Gaining a New Perspective Both modern medicine and spa services have tended to be symptom-based in their approach to disease. Symptom-based approaches are short-term fixes that don’t affect the cause, or necessarily the recurrence, of the problem. If instead you develop an understanding of the underlying mechanisms of disease, and tune your perspective to eliminating them or protecting the body from them, you have turned…

The Melanocyte The melanocyte is a cell located within the basal layer of the epidermis. The primary role of this specialized cell is to produce pigment and provide color to the skin. There are approximately 1500 melanocytes per square millimeter in the skin. They produce two types of pigment melanin; Eumelanin, which is a brown/black melanin; and pheomelanin, which is a red/yellow melanin. Our individual…

In my article “Guidelines for Recognizing Common Skin Disorders," we looked at the most prominent skin diseases including acne, rosacea, atopic dermatitis, hyperpigmentation, and actinic keratoses. In this article, we will cover the next level of common skin conditions skin care professionals will face, which can be improved with or without the use of prescription topical therapies for which a physician, nurse practitioner, or physician’s…

From the cosmetic formulator view point, teen and men’s care products are developed with different objectives in mind than your typical skin care line. Men’s care products are designed around the unique skin care needs, aroma preferences, special issues surrounding facial hair, and results expected from the product. Teen products are developed with all the issues surrounding blemished skin including changing hormones, antibacterial needs, and…