Skincare Secrets

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I want to take better care of my skin. I want to take better care of myself. I want to exercise more. I want to… I want to…

But I don’t have time... Isn’t that everyone’s biggest problem today?

And I get it, you cannot fill anymore a glass that’s already full.

The problem is that our glass gets filled by other people. And when we want to add something, there’s no space.

Today, I want to talk about how to make space in your life and regain your time. So you can take better care of yourself, and do the things you want to do.

Anxiety. It is the most commonly experienced emotion in the US today. Unlike many other emotions, which live for a short period of time, Anxiety is something we carry all the time. Why? Why are we so anxious? What’s missing?

The one thing missing in most people’s lives today is time.

Time not to just react and respond to the constant demands on us, but time for ourselves.

And I wanna tell you that taking even a few minutes for yourself, to just breathe and connect, to think about the things YOU want from life… everything changes.

And if you don’t, you can cross your entire to-do list, every day, every week, every month…. And still feel empty.

Because what I’m talking about is a fulfilled life, a life you live on your time and your terms. Where you do the things you want. Instead of feeling anxiety. 

Which is so common for so many people… And you see people trying to change this state of anxiety all the time. To escape this emotional roller coaster.... 

So they can desperately find a moment of zen ...You know, the US has 5% of the global population, but consumes 90% of all the painkillers and 80% of all the cocaine out there. And it doesn’t have to be drugs. 

We reach for food when we’re not hungry for the same reasons. Because we get the same effect when we stuff our bellies. It feels GOOD. We relax. 

But are we fulfilled?

These hectic lives we live SUFFOCATING for time are draining us. Chipping away at our mental health. We are so busy chasing deadlines, running errands, doing house chores. We are putting out fires all the time.

And we are mostly taking care of EVERYONE ELSE’S NEEDS. But we don’t take care of our needs. We don’t stop to just feel. Or think. 

So while we chase the things to satisfy others… we reach out for something to get distracted ourselves. Because we need the ESCAPE. 

Why do people check their phones so often? Because it’s an ESCAPE from whatever they’re doing that’s NOT fulfilling enough.

And here’s a funny thing… when I ask someone - hey, what are you doing this weekend? Or what are you doing for the holiday? Many people feel uneasy if they say “I don’t have anything”. Because as a society, we put busyness on a pedestal.

It’s valuable. It makes you look good. You put-in the hours… Yeah! And we attach this stigma to “doing nothing”, to just having free time for ourselves.

So I want to share a few things that help me take control of time. 

Most of us actually have more time than we think. For example, what do you do when you commute to work? What do you fill that time with? How about the vacation days you earned at work, but you didn’t take? 

So many people don’t take the full amount of vacation they have. Which is crazy! The point is there are more gaps of time in our lives than we recognize. So try to find them. And think - what you do with this time? And can you do something else instead?

What causes this time-pressure induced anxiety so many people are feeling is this disconnect between your brain and your body where your brain is running at 100 miles an hour - I’ll do this and do that… and in 10 minutes it has concocted a whole new reality for you, but your body just started doing the first task along the way.

And you’re brain already feels you’re behind. So taking a moment to get centered after you finish a task, allows you to sync up your brain.. and your body.. so they are working together. 

And the most helpful exercise I do periodically that truly moves the needle in my life when it comes to owning my own time is making a not-to-do list. 

You’re so busy running and chasing things. But what are the things that you spend time on... that don’t serve your goals - whatever your goals are - taking care of yourself, personal growth, financial security, empowerment, family, faith, etc? 

Here’s a little story… Mom one day sees the gardener cutting the grass at my house… and she made a comment - you’re a big shot, huh. I said, no mom, it’s not that. It’s because I have my priorities straight. I want to make an impact on the...

If you used retinol, which is a vitamin A derivative, before, you have probably experienced the common side effects of it. Like redness, irritation, or even peeling skin.

It’s ok to have a love hate relationship with Retinol. It is meant to treat everything from acne to fine lines and hyperpigmentation. But what if I told you there is a next gen vitamin A derivative that offers the same benefits without the side effects?

It exists! And it’s called Granactive Retinoid.

Welcome to another episode of Skincare Secrets… 

Before I tell you all about this super skin-friendly ingredient, I want to tell you a short story of how I came across Granactive Retinoid and why I started looking for a retinol alternative…

I started formulating a retinol serum for Open Formula 18 months ago. Retinol is such a classic that I thought we could not start a line of clinical skincare without it. But after a dozen iteration, I was faced with a dilemma. My approach to formulating skincare is to push the concentrations of the functional ingredients as high as I can safely so they can actually deliver benefits. And not just make marketing claims to sell stuff. 

As we kept increasing the concentration of retinol in this serum, I was giving it to my core group of skincare enthusiasts to try it out. And when we went beyond a certain concentration, which wasn't very high number of people who noticed irritation significantly increased. It’s “expected” because that’s how retinol works - through inflammation actually. But it’s not a great experience. And yes, you can start low, and gradually build up a tolerance. But you know patience is in short supply nowadays. 

And not to bore you with skincare formulation too much… but retinol is not very stable and when exposed to light, it oxidizes easily. So it goes bad. And can actually hurt your skin instead of helping it.

So I started searching for alternatives. And that’s how Granactive Retinoid actually popped on my radar.

Before we get to it, let’s talk about why people love retinol. It is commonly used in anti-aging formulas because it can increase skin cell activity to stimulate collagen and increase exfoliation. These are essential in the process of fighting and reversing the signs of aging.

What do they hate about retinol? The side effects. You must start in low concentrations to allow your skin to get used to it. And you don’t know what your skin’s reaction is going to be.

Because the nature of retinol is to cause inflammation in order to speed up the exfoliation process to get rid of dead skin cells. So you can see flaking, redness, irritation. You can feel a stinging sensation that can last long after your original application. Retinol is suggested for nighttime use because it can make your skin extremely sun sensitive. 

With all these side effects, why would we still use retinol? Because it works. I don’t know of another cosmetic ingredient that has more research published on it documenting its efficacy. It can be used to effectively treat things like acne, wrinkles, and dark spots. But the side effects...

Lucky for us, science and skincare technology keeps improving. Science is taking ingredients and finding ways to make them better and limit the negative effects they can have on our skin. 

One of those ingredients is Granactive Retinol, think of it as a cousin to retinol. Scientifically speaking, it belongs to a group of chemical compounds that contain natural and synthetic derivatives of Vitamin A. It is a cosmetic grade ester of all-trans retinoic acid. 

Granactive retinol is a more advanced retinoid alternative. Most retinoids need to be broken down over and over into more active forms before they start signaling the skin cells to carry out their anti-aging duties. Granactive Retinoid doesn’t need to be broken down to become active.

It binds with retinoid receptors which turn on and off different cell functions. These functions speed up the exfoliation process of forcing dead skin cells to be removed and stimulation of skin proteins such as collagen and keratin to make the skin plump and firm. All of this with no to minimal side effects!

But what results can you expect with Granactive Retinol?

It has been found to fill and soften fine lines and wrinkles. It can increase skin elasticity for firmer and smoother skin. It helps to lighten dark spots for a more even skin tone. It helps to keep the skin clear and healthy. It has been dermatologically tested and found to be less irritating than retinol.

Granactive Retinoid helps renew skin plumpness. It stimulates skin cell proliferation, which helps restore thickness to skin that has become thinner over time. It also promotes cell turnover, which translates into improves skin ...

Another skincare myth we’re going to expose today is that getting a base tan will help your skin not burn as easily. Let me drop a big truth bomb here… tanning damages skin cells and there is no such thing as a healthy, safe tan. 

But tanned skin is attractive and a sign of good health, right?! In reality it damages and ages your skin and increases your risk of skin cancer. That risk goes up even higher if the tan started out as a sunburn. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, a single blistering sunburn can double a person’s lifetime risk of melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer. 

Sorry to ruin it for you if you love tanning out on the beach...

In a 2017 Harvard study, 5 million people in the United States were treated for skin cancer that year. And this number doubled from 10 years ago and still continue to rise today. 

And if you’re thinking tanning beds… the argument that they do not cause skin damage or skin cancer is not true either. UVA radiation from tanning beds is 12x stronger than that coming from the sun. So it lead to more harmful skin damage than going to the beach. Not to mention the UVA is responsible for most of the aging of the skin because UVA rays penetrate the skincare deeper. So in short, tanning beds age your skin 12x faster than being out in the sun. And you know UVA exposure is responsible for 80% of the aging of the sun overall. So if you just pay attention of that, you will enjoy healthy good looking skin in the years to come. 

But it’s not all lost if you want that bronzy beach tan without damaging your skin or increasing your risk for skin cancer. Self-tanners are the safest way to get it. Sunless tanning lotions, sprays, or gels, work by temporarily adding color to the top layer of skin. If you go that route, consider exfoliating with a scrub in the shower before applying a self-tanner… this will get rid of any dead skin cells so you can get an even application. 

These products are better options to protect yourself than a base tan if you are worried about a sunburn. And follow the basics about sun protection as much as you can. Stay out of the sun when it is strongest from 10am to 3pm. Apply a broad spectrum SPF of 30 or more. If you’re out, every 2-3 hours. And even more often if you’ve been sweating, swimming, or wiping your skin with a towel. Long-sleeved shirts, wide-brimmed hats, long pants also offer really good protection. And remember that you can still get a sunburn even on cloudy days. So don’t ignore the sun just because you can’t see it.

And for all the tan lovers… I believe that your natural skin color is beautiful. And there is no real need to change it.

That’s all for today. See you in the next one. Click the subscribe button so you get notifications of future episodes.

Your skin sheds 30,000 to 40,000 dead cells hourly. Just imagine the build up in your pores when they mix with sebum, makeup and impurities. What happens when you don’t exfoliate to get rid of those dead skin cells? Dull skin. Break outs. Pimples and more! So, what is an exfoliator and what does it do?  

Is the ‘clean beauty’ movement just trendy hype? And is ‘clean’ skincare really better than clinical skincare? Tune in and find out!

Damyan Nikolov is a skincare formulator, also a host and an entrepreneur. He is the founder of the clinical skincare brand Open Formula. Check it out at https://www.openformula.com

Reach out at [email protected] or on Instagram @damyannikolov