Ep 202 - What the Deck: Minerals

0:00:00.0 Speaker 1: Do you see yourself as the rebel who challenges the status quo on skin health? Learn how to be a critical thinker, discover innovative solutions to skin conditions, and facilitate individualized healing on a deeper level, with Truth Treatment Systems. Truth Treatment Systems provides you the products and tools to unveil the truth behind skin conditions. Sign up for a wholesale account today at truthtreatmentspro.com and receive 10% off your first order. That's truthtreatmentspro.com. 

 

[music] 

 

0:00:38.9 S1: Reverse aging and boost collagen with Rhonda Allison Skin Care. Peptides help increase collagen and elastin, reducing fine lines, wrinkles, loss of elasticity, and increasing firmness. RA Skin Care has created several peptide serums ideal for photo aging due to years of UV exposure, toxic environments, and premature and general aging. Our serums are perfect for restoring and maintaining moisture and hydration levels within the skin. Whether you have sensitive, normal, or severely photo-aged skin, RA Skin Care has a cutting-edge peptide just for you. Learn more at rhondaallison.com. 

 

[music] 

 

0:01:31.5 Speaker 2: Hello and welcome to ASCP Esthetic. I am Ella Cressman, Licensed Esthetician, International Educator, and Content Contributor for Associated Skin Care Professionals. 

 

0:01:40.8 Speaker 3: I am Maggie Stasek, Licensed Esthetician and ASCP's Education Program Manager. 

 

0:01:44.0 S2: And shout out to summertime as we kind of wrap things up here. I had a good time. Did you have a good time?  

 

0:01:52.4 S3: Totally. So sad summer's gone. 

 

0:01:53.7 S2: Yeah. I encourage my clients to have a great time too because now it's business. Let's get down to business. So we're here. We're on the cusp of peel season or what was traditionally peel season. This is the time whether you subscribe to the philosophy that peel season is only in the fall, only in the spring, or whatever, or your clients might because things are winding down and people really settle back into routines in the fall, don't you think?  

 

0:02:21.7 S3: Yeah. And I think to your point about, peel season is fall. You're kind of like peeling away that intentional sun damage that you gave yourself a few months prior. 

 

0:02:32.8 S2: Yeah. And that's what I tell them. I go out, have a great time. And I still do summertime treatments. So thinking about traditionally how our industry considers really the gold standard of our industry has evolved to peels as far as skin care. And it's wrapped around peels. Everyone wants to peel, peel harder, peel deeper, but I want to peel, peel. These are all things we hear, right? And as I'm on my own journey, I was on the treadmill the other day thinking about this and thinking about an analogy. We talk a lot about the cell turnover, right? And I was looking at the speeds that I was walking or jogging or whatever, let's be honest, just walking, [chuckle] and watching other people in the gym and the speeds that they were going. And I thought about the cell turnover rate and when we're in our 20s, how that might be like a jog or a run. 

 

0:03:24.7 S2: But that's not sustainable. Things change now. All these other people around me were older. They were walking or slow jogging or whatever. So it made me think of being on a treadmill and then bumping up speed. And what would that do if it were just on the treadmill? What effect would that have on your body? Do you just hop on when you're cold? What else do you need to do? You can't be on a treadmill for perpetuity because that's more to it than just jumping on the treadmill. You have to stretch. You have to make sure you're hydrated. You have to make sure you had enough rest. You have to make sure your joints are good, your gait is good, your posture even on the treadmill is good or else you can injure yourself. So that's, you guys know what I've been up to now. I've been at the gym. So it got me really thinking about the importance of we put so much weight on exfoliating acids, be it alpha hydroxy acids or beta hydroxides or any of the other carboxylic acids as far as desquamation or exfoliation is concerned. But how much do we put on everything else? Not much, right?  

 

0:04:22.3 S3: Right. 

 

0:04:23.8 S2: So I've been reading a lot about minerals lately and especially something hit me about a month or two ago, as it was relating to minerals specifically with skin exfoliation. So this is not that paper, but in digging, 'cause you know a rabbit hole, there was one paper that I thought had this great little excerpt, I wanna share. It's from the expert review of endocrinology and metabolism. And this part says, calcium is a major regulator of keratinocyte differentiation. There's a calcium gradient, which is cool, but a calcium gradient within the epidermis promotes sequential differentiation of keratinocytes as they traverse, which means move. I had to scratch my head on that. Through different layers of the skin to form permeability barrier of the stratum corneum. So basically calcium is responsible for assigning keratinocyte where to go, at what pace. It sets the pace. It encourages strength. 

 

0:05:22.8 S2: It helps with influencing a lot of the functions of the skin. Kind of like manager of a project, like a project manager, making sure everybody's on schedule, making sure everybody's getting their job done. That's what calcium does. Calcium is one essential mineral that we need to be aware of because of its role in skin exfoliation. When we talk about minerals, we talk about trace minerals and essential minerals. And trace minerals are actually, all of them are essential. Essential because the body needs them for cellular processes. So when we think about stimulation, minerals stimulate the skin, metabolic process and influence biosynthesis of proteins. So let's talk today, Maggie, let's talk about some of the minerals that the body needs and why they need them. 

 

0:06:04.6 S3: Yeah. So when it comes to stimulation, minerals stimulate the skin's metabolic processes and it influences biosynthesis of proteins. This is going to be things like collagen, elastin, hyaluronic acid, filigree, which is responsible for barrier function, keratin, and some minerals to consider are going to be things like sulfur, zinc, copper, potassium, and magnesium. 

 

0:06:29.1 S2: Another important consideration for minerals is immunity. So minerals act as the first line of defense against microbial infections, cell and DNA damage, and degradation in skin disease. Some minerals to think of is one that we use a lot, of course, if you're using physical sunscreen is zinc, but you also see zinc used for acne treatments a lot, because often with acne, the skin immune function is compromised. And we also have manganese, boron, sulfur, selenium, copper, and magnesium. Magnesium is one of my favorite. 

 

0:07:02.2 S3: And detoxification is another factor. Minerals help toxins and metabolic waste to pass out of skin cells and it recycles damaged proteins into amino acids and into necessary proteins like collagen and elastin. So can't live without that. Some of the minerals to consider are going to be copper, iron, magnesium, and zinc again. 

 

0:07:25.6 S2: Zinc is really important. It's essential. 

 

0:07:27.3 S3: It is. 

 

0:07:29.9 S2: But on that note, with the necessary proteins that you were talking about, Maggie, of collagen and elastin, copper is really cool because it inspires that as a communicator, but the influence of minerals on structural support too. So they contribute to the structural integrity of the skin by promoting that production of collagen and elastin. These again, like copper, oh, surprise, zinc, and silica are essential for collagen synthesis and maintaining skin firmness. So not just protecting from the sun, but restoring some of that damage that the sun has degraded. 

 

0:08:07.5 S3: Wound healing and skin regeneration. Going back to your comments about chemical peeling, this is going to be really important. Certain minerals play crucial roles in this wound healing. Zinc, again, aids in the formation of new tissue. It assists in wound closure. It's also going to help reduce inflammation and promote healing of acne lesions, like you were mentioning. Copper supports development of blood vessels that accelerates tissue repair, making it beneficial for wound healing again and scar reduction. 

 

0:08:38.9 S2: Our skin needs nutrition. So minerals provide this nutrition in the skin via osmosis. When we apply topical minerals to the skin, especially because a lot of the minerals that we're getting are from our diet. But when we apply topical minerals to the skin, we're able to activate the skin's osmotic pump. And this pump draws blood, oxygen, fluids, and nutrients to the area that we've applied it. This can lead to maintaining optimal cell metabolism, which is super important, especially as we're turning up the pace on skin cell proliferation. So this supports that turnover, promotes healthy, skin renewal. And some minerals, such as magnesium, are involved in energy production within the cells. And this ensures that those cells that are produced are vital and healthy, not just senile cells or malefic cells, as they're called. Hold that thought. We'll be right back. 

 

[music] 

 

0:09:37.6 S1: DMK is the world leader in paramedical skin revision education, with certification programs designed to give licensed professionals a thorough understanding of the skin. An in-depth study of the DMK concept of remove, rebuild, protect, maintain. Created by the botanical visionary Danae Montague King, DMK offers skin revision training and education for all ages, skin conditions, and ethnicities in more than 35 countries, harnessing the body's innate healing mechanisms to change the health of the skin. Learn more at dannemking.com, that's D-A-N-N-E-M-K-I-N-G.com. 

 

0:10:25.2 S2: Okay, here we go. Let's get back to the podcast. 

 

0:10:28.3 S3: A topical mineral application, this supports the natural physiology function, but mineral deficiency can create skin problems. 

 

0:10:37.1 S2: And I think we see this a lot in our consultations, but maybe not noticing or being aware, which is really important for why we're talking about this. Let's talk about deficiency. The skin relies on the circulatory system to supply the skin with nutrients. Systemic nutritional deficiencies often manifest in skin abnormalities. So if you think about Chinese mapping or even part of, we did a podcast on the Ozempic face and how that could have an effect, the change in nutrient dispersion shall we say, can have effect on the skin. We know from identifying potential digestive issues has effect on the skin because you're not absorbing these nutrients. For example, a moderate zinc deficiency in the skin causes pigmentation changes. This can also lead to decreased hair and nail growth and skin lesions that are exposed to repeat pressure or friction like a bed wound or something of the sort. 

 

0:11:38.1 S2: And that's because it's not able to, the way the pigment works as it comes into support thinking it's going to help areas that need it. So with zinc affecting skin immunity and there's a zinc deficiency, the immune system is exhausted. Pigment's going to come in to help, but without that, immunity growing, signaling that we can produce new cells, whether it's skin or hair or nail growth, then everything looks dull. A copper deficiency, this could also affect melanin production causing pale skin. So opposite, one would be hyper and one would be hypo or lackluster or lazy melanocytes. And then low levels of magnesium can lead to lack of fatty acids in the body, which has an effect on skin hydration and elasticity. Also, lack of magnesium could lead to Milia. 

 

0:12:26.5 S3: Oh, very interesting. 

 

0:12:29.1 S2: And lack of magnesium could, like magnesium is one of the, I don't want to say most exciting because it sounds super geeky, but it is a really, really important one that we get, that we look past a lot. Magnesium, if you don't have enough in your skin, in your body via your diet or however, you can be susceptible to more the sensation, the perception of activity on the skin. 

 

0:12:50.1 S3: Other roles of minerals in the skin, cellular communication, it tells cells how to look, act, behave better. These are going to be minerals like magnesium, calcium, copper, and then regulation of oil production. That's going to be a big one for a lot of people. That's going to be zinc again, that essential mineral. PH balancing is gonna be magnesium and calcium. And then hydration, huge, preventing trans-epidermal water loss is going to be sodium, potassium, and magnesium. And these minerals are hydrophilic and hygroscopic, so they are water binding agents. And then natural moisturizing factors are going to be magnesium and calcium. 

 

0:13:31.7 S2: Unlike other skin friendly compounds, the thing about minerals is they cannot be produced by the body. Like, so many other things in our body. So this is why they call them essential elements. And they're delivered via our food, what we drink, or in our skincare. So this is just one more undeniable point of why home care is so important. And what we know is home care is retail. So want to bring it back always to what does this mean for the estheticians? It's not just about what you do in the treatment room. Or if you're a consumer listening to this, it's not just about going to have a treatment done. Your professionals are gonna lead you in the right way to make sure that maybe they're not checking for everything, but that your home care is comprehensive. Not just like an over-the-counter thing that's not appropriate. 

 

0:14:20.7 S2: It can also be, as a professional being aware of some of these things, they'll be able to maybe point out that there could be a deficiency, which is important. The role of minerals in maintaining skin health is significant. As we talked about, they play various vital functions in the body that directly impact the skin. Just so we're clear, let's just talk about a couple key roles that minerals fulfill in addition to what we already talked about. As Maggie mentioned, antioxidant protection, super important. These minerals in skincare specifically combat oxidative stress. They protect the skin against premature aging and they help what's most important. And that's what we're all seeking is maintaining a youthful appearance or a healthy appearance. I think we should change that verbiage in our minds and in our internal script to healthy appearance. 

 

0:15:15.3 S3: Yeah, entirely. I think that's one of the things that I was recognizing with all of these things that minerals do is ultimately it is anti-aging or giving that healthy appearance to the skin. That's what they all have in common. 

 

0:15:28.2 S2: We talked a lot about consultations, probably something we talk about nearly every podcast, would you say? Something to keep back in consideration, with our consultations, whether it's every visit or the initial one, is we're aware of what their lifestyle habits are. And we're not afraid to ask some questions like, what's your diet like? We're also well aware that they're probably going to stretch the truth a little bit. So as you get to know them, understanding all of the factors that could be influencing, they're in a stressful time, there could be some deficiencies. So just reminding, understanding that an adequate intake of minerals is going to help the skin. 

 

0:16:09.0 S2: And if you're noticing that maybe that's lacking, then increase the adequate topical opportunity. So in the treatment room or in your clinic room or with products that you retail, if you're providing, incorporating mineral rich ingredients into these routines, it can help to encourage the benefits and promote overall skin well-being. And as we said, health, which is most important. Now, listeners, we really want to hear from you. What's your favorite skin mineral? Be sure to let us know. Comment on our social media posts or send us an email at getconnected@ascpskincare.com. We want to know all the details. In the meantime, thank you for listening to ASCP Esty Talk. For more information on this episode or for ways to connect with Maggie or myself or to learn more about ASCP, check out the show notes and stay tuned for the next episode of ASCP Esty Talk. 

 

[music]