What is Collagen? And is putting it on your face working?

Posted on by Candy Langan RN

What is Collagen? Why are there so many skin care products formulated with Collagen?

Let’s take a look at what Collagen really is and why it plays such an important role in keeping our skin looking youthful.

What is Collagen?

Collagen is a protein part of the connective tissue that helps the skin maintain firmness, suppleness, and elasticity.

As we age, the outer layer (or keratin layer) of the epidermis becomes thick, clumpy, irregular, flaky, and dull looking. Conversely, the live (or dermal layer) becomes thin, losing its Collagen and elasticity. When skin loses Collagen, it wrinkles. When skin loses elasticity, it sags.

Can you apply Collagen to your face for results?

With these proven facts, it seems logical to assume that actually applying Collagen to our skin would help reverse some of this aging process, right?

Guess what? It doesn’t! Yet, many cosmetic companies continue to imply that their Collagen-filled skin care products can achieve this anti-aging miracle.

Real Talk

So what’s the real truth? The truth is that by the time we are 30, we will have lost about 30% of our skin’s collagen and elastin, creating wrinkling and sagging. (And as we age, that percentage obviously goes up.)

What can we do to boost Collagen? (AKA look younger!)

Reversing this damage can be achieved by stimulating, or smacking, new Collagen and elastin cells into regenerating.

Products must contain ingredients which are molecularly small enough to penetrate deep into the skin where these collagen cells live. (Those skincare products on the market today contain large molecules of Collagen that are impossible to penetrate your skin.) In addition, these ingredients must be formulated strong enough to smack and reawaken these very important cells.

Glycolic Acid, if formulated correctly and used consistently, is the most effective way to prevent, slow down, and even reverse the aging process of the skin. The key phrase here though is “formulated correctly.”

Always ask questions and study the ingredients of your skincare products. You’re likely wasting your money on products that don’t work.

Are you damaging your skin when exercising?

Posted on by Candy Langan RN

Anne turned 50 recently and decided it was finally time to get in shape. Membership to the local gym was a delightful gift from her husband Bill. After starting her exercise routine, Anne asked me if working out was causing her adult acne. She wrote, “My goal was to look better not worse! Please help me out.”

Many people notice that exercise perspiration causes not only their face to break out, but their body to show pimples, acne, and bumps as well. Science no longer believes that sweating cleans your pores but that it actually causes your pores to become blocked and grow bacteria. This red inflammation is called a pimple.

Anne can follow a few simple guidelines to resolve this situation before it becomes a major problem. Problems could potentially include permanent acne scaring and an increase in lines and wrinkles, as well as an unsightly complexion.

Here are three tips to use to make sure your workout routine does not damage or ruin your skin.

1. NO MAKEUP AT THE GYM

Unlike, her 20 or 30 year old workout partners, Anne always arrived at the gym well groomed, which meant makeup. The first recommendation is to start your workout with a clean face. That’s easy in the morning but what about the days you go after work? No excuses! You must wash your face thoroughly before beginning your workout. An easy trick is to simply wipe the face down with Academy’s Acne Control-10 if you can’t wash.

2. EXERCISE IN MODERATIONyoga

Everything in moderation! Unless your goal is to train for a triathlon, I like moderate exercise including Pilates and yoga. I’ve always believed excessive jogging and fat burning does created an aging, sickly looking face. Fortunately, for those who have abused their faces with extremes, we can offer solutions such as non-permanent fillers and Academy medical based skin care products.

3. CLEAN YOUR BODY AND CHANGE YOUR CLOTHES IMMEDIATELY

Always take a cool shower, shampoo your hair, and change your clothes as soon as possible after exercising. Remember to rinse the conditioner out of your hair thoroughly before washing your face and body. The residue of the conditioner could be affecting your skin. Use Academy’s Gentle Facial Cleanser to cleanse thoroughly and calm your facial skin. Pat dry and wait one minute before applying Academy Glycolic Crème-10 to prevent breakouts. In the presence of active breakouts, use Acne Control-10 instead.

Also, if your exercising brings you outdoors you’ll be wearing a hat and sunscreen, both of which may cause you to breakout. Sweating under your hat for long periods of time is a likely culprit of clogged pores. Remove your hat as soon as possible and wipe quickly with Academy’s Acne Control when water is unavailable.

Take less than 10 minutes to practice these easy steps to guarantee your face will look as healthy as your body feels.

Why You Don’t Need Eye Cream

Posted on by Candy Langan RN

The first place we start to show age is around our eyes. Because we become desperate, eye creams have become one of the most popular gimmicky cosmetic products advertised today.

The eyeball is actually surrounded by fat and a thin muscle holds the fat back into place. When the muscle weakens through age or genetics, the fat becomes “bags” under your eyes. These “fat bags” cannot be reduced by topical chemicals, skin care creams, or under eye rollers & massage. The best way to correct this problem is with a surgical procedure called a blepharoplasty, either through a skin incision made under the eyelashes or through an invisible incision made on the inside of the lower lid.

So, let’s talk about what we should do to slow down the aging process of our eyes. First, let’s not forget that our eyelid skin is thin and delicate. Both our epidermal (outer layer) and our dermal (inner alive layer) are equally delicate. Remember our goal in medical skincare is to decrease the dead outer layer and increase the alive inner layer. This reversal is what anti-aging skin care is all about.

With this understanding, it makes sense to apply your Academy by Candy Glycolic Crème-10 to your eyelids. But how? Simply, massage a small amount of crème over your entire face and neck and use the remaining bit both under and over your eyelids.

Voila. This will help tighten the area around your eyes.

Why You Won’t Have Gorgeous Skin & What To Do About It

Posted on by Candy Langan RN

Sun worshippers and smokers won’t have gorgeous skin. 

A gorgeous complexion just isn’t going to happen for you if you fall into one or both of these categories. Here’s why.

Sun Exposure

Minimizing sun exposure is key, but how? All too often, our patients disparagingly admit to baking in the sun while in their youth, using oils and reflectors. However, as adults, many of these people continue to bask. They may say, “I don’t sit in the sun.” But, they admit to walking in the sun, playing tennis, and playing golf. The sun rays do not offer special dispensation for these activities. Sun exposure is sun exposure! If the sun is unavoidable, then frequent application of a good sunscreen is mandatory. Read our FAQ on sun damage. 

Smokers

Smoking “reeks” havoc with the skin. It reduces the oxygen-carrying blood supply and nutrients vital to healthy skin. The result is a dry, flaky, wrinkled, discolored facial surface. While most of the damage caused by smoking is therapeutically reversible, those who still smoke will continue to damage their skin.

So, how do you not only acquire but maintain a beautiful, smooth facial surface?

First, a note on your genes. Good genes provide the basis for quality skin. Fortunately or unfortunately, we have no control over our inherited familial characteristics. Similarly, as aging is part of life, how we age is, to some degree, genetically pre-determined. However, we can significantly influence the quality of our aging facial skin by paying judicious attention to appropriate skin care. So what can we do to help our skin appear well?

Nutrition and Exercise

A good nutritious dietary regime including adequate hydration with ample fluid intake and consistent moderate exercise program tend to promote overall health that includes our largest organ, the skin.

Moisturize

Preventing skin dryness with constant topical moisturization plays a major role contributing to a smooth healthy appearing skin.

Exfoliate

In addition to keeping your body healthy and moisturizing, the most proactive consideration in achieving and maintaining a radiant, youthful smooth skin tone is the adoption and incorporation of the Academy by Candy Skin Care program, based on medical strength glycolic acid.

By the time we hit age 30, 50% of our collagen and elastin is lost. And each year after that, we generate less and less—causing lines, wrinkles and sagging to occur. What we want to do is to trigger the collagen and elastin again. Academy products have the ability to travel to the deeper dermal layer of the skin where our collagen and elastin cells live. The low pH glycolic in Academy by Candy products “smacks” the cells in the deep layer of skin back into rejuvenation. With the collagen and elastin working again, the aging process is slowed down and reversed.

The Academy System consists of a program of home maintenance with the application of Academy Glycolic Acid every morning and night. We have Hydro Light Plus-15, and Acne Control-10 for your individual skincare needs.

We have long-term experience of 30+ years employing the Academy System of medical skin care. Our many happy patients who have been absolutely thrilled with their lovely facial skin speaks volumes about the effectiveness. They no longer feel ashamed to show their skin, enhancing self-confidence and self-acceptance.

As I always say:

Looking good is feeling good. Feeling good is looking good.

Look Younger With a Slap in the Face

Posted on by Candy Langan RN

A slap in the face will stimulate collagen.

slap-me-again-im-looking-for-that-youthful-glow--910ff

Temporarily!

This is seen in micro-dermabrasion or other so-called collagen stimulators. It is so temporary that once the initial swelling and/or puffiness is gone, so is the collagen. This usually happens within hours.

Our goal at Academy by Candy is to continue collagen and elastin regeneration far longer than simply a few hours.

With daily use of a properly formulated glycolic acid creme, this is possible.

Why do we want to stimulate collagen?

Remember, by the time we reach 30 we have lost about 50% of our collagen and elastin cells.

Loss of collagen = wrinkles.

Loss of elastin = sagging.

Scary isn’t it? Not any more.

Now, we have proven that Academy glycolic acid, with its small molecular size, can penetrate deep into the level of skin where your collagen and elastin cells are born. This is the basis of anti-aging skincare.

With Academy’s low pH, we are slapping them into reproduction.

Who’s ready for a slap in the face today?