There is an increasing demand for organic skin care that is due in part to changing lifestyles and the desire for improved skin care products that are environmentally friendly. Increasing demand for organic skin care is also due to the rise in skin disorders and the well founded belief that natural skin care using organic skin care products is safer. Organic plants used in organic produce or products are grown without synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, and organic certification ensures that plant-derived ingredients are produced in a natural and ecologically sound manner, free of toxic chemicals and pesticides. Viniferamine® skin care...

The small molecule technology found in Viniferamine® products delivers penetrating nutrition to epidermal cells to promote skin cell repair and skin renewal. Viniferamine® skin and wound care products provide nutrition to the epidermis to strengthen the skin barrier and enhance overall skin health. Small molecules under the molecular weight of 500 daltons are able to pass into the stratum corneum (uppermost layer of the epidermis), which is known as the “500-dalton rule.” The small molecules contained in Viniferamine® skin and wound care products that include antioxidants, amino acids and vitamins enter the skin, reduce excessive transepidermal water loss, and scavenge-free...

The skin barrier, composed of lipids and essentially dead cells (corneocytes) in the upper layer of the epidermis (stratum corneum), plays a major role in protecting the body from numerous insults including microbial invasion. However, when compromised, the skin’s immune system is activated to defend the body from further damage and infection. Skin immunity involves the skin microbiome (collective set of microorganisms on the skin), antimicrobial peptides (short chains of amino acids) and a variety of signaling molecules that activate or suppress certain immune cells such as dendritic cells (including Langerhan’s cells), macrophages, neutrophils and mast cells.  When damage and/or...

Quality of Life (QOL) is the general well-being of an individual that results from various conditions including physical and mental health, safety and security, as well as comfort and happiness. Feeling good and reducing insecurity increases one’s ability to enjoy life.  Skin is the largest organ of the body and it’s a big reflection on how a person feels. Often, when the body is out of balance, it shows in the skin, and when skin is problematic due to inflammation, redness, itching, or flaking for example, the quality of an individual’s life is likely to decrease. Viniferamine® skin and wound...

According to recent estimates, at least 35% of Americans are classified as obese, and this trend towards obesity is only increasing. Obesity is defined as a state of excess adiposity (accumulation of lipids) due to prolonged positive energy imbalance. Obesity is also defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 30kg/m or greater. There are multiple causes for obesity including, diet, genetics, inactivity or weight gain related to drugs such as oral corticosteroids, oral contraceptives, or serotonin reuptake inhibitors (antidepressants). Obesity increases the risk involved with more than 30 medical problems including skin issues.  Obesity is associated with oxidative stress...

When it’s cold outside the humidity often decreases leading to dry environments that can result in skin inflammation and pruritus (itching). In fact, dry environments promote pro-inflammatory cytokine release from corneocytes (found in the outermost layer of the epidermis or stratum corneum) and low humidity also causes mast cell enlargement as well as mast cell degranulation (release of inflammatory mediators like histamine).  In addition, desquamation (skin shedding) is decreased, which can lead to scaling that is common with winter xerosis (dry skin). A dry environment affects the skin barrier making the skin more sensitive and prone to inflammation. Viniferamine® skin...

Handwashing is important because it helps eliminate germs that can cause disease.  In fact, good hand hygiene has been linked to a decrease in infectious disease incidence.  Unfortunately, it’s too easy to forget the vital importance of handwashing due to the fact that antibiotics and vaccines have contributed so significantly to declining infectious disease-associated mortality over the past 100 years.   However, this trend should not be taken for granted, since mortality in the U.S. from infectious diseases actually rose between 1980 and 1992 due to an unexpected increase in emerging infectious diseases such as antibiotic resistant tuberculosis. Over the last...

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder associated with chronic inflammation that can lead to various health complications including foot ulcers.  The most common form, type 2 diabetes, involves insulin resistance and decreased insulin production.  Increased blood glucose or hyperglycemia is also common in diabetics.  In addition, at least 30% of individuals with diabetes have some form of skin problem.  Skin dryness, itching (pruritus), skin infection, and impaired wound healing are some of the common problems that can be associated with diabetes. Dry skin is due to the fact that individuals with diabetes tend to have reduced skin hydration resulting from...

Skin provides a fairly inhospitable environment for most microbes due to its amazing ability to remain cool, dry and slightly acidic.  In addition to producing sweat, the skin frequently sheds cells and secretes oils and defensive peptides to protect against invading microbes.  However, skin isn’t completely hostile to microbes because it also welcomes a rich and complex flora of interacting microbes that live in harmony with the skin and actually protect it from dangerous pathogens. Viniferamine® skin and wound care products were designed to preserve the balance of the skin’s normal chemistry and flora and enhance protection against invading microbes...

Vitamin C is an essential nutrient for skin as well as the rest of the body.  It’s absolutely necessary for normal skin and bodily functions, cannot be naturally synthesized in humans and must be provided externally. Skin itself has various critical roles in overall health including protection from dehydration and infection, and its appearance is an important reflection on general well-being. The epidermal layer of skin is responsible for most of its barrier function and includes many cells, particularly keratinocytes. In contrast, the lower dermal layer is composed mainly of fibroblasts that secrete the major component of the dermis, collagen...