Ocinium Journal

The Adult Acne Epidemic:  How lucky that we get to worry about ageing and acne simultaneously! According to the Journal of American Academy of Dermatology, 54% of women over the age of 25 have some facial acne. Acne that arises in adulthood is different than that which plagues teenage years—adult acne is more likely to be inflammatory with lesions primarily located around...

Clean, natural, organic, vegan, cruelty-free—when it comes to beauty products, there is little if no regulation on how brands can use these words. Definitions are subjective and often change from brand to brand, package to package, making it nearly impossible to navigate—or decipher—the truth from greenwashing. Here, we break down the most common buzzwords for some much-needed clarity. WHAT DOES CLEAN...

We all know the importance of protecting our skin from the damaging effects of UV rays—but preventing visible signs of aging and achieving healthy skin doesn’t stop at SPF! Pollution particles consisting of smoke, soot, acids and emissions consist of particle sizes smaller than pores, allowing them to infiltrate into deeper layers of the epidermis. Once pollution enters the skin, it...

Protecting your skin against atmospheric villains is paramount when it comes to maximising your skin’s capacity to achieve a healthy, youthful complexion. Everyday our skin is exposed to an array of factors that contribute to premature aging, this includes UV rays, infrared radiation, ozone pollution, oxidative stress and more, often resulting in the skin’s matrix becoming compromised. In turn, this...

Aloe vera is the oldest medicinal herbal plant ever known and the most used medicinal plant worldwide, rightly earning its position as “the plant of immortality” with its medicinal use dating back thousands of years and its proven history of safety in biomedical, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. The fresh leaves of aloe vera secrete a colourless mucilaginous gel that contains...

An increased understanding of the skin’s cellular and molecular biology including gene regulation, protein expression and enzyme activity has evolved the beauty landscape to the emergence of “hybrid” skincare ingredients that levitate the boundaries between traditional cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. Advancements in scientific research coupled with the development of biotechnologies has enabled increased understanding on how to interfere with skin cell...

The role of collagen and its importance in maintaining beautiful skin is a topic that’s been dominating beauty recently, with the latest new treatments of topical collagen peptides, ingested peptides or collagen induction purporting to enhance collagen production and give your skin a smooth, youthful glow. But let's begin with the basics! What is collagen? Collagen is the most abundant...

You’ve probably heard the term probiotic in relation to gut health before but did you know that probiotics are also a highly effective tool in achieving glowing and age defiant skin? While the use of probiotics in skincare is still a relatively new field of research, the results indicate that the inclusion of probiotic ingredients in skincare are beneficial in...

The health of your body is directly linked to maintaining the right balance between acidity and alkalinity. The acidity or alkalinity of a solution is measured on a scale of 0 to 14 – the lower the pH (potential hydrogen), the more acidic the solution is. The higher the pH, the more alkaline the solution is. A solution that is...

From sauerkraut to kefir, fermented foods have long been known for their gut-health promoting properties and immune-boosting abilities, so it’s hardly surprising that it only took a matter of time before the industry used this knowledge and applied it to skincare. Fermentation and fermented skincare is all about powerful fermented ingredients that literally feed your face with nourishing goodness.  The Facts...

For hundreds of years, people have been making broth from the bones and leftover parts of animals. When vinegar is added, the broth becomes medicinal as the acid releases minerals and proteins from within the bones and cartilage that are readily absorbable. This virtual liquid vitamin is especially beneficial for healing and nourishing the gastrointestinal tract and increasing collagen production...