NaturaLift MD Review Blog

NexDerma® Naturalift MD: Advanced Face Lift Therapy helps block, mitigate, and reverse the effects of ultraviolet radiation on the skin through the ingredients described below.

BHT

“The fact that only a modest, measured protective effect can elicit a dramatic decrease in actinic damage (particularly with regard to cancer) upholds this concept as an important goal.”

This resulted from scientific research conducted by the Photobiology Laboratory on the oral effects of BHT. However, when BHT is ingested with food, it’s very diluted by the time it reaches the skin. Topical applications of BHT were studied in depth. “… BHT offered significant protection (against ultraviolet light mediated sunburn) when applied topically.” Topically applied BHT blocks the cancer causing agent (TPA) from stimulating the cancer-causing enzyme ODC by 80 percent.

“These results demonstrate an early and direct inhibition of TPA-induced ODC activity by lipophilic phenolic antioxidants (including BHT) and suggest a role for reactive oxygen and/or free radical species in tumor promotion.”

CoenzymeQ-10 (Ubiquinone)

It’s essential to avoid the sun. And, never forget to apply a skin protective therapy containing the correct concentration of coenzyme Q-10 and the natural forms of vitamin E (alpha, beta, gamma, and delta tocopherols, and tocotrienols).

Doctors and skin research scientists report that:

“Coenzyme Q-10, or Ubiquinone, is a nutrient - a vitamin-like substance which plays a crucial role in the generation of cellular energy and in free radical scavenging in the human body. After the age of 35 to 40, the organism (YOU) begins to lose its ability to synthesize CoQ-10 from food, and its deficiency develops. Aging, poor eating habits, stress and infection - they will all affect your ability to provide adequate amounts of CoQ-10.”

Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

Extra virgin olive oil is a potent antioxidant. When applied before exposure to UV-B, experiments have demonstrated it helps protect the skin from developing cancer. This result was also documented when extra virgin olive oil was applied to the skin after UV-B exposure. Dermatologists conducting the study reported:

“Mice that received extra virgin olive oil after UV-B exposure showed significantly lower numbers of tumors per mouse than those in the UV-B control group throughout the experimental period.”

Another study reported that:

“…there were lower levels of 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG: a carcinogenic agent) in epidermal nuclei. These results indicate that extra virgin olive oil topically applied after UV-B exposure can effectively reduce UV-B-induced murine skin tumors (by 62%), possibly via its antioxidant effects in reducing DNA damage by reactive oxygen species.”

“In this study the effects of hydroxytyrosol (DOPET), the major antioxidant compound present in extra virgin olive oil on UV-A induced cell damages, have been investigated using human melanoma cells.”

Further: “… [t]hese protective effects are dose dependent.”

Doctors studied the effect of extra virgin olive oil topically-applied to the skin before each of multiple doses of x-rays: “… [t]he data indicated a definite radioprotective effect of the topical administration of extra virgin olive oil.”

Authors of a related article pointed out that: “… regular olive oil neither retarded nor reduced skin cancer formation in UV-irradiated mice. Our results suggest that daily topical use of extra virgin olive oil after sunbathing may delay and reduce UV-induced skin cancer development in human skin, possibly by decreasing reactive oxygen species-induced 8-OHdG which is responsible for gene mutation.”130 They also noted that: “…[a]ntioxidants vitamin E and epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) extracted from green tea, applied topically to the skin, delayed the onset of UV-induced skin cancer in mice.”

Ginkgo Biloba Extract

Applied to the skin, this compound is very protective against the free radical
generation caused by UV-B irradiation. Ginkgo biloba extract is both protective against ultraviolet radiation and therapeutic, even when applied after exposure. When tested orally, ginkgo biloba extract protected skin from ultraviolet radiation better than orally-ingested beta carotene and vitamin E. Ginkgo biloba extract controls stress-induced free radicals.

Ginseng Extract (Panax)

Ginseng extract:

“…significantly reduced ultraviolet-B induced cell death and protected human keratinocytes from apoptosis caused by ultraviolet-B irradiation.” Biochemically it “…prevented ultraviolet-B-induced cleavage of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (a critical enzyme) in keratinocytes. In search of the molecular mechanism responsible for the anti-apoptotic effect of the ginseng extract, we find that protection from ultraviolet-B-induced apoptosis is tightly correlated with the ginseng extract mediated inhibition of ultraviolet-B-induced down-regulation (decreasing the genetic molecular activity) of Bcl-2 (toxic compound) and Brn-3a (toxic compound) expression.”

Green Tea Extract & EGCG

Since many of the toxic reactions causing aging in cells were accelerated by a combination of UV-A and/or UV-B plus topically applied toxic chemicals, experiments were performed to see how effectively EGCG prevents photoaging. The results were very impressive: from excellent to good, depending on doses of sunlight, toxic chemical and type used, and the amount of EGCG applied. Many documented both anti-cancer and anti-photoaging effects of EGCG.

EGCG protects the extracellular matrix (ECM) from oxidative stress from ultraviolet radiation.

“EGCG can reverse the ECM degradation induced by UV even with a topical application of a practical-use concentration. In particular, EGCG proved to be much more effective in ROS-related conditions, such as UVA exposure.”

Magnesium-L-Ascorbyl-Phosphate (Vitamin C)

Magnesium-L-ascorbyl-phosphate, a form of vitamin C (ascorbic acid), is absorbed into the skin where it is continuously and safely converted into ascorbic acid. It is not acidic like l-ascorbic acid, which stings and burns skin and is a serious danger to the eyes.

“Pretreatment with magnesium-L-ascorbyl-phosphate significantly prevented such photo-damage as sunburn cell formation, DNA fragmentation and lipid (fatty compounds such as cell membranes) peroxidation which were caused by a single dose of UVB irradiation. These results [of this study] suggest that the protective effect of magnesium-L-ascorbyl-phosphate on UVB-induced cutaneous damage is due to the maintenance of a normal ascorbic acid level by conversion of magnesium-L-ascorbyl-phosphate to ascorbic acid in skin tissue.”

Can topically-applied ascorbic acid protect skin against UV-B radiation? No:

“In this study, AsA (also known as ascorbic acid) could not inhibit cytotoxicity, but AA-2P (Ascorbyl phosphate) and AA-2G was able to cancel the harmful effect of UV-B when treated at high levels of 0.5-5 mM.”

Magnesium-L-ascorbyl-2-phosphate is a potent antioxidant, protecting the skin from ultraviolet sunlight.

“…after acute and chronic exposure to UVB irradiation … administration of magnesium-L-ascorbyl-2-phosphate immediately after acute exposure to 15kJ/m¹ of UVB significantly prevented increases of UVB-induced lipid peroxidation in skin. Administration of magnesium-L-ascorbyl-2-phosphate immediately after each exposure significantly delayed skin tumor formation and hyperplasia induced by chronic exposure to UVB. Magnesium-L-ascorbyl-2-phosphate, once converted in the skin to ascorbic acid, exhibits such inhibitory effects by scavenging hydroxyl and lipid radicals generated as a direct or indirect result of UVB exposure.”

Note: Ascorbyl palmitate (C-ester) is toxic to skin cells when applied topically and exposed to sunlight, as noted by the prestigious Mayo Clinic.

Resveratrol

Resveratrol is an antioxidant more powerful than vitamin E. It was compared to seven other well known antioxidants that are used to preserve food, including vitamin E. Resveratrol was very potent in stopping lipid peroxidation. It was also good at scavenging the hydroxyl-activated ion (OH), beating out vitamin E in both essential categories of antioxidant function. But neither was effective against hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). That’s why the correct combinations of potent antioxidants are required for optimal protection.

Resveratrol applied topically to the skin is photo-chemo-protective against acute and chronic sunlight damage, decreases tumor-causing enzymes, and protects lipids and related critical substances.

Doctors at the University of Wisconsin Department of Dermatology studied the chemopreventive effects of resveratrol against UV-B radiation-mediated skin tumorigenesis. They concluded: “… [t]he topical application of skin with Resveratrol resulted in a highly significant 1) inhibition in tumor incidence, and 2) delay in the onset of tumorigenesis. Interestingly, the post-treatment of Resveratrol was found to impart equal protection
than the pretreatment; suggesting that Resveratrol-mediated responses may not be sunscreen effects.”

Superoxide Dismutase

Doctors at the Jefferson Medical College Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Biology showed the power of superoxide dismutase “… to protect against ultraviolet-A and ultraviolet-B induced damage. The ability of superoxide dismutase to prevent radiation-induced elastin promoter activation was determined in vivo. Superoxide dismutase (analog Temprol) provided over 50% protection against ultraviolet B and over 70% protection against ultraviolet A.” They recommended this agent “… to prevent cutaneous aging.”

A study of comparing biopsies of sun-damaged skin of young volunteers with biopsies of undamaged control sites:

“In photo-aged skin, a significant depletion of antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase expression was observed within the stratum corneum and in the epidermis. Importantly, an accumulation of oxidatively modified proteins was found specifically within the upper dermis.”

Skin cells were subjected to sunlight, and volunteers were also subjected to 10 days of sunlight.

“Exposures of keratinocytes and fibroblasts to ultraviolet B, ultraviolet A, and hydrogen peroxide led to a dose-dependent protein oxidation and thus confirmed in vivo results. In conclusion, the correlation between photo-damage and protein oxidation was demonstrated for the first time, which hence may be a relevant pathophysiologic factor in photo-aging.”

This directly relates to how oxidative stress hastens cellular death: “… [w]hen the cells are grown under conditions of oxidative stress, cellular longevity is markedly shortened.” This occurs despite the Hayflick Limit, where the “… human maximal lifespan can be equal to about 145 years.”

Titanium Dioxide

Only titanium dioxide (Ti02) offers protection against all varieties of ultraviolet radiation. Fortunately, it also provides 80% to 100% protection against blue light.

It was considered that the inorganic metal oxides such as titanium dioxide and zinc oxide only reflected sunlight. But, “… [t]his is not the case with modern micronized forms of metal oxides. It has been shown that both zinc oxide and titanium dioxide mobilize electrons within their atomic structure while absorbing UV radiation.” They reflect and neutralize UV by absorbing the energy, as sun blocks should. These researchers, and many others, concluded that titanium dioxide, as well as zinc oxide, “…are stable, non-toxic, and safe, and they act as highly efficient UV attenuators.”

In a series of exquisite experiments, researchers used very fine particulate titanium dioxide at concentrations of 1%, 5%, and 10% against three increasingly higher doses of UV-B radiation. They also compared these results to the well known sunscreens of para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) and urocanic acid, each at a 1% concentration. The control was plain petrolatum. They determined the effect of UV-B on the DNA of living skin. The results showed that both PABA and the urocanic acid provided poor protection, while titanium dioxide gave 100% protection at the 1% solution level. DNA was unchanged from the non-irradiated controls. The protection achieved by a 5% concentration was the same as with 1%, but was effective against double the level of UV-B radiation.

Vitamin A

A major study evaluating the effectiveness of retinaldehyde (a safe and effective topical precursor of vitamin A) found that:

“…UV-A exposure induced significant alterations of collagen and elastic fibers. In all UV-A exposed and then retinaldehyde-treated skin specimens, collagen and elastic fibers were restored to the level of non-exposed skin.”

Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol)

In an extensive study, scientists applied the active form of vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) to the exposed skin of albino hairless mice before each UV exposure. Then the mice were exposed to ultraviolet radiation at a moderate strength (11 J/cm¹) for two hours a day, five days per week, for 20 weeks. Wrinkles formed in the untreated skin. This was documented in photographs. Microscopically, there was a loss of fat cells and an increase of fibrous tissue. No wrinkles were seen in skin topically treated with cholecalciferol; microscopically, the skin remained normal.

“…[V]itamin D3 is efficacious against fibrosis (scar tissue formation) in the lower dermis induced by chronic solar-stimulating UV irradiation. The application of vitamin D3 on the dorsal skin prior to irradiation prevented the disappearance of adipocytes. Taken together, solar-stimulating UV irradiation effects on the proliferation and differentiation of skin cells including adipocytes, fibroblasts, and keratinocytes, resulted in hyperplasia (thickening) of epidermis and fibrosis (scar tissue formation) of adipose tissue. Cholecalciferol prevents these phenomena.”

Vitamin E (Natural Alpha Tocopherol and Tocotrienols)

The natural forms of vitamin E (alpha tocopherol and tocotrienols) are fat-soluble antioxidants that scavenge many free radicals, including lipid peroxyl radicals. Vitamin E absorbs only UV-B, not UV-A (vitamin A absorbs both UV-B and UV-A). However, the stratum corneum is very depleted of alpha-tocopherol following a single acute exposure to either UV-A or UV-B, or both. The destruction of the surface-level alpha tocopherol is also caused by the secondary effects of ultraviolet irradiation that generates free radicals.

Vitamin E has been demonstrated to decrease the severity of UV-caused skin wrinkling by 75% and also significantly decreases erythema and edema from UV injury.

Zinc Oxide

Zinc helps prevent UV-B cell apoptosis, even when it is used after exposure. Zinc can also protect fibroblast cells, allowing them to resist the oxidative stress from both UV-A and UV-B.

A zinc solution was tested to see if it protects skin from ultraviolet light so intense that it would be two times the minimal dose needed to cause sunburn. It was applied topically either five days in a row or one time two hours before exposure. Both methods reduced the percentage of sunburn cells.

In other experiments, researchers also tested the topical use of zinc to see what, if any, effect it would have when applied topically one or two hours after ultraviolet light exposure. In this, zinc even offered 25% protection when applied as late as one hour after ultraviolet exposure, but none when initially applied two hours after exposure. The zinc oxide in NexDerma® Naturalift MD: Advanced Face Lift Therapy provides continuing protection.