HOW TO GET RID OF DARK ELBOWS AND KNEES

How to Get Rid of Dark Elbows and Knees

It’s summer! Yet you dread to be seen in t-shirt and shorts? Stop getting embarrassed by dark elbows and dark knees. The skin care solutions outlined below can help you get rid of this problem for good!

Your elbows and knees are darker because you constantly lay them against hard surfaces: the counter, the table, or the wooden kneelers. Sun exposure and a build-up of dead skin cells can also cause the skin on your elbows and knees to appear darker than the rest of your body.

Steps to Lighter Elbows and Knees

The first step is to exfoliate. Dead surface skin cells should be removed to make your skin fairer. Exfoliants like retinol, AHA, and salicylic acid are good choices. The elbows and knees can benefit also from physical exfoliants like salts and micro scrubs. An excellent exfoliant from SkinStation is DERMAX Retinol C serum, which should be applied once daily.

The next step is to lighten and moisturize skin by applying NANOWHITE lotion on evenings. It has nano-encapsulated blend of lightening actives to give you fast and gentle results.

Make sunscreen application your morning routine. NANOWHITE lotion with SPF 30 should be applied on mornings to protect against harmful UV rays that cause skin to darken.

More Tips

Use DERMAX AcneX exfoliant soap to wash your elbows and knees daily. It works wonders not only on acne prone skin, but also as an all around exfoliant, with time-release salicylic acid. Use a good sponge with the soap to get a good and gentle scrubbing.

You can never completely avoid friction on elbows and knees. A more intensive way to moisturize elbows and knees is needed to minimize effect of friction. After each shower and before you go to bed, apply a thick layer of natural oils like squalane oil, argan oil, or virgin coconut oil.

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This column was published in the Manila Bulletin Lifestyle Section on March 11, 2014 . The author is the CEO of SkinStation. He received the 2011 Outstanding Chemist Award from Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) for his achievements in the field of cosmetic chemistry. Skin Smart aims to clarify facts and myths on skin care. Send your questions and comments to info@skinstation.ph. 

THE FUTURE OF SKIN CARE: NANO-ENCAPSULATION TECHNOLOGY

When we talk of nano, we talk about size. Nano is a billionth of a meter; a thousand times smaller than micro. Nanotechnology is the manipulation of matter on atomic and molecular scale. The concept and the potential applications can be very exciting.

Hundreds of billions of dollars have been spent on its research by the governments in Europe, USA and Japan.  Applications have been found in the field of electronics, energy production, biomaterials and medicine.

With the development of nano sized active ingredients, skin care formulations have leaped to new levels of advancement.  Many major skin care companies launched new nano skin care products with enhanced effectiveness.  Skin absorption has vastly improved with the smaller particle size of nano active ingredients.

Ordinarily, skin care actives would only lay on the surface of the skin accomplishing nothing beyond improving feel. For anti-aging and lightening products, the active ingredients must work inside the skin to have any effect at all. Nanotechnology has made it possible for actives to go beyond the barriers much more easily.  

Then there was the report alleging the potential of nano sized physical sunscreens getting into the body’s bloodstream. Although the clinical basis for such a claim is largely insufficient, the alarm created such a bad press, and stunted the popularity of nanotechnology in skin care. Suddenly, the major brands deleted all reference to nano in their marketing. However, they continue to use nanotechnology in their formulations, as they hide behind terminology like “micro” to avoid any controversy.

Behind the headlines in mainstream media, the research and development in nanotechnology continues. Encapsulating nano particles is one recent major advance.

Why not encapsulate nano actives which are highly reactive and unstable? Encapsulation will protect the degradation of ingredients, keeping them as fresh as when they were first added in the blend.

Why not use encapsulation technology that will slowly release nano ingredients to impart time-release benefit?

And why not use encapsulation technology that will bring the actives to specific epidermal or dermal layer where they will be needed most?

Such incredible nano-encapsulation concepts are real and are available now at SkinStation. We have embraced nanoencapsulation technology in our DERMAX Professional skin care line. We know it is safe. We are convinced that this is the future of skin care. We not only openly declare this. We proudly incorporated “NANO” in our brand name.

(In July 2012, the author spoke before the members of Philippine Society for Cosmetic Science (PSCS) on the same topic, with the title, "Nano+Encapsulation Technology in Personal Care Products". The updated and modified version of that presentation before the PSCS can be accessed here:  https://app.box.com/s/7igjxmfyh5olyz6ktlv7.)

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Skin Smart seeks to clarify facts and myths on skin care. It will also share innovative developments in skin care industry. This column was published in the Manila Bulletin Lifestyle Section on June 25, 2013.  The author  received the 2011 Outstanding Chemist Award from Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) for his achievements in the field of cosmetic chemistry.  He is the CEO of SkinStation and can be reached at fred.reyes@skinstation.ph.