Product Commentary: Anthony Eye Cream

Anthony Logistics
Continuous Moisture Eye Cream
All Skin Types
~$32.00

Ingredients:WATER (AQUA PURIFICATA) PURIFIED, HYDROLYZED WHEAT PROTEIN, POLYBUTENE, PROPYLENE GLYCOL, CAPRYLIC/CAPRIC TRIGLYCERIDE, GLYCERYL, GLYCERYL STEARATE, PEG-100 STEARATE, PEG 20, HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OIL, CETYL ALCOHOL, BUTYROSPERMUM PARKII(SHEA BUTTER) FRUIT, THEOBROMA CACAO (COCOA) SEED BUTTER, CARBOMER 940, GLYCERIN, DMDM HYDANTOIN, CAFFEINE, GREEN TEA EXTRACT, CUCUMIS SATIVUS(CUCUMBER) FRUIT EXTRACT, TOCOPHEROL ACETATE, TRIETHANOLAMINE, PROPYLPARABEN, METHYLPARABEN

My approach to eye creams:
I personally don't use any eye creams (not because I don't think that some of them might help, if only a little) but I just can't be bothered too much. I don't care about any temporary or cosmetic effects, so I don't bother with most of them. I use a lot more natural products (natural butters, i.e. cocoa butter straight up on my face instead, if I do use anything).

This cream is an example of something I'd probably never use. It has a very heavy texture and you can feel the heaviness of the product on the skin even after applying. I don't like this feeling, so I wouldn't be bothered to use it, except maybe at night. I can see this as a heavier night eye cream to keep the area hydrated.

Summary
Ehh, whatever. Not much I have to say. If you're looking for a heavier eye cream, you might want to try this. But I don't have much to say about this product actually. Although I am quite happy to see that it is fragrance free (especially important for products being used around the eye area!). And I'd say at $32.00 this is a pretty expensive buy. There's really nothing in the ingredient mix that can justify such a high price. Certainly many comparable women-targeted eye creams are much much more expensive, but still, I'm sure there' products out there with comparable formulas that are more reasonable. Companies love to mark up products like eye cream, as if they are so highly technologically loaded, but really are just a basic cream.

This is just a personal review and is not scientific in anyway. I have no relationship or interest in Anthony Logistics, monetary or otherwise.

Do I talk too much?

I ran across a couple of funny blog add-ons, this one compares how long your blogs are compared to others, seems like I talk too much!

Pretty Funny

It's been too long! I apologize.

Thanks for your emails of concern! I apologize for not posting since Monday. There's a lot of changes in my life (professionally, skincare, etc). And I'll keep you posted. I've been busy getting ready for a big move . . . way across the country! More details to come.

I'll be back to blogging normally next week.
Thanks for reading!

WEEKLY REWIND: 3/17/08 - 3/21/08

Here's a recap on last weeks posts, a bit late, but here nevertheless.

MONDAY: I blogged the 3rd post in the Paraben Series. This post was about what everyone, including the scientific authorities, are saying about parabens and health.

WEDNESDAY: All about a doctor gone bad. Here's a post on Dr. Perricone and his b.s. make sure to read the links within the post to hear what his critics are saying! Also here's a light-hearted spoof on Project Runway.

THURSDAY: Here's my review of Anthony Logistics oil-free face lotion.

FRIDAY: I posted about the real truth about Abreva, an "F.D.A. approved" cold sore treatment. We find out it's not true and they've lied about effectiveness on top of it. Learn more here about how there really is no treatment for Herpes.

No such thing as a cold sore treatment!

If you are one of the tens of millions of Americans suffering from Herpes Simplex Virus 1 (aka "cold sores" or "fever blisters"), these products are really just a total waste of money. People with cold sores will understandably try just about anything to get rid of them. However, products with the following ingredients:

benzocaine, lidocaine, benzyl alcohol, menthol, camphor, phenol

are only designed to numb the pain associated with them (and to different degrees of effectiveness). Don't think for even one second that these so-called treatments will help treat, cure, or speed up the healing process. I say skip them altogether!

Why do companies lie to us?
So what's a cold-sore sufferer to do?

The only product on the market with "FDA approval" to speed healing is Abreva which uses docosonal, a fatty alcohol thought to inhibit the attachment and subsequent fusing of the viral envelope with human cells. Guess what though? It only speeds up healing by a lousy 1 day, pretty pathetic for an outbreak that takes weeks to heal! Oh yeah, the product used to claim it cuts cold sore healing time by 50%! And after a lawsuit, this claim has been dropped.

It's just not cool. And I have a bit of a surprise for you, my wonderful readers. Coming soon, I will blow Abreva out of the water. I'll tell you how to FOR REAL speed up cold sore healing by up to 50%, if not prevent cold sores from popping out altogether!! And, no, I'm not selling anything!

Product Commentary: Anthony Oil Free Facial Lotion

Anthony Logistics
Oil Free Facial Lotion
Normal to Oily Skin
Fragrance Free
~$26.00

This is targeted for normal to oily skin (me). I have to say, as far as the way it felt going on and after, it's definitely a top product for me, especially as far as aesthetics go. This is definitely a flagship product for the company, if men are going to be using a basic face lotion, it better be good. And this delivers on a lot of levels.

Ingredients:Water (Aqua Purificata) Purified, PPG-2 Myristyl Ether Propionate Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Silk Amino Acids, Sodium PCA, Dimethicone, DMDM Hydantoin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Triethanolamine, Chamomile Flower Extract, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Peel Oil, Citrus Nobilis (Mandarin Orange) Peel Oil, Extract Methylparaben, Propylparaben, EDTA, Cymbopogon Schoenanthus (Lemongrass) Extract.

Ingredients
Now the ingredients, it does do its job and feels good too (which is already a hard feat to accomplish for any product!). The main moisturizing ingredients are good picks and have very safe profiles, the PPG-2 Myristyl Ether Propioinate see its profile here, which gives the product its good texture. Glycerin and the cetearyl alcohols are fatty alcohols that are commonly found in skincare products, and are not drying like other alcohols in products, like the SD-Alcohols. The only thing I'm not crazy about is all the citrus oils, they do impart a natural aroma to the product (and I do like these oils instead of artificial added fragrances) but for the best skincare, it'll probably be best without them.

Summary:
If the guy in your life (or you!) has normal to oily skin, and is looking for a face lotion, this is a safe bet. It's is definitely hard (as you all know) to find a moisturizer for oily skin, and this does feel good. I'm sure there are cheaper alternatives, but $26.00 for a product that'll last a while is not so bad, and certainly priced better than a lot of products out there for women.

Of note:
There is a similar Oil Free lotion with SPF 15, for those of you looking for the added sun protection factor.

Overall Good Review

This is just my personal aesthetic opinion in using this product. This is not in any way a scientific evaluation. I have no financial/personal/professional association with Anthony Logistics skincare. Product tested was a friend's.

When doctors go bad! N.V. Perricone a bad misuse of his position as a medical doctor?

Would you trust this face? Well, I have been highly critical at times when watching him. I don't like to misjudge people, so I didn't think anything of it, until I started doing my own research into "Dr. Perricone" and his never-ending product lines.

Well my reservations were confirmed. One of my pet peeves is misusing truth and position. Unfortunately, I believe that he does both. In just one example, I already exposed the truths about DMAE, his latest revolutionary treatment. Here is part 1 and part 2 about DMAE.

Find out the truths
As it happens, Perricone does everything from exaggerate the positions he once held (i.e. his Yale connections). Guess what? it was an unpaid post and Yale certainly didn't want him back and got rid of him after his first year. Then he paid a cool $5 million for his next post.

Here is a MUST READ article:
Click here for a great article by Stephen Barrett, M.D., a physician who has won numerous awards most importantly for his contributions to health and education. Click here to see his most awesome resume!

What I most have a problem with Perricone is his overcharging and misleading products. If you use any of his supplements, I implore you to go to your local health food or supplement store to find the same supplements at only a fraction of the price. And what's up with this pheromone thing he's selling for hundreds and hundreds of dollars? Guess what, there ain't no science behind any of his claims on that either! Buyer Beware, more like Patient Beware when it comes to listening to this guy.

I'll post later on about his outrageous claims in another post sometime.

Oh yeah, please, Dr. Perricone, if you understand the research, then show us the research behind the numbers and claims on your products. It's what any good scientist/doctor/researcher would do!

Anyways guys, thanks for reading! I'll write a positive post next time!

Enjoy this SNL spoof on Project Runway

Here's a lighter post about Project Runway. It's a pretty funny SNL spoof on the latest winner of the show, Christian. BTW, it should have been Gillian who won (my opinion). What u all think?

PARABENS PART 3: What is everyone saying?

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S!
I'm sure many of you all will be out partying tonight, so let's feel like we "deserve" the partying! And what better way than to really start to understand one of the biggest skincare controversies, the parabens. So the links in this post will require some serious concentration. Please read these links by the experts in this post to get a strong understanding for the real truths behind parabens. And then celebrate tonight, cause you'll most definitely have earned it!

Boy is this a heated issue. Everyone seems to be an expert when it come to parabens. This really starts to hurt consumers when companies use it to sell their products. Of course cancer is a very emotional and sensitive topic (I'm a doctor after all and I know first hand how it has affected/devastated people's lives). But there is no excuse in representing things in a untruthful light. Find a few examples below of companies misconstruing the "link" between breast cancer and parabens. Here and Here and Here. Please note: these links are not as important to read as the ones below!

Immediately below are some of the most reliable sources. Please read them all, as they are some of the best and authoritative articles and summaries of the paraben issue.

• The FDA made a statement about parabens back in 2006. My personal opinion is that they should really address this again, as the topic is still hot, if not hotter now.

• An excellent pdf overview of the research and information by the European Commission.

• See here what the American Council on Science and Health has to say.

PLEASE Read This:
Then (or instead) read one of my favorite research translators, Suzanne M. Snedeker, Ph.D. She's a well published researcher and works for Cornell University to "translate" research into understandable terms and information for the public. What a cool job! Anyway, click here for her translation of this research paper.

She translates the research well.

Please note: I will be adding my own summary on the research and issues overall in my last posting on the paraben series.

So, overall, all the experts pretty much agree on these 3 things:
1. Do not to be alarmed about parabens.
2. All previous research on parabens have attested to their safety.
2. We need more research on the accumulation of parabens in tissue.

Make sure to read all the expert links in this post! It's good background for more that I will talk about later. For example, why is there even accumulation of parabens in tissue? Previous thinking and research shows that parabens are easily and quickly excreted from the body. So what gives? These are some more of the topics we'll discuss in future posts on parabens.

Don't mess with Grandma!

Hope you all are enjoying your weekends! So many great posts are coming your way in the weeks ahead. You know how I love me some some happy news. Until Monday, enjoy this story about an 83 year old grandma who thwarted off a jerk trying to steal her purse right off her body! And watch the video of her below, she's amazing!

And if you want more happy news, go to the HAPPY NEWS website.

WEEKLY REWIND: 3/10/08 - 3/14/08

Here's a recap on the posts this week.

MONDAY: My review of Anthony Logistics Body Salt Scrub. See why I didn't like it. Also, we continued our understanding of Parabens with this second post giving a background to the paraben preservatives.

TUESDAY: My review of a WEN hair conditioner. It's been so talked about and so I felt I had to try it out when I was staying at a friend's house. I'm glad I did.

WEDNESDAY: I brought you the latest updates on acid and acne peels.

THURSDAY: See one of my very rare raves about a certain Anthony Logistics product.

Enjoy your weekends and thanks for reading! More on parabens coming next week.

I Love Anthony Logistics Shave Cream

Anthony Logistics
Shave Cream
Fragrance Free
All Skin Types
~$16.00

Well you all asked for my reviews of products I come across, so you're getting it. Hope it's been helpful! Now get ready for another (very rare) rave from me. I was actually quite taken back, no joke, when I recently used Anthony shaving cream. I really couldn't believe my shave was made so easy.

Some background.
My facial hair is pretty thick and grows pretty quickly. For the smoothest shave, I shave with the grain and then against the grain. I've heard so many times not to shave against the grain, but for me, I can't not do this. For me, it's the only way to get a nice and smooth shave.

I require some serious shaving cream,
and finding one has been a journey. I think that journey might have come to an end for me. Fortunately. When I used this cream, I had a 3 day beard, pretty significant for me. I was actually expecting the usual pain whenever my beard is that grown out. BUT I FELT NOTHING. This was literally the most painless and smoothest shaving experience ever. I felt an immediate difference and can say, Anthony shaving cream, for me, is the best shaving cream I have ever used. At $16.00 it's not the cheapest deal, but worth it for those of us that need more comfort and better results when shaving.

And ladies, why don't you try this out. Shaving cream is probably one of the personal care products that we care almost exclusively about how it performs, and not it's packaging or superficial qualities like the way it smells. I'd love to know what any one whose used this product thinks.

This is just my personal aesthetic opinion in using this product. This is not in any way a scientific evaluation. I have no financial/personal/professional association with Anthony Logistics skincare. Product tested was a friend's.

RESEARCH UPDATE: Acne & Acid Peels

Here's a great research update on acne and acid peels. These are the results from the first comparative study between AHA & BHA skin peels and their effects on acne.

Chemical peels using either alpha-hydroxy acid or beta-hydroxy acid are both highly effective in treating mild to moderately severe facial acne, researchers at the Saint Louis University School of Medicine have found - the first study to compare the two different types of acid peels as therapies for the skin disorder.

Peels using beta-hydroxy acid (or BHA) had slightly fewer side effects and results that lasted a bit longer than did peels using alpha-hydroxy acid (or AHA), the study found. But overall, both types of treatments were similarly effective in reducing lesions caused by acne vulgaris, the medical term for common facial acne, which affects some 85 percent of all people 12 to 24 years old.

"This is good news for the millions of Americans who suffer from mild to moderately severe facial acne," said Dee Anna Glaser, M.D., vice chair and professor of dermatology at the Saint Louis University School of Medicine. "This provides more options for patients and doctors to chose from when it comes to tailoring a treatment program for each individual."

AHA (which is also called glycolic acid) and BHA (also called salicylic acid) are frequently used by physicians to induce light skin peels, which help treat fine lines and wrinkles, acne and uneven texture and coloration. The peel removes a very thin layer of skin, which in turn promotes the growth of new, smoother skin.

Both types of acid are derived from organic compounds. AHA has the same active ingredient that's found in sugar cane juice, sour milk and tomato juice, while BHA is derived from salicin, which is closely related to the active ingredient in aspirin.

The study involved 20 patients with moderate to severe facial acne. Their average age was 24 years; 13 were women. Each was treated with a chemical peel every other week for six weeks, with follow-up visits one month and two months after the last treatment.

Each treatment involved applying alpha-hydroxy acid to one side of the face and beta-hydroxy acid to the other side. Neither the patient nor the person who later evaluated them were aware which side of the face had been treated with which acid.

The study found that both types of chemical peels significantly reduced acne lesions within two weeks of the first treatment, and patients continued to see a reduction in lesions through the first follow-up visit a month after the treatments had finished.

At the time of that first post-treatment visit, 94 percent of patients were judged to have had good or fair improvement in acne lesions on both sides of the face, as assessed by a blinded evaluator.

A month later, at the second post-treatment visit, 81 percent of the sides of the face treated with beta-hydroxy acid still showed good or fair improvement in acne lesions, compared with 75 percent of the sides of the face treated with alpha-hydroxy acid. However, the sides of the face treated with alpha-hydroxy acid had developed a few new lesions - though this was judged not to be significant.

In general, both types of acid peels yielded the same side effects, which typically decreased over the course of the treatments. The most common of these included redness, peeling and scaling - though with alpha-hydroxy acid, the degree of the peeling and scaling was judged to be greater.

For more info or for original research:

Saint Louis University (2008, February 7). Treating Acne: Two Different Acid Peels Are Both Effective, Study Finds. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 3, 2008, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2008/02/080206121508.htm

Product Commentary: WEN Cleansing Conditioner

I'm not going to pretend to know much about haircare products. All I know is that I like having hair that can be maintained with the least amount of work! So many beauty bloggers have talked about WEN products (by Chaz Dean). And as it happens, while staying at my friend's home, I came across some of the WEN products. So I decided to give it a try and write about it. I'll give my men's point of view on it.

Well, to be honest, I never noticed much of a difference in hair products. I do have some hair and usually I never like the way my hair is after washing and conditioning it. It's always better the next day. I have done some basic research on hair ingredients, and really noted that some oils (rice bran, jojoba, and more) can be great for the hair. I must admit, after reading and studying about the oils (and the important fact that they can penetrate into the hair shaft), I do use them sparingly.

Back to this "cleansing conditioner"
I really did see quite a difference in the way my hair looked after using it. Pretty impressive for me actually (and I am the skeptic always). The product is formulated quite differently than most conditioners and was sort of thick and very non-foamy when applied. Not a strong scent (which I like) and rinsed off fine.

Funny mistake? Nope
I sure am hoping this was a mistake. After starting to post about ingredient labels being a little "off", I am noticing more and more mistakes on labels! The directions on this pump conditioner say "Rinse hair thoroughly, then apply 16-24 pumps of WEN to your palms and rub together." Umm, that's a bit crazy, that'd be like a third of the bottle. Even for the longest of hairs, 4 pumps seems like it would be way more than enough! Needless to say, I applied 2 pumps (and this was even too much). Okay, so this part is an update, I figured out that it's to be used instead of shampooing and conditioning, so the 16 pumps makes much more sense, but for me I only needed a few pumps anyway (hey, my hair's not that long!).

The ingredient list does throw me a little bit. It lists Rosemary extract as the sixth ingredient, and there can't be that much rosemary extract in the product (just single digit percentages probably). The biggest ingredients are claimed to be Water, Glycerin, and Cetyl Alcohol. Seems like a very simple base formula. Nevertheless, I have to say, I do like the way it made my hair look and feel.

So Good Review from me for this product! THUMBS UP!
I have to say, I do like this completely different approach to hair care. Most shampoos use heavy detergents to cleanse the hair, which many people have a problem with, because these detergents are pretty harsh in stripping the hair (After all, this is how they clean as well as take away many of the hair/scalp's natural oils). I agree that there is some logic to not using such a harsh method, do we really have to? If this product does a good job cleaning the hair (as well as visibly improving the way it looks), I say go ahead and give it a try. I will certainly be picking up a bottle, and for me, it's probably not so expensive, since a bottle should last me a long time!!

This post is my personal opinion on WEN cleansing conditioner. A mostly non-scientific review and of just using it for the first time. I have not received any money nor even a free sample of this product and this is a completely independent review. I have no affiliation with WEN.

PARABENS PART 2: Background

So what exactly are parabens? Let's start from scratch. Hey, it'll be a great review of some basic organic chemistry for those of you who've had it!

CHEMICAL STRUCTURE
First of all, the name paraben is best broken down to "PARA" & "BEN". "Para" denotes the position of the groups attached to the benzene ring. See the image below.

Look at the images of parabens on top to see how the two added (non-hydrogen) groups are placed at opposing end of the ring, the "para" arrangement. Great. Now "ben" comes from the benzene ring.

But to be really technical: these are alkyl esters of para-hydroxybenzoic acids! Look at the "R" in the title image of parabens. This is just a symbol that represents either a methyl (one carbon goup) for methylparaben, an ethyl group (2 carbons), and so on.

Before this seems too technical
These structures are not all that "synthetic", in face many natural substances have similar chemical formulas.

WHAT ARE PARABENS USED FOR?
They're well known and long used preservatives. They've been used to preserve everything from shampoos to creams to even food. They've been around longer than most other preservatives on the market today, a lot longer actually. They have been around since the 1920's.

WHY ARE THEY SO POPULAR?
They have been a preferred preservative for a multitude of reasons. They are easy and economical to produce. They are excellent at preventing growth of bacteria and fungi. Parabens are known as broad spectrum preservatives, because they are effective at preserving products from a large spectrum of microorganisms. One of the best features of parabens is that they are effective preservatives at only a fraction of a percent. They are also extremely stable at a variety of conditions. These are all some of the reasons why parabens are found in so many and such a wide range of personal products.

SOME IMPORTANT FACTS TO KNOW
Parabens are actually one of the most researched cosmetic ingredients to day and this is because they are so ubiquitous in personal skincare products.


coming next: PART 3: What are people saying about Parabens?

Product Commentary: Anthony Logistics Sea Salt Body Scrub

Anthony Logistics
Sea Salt Body Scrub
All Skin Types
Fragrance Free
~$26.00

So here's yet another Anthony product I tried.

Ingredients: Water Purified, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Polyethylene, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Triethanolamine, Glycerin, Sea Salt, Carbomer, DMDM Hydantoin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Tagette Oil, Thyme Oil, Basil Oil, Rosemary Leaf Oil, Lime Peel Oil, Mandarin Orange Peel Oil, Bergamot Fruit Oil, Cananga Odorata Flower Oil, Ascorbic Acid, Panthenol, Cinnamomum Cassia Bark Extract, Nutmeg Extract, Macrocystis Pyrifera Extract, Chamomile, Flower Extract, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Yellow 5(CI 19140), Blue 1(CI 42090).

Well, to be honest, I really didn't like this product from Anthony Logistics. I also don't get the point of this product. It says fragrance free, but it does indeed contain many fragrant natural oils in it. And they are really not needed in this product.

Sea Salts
I really don't see the point in spending $26.00 for a bunch of regular sea salt, some soap and some basic ingredients, and then a bunch of unnecessary naturally fragrant oils. To be paying this much money, you can buy a healthier salt scrub and one with dead sea salts in it. And, yes, there is quite a difference between salts that are used in scrubs. Dead Sea salts are well documented and proven for their healing properties. Dendritic salt is also another good one to use. These two salts are found in a lot of scrubs out there, so I'd say get one with these salts and with out any fragrances really. There's no point in shelling out big bucks for this scrub, especially since I didn't like the way it scrubbed or washed my body.

Aesthetics:
Cool color, cool looking bottle, smells nice. Don't like the way it scrubs or goes on the body. The biggest reason I would fail this product is because it's neither good at foaming nor at scrubbing. And that was supposed to be the point of this scrubby wasn't it???

This is just my personal aesthetic opinion in using this product. This is not in any way a scientific evaluation (except my note about the various see salts :-). I have no financial/personal/professional association with Anthony Logistics. Product tested was a friend's.

WEEKLY REWIND: 3/3/08 - 3/7/08

Hope you're all getting your beauty rest this Sunday! I wanted to thank all the readers of TiS and a special shout out to all my blogger friends! Your comments, appreciation, and emails really keep me going! On to the Recap . . .

MONDAY: I blogged on the latest interesting news on Psoriasis. Also, an intro to my future Anthony Logistics product reviews.

TUESDAY: I posted my first blog on Parabens (PART 1: an Introduction).

WEDNESDAY: My product review for Anthony Deep Pore Cleansing Clay.

THURSDAY: My product review for EVERY MAN JACK cleansing soap bars.

FRIDAY: The latest numbers on cosmetic procedures done in 2007.

Some more people were asking about DMAE again, here are the links right here for you!

PAY ATTN: DMAE(part 1)

PAY ATTN: DMAE(part 2)

Latest Figures on Cosmetic Procedures

Happy Friday guys! I know it's probably hard to stay happy and enthusiastic when we are now being bombarded with the reality of our falling economy all over the news! Well, there's one field of our economy that will probably continue to expand (even through war and depressions) and that's the economics of beauty.

Wanna know who and how much we spend on cosmetic procedures? The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery has released its annual report for 2007. Here's the major points:

• 11,700,000 cosmetic procedures performed.
• $3,700,000,000 spent on these procedures. (yes, that's 3.7 BILLION)
• This is a 2% increase from 2006.
• Men getting into the fray: 17% increase (from 2006) in men partaking in these procedures.
• A 1% increase in women partaking in these procedures.

What's the happening procedures?

• Botox injections are still the most popular nonsurgical procedure
• 2,800,000 botox treatments in 2007.
• Other popular non-surgical tratments:
• #2 Hyaluronic acid injections
• #3 Laser Hair Removal
• #4 Microdermabrasion
• #5 Laser Skin Resurfacing