By Hannah N. Sivak, PhD
Skin Actives Scientific LLC

The way we do it

We tend to choose our skin care products following impulse buying, mostly on the basis of marketing. We will be inspired to buy because a celebrity tells us to, or because they tell us that X will magically make us younger, or that Y contains a new molecule that was found in a stress-resisting bacterium in the North Pole. In my case, I am uniquely sensitive to pretty jars that are a bargain at $150 especially when they come with a "free gift".

The way we should do it

Do we have acne? Oily skin? Are we losing too much hair? Maybe it is those pesky wrinkles that bother you.
Look at your face and try to decide what you are trying to improve or solve.

Try to understand what makes you skin "misbehave"

Frequently, the skin care products you bought "just because", are responsible for your skin problems. I am not talking about acne when you are a teen, because most teens will have acne, even if they are using no skin care. But if you are in your 50s and you have oily skin, most of the time skin care products will be to blame.  Skin "sensitivity", rashes, eczema and more could also be caused by skin care products. Vitamin K, too much ascorbic acid, idebenone, may lead to rashes. Ethanol (alcohol) in toners will dry your skin. Menthol, an ingredient added for no other reason that because it gives a feeling that "something" is happening, will irritate the skin of many.

Maybe the skin care you have been using for decades is not what you need anymore. As you age, the need for antioxidants and sunblock does not change, but your skin is certainly making less estrogen, skin metabolism slows down, and proteins get glycosylated and age.

Ask yourself what you want

Don't just buy a cream with idebenone because you saw it in an advertisement on TV. Don't get a toner because the price of a set is a great deal. A toner is not a great deal if you don't need it (and you don't need it).

Always wear sunblock during the day. La Roche Posay Anthelios SPF 60, Anthelios Fluide Extreme by La Roche-Posay or Aveeno sunblock lotion, with an SPF of 55 will do nicely.
If you like smooth skin, try Monistat chafing relief dry gel. The silicones in it will be a great base for make-up.
Is your skin dry? Get a serum that will provide emolliency.
The area under your eyes is dark? If it still is after several nights of 8 hours sleep, get a product that works on that problem.
Always protect collagen synthesis and structure. SAS collagen serum will do that for you.
If you are going to a school reunion, try SAS DMAE serum and Celestite spritz for plumping and a Botox-like effect.

Skin Actives Scientific provides you with the opportunity to try the best actives available in the world for skin care without spending a fortune.

Ready mixed "Skin Actives Scientific" products
Acne: acne control kit, salicylic wash
After-40: anti-age cream
Cellulite: cellulite cream
Eczema and psoriasis: anti-inflammatory cream
Eye brows: KGF serum in applicator
Hair loss: hair serum with KGF
Healing, sun damage, irritated skin: MNS serum
Lips: liquid rainbow
Oily skin: T-zone serum, salicylic wash
Party time: Celestite spritz, DMAE serum
Pore diminisher: T-zone serum, salicylic wash, alpha/beta exfoliation kit
Post procedure (laser, surgery) healing kit: Rosacea serum, rosehip oil, anti-age cream
Rosacea: rosacea control serum, Celestite spritz
Skin Lightening: Skin brightening cream
Skin tightening: 4% DMAE serum
Spider veins: capillary health cream
For all skin types: alpha/beta exfoliator, CHAS serum, ELS, Bright-I cream, Coffee cream, marine nutrient cream, sea kelp bioferment.


Actives for "Do it Yourself" mixing

5 alpha reductase inhibitors: saw palmetto
Acne: retinyl acetate (use at night), white willow extract, liquorice, saw palmetto, calcium pantothenate
Acne scars: Centella asiatica, copper peptide
Allergy, atopic dermatitis: Andrographis paniculata, quercetin, calcium pantothenate
Antibacterial: white willow bark extract, liquorice, Colus oil, tea tree oil, lemongrass essential oil
AntiOx:  antiOx booster, acai, alpha lipoic acid, glutathione, SOD, grape seed proanthocyanidins, EGCG, kinetin, tetrahydrocurcuminoids
Cancer prevention/control: betulinic acid + caffeine green tea + EGCG green tea + pomegranate oil, mangosteen: amla, silymarin
Capillary health: see actives in SAS capillary health cream
Collagen synthesis and protection: ascorbic acid, niacinamide, N-acetyl glucosamine,
Boswellia serrata, Centella asiatica, copper peptide, epidermal growth factor, green tea
N-acetyl glucosamine, horse chestnut, natural active peptides, retinyl acetate, sea kelp bioferment
Cold sores: sea kelp, liquorice,  propolis, fungal beta glucan (for prevention use Liquid Rainbow)
Dark under-eye circles: amla, chrysin.
Skin elasticity: melatonin, lutein, retinyl acetate, carnitine, betulinic acid, Centella asiatica
Gray hair: Rubia cordifolia (and hair serum with KGF)
Healing: EGF + Centella asiatica + copper peptide
Hyaluronic acid synthesis and preservation: hyaluronic acid, Boswellia serrata
Modulation of immune response: yeast beta glucan, , Bupleurum falcatum
Inflammation, irritation: bisabolol, mangosteen, allantoin, Jiaogulan, lutein, quercetin, white willow extract, phytosterols, betulinic acid, Boswellia serrata, Bupleurum falcatum, Polypodium leucotomos
Lip color: hesperidin
Mitochondrial health and energy production: CoQ10, resveratrol, carnitine, creatine pyruvate, alpha lipoic acid,
Phytoestrogens: soy isoflavones, wild yam
Post-radiation treatment: Canvas, calcium pantothenate, rosehip oil, melatonin, EGF, Boswellia serrata, Centella asiatica
Pre-procedure bruise prevention: rosehip oil and vitamin K
Protease inhibitors: betulinic acid, Boswellia serrata, pomegranate extract, horse chestnut
Prevention of protein glycosylation (Maillard reaction): carnosine, Boswellia serrata,
Psoriasis: Centella asiatica, PLE
Repair of skin barrier: GABA, olive extract, sodium PCA, phytosterols, ceramides, lecithin, olive extract.
Rosacea: liquorice, 4-ethoxybenzaldehyde
Scars and stretch marks: Centella asiatica, quercetin, rosehip oil, phytosterols.
Seborrheic dermatitis: sea kelp, niacinamide, green tea EGCG to control sebum production, beta glucan
Skin lightening: please see actives in skin brightening cream
Skin color: niacinamide, N-acetyl glucosamine
Sun protection: lutein, Polypodium leucotomos, resveratrol, silymarin
Wrinkle relaxer (freeze action) :  GABA, Jiaogulan extract, argireline