November Science Wrap Up 2023

Hello! I don’t want to freak you out too much, but Christmas is almost upon us! The ESK team is grateful for some sunshine after spending the past week in London. We were there for the Pause meeting, a conference for 1000 women about menopause. I addressed the conference about peri and menopause and its effects on the skin. This all happened over the Black Friday sale weekend. We welcomed lots of our beloved ESK family back and welcomed lots of new faces too. So for anyone who is new to the fam-bam, I like to do a wrap up of the latest studies of skin for all the skintellectuals out there! And here is my November dump!

Supplements for acne

Nutraceuticals are food- derived products that provide both nutritional and medicinal benefits. Examples include vitamins, dietary supplements, and herbal products. Lots of people take them for acne but do they work? A review of 42 studies published in the journal, JAMA Dermatology sought to determine just that. Here’s what the reviewers found; of all the nutraceuticals reviewed, there are potential benefits from taking vitamins B5 and D, green tea, probiotics, and omega-3 fatty acids in the treatment of acne. Side effects were rare with the exception of zinc which didn’t work, but gave people gastrointestinal tract side effects. The authors fell short of recommending these nutraceuticals but they might be worth a shot.

Better understanding of rosacea

A new study of the bugs (good, bad and ugly) that sit on the skin of people with pustular rosacea was presented at the 2023 European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology in Berlin. What they found certainly surprised me. Cutibacterium species (which cause pimples in acne) are the main bacteria found on the skin of healthy people but completely disappear during a rosacea flare – that was really unexpected! Instead, Staphylococcus bacteria step in, implying that they (the Staphylococcus bacteria) may be a major problem in rosacea flares.

Unfortunately, while managing Rosacea flares with ivermectin does reduce flares, it doesn’t seem to alter the skin microbiome back to a “healthy” state. All that means, we’re still taking baby steps learning about the skin microbiome and how it changes for better or worse in different skin conditions. Let's strap ourselves in for a long and interesting ride.

Rosacea Skincare Kit - Anti Redness

This bundle is designed to gently cleanse, protect, hydrate and calm rosacea-prone skin. 

• Reduce redness & prevent flare-ups
• Restore skin barrier function
• Target fine lines & wrinkles

Full Size (3-4 months usage) Travel Size (3-4 weeks usage)

Add to bag $399 $448

Add to bag $199 $224

Vitamin C for pigmentation- it does play a role

I was delighted to read a review of 7 small studies (only 139 people in total) looking at vitamin C for pigmentation. Publishing their findings in Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, the authors said; “vitamin C is effective in treating uneven, wrinkled skin and has depigmenting properties, but long-term use may be needed to achieve noticeable changes.” What was interesting was the fact that Q-switched Nd:YAG laser actually helped the depigmenting effects of vitamin C. Or maybe it was vice versa. Once again it reminded me that pigmentation is complex and giving the job of reversing it to one ingredient or method is setting yourself up for failure!