Cosmetic Ingredients for Pregnancy

The post below was written by Dr. Kayla Kaiser on her blog "Bitch on a bike" and can be originally found here.



It's funny how time slows down when you're in the middle of a big transition. What I mean by that is that when you're going through IVF and FET, you count time in weeks+days. Then in pregnancy, you count by weeks or months. Then when you have an infant or toddler, you report their age in months. I was noticing this last night at my new FIT4BABY group in the West San Fernando Valley (Woodland Hills).

I started getting itchy legs at 9 weeks pregnant and it continued throughout the 2nd trimester. I switched up my skincare routine at 16 weeks pregnant and haven't looked back. I've written vaguely about this product before, but the Mentha Vitamin Body Lotion is awesome. My former skincare routine has changed during pregnancy.

Sepideh Yaghmaei, owner of CT Organics

First of all, I changed out my deodorant for this:
https://ctorganics.com/collections/deodorize/products/all-natural-deodorants
I placed a big order on July 29th, 2019. By then I would have been 5 weeks past frozen embryo transfer , or 3 weeks after the two week wait. But I've been blogging about CT Organics products since at least 2017. And after searching my Gmail, I found that I was using it as early as 2013. Our Kaiser Wellness Center website shows that we were working on the formulations in 2012.

Diatomaceous Earth Deodorant Ingredients: organic coconut oil, raw beeswax, organic shea butter, diatomaceous earth, arrow root powder, baking soda, activated charcoal, tea tree essential oil, cold pressed lemon peel oil, frankincense essential oil

Secondly, I started using this lotion on my legs and hands:
https://ctorganics.com/collections/hand-body/products/coconut-shea-butter-lotion-nerloi-frankincense
I don't even know when I got this lotion, I know that I didn't really need it until pregnancy. I used it on my stretching skin (belly and back) during the first and second trimester and on my itchy legs and raw, red and itchy, cracked hands. The version I have came in a pot not a tube, so it must have been a sample that Sepi gave us. But you can get your hands on it by ordering through her website or on Amazon.

Coconut Shea Butter Lotion (Tahitian Vanilla Blend) Ingredients: purified water, sweet almond oil, organic coconut oil, organic Shea Butter, raw beeswax, non-GMO sunflower lecithin, , frankincense essential oil, ceteareth 20, Glyceryl oleate citrate, caprylic triglyceride, gluconolactone, xanthan gum, sodium benzoate, vanillin, Tahitian Vanilla Essential Oil (CO2 extract), calcium gluconate

After I confirmed that I was pregnant, I was terrified of doing anything in the first trimester that would jeopardize the fetus. I found a list of banned chemicals on one of my pregnancy apps and wrote them all down on this markerboard.

There are an alarming number of chemicals in skin-care products and it doesn't make sense to me that these things are not good for pregnancy but allowed for non-pregnant people. If these substances are bad for human life, why are they allowed at all?

Xom3 Balm Ingredients:

So I threw out lots of things such as nail polish and put aside all the aluminum-containing deodorants. I got rid of any products with salicylic acid and packed up my chemical sunscreens. I checked all my shampoo, conditioners and moisturizers for the other ingredients listed there under bullet points 4, 6 and 7. I also read that no drinking herbal tea and no using essential oils. Despite this, I did use a bit of my pal Mandy's balms.

Mandy Gough, owner of XoM3

When my hands are cracking, there's nothing like a layering of Mandy's balm, topped with Sepi's Coconut Shea Butter lotion, and if they're still itching a coating of C.O. Bigelow Mentha Vitamin Body Lotion. There's another hand lotion I used that contains Jojoba oil and it is formulated to soothe and deodorize gardener's hands, I'll have to add this later since I can't find it on a Google search.

Finally, I wanted to discuss some commercial products that I can't live without now. The first is from Bath and Body Works called Tahiti Sweetie that is a body lotion with monoi oil. Unfortunately, it has been discontinued. I remember buying like 5 tubes of it when I realized it was going out of production, but I think I'm on my second to last tube now!

 

This is my gentle cleanser for every day.

 

This is what I put on immediately after cleanser.

This is what I put on top of my moisturizer.

Clinique Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50 Active Ingredients: Titanium Dioxide 6.3% , Zinc Oxide 4.0%

Ingredients: Water\Aqua\Eau , Dimethicone , Butyloctyl Salicylate , Polydiethylsiloxane , C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate , Isononyl Isononanoate , Diethylhexyl Succinate , Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate , Methyl Trimethicone , Butylene Glycol , Ethylhexyl Methoxycrylene , Lauryl Peg-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone , Silica , Dipentaerythrityl Tri-Polyhydroxystearate , Laureth-4 , Cetyl Peg/Ppg-10/1 Dimethicone , Dimethicone/Peg-10/15 Crosspolymer , Dimethicone Silylate , Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein/Pvp Crosspolymer , Triethoxycaprylylsilane , Dimethicone Crosspolymer-3 , Isostearic Acid , Caprylyl Glycol , Polyhydroxystearic Acid , Dipropylene Glycol , Phenoxyethanol , Iron Oxides (Ci 77492) , Iron Oxides (Ci 77491)

I am realizing now that I sound like a total hypocrite, since the ingredients for the products I am discussing here may not be safe for pregnancy. But at some point, I must have decided to abandon the safety of the first trimester and go for whatever could soothe my dry skin and acne.

Just like Bill Cosby says in the 1983 standup routine called "Himself," you've fooled around long enough. I have to start doing something work-related since I've been here for 3 hours and all I've done is write this blog post.

Anti-Aging Skin Series Post 16: The Thermodynamics of Cosmetic Formulations!

Source: Shutterstock

Where has that series gone called 'anti-aging skin care' products?  For those new to the series, here is a quick refresher of the series. The point of the series was to demystify the world of cosmetics through discussing the ingredients on the back which make them up.  How do ingredients help define the cosmetic product's function?  I had to put the series on hold for a while (until now) do to other writing responsibilities.  But now I am back.  Thank you for being patient with me.  I needed to learn how to engage you (the reader) more effectively.  And give myself a little practice writing in other forums.



Anyways, I left off with analyzing a journal article about anti-inflammatory agents and skin barrier function.  In the next blog post, I will continue where I left off.  For now, I wanted to deviate a little and talk about skincare formulations and chemistry behind them.  Specifically, I want to touch on 'emulsification.'  Emulsifiers have an important role in skincare formulations.  Read on below and find out how emulsifiers stabilize solutions of different phases.  Enjoy!



A few months ago, I ran across an article (which is below) with a question which dives deep into the molecular interactions involved in an 'emulsifier'.



At this point right now, you may be scratching your head wondering what an 'emulsifier' is?



Fair enough.



If you think of the following bottle of Salad dressing shown below:

Source: Jesica Gavin

Notice how the Salad dressing on the left contains two distinct (i.e., very different) phases of liquids.  The phase on top is 'less dense' (i.e. lighter, less matter per unit volume) than the phase on the bottom.



Phases with two different densities are around us each day.   Ice water with ice cubes is the most frequent example.  Ice is a phase of water that is less dense than liquid water.  Meaning that there are fewer molecules per volume.



Water is a special substance.



Why?  Typically, when the molecules in a liquid slow down to form a crystal, the unit density is larger than that of a liquid of the same substance.  But I did not write this article to discuss one property exclusively -- i.e., density.  If we dig a little deeper, the two distinct phases above can be made into a single phase.  Of course, that would require a molecular phase with properties of both phases above.

What is Thermodynamics?

Thermodynamics can be introduced by Wikipedia as follows:

Thermodynamics is the branch of physics that deals with heat and temperature, and their relation to energy, work, radiation, and properties of matter. The behavior of these quantities is governed by the four laws of thermodynamics which convey a quantitative description using measurable macroscopic physical quantities, but may be explained in terms of microscopic constituents by statistical mechanics. Thermodynamics applies to a wide variety of topics in science and engineering, especially physical chemistry, chemical engineering and mechanical engineering, but also in fields as complex as meteorology.

Historically, thermodynamics developed out of a desire to increase the efficiency of early steam engines, particularly through the work of French physicist Nicolas Léonard Sadi Carnot (1824) who believed that engine efficiency was the key that could help France win the Napoleonic Wars.[1] Scots-Irish physicist Lord Kelvin was the first to formulate a concise definition of thermodynamics in 1854[2] which stated, "Thermo-dynamics is the subject of the relation of heat to forces acting between contiguous parts of bodies, and the relation of heat to electrical agency."

The initial application of thermodynamics to mechanical heat engines was extended early on to the study of chemical compounds and chemical reactions. Chemical thermodynamics studies the nature of the role of entropy in the process of chemical reactions and has provided the bulk of expansion and knowledge of the field.[3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11] Other formulations of thermodynamics emerged. Statistical thermodynamics, or statistical mechanics, concerns itself with statistical predictions of the collective motion of particles from their microscopic behavior. In 1909, Constantin Carathéodory presented a purely mathematical approach in an axiomatic formulation, a description often referred to as geometrical thermodynamics.

The introduction above may seem confusing.  Thermodynamics is concerned with the various forms of energy in a system and its surroundings.  Some people find thermodynamics to be confusing and incomprehensible.  Terms such as entropy and heat may throw a monkey wrench into a person's understanding of a chemical system.  Although, thermodynamics is good at explaining various large scale properties of systems -- such as heat transfer, the entropy within the system, etc.  Confused yet?



Anyways, during the learning process, I have scoured the internet for various explanations or clarifications to different concepts.  That is part of an investigation into learning about cosmetic products.  Incorporating the chemistry behind the product requires a person to think about the energy within a system.  How is the system work with its constituent ingredients?  How does the system hold itself together?  How does thermodynamics achieve this?



Thermodynamics is the accountant for the energy of the system.  A person cannot help but investigate thermodynamic properties of a system to understand how the individual molecules mixed into a solution interact such that collectively they form the macroscopic system -- i.e., cosmetic product.



One such concept was that of an "Emulsifying Stabilizer".  Below is an example of a question/answer query that I found on a website called "Research Gate":



Question:

How does an emulsifier stabilize an emulsion?

Emulsion can be stabilized by increasing the repulsion between the dispersed phase i.e., by increasing the electrostatic repulsion (which is long range) or steric repulsion (short range). Emulsifiers are amphiphiles that reduce the interfacial tension between the two phases and contribute to the stabilization of dispersed droplets with electrostatic or steric effects. 

I wish to know the detailed mechanism by which emulsifiers stabilize an emulsion. References will be of real help.

Thanks.

One possible Answer that intrigued me was the following:



Answer:

When a surfactant adsorbs on the interface the interfacial tension between the two phases decreases. The reduced interfacial tension depends on the concentration of the surfactant according to the Gibbs’ isotherm.

Adsorbed surfactants or solid particles stabilize emulsions via two main mechanisms:

1. steric stabilization

2. electrostatic stabilization

Steric stabilization arises from a physical barrier to contact and coalescence. For example, high-molecular-weight polymers can adsorb on the surface of the dispersed phase droplets and extend significantly into the continuous phase, providing a volume restriction or a physical barrier for particle interactions. As polymer coated particles approach, the polymers are forced into close proximity and repulsive forces arise, keeping particles apart from each other. Surface-active solid particles such as clays have also been shown to sterically stabilize emulsions.

Electrostatic stabilization is based on the mutual repulsive forces that are generated when electrical charged surfaces approach each other. In an electrostatically stabilized emulsion, an ionic or ionisable surfactant forms a charged layer at the interface. For an oil-in-water emulsion, this layer is neutralized by counter ions in the continuous phase. The charged surface and the counter ions are termed a double layer. If the counter ions are diffuse (thick double layer), the disperse phase droplets act as charged spheres as they

approach each other. If the repulsive forces are strong enough, the droplets are repelled before they can make contact and coalesce, and the emulsion is stable.

In general, electrostatic stabilization is significant only for oil-in-water emulsions since the electric double-layer thickness is much greater in water than in oil.

Both electrostatic and steric forces can prevent aggregation or coalescence and hence stabilize emulsions.

Reference: Urrutia P.I., Predicting Water-In-Oil Emulsion Coalescence From Surface Pressure Isotherms, Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Calgary M. Sc. Thesis, 2006.

I hope it was useful for you.

That is what occurs when the mixture is shaken up as shown in the right-hand side.  Over time, the emulsifier is not strong enough to stabilize the two phases from forming again.  The interactions of repulsion and attraction play a dominant role in all of chemistry.  The scale on which these interactions occur is so small that typically we do not see them (or think about them).



Chemists think about them on a daily basis -- especially, formulation chemists at a cosmetic product manufacturing company.  The energetics associated with interactions determine whether a reaction will occur or not.  Chemistry plays a beautiful role in our world every day.  Although, most of us choose not to look or think of these interactions.  Which is fine too.



Although, when a consumer goes into a store and purchases a cosmetic product, the questions he/she asks the vendor are involving the interactions of the ingredients.  Further, the questions include the interaction of the ingredients with the customer's skin and thermodynamic variables -- temperature, pressure, volume,  and environmental conditions.  After reading this brief article, I would expect your picture and thinking involving cosmetic ingredients to have widened -- which is great.

Fresh Produce and Healthy Fats

In 2018 I was obsessed with cooking whole grains and beans. Unfortunately this low-cost, high-carbohydrate diet did not help me escape obesity. In 2019 I have been following The IVF Diet, which I also refer to as a Garden of Eden diet. I have lost about 15 pounds so far, but I would have to lose 50 pounds more to reach a "normal" BMI. Now that I have found a method that is working, I will be sticking to it until it does not work anymore.

Farmer's Market haul from May 19, 2019

Living in California has been great, since we can go to the Farmer's Market and get most of what we need. If I had the discipline, I would write down the prices we pay for these items at the Farmer's Market, but to be honest I do not enjoy tracking cash transactions. Many people have an idea that the Farmer's Market will be more expensive, but I doubt that. When you consider that you are eliminating carbon cost associated with supply chain, and you are getting fresher produce (less wasting rotted fruit and vegetables), then you might be getting more than what you pay for.

What I can share with you is saved receipts from the grocery stores for the past few weeks. We have been eating according to a Two Week Cleanse that eliminates most dairy and gluten. Here are my results. The items are in no particular order.

Cheapest source is highlighted in green

Similarly to what I found in a previous analysis, Winco is the cheapest place to get the items we need for the diet. It is not as dramatic since the items above are fresh and not found in bulk bins, but there are a few notable exceptions. The almond butter machine inside the store at Winco is amazing! I also discovered that Winco has pitted dates in the bulk section.

Side note: I was almost forcibly removed from Walmart when they noticed that I was writing down prices in my notebook. Their argument was that I could have checked all the prices from home using their shopping app, but I preferred to check them in person at the store. I explained that the information was "just for me" since I am on a new diet and eating the same items every two weeks. I believe I have a right to comparison shop to get the best prices in my local area (Los Angeles).

Unfortunately, we live 40 miles from the nearest Winco. We have a car that gets 25 mpg highway. With gas prices around $4 per gallon, it costs $13 to drive to Winco and back. Compared to our local store (Von's) and the organic retailer (Whole Foods), the savings are worth the drive. You can find the shopping list for week 1 of the diet in the previous post. Happy shopping!

Why am I not losing weight while working out?

I asked myself this question exactly 6 months ago. I started using MyFitnessPal (a free app for tracking what you eat, drink and do). I did not have an answer to that question at the time, because I was not experiencing success. But since I am having success now, I want to tell you what I am doing that is working.

Full disclosure, I am a 38-year old woman with a BMI between 35 and 40. Although I was intaking 1700 calories per day, working out, and taking vitamins (micronutrients), I was not considering macronutrients. I did not imagine that balancing protein, carbs and fat would have any impact. After taking a break from MyFitnessPal tracking due to a software issue that did not allow me to log in, I restarted using it in the new year.

https://www.myfitnesspal.com/reports

We got Fitbit watches about 10 months ago, which initially I thought was a great way of tracking steps without having to carry my phone everywhere. Previously I was using Google Fit, but after they changed their interface to this weird circle thing that I can't seem to understand, I kind of quit paying attention to it. The good thing is that you can sync these apps so that the data is shared among them. That way, you can visualize it in any of the apps.

https://www.google.com/fit/

I find it interesting seeing how Fitbit (Alta HR) tracks heart rate and sleep. What I really wanted was just a rechargeable watch. The battery life is really good, I only recharge it maybe once a week. Yet with MyFitnessPal, Fitbit and Google Fit together, I was not able to lose weight like I needed to.

https://www.fitbit.com/activities

We are on a project now to get pregnant. One of the pieces of advice given was to adjust the macronutrient intake to greater than 25% protein and less than 40% carbohydrates. I had never paid that much attention to "macros" but it seems to have helped my body shed fat. The way it was explained to me is that you log everything you are eating into the MyFitnessPal app and then, click on the diary. Add your foods, then click on the pie chart icon.

MyFitnessPal: Nutrition, Macros, Day View

If you have not had enough protein before dinner, be sure to have a protein-heavy meal as your last meal of the day. But definitely consider adding protein to EVERY meal otherwise it will be impossible to achieve this result. I was relying on my own inspiration and creativity for a brief time in mid-March. It was getting disgusting trying to eat a chicken breast and 5 hard-boiled eggs every day.

Then we got a book in the mail called The IVF Diet, but I also refer to it as the "Garden of Eden" diet. You are taking lots of nuts and berries. At first glance, it seemed too complicated. There were too many ingredients. But I think that is why it is working. It is a diverse array of foods, with an emphasis on lean protein, medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), omega-3 fatty acids, and colorful fruits and vegetables.

The IVF Diet: Week 1 Shopping List

The first week, we went to Whole Foods and filled up 2 shopping carts. It cost $350 which we thought would be too expensive to continue. What we found is that each subsequent week got easier. Many of those items last for a month or longer. We actually lowered our monthly food spending since we are eating at home and not getting takeout.

I would say that this could be a diet for anyone. When my doctor told me to "eat healthy," I did not know what that meant. I was so frustrated and disappointed with my unsuccessful attempts to lose weight by caloric restriction and exercise alone. So if you are stuck at a weight that is unsatisfactory for you, maybe it is time to consider tracking your macros.

FDA should finalize Sodium Targets, Although Lobbyists Disagree

Photo by Jason Briscoe on Unsplash

 Too much sodium in the diets of Americans is unhealthy. According to the American Heart Association (AMA), the average American eats more than 3,400 milligrams of sodium a day. The recommended amount by the American Heart Association is less than 1,500 milligrams per day.



To make matters worse, when asked about the amount of sodium in their daily diet, respondents in one study could not estimate the exact (or approximate) number of milligrams of salt in their food each day. Further, the respondents thought that they were eating less than 2,000 milligrams per day.



In light of this revelation, the amount of sodium in Americans daily diets should not be solely in the hands of the consumers. What about the manufacturers of food? Why are these corporations not held accountable for elevated amounts of salt in their products? Congress has directed the Food and Drug Administration to address the issue of sodium reduction targets in foods sold in the United States. What is the status you may ask? 

Reporting from 'Politico Agriculture' suggests that there is a battle in Congress with lobbyists on one side and Sustainable Food Policy Alliance on the other regarding Sodium reduction targets in food:

Make way for sodium reduction? Health advocates and the Sustainable Food Policy Alliance have asked appropriators to make sure there's no language in the approps bill that could block FDA from advancing long-awaited sodium reduction targets (past bills have pumped the brakes). They also want funding to support sodium cuts in school meals, among other things.

The FDA has said it's preparing to release sodium reduction targets in the coming months, but the effort has sparked late-game lobbying from industry groups. The agency is now expected to finalize only short-term reduction targets, but the final details are unknown.

How much sodium will be in our daily diet? Will the FDA clamp down and ultimately set a lower amount of sodium in each product? Or will the Agency give in to the lobbyists who hit Congress hard and let the status quo exist without change?



Placing the daily sodium intake in the consumer's hand is difficult. Why? Sodium finds its way into foods by different ingredients. Below are different ingredients (chemicals - molecular structures) which contain sodium:

You may recognize the different molecules above as common ingredients in different favorite foods. Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) is the molecule responsible for enhancing the flavor of food - which tricks the body into eating more. Food packages sold in stores do not list all ingredient concentrations. Which makes determining the total amount of sodium in the daily diet difficult.



Although, armed with the list of sodium containing chemicals which are common in foods gives the consumers a fighting chance to curtail their consumption. Congress needs to act on the Food and Drug Administration to reach sodium reduction targets soon. Until Congress pushes the FDA to reach a goal, consumers should be vigilant about the amount of sodium incorporated into their diet. Stay tuned!



Related Blog Posts:


Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Questions Drug Manufacturer Over Excessive Prices On Drugs

New Drug Design Strategies - Consider the Patient during the Design Process


Former FDA Director Asked Congress For Clarity Regarding CBD in Food Products


Food is not addictive, but is filled with Addictive Drugs -- Engineered Chemicals to Elicit Addiction


"Just Make A Generic (Cheaper Version) Of The Drug"? Not So Easy...


Update: On FDA's Policy Agenda For Combatting Opioid Crisis


The future: Making Medicines in your kitchen?