Arbutin

Arbutin is a naturally occuring derivative of hydroquinone found in the leaves of cranberry, bearberry, and blueberry shrubs, most types of pears, and many other plants. Arbutin may inhibit melanogenesis by affecting tyrosinase activity.

Arbutin has been used in the treatment of disorders of hyperpigmentation such as postinflammatory hyperpigmentation caused by acne, trauma, allergic reactions, infections, injuries, phototoxic reactions, reactions to medications, reactions to cosmetics, and inflammatory diseases.

Arbutin concentration protocols for skin whitening have not yet been established. Low concentrations have no effect, while high concentrations of about 5% or more can be as irritating as hydroquinone and may potentially result in unexpected hyperpigmentation (darkening).

Shiseido patented the use of Arbutin in skin-whitening cosmetics. Some companies bypass the patents by using Arbutin-containing plant extracts such as bearberry. There is inadequate research data showing that Arbutin extracted from plants has any skin whitening effects.

http://www.thienna.com/arbutin.html

Benefits of Vitamin C and Skin Care

One of the very most important ingredients in your skin care treatments is vitamin C. In fact, it might even be questionable if there was much treatment available if it were not for vitamin C and skin care. So many new products make it difficult to choose between the hi-tech and the most practical, when applied to your skin.

While looking at the labels, which are constantly changing as fast as the ingredients used, it becomes hard to know which one really works, and will do what you want it to do. Here are some tips about vitamin C and skin care that should help.

What Can Vitamin C Really Do For My Skin?

The purpose behind any real skin care is to give you that younger, fresher look every day. Its goal is to rejuvenate the skin in such a way that its earlier glow and health are maintained. It does this in a number of ways:

* It moisturizes
* It encourages growth of collagen
* It softens
* It exfoliates and cleanses
* It helps remove wrinkles

Research has shown that vitamin C is really the only thing that stimulates the growth of collagen. Collagen is the substance that gives structure and strength to your skin. Simply by growing older there is a natural reduction of the production of collagen in the body, and this is revealed by the appearance of wrinkles on the skin. Thus, by stimulating the production of collagen, the process may be reversed, at least temporarily.
Are there any other benefits of Vitamin C For My Skin?

This amazing vitamin has some other benefits that make it the choice item in beauty care.

It is an antioxidant.

This feature of it makes it further the ideal element, and why it is good to have vitamin C and skin care. Although it is not in itself a sunscreen, it does serve as an antioxidant when put on the skin. Free radicals, or oxidants in the skin, cause greater harm when they are exposed to the ultraviolet rays of the sun, and can destroy the skin and produce cancer.

Sunscreen, however, must still be worn since vitamin C will not block out the sun's rays. And, because of this feature, it can also help prevent the growth of melanin in the skin, which are the dark spots that often increase with aging.

It can also help wounds to heal, and will boost your immune system.
Why Does One Form of Vitamin C Not Always Work?

This wonderful little vitamin, which can do so much to help our skin, has a few problems when they try to put in a useable skin care product. It seems that water and vitamin C are totally incompatible. Therefore, when it is put into water it oxidizes very quickly and loses most of its ability to perform in a desirable way on your skin. Worse yet, it takes on the qualities of an oxidant and now takes on totally undesirable qualities! This form of vitamin C and skin care will not work!

The manufacturer’s then have had to come up with ways to modify the vitamin C, and store it, or come up with another ingredient. Their solution – modify the vitamin C. It is the variations of vitamin C that you will now find in the skin care products that have many different names.
Here are a few of them, with a brief description:

* L-Ascorbic Acid (also called ascorbic acid): this is basic, untouched vitamin C. This form is from citric acid and may be undesirable to use on your skin – if it is extra sensitive. It is often used in exfoliates, because of the acid.
* Ascorbyl palmitate: derivative of vitamin C. It is the most common form used in skin care, being less acidic.
* Magnesium ascorbyl phosphate: also a derivative; it is rapidly gaining in popularity as an ingredient. It s also less acidic and more stable than vitamin C; but may not often have a high enough concentration in many products to cause collagen production.
* Tetrasubstituted lipophilic ascorbates: these are probably the forms of vitamin C that you will start to see in the very near future. Cheaper than some of the other, they also may have the same effects on collagen production as vitamin C.

While new products will continue to appear all the time, be careful to watch for new applications and forms of vitamin C and skin care.

http://www.vitaminsdiary.com/vitamins/vitamin-c-skin-care.htm

VCO’s Magic Component: Lauric Acid

Why is virgin coconut oil good for you? The seemingly complex question can be answered in one word: lauric acid!

Lauric acid is the major medium chain fatty acid found in coconut oil. Once digested, this fatty acid is transformed into monolaurin, which has tremendous benefits for the body.



Why is Monolaurin Beneficial?

Lauric acid is present in the saturated fat of human breast milk. It protects an infant from infections and diseases by providing immune building properties. This monoglyceride has antiviral, antibacterial, antiprotozoal, and antimicrobial properties that can help cure various diseases. It works by destroying lipid-coated viruses such as HIV, herpes, cytomegalovirus, influenza, various pathogenic bacteria, including listeria monocytogenes helicobacter pylori, and protozoa such as giardia lamblia.



Virgin coconut oil can cure and prevent diseases because it is nature’s most abundant source of lauric acid. Its beneficial effects were proved by a study conducted by a Filipino doctor Conrado Dayrit in the year 1999 to 2000. The study was conducted at San Lazaro hospital in Manila and it examined the effect of coconut oil and monolaurin on the viral load of HIV patients. The study revealed that lauric acid lowered the viral load of HIV patients. Research done by Dr. Mary Enig Ph.D. also proves the antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal properties of the medium chain fatty acids/triglycerides (MCTs) found in coconut oil



Lauric Acid vs Antibiotics

Since its discovery, antibiotics have been the answer of modern medicine to infections and diseases. Antibiotics help to some extent but prolong use can create more health problems as antibiotic resistance becomes widespread. Overuse of antibiotics leads to the development of “superbugs" that are resistant to currently available antibiotics. The World Health Organization says that there may come a time when many infectious diseases will be almost impossible to treat. They call this the "postantibitoic era.”



Virgin coconut oil is a natural antibiotic because of its essential components like monolaurin. Consuming VCO supplies your body with a natural germ fighter that strengthens the body’s immune system and resists harmful viruses and microorganisms.

Links:
http://www.thevirgincoconutoil.com/articleitem.php?articleid=191