I guess I might just have to resign myself to the fact that life is the way it is.

by Lucy Zhu / Monday, November 12, 2012 / Posted in ,
Health changes so drastically in relation to our surroundings.

In high school, I didn't really know how to manage my weight, appearance, etc well. (or at least I believe relative to now). I was taking 7 AP classes, President of x club, Treasurer of Y club, volunteering on the weekends, studying, playing the violin, everything. Life was pretty hectic, and I didn't pay much attention to my appearance.

Then came in college.

I got more time to myself and could devote more time to myself, choosing things I felt that were interesting to participate in and choosing classes that were super fun to be in as well. Dance classes even! My skin got a lot better and my complexion seemed brighter. I also learned a lot more about skincare (websites, blogs, primary literature articles, Youtube, etc) and learned how to better take care of myself. Dress in clothes that fit my body type, all that stuff. Yada-yada. I got more sleep, was more well-rested, and was happier in general.

Hooray! Blossomed out of the shell. College is definitely the place where I truly grow up.

Medical school changed things. I underwent a surgery shortly after college graduation and spent the summer recovering. (Yeah, definitely one of the least fun summers I've ever had.) Now life is so much more different. I'm taking the bus or rail to school instead of walking or going via a yellow school bus; I carry my books around campus, read them on the computer, etc instead of just leaving them at home or in a locker; I even have a car that I can use on the occasion that I drive. My life seems more structured, but at the same time, more hectic. I'm learning things that I have never even fathomed of learning; at the same time, I'm trying to absorb so much more stuff than I've ever really tried to absorb anytime before.

According to the University of Richmond, the national acceptance rate for medical schools is 46% for first-time applicants. For second-time, third-time, etc applicants, the rates are even lower. I guess there is a reason why it's so hard to get in. It's hard just to get through, just to pass. One has to make quite a decent effort to pass everything.

Anyway, back to the health business. I've noticed things regress in my health because of this whole medical school thing. I'm sleepy a lot of the time, not perhaps due to lack of sleep, but because I have to concentrate so hard during the time I study that my brain "farts out", literally. I break out a lot more as well, to the amount that I broke out during my peak acne phases in my late middle school/early high school years. And I guess my time spent indoors/use of sunscreen/use of DIY facials has made my skin a lot paler, apparently, according to people who've known me for awhile.

However, I think still this is just a small price to pay for the incredible stuff I'm learning right now. Hearing patients' stories while they explain to me why they got to where they are today, hearing those heartbeat sounds on different parts of the chest, testing reflexes, being able to feel the liver and spleen, understanding why people have acid reflux and how to prevent it, understanding how medications work and why certain med combos don't work -> this opportunity is so incredible.

I will eventually get used to the life of a medical student, fully get into "the swing of things". I might not be a savant but I will learn things and work hard. I am so grateful for this opportunity and am humbled by the patients every time I go into the hospital. It is my pleasure to learn to take care of them. And eventually, perhaps my skin will get used to it too!

(Still working on everything!)

~Med School Girl

Such a good DIY face mask.

by Lucy Zhu / / Posted in , , ,
I've always liked using DIY products because I know what ingredients go into them, and what preservatives/chemicals with long names/etc are left out. One of the main things I like to DIY is face masks. I'm always searching for an ideal combo of ingredients that would help out my skin - brightening, cleansing, scar-lightening, etc.

Lately I've been using lime juice (freshly squeezed) with my compressed face masks but they seemed to be just too irritating. Therefore I started trying something new and ended up with something of a wholesome amalgamation.

Hence, a recipe that I concocted, taken for multiple years of research and blog-searching and fact-finding and everything:

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon dissolved aspirin tablet granules (extra strength aspirin pills dissolved originally in witch hazel)
  • 1 oz honey
  • 1 tablespoon oatmeal
  • 2 key limes
Instructions:
  1. In a small microwaveable bowl, mix the aspirin tablet granules, honey, oatmeal, and 1 key lime's squeezed out juice.
  2. Heat in microwave for 1 minute.
  3. Take out, mix again, and place in the other key lime's squeezed out juice.
  4. Apply the mask using your fingers or a foundation brush onto your face.
  5. Leave on mask for 15 min.
  6. Rinse off.
The mask should dry off afterward. It felt SO GOOD afterward.
Uses of each of the materials:
Aspirin: For reducing inflammation and for exfoliation
Honey: For exfoliating, brightening, softening, toning of skin
Oatmeal: For soothing purposes, for moisturizing and basically placating the skin, and neutralizing the lime
Lime: For brightening, (even whitening), lightening (acne) scars, etc.

(I'm not going to post a picture of the face mask on my face on here, because it looks like I have throw-up on my face! But trust me, it feels SOO good afterward. And my face was not stinging at all from the lime juice.)

If you try this recipe, lemme know how it goes! Peace out!

The Sunscreen Project, Part 13: Articles (Updated)

by Lucy Zhu / Saturday, November 10, 2012 / Posted in ,
In this part of the Sunscreen Project, there will be an intermission my reviews. This post will focus more on the different scientific aspects of sunscreen, its properties, risks, advantages, etc.

Note: This article will take more of a scientific purpose. I will try my best to define any terms that are "super scientificky" or are delved deep jargon of medical language. If you are confused by any of the terminology or have any questions about anything I've written (or would like to dispute me/have any comments/concerns/etc over the facts) please feel free to comment. All constructive comments/questions/criticisms/etc are welcome!

I have cross-referenced my comments with many sources, ranging from articles I've read from other professionals and/or skincare specialists/aficionados. I will not link any primary literature in my sources (primary literature = scientific articles), because (1) if I did this post would be twice as long, (2) not everyone has PubMed access to the articles listed, due to subscription issues, and (3) many of the articles I will cite already have primary literature citations.

Disclaimer: As the time of this published post, I am a first-year medical student. I am in no way a licensed medical professional. Please take my writings with an educational intent. This is in no way a replacement for consultations from licensed medical professionals. Please note that, should you decide to follow my advice, you bear full responsibility for your decisions.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Okay. Enough of that jargon and legal disclaimer. Let's get down to the gist of it. Note: I am not going to be writing a super lengthy article about exactly how the mechanisms of things work during sunscreen; I will just be summarizing facts. I have linked articles at the bottom of this page about sunscreen/sunblock/etc and how it helps.

I first really got down into the facts of sunscreen from articles about SPF.

Facts about sunscreen in general:
  • There are actually 3 main types of sun rays: UVA, UVB, and UVC.
  • UVC rays are mostly shielded by the Earth's ozone layer.
  • The SPF factor measures a form of protection of UVB rays only. UVA ray protection measurements are in other systems, such as the Japanese PA+ rating system
  • UVA rays cause long-term aging damage, UVB causes tanning/burning
  • Must be reapplied every 40 or 80 min (according to FDA guidelines) - wears off eventually
  • Recent FDA regulation changes: no SPF factor can be above 50, sunscreen cannot be labeled as "waterproof" or "sweatproof", and must be listed as providing 40 or 80 min of protection
  • Sunscreen is the EXACT SAME THING as "moisturizer with SPF". Sunscreens/sunblocks are extremely emollient, and are notorious for being very greasy. 
  • For "non-comedogenic" labels: non-comedogenic means not causing acne/breakouts. However, depending on the size of each person's pores, it is different. Thus, what may be non-comedogenic for one person may cause another person to break out completely.
Facts specifically about SPF:
  • SPF measures protection against UVB rays
  • Measures percentage of UV rays protected against
  • SPF 15: 93%, SPF 30: 97%; if SPF > 30, then remains in 97-98% range
  • Above SPF 30 (or even 50), increased protection is minimal.
  • Recently, FDA changed regulations for writing about sunscreen SPF labels: maximum value that can be posted is SPF 50.
  • FDA recommends people to use sunscreen with ratings of 30 or more.
  • What matters more than SPF rating is the AMOUNT of sunscreen that is used. General rule of thumb: a tablespoon amount should be used for the head/neck, and a shotglass full should be used for entire body, from head to toe.
Sunscreen vs sunblock:
  • Sunscreens: protect by absorbing and filtering UV rays after penetrating the skin (whether UVA, UVB, or both)
  • Sunblocks: protect by reflecting both types of rays, so no penetration occurs
  • Sunscreen: uses chemical method to absorb/filter. Chemicals include avobenzone (for UVA rays), oxybenzone, octisalate, homosalate, octocrylene, oxtinoxate, menthyl anthralate, oxtocrylene. As a result, is often called "chemical sunscreen
  • Sunblock: physical barrier ingredients, sit on top of the skin, including titanium dioxide and zinc oxide
  • Sunscreen: needs to be absorbed in the skin for 15-30 min before starts becoming effective
  • Sunblock: takes effect immediately upon application
Sunblock specifically:
  • Often called "physical sunscreen" because of its physical barrier properties
  • Zinc oxide provides a better spectrum of protection (wider range of protection) when combined with other ingredients than titanium oxide
  • Causes "white cast" on the skin when applied (thus chemical sunscreens have an aesthetic factor advantage as compared to sunblocks). However, companies have been getting better about this by microionizing particles (aka reducing their size to the order of magnitude of 10-100s of nanometers, aka 10^(-9) meters). Just for reference, a red blood cell (diameter = 7.5 micrometers) is about 75 times bigger than one of these particles! 

UVA rating system (PA+ rating system):
  • Use the PPD (Persistent Pigment Darkening) rating, after 2-4 hours of sun exposure
  • PA+ provides some UVA protection with a factor of PPD 2-4
  • PA++ provides moderate UVA protection with a factor of PPD 4-8
  • PA+++ provides good UVA protection with a factor of PPD > 8
  • Generally, the more the "+"s, the better it is
  • A lot of Asian and European sunblocks have this system on this rating, and display it on their bottles
USA vs Asian vs European sunscreens/sunblocks:
  • USA considers sunscreen/sunblock as a over-the-counter drug and is regulated under FDA (US Food & Drug Adminstration).
  • Europe and Asia consider sunscreen/sunblock as a cosmetic item, so it is regulated under different terms.
  • Result? There are sunscreen ingredients that have made it into European and Asian skincare products that haven't made it into USA products yet. 
  • As of July 06, 2012, (quoted from Futurederm.com), "in the US, there are only 17 approved active sunscreen ingredients. In Europe, there are 28. In Japan, there are more than 40."
  • Example: Tinsorb - a new ingredient used in chemical sunscreens, is a chemical that is highly stable, protects against UVA and UVB rays, and does not have any long-term exposure damage, according to current studies. It has been used for several years on the European market but has just recently hit hit US stores. Another example would be CC creams.
Miscellaneous about sunscreen/sunblock:
  • Makeup with sunscreen doesn't contain the optimum amount of sunscreen protection
  • Coconut oil has inherent SPF 4 protection
  • Your lips need protection too - use a chapstick/lip balm with spf
  • Even on cloudy days, UVA/UVB rays are pushing through
  • UV rays are even emitted from computer screens, although the effects of them are minimal compared to what you're exposed to out in the sun
  • It's a really good habit to put on sunscreen/sunblock every morning - especially to incorporate it into your morning routine.
  • Search for the best sunscreen/sunblock for your skin - reviews are opinions of different people with different skin types. You can look at reviews for directions for products to try, but ultimately, what works best for your skin depends on you!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Whew! Yep, that was definitely a lot of facts. I hope this was a useful, overall comprehensive lesson on sunscreen protection. We definitely need protection from the sun - skin cancer definitely something that is good to prevent.

Articles from Futurederm:
Articles from LiveStrong:

United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA):

Other (just for references, and to cross-reference, along to see a source that a lot of people read):

The Sunscreen Project, Part 12

by Lucy Zhu / Tuesday, November 6, 2012 / Posted in , ,
Like I've written in my last post, I'm trying out new sunscreens in order to find a really good sunscreen  to use for the upcoming months/perhaps even years. I have been using an eye cream with sunscreen for a long time and didn't even realized I had been using such an SPF product for such a long time. Thus I will review it.

Avon Anew Rejuvenate 24-hour eye cream, SPF 25 (for my eyes)



Now, according to one of John Su's articles from Futurederm, eye creams aren't really necessary, but I wanted to try this product out anyway because I wanted to see the exact difference between an eye cream with SPF versus just a normal SPF product on the eye area.

Well, there are actually two parts to this product - as you can see - the bluish cream as a nighttime cream and the white cream as a day cream with SPF 25.

I wanted to try it.

Ingredients (source):


Ingredients for A.M. Eye Cream:

 Active: Octinoxate (7.5%), Octisalate (5%), Avobenzone (2%), Homosalate (2%), Other: Water, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Peg-8, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Phenyl Trimethicone, Cetearyl Alcohol, Isodecyl Isononanoate, Phytol, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Tinospora Cordifolia Root/Stem Extract, Pinus Taeda Bark Extract, Retinol/Saccharomyces Polypeptide, Phaeodactylum Tricornutum Extract, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Seed Extract, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Extract, Plankton Extract, Hydrolyzed Milk Protein, Sodium Hyaluronate, Andrographolide, Panthenol, Tocopherol, Kaempferia Galanga Root Extract, Oryzanol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Alcohol, Carbomer, Tromethamine, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium Edta

 Ingredients for P.M. Eye Cream:

 Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, C30-45 Alkyl Cetearyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Isocetyl Stearoyl Stearate, Isodecyl Isononanoate, Cetyl Peg/Ppg-10/1 Dimethicone, Phytol, Tinospora Cordifolia Root/Stem Extract, Pinus Pinaster Bark/Bud Extract, Phaeodactylum Tricornutum Extract, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Seed Extract, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Extract, Plankton Extract, Hydrolyzed Milk Protein, Lagerstroemia Indica Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Andrographolide, Panthenol, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Oryzanol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Magnesium Sulfate, Lauryl Peg-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium Edta, Chromium Oxide Greens

Now, the original price of this product is $38 for 0.66 oz of product. I actually got it for about $6 on Amazon. Lolz. (And it was a new product!)

AM Cream first::
Pros:

  • Very emollient and hydrating
  • Did not sting my eyes
  • Protects against UVA and UVB rays
  • Saw slight firming of eye skin
  • Lasts a long time
Cons:
  • Jar packaging
PM Cream:
Pros:
  • Very emollient and hydrating
  • Saw slight plumping of skin
Cons:
  • Felt really greasy
  • Jar packaging
The overall fact is that I do not like the jar packaging. It is not good and makes the product susceptible to contamination more quickly than usual. Not cool.

Currently I have finished the night cream but am still working on the day cream, which has lasted me about 6 months already, with nightly use! Can you imagine that? 6 months of use and still going strong?

Anyway, I don't think I will repurchase the product because (1) jar packaging and (2) eye creams aren't really that necessary. However, I do think the use of this product was a good experience.



Source: 1


Past posts:

The Sunscreen Project: Part 11

by Lucy Zhu / Friday, November 2, 2012 / Posted in , ,
For those of you who just recently started following me, I did a series of posts on different sunscreens this past spring/summer, in pursuit of a good, affordable sunscreen that I could use throughout the year. After trying many, many different ones (see my pasts posts below), I decided on Coppertone's Oil-Free Sunscreen Lotion in SPF 30.

Well, it was a great sunscreen and all, but I used up an entire bottle. Lo and behold, 8 ounces of sunscreen used over a period of 6 months. Just about every day - face and neck. I think I've been pretty consistent about using it.

After I finished the bottle, I thought, I could just buy another bottle of it. After all, it was pretty good. However, I've gotten several other samples of sunscreen from different places, so I thought perhaps I could try and look around to find potentially even better sunscreens. Also, because of John Su's posts on Inorganic vs Organic sunscreens in September-October of this year, I've decided to look more into inorganic sunscreens, which are supposed to be more stable and better for the skin (in the long-term) than chemical sunscreens, which have ingredients such as avobenzone, oxybenzone, and octinoxate. I won't go into the details of how/why inorganic sunscreens are superior to chemical sunscreens in many ways (John goes into a lot of detail about it, and did an extremely thorough analysis), but I will say that the article series has changed my perspective on sunscreens.

(I will link his articles below for those who are interested).

Anyway I decided to start up this series again, season 2 style, to test out new sunscreens and see how they are like.

So, thus, after that long introduction, behold, part 11 of this series.

Now, introducing...

MAC Studio Moisture Fix SPF 15

Studio Moisture Fix SPF 15
Photo source

I received a sample of this product from a local M.A.C. store awhile ago. And how did I rate it?

First, ingredients list, according to Beautypedia:
Active: Zinc Oxide (6.7%), Octinoxate (3.5%)

 Other: Water, Dimethicone, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Butylene Glycol, Silica, Isononyl Isononanoate, Glycerin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Cholesterol, Astrocaryum Murumuru Butter, Caffeine, Sodium RNA, Sodium Hyaluronate, Phytosphingosine, Barley Extract, Chinese Mushroom Extract, Thermus Thermophillus Ferment, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root (Chinese Root) Extract/Saccharomyces Lysate Extract, Yeast Extract, Wheat Germ Extract, Sucrose, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Polysorbate 20, Polysorbate 80, Squalane, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Steareth-21, PVP, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Cetyl Esters, Hexylene Glycol, Polyethylene, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Isohexadecane, Caprylyl Glycol, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Linoleic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Propylene Glycol Dicaprate, Fragrance, BHT, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin

A cursory look reveals that the active ingredient is zinc oxide, deeming the sunscreen an inorganic sunscreen. Good.

Now, just as a review, here are the qualities that I look for in a sunscreen:

  • Does not make me break out (my skin is combination oily)
  • Doesn't feel greasy/cakey - even better than Coppertone's Oil-Free SPF 30
  • Glides on smoothly
  • Has a relatively high spf (30+)
  • Affordable price
  • Stable ingredients
Pros:

  • Glides on very smoothly
  • Stays on the skin very well - for a long time
  • Did not feel greasy or cakey
  • Seems like a good primer - good for layering other makeup on top
  • Did not melt off
  • Has zinc oxide - a stable inorganic sunscreen
  • Smelled pretty nice, similar to many of MAC's other skincare products (including its creme face wash)
  • Did not make me break out
Cons:
  • Low SPF rating (only SPF 15)
  • Cost ($31 for 1.7 oz)
Neutrals:
  • Smelled similar to MAC's cremewash (my review here)
Overall, what do I think of this sunscreen? Well, although I did not like MAC's cremewash (see my review here), I do think I like this sunscreen. It felt so natural, even, even more natural than the Coppertone SPF 30 that I liked a lot. The only concerns I have are about the low SPF rating (the United States FDA recommends a sunscreen with SPF 30 or above) and the cost ($31 for 1.7 oz). No wonder why MAC is a high-end makeup company and is considered to sell rather luxurious products. Well, I guess I won't be purchasing the full version of this product, at least as of now.

Have you guys/gals used this product before? If so, how did you like/dislike it? Leave a comment below!

John Su's articles on FutureDerm:
Are Inorganic Sunscreens Better Than Organic Ones? Part I: Irritation Potential and Aesthetics
Part II: Photostability, Permeability, and Photoreactivity
Part III: Toxicity
Part IV: Level of Protection & Practicality
Part V: Conclusions and Product Recommendations



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