Viva Woman

Cyndi of Cyndi Heart Pink left a comment in my last post Keep Skin Beautiful With A Balance pH Level, to recommend a gentle cleanser since most of those she has come across in Malaysia comes with Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS).  I thought that was a very good question since natural and organic skincare products are not readily available in many markets.  In addition, not everyone is into natural or organic skincare.  So what would be a cleanser that is gentle, non-irritating, provides natural pH balance, is easily accessible and also reasonably priced?

Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser
Well, I told Cyndi to try Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser.  Personally, I haven’t tried the product because the packaging doesn’t appeal to me.  I also suspect I may not like it very much because this is a non-foaming formula which doesn’t lather much.  But the product has won many accolades and rave reviews.  On Makeupalley.com, this is the most reviewed products with 2686 reviewers currently giving it a rating of 3.5 out of 5.  In addition, 62% of these reviewers indicate they will buy the product again.

Good for dry and sensitive skin
Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser cost around S$15 and is great for those with dry and sensitive skin.  I also read many positive reviews from those with acne conditions too.  Which is no wonder since this product was specifically formulated for those with acne, atopic dermatitis, diaper rash, dry skin, eczema, healthy skin, impetigo, psoriasis, rosacea, seborrheic dermatitis, sunburn,pre- and post-cosmetic procedures.  Even dermatologists are recommending this.

Contains low SLS concentration
This cleanser is said not to strip the skin of natural protective oils or emollients, or disturb the skin’s natural pH balance.  It is fragrance-free and non-comedogenic, making it an excellent choice for daily facial cleansing which leaves skin feeling soft.  And if you’re using topical medications for your acne for example, this is a great cleanser to prepare your skin for the topical applications.

Ingredients:
Water, Cetyl Alcohol, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Stearyl Alcohol, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Butylparaben.

Although it contains SLS, the concentration as I understand is only about 1%.

Alternative:Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser For Normal To Oily Skin
However, because it does not lather and leaves a moisturizing residue, it generally didn’t get great reviews from those with oily or combination skin because most complained that the product doesn’t clean enough.  For this group of users, Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser for Normal to Oily Skin seems to work better as it is a foaming cleanser which can remove some of the facial makeup.   Apparently, some dermatologists are even recommending this cleanser to those with cystic acne.  The only drawback is this product isn’t widely available in Singapore but you can still get it at the in-house pharmacies within hospitals like mypharmacy.com.  Current price is about S$20, not exactly that affordable to me.  (I have no idea if this is available in Malaysia though.)

Ingredients:
Purified Water, PEG-200 Hydrogenated Glyceryl Palmate (and) PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Acrylates/Steareth-20 Methacrylate Copolymer, Glycerin, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Butylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Masking Fragrance, Panthenol, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Disodium EDTA, Methylparaben.

I also have no idea on the concentration of SLS in this product but logically, it should be higher since this is a foaming formula. 

Do not over cleanse
Well, at the end of the day, whichever cleanser you pick, you should not be over washing your face.  I think three times a day is about the maximum.  Because anything more, you are actually stripping away the natural oil on your skin and that by itself would stimulate the skin to produce even more oil.

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I have been seeing quite a number of skincare products on the market promoting themselves as pH neutral.  The Lavera range of toners which I reviewed yesterday for example, are neutral pH 5.5 formulas that promise to balances our facial pH level after cleansing.  So what exactly is this skin pH level and why is it important to maintain a balance by choosing cosmetics and skincare products that have a pH value close to that of our own skin?

What is our normal skin pH?
pH refers to the balance of acid and alkali in our skin. That is, how acidic your skin is.  Normal skin pH is said to be somewhat acidic and in the range of 4.2. to 5.6 and it varies from one part of the body to another (source).

What is acid mantle and its connection to pH?
When we are talking about the pH level, we are really referring to the pH of the acid mantle.  Acid mantle is a fine film consisting of sweat and sebum with a slightly acidic pH on the surface of the skin that helps our skin to remain healthy with fewer blemishes.  In fact, the acid mantle plays a very important role as an integral part of the barrier function of the stratum corneum (the outermost layer of the skin) because it is this natural acidity that protects our skin against all elements, such as microorganisms, wind, pollutants, bacterial and fungal infections (source). 

What causes pH to become imbalance?
Environmental stress like UV rays and pollution as well as changes in diet and hormones can cause the acid mantle to break down and make our skin more alkaline.  You may also like to know that each time you wash your skin, the balance of acidity in our skin is distorted due to the alkaline in water and the cleanser and it can take half an hour or longer for the normal pH level to be restored. And the bad news for older skin is that it can take up to 8 hours to regain its acidity.


Why do we have to maintain skin pH level at 5.5?
In addition to the fact that our skin is more proned to damage and infection when the acid mantle breaks down, low levels of acid can cause our skin to become over drying.  Moreover, pH imbalance is widely known to be the most critical cause of acne. Hence, maintaining the skin pH at the natural pH no greater than 5.5 is vital to prevent acne, infection, irritation and more importantly, slows down skin aging.  And I believe that maintaining the pH balance level is even more essential for those with sensitive skin.

How to maintain a balance skin pH?
This is why it is important that we choose cosmetics and skincare products that have a pH value close to that of our own skin so as not to alter the skin’s natural protective capabilities.  So for those who think that a cleanser is just a cleanser and will not have lasting effects on our skin, think again.  As a thumb of rule, these are the most common advices I came across when I was looking for information on how to maintain a balance skin ph level:

- Use a mild cleanser or a pH 5.5 cleanser
- Use an alcohol-free mild toner to restore the acid balance
- Avoid using soaps which tend to be alkaline
   > read the ingredients and check the formulation
- Avoid over washing as water has a pH of 7
- Avoid alcohol content in your skincare
- Avoid using products with harsh chemicals like SLS
- Take food which contain alpha-hydroxy acids
   > like apples, blackberries, tomatoes and any citrus food

How to tell if a product is really pH balanced?
What I was more curious about however was how do we know if the product really is pH balanced? I mean, unless the product says so, how can we determine their pH balance when we purchase the product? And even if they claim to have a pH level of 5.5, how do we know if that’s not just their words. For example, I learnt that toners containing witch hazel are drying and irritating, yet Lavera Calendula Toner which does contain witch hazel is said to be a neutral pH 5.5 formula? So is it really neutral?

I dug around but I couldn’t really find a clear cut answer to this althought I eventually figured out that the easiest answer to this maybe to use the pH litmus indicator test strips! *laughs*

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I had thought I needed a haircut badly because it was looking out of shape but it appears what I only needed was to change my shampoo.   

Myth about shampoo
I have been using the REF 335 shampoo for quite a long time now and I decided to switch back to my Redken Body Full on a whim yesterday. Voilà!  My hair not only felt lighter, but looked a lot better with more volume and shape!  Then I remembered this myth about how the same shampoo doesn’t work well after awhile because the hair gets too used to it.  So does this mean this is true?

I think it’s probably true that we need to rotate our shampoo for best performance but the real reason is more like because the products are building up on our hair.

Conditioner build up
Actually before I tried REF 335, I was using Redken for many years without too much problems.  But I got fed up with the price hike and switched to REF 335 upon recommendation and since it ;
worked well, I stuck to it for quite a while.  I believe the problem with REF 335 could be in the conditioning ingredients.  It’s not a 2 in 1 type of shampoo but it does contain Tamanu oil and silk proteins which could have weighed down my hair overtime as all conditioners are known to leave some amount of product on our hair although a lightweight conditioner will leave less behind.

So if you’ve been using a 2 in 1 shampoo for some time and you find that it hasn’t been giving you the results you desire, perhaps it’s time to switch and go back to using two separate products; a shampoo plus a conditioner.

Other reasons for the build up
But it’s not only the 2 in 1 shampoos that could cause this buildup.  A shampoo with cheaper ingredients can often leave a film on the surface of the hair and styling products like gel, mousse, hairspray can do the same.  In addition, I read that changes in weather and even water conditions make quite a lot of difference to how your favorite shampoo works.

Or it could even be because you’re not shampooing right as you should be applying the shampoo from your hand and not directly from the bottle onto your scalp so as to minimize the product buildup.

Using a cleansing shampoo
So to answer the question I have posed in my title, it’s not necessary to change your shampoo often if you don’t want to.  But you may wish to rotate with another shampoo.  Or if you find that your favorite shampoo isn’t working the way it used to, consider using baking soda rinse or a clarifying shampoo. 

I recommend Neutrogena Anti-Residue Shampoo which is made for this purpose.  The product is said to instantly remove up to 70% of dulling residue build-up caused by continuous use of even the best shampoos, conditioners and styling products.   It used to be my favorite shampoo because it was so mild and I could use it everyday.

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Oh gosh.  I just made a revelation while researching on the topic of sebaceous cysts.  The small yellowish dome-shaped lump or bump that grew on my vagina area when I was a teen was actually a sebaceous cyst!  I never got to find out what it was though I’ve long gotten rid of it.  I only found out because I wanted to write about this as my husband just had a 1 cm sebaceous cyst removed from the left side of his face near his ear via excision biopsis. 

What are sebaceous cysts?
According to the medical encyclopedia, a sebaceous cyst, also known as epidermal cyst is a closed sac of cells created under the skin into which a protein called keratin is secreted. These cysts are often the result of swollen hair follicles or skin trauma and are formed when the release of sebum, a medium-thick fluid produced by sebaceous glands in the skin, is blocked. They are harmless, painless, slow-growing small bumps or lumps that move freely under the skin.  And sebaceous cysts are usually found on the face, neck and trunk, but can occur anywhere on the body and even in the vaginal area or other parts of the genitalia of both women and men. In addition, acne could be a precursor to the growth of these sebaceous cysts.

Diagnose your sebaceous cyst as early as possible
Actually, the sebaceous cyst on my husband’s face must have been growing for about ten years because I remember squeezing at it like a pimple and being intrigued that there is always a supply of the stringy, cheesy, foul-smelling material oozing from it.  Over the years, it grew to a sizeable lump and he was so irritated by the look of it that he decided to have it surgically removed earlier this week.   I’m writing this because even though it’s benign, I realized that it is important to diagnose a sebaceous cyst in the early stage so that you can at least try to prevent it from permanently blocking the sebaceous gland and subsequently growing larger and then having to remove it surgically, which would inevitably mean leaving a scar!

Ways to possibly prevent sebaceous cysts
According to the University of Iillinois Medical Center, besides hormones, sebaceous cysts could be caused by increased production of sebum and even bacteria.  Hence, it is important to wash your face at least twice daily, avoid greasy makeup products and opt for cosmetics which will not clog pores.  Also avoid unnecessary exposure to the sun, excessive heat or greasy surroundings.   In addition, I believe a diet that doesn’t encourage the excessive production of sebum may help too. 

Ways to treat and remove sebaceous cysts
While these cysts may occasionally become infected and form painful abscesses, sebaceous cysts usually don’t require medical attention as they can either disappear on their own or stay the same size without causing any problems. Those who are keen to prevent it from getting worst or possibly get rid of it may wish to try some of these home remedies which I’ve come across.

One is essential oils which have been said to be able to help detoxify the skin and possibly help with the sebum secretion because of its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties (source).  Another home treatment recommended is to press a hot, damp wash cloth against the cyst over a period of time to try to liquify and drain the waxy sebum. You’ll also find that there are some products claiming to help with the cure of these sebaceous cysts though I have no idea how well they work.

However, if the cysts become infected or grow to a bothersome size, health care providers can remove them or prescribe treatment with steroids or antibiotics.

How I removed my sebaceous cysts on my vaginal area
Oh, and how did I remove that sebaceous cyst on my vaginal area many years ago?  Nope, I didn’t see any doctor because I was too shy about it.  I remember applying some oilment on it for some weeks and I kept trying to squeeze it out everyday for a very long while.  Then one day, I must have used enough might and it just popped out!  It was painful alright but I was so glad I got rid of it.  In fact, I have forgotten all about it until now.

* Okay, I know I’m using a rather irrelevant picture here but no way am I’m going to put up a picture of sebaceous cysts.  You can do a search on it online but let me warn you, some of those pictures are awfully gruesome!

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Despite being busy, I’ve been going to bed really early to catch up on my beauty sleep.  I realized that a few late nights has taken a toll on my face; giving me wrinkles around my eyes, saggy skin around my cheeks and deeper marionette grooves. You can almost say I aged overnight! 

While I know the importance of beauty sleep, I didn’t actually understood the biological reasons behind it and here’s what I found out.

Bad hormones, good hormones
When we don’t get enough sleep, we’re generating more free radicals and our body is missing out on that valuable downtime to repair the cellular damage those free radicals generate.  In addition, lack of sleep causes the body to produce excess cortisol, which is a hormone that breaks down skin cells.  This is also the same hormone that is released when we are stressed. 

By getting sufficient sleep, dermatologist Nicholas Perricone, M.D. tells us that our body will produce more human growth hormone (HGH), which helps skin remain thick, more elastic and less likely to wrinkle. 

You may also like to know that the body’s natural HGH production is at it’s highest output during the first hours of deep sleep. 

During the first few hours of sleep we go into what is called the Alpha Sleep phase of the brains sleep cycle where the brain’s pituitary gland releases HGH into the bloodstream and we go into the rejuvenate, repair & replace mode. (source)

In addition, little sleep leads to weight gain as I’ve covered before because there are hormonal secretions that are affected with sleep loss that apparently cause increased feelings of hunger, leading to a foraging in the fridge for food.

So ladies, don’t keep late nights and do sleep early if you want to keep the wrinkles and fats at bay.  I’ve noticed that just a week of sleeping early has made those deep lines around my eyes less prominent compared to when I didn’t get sufficient shuteye.  And yes, I don’t wake up demanding for supper too!

Also, take note of the tips to optimize beauty sleep I wrote about; including sleeping between 11pm and 3am, sleeping on your back and using a satin pilllowcase.  You may also want to use your most active serum and creams before bed to aid the skin rejuvenation process.

Sleep tight and sweet dreams tonight!

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