IFT Member Claudia Fajardo-Lira, PhD, Professor of Food Science and Nutrition at California State University-Northridge, explains the facts about antioxidants: Q: What are antioxidants? A: Antioxidants play an important role in overall health. They are natural compounds found in some foods that help neutralize free radicals in our bodies. Free radicals are substances that occur naturally in our bodies but attack the fats, protein and…

Reiki, a Japanese word that means universal life force, is the practice of using the hands system to balance the body. Based on Chinese Medicine and the philosophies of Buddhism and Taoism, Reiki is considered an effective means for alleviating pain, depression and anxiety. Reiki draws from the idea that spiritual energy flows through a Reiki provider who can transfer energy to a patient and…

Understanding hormones and their effect on the skin, from the teenage years to perimenopause and menopause, is challenging for many skin care specialists. Journeying through the roller coaster with many clients can be rough sailing. Understanding the prominent hormones in the body is essential in order to correctly diagnose, treat and prevent hormone related skin conditions. Estrogen and progesterone are the main partners in this…

They are the chemical messengers that control nearly every aspect of the human body. Without hormones, growth and development, metabolism, reproduction, mood control, digestion and other necessary functions would not be possible.Small changes in hormones can cause big changes within the bodyand the skin. Hormonally induced skin conditions, like acne and melasmacan be frustrating, asfluctuations in hormones are unpredictable and often not easily detected, even…