THE TRUTH ABOUT SKINCARE
by Dr. Ruby Ann Bermudez-Magpantay
Associate Medical Director, Aegle Wellness Center
Your skin is your body's largest organ and acts as your protective barrier. A square inch of skin contains approximately 71 feet of blood vessels, and 300 feet of nerves. That same square inch houses approximately 100 hairs, 100 oil glands, and 650 sweat glands. Still, your skin is your most permeable organ, so you need to be aware of what you're exposing it to.
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Just about anything you put on your skin will end up in your bloodstream and be distributed throughout your body. Once these chemicals find their way into your body, they tend to accumulate over time because you typically lack the necessary enzymes to break them down. Just think about the price of beauty when you consider the long-term effects of putting chemicals on your body everyday!
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In the Philippines, beauty and personal care experienced a moderately faster current value growth rate in 2016. The National Institute of Occupational Safety & Health studies found over 800 toxic ingredients in body care products. Over 700 of them caused acute toxic effects, and more than 300 caused developmental abnormalities. These chemicals may absorb into your body and brain 3 times faster than water.
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Be wary of products boasting "all-natural" labels; they can still contain harmful chemicals, so be sure to check the full list of ingredients for the most harmful toxic chemicals in skin care products today by referring to the inforgraphic on the next page.
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With a little research and smart shopping, you can find responsibly made products to help you maintain a clean, youthful and healthy body. Here's what you should look for when purchasing skin care products:
• Free of harmful chemicals, irritants, and preservatives
• Non-allergenic
• Carefully formulated with all-natural, organic ingredients
• GMO-free
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Furthermore, products you choose should ideally be vegan and never tested on animals. Alternately, one of the easiest ways to promote healthy skin is to make skin care products yourself from inexpensive, natural ingredients. A slew of lotions, potions, and hair treatments can be eliminated with a jar of coconut oil, for example, to which you can add a high-quality essential oil, if you like, for scent. This is why I'm so fond of saying "don't put anything on your body that you wouldn't eat if you had to."
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Whether you make your own or switch to a truly natural, toxin-free brand, there are alternatives to the common, and often toxic, products that line drugstore and beauty store shelves – Aegle Aesthetics offers a wide range of natural beauty and personal care products, and is the exclusive distributor of Odacité and Goldfaden MD products in the Philippines.
Odacité endeavors to make the most effective products sans les toxins. They scout the world to source the highest-quality ingredients, precious plant extracts, magical oils and potent cosmeceuticals, ensuring that each formula instantly improves the way your skin looks and feels. They're vegan & cruelty-free, and use 100% non-GMO, certified organic ingredients.

Odacité Acai-Rose Serum Concentrate Youthful Glow
Ultra-strength antioxidant serum that addresses all aspects of skin ageing: wrinkles & firmness, tone, texture and hydration. Carefully harvested and coldpressed, Acai berries boast the highest antioxidant power in the world, and yield the most active beauty elixir. Scientifically made with effective yet gentle essential oils, including rose oil, which is famous for its anti-ageing properties of cell oxygenation and capillary reparation.

The first physicianstrength, dermatologistdeveloped, natural skincare line in the industry, Goldfaden MD's highly efficacious, nonprescription skincare solutions utilize stateof-the-art technologies with active plant cells and antioxidant-rich botanicals.
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A non-invasive alternative to Botox, Goldfaden MD Needle-less Line Smoothing Concentrate delivers immediate results. This potent cream smoothens skin with acetyl-hexapeptide, a synthetic compound that can inhibit expression lines or wrinkles by relaxing facial muscles, coupled with pure hyaluronic acid to hydrate and revitalize.


Odacité Wild Carrot Serum Concentrate Vital Glow
This rare and precious oil is the perfect balance of Vitamin A, C & E, delivering extremely effective anti-ageing and anti-wrinkle benefits. The pure and potent wild carrot seed oil is hand-pressed in a small French village and enhanced with Vitamin E oil to smooth and firm your skin.

The premium coconut oil skincare line in the country, CBeauty, believes in simplicity and quality, creating products that are 100% natural and beneficial for your skin.
An Aegle Aesthetics-exclusive blend, CBeauty Universal Body Oil No. 5 Eucalyptus is a soothing blend with virgin coconut oil. These two key ingredients are known to improve blood circulation, soothe tired muscles, and relieve stress.
Visit www.aegleaesthetics.com or Aegle Wellness Center, 6th floor of The City Club, Alphaland Makati Place, 7232 Ayala Avenue Extension, Makati City for more gentle, natural and organic skincare products.
This article was originally published on Alphaland Atmospheres Issue No. 1