A truly effective professional skin care program will address aging by its root cause-inflammation.   

When you hear inflammation, many of you will think of the redness and swelling that you see in a wound.  That is the normal protective response of the body’s immune system.  When the skin is damaged due to an injury, foreign cells can invade the skin and cause infection and disease.  The body recognizes the potential for infection and rushes in white blood cells and other immune cells to the injury.  Any foreign cells are attacked and the repair is started.  Extra blood and fluids result in redness, warmth, and swelling.  Wound induced inflammation can harm the body and age the skin, but that is not the only type of inflammation you need to be concerned with.  In fact, there is a much more pervasive and undetected form of inflammation we all need to address.

Sub-clinical or chronic inflammation is the result of low-level injuries that occur repeatedly over a long period of time.  This inflammation will not be seen on the skin as a wound.  It is internal and at the cellular level.  Chronic inflammation has now been linked to many diseases such as various cancers, Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus, as well as aging.  The major cause of inflammation is free radicals which are produced naturally in our bodies as food is turned into “fuel”.  They are also caused by stress, UV radiation, diet, improper skin care products, as well as many others. 

So what are free radicals?  Free radicals are molecules which have become unstable due to the loss of an electron.  They try to steal electrons from other molecules in order to become stable again.  If they are successful, the molecule they have raided now becomes unstable and is a free radical.  And the process continues.  These free radicals can damage DNA strands, which if not repaired, will be replicated and can go on to become disease.

So what can be done about free radicals?  The best approach is to first identify what is causing them and then eliminate or control those causes.  Utilizing stress reduction, controlling sun exposure, applying topical antioxidants, and utilizing proper skin care products can all help reduce free radical production.  Once you have reduced free radical production where possible, you will still need to address the free radicals you could not eliminate.  This is done with antioxidants which donate an electron to a free radical thus rendering it harmless.  The antioxidant is used up but does not become a free radical itself.  So the more antioxidants you have in your body, the more free radicals you can neutralize.  The best way to increase your antioxidants is to consume fresh, raw fruits and vegetables.  They contain high levels of potent antioxidants that the body can utilize to protect you.  It is recommended you consume 9-13 servings per day.