Keratosis Pilaris & How to Treat It

Have you had bumpy skin for as long as you can remember? Then you might be experiencing Keratosis Pilaris, a painless condition that affects the body’s skin. While it's not something to cause worry, reading up on the topic is practical to get more information on the causes and treatments that can help your situation.

Mar 24, 2022 10:19:36 AM / by The Institute of Skin Science

Learn More About Keratosis Pilaris & Treatments

Have you had bumpy skin for as long as you can remember? Then you might be experiencing Keratosis Pilaris, a painless condition that affects the body’s skin. While it's not something to cause worry, reading up on the topic is practical to get more information on the causes and treatments that can help your situation. Here’s everything you should know about keratosis pilaris and what you can do to improve your skin’s appearance and texture. What is Keratosis Pilaris? Keratosis pilaris is a condition that causes dry, rough patches and small, red (for lighter fitzpatricks) or brown (for dark fitzpatricks) bumps on the skin. These patches are most often found on the upper arms and legs and occasionally on the cheeks. The associated bumps might look like a rash to some, but they don’t itch or hurt and are ultimately harmless. Keratosis pilaris is often referred to as “chicken skin,” and is commonly seen in young children, although it’s not uncommon to show up on an adult. In terms of numbers, 50-80% of all adolescents and approximately 40% of adults experience it at one point, although most will see the condition subside or disappear by age 30. What is the Cause of Keratosis Pilaris? The skin condition is caused by the buildup of keratin that blocks the opening of hair follicles. Keratin is the hard protein that makes up our skin, which is our first line of defense against infection and other harmful substances. While there is no harm in having excessive amounts of this protective protein, it is the culprit of the small red or brown dots or bumpy skin that someone with KP encounters. Doctors and other skincare professionals aren’t sure what causes this problem, other than genetics or other skin conditions in which this may be a symptom. Since KP is not damaging, you likely won’t have to seek treatment from a doctor, but sometimes the appearance of the skin can prove harmful to one’s self-esteem. Thankfully, there are several products available that can help treat the condition. What Makes Keratosis Pilaris Worse? Dry weather and insufficient moisture in the skin can cause flare-ups and worsening conditions. People with KP should exfoliate and moisturize regularly to ensure thorough and effective hydration. Here are some helpful tips for keeping your skin evenly hydrated:

• Utilize cleansers or lotions containing AHAs or BHAs (more on that later)

• Moisturize day and night, especially after a shower

• Exfoliate regularly

• Always wear sunscreen

• Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water

• Bathe using warm, but not hot water

• If you live in a dry environment, invest in a home humidifier
  

Keratosis Pilaris and Your Diet Your diet is not the cause of your keratosis pilaris, but it can influence your skin. If you are looking for effective ways to reduce the appearance of bumps on your arms and legs, consider the foods you’re eating. Here are a few things you can do to improve the texture and look of your skin:

• Eat Fatty Acids Like Omega-3 – Healthy fats are the building blocks of healthy skin cells. For our skin to properly function and protect against free radicals and the environment, Omega-3 fatty acids and other healthy fats are a necessary part of our diet and overall skin health. You can find healthy fats in fish, nuts, seeds, and olive oil.

• Drink Up! – It is no secret that hydrated skin is healthy skin, so make sure you’re hydrating on the inside too! The more hydrated you are, the higher the water content of your body and skin will be.

• Choose Antioxidant-Rich Foods - Antioxidants are naturally occurring vitamins and minerals that protect and repair skin cells. You can find vitamins A, C, and E in fruits and vegetables, and while you might also find these ingredients in some of your skincare products, getting your daily dose of vitamins and minerals orally is essential to your skin and overall health.
  

How to Treat Keratosis Pilaris While the condition is painless, that doesn’t mean it’s not bothersome to those experiencing it. As mentioned earlier, there is no cure, but treatment for the skin condition is simple. Balancing a routine of regular exfoliation, whether physical or chemical, and moisturizing is the best way to keep the bumps at bay. Thankfully, GlyMed Plus offers powerful and effective products such as the following: For The Body:

• Alpha Therapeutic Hand & Body Lotion – Formulated with AHAs, this lotion uses mild chemical exfoliation to nourish the skin and smooth even the driest skin. Suitable for all skin types but highly recommended for dry and sensitive skin.

• Alpha Therapeutic Ultimate Body Scrub – Fine jojoba beads, glycolic, lactic, and malic acids work together to stimulate cell turnover creating soft, supple skin.

• Hand & Body Lotion – This lightweight moisturizer uses shea butter, cocoa butter, avocado oil, and sunflower oil to deliver deep hydration in the skin without leaving behind a greasy feeling.

• Professional CBD Booster – Add this vitamin-rich serum to your favorite body lotion to increase hydration while repairing and calming the skin.

Remember that while exfoliation is the goal here, it can be harmful to over-exfoliate. If you’re using a physical exfoliant, don’t use a chemical one on the same day and vice versa. For the Face: While most adults don’t find the "chicken skin" rash on their faces, you might notice it on the cheeks from time to time. If that’s the case, you may want to choose from the following products:

• Retinol Restart Rejuvenation Cream – Safe for all skin types, use this product to influence collagen renewal and restore your skin’s protective barrier to diminish the appearance of the red or brown bumps. This product also targets acne, wrinkles, and hyperpigmentation.

• Daily Repair Mega-Moisture Cream – Packed with healing and repairing botanicals, this moisturizer is lightweight, yet deeply hydrating. Perfect for morning and evening use and safe for all skin types.
  

Treat Your KP Skin to GlyMed Products All GlyMed products are pharmaceutical-grade and proven through extensive research to produce stunning results when used as instructed. If you’re ready to start your skincare journey, find a GlyMed Plus Professional near you to learn more about our products and start your regimen.

Written by The Institute of Skin Science

Keratosis Pilaris & How to Treat It

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How Endometriosis, PCOS, & Fertility Treatments Affect the Skin

April 24-30 is Infertility Awareness Week. This week and always, we seek to understand and empower the women experiencing infertility and other illnesses that may cause it, such as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and endometriosis. We believe that no matter your medical situation, skincare is for everyone.

Apr 1, 2022 3:52:24 PM / by The Institute of Skin Science

How Endometriosis, PCOS, & Fertility Treatments Affect the Skin

April 24-30 is Infertility Awareness Week. This week and always, we seek to understand and empower the women experiencing infertility and other illnesses that may cause it, such as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and endometriosis. We believe that no matter your medical situation, skincare is for everyone. Which is why we aim to provide the best skincare options and education to help everyone love the skin they’re in.

As a woman-owned and founded professional skincare brand, we strive to recognize hormonal conditions such as these and how they affect the skin. While we know that everyone experiences their health issues in a unique way, we also know that many women struggle with acne, sensitive skin, and overly dry or oily skin.

Here is a closer look at how endometriosis, PCOS, and fertility treatments affect the skin and how you can treat it with quality ingredients and products.

A Background on Endometriosis

Roughly 10% of all women globally have endometriosis, a condition in which the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus, causing pain, heavy periods, and in the most severe cases, infertility. Endometriosis, an inflammatory condition, often comes with hormone imbalances and fluctuations that can change the skin like acne, skin sensitivity, and eczema.

Other symptoms of endometriosis might include, but are not limited to the following:

• Fatigue

• Nausea

• Iron deficiency

• Lower back pain

• Heavy periods

• Painful cramps

• Uncomfortable intercourse

Keep in mind that each person experiences this condition differently. Some women may experience just a few of these indicators, while others might have them all. If you notice any combination of the above symptoms, talk to a doctor, preferably a gynecologist that specializes in endometriosis. They can help you determine the next steps for diagnosing endometriosis and present you with treatment options to help alleviate symptoms.

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)

Polycystic ovarian syndrome is another hormonal disorder. It causes enlarged ovaries with small cysts on the outer edges. Since the illness is caused by a hormonal imbalance, particularly excess testosterone, the most expected symptoms include menstrual irregularity, excess hair growth, acne, and weight changes. It is also probable to experience indicators like those of endometriosis, which is why it is essential to reach out to your doctor for an official diagnosis.

Women with PCOS may notice that acne lesions are deeper, larger, and slower to resolve. Most often these breakouts involve painful cystic acne and whiteheads that worsen when menstruating.

Suggested Practices to Care for Endometriosis & PCOS

Unfortunately, there is not extensive research on how to reduce all symptoms that accompany endometriosis or PCOS. However, since both illnesses are inflammatory, there are some medical suggestions that diet, stress levels, and sleep will influence the severity of your symptoms. Here are a few things you might try:

• Stay hydrated and drink plenty of water

• Get enough sleep

• Reduce your stress levels

• Avoid inflammatory foods

• Take anti-inflammatory supplements like turmeric and fish oil

• Take an iron supplement (if anemic)

• Track your flares so you know how and when to manage them in the future

• Speak with a doctor about correcting hormonal imbalances

Endometriosis, PCOS, & Your Skin

Hormones play a significant part in regulating your sebum production, which causes acne when produced in excess. If you notice you’re particularly acne-prone, you may consider products that contain the following ingredients to reduce excess oil and combat pore blockages:

• Glycolic acid

• Salicylic acid

• Benzoyl peroxide

• Retinol (vitamin A)

• Sulfur

• Oxygen

Many women will notice their hormonal acne worsens around the time of their menstrual cycle. Experts suggest acne flares are expected to show up 7-10 days before the start of a women’s period. Taking extra precautions in your skincare routine before and during this timeframe can help sustain healthy skin. If you’re tracking your cycle, you’ll know when to expect hormonal skin changes.

Consider a light chemical peel to boost cell turnover and keep the hormonal acne at bay in the coming weeks. In terms of at-home skincare, consider adding a CBD product to your routine which will aid in regulating your sebaceous glands and delivers an elevated level of essential antioxidants.

Skin Sensitivity and Endometriosis

Endo and inflammation of the body go hand in hand, so it’s typical for someone to experience sensitized skin, and potentially eczema. Thankfully, there are plenty of gentle, hydrating ingredients that restore and conserve hydration in the skin. A few ingredients to look for include peptides, ceramides, shea butter, vitamin E, and hyaluronic acid.

You can find these restorative ingredients in many GlyMed products, such as:

• Cell Protection Serum

• CBD Micro Silver Miracle

• Intense Peptide Skin Recovery Complex

• Amino Acid Epidermal Sealant w/ PC10

• Hand and Body Lotion

How Fertility Treatments Affect Skin Many aspiring mothers who struggle with infertility opt for hormonal medications and treatments to further their chances of pregnancy. For these enduring women, it’s no secret that fluctuations in hormones and stress will change the way their skin behaves. Increased progesterone levels can stimulate sebaceous glands, resulting in an over production of oil and acne breakouts. But not everyone’s case is the same. Women undergoing hormonal treatments for fertility purposes might experience some of the following side-effects in their skin:

• Dry, flaky skin

• Skin irritation

• Skin puffiness and inflammation

• Pigmentation changes in the skin

• Melasma

• Rosacea flares (if present)

Treating Your Hormonal Skin Caused by Fertility Treatments Skin that is being affected by hormones may sound difficult to treat but choosing the right topical options can help soothe and normalize your skin even when your body is working against you. The first step to finding the right balance in your skincare is defining your main concerns. There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to skin. Oily, acne-prone skin will not be treated the same way as dry, pigmented skin will. If you’re looking for the best skincare recommendations during fertility treatments, visiting your aesthetician is the best way to zero in on your concerns and fit you with proper treatment options both in their practice and at home. Ingredients to Stay Away from During Fertility Treatments According to fertility experts, there are certain ingredients or high-potency formulas that expecting, and nursing mothers should stay away from. More recently, doctors are asking their fertility patients undergoing treatments to take similar precautions. Here are the ingredients to avoid during this time:

• Salicylic acid

• Benzoyl peroxide

• Retinol

• Hydroquinone

• Arnica

Find A GlyMed Pro for Advice and Treatment Options With the right treatments and regimen, you can control changes in your skin due to hormones and other factors. GlyMed dedicates its efforts to exploring ingredients and formulations that work for a broad scope of skin conditions and we’re proud to offer an extensive line of professional products that support everyone in their journey to discovering confidence in their skin.

Looking for an aesthetician that can treat your hormonal skin and offer home care advice? Connect with support@glymedplusaustralia.com.au to find a professional clinic near you.

Written by The Institute of Skin Science

How Endometriosis, PCOS, and Fertility Treatments Affect the Skin

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Normal Reactions to a New Skincare Regimen

"Skincare is a marathon, not a sprint," as we like to say at GlyMed. When you switch over to a new product or regimen, you might be concerned why your skin is reacting differently, but it’s just your skin getting used to new ingredients.

Apr 15, 2022 11:07:08 AM / by The Institute of Skin Science

Normal Skin Reactions to New Products

“Skincare is a marathon, not a sprint,” as we like to say at GlyMed. When you switch over to a new product or regimen, you might be concerned why your skin is reacting differently, but it’s just your skin getting used to new ingredients. Trust the process because the beautiful, radiant skin you’re dreaming of is just around the corner. Let’s discuss some of the typical reactions someone starting or restarting their skincare journey might experience.

Signs of an Allergic Reaction to Beauty Products Before we get into anticipated reactions, we should review how to tell if you’re having an allergic reaction to a product. If you suspect that you’re allergic to something, discontinue use immediately and discuss other options with your esthetician or dermatologist. According to the FDA, the following are common symptoms of allergic reactions caused by beauty products:

• Hives

• Itchy skin

• Rash

• Unexpected flaking or peeling

• Facial swelling

• Blistering

• Irritation of eyes, nose, or mouth

It is essential to note that flaking or peeling skin might be considered a normal reaction to a product or treatment if that's the goal. For example, some mild flaking or sheet peeling of the skin is a normal reaction to some chemical peels. You might also expect mild dryness and flaking when you start using acne fighting ingredients like AHAs, BHAs, and retinoids.

Reactions to Strong Active Ingredients While a painful burning sensation or a sign of an allergic reaction is concerning, a slight tingle can be expected when using an ingredient that your skin isn’t quite used to. If your skin feels hot or uncomfortable, it could mean that your skin is sensitive to the ingredients or that your skin is overly dry, and the moisture barrier is compromised. Thankfully, there are ways to continue using the new product that might be causing the sensitivity without sending your skin into overdrive.

Conditioning Your Skin for Strong Ingredients Skin conditioning is the practice of slowly introducing a new product into your skincare by either using it less frequently or buffering it. Many estheticians will use this great analogy: your skin is like your muscles. It needs to be exercised and strengthened. You wouldn’t expect a beginner at the gym to lift hundreds of pounds, just like you shouldn’t expect your skin to handle strong ingredients right away. As mentioned, there are two ways to start your skin conditioning journey. The first is to cut the recommended use in half and work your way up. For example, a product recommended once a day could be used every other day, or a product used twice a day is only applied once. Try this practice for the first month of use, and once your skin normalizes, you might try applying the product more often. Another way to practice skin conditioning is to buffer your active products with something gentle and restorative. For example, instead of just using an active face wash, you can use half a pump of the active cleanser and half a pump of a restorative one. As your skin normalizes, you may try using the cleanser on its own. Determining when to adjust can be tricky. We find the best practice to determine one's tolerance is by trial and error. If you find your skin reacts poorly to a recent change, consider reverting to what was working before to allow your skin to heal before switching it up again. Your skin will tell you what it needs, so make sure you listen! Lastly, it's important to note that those with sensitive skin may never be able to use the product at its full potency, which is okay! Rest assured, our products, even when buffered, can provide incredible results. Ingredients in skincare products that may require skin conditioning:

• BHAs (salicylic acid)

• AHAs (specifically glycolic acid, lactic acid, mandelic acid and malic acid)

• Retinoids

• Benzoyl Peroxide

• Enzymes (papain, bromelain, protease, pumpkin)

Sensitive Skin or Sensitized Skin When discussing how your skin reacts to new products and ingredients, it’s worth talking about skin sensitivity. Have you ever noticed how certain environmental factors like harsh weather and active ingredients might cause your skin to feel hot, irritated, or uncomfortable? Do you avoid fragrance or certain detergents because they cause hives or itchy skin? If you’ve been dealing with this your whole life, you might be dealing with a sensitive skin type. As someone with sensitive skin, here are a few things to keep in mind when working with new products:

• Choose gentle, restorative products

• If an active product is needed, skin conditioning is essential

• Avoid harsh exfoliating products (both chemical and mechanical)

• Choose a chemical sunscreen for the best UV protection

Sensitized skin is different because it’s a skin condition triggered by external or internal factors, such as medications, extreme weather, UV exposure, or a harsh skincare ingredient. These factors can damage the skin barrier, which causes the skin to react sensitively. Not to mention that a compromised skin barrier can also leave you susceptible to toxins that cause breakouts, dry, dull, or inflamed skin. Thankfully, you can restore your natural skin barrier with time and the correct skincare practices. Here’s what to do when your skin has become sensitized:

• Use more reparative ingredients (like peptides, ceramides, and hyaluronic acid)

• Avoid harsh ingredients (like alcohols, retinol, AHAs, BHAs, and benzoyl peroxide)

• Use sunscreen daily and reapply every two hours

• Give your skin the time it needs to heal, about 28 days (one skin cycle, give or take a week)

Skin Purging Have you ever started a new skincare routine just to find new redness and bumps appear within a few days? This process is called purging, and it’s more natural than you might think. Skin purging happens when your skin is adapting to a new product, ingredient, or regimen. This is especially true when you switch to an active ingredient that promotes skin cell turnover. Your skin starts shedding dead cells faster than before to reveal smooth, youthful skin. However, it won’t just happen overnight. Excess sebum and flakey skin are likely to find their way to the surface, creating whiteheads, blackheads, microcomedones, and sometimes even papules or pustules. So how can you tell the difference between a full-blown breakout and skin purging? The most common sign of a purge phase is acne that seems to heal faster than a typical breakout. Now, that is not to say the purging phase is fast (in fact, it can last up to a month or more), but you’ll notice that the pimple you find in one spot might go away within a day or two, while pimples caused by breakouts can sometimes take a week or more to heal. You should also notice purging in areas where you typically breakout. For example, if you’ve been prone to breaking out around the jawline before starting the product, the acne in that area might worsen before it improves. So, what do you do about purging? Stick with the new product or regimen. Unless you are concerned that a product is causing an allergic reaction, continue using your products as recommended by your skincare provider. Here is our professional advice: give the product(s) about two months before making any switches or substitutions. Sure, that timeframe might sound like a long time to wait for clear skin but trust us when we say it is so worth it!

GlyMed and Your Skin GlyMed’s mission is to create powerful, pharmaceutical-grade products that produce proven results. But you might expect reactions like purging, that “tingly” feeling on the skin, or even slight sensitivity. All of which is normal and will eventually pass. Remember, the skin of your dreams is just around the corner, but consistency and patience are key! So, trust the process, and you’ll love what you see in no time.

Are you ready for all the GlyMed has to offer? Contact support@glymedplusaustralia.com.au

Written by The Institute of Skin Science

Normal Reactions to a New Skincare Regimen

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