What products do you recommend for people with extremely sensitive scalps? I have folliculitis. Do you have anything that will (a) get the inflammation under control and (b) be fairly hypo-allergenic? Any supporting research in your responses would be appreciated.
Regards,
Sam
Product recommendation for sensitive scalp?
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Product recommendation for sensitive scalp?
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Dr.Yechiel
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Additional information
Hello, Sam, and thank you for inviting me to your forum.
First, let me state a disclaimer: I am writing as a scientist, not a physician; my purpose is not to dispense medical advice. Our products are not medicines and we do not describe them with medicinal claims. They are not cures and are not intended to cure any disease.
I will address the terminology you used in your question as part of the answer.
Hypo-Allergenic is an intuitive term and has no legal meaning or definition. The hypo prefix is key to understanding it: hypoglycemia means low blood sugar; hypoxia means low oxygen; hypotension means low blood pressure; hypo- means something may be present at a low level or have a minimal effect, not that it must be absent. As it relates to allergies, the term hypo is somewhat problematic, since lowering the amount of an allergen is not a very effective route to avoiding an allergic reaction and only total removal of an allergen is really safe. Some people would expect a hypoallergenic product to be mild or non-irritating, some would expect it to exclude mass allergens or ingredients to which many people are allergic. In fact, allergy, irritation, inflammation, breakout, and many other terms mean different things in different situations. I will not elaborate on this issue since it will deviate from your main questions but for the relevant item, allergy to an ingredient can occur even if an ingredient is extremely mild and even if it is present at a very low concentration. Irritation, however, may be modulated by reducing concentration of an irritating ingredient, or by combination with certain other ingredients, or by special formulation techniques; these latter options, our specialty at Elsom Research, make it possible to take advantage of the useful properties of a material while minimizing the potential effect of its negative properties.
Allergies are not the result of sensitizers contacting sensitive skin or scalp and are not likely to be avoided by lowering concentration of allergens; they are nothing to play with. You should read the list of ingredients for any product you use internally or topically; if you know you are allergic to any ingredient, dont use it.
The term sensitive scalp is not a description of a situation but an alternative phrasing due to lack of descriptive details as to the nature of the problem. There are different types of sensitivity. In many cases, the skin gets irritated from a bad formula or formulation and not because of this or that ingredient, as many people tend to believe. One can put together great and expensive ingredients only to result in a formula which clogs pores and causes breakouts. Pores may clog if a product is not a true emulsion, if it is non emulsified oil-based, if it is made with high concentration of alcohol, and in many other cases. Pores may clog by alcohol evaporating and concentrating its content at the pore, large oil droplets may block water and air flow, and many other problems may arise. Our products are made with our proprietary nanotechnologies and we specialize in solving formulation problems. Our nano emulsions and Nanosomes are extremely small and cannot cause pore clogging and air and water can flow between nano-structures. Their surface-to-volume ratio is high, which means large contact area between nano-structures and skin so that all beneficial ingredients are readily available for absorption by skin.
Folliculitis may originate from mechanically damaged follicles or from ingrown hair (Pseudofolliculitis). It is aggravated by bacterial infection (Staphylococcus or Pseudomonas) or in combination with a fungus and results in a rash, pimples, or pustules and may affect different skin areas of the body. Folliculitis is a disease and our products are not intended to cure it. However, we have several products containing ingredients which are compatible with skin in poor condition; supporting the general health of the skin will often improve its ability to avoid damage and infection from many causes, including folliculitis. You did not mention where you have the problem but if I assume correctly it is the scalp, for which we have EquiClear as a comforting formula, designed to reduce scalp discomfort. In addition, some ingredients in EquiClear are used in medicinal formulations for combating a wide range of bacteria and fungi. Because this is not a medicine, I am not able to say that those ingredients will do the same when in EquiClear.
What is the difference between a cosmetic formulation and a medicinal formulation if both use similar or identical ingredients? It is in the testing of the final formulation. Individual ingredients from different ingredient listings or compilations such as the Cosmetic, Toiletry, and Fragrance Association (CTFA)s regulatory database or the International Nomenclature Cosmetic Ingredient (INCI) list are well established and do not require further testing prior to their inclusion in a cosmetic formulation. They are the group of acceptable ingredients to choose from. Thus, the final formulation which combines ingredients from the cosmetic list is not required to undergo special FDA testing protocols. Of course, ingredients have to be in safe concentrations and pH. Only if the final formula is tested according to FDA protocols which imposes special testing requirements - and which should not be confused with other good scientific validation testing methods, - and is approved, can the formulation be considered a medicine. Ironically, medicinal formulations are focused on the active ingredient and pay less attention to other aspects of the formula which are very significant in the final product. Cosmetic formulations, as opposed to medicines, are constructed with much attention to aspects of the final formula as a whole, rather than simply as an inert carrier of the active ingredient. At Elsom Research, we are much more interested in the synergy created with multiple ingredients working properly together (which is how these things exist in nature, and why important components are often excluded when naturally-originating materials are synthesized) than in the magic bullet approach at the center of the design and testing of most medicines.
I believe that EquiClear may be a beneficial product for someone in your situation. For scientific background and to better understand our product and the proprietary nanotechnology behind it, follow this short summary:
EquiClear is made with double-emulsion technology (http://www.elsomresearch.com/learning/t ... AD-DET.htm).
EquiClear is made with intra-dermal vehicles including anti-aging Nanosomes (http://www.elsomresearch.com/learning/t ... osomes.htm).
EquiClear has excellent penetration and feels good on the scalp.
If you take oral or topical antibiotics or have open sores or non-intact skin areas, consult your physician before you use EquiClear.
Thank you for your inquiry.
Elishalom Yechiel, Ph.D.
President
Elsom Research Co., Inc.
http://www.elsomresearch.com/
210.493.5225
----Addition---->
I would like to add a clarification on the issue of drug testing versus cosmetic testing and I will start again with a disclaimer that I am not a spokesman for the FDA and I do not speak on their behalf. What I say is for the purpose of stimulating discussion.
New medicines have the most strenuous testing protocols but, if an ingredient is already established as a medicine, the testing is less comprehensive. That is why generic drugs can be made inexpensively after the expiration of patents for brand name drugs. In OTC topicals, there is sometimes no drug efficacy testing protocol requirement if an ingredient with an established purpose is used in that preparation and for a previously-approved purpose. The difference between anti-acne OTC medicine and a cosmetic preparation which cannot claim anti-acne properties may be in the rating of the manufacturing facility. If made in a facility that makes drugs, it can claim to be a drug; if made in a facility that makes cosmetics, it cannot make drug claims unless some section of the facility is upgraded to drug manufacturing status. Example: If a preparation contains salicylic acid at 1%, the preparation can be claimed as an OTC anti-acne drug if it is manufactured in a drug facility (there is still a procedure to follow). Salicylic acid is also a beta hydroxy acid and can be used as such (for example, for the purpose of skin peeling) without acne claims at the same percentage in a cosmetic preparation made in a cosmetic facility.
Elishalom Yechiel, Ph.D.
President
Elsom Research Co., Inc.
http://www.elsomresearch.com/
210.493.5225
First, let me state a disclaimer: I am writing as a scientist, not a physician; my purpose is not to dispense medical advice. Our products are not medicines and we do not describe them with medicinal claims. They are not cures and are not intended to cure any disease.
I will address the terminology you used in your question as part of the answer.
Hypo-Allergenic is an intuitive term and has no legal meaning or definition. The hypo prefix is key to understanding it: hypoglycemia means low blood sugar; hypoxia means low oxygen; hypotension means low blood pressure; hypo- means something may be present at a low level or have a minimal effect, not that it must be absent. As it relates to allergies, the term hypo is somewhat problematic, since lowering the amount of an allergen is not a very effective route to avoiding an allergic reaction and only total removal of an allergen is really safe. Some people would expect a hypoallergenic product to be mild or non-irritating, some would expect it to exclude mass allergens or ingredients to which many people are allergic. In fact, allergy, irritation, inflammation, breakout, and many other terms mean different things in different situations. I will not elaborate on this issue since it will deviate from your main questions but for the relevant item, allergy to an ingredient can occur even if an ingredient is extremely mild and even if it is present at a very low concentration. Irritation, however, may be modulated by reducing concentration of an irritating ingredient, or by combination with certain other ingredients, or by special formulation techniques; these latter options, our specialty at Elsom Research, make it possible to take advantage of the useful properties of a material while minimizing the potential effect of its negative properties.
Allergies are not the result of sensitizers contacting sensitive skin or scalp and are not likely to be avoided by lowering concentration of allergens; they are nothing to play with. You should read the list of ingredients for any product you use internally or topically; if you know you are allergic to any ingredient, dont use it.
The term sensitive scalp is not a description of a situation but an alternative phrasing due to lack of descriptive details as to the nature of the problem. There are different types of sensitivity. In many cases, the skin gets irritated from a bad formula or formulation and not because of this or that ingredient, as many people tend to believe. One can put together great and expensive ingredients only to result in a formula which clogs pores and causes breakouts. Pores may clog if a product is not a true emulsion, if it is non emulsified oil-based, if it is made with high concentration of alcohol, and in many other cases. Pores may clog by alcohol evaporating and concentrating its content at the pore, large oil droplets may block water and air flow, and many other problems may arise. Our products are made with our proprietary nanotechnologies and we specialize in solving formulation problems. Our nano emulsions and Nanosomes are extremely small and cannot cause pore clogging and air and water can flow between nano-structures. Their surface-to-volume ratio is high, which means large contact area between nano-structures and skin so that all beneficial ingredients are readily available for absorption by skin.
Folliculitis may originate from mechanically damaged follicles or from ingrown hair (Pseudofolliculitis). It is aggravated by bacterial infection (Staphylococcus or Pseudomonas) or in combination with a fungus and results in a rash, pimples, or pustules and may affect different skin areas of the body. Folliculitis is a disease and our products are not intended to cure it. However, we have several products containing ingredients which are compatible with skin in poor condition; supporting the general health of the skin will often improve its ability to avoid damage and infection from many causes, including folliculitis. You did not mention where you have the problem but if I assume correctly it is the scalp, for which we have EquiClear as a comforting formula, designed to reduce scalp discomfort. In addition, some ingredients in EquiClear are used in medicinal formulations for combating a wide range of bacteria and fungi. Because this is not a medicine, I am not able to say that those ingredients will do the same when in EquiClear.
What is the difference between a cosmetic formulation and a medicinal formulation if both use similar or identical ingredients? It is in the testing of the final formulation. Individual ingredients from different ingredient listings or compilations such as the Cosmetic, Toiletry, and Fragrance Association (CTFA)s regulatory database or the International Nomenclature Cosmetic Ingredient (INCI) list are well established and do not require further testing prior to their inclusion in a cosmetic formulation. They are the group of acceptable ingredients to choose from. Thus, the final formulation which combines ingredients from the cosmetic list is not required to undergo special FDA testing protocols. Of course, ingredients have to be in safe concentrations and pH. Only if the final formula is tested according to FDA protocols which imposes special testing requirements - and which should not be confused with other good scientific validation testing methods, - and is approved, can the formulation be considered a medicine. Ironically, medicinal formulations are focused on the active ingredient and pay less attention to other aspects of the formula which are very significant in the final product. Cosmetic formulations, as opposed to medicines, are constructed with much attention to aspects of the final formula as a whole, rather than simply as an inert carrier of the active ingredient. At Elsom Research, we are much more interested in the synergy created with multiple ingredients working properly together (which is how these things exist in nature, and why important components are often excluded when naturally-originating materials are synthesized) than in the magic bullet approach at the center of the design and testing of most medicines.
I believe that EquiClear may be a beneficial product for someone in your situation. For scientific background and to better understand our product and the proprietary nanotechnology behind it, follow this short summary:
EquiClear is made with double-emulsion technology (http://www.elsomresearch.com/learning/t ... AD-DET.htm).
EquiClear is made with intra-dermal vehicles including anti-aging Nanosomes (http://www.elsomresearch.com/learning/t ... osomes.htm).
EquiClear has excellent penetration and feels good on the scalp.
If you take oral or topical antibiotics or have open sores or non-intact skin areas, consult your physician before you use EquiClear.
Thank you for your inquiry.
Elishalom Yechiel, Ph.D.
President
Elsom Research Co., Inc.
http://www.elsomresearch.com/
210.493.5225
----Addition---->
I would like to add a clarification on the issue of drug testing versus cosmetic testing and I will start again with a disclaimer that I am not a spokesman for the FDA and I do not speak on their behalf. What I say is for the purpose of stimulating discussion.
New medicines have the most strenuous testing protocols but, if an ingredient is already established as a medicine, the testing is less comprehensive. That is why generic drugs can be made inexpensively after the expiration of patents for brand name drugs. In OTC topicals, there is sometimes no drug efficacy testing protocol requirement if an ingredient with an established purpose is used in that preparation and for a previously-approved purpose. The difference between anti-acne OTC medicine and a cosmetic preparation which cannot claim anti-acne properties may be in the rating of the manufacturing facility. If made in a facility that makes drugs, it can claim to be a drug; if made in a facility that makes cosmetics, it cannot make drug claims unless some section of the facility is upgraded to drug manufacturing status. Example: If a preparation contains salicylic acid at 1%, the preparation can be claimed as an OTC anti-acne drug if it is manufactured in a drug facility (there is still a procedure to follow). Salicylic acid is also a beta hydroxy acid and can be used as such (for example, for the purpose of skin peeling) without acne claims at the same percentage in a cosmetic preparation made in a cosmetic facility.
Elishalom Yechiel, Ph.D.
President
Elsom Research Co., Inc.
http://www.elsomresearch.com/
210.493.5225
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