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Many of us are only too familiar with dandruff – that scalp condition that presents with white flakes dotting our shoulders and clothing. Dandruff isn’t serious or contagious, but it can cause embarrassment and it may not be easy to eradicate.

Dandruff isn’t caused by dry skin, contrary to what many people think. It is a condition associated with seborrhea, which causes cells on the scalp to shed and turn over more often than normal. Under normal circumstances cells will shed and be replaced in about a month, but with seborrhea this process is speeded up. The skin cells mature much faster than normal. It can take as little as 10 to 15 days for this to happen, resulting in the dead skin cells, clumping and flaking that appears as dandruff.

A Fungus May Be Responsible

Malassezia furfur (also known as P. ovale) is a fungus that ‘s found on normal, healthy skin. It feeds on oil secreted by the sebaceous (oil producing glands). Generally P. ovale is not a problem, but certain circumstances, including illness, hormonal changes, stress, etc may cause an overgrowth in P. ovale leading to dandruff.

If P. ovale is the culprit and it very often is, then dandruff may respond to treatment with an anti-fungal shampoo. While zinc pyrithione does have mild anti-fungal action (it also helps to reduce the rate of skin cell turnover and provide exfoliating action), a more effective anti-fungal agent is ketoconazole. Ketoconazole may be found in an over the counter preparation such as Nizoral shampoo. Nizoral shampoo is available in both a 1% and 2% concentration, with the 2% delivering more efficacy.

Other ingredients including coal tar, salicylic acid and phenol can also be helpful in managing the symptoms. It takes time to find out the correct combination of products to manage the symptoms. Read more about managing dandruff here.

If you’re looking at adding an effective treatment to your anti aging skin care regimen, then you may want to consider Green Cream retinol cream. Green Cream is a high potency retinoid treatment, which many skin care experts maintain are an essential component to any anti aging skin care routine.

Developed by a dermatologist, Green Cream contains retinol, which is widely categorized as a retinoid. Retinoids are derivatives of Vitamin A and they can be found in a range of skin care preparations as retinol, retinyl palmitate and retinoic acid. Retinol and retinyl palmitate are converted to retinoic acid, the active form of Vitamin A. It is the form of Vitamin A that exerts its action at the skin cells. 

What Can Green Cream Do?
Retinoids, as found in Green Cream, are used in skin care preparations to help with a range of skin care conditions:
· Reverse sun damage
· Combat against wrinkles and fine lines.
· Treat of acne
· Treat pigmentation disorders such as melasma and solar lentigos

The result for users is a younger looking, smoother and more luminous skin.

How Does Green Cream Work?

The retinol in Green Cream breaks down into retinoic acid upon application to skin. Once absorbed, it encourages skin cells to communicate and function normally, a process that is often disrupted during the natural aging process. Green Cream also works to:
· Increase cell turnover in the top layer of skin (epidermis). The production of new skin cells causes skin to look brighter and smoother
· Stimulate collagen production which leads to the appearance of smoother and plumper skin
· Reduce pigmentation associated with sun damage
· Shrink oil glands which can reduce pore size and diminish scars. It may be helpful in the treatment of acne.
· Fight against free radicals due to its antioxidant ability. 

Green Cream is available in 3 different concentrations to suit the needs of all skin types. It makes an excellent alternative to prescription retinoids, which can sometimes be too harsh for some skin types. The special formulation of Green Cream helps to reduce the incidence of side effects – redness, drying and flaking – commonly experienced by individuals using retinoid products. Lastly, since retinol is susceptible to degradation upon light and air exposure, Green Cream is packaged in an airless pump with opaque packaging to ensure its potency.

If you are looking for an active treatment to combat skin aging, then Green Cream might be right for you.

If you’re concerned about keeping your skin looking young and healthy, and who isn’t, then you’ll be interested to learn about Keys Solar Rx sunblock. Keys Solar Rx is a broad spectrum UVA and UVB blocking sunscreen that carries an SPF rating of 30+. What makes it unique is that even though it zinc oxide as its sun filter, it doesn’t leave a white cast to skin. This is a tremendous benefit if you have skin that is not fair. You get the benefits of a safe, effective and natural sunscreen, that actually looks good on skin!

Keys has been rated by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) Skin Deep Report as the safest sunscreen on the market. The EWG gives Keys an EWG Skin Deep Rating of 0 (0 to 10 scale where 0 is best). Keys Solar Rx was also featured as the most effective non-waterproof category sunblock for UVA and UVB in the Consumer Reports July 2007 issue.

Because it uses only zinc oxide and not any chemical sun filters, it is ideal for use on sensitive skin and children.
 
Keys Solar Rx Is Effective

With a UVB (UV Burning) rating of SPF 30+ and a UVA (UV Aging) rating of four stars using the EU rating system, Keys delivers. We now know that the sun is responsible for more than 80% of all visible skin aging. That’s why the use of a well-formulated sunscreen is an essential part of any anti aging skin care regimen. Sunscreen used daily, year round is one of the the most important things you can do to keep skin healthy and youthful. Remember that the SPF rating of a sunscreen only tells you how much UVB protection you’re getting. SPF is no guarantee of UVA protection, which is  why the four star rating for Keys Solar Rx is so important. 

In addition to its UV protecting ability, Keys Solar Rx is also a moisturizer. Along with the healing and soothing properties of Keys Luminos moisturizer, Solar Rx contains an 18.5% concentration of uncoated nano-zinc oxide. Zinc oxide is capable of protecting against the full UVA/UVB spectrum of sunlight. It has also been shown to possess healing properties, including anti-bacterial and antimicrobial properties. Individuals with sensitive skin including rosacea and redness can benefit from it.

Like all Keys products, Solar Rx avoids the use of fragrance, which can irritate skin.
 
Using Keys Solar Rx

Keys Solar Rx is designed to offer the maximum physical protection from UVA and SPF 30 for UVB burning rays. It’s recommended that you reapply at least every two hours to exposed skin. If you are in tropical or high intensity sun conditions, more frequent application is recommended. Keys Solar Rx is very effective, but because it is not water resistant, it is not suitable for sun bathing, extreme hot weather sports or swimming. You should also practice safe sun habits and not rely on sunscreen as your sole method of sun protection.

Keys Solar Rx