Essential Fatty Acids for Healthy Skin

Did you know that the right kind of fats won't make you fat!??
Did you know that every cell emembrane in our body contains essential fatty acids?
I wonder what happens to our cell membranes when we starve our bodies of these essential fatty acids?
Did you know that essential fatty acids can also make you leaner?? Now there's a thought .....
What is the wrong kind of fat?

Well, simply.... junk food fat .... or trans fatty acids are the culprits for weight gain and unhealthy effects on the body. Highly processed golden polyunsaturated oils like sunflower, corn and safflower are your typical trans fatty acids. These fatty acids in combination with sugar = heart disease. They also play havoc with our cell walls and hormones.

Essential Fatty Acids cannot be synthesized by the body, hence the need for us to regularly supply our body with these wonderful EFA's.
So what are the best essential fatty acids that we should be having in order for our skin and body to beam with health and vigour?

Omega 3 (wild fish, game, flax seeds, flax oil, walnuts) and Omega 6 (avocadoes, nuts and seeds) are required regularly for a healthy cell membrane. Just think, if your cell membrane is not functioning as it should, oxygen, nutrients and waste will not be able to pass through the cell wall as intended for healthy function. Your cells walls also keep moisture in side your cell keeping your skin plump and hydrated. A deficiency in essential fatty acids can make the skin look dull, lifeless, dry, dehydrated and stressed. If the acid mantle (which is your skins barrier to the external environment) if compromised, then your skin can become flaky, dry, itchy and irritable because your skin cannot protect itself from the outside forces or wind, pollution, harsh chemically laden skin care products and make up. Now you can start to see how important the omegas play in your diet.


They also increase the bodies metabolic rate - great for fat burning. They are also great for arthritis sufferers, healthy brain function, and dealing with stress.

tip: always look for extra virgin oil or cold pressed oil. Nutritionists recommend no more then 2 tablespoons a day.

There is a fantastic product that I prescribe my clients who have a EFA deficiency. Click here to read more. My clients add this serum to any cream or serum they are currently using and it will give you very quick results. My skin feels hydrated, plump, soft, very resistant to outside influences like heating/wind etc and even better, I don't break out as much! I mix my EFA serum with my daily sunscreen. Hydrate and Protect, my skin loves me for it and my makeup goes on smoothly and with ease.

If you think that you are EFA deficient, send a post!

Happy Skin Days,

Sarah Wilkinson

Jane Iredale Mineral Makeup

Jane Iredale Mineral Makeup is the Skin Care Makeup that is taking the world by storm. The makeup is so luxurious to wear and I just love the coverage it gives my clients and myself. Jane Iredale is suited to all skin types and is even non irritating on the the most sensitive of skins. Roasacea clients LOVE the coverage of Jane Iredale as the make up doesn't feel like you are wearing make up and is fantastic for inflammed skins, as there are no chemicals or harsh ingredients here what so ever. 

Now we all know how dangerous the sun is here in Australia particularly. Jane Iredale has 5 products that are recommended by the Skin Cancer Foundation. used regularly, these products will reduce the risk of skin cancer from over exposure to harsh UV rays. The sun also is the culprit for premature ageing so prevention is the key here..... all whilst you enjoy this really cool range with an amazing colour selection.

The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends as effective sunscreens:

• Dream Tint®
• Lip Drink®
• Powder-Me SPF®
• Amazing Base®
• PurePressed Base® 

View the Jane Iredale Mineral Makeup Range today and purchase securely through our online shopping cart

If you are in the Sydney area and would like to be colour coded in the Jane Iredale Range, call Skin Matrix today on 9389 6050 and book a complimentary 15 colour coding consultation.

Jane Iredale Mineral Makeup provides exceptional skin care benefits for every skin type and condition,
whilst giving you the option of the most chic colours available today.

Known as the Skin Care Makeup, it is based on micro-pulverized minerals and pigments that overlap each other allowing the skin to breath whilst protecting the skin from outside elements and pollutants.
You can rest assured that this makeup will not crease or smear and is water resistant.
An added bonus is that you rarely need a touch throughout your day.

As this range contains no parabens, chemicals and talc it is perfect for treatments ranging from post laser resurfacing and chemical peels to everyday applciation with the added benefit of a UVA/UVB protection. Suitable for all skin types from acne, rosacea, redness, pigmentation and dry skin.
It is 100% totally non-comedongenic (will not clog pores) and all products have been sensitivity tested and none whatsoever tested on animals. Complete coverage for skin conditions like acne, rosacea and redness following treatments like chemical peels and laser resurfacing.

Jane Iredale is recommended by plastic surgeons, dermatologists and skin professionals.

Jane Iredale logo, text, graphics and photo images: Copyright © 2004 by Iredale Mineral Cosmetics, Ltd. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Post questions on my blog or call Skin Matrix for further information today (02) 9389 6050

www.skinmatrix.com.au

Why Does our Skin Age?

To give you an answer to this question we need to look at the 2 types of ageing that occur and explore both types to truely understand the body and its processes on ageing.

Where do you think ageing in the skin occurs?

Well it doesn't happen in the upper most layer of our skin - the epidermis, it happens a few milimeters below in the next layer call the dermis. The Dermis consists mainly of collagen which are protein fibres that give our skin support. Collagen is found in the Dermis with its friend Elastin which is not found as abundantly as Collagen in the Dermis.  Collagen and Elastin are supported in the Dermis in a gel like substance called GAGS (abbreviated for glycosaminosglycans. Fibroblasts (my FAVOURITE cell ) is also found in the Dermis. It produces more collagen and elastin - now you know why I like it so much.

Lets look at the 2 types of ageing:

1) Intrinsic Ageing:

•  Genetics - these are the genes that we were born with, these dictate our hair, skin and eye colour and all things that make us an individual. Telomeres are small bits of DNA that coat our chromosome tips and play a massive role in the ageing process.
• Telomeres shortening has a correlation to our cellular clock that determines the number of times a cell divides. This has been linked to controlling the ageing of our cells. After around 80 cell divisions our telomeres become short and our cells stop dividing; they enter a state where the cells are alive but they are distorted in function and form. So it is the progressive shortening of our Telomeres that may be a cause of ageing. 
• Telomerase is the enzyme that comes around and repairs shortened Telomeres. Great News! It can restore our shortened Telomeres back to good function and form. It may not reverse ageing that you have incurred throughout the 'damaged Telomeres' time though. We stop making Telomerase at diiferent times throughout our lives to other people. It all depends on our genetic blueprint. 
• The secret to cell immortality would be to extend the life our our existing telomeres and produce LOTS of Telomerase. Ahhh if it was only that easy! No such product or treatment for this as of yet. But I am keeping my eyes and ears out for this and you will be the first to know. 

Extrinsic Ageing:

• Exposure to UV Radiation - the sun and sun beds. This breaks down collagen and elastin fibres as well as destroying Vitamin C within your skin. Vitamin C is light sensitive and oxidizes with exposure releasing free radicals. For collagen to form .... guess what it needs?!! VITAMIN C. Vitamin A receptors (I liken receptors to suction cups on your cell walls) are inactivated with UV exposure as well, meaning your cells no longer "recognise" Vitamin A within the skin. We need Vitamin A so our cells replicate and replicate healthy cells. UV also produces Collagenase/Elastase which break down collagen and elastin fibres.
• Free Radicals cause DNA damage to your cells.
• Diet - A diet rich in raw foods, fibre, and a balanced diet will benefit your skin the most, providing it with the essential daily nutrients that it needs for cell division, strength and cell immunity. Essential Fatty Acids (EFA) play a critical role in maintaining cellular health and cell membrane and should be a part of every ones diet. Fat free diets will reduce your EFA intake so be aware of this.
• Lifestyle - Smoking/high coffee/tea intake will not support the health of your cells and their function at all. Combine this with low water intake and the situation is amplified. 

I advise my clients to:

• Have a balanced lifestyle. 
• Make sure you are kind to your body, get enough sleep, take up stress reducing techiniques like yoga, meditation, retreats, weekends away from work, allow for some quiet time even if its only 10 minutes a day, really helps your body to be in a more balanced state. 
• Drink lots of water - not to hydrate the skin, but to help your body flush toxins in a timely manner.
• Take supplements if required - you can see a naturopath, get a live blood analysis, blood test from your GP etc to see if you require any supplements. For a busy, stressed person I do recommend Vitamin B as it helps support your system. Also, fish oil/salmon oil are a great source of EFA that you can include into your diet. If you eat oily fish everyday, then you may not to need an EFA supplement. 
• Get a Skin Diagnosis from your Aesthetician. make sure they use a diagnostic tool such as a woods lamp to analyze your skin. There are some more fancy diagnostic tools our there, as long as they use something then you know you are getting the best advise possible. This Diagnostic Tool will show dehydration, oil flow, accumulation of dead skin, milia, pigmentation, EFA deficiency, general health of the skin. Upon diagnosis of your Skin Health, your Aesthetician will recommend a home care program for you to undertake. This is not for the sake of a sale, it is a recommendation based on what we have noted from your diagnosis what your skin needs on a daily basis to reach your ultimate skin health and appearance. 
• Mineral Makeup is a MUST. Your skin doesn't like chemically laden concealers, foundations and powders. It hates it, it cannot breath, it receives no nutritional benefit what so ever. 100% mineral makeup like Jane Iredale, Bare Minerals,  and Young Blood are designed to not irritate your skin, they are designed to give you  a beautiful cover, without suffocating your skin and they have the most amazing ranges of colours to choose from. 

Happy Skin Days


Sarah Wilkinson

Why Not Squeeze Pimples?

To Squeeze or not to Squeeze. That is the multimillion dollar question!

Well coming from a Qualified Paramedical Aesthetician .... I advise against squeezing your spots. 

I know it is hard when you have one ... right there ... that you MUST get rid of before your big date tonight, but let me tell you. It is so much harder to conceal a spot that has been squeezed than a spot that hasn't.

Lets look at some reasons why:

1) So you do not cross infect/contaminate the acne p bacteria and spread it to another area on the face. At Skin Matrix, my skin care clinic, we make sure this doesn't happen. We wear gloves, we sanitize the area before and after the extractions.


2) It is highly possible that you will not extract the entire pimple. Especially if it is a new one. There is generally a lot of inflammation around the spot when it is new. It is sore and raised/inflammed. If you leave the spot for another 1-2 days (I know it is hard) but if you can, the spot will usually reduce in size and be ripe for your aesthetician to extract it for you.If you don't get it all out, guess what ... it will return and usually angrier than before.

3) Chances of scarring are very high when you extract pimples yourself. This is because, believe it or not, Aestheticians are trained in extracting! We have a technique and it works. Don't ruin your skin by trying to do it yourself. At Skin Matrix we are all trained in extraction techniques and I have to say, it is one of my specialties! If you do encounter scarring from your acne, please don't be concerned, there are fabulous and very successful treatments available to us now to improve the appearance of scarring.

4) You may squeeze spots that didn't need squeezing at all. At Skin Matrix or at your local Aesthetician, they will determine which spots need squeezing and which ones don't. There is not point extracting these if it is not required. There are occasions where blemishes disappear on their own, with no extractions required. That is good news for you!

I would love to hear your feedback on this topic.

Happy Skin Days,

Sarah Wilkinson