Bacteria lives on the surface of the skin, in the eyes, hair, mouth, feet, armpits and genitals. Although some bacteria on the skin is dangerous, most of it is harmless and some is actually beneficial.

New research from the National Institutes of Health in theUShas also discovered that each person’s collection of bacteria is unique, like a fingerprint. But unlike fingerprints, bacteria patterns can change depending on diet, environment, general health, age and other factors.

Different types of bacterial communities tend to live and thrive best on certain areas of the body. Some types prefer dry, open areas of skin, while others prefer damp warm places.

In pioneering research from the National Human Genome Research Institute. Scientists found an amazing 4,000 different variants of bacteria in the belly button, some of which were unknown to scientists.

The most diverse area of the body in terms of bacteria is the forearm.

Research from the National Human Genome Research Institute inBethesda,Marylandand published in Science magazine, found that the most similar areas of bacteria between people was in our noses on and on our backs.

Oily areas prone to acne such as the forehead and scalp have less diversity of bacteria than non oily areas. Behind the ear is the area of the body with the least variants bacteria.

The variants and level of bacteria on certain parts of the body may go part of the way to explaining why skin conditions such eczema and psoriasis tend to often appear in certain areas of the body.

Derived from the wild rose bushes that grow in the Chilean Andes, the oil’s benefits have been known by the indigenous population for hundreds of years.

Extracted from the seed of the fruit, it makes a potent anti-ageing and deeply moisturising oil.

Rose hip  oil is rich in vitamin C and high in omega 3 and 6 fatty acids,  which are both known to heal scar tissue.

Unlike many other facial oils, rose hip oil is a ‘dry oil’ that is incredibly light and sinks easily into eth skin without leaving a greasy sheen, yet it is extremely moisturising to skin helping to smooth out fine lines and hydrate dry skin. It is so light it can be used around the eye area without causing puffiness.

Rosehip oil can be used alone as a facial hydration oil treatment or added to moisturisers or into a bath to help moisturise and brighten skin.

The charity Arthritis Care’s new report found that patients had to visit their doctor at least three times to be diagnosed with osteoarthritis and most suffered intolerable and constant pain for 2-3 year before treatment was offered.

The study on 2,000 arthritis patients found that over 70% were in constant pain for up to three years before diagnosis, drastically reducing life quality and, in some cases, forcing early retirement from work.

Osteoarthritis, which normally develops in later life and causes damage to the cartilage. The most common areas of pain are the hips, knees, hands and feet. There is no cure but the pain can be substantially reduced through exercise, weight loss and pain killing anti-inflammatory drugs and natural alternatives.

The main problems with regularly taking pain killing drugs is that they can lead to other side effects such as stomach upset and vision disturbances. It is increasingly the opinion of many doctors that a combination of painkillers and natural anti-inflammatory treatments is the best long term method of pain management for osteoarthritis.

Many women who did not even get acne as teens, are going on to develop acne in their adult years.

New research presented atAmericanAcademyof Dermatology’s 70th Annual Meeting claims that dermatologists are finding that late-onset or adult-onset acne is becoming increasingly common in women in their 20s, 30s, 40s and even 50s.

A study examining the prevalence of acne in adults over age 20 found that acne affects more than 50 percent of women between the ages of 20-29 and more than 25 percent of women between the ages of 40-49.

The study found a disproportionate number of adult women were affected by acne compared to similar-aged men.

A 2011 clinical study examining photos of women from age 10-70 for visible signs of acne found that 45 percent of women aged 21-30 had clinical acne, 26 percent of women aged 31-40 had clinical acne, and 12 percent of women aged 41-50 had clinical acne.

Not only is the problem or female acne becoming more complex, so are the solutions. Anti-acne treatments for teen skin are not suitable for adult skin as they dry the skin out and often cause fine dry lines and flaking.

Treatments for acne in later life need to be different again as they must be very gentle on skin as it is thinner and more sensitive with age.

Causes of adult female acne

Androgens

Androgens, the male hormones present in both men and women, can contribute to acne flares by over stimulating the oil glands and altering the development of skin cells that line hair follicles in the skin.

The majority of women with acne have normal androgen levels, but adult women can experience and increase in androgen levels, particularly if they are highly stressed. There is some evidence to suggest that women now working in high stress careers are seeing a rise in androgen levels, which may be contributing to the rise in adult female acne. Other symptoms of excess androgen levels are excess facial or body hair, deepening voice, or irregular or infrequent menstrual periods.

Rosacea

Rosacea is an underlying skin condition cause by vascular dilation, which causes redness and small acne pimples. It is most common in women aged 40+ and is also on the rise.

 The Pill & HRT

For the last 30 years the majority of women were on the contraceptive pill and then HRT. Both these medications help diminish acne.

 Alcohol

There has been a sharp rise in alcohol consumption among women in the last decade, which some evidence suggests could be adding to the increase in acne amung adult women.

High alcohol consumption can alter hormonal balances in the body, which can contribute to acne break outs.

Beauty products & cosmetics

There has been a boom on cheaply manufactured cosmetics in the last decade which means not only are women putting cheaply manufactured chemicals on their skin, they are doing it more often as products are cheap to buy.

From a very young age women are wearing daily foundations and cosmetics on their skin, many of which contain chemicals which can eventually cause the skin to build up an intolerance, causing rashes, dermatitis  and acne like spots in adulthood.

 Shampoos & hair products

 Cheap chemical foaming agents called sulphates and strong perfumes in most, low budget shampoos can cause facial and neck skin to become irritated, causing spots and sensitivity.

 Sun creams

It’s a good thing that we are all wearing more sun cream. But with many women becoming increasingly aware of the dangers of UV damage to the face, the use of high factor sun creams on the face on a daily basis is now much more common than 20 years ago.

Most low-budget sun creams have chemical filters and are made from thick, greasy formulations which clog pores and can also irritate skin causing acne.

 Skin-stripping cleansers

Due to the rise in the use of cosmetics, cleansing has had to become a more industrial process than simply cleaning skin. Make up removers and cleansers that can take off thick foundations are a modern need.

However these cleansers, while effectively cleaning off the make up, also strip the skin of its natural oils, meaning that over the time the skin produces excess oil to compensate, causing a cycle that ends in excess oil production that leads to acne.

 Facials & Peels

Facials have become a regular luxury for many women but although they clear the grime out of skin pores effectively, the problem is that those empty pores then fill up again quickly. Dermatologists are becoming increasingly concerned about eth long term damage caused to skin subjected to regular facials and peels.

Chemical peels, known a glycolic peels, which have recently been made available as home beauty treatments, can cause disruptions on the production of sebum, sometimes causing the skin to begin over producing sebum after a peel due to trauma of the peel. In addition these peels can thin the skin, making skin more sensitive and prone to skin reactions and spots.

Facial peels essentially remove the outer layer of skin cells, however these skin cells are not worthless, in fact they act as a vital protective barrier and keep out pollution and act as our skin’s own natural defence to keep acne bacteria at bay. Removing them opens the skin up to greater risk of letting the bacteria in that leads to acne.

Tips for managing Adult Acne

• Always use sensitive skin products in order to minimize skin irritation and reactions that can get infected and lead to acne.
• Cleansers should be used twice a day, once when you get in from work at the end of the day, and once before bed. Cleansers should be water-free, mild and non perfumed
• Remove make up and sun creams as early as possible once in from work to allow the skin to air fro as long as possible per day.
• Daily moisturisers are a must, but should be perfume and chemical free and contain a high levels of anti oxidants to fight the acne bacteria.
• Use zinc based sun creams to guard against greasy pore blockages and bacteria build up
• Avoid anti-bacterial washes containing Benzoyl peroxide as it dries the skin, especially adult skin
• If you suffer from redness and sensitivity, try a skincare range containing non-chemical anti-redness ingredients, such as caper extract.
• Do not have facials more than one a month
• Do have facial massages as often as possible
• Exfoliate regularly to clean pores, but do NOT exfoliate with abrasive exfoliants any more than once a week. Use a perfume and chemical free fine exfoliant for sensitive skin, preferably with a natural anti-bacterial ingredient in it.
• Avoid topical antibiotics if possible as they kill off the ‘good’ bacteria on the skin’s surface which help keep skin healthy and guard against over population of the skin’s surface with bad bacteria that leads to acne.
• Older skin scars more easily from infected acne lesions because it’d thinner, so popping and squeezing of spots should be completely avoided
• Try meditation techniques to reduce stress levels if in a high stress job. Or do 30 minutes of stress busting, and preferable outdoor exercise at least four times a week to reduce stress levels.
• Switch to non-perfumed and if possible natural shampoos so that they do not irritated the skin when running over the face or when sleeping on hair at night. Try and always tie hair back at night.
• Wash pillows with washing agents for sensitive skin, preferably use a natural washing agent for bedding.
• Cut down on alcohol generally, but try to avoid drinking alcoholic drinks three hours before sleeping and always drink a glass of water before bed if alcohol has been consumed.

Mutations in the gene CARD14 lead to the formation of plaque psoriasis, according to new research published in the May edition of The American Journal of Human Genetics.

This important discovery suggests that psoriasis is caused by genetic defects in the skin and not an over active immune system, as was previously thought. The over activity of immune skin cells is likely to be a secondary symptom, according to scientists who discovered the genetic link.

This new discovery could lead to medications that can inhibit this specific gene and pave the way for new and effective treatments for psoriasis.

Since the 1960’s, sales of flannels have been on a gradual decline, but last year saw the lowest flannel sales ever.

Flannels have been replaced by disposable wipes and cleansing pads.

However beauty and skin experts are leaping to the defence of the once universally popular facial flannel, claiming they are kinder to skin, more natural, better at cleansing away dirt and more effective at removing make up that modern alternatives due to their weight and their ability to retain heat.

Department store Debenhams have decided to save the flannel from extinction and are launching a new campaign to encourage people to re-discover the benefits of washing their skin with a flannel.

Eye problems such as styes, eye dryness and conjunctivitis were found in a new research to be higher in patients taking medications for acne, according to researchers at the Tel Aviv Medical Centre inIsraelwhose findings were published in the April edition of the Archives of Dermatology.

Popular anti-acne medications which contain the drug isotretinoin were  those studied for their negative side effects on ocular health.

One possible explanation for the increased risk of eye problems is that isotretinoin can disrupt the function of the meibomian glands on the eyelids.These glands produce an oily substance that prevents the eyes from drying, and if the glands don’t work properly the eyes can become irritated or inflamed.

In the new study of nearly 15,000 young adults, 14 percent of those taking isotretinoin were treated for eye conditions within a year of starting the drug.

That compared to seven percent of an acne-free comparison group and 9.6 percent of subjects with acne who had never taken isotretinoin.

In the study group, whose average age was 16, nearly 2,000 people developed inflammatory eye conditions — 991 who were taking isotretinoin, 446 with acne but not on the medication and 354 in the acne-free group.

The most common complaint was conjunctivitis, which is inflammation or infection in the eye. Four out of every 100 people on isotretinoin were diagnosed with conjunctivitis, while about two out of every 100 people not on any acne medication were treated for conjunctivitis.

For advice on non-chemical acne cures click here 

(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012

The main culprit for causing the damage to hair and scalp irritation are sulphates. Sulphates are what cause shampoo to foam up and also help dissolve the dirt on the hair shaft.

A sulphate is a salt of sulphuric acid. With shampoo, two particular sulphates are commonly used: sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) and sodium laureth sulphate (SLES)

It is the sulphates in shampoos that cause scalp contact dermatitis, which causes irritation, burning, itchy and flaking.

As a result of the negative side effects of sulphates, there has been a recent rise in demand sulphate-free shampoos that use gentler and more natural cleansing agents derived from natural ingredients  including corn, coconut and oats.

Research shows that just because a shampoo does not lather excessively does not mean that is it not effective.

Skin Shop’s Dry Scalp Shampoo is sulphate-free and contains a natural scalp cleansing and natural anti-inflammatory ingredient made from plant extract cardiospermum, which is perfect for use on sensitive scalps as well as on scalps with eczema or dermatitis. The shampoo also contains natural honey to leave hair feeling smooth and easy to handle. Its foaming ingredient is a natural extract of sugar beet, which produces a rich lather.

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the skin and joints that affects up to 3% of the population and is associated with a greater risk of heart attack and stroke.

A study, carried out at the Montreal Heart Institute and Innovaderm Research Inc and presented at theAmericanAcademyof Dermatologywas, showed significantly decreased vascular inflammation in patients who were treated with adalimumab, a biological anti‐inflammatory compound.

The study showed just over a 50 % decrease in C- , which is a reactive protein among patients treated with adalimumab compared to a 2% decrease among patients in the control group. These results are significant, as a high level of the reactive protein C- is associated with an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.

In addition 70% of patients who received adalimumab reported a major decrease in skin lesion severity, compared to 20% of patients in the control group.

Psoriasis is a recurrent skin condition that affects around 2% of  the UK population. It is caused by an acceleration of skin cell production. Normally a skin cell matures in 21-28 days. Psoriatic cells, however, turn over in 2-3 days and in such profusion that the live cells reach the surface and accumulate with the dead cells still in visible layers (hence the plaques).

The condition manifests itself as raised red patches of skin covered with silvery scales. It can occur on any part of the body although elbows, knees and the scalp are usual sites. It can also occur in the nails and is most common in toe nails. If left untreated psoriasis can get into eth joints and cause psoriasis-related arthritis.

What is caffiene enriched Oregon skin serum?

Caffiene enriched Oregon skin serum is an intenisve serum containing caffeine and Oregon Grape Root (OGR).

OGR is a native plant of North Americaand has been extensively examined as a treatment for psoriasis in several published studies. These studies have found that compounds isolated from extracts of OGR possess inhibitory activity against Lipoxygenase (an enzyme involved in psoriatic skin cell production).

At the cellular level, OGR has been shown to guard against accelerated activity during the process of keratinocytes (skin cell production).

What’s the evidence that caffiene enriched Oregon skin serum works?

A two-month trial, carried out by a UK doctor on 50 people, found that the caffiene enriched Oregon skin serum improved psoriasis for 86% of the patients, with 75% of these experiencing a marked improvement after just four weeks.

The caffiene enriched Oregon skin serum appeared to be more helpful than standard treatments for almost half the sufferers. Overall, 50% of participants had previously been treated with steroids or Dovonex and, of those, 95% said that after eight weeks the Oregon  serum had improved all psoriasis symptoms (including itching, scaling, plaque thickness and redness) beyond the level of improvement already experienced on their existing steroid-based treatments.

Published research from Department of Dermatology, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences in Iran found that applying caffeine directly to psoriatic skin helped reduce symptoms. The Iranian scientists found that application of a cream containing 10% caffeine three times a day for 8 weeks was notably more effective at reducing symptoms than the placebo cream.

Dr Vincent Forte, the doctor who carried out the UK trial on the new coffee & oregon skin serum, comments “I found the oregon and caffiene skin serum to be an effective, well-tolerated and very acceptable treatment for psoriasis, with a very low incidence of side-effects. The serum compares favourably with topical steroids and Dovonex and the trial results indicate this is a well-liked treatment that psoriasis sufferers would use again.”

How quickly does caffiene enriched Oregon skin serum work?

The skin serum is meant for small but very sore patches of psoriasis and out tester found symtoms began to reduce after just a few days using the serum twice daily. After two weeks the patches of psoriasis were 60% less sore, 80% less open and weeping and 50% smaller in diametre.

Value for money?

Excellent as very litle goes a long way.

Marks out of 10?

9/10

Caffiene enriched Oregon skin serum costs £14.95 for 50ml. Click here for more details