Month: June 2018

A healthy skin is a source of pleasure, not only to the individual but also to the one who looks it. To possess a nice skin is to have great social advantage. The positive health of skin is an insurance against diseases. Conspicuous

The normal healthy skin is clear, smooth, supple, elastic, uniformly pigmented without wrinkles and does not sag. The skin being the external covering of human body is put to great stress and strain by the external environments involving factors like climatic changes, dust, irritants, non-pathogenic and pathogenic organisms. The sebum of skin should be washed off daily. The following factors are important in keeping the skin healthy.

DIET

It should be balanced and digestible. A fair amount of animal proteins and vitamins are essential. Concentrated starchy food should be avoided. The Spices, tea, coffee and alcohol should be consumed as little as possible. Occasional fasting is good for health and keep the digestion healthy. Over eating leads to obesity which predisposes to several illness. “Sattwik” diet is the best way.

FRESH COOL AIR, EXERCISE AND MILD SUN

Fresh cool air, exercise and mild sun are potent natural skin restorers. They stimulate the skin and there by the Thyroid, Adrenals and Sympathetic nervous system on which are dependent the well-being and vitality of the skin and the body.

A moderately cool climate is the most potent natural stimulus to the skin. Exercise in fresh, cool air is very stimulating. Yogic exercises are very beneficial. At the same time, extreme cold is injurious to skin. Scorching heat of tropical climate causes hyperhidrosis and maceration. So the skin must be protected from strong sun and direct heat. While mild sun bathing is beneficial, strong sun produces degenerative changes and even cancer.

CLOTHING

Our cloths and foot wears should not contain sensitizers. Avoid very tight fitting and Nylon cloths especially in summer and only wear loose cotton cloths and soft chappals. Nylon cloths interfere with the absorption and evaporation of sweat. In addition, the chemicals, dissolved by unevaporated sweat can cause contact dermatitis.

BATHING

In tropical countries, daily bathing with clean, cool water is essential in summer. In cold weather, one can use warm water as often as possible. Clean the various body folds, genitalia and feet properly. The skin should be dried thoroughly after bathing.

SOAP

A simple, least alkaline soap should be used. People with greasy skin need more soap than those with dry skin. People with dry skin should use superfatted soaps.

OIL

It nourishes the skin and hair and makes them smooth. Coconut and Olive oils are in common use. In dry cold weather conditions like North Indian winter, it is a good habit to massage Vaseline or milk cream on the exposed parts of the body before retiring bed which helps the skin smooth and fresh.

SHAVING

The following points should be kept in mind when shaving

• Do not shave too finely by stretching the skin
• Shave in one direction
• Use clean, sterilised and sharp instruments and avoid repeated shaving on the same part
• The beard should be properly softened with soap or shaving cream before shaving

The electric razor is a useful innovation, particularly for people with disorders on beard region.

COSMETICS

Cosmetics contain chemicals to which individuals may be sensitive or may become sensitized to them. So we are more care when selecting the cosmetics. In Europe and America, cosmetics are responsible for a great deal of contact eczema. In Asiatic countries, the incidence fortunately still low.

Chemicals in cosmetics may harm the skin, cause blockage of pores and invisible, slow degeneration. Hence avoid cosmetics as much as possible.

We follow the above said disciplines in our daily routine and keep our skin healthy and glowing.

Dry skin and Winter

The skin becomes dry when it loses its moisture content due to lack of the protective oils. And this problem intensifies during the winter, when environmental humidity is low. The cold air pulls moisture away from skin, tightening your skin cells and weakening your protective barrier.

Other common causes of dry skin include:

• overuse of soap and hot water
• exposure to harsh chemicals
• autoimmune skin diseases such as Psoriasis
• aging

How to Restore Dry Winter Skin?
Use warm water for bathing

Hot water rather than helping you feeling better in chilled weather, it actually worsens the dry skin problem by stripping off the protective oils from the skin. Thus, it is better to use warm water and short bathing time in winter.

Use of mild soap and moisturiser

Use of harsh soaps is no way preferable if you have psoriasis or severe dry skin. Rather switch to less aggressive, moisture-rich soaps made for sensitive skin. And apply suitable moisturiser.

Keep yourself hydrated

Drink more water to replace the moisture that the dry air steals away.

Oils are essential

Oils like Almond oil, wheat germ oil, avocado oil etc. help you fight the aging process, wrinkles formation and dry skin.

Rely on herbs rather than chemicals
Herbs such as

• Indigofera tinctoria exfoliates dry skin and contains rich source of flavonoids that are known to protect the skin.
• Wrightia tinctoria contains flavonoids, tannins, glycosides and phenolic compounds known to augment healing properties of skin.
• Cynadon dactylon is known to delay skin ageing.
• Aloe vera contains potent antibacterial, antiseptic and antifungal properties. Treats dry skin and associated itching.

Melanocyte cells present below the human skin produces and transfer more amount melanin pigment to the upper layer of skin. Thereby it creates a protective layer from the Sun/UV rays.

But in vitiligo melanin pigment is lost resulting into uneven discoloration of skin. Therefore, for treating vitiligo and other hypopigmentary disorders, it is important to use any product that will absorb the sun exposure and induce the pigmentogenesis process and at the same time, it will also protect the vitiligenous skin from over sun exposure. As over sun exposure to the depigmented skin can be harmful.

Natural resources that can help you out for treating vitiligo:

The plant Psoralea corylifolia (Babchi) contains the active constituent Psoralen which entraps and enhances the benefit of the Sun/UV rays when mild exposure is given. It makes the skin sensitive to sunlight. Sunlight being entrapped by psoralen kindles the genetic memory of the damaged melanocytes resulting into melanin production.

On the other hand, Piperine in Piper longum promotes melanocyte multiplication and transfers melanin pigment to the upper layer of skin; whereas Wrightia tinctoria augments healing properties of skin and Indigofera tinctoria works as anti-oxidant and retards the damage of skin cells due to free radicals.

Various herbal ointments with all or any of these herbs also provide sun protection other than inducing melanin production and thus they can be the best drug of choice for treating hypopigmentary disorders and vitiligo.

But do always consult with your doctor to choose the right treatment product for your problem.

Your body needs vitamins in order to take care of specific problems like cell damage repair and regulate other metabolic functions. Vitamins could regenerate, rejuvenate and enrich the human physiology in one or other ways.

Vitamin A slows the normal aging breakdown of your collagen and elastin in the dermis,exfoliates making skin smooth and even-toned and repairs the cellular structure of the epidermis optimising UV protection.

Vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin, regulates skin cell multiplication and differentiation.

B-Complex Vitamins counteract damage caused by free-radicals – molecules that breakdown healthy cells and contribute to ageing and disease. B complex Vitamins also helps in less dryness and flakiness and a reduction of fine lines on the skin.

Vitamin E also has basic antioxidant properties that block free radicals and reduce wrinkles and keep the skin youthful-looking.

Although an excess of vitamin and improper intake can also lead to adverse effects, the right type and the appropriate amount of Vitamins could help you maintain the health of your hair, skin and other vital organs.

Vitiligo is an autoimmune disorder of skin in which

• The skin pigment, melanin is lost
• Skin cells further fail to produce melanin
• The already produced pigment does not get transferred to the upper layer of skin

Therefore, skin loses its natural colour and white patches are formed which are progressive in nature.

How to treat vitiligo condition?

Various products that give the following benefits are majorly used for treating vitiligo or hypopigmentary disorders of skin:

• Increases in melanin synthesis by skin cells
• Helps in the transfer of melanin from basal layer to the upper layer of skin
• And also induces the functionality of the required enzyme, tyrosinase

These functions are further enhanced by the sun therapy or PUVA therapy. But, due to lack of melanin, the vitiligenous skin becomes very sensitive to the sun exposure. Hence it needs to be protected from the sun damage.

Verdura mela gain cream- what and why

Verdura mela gain cream gives all the above mentioned benefits and helps in the management of vitiligo condition.

It also contains Psoralea corylifolia (natural source of Psoralen) that entraps and boosts the sun therapy and the sun screeners such as Bentonite, Calamine, Titanium dioxide and Zinc oxide that are present in it, give required protection to the skin from over exposure.

Clinical proof for efficacy of Verdura mela gain cream

A clinical study was done on 26 volunteers with cream with and without sun screeners and with and without sun exposure.

The findings of the study suggest that the herbal actives of the cream induce melanin production, irrespective of sun exposure. Simultaneously, the sunscreeners minimize the solar vulnerability of the skin.

Hence, with these proven complimentary benefits from contradicting agents, Verdura mela gain cream can be the best product of choice for vitiligo treatment.

Ordinary soaps can quite often be harsh on the skin and cause irritation – particularly when your skin is dry and scaly.

Irritation potential of soap/ bathing bar is evaluated scientifically by Collagen swell test. A mild and non irritant soap should pass the Collagen swell test.

Choose VERDURA skin fresh intense moisturizer bar enriched with almond oil, wheat germ oil and avocado oil – an ideal bathing bar for your delicate, dry skin that helps in the exfoliation of scales and intensely moisturizes the skin and what more….

VERDURA skin fresh intense moisturizer bar has passed the collagen swell test. It is mild and non-irritant and safe for regular use.

Collagen swell test

Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body. Collagen swells when it damages. The extent of swelling is directly proportional to the gentleness of the product.

The graph given below scientifically proves that verdura skin fresh intense moisturiser bar is gentle on the skin and does not cause any skin irritation as collagen swelling is minimal compared to SLS which swells collagen to the maximum. It has no effect on collagen protein.

It gives increased humectancy and offers skin protection through its rich ingredients. It is very helpful for psoriatic skin, atopic dermatitis and dry skin.

While too much of the sun rays can be harmful to your skin, the right balance can have lots of positive effects on our body. According to the World Health Organization, sun exposure can treat several auto immune disorders.

Moderate amount of sun exposure

• Slows down the rapid rate of skin cell multiplication (scaling) and skin cell shedding in psoriasis.
• Kindles genetic memory of pigment cells of the skin to produce melanin in vitiligo.
• Produces vitamin D in the body which improves brain function
• Helps in healing eczema and fungal infections
• Sun exposure improves the production of blood cells in the body which helps develop resistance to diseases in the body and thus boosts the immunity.

Over exposure to sun can cause

• Sunburn
• Wrinkle formation
• Skin damage
• Photo Ageing of skin
• Skin cancer.

It is important to take adequate precaution.

The best way to get the benefits and stay away from the ill effects of sun is to always apply a sunscreen compulsorily whenever we go outdoors.

Dry skin is a sensitive issue which needs to be taken care of with consummate care. People with dry skin usually have low level of sebum, so their skin develops scales because of their inability to retain moisture. You can manage your skin by taking a few steps.

a) Retaining your natural oils

Your body produces natural oils on a daily basis which helps it from drying up and protects the skin. Using an ordinary soap strips it of these oils therefore using a specialized medicated soap for moisturizing extra dry skin is advised by most doctors. This helps to regain the natural oils in our skin.

b) Exfoliate with care

Exfoliating the skin with scrubs is necessary but it must be done with care as it will remove the dead cells present in the top layer of dry skin. Once or twice a week is more than enough, mainly sensitive areas like the face.

c) Drying your skin with care

Drying the skin is a daily habit but it also needs to be with care as vigorously doing it can lead to irritation of the skin and it also strips the body of its natural oils, so remember when drying your skin to do it gently.

d) Daily use of a Moisturizer

The daily use of a moisturizer is a very good habit to cultivate as it nourishes the skin and helps to lock in moisture. It is especially effective right after a shower when your body is still wet.

The plant Psoralea corylifolia (Babchi) contains the active constituent Psoralen which can be applied topically on the affected areas before sun exposure.

Psoralen entraps and enhances the benefit of the UV rays of sunlight when mild exposure is given. It makes the skin sensitive to sunlight so that the UV radiations can penetrate easily into the skin and

• Reduce symptoms such as itching and inflammation in excessive scaling conditions of skin. PUVA (Psoralen+UVA) slows down excessive skin cell growth and inflammation that causes extreme dry scaling conditions of skin to develop.
• Minimise uneven discolouration of skin and hypopigmentation. Psoralen, on absorption of sunlight, kindles the genetic memory of the damaged melanocytes (pigment producing skin cells), resulting in melanin production.
  Narrowband UVB (311-312 nm) that is present in the sunlight also stimulates pigment cells to produce melanin in a very short time after exposure.

To step up the goodness of sunlight effectively in these conditions, a topical cream containing Psoralea corylifolia /Psoralen is highly recommended.

Psoralea corylifolia (Babchi) and its oil are called as Kushtaghni in Ayurveda which means remedy for treating skin diseases.

Numerous research done on the plant state that the presence of active constituent Psoralen in Psoralea corylifolia promotes pigmentation and support the stimulation of melanin pigments in the skin structure which in turn help in managing vitiligo. Pigment formation is much faster when the affected areas are exposed to sunlight and alternate sources of UV light. Scientific studies have also proven that Psoralen stimulates residual pigmentation and improves skin health.

Another study showed that Psoralen is a photoactive furocoumarin that binds to DNA when exposed to UV light to form photoproducts with pyrimidine base. This action inhibits DNA synthesis and causes decrease in skin cell proliferation. This inhibits excessive skin scaling and helps in managing psoriasis.

Cream containing Psoralea corylifolia can be applied onto the affected areas and exposed to sun or UV light for faster relief from the symptoms of auto immune disorders like Psoriasis and Vitiligo.