Healthy Skin Care Formula

To Promote Healthy Skin Function

VitaMedica's Healthy Skin Formula is a nutritional supplement that provides internal skin care by enhancing the body's natural systems for repairing, cleansing and healing.

VitaMedica's Healthy Skin Formula is designed to boost the effectiveness of the topical products currently recommended by your skin care professional. The result is a comprehensive, bi-directional approach to naturally support proper skin functioning and a healthy-looking complexion.

Healthy Skin Formula addresses the various stages of acne development. It includes Vitamin A, Zinc, Selenium and Chromium - nutrients that promote skin health - as well as herbs to detoxify and cleanse the blood and skin. It comes in 60 easy-to-swallow capsules per bottle.

Who should use Healthy Skin Formula?

Individuals over the age of 12 who suffer from an inflammatory skin condition such as acne, psoriasis or eczema.

What are the benefits of Healthy Skin Formula?

Although an inflammatory skin condition such as acne can strike at any age, its onset is most often related to a change in hormones. Excess androgen production can cause the sebaceous glands to excrete more sebum. This in turn clogs the follicle and allows a bacterium called p. acnes to build. The result is inflammation with either a white or blackhead forming depending on whether the pore is closed or open, respectively. In other instances, acne is a result of poor skin health. Acne also can be a result of a toxic overload of the system. Healthy Skin Formula is designed to address each of the stages of acne development. The supplement contains nutrients that promote skin health, reduce sebum production, enhance inflammatory control and have antiseptic properties.

How do prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medications for acne differ from nutritional supplements?

Many topical treatments for the care of acne and inflammatory disorders of the skin are available. While effective, these regimens contain products that generate activity primarily on the outer layer of the skin. Although the topical approach represents the foundation of good skin care, it also makes sense to address what is going on internally. That's because what you put inside your body is just as important as what you apply externally. Other acne treatments, including prescription medications such as antibiotics and Accutane®, can have powerful activity along with significant side effects. Natural medicines tend to be milder, safer and are far less likely to cause negative reactions.

Can diet affect acne and other skin problems?

This question has garnered significant debate in the medical community. However, it is widely believed that in addition to genetics, lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise and stress reduction have an impact on a person's health status. While hormones can directly impact acne, studies have shown that some acne patients have intestinal toxemia (toxins build up in the intestine as a result of poor nutrition). Other studies have found that patients with psoriasis and eczema improve their condition with alpha-linolenic (Omega-3) essential fatty acid supplementation. It simply makes sense that the quality of nutrients consumed will affect the quality of an individual's skin.

What levels of the skin do nutritional supplements affect?

Although today's topical products have come a long way in improving their delivery systems, the reality is that these products can't really penetrate below the epidermal layer. That's because the skin's defense system is designed to make penetration difficult to prevent against the elements and infection. The system also protects the skin from the loss of moisture, hormones, proteins and essential nutrients. Unlike topical treatment, nutritional supplements are delivered to the epidermis and to the dermal layer via the bloodstream. In this way, essential nutrients help to build new cells (including collagen and elastin), provide free-radical protection and contribute to a host of other skin cellular activities.

What is the bi-directional approach used by VitaMedica?

The combination of external, or topical, skin care and internal skin care. The bi-directional approach provides a synergistic effect that gives the skin its greatest potential for health and beauty.

Some of the nutrients in Healthy Skin Formula are above the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA). Why are the amounts higher and are their levels safe?

The RDAs or Recommended Daily Allowances are nutritional guidelines that were originally established in 1941 by the National Academy of Sciences. Since their establishment, many studies have been conducted regarding the use of vitamins, minerals, herbs and other nutritional supplements. The guidelines reflect the minimum requirements to achieve health but do not take into consideration sex, age, weight, activity levels and other dietary factors. For this reason, the RDAs are viewed as being deficient, particularly as they relate to key antioxidants such as Vitamin E and Vitamin C. Instead, Optimal Dosages have been established by industry leaders and better reflect requirements based on recent findings from research and longitudinal studies. Each VitaMedica supplement has been formulated to contain optimal amounts of each ingredient that provide for efficacy and safety.

What are the key ingredients in Healthy Skin Formula and what do they do?

• Vitamin A, or retinol, is a fat-soluble essential nutrient that must be obtained through diet or supplementation. Vitamin A is well known for its role in eye health, growth and development, reproduction, and immune system function. Vitamin A is especially important for the skin because it can prevent skin disorders and help treat superficial wrinkles. Vitamin A can be quite effective for skin conditions that involve hyperkeratosis, including acne and psoriasis. This nutrient is also needed for maintenance and repair of epithelial tissue and helps remove age spots.
• Zinc is a trace mineral that is essential for protein synthesis and collagen formation. Zinc is also an antioxidant that promotes a healthy immune system and aids in the healing of wounds. Zinc increases the absorption of Vitamin A and helps to prevent acne and to regulate the activity of the oil glands.
• Selenium is an antioxidant that works to protect other antioxidants such as Vitamin E and is important in keeping tissues elastic. Research has also shown that a deficiency in selenium may play a role in inflammatory conditions such as eczema and psoriasis.
• Chromium is a trace mineral that works with insulin in the metabolism of sugar and is needed for energy. Chromium also improves glucose tolerance and enhances insulin sensitivity. This is important for some acne patients who do not metabolize sugar properly.
• Bromelain is a proteolytic enzyme (digests protein) that is extracted from the root of the pineapple stem. Bromelain's most common application is in the treatment of inflammation.
• MSM or methylsulfonylmethane is a natural form of organic sulfur that is necessary for collagen synthesis. MSM is very important in building the sulfur amino acids methionine and cysteine. MSM is also a natural antiseptic. By keeping skin cells soft, MSM allows skin to detoxify. MSM enhances tissue pliability and encourages the repair of damaged skin. The combination of MSM and Vitamin C works faster to heal wounds.
• Herbs. The skin has a number of functions including temperature regulation, protection of the underlying tissues, fat storage and immunity. Along with the kidneys, the skin plays a role in eliminating toxins from the body. In fact, the skin is often referred to as the "third kidney." A number of herbs including burdock, dandelion, yellow dock and Oregon grape, which are included in the formulation, are known for their potent cleansing properties of the skin and blood.

The word "chelate" appears after each mineral on the label. What does chelate mean?

In general, our bodies absorb vitamins without much difficulty, but minerals are not absorbed so well. Chelation is a process that combines a mineral with an amino acid. This process of chelation enhances the absorption of the minerals by "fooling" the body into thinking it is absorbing the amino acid attached to the mineral. The mineral is pulled into the body along with the amino acid, ensuring its absorption. Chelated minerals are more expensive because of the extra step required to attach the amino acid to the mineral. However, this expense is worth the cost due to the improved absorption.

Are there any other VitaMedica supplements that are recommended to help with inflamed skin?

Yes. Of particular importance to patients with inflammatory skin conditions is that they obtain an adequate intake of the essential Omega-3 fatty acids (alpha-linolenic acid or ALA). These nutrients, like vitamins and minerals, must be obtained through diet or supplementation. However, most individuals do not get enough essential fatty acids because they are obtained primarily through nuts, seeds and cold-water fish such as mackerel and salmon. An excellent source of the essential Omega-3 fatty acid is flax seed oil. Flax seed oil provides the highest concentration of this important nutrient (57% by weight). VitaMedica's Flax Seed Oil capsules are quite beneficial for patients with inflammatory skin conditions.

What if a patient has both inflamed and aging skin - should they take both the Healthy Skin Formula and Broad Spectrum Antioxidant?

It is not recommended for patients to take both supplements at the same time. The combined products would provide patients with a large dose of a limited number of nutrients (Vitamin A, Zinc, Chromium). Patients with inflamed skin should take the Healthy Skin Formula. If the inflammatory skin condition lessens or disappears over time, then it would be appropriate to switch over to the Broad Spectrum Antioxidant.

Click here for more information on our health and skin care products. The Centre, P.C. offers a healthy skin care program to patients in Elkhart and South Bend, Indiana, Michiana and the Southern Michigan area, and Chicago.

RiverPointe Medical Building
500 Arcade Ave., Suite 300
Elkhart, IN 46514

Chesterton
810 Michael Drive, Suite K
Chesterton, IN 46304
Toll Free: 800.909.2992
Phone: 219.395.9200
Fax: 219.926.3534