Deep and Meaningful Pty Ltd

P.O.Box 427

Ascot Vale

Victoria, 3032

Australia

ABN 33 080 145 795

Page 1 of 5 Copyright © D&M 2009

Fight Skin Ageing with Natural Skin Care

Treatments... From the young to the not so young, people everywhere are in search of the

fountain of youth:

All forms of media have instilled the belief that people, especially women, must remain as youthful as possible to

be considered beautiful and acceptable in general society. In search of this illustrious eternal youth, the women of

the world have turned to womens skin care products and cosmetic surgery to meet this ongoing demand of staying

young forever. As many people are becoming more conscientious about what they apply to their skin alternatives,

such as natural skin care treatments, that can aid in eternal youthfulness are being sought. But not all womens skin

care products available on the market are as good for the skin as imagined as many chemicals can prove to be

detrimental for the skin and the health of the body in general.

To understand ageing means you are better equipped to make the choice of whether you purchase commercial

skin care or natural skin care treatments to enhance your skin and slow the natural ageing processes.

Uncover the theories of ageing and gain an insight into how commercial anti-ageing skin care products work, or do

they?

Why does the skin age?

The Biological Clock Theory

It is considered that our cells have a limited life span for the ability to reproduce new cells, much in the same way

that females can no longer procreate once menopause has been reached. If cell turnover is in high demand (due to

damage sustained and the need to rebuild/repair during times of stress or ‘fast living’) and cells have limitations,

then when forced to create more cells more rapidly, it is fair to assume, that they will reach the end of their ability

to produce new cells at a much faster rate. Therefore, ageing may be seen earlier than dictated by genetic

influence.

Obviously with this theory, credence must be given to the genetic influence and so, even under optimum living

criteria, we have people of the same age showing signs of the ageing process differently.

The Free Radical Theory

The normal processes of cell activity within the body create free radicals. Free radicals are a damaging by-product

Deep and Meaningful Pty Ltd

P.O.Box 427

Ascot Vale

Victoria, 3032

Australia

ABN 33 080 145 795

Page 2 of 5 Copyright © D&M 2009

of these processes but are also produced from external factors such as- UV exposure, pollution and smoking.

Under circumstances of a well balanced lifestyle (a healthy diet, moderate exercise and low stress levels) the body

has the means to cope with the free radicals produced within and maintain balance so that the free radicals are

limited to the amount of damage they can ravage on the body. However, even with a balanced lifestyle, the free

radicals can still create damage and cause ageing to proceed, as there are always more radicals than the body can

eradicate.

With an unhealthy life style, the free radicals will create more destruction at a much faster rate causing skin ageing

to become more noticeable at a much earlier age than that of what is generally considered to be normal.

The Illness Theory

The more often we are subjected to illness the more likely it is that our body will channel energy into trying to get

better. The body will use all it is fed or has available to try and rid itself of the illness, and in the process, cells in

other areas may be starved. The body prioritizes and uses what it has at its disposal to divert possible death or

harm to itself by limiting required supplies to other areas. This is why we are often very tired during periods of

illness and why we should succumb to the need to sleep. The body is trying to slow all the other areas of process

down until the danger subsides. As we get older we also tend to be more prone to illness and take longer to

recover as the immune system is weaker and cell turnover is diminished.

It is our belief, that the combination of the above three theories contribute to why we age and why we age at

different rates. Genetic influences, our ability to cope with free radicals, the rate and life span of cell turnover and

our overall health and lifestyle are all factors that have a bearing on the ageing processes of our bodies.

With more demands placed on our bodies, the more free radicals we create. More free radicals cause more

sustained damage. Increased damage requires faster cell turnover. With faster cell turnover we reach the limits on

the speed of mitosis. More and more energy keeps being diverted to keep up with these demands, increasing the

likelihood of illness as the immune system becomes weakened and so, the faster we age!

Anti - ageing skin care

If we keep in mind the above theories, we should be able to recognize the importance and the value of the

products we put onto our skin. When it comes to advertising skin care products, most advertisements have an

anti-ageing slant. Anti-ageing skin care continues to be a ‘booming’ industry as most people of today’s society,

including teenagers, are very concerned about ageing. The majority of commercial skin care companies take

advantage of this concern by continuously formulating and advertising ‘their latest’ anti-ageing product. What they

Deep and Meaningful Pty Ltd

P.O.Box 427

Ascot Vale

Victoria, 3032

Australia

ABN 33 080 145 795

Page 3 of 5 Copyright © D&M 2009

don’t advertise is the toxic chemicals that they put into these products. For a long time, the majority of people

were unaware that they were even putting these harmful ingredients onto and into their skin.

Fortunately, more and more people are becoming aware of the identity and effects of these ingredients. With the

increasing awareness of the 'eco' changing planet, people are becoming more demanding for all things natural,

viewing it as a safer, healthier alternative to polluting and destructive chemicals. This has caused a tsunami like

movement towards skin care products that are natural.

Natural skin care has the ability to improve, nurture and maintain the skins condition by introducing nutrients and

nourishment to the skin rather than toxic, cancer causing chemicals.

Your skin is like a sponge...

Your skin ‘soaks up’ the substances and products that it comes into contact with. To recognize both the positive

and negative affects of this, you need to understand the terms ‘absorption’ and ‘adsorption’.

Absorption

The skin has the ability to absorb things into it. Whatever gets onto the skin may have the ability to penetrate into

the skin. There are two passage ways in which this can take place. Water and water miscible substances can find

their way into the skin through micro channels between the cells that make up the skin and also through the sweat

pores. Oil and oil miscible substances can make their way into the skin via oil channels such as the hair follicles and

between the cells.

The absorption takes place from areas of high concentration to areas of low concentration. In order to help you

understand this, think of two sponges sitting side-by-side and touching. One sponge is wet and the other is dry,

what will happen? The dry sponge will absorb moisture from the wet sponge, until both of them contain the same

amount of moisture. So, in this example, the wet sponge is the area of high concentration and the dry sponge is

the area of low concentration. Moisture will transfer from the wet sponge to the dry sponge until both sponges are

equally moistened. Therefore, anything we put on our skin that can be absorbed will move from the surface of the

skin (area of high concentration) to the underlying cells that are devoid or low in those substances (area of low

concentration).

Adsorption

Read the heading again, it is not spelt wrong. Most people in the general populace do not have any idea about this

concept. Adsorption refers to things that ‘cling’ to the skin and remain intact with the skin for a period of time.

Something is ‘ad’ded to the skin surface and so the term used, adsorption. When it comes to many skin products

the adsorption ability of certain ingredients is of utmost importance, as you will read later.

The majority of commercial anti-ageing products are made in two ways-

Deep and Meaningful Pty Ltd

P.O.Box 427

Ascot Vale

Victoria, 3032

Australia

ABN 33 080 145 795

Page 4 of 5 Copyright © D&M 2009

1. By using ingredients that ‘adsorb’ to the skin which attract moisture from the air and plump up the area of

skin that is lacking in moisture.

2. With the use of occluding oils, such as mineral oil, that cannot be absorbed by the skin and so remains

sitting on the skins surface stopping moisture loss from within.

While such ingredients can diminish the depth of fine lines and wrinkles by 'plumping up' the skin, it can only be

seen as a band-aid solution.

There is also the added worry that mineral oil cannot be absorbed by the skin so it remains as a covering on the

skin which can:

Stop the skin from providing its own lubrication and prevention against microbes

Diminish the skins ability to breathe, as the mineral oil acts somewhat like a plastic film over it

Cause other skin problems such as blackhead formation and pore congestion

Leach the much needed minerals and vitamins out of the skin as mineral oils contain none of their own

So, what’s the overall result on your skin?

Continual use of commercial skin care products full of mineral oils and toxic ingredients results in a worsening of

the skin’s condition and causes a strong dependency on the use of such a products to maintain a ‘masking’ of the

skin’s underlying condition. This of course, is not a negative to the companies selling these products, as increased

product dependency equals increased profit.

All of this product dependency diminishes the integrity of your skin. No warnings are issued with such products

alerting you to the possibility that continued use of such a product may exacerbate your skins condition.

Furthermore, there is no clarification of how these types of ingredients diminish the signs of ageing. For example

collagen and/or elastin contained within a product is usually claimed to ‘reverse the signs of ageing’. This gives

consumers the belief that these ingredients actually go into their skin and replace any collagen and/or elastin that

their skin has lost, thus reversing the ageing process and making them appear younger. This unfortunately is not

the case. Collagen and elastin have the ability to hydrate the skin as they are two of those ingredients that adsorb

to the skin and attract moisture. This will plump up the skin and refine lines and wrinkles, giving the skin a younger,

healthier appearance. But it does not and cannot replace a lack of or the production of, natural collagen and

elastin in the skin.

Deep and Meaningful Pty Ltd

P.O.Box 427

Ascot Vale

Victoria, 3032

Australia

ABN 33 080 145 795

Page 5 of 5 Copyright © D&M 2009

Being aware of the ingredients and the affects of the ingredients contained in the skin care products you are

putting onto and into your skin is vital. It allows you as a consumer to make an informed decision as to what you

are truly applying to your precious skin.

To view the D&M Skin Care ingredient glossary click here.