Prevention is Key

Active treatments get all the attention. Yet did you know that even the best can be undermined by lack of proper prevention? Or that in many cases, simple prevention can clear up a skin problem? Read on to learn more about the power of prevention.

    Why Is Prevention So Important?

    As with all medical and health issues, prevention is as important as (in some cases more important than) than treatment.

    Some very basic, common-sense examples: eating right and exercising regularly are better than stroke recovery or heart surgery. Not smoking is better than chemotherapy for lung cancer. Proper daily brushing and flossing is better than dental surgery or early prostheses. The early, regular use of sunscreen is better than treating skin cancer later.

    The same logic applies to non life-threatening skin issues (aging, pigmentation, acne, etc.): the less damage, the less to correct or the easier to treat.

    Great skin doesn’t stop at the proper regimen or treatment (just as heart health doesn’t stop after surgery; a proper diet and lifestyle need to be maintained). This is why at VMV HYPOALLERGENICS®, prevention isn’t an afterthought, it’s a way of being. At VMV, hypoallergenicity isn’t a nice perk, it’s a lifestyle.

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    Why Isn’t The Right Skin Therapy Enough To Solve My Skin Concerns?

    Because even the best treatment may fail if you keep using products that cause the problem you’re trying to address (it would be like working out five times a week but smoking a pack a day). For example:

    • Aggressive acne therapy may not work if you keep using hair care, soaps, or other products with pore cloggers or allergens (while allergens don’t clog pores the way comedogens do, they can irritate pores, leading to an infection = pimples).
    • A proven lightening ingredient may fail if it is in a formulation that also contains photoallergens (ingredients that can react with light to cause darkening) such as fragrances.
    • Anti-aging therapy may not work if the skin is continuously exposed to irritants (like many preservatives) or environmental factors (like the sun) that dry it out, denature it, or cause cell damage.

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    How Do I Prevent Skin Problems?

    1) Sun and Light Protection

    Practice regular sun and light protection from an early age (or if you’ve crossed that bridge, start it immediately and get your kids started as early as possible). Sun and light damage is cumulative: so the more you avoid exposure, the less the risk of damage.

    Sun and light exposure (even to indoor lights) causes a whole host of problems, both external and internal, from aging to discolorations, skin cancer and even immuno-suppressive disorders.

    2) Validated Hypoallergenic, Non-Comedogenic

    When choosing personal care products — from head to toe — we recommend that you always look for validated (proven) hypoallergenicity and non-comedogenicity.

    Why hypoallergenic, non-comedogenic for all personal care products? Because many products not usually associated with the skin can cause or exacerbate mots skin problems — from acne to allergies, dryness, dark spots and aging. For example:

    • Shampoos and conditioners with comedogenic ingredients can trickle down skin when you sweat and clog pores. This usually manifests in acne on the forehead, cheeks, neck, and back.
    • Hair care and styling products with allergens can trickle down skin when you sweat and cause dark spots, itching, redness or other irritations on the skin as well as the scalp. And while they may not clog pores the way comedogens do, they can cause acne by irritating the pores and causing an infection.
    • Some oral care products contain halogens that can cause acne or rashes around the mouth and chin (peri-oral dermatitis). If you have peri-oral contact dermatitis, you may need to both switch to a halogen-free toothpaste such as our Essence Skin-Saving Simple-Gentle Toothpaste, as well as cut down on halogens in other areas of exposure, such as foods, water, or materials with iodides, bromides, chlorides, and the like. For more information on peri-oral contact dermatitis, click here.
    • Antiperspirants, soaps, or powders with fragrance or other allergens and irritants can cause underarm irritations, bumps (granulomas), or skin darkening—fragrance is a top allergen and can also be a photo-allergen, meaning it can react with light to cause skin discolorations. Other known photo-allergens include dyes and preservatives.
    Any product that has irritants or allergens can cause inflammations, one of the major causes of aging.

    The best way to achieve your skin goals is by combining prevention with therapy. To find a regimen that suits your skin needs and skin goals best, we suggest:

    1. Clicking here to download a targeted regimen,
    2. Clicking here to learn more about Vx Facials + Skin Services
    3. Browsing our Hair, Body + Bath, Sun and Light, Mom and Baby, skin-safe Makeup and Lifestyle products for preventive therapy.
    For a comprehensive Skinvestment Plan that includes therapy plus prevention, click here.

    Does Internal Prevention (Proper Diet, Stress Management, Exercise) Help My Skin?

    Yes. Research is showing more and more that several skin and internal conditions that seem unrelated may actually share certain “pathogenetic pathways.”

    “Comorbidities” refers to the presence of multiple diseases or disorders occurring together with a primary disease. For instance, patients with psoriasis (the primary disease) often develop diabetes, obesity, arthritis, and hypertension (the comorbid diseases). While these conditions are apparently unrelated, studies show that they have a common pathogenetic pathway, by which they are now thought to be inter-related. Sleep deprivation, stress and pro-inflammatory foods like processed foods have been shown to be linked to obesity and other health problems but also acne, aging, psoriasis, eczema and other skin problems.

    In addition, your skin is often one of the first, most visible signs of the state of your internal systems. Before MRIs, bloodwork or other diagnostic procedures, your skin can indicate the possibility of inflammation, infection and even specific diseases like diabetes or a thyroid problem. If your internal health is suffering, there’s a good chance your skin (and even hair, in the form of temporary hair loss) will show it.

    The opposite it true, too: eating healthily, exercising regularly, sleeping 7-8 hours a day, and managing stress all show up on skin.

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    Click here to learn how hypoallergenicity can help with aging concerns.

    Click here to read about stress, inflammation, aging and other skin concerns.

    Click here to learn more about the VH-Rating System.

    Click here to read the VH-Rating System’s proven efficacy.

    Click here to learn about the VH-Rating System’s validity as a method for substantiating hypoallergenic claims.

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