brand caused more acne, but the two different expensive brands helped a great deal. Definitely looks like a case of you get what you pay for.

The second group of successful cases used this regimen:

• Wash with extra virgin olive oil – apply a small amount to the skin, rubbing gently with finger-tips in circular motions. You may notice some hard grainy things. These are actually disloged blackheads.
• Wash with glycerin soap bar – you can buy the orange-colored bars which Nutrogena sells, or use a generic brand

Some of them reported that after just a few days, they no longer wake up with oily faces. After just two weeks, they find fewer acne breakouts, and their skin has a healthy glow.The third group of successes used extra virgin olive oil as a kind of facial masque.

• Rinse face in plain warm water.
• Massage a small amount of extra virgin olive oil into skin until all the oil has soaked in.
• Dab face with a clean linen cloth until it matts the oily look.

After half-an-hour, they notice the sebum being slowly pulled out of the pores on their nose and cheeks. After just one hour, they find that their skin glows very nicely, without being oily.It seems that normal extra virgin olive oil works very nicely. You do not need to buy the more expensive organic version. I am more comfortable with the idea of using olive oil as a wash, much the same way as removing make-up. Overall, not a method you use to get rid of pimples but a potentially cheap and effective long-term method of acne prevention.

It may seem weird to have follicles in a place like the side of the nose where there do not seem to be any hairs. In fact there are microscopic hairs all over the skin everywhere on the body. Some people have more or less depending on their genetic inheritance, but we all have hairs that we cannot see. These hairs have follicles (the depression in the skin in which they grow) and these follicles can suffer from excess sebum causing blockage.

Sebum is the natural oil that keeps our skin smooth and moisturized. Production of sebum is affected by our hormones and most people produce more around the time of puberty and into young adulthood. Some people’s skin produces so much sebum that it collects in the follicles, causing acne comedoniano.

An open comedo (plural: comedones) is a blackhead. These form where the follicle remains open to the air. The sebum mixes with keratin, forming a semi-solid substance that blocks the follicle. On the surface where it has contact with the air, it oxidizes to a dark brown color. They are not really black.

Closed comedones are similar but a thin layer of skin forms over the comedo so the sebum does not have contact with the air and remains a yellowish color, forming a small bump. These are called whiteheads. They sometimes become infected, forming pus. Infected whiteheads usually grow larger over a couple of days.

Since comedones are formed by over production of sebum, it is important not to use harsh acne treatments on them. Products that dry out the skin will make the body think it is not producing enough sebum, so it goes ahead and makes more, making the problem worse. Even washing many times a day with soap can have this effect.

Given time, the body will use its own natural healing resources to deal with comedonal acne. Blackheads will be expelled from the follicle and whiteheads will dry up. However, the pimples and blackheads are usually unattractive, so many people prefer to look for an acne comediano natural treatment to get rid of them faster.

Acne Comedoniano Natural Treatment

Blackheads can be removed with a pore cleansing strip. This is an adhesive strip that you stick over the worst affected areas, e.g. the nose, and leave for 10 minutes. When you peel it off according to the directions, it will automatically extract many of the blackheads which stick to the strip.

Whiteheads can be treated with a natural antiseptic such as creams based on tea tree oil or aloe vera juice. This can help to reduce and prevent infection and the formation of pus.

Food and Acne Comedoniano Prevention

However, prevention is always the best method for natural treatments. One of the best ways to prevent acne is to take a close look at your diet. It is often effective to cut out milk products including cheese, cream and all of the milk based substances like whey, milk powder, lactose, milk solids etc that are found in many processed foods. This is because most dairy cows are fed huge quantities of sex hormones to keep them producing milk even when they do not have a calf. These hormones will only add to the already high levels of hormones that are circulating in the body of an adolescent or young adult.

At the same time, reduce sugar intake to as close to zero as you can, and increase your consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables. This will give the body more of the vitamins and minerals that it needs to fight all kinds of infection, disease and irregularities, including acne comedoniano.

The smart first step to any new diet is identifying the habits of one’s current routine that are not healthy, and the same is true of a skincare diet. This includes over-consumption of coffee, diet soda, and processed foods, or not eating enough fresh fruits and vegetables. Believe it or not, a diet consisting mainly of processed foods is as bad for the skin as it is for the health. In order for the skin to function optimally, it is important to consume foods rich in vitamins, minerals and botanical ingredients.

Vitamin A for Acne Treatment

Vitamin A, a potent free-radical scavenger, helps the skin heal from wounds, and in the manufacture of new skin tissue. In addition, Vitamin A helps the skin fight blemishes and breakouts, and has been shown to slow the aging process. Necessary for the formation of bones and teeth, Vitamin A is an extremely important part of any skincare diet and can be found in: green and yellow fruits and vegetables, squash, beets, peaches, pumpkin, red peppers, spinach, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, asparagus and apricots. Deficiencies in Vitamin A can lead to dry skin or hair, acne, night blindness and possibly even respiratory infections.

Vitamin C for acne treatment

The next vitamin, Vitamin C (ascorbic acid), is probably one of the most well known vitamins, universally acknowledged as critical to good health and well being. Involved in at least 300 metabolic functions, Vitamin C is a potent anti-oxidant, helps repair and grow tissue, protects against the harmful effects of pollution, boosts the immune system, assists in healing wounds and burns, and may even help to lower blood pressure and LDL (or bad) cholesterol. However, the body cannot produce Vitamin C, making supplementation of this substance through the diet necessary. Luckily, there are dozens of tasty foods that contain Vitamin C, including the most obvious: citrus fruit. Vitamin C may also be found in: broccoli, strawberries, tomatoes, asparagus, pineapple, radishes, avocado, beets, berries, green vegetables, spinach and freshly squeezed orange juice.

CoEnzymeQ10 for acne treatment

CoEnzymeQ10 is a vitamin-like substance sometimes called ubiquinone because it is present in every cell of the body. Reputed to be more potent than Vitamin E, CoQ10 is an extremely powerful scavenger of free-radicals, and is necessary for the production of energy in all cells-skin included. CoQ10 also assists circulation, increases tissue oxygenation and has promising anti-aging effects. Because production of this substance slows down with age, supplementation is suggested by eating peanuts, spinach, beef and especially oily fish such as salmon, which has the highest natural amounts of CoQ10.