You’ve tried face creams, serums, sheet masks, and more to try and clear up a variety of skin issues, but how many times have we turned to Mother Earth for the answer? News flash: There’s an array of botanical skincare ingredients that can help calm down nearly any skin-related situation, and you’re probably missing out on them.
Here’s one of our favorites: African black soap. This skincare multihyphenate does just about everything that your whole skin routine can, in just one simple ingredient. Below, we dive deep into this skincare wunderkind with board-certified dermatologist, Peterson Pierre, M.D., of the Pierre Skin Care Institute — plus, we share a few of our favorite African black soap-infused skincare products.
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“Bar soap is definitely messier to use and can potentially harbor more bacteria if it’s sitting in a pool of water–a risk you don’t run with liquid soap,” says Dr. Peterson Pierre of Pierre Skin Care Institute in California. “However, your hands are washed and rinsed off in the end, so the germs are simply washed away, regardless of which product you use.”
More reassuring news: Studies have shown that your bar of soap probably won’t transfer bacteria. Even if you come into contact with a bar of soap that’s contaminated, you don’t need to panic.
But keep in mind, liquid soap dispensers can be hot spots for bacteria in their own right. Ultimately, the question of bar soap versus liquid soap comes down to personal preference.
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“Bar soap is definitely messier to use and can potentially harbor more bacteria if it’s sitting in a pool of water–a risk you don’t run with liquid soap,” says Dr. Peterson Pierre of Pierre Skin Care Institute in California. “However, your hands are washed and rinsed off in the end, so the germs are simply washed away, regardless of which product you use.”
More reassuring news: Studies have shown that your bar of soap probably won’t transfer bacteria. Even if you come into contact with a bar of soap that’s contaminated, you don’t need to panic.
But keep in mind, liquid soap dispensers can be hot spots for bacteria in their own right. Ultimately, the question of bar soap versus liquid soap comes down to personal preference.
Continue reading →
Generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP), also known as von Zumbusch psoriasis, is a rare and serious condition characterized by severely itchy pustules covering large portions of the body. It may begin with large areas of reddened, painful skin. Pustules then cover the skin in a matter of hours. It is typically accompanied by fever, chills, rapid heart rate, and nausea.
“If pustular psoriasis involves your entire body, it can become life-threatening. The high degree of inflammation can lead to rapid temperature shifts, an increased risk of dehydration (which can lead to electrolyte imbalance), and increased risk of infection,” explains Peterson Pierre, M.D. of the Pierre Skin Care Institute in Westlake Village, California.
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The Apple and The Shady Tree is my first book; at 62 years old I found my true “career” path! I have always known that I could write well… compositions and essays in school usually received high marks, speeches written for celebrations were applauded, and even letters and emails with less-than-upbeat messages have been acknowledged for their substance. Nonetheless, I ignored what might have been my true calling and spent my younger years in the non-profit world and then administering the family’s retail food businesses.
Okay, so maybe I had the writing skills, but that is only part of the equation in becoming a good author… you need a good story! In my case, I needed decades to gather my ingredients and allow them to cook. You see, I come from a family that could be the poster child for dysfunction: Mental illness? Check. Crippling co-dependency issues? Check? Poor choices? Check. Perhaps the “piece de resistance,” my Jewish father was the moneyman for the Genovese crime family. What material! An author’s dream!
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Chances are you muster enough energy to wash your face at the end of the day, but it is important to also start your day with fresh, cleansed skin. Even if it does not look dirty, your skin can still build up pollutants and irritants (from your sheets, for example) while you sleep. Your morning face cleanser should focus on hydration (a gentle milk, oil or gel cleanser is perfect for this) while your nighttime cleanser “involves cleansing the skin thoroughly of make-up, oil, dirt and environmental pollutants that our skin is exposed to every day,” explains Peterson Pierre, M.D., dermatologist and founder of the Pierre Skin Care Institute in Thousand Oaks, California.
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Skin-Care Makeup Products
Surprise — the very products you use to care for your skin could actually be damaging it. “Ingredients to avoid include fragrances, essential oils, cocoa butter, algae extracts, lanolin and sodium lauryl sulfate, which is common in cleansers,” says Peterson Pierre, M.D., board-certified dermatologist and owner of the Pierre Skin Care Institute in Thousand Oaks, California. Assess your product arsenal and eliminate things you suspect could be problematic for several weeks, then reintroduce each product individually and give it a weeklong test run to see how you react, Pierre suggests.
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“If you are really sweating through everything, you probably need to try Certain Dri which is the most effective over-the-counter antiperspirant available,” says Dr. Pierre. This roll-on product promises up to 72 hours of protection against excessive perspiration when applied before bed, thanks to the 12 percent aluminum chloride. And with over 2,000 five-star reviews on Amazon, users agree it lives up to the hype. “Before I used this product I was unbelievably skeptical,” admits one reviewer. “Fast forward maybe six years and it has changed my life. I literally NEVER have a drop of sweat!”
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This body exfoliator contains the same professional-grade crystals that many of the machines have on the tip of their wands for physical exfoliation, says Peterson Pierre, a board-certified dermatologist at the Pierre Skin Care Institute in Los Angeles. It also features lactic acid for a gentle chemical exfoliation, as well as jojoba oil to moisturize, chamomile to soothe, and aloe vera to quell inflammation.
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