Lifestyle

Have you ever wondered why your skin is not as radiant as you would love? It doesn’t matter whether you have acne-prone skin or not. Here are 5 of the several natural ingredients that are very good for the skin.  Products that contain these are definitely good for you. Ascorbic Acid it has anti-aging properties. It is very effective in the treatment of hyperpigmentation when used with consistency. It also helps to repair skin damage by stimulating collagen production. Ascorbic acid can come as a serum that can be applied directly or as a supplement taken orally.     Note: Excessive intake of Vitamin C supplement can cause kidney stone and heartburn Aloe Vera A very good product though underrated by many. It contains Vitamin B1, B12, B6, Niacinamide, Salicylic acid and some amino acids which are very good for the skin. Due to its anti-inflammatory property, it helps to keep the face smooth. It protects against sunburn and also has anti-aging properties. Hyaluronic acid It is very important to keep the body hydrated to avoid skin irritation. HA locks the moisture into our skin and keeps it hydrated. The body naturally produces Hyaluronic acid but in most cases it is not enough. The body starts lacking HA with age, hence the need to use HA to prevent early wrinkles. Tea Tree oil It has a lot of benefits like treatment of acne by soothing the skin and reducing redness and swelling of the face. SPF Every human is supposed to have at least SPF 30. Most people don’t know the importance of SPF. It reduces the risk of skin cancer by protecting against sun burns and the effect of direct UV rays on the skin. You can wear sunscreen even when you are home, SPF is not only meant for women or light-skinned people. It is very important for general skincare. Reapply your SPF every 2 hours using the 2 finger rule. AGENTS THAT CAN BLEACH THE SKIN AND ALSO HARMFUL TO THE SKIN  Most bleaching/toning agents have harmful effects on the skin, here are a few you need to be wary of Hydroquinone It is a very good product for dealing with hyperpigmentation, but it can also cause great damage when used wrongly. Many people who want to have lighter skins do not do proper research on how a product should be used. Wrong use of hydroquinone can cause an IRREVERSIBLE condition known as OCHRONOSIS. It is advisable to use 2%-4% of hydroquinone when treating hyperpigmentation. Apply only on the affected area and not the whole body. Hydroquinone can cause kidney damage, hence it is advisable to use at max 3 months then take a break. Kojic acid 2-4% of kojic acid is the recommended percentage good for the skin. Anything above can cause sunburn and contact dermatitis (rashes, dry and itchy skin). Why add raw kojic acid in your creams?? definitely not a good idea. Steroids Always look out for the ingredient list before buying any products. Steroids like hydrocortisone, betamethasone etc. when used on a long term can increase skin infection and poor wound healing.   Amaka’s body seems to be glowing does not mean you should jump on what she is using. Is she using the right product? Is she using it correctly?. If you truly love your body, do not abuse steroids. Most bleaching creams contain mercury. Mercury is very harmful to the body and can cause Nephrotic syndrome (kidney damage).   When you come across any cream that contains mercurous chloride, calomel, mercuric, run as fast as your legs can carry you. Patrick Judith (B.Pharm UPH)

Do you know the general principle behind weight gain and weight loss? These are the 3 factors that determine your weight Diet – When we eat our body uses what it needs and stores the rest as glycogen or as fat. When we haven’t eaten for hours it’s this stored portion (glycogen) that sustains us. The glycogen sustains the body and after longer periods without food the stored fat is then used. Physical Activity Level What exercise (or sometimes physical stress) does is to ensure that the food we eat is rapidly consumed. Thus the stored portion in form of glycogen and later fat gets to be used rather than accumulate. This explains why a good balance of diet and exercise produces a healthy weight. Genetics With genetics things get really dicey. Persons who genetically are prone to have lesser weights can feel weighed down (smiles…no pun intended) when it seems that no matter what they eat they never seem to add any significant weight. On the other hand, another group of persons eat very little, exercise a lot and still end up putting on weight, this is how powerful a person’s genetic make-up can be. For ladies among the former group, a desire for greater sex appeal (bigger waist, butt or bursts) can make misuse of a steroid like dexamethasone an attractive prospect. While the latter group sometimes turn to diuretics to promote weight loss. Others on the extreme opposite turn to diuretics and a wide variety of “slimming teas” to lose weight and look thinner (the model-like body frame) Dexamethasone and weight gain The drug dexamethasone (popular brand name Xasten) is a corticosteroid used widely to promote weight gain even with the harmful effects that accompany it. When people gain weight normally, they simply add muscle mass (healthy) or fat tissues (not so healthy) and this reflects as an increase in weight. Dexamethasone use produces an illusion of weight gain. It promotes accumulation of fluid or redistribution of fat in the body and this is a totally unhealthy way to gain weight. Another effect, reduced immunity is worthy of note because it makes one at greater risk of coming down with  infections. Diuretics and weight loss This group of drugs are used mostly for the treatment of high blood pressure, liver disease and some heart conditions. Diuretics act by preventing the absorption of too much salts so that they are removed in lots of urine. Furosemide is an example, this feature is capable of being abused by regular healthy persons who simply want to lose weight. Constant elimination of fluid can give an illusion of weight loss but leaves the individual at risk of lower electrolyte levels which can impact health negatively. In summary, approaching weight loss or gain from the perspective of the three factors of genetics, diet and exercise remains the most effective and sustainable in the long term. Any short cut that tries to by-pass this can be potentially harmful. Olusanya Oluwatomi

Dry seasons in Nigeria are epic, they are characterized by the dry dusty atmosphere, a cold environment coupled with low humidity. Certain health issues can be linked to this season of sheer dryness some of which includes but not limited to conditions such as skin reactions, sore eyes or conjunctivitis, respiratory disorders, heat stroke, sunburns and dehydration. In this piece, I will be focusing on dehydration and water intake. According to Mayo clinic water is very important to the human body as it helps in the following ways 1. Gets rid of waste through urination. 2. Regulates body temperature. 3. Lubricates and cushions joints. 4. Delivers oxygen to the body as it forms part of the human blood. 5. Prevents kidney damage. 6. Boost exercise performance. 7. Helps the normal functioning of the gastrointestinal system. 8. Forms about 60-70% of adult body mass and more for infants. Being in a situation where one or any of these will not be optimum in the body would mean a disease state. It would be worthy of note that sources of water are not limited to potable water but also some fruits such as  watermelon, oranges, grapes etc. Water loss from the body is directly proportional to the environmental temperature, hence, as environmental temperature increases water loss also increases and vice versa and inversely proportional to humidity and as humidity increases water loss decreases and vice versa. Now the weather is hotter than it used to and less humid this means further loss of water as compared to the rainy season will occur in the dry season, hence a need for water replacement strategies. The appropriate volume of water for a given individual varies, but it’s important for one to take note of the right amount of water his/her body needs. Research (From MayoClinic) has shown that about 3-4Liters of daily water intake is required for adults. Can we stay true to ourselves that we do drink that much? A sachet of water is 50cl (i.e. 0.5Liters), so mathematically, we need about 6-8 sachets of water to fulfill a good daily intake following the above information. Certain demerits are associated with inappropriate drinking of water which can be highlighted in this season of dry weather. A typical example is constipation, a condition where one cannot pass out stool, or passes out stool in a frequency  lesser than he used to this may be characterized by painful stooling. According to James McIntosh in his article “fifteen benefits of drinking water” on Medical News Today, inappropriate water intake increases the risk of kidney damage, as water helps dissolve minerals and nutrients making them easily excretable; inability to excrete undissolved minerals as in a case of water insufficiency promotes kidney damage. He also added that drinking plenty of water reduces the risk of developing a urinary tract infection. In extreme cases, inappropriate body water levels can promote complications such as anemia, central nervous system damage and heart failure. Therefore we are encouraged to continue or start-up good water-intake habits that will be of benefit to our overall health and wellness. Stay hydrated! #Healthynaija GREATMAN ADIELA OWHOR