Showing posts with label Sun. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sun. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Study || Antioxidants from Artichoke and Rice Reduce UV Damage of the Hair


Extracts of artichoke and rice to protect our hair from sun damage?  While researching information for a different post, I came across a study which addresses this topic.
"Natural antioxidants obtained from artichoke and rice applied to pretreated hair improved mechanical properties and preserved colour and shine of fibres, coating them and protecting them against UV. .... Furthermore, the lipidic peroxidation of the protein degradation caused by UV was reduced for some treated fibres, suggesting an improvement in fibre integrity. "
Interesting, huh!  Here are some notes I made detailing some of the findings a bit further:
The rice extract was better at preserving the hair's tensile strength.  (It is believed that this is because "the rice extract has biofunctional peptides with high substantivity for keratin".  These peptides can "penetrate and protect the hair from the inside".) 
Both artichoke and rice extracts protected the hair from protein degradation.  The artichoke extract showed a higher protection, "probably due to the strong antioxidants such as hydroxycinnamic derivatives in the extract." 
Both artichoke and rice extracts protected the hair from UVB damage, with the rice extract providing more protection possibly due its composition. Rice extract contains phytic acid antioxidant and medium molecular weight peptides that "may form a protective layer on the hair's surface."
Etc. 
To read more details on the study, check out the full article (only abstract is available below)!

SOURCE
EFFICACY OF ANTIOXIDANTS IN HUMAN HAIR (2012)

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Study || Herbal Oils as a Natural Sunscreen?


According to quite a few studies, certain herbal oils can provide a level of protection from the sun.  The calculated SPF values range from 0.248 to 7.549.  Olive oil and coconut oil are among the highest ranking ones.

Now, though these oils provide some sun protection, I would not go so far as to use them in place of a regular sunscreen.  After all, many dermatologists recommend that women of color wear a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or even 30.  Olive oil and coconut oil have an SPF of only 7.5 and 7.1, respectively.  Some of these oils, however, can decelerate damage caused to the skin after sun exposure ... which is something that sunscreens generally do not do.   (Check out my earlier post on olive oil after UVB-exposure.)  Additionally, these oils can provide our hair with a level of sun protection. :o)

SOURCES
SPF DETERMINATION OF HERBAL OILS IN COSMETICS (2010)
OLIVE OIL ON UV-INDUCED CANCER (2000)
EFFECT OF ALMOND OIL ON UVB-INDUCED PHOTOAGING (2007)

Friday, May 31, 2013

Skin Care || Black Women, The Sun, and Our Skin

Can we get sunburn?
Yes.  Whether you are fair or dark, you can get sunburned though the lighter you are the more susceptible you are.  (I'm medium-dark and have been sunburned a couple of times.)

Can we develop melanoma (a rare but dangerous skin cancer)?
Yes.  Though rare, black people can develop melanoma.  The root of Bob Marley's death was acral lentiginous melanoma (that originated under his toenail) and ultimately spread to other parts of his body.  As a matter of fact, "acral lentiginous melanoma makes up approximately 50% of diagnosed melanomas in Asians and individuals with dark skin."[1]

Should we take protective measures against sun exposure?
Yes.  Exposure to the sun can increase any risk of developing sunburn or melanoma.  Additionally, it can hasten the signs of aging in our skin.

REFERENCE
[1] MELONOMA RESEARCH FOUNDATION


Ulavu.Com

Labels