Edible Beauty
What foods should we eat for skin health? What is the evidence behind asian beauty’s emphasis on tonics? In this episode, we cover the science behind the Gut-Skin Connection and make sense of the concept of edible beauty, which is at the heart of asian beauty in modern dermatology.
Want to know the best kept secret of Asian beauty? I must begin this podcast by laying the foundation of the gut-skin connection, which I also cover in the best beauty book. This concept, also known as the gut skin axis, explores the relationship of our gut health mainly dependent on the microbiome to skin health. As a student and practitioner of western medicine, sadly, which is heavily influenced by pharmaceutical organisations, it was intuitive for me to dismiss my own grandma’s advice on foods “good to eat”, especially, tonics which were healing for skin.
However, as the years went by, and by the time I accumulated over a decade of clinical experience as a specialist dermatologist, I began to really witness the hypocrisy of my own mind. Ever so often I dismissed (in my own head of course) with the mantra so indoctrinated in me by my own academic background. That “food does not affect your dermatological condition” — in response to my patients asking “what should I eat or avoid for ___” or whatever skin condition they had. Gradually I began to question the irrationality of what I had been told to say. For what is the value of nutrition, or eating at all, if we can find every miracle cure in a drug, peddled by pharmaceutical giants?
Best beauty book on diet and skin
Anyway, my personal journey into formulating the ideal diet for myself stemmed from a desire to be as healthy as I could. With that, of course my research into the anti-inflammatory potential of nearly every single plant based food. A therapeutic key perhaps to the now well established skin exposome concept. This defines the accumulated environmental and genetic exposures that affect skin health.
@drteowanlin Here’s the skincare guide to read before 2023 Why You Will Love This: – Comprehensive Asian skincare bible on regimens & actives – Asian beauty’s gut-skin microbiome approach – Written by board certified dermatologist & expert on beauty formulations – Scientific approach to the ancient art of ethnobotany – Harness plant intelligence to create the ideal skincare regimen – Dictionary of Asian beauty plant actives categorised by plant parts – Discover nature’s own plant-based skin cycling formulas Asian Beauty Secrets: Hello to Plant-Powered Skin Cycling Say bye to DIY Skin-Cycling. Here’s how. With skin cycling all the rage on TikTok, we reveal how hidden intelligence of plant extracts facilitates natural skin cycling. In fact, the better way is to identify whole plant actives, nature’s ready made skincare actives, that work on multiple cellular pathways to mitigate irritation & are universally tolerable. #dermatologist #beautyhack #skincareguide #skincycling #skincareroutine #skincyclingresults #skincyclingnight2 #dermatologistontiktok #tiktokderm #dermdoctor #drtwl #skincaretips #booktok #booktoker ♬ Ballet song like “Waltz of flowers” _3 minutes(965255) – yulu-ism project
In to the scientific basis of C-beauty herbal tonics. What began as a check on old wives tales I grew up hearing from my grandma on foods good for the skin turned into a fascinating journey which corroborated many aspects of modern dermatology research emphasising the gut-skin axis.
Gut-skin connection explained in the best beauty book
In my best beauty book Edible Beauty, I touched on the Gut-Skin connection. The many parallel concepts – from the microbiome to antioxidants suppressing inflammation, inspired the creation of the Beauty Buffet Skincare Regimen. Eating is an intuitive part of life, eating well requires discipline, creativity and knowledge. Similarly, skincare can be as basic as cleansing your face, but this book is all about doing it well. Nutrition benefits our body, and our skin can also absorb it.
Another discovery in the scientific field is that gut health does impact the brain. It turns out that the gut-skin connection is not the only axis that plays a role in our whole body regulation of skin health. The brain skin connection is one that dermatologists who recognize the impact of psychological stress on common dermatological conditions like acne, eczema and rosacea understand. However, gut health directly impacts psychological wellbeing. For instance, nutraceutical dietary interventions improved the overall quality of life for geriatric age groups in recent scientific trials. This prompts us to further investigate the gut-brain-skin axis as one with complex interconnected physiological relationships.
Skin exposome concept
Taking a leaf from this, readers of this best beauty book may intuitively guess that certain pathways may play a common role in skincare. In fact, dermatologists have discovered that the same process responsible for cancer formation as one grows older-inflammaging and cellular senescence are involved in skin ageing. The collective description is what we refer to as the skin exposome concept. Referring to the totality of environmental exposures. For example, UV radiation, environmental pollution, diet, exercise factors, the exposome clearly acknowledges the additional impact of external lifestyle factors on top of biological/genetic factors.
The value of nutrition to the human body is indisputable in the field of health and medicine. The beauty industry has revolutionised in its approach to skincare in the last decades, focusing on science and evidence based formulations for skincare. It is noteworthy that the term edible beauty was coined for the new trend of creating edible cosmetics and skincare. For example, in the form of supplements, and also literally cosmetics made of food.
This is mostly a fad. Although, the true message here is that the skin is an organ which does require micronutrients like every other part of our body. It stands for us to reason then that skin cells via the unique mechanism of dermal absorption are prime targets for topical skincare nutrition. This is the perspective I take when writing this book. As the basis to inspire many to start on a healthy beauty lifestyle. Beginning with a skincare regimen.
Bakuchiol Skincare Makeup
This holiday season, prepare to usher in the new year with Dr.TWL pharmacy’s new launch of the Bakuchiol Skincare Makeup series. In line with the Edible Beauty Concept where we select choice edible plant ingredients. Inspired by the treasure trove of wisdom that is from Asian beauty. The Bakuchiol Skincare Makeup range of CC creams and blushers infuses this star retinol alternative. Also a good reminder to discard all used foundation and blush within 6 months. That is the best practice to prevent growth of harmful germs and degradation of the product.
At Dr. TWL Pharmacy, we find that wasteful, as do you. Here’s some good news: we have a commitment to conscious beauty. We have implemented a brand new frosted glass packaging for our customisable CC cream. With the exact shade tailored to your skin tone, in order to protect sensitive skincare ingredients from environmental degradation. The CC cream packaging is equipped with an airless pump. An innovation in packaging that allows for optimal storage of the foundation. For example, oxidation is a problem with squeeze-out tube packaging.
@drteowanlin Happy skin with a little help ULTRA HD Makeup Sponge & CellTalk CC cream with customised essence #drtwl #makeupsponge #makeupsponges #cccream #bestfoundation ♬ Blueming – IU
The Bakuchiol Customised CC Cream is designed for the Skinminalist. Apply your skincare and makeup in just a single step. Available at www.drtwlderma.com with free shipping worldwide with minimum spend. Starting this month, get your free printable beauty journal worksheets for Asian beauty inspired self-care in the best beauty book this coming new year.
Why did you decide to incorporate the bakuchiol skincare makeup range into the existing Dr.TWL range of makeup products?
My personal preference is to use a well formulated CC cream over foundation anytime. Actually, the best makeup brands now are moving away from just coverage to skincare benefits when it comes to foundation. The term foundation in my opinion may be outdated. Or, you could put it this way, CC cream may be the better more modern term to use for an all-encompassing foundation that also delivers skincare benefits.
We know that the CellTalk CC cream contains physical blockers which block UV rays- on a broad spectrum level. However, we are careful not to market it as such because this is not a product for sun protection. Sunscreens ought to be considered a medical, therapeutic product. This is because an ineffective sunscreen is disastrous for an individual as it can lead to increased risk of skin cancer.
However, what CC creams are good for is in fact delivering skin nutrition. For those who may find themselves lazy with skincare routines and applications. Most women feel more confident with some foundation or concealer coverage. The best thing about the CC cream is that it is highly buildable, so it can be as lightweight as you want it to be or as heavy duty as necessary. Without looking cakey, a built in property of the foundation itself. This is because it is infused with all the skincare goodies that repair the skin barrier.
Pigmentation is a common concern in Asians. Bakuchiol skincare originated from K-beauty. Tell us more about how it can help with hyperpigmentation.
Best beauty book on how bakuchiol helps with pigmentation
Women are naturally insecure about perceived physical imperfections. Foundation isn’t bad. Neither should we be forcing someone to strip their skin bare just so they can “learn to accept themselves”. That is my personal opinion after years of being a dermatologist, and being a woman myself. Rather, we should respect what the individual is comfortable with, and focus instead on skin health.
Asian women are concerned about pigmentation. Perhaps more so because Asian skin types are more prone to developing post inflammatory hyperpigmentation. Which we also know as PIH. This is where bakuchiol skincare makeup comes in as a multifunctional cosmetic.
In a study conducted, bakuchiol decreased pigment intensity and surface area over the 12-week treatment course. This may be attributable to bakuchiol’s antioxidant effects, as well as its ability to disrupt melanin synthesis. Bakuchiol is able to interfere with two steps of the melanin synthesis pathway and reduce melanin production. Hence, is an ideal ingredient for use in both anti-aging and anti-hyperpigmentation cosmeceuticals.
Is bakuchiol skincare the new retinol?
While the few studies published have shown that bakuchiol is a promising natural retinol alternative, we only have data of how it compares to retinol, not any other retinoids. Tretinoin, a form of retinoic acid, is a prescriptive retinoid that treats acne, hyperpigmentation, and fine lines. Largely, due to its potency. Unlike retinol, tretinoin is much more potent. It does not need to undergo conversion into an active form in the body. Therefore, while bakuchiol may be a promising natural retinol alternative, dermatology literature notes that it still cannot replace prescription retinoids. However, when it comes to indications for application, retinoids are prescription only and have limits of adverse reactions. It is also unsafe to use in pregnancy and breastfeeding. This is why the introduction of the Bakuchiol Skincare makeup range is relevant for our consumers at the pharmacy.
@drteowanlin •Skip Skin Cycling in 2023• Bakuchiol over Retinol? What do you think? #skincycling #skincyclingresults #bakuchiolserum #bakuchiol #bakuchiolskincare #dermatologist #dermatologistontiktok #tiktokdermatologist #sgtiktok #fypシ #fyp #learningisfun #learnontiktok ♬ Ballet song like “Waltz of flowers” _3 minutes(965255) – yulu-ism project
Are there any potential side effects of bakuchiol skincare?
While in most studies, bakuchiol shows to be less irritating than retinols, there is still a possibility of irritation. As it is with every single ingredient in skincare. To illustrate, there have been 2 case reports of contact allergy to bakuchiol cosmetics since June 2019, published in the Journal of Contact Dermatitis. However, the risk is much lower than that of retinol/retinoid-based skincare, which carries risks of 2 types of allergies.
True allergy, known as allergic contact dermatitis, and the second type of allergy is related to skin irritation known as irritant contact dermatitis. The general recommendation, especially for those with a history of allergies, to perform a patch test before trying out new ingredients or skincare. To perform a patch test, apply a small amount of the product on skin of the inner arm or under the jawline, for at least 4 hours to check if there is any reaction.