Mature Skin Articles

The ceramides secret

Sunday, July 25th, 2021

Have you ever wondered why babies have that perfectly soft, gorgeous skin? It’s a result of the naturally occurring waxy biofilm called vernix that covers their skin in the last trimester. It’s the rich fatty acids contained within ceramides in vernix that make it oh so amazing.

Ceramides form the structure or ‘scaffolding’ of our skin and give it moisture and softness. Over time, and with repeated sun exposure, we naturally lose ceramides in our skin, and this in turn leads to loss of firmness and suppleness. Thankfully, we can boost our natural ceramide levels and increase skin moisture content through our skincare.

Below we’ve shared more on why your skin loves and needs ceramides.

Firm, supple skin at any age or stage

Ceramides are a key player in the makeup of our skin. Along with hyaluronic acid and collagen, they form our skin’s 3D matrix. In fact, ceramides actually make up to 50% of the skin’s composition, forming the natural skin barrier. Clearly a vital component!

Atopis’ new night creams contain the highest quality ceramides available, the same quality as other popular, high-end ceramide ‘capsules’ on the market. But instead of encapsulating our ceramides artificially, we use nature and our unique technology to incorporate and protect the ceramides directly within our night creams.

Our patented cellular delivery tech uses sphingolipids, which essentially protect the ceramides and help them to penetrate the lipid membrane to work optimally at a cellular level. Put simply, our wonder-working ceramides are able to be absorbed deeply into your skin for maximum benefit, leaving you with deliciously (and noticeably) softer, plumper skin.

Here are just a few reasons why your skin loves ceramides:

✓ Intensely hydrating, leaving skin feeling soft and supple.

✓ Boost your skin’s natural ceramide levels, which naturally deplete with age and sun damage.

✓ Absorb deeply into the skin to affect change at a cellular level.

✓ Restore your skin’s firmness and elasticity.

✓ Support a healthy skin barrier, to protect against environmental stresses.

✓ 100% cruelty-free – a no-brainer!

Get the best results from your Atopis night cream

Monday, July 12th, 2021

All the ingredients your skin needs for youth-restoring repair and ultimate cell renewal are contained in our new Atopis night creams, along with the big anti-ageing heroes your skin craves, including Vitamin C, ceramides, retinol and our patented superstar ingredient, Myrecil®.

Below are some tips on how to get the best results from your Atopis night cream and your evening skincare regimen.

1. Choose the right night cream for your skin

Atopis Radiant Balance Night Cream is scientifically developed for younger skin (20s onwards) and is especially efficacious for skin that’s prone to rosacea or acne flare-ups.

Atopis Intensive Restore Night Cream is perfect for more mature or dry skin that needs a deeper dose of plumping power, hydration and cellular rejuvenation.

2. Use just a small amount each time

These creams are mega concentrated so a little goes a long way.

For best results: Cleanse skin with Atopis Thoroughly Gentle Cleanser then apply Revitalizing Toner and wait a few moments for it to soak into your skin. Then apply a small amount of Atopis Night Cream to your face, neck and décolletage.

Tip: For an extra nourishment boost, you can also apply 1-2 drops of Rosehip Renewal Face Oil before you apply your night cream.

3. Pair it with your Atopis day cream

Atopis night creams are designed to work in synergy with other Atopis creams, in particular our day creams. We’ve created some NEW skincare bundles: Radiance Duo and Intensive Duo to help you achieve the skin results you’re looking for – and SAVE (20% off) on skincare.

4. Only use night creams at night-time

Atopis night creams are formulated with potent active ingredients that do their best work while you sleep and while your body is in repair-mode. Using them during the day-time will make your skin sun sensitive and the UV exposure will degrade the cream’s active ingredients. You may also find your makeup smudges with night cream underneath it.

5. Try a skin-plumping eye cream

The skin around your eyes is thinner than most other parts of your complexion and therefore it becomes dehydrated much quicker. Smile lines and crow’s feet are more noticeable when your skin’s not adequately hydrated. If you find your eye area is particularly dry (or showing a lot of fine lines), pair your night cream with a small dot of Atopis Intensive Renewal Eye Cream around the eye contour area.

6. Wear a SPF50+ sunscreen – even on cloudy days!

UV exposure is one of the biggest contributors to skin ageing and hyper-pigmentation, so applying a high protection SPF sunscreen daily to face and neck daily is absolutely essential. Atopis night creams work hard to offset damage caused by sun exposure (including historical sun damage), but the best protection and prevention is keeping your face away from the damaging UV rays.

Why toner is a must in your skincare routine

Thursday, July 1st, 2021

When it comes to healthy, balanced and glowing skin, facial toner is an important part of your skincare ritual – though it’s an easy step to overlook if you’re not entirely sure how it works, or how to use it.

Below we’ve shared a little more on why, when and how to use Atopis Revitalizing Toner for bright, balanced and energised skin. It truly will make a difference to your skin!

Balance, hydration and protection!

One of the things that makes Atopis Revitalizing Toner so unique is that it’s a toner + serum in one. This seriously hard-worker gently cleanses away excess oil, grime and impurities, closes and tightens pores, restores your skin’s pH balance (without stripping skin), boosts skin hydration and freshness, all while restoring a protective lipid barrier to protect your delicate skin cells from environmental and oxidative stress.

Atopis Revitalizing Toner:

✓ Calms and diffuses redness and protects skin.
✓ Balances the skin’s microflora with prebiotic and probiotics.
✓ Preps skin to help moisturizer and face oils soak in.
✓ Works in synergy with Atopis face creams.

What’s in it?

A synergistic fusion of nourishing ingredients including: skin-plumping gold kiwifruit bioactive; intensely hydrating hyaluronic acid; astringent witch hazel to help tighten pores; hydrating watermelon for thirsty skin; potent antibacterial Manuka and healing Harakeke gel infused into soothing aloe vera hydrosol to prepare and protect your skin.

Which skin types does it suit?

Our toner is scientifically developed for sensitive skin types, making it perfect for rosacea, eczema and acne-prone skin. It also works beautifully on mature skin!

How to use it: (for best results!)

1. After cleansing with Atopis Thoroughly Gentle Cleanser spritz 1-2 pumps of Revitalizing Toner directly onto your face (or onto a cotton pad first, if you prefer), then pat it gently into your skin. Use morning & evening.

2. In the morning: apply Radiant Balance Day Cream or Intensive Restore Day Cream to skin, followed by your SPF50+ sunscreen.

3. In the evening: After toner, apply Rosehip Renewal Face Oil and/or Radiant Balance Night Cream or Intensive Restore Night Cream – and wake up with the Atopis glow!

Winter wellness for your skin

Monday, June 21st, 2021

Well, there’s no denying it, winter is officially here (in the Southern Hemisphere, at least)! When it comes to our skin, the change of season can dramatically impact its look and feel. Even your skin’s complex microbiome changes with the seasons.

Hydration is a big one to address in winter. Our skin’s exposure to heating along with the lower levels of humidity in the air can create dryness, accentuating any existing wrinkles. Redness (especially in rosacea-prone skin) can also be a common skin issue in the winter months.

With our bodies asking for a little extra nourishment and care in winter, our skin is no exception. Even the simple act of drinking more water will do wonders for hydrating, firming, and plumping your skin – your whole body will thank you for it. Making some conscious changes to your daily routine, including your skincare, will have you glowing in no time.

Read on for our top 5 tips for hydrated winter skin!

Get those Omega 3s in

These bad boys are found in foods such as flaxseeds, salmon and chia seeds (or you can take them as supplements). They help to regulate the production of oil in your skin, balance hydration, calm breakouts and minimise signs of ageing. What’s more, they also help to soften rough, dry skin and soothe irritation and dermatitis.

Water, water, water

It’s easy to forget to drink water in the cooler months but keeping your water intake up is vital to the wellbeing of your whole body, and makes a huge difference to the health and appearance of your skin. Carrying a drink bottle with you is a great way to make sure you’re always topping up!

Boost your skincare regime

Adding in some extra nourishment with Atopis Intensive Restore Night Cream will help to restore and rejuvenate your winter skin, as you sleep! Another parched-skin hero is the Atopis Dry Itchy Skin Relief Cream which contains Myrecil® – scientifically shown to restore the skin’s natural microbiome to a balanced state – reducing skin sensitivity, inhibiting bad bacteria and promoting the good, beneficial bacteria. Atopis Dry Itchy Skin Relief Cream is also a winner for dry hands – especially those that are regularly doused in hand sanitizer! If skin redness or rosacea is a problem for you, then Atopis Radiant Balance Day Cream is your skin’s saviour.

Go to bed early

Getting quality, restorative sleep is arguably the most important step in your beauty routine. In winter, our bodies need more sleep (at least eight hours per night, but the more the better)! While you sleep your skin cells regenerate and your body increases blood flow to your skin, delivering the nutrients it needs to recover from a day of exposure to the elements. The coveted protein, collagen – which helps your skin keep its volume and elasticity – is also produced while you sleep.

Detox your diet

The condition of your skin is often your body’s way of telling us what’s going on at a deeper level. We all know that what we put into our bodies is super important. Cutting down our toxic load by limiting processed foods, alcohol, caffeine and refined sugars will help give our skin the best chance to be its happiest, most radiant self. Somebody pass the celery juice!

Your skin loves Vitamin C!

Monday, June 14th, 2021

With its super-charged antioxidant and collagen synthesis powers, Vitamin C really is a natural wonder-worker when it comes to your skin. It deeply hydrates, brightens and enhances skin texture – and perhaps most importantly, it addresses the visible effects of too much UV exposure (think pigmentation, dark spots and fine lines) and strengthens your skin’s natural defence mechanism by neutralizing free radicals.

In the notes below, we shared more on why we love Vitamin C – and why healthy, balanced, glowing skin does too!

Brighter, happier skin with Vitamin C!

Vitamin C is one of the superstar multi-actives in Atopis’ patented botanical ferment Myrecil®, which is contained in most Atopis creams. It’s also one of the skin-brightening staples in our new Atopis Radiant Balance Night Cream and Atopis Intensive Restore Night Cream.

Vitamin C comes in many different structural forms; the form that helps to erase those sun spots and reduce pigmentation is an unstable form. Atopis night creams contain this form of Vitamin C (the purest form there is!), so to protect its potency and to keep it stable until it comes in contact with your skin, we have used our novel technology to micro-encapsulate it into a liposome. This enhances its penetration into the skin cells and also enables us to combine it with the creams’ other active ingredients for powerful skin change.

With its powerful antioxidant properties, Vitamin C works with your skin’s natural biology to:

✓ Reverse skin cell damage by promoting collagen synthesis

✓ Lighten age spots and pigmentation caused by sun damage

✓ Replenish vital sources of Vitamin E – an important antioxidant

✓ Protect skin from oxidative stress (free-radical damage)

✓ Visibly improve skin elasticity and suppleness

✓ Hydrate and brighten skin for enhanced radiance!

Atopis’ unique approach to adding Vitamin C to our skincare protects the active ingredients from oxidation and light to maintain its integrity and allow it to absorb deeply into your skin cells in its purest, most effective form.

Go on – treat your skin to the ultra-brightening and protective benefits of nature’s gold, Vitamin C!

Six ways to boost skin hydration

Thursday, June 10th, 2021

If you’ve noticed your skin is lacking its usual youthful lustre, it could simply be telling you it’s thirsty!

As we move into a new season (winter) and start to crank the heating, most people’s skin will become a little drier and demand more moisture than usual. While wrinkles are a tell-tale sign of skin thinning and UV and environmental damage, when combined with the changes in air temperature throughout winter, those wrinkles (especially the smile lines around your eyes!) will appear deeper than ever. Older skin in particular will feel the moisture-sucking effects of seasonal changes.

The good news is, skin hydration is an easy one to improve. Hydrating your skin properly will help to increase cell turnover and boost your skin’s natural defence functions, while also making it appear much firmer, plumper and brighter.

Here are our 6 top tips for hydrating your skin from the inside out.

1. Gobble that H20

Super simple, right? It’s often easier said than done, but drinking at least eight glasses of water a day will go a long way towards helping to keep your skin nourished and in gorgeous condition. Especially during the winter months as we move between cold outside temperatures and warmer inside temperatures, adequate water intake is key to ensuring your skin (and lips) don’t get parched.

2. Look for products with hyaluronic acid

Hyaluronic acid is your skin’s hydration hero! It’s a water-attracting molecule that’s naturally present in your skin cells and helps to draw in and carry vital moisture. As we age, our stores of hyaluronic acid deplete, which is one of the reasons why our skin feels drier and loses plumpness. For an intense hyaluronic acid boost, try Atopis skin creams containing Myrecil® – our unique botanical ferment that’s patented and clinically proven to boost hyaluronic acid production at the cellular level for visibly plumper, healthier and more radiant skin.

3. Limit coffee and alcohol

Caffeine and booze might be your fastest routes to energy or relaxation, but unfortunately, they are among the worst offenders when it comes to dehydrating skin. Caffeine and booze are diuretics, which means they naturally deplete the water content in your body and skin. Alcohol is also known to interfere with the hormone vasopressin, the mechanism that helps to regulate the water stores in your body.

4. Use a gentle cleanser

Your cleanser should leave your skin feeling soft and calm – never dry or irritated. Try a hard-working but gentle cleanser like Atopis Thoroughly Gentle Cleanser twice daily, to remove impurities and makeup without stripping the skin of moisture or natural oils. And don’t forget to rinse off with lukewarm water (not hot) to ensure you’re not undoing the calming work of your cleanser.

5. Exfoliate gently & regularly

If there’s an excess of dead skin cells sitting on the top layer of your skin, it might not be soaking in your hydrating ingredients as optimally as it could be. Use a gentle exfoliator at least once a week to slough off dead skin cells and allow your moisturiser or creams to penetrate the epidermis and renew moisture in the base layers of your skin.

6. Embrace eye creams

Eye creams aren’t just for older skin! The skin around your eyes is thinner than most other parts of your complexion and therefore it becomes dehydrated much quicker. Smile lines and crows feet are more noticeable when you’re skin’s not adequately hydrated and that can age your face tremendously. Try a high-quality, concentrated eye cream like Atopis Intensive Renewal Eye Cream daily to help nourish, plump and brighten the delicate skin around your eyes.

Day creams vs night creams: What’s the difference?

Thursday, June 10th, 2021

Unsure what the difference is between the moisturiser you apply in the morning and the one you slather on before bed – and whether or not you really need both? We’re here to help! Below we’ve unpacked some of the key differences between the purpose, texture and ingredients in day creams and night creams, and how to use both for plump, glowing and radiant skin!

Protection vs Repair

Day creams create a line of defence against environmental culprits like UV light, blue light, pollution, cold, wind and bacteria, and they help to rebalance the skin’s microbiome to keep skin clear and healthy. Night creams contain ingredients that do their best work while you sleep, helping to reverse skin damage and regenerate vital supplies of collagen and hyaluronic acid in the skin’s epidermis. The antioxidant-rich ingredients in night creams help to neutralise those cheeky free radicals that contribute to skin cell damage and ageing, and they help to hydrate and brighten skin.

Creamy vs Gel-like

Since we don’t usually wear makeup while we sleep, night creams can be thicker and heavier in texture than their silkier daytime counterparts. Atopis Night Creams contains algal sphingolipids (the gel from seaweed) which gives them a delicate gel-like consistency, and most importantly, allows for the ingredients to be absorbed deeply into the repair-centre of your skin cells for serious cell renewal.

The Retinoid factor

Retinoids boost hyaluronic in the skin cells (giving skin support and plumpness), however, they have a tendency to make skin sensitive to sun – which means they’re not ideal for daytime wear. We’ve found a way around that though! Atopis day creams contain Myrecil®, which delivers all the benefits of retinoids, but without the nasty drawbacks. Since there’s no concern about sun exposure while you’re asleep, our night creams contain pure, high-quality retinol paired synergistically with Myrecil®, giving you all the skin-plumping power but without the side effects.

Your night cream questions answered

Wednesday, June 9th, 2021

Our hard-working all-in-one night creams have been flying off the shelves and we’re loving all your feedback and questions.

From start to finish, these products have been scientifically designed, developed and tested to deeply repair, nourish, plump and firm your skin, restoring that youthful skin radiance you dream of.

If you’ve already purchased a night cream, or you’re thinking of trying one for the first time, have a read over our Frequently Asked Questions below to make sure you get the best results for your skin!

Q: Can I use my Atopis night cream during the day as well?
A: No. Atopis night creams are formulated with potent active ingredients that do their best work while you sleep and while your body is in repair-mode. Using them during the day-time will make your skin sun sensitive and the UV exposure will degrade the cream’s active ingredients. You may also find your makeup smudges with night cream underneath it.

Q: Which cream should I use?
A: If you’re using Atopis Radiant Balance cream during the day, then use Radiant Balance Night Cream at night, and follow the same principle with the Intensive Restore range. Radiant Balance is designed for younger skin (20s onwards) and is especially efficacious for skin that’s prone to rosacea or acne flare-ups. Atopis Intensive Restore Night Cream is designed for mature skin that needs a deeper dose of plumping power and cellular rejuvenation.

Q: How much should I use?
A: These creams are mega concentrated so you only need to apply a thin layer each use.

Q: Why does my night cream feel slightly runny?
A: Atopis night creams contain sphingolipids and phospholipids, which give them a serum-like textural quality and allow them to be deeply absorbed into your skin cells. This is where the magic happens! Our creams are also enriched with ceramides which are lipids (fats) and contribute to the cream’s slightly runny texture.

Q: Can I use the night creams with my other Atopis skincare?
A: Yes, they’re designed to work in synergy with other Atopis products. So if for example, you’re using our Rosehip Renewal Face Oil or Acne Prone Skin Cream, simply massage in your oil or cream first, then apply your night cream over the top. Remember to just use just a small amount of rosehip oil each time to prevent it from drying out your skin. And always remember to wear a SPF50+ sunscreen – even on cloudy days!

Q: Do the night creams contain retinol?
A: Yes! We’ve used the highest quality pure form of retinol in synergy with our patented ingredient Myrecil®. The two ingredients work together to enhance and strengthen each other – boosting collagen and hyaluronic acid in the skin, reducing fine lines and wrinkles and softening skin. They’re all-natural ingredients with no nasty side effects. These creams are very concentrated, so just use a thin layer each time.

Q: Will the night cream help with my pigmentation?
A: Yes! Atopis Night Creams contain the highest grade of German Vitamin C to help banish age spots, pigmentation and uneven skin tone.

They also contain seaweed gel (which gives them their gel-like feel), which helps to lock in vital moisture and powerfully hydrate ageing skin. We harvest the seaweed, extract the gel and combine it with ceramides and phospholipids to create a lipid gel matrix. Similar to aloe vera gel, seaweed gel has incredible healing properties, targeting skin in need of intense nourishment and repair 🍃 For normal skin this seaweed matrix gel is non-comedogenic and ensures your skin remains supple and hydrated.

Q: Do I need to use a serum as well as my Atopis night cream?
A: No! Just the one night cream is all you need. All of the big anti-ageing ingredients (think ceramides, Vitamin C, Myrecil® and hyaluronic acid) are combined in the one night cream for ultimate skin repair, hydration and rejuvenation at the cellular level.

Q: What’s the fragrance of Atopis night creams?
A: The lovely aroma you can smell is the combination of the creams’ natural ingredients. We haven’t used much natural fragrance (only a teeny, tiny amount) as the product itself has its own unique aroma.

Q: Can I use Atopis night creams during pregnancy?

A: Atopis Night Creams contain high quality retinol. Although there is no scientific evidence to date that shows that topical retinol is unsafe during pregnancy, we would urge you to err on the side of caution and use another Atopis product instead. Oral retinols are not considered safe during pregnancy.

Please note: The foundational ingredient Myrecil® in Atopis creams has been fully tested and proven safe in two clinical trials focused on safety and efficacy, and is considered safe to use during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

From Sun-Damage To Smooth Skin: Toni’s Skincare Journey

Thursday, February 21st, 2019

Could you please give us some background on your skin and the journey you’ve been through with it? I grew up in the 60s. We lived at the beach during the summer and we didn’t know about sun screen back then. So like many others, my skin is sun damaged and I have solar keratosis, large brown patches on my cheeks and across my eyebrows. The patches over my eyebrow became scaley and flakey like dandruff of the skin! Eww!

How did you discover Atopis, and why did you decide to give it a go? I saw an ad for Atopis on my Facebook page and I liked the fact it was new and unconnected to the big pharmaceutical companies. I also like that it was made from natural products, I could read the list of ingredients and they weren’t from a periodic table!

What product do you use? Anti-Aging cream

What was the length of time since you started using Atopis? I’ve been using the Anti-Aging-cream for a year.

What was your skincare routine like before? I don’t use a big range of make up products but my skin is very dry and my cupboard is full of skin creams that never quite made the grade. Some of them were very expensive and I never felt I got value for money. I’ve been using the Anti-Aging cream for over a year and just bought my fourth tub of cream.

Please describe how your skin was before Atopis and how it looks now. I don’t have before photos but I’m very happy with how the brown patches look, especially the ones above my eyebrows. They are still there; (you can’t reverse nearly 40 years of sun damage) however, the yucky, scaley, flakey skin has disappeared and the area feels softer, not like crocodile skin. As a side effect, I found any scratches and blemishes I got disappeared too. What really got my attention was a nasty looking yellow cyst on my lower eyelid. The doctor wouldn’t touch it because it was too close to the my eye. After a few weeks of using the Anti-Aging cream it completely disappeared. That was what finally sold me on Atopis products. The deal breaker!

What changes have you noticed since you started using Atopis? My skin keeps the moisturised feeling. I don’t reapply any cream in the evening the way I used to.

When did you start noticing your skin changing, and how has it changed since? After the first few weeks I noticed that my skin felt good all day. My skin just didn’t dry out.

How does your skin feel? I feel the difference as soon as I put it on after showering in the morning. It feels like I’ve given my skin a drink.

How do you feel about your skin now compared to before? It doesn’t feel dry at any time during the day and I live in Perth WA, a hot dry area where your lips crack because of the wind.

What is your current skincare routine? Shower in the morning and then I apply the Anti-Aging cream.

What advice would you give to someone who is at the beginning of their skincare journey? Cover up. Wear sun screen all four seasons is what the dermatologist told me.

What other comments do you have? I have never blogged my opinions on skin care products and I’m known to be a person who tells it like it is.

Do you have sun damaged skin?

Like Toni, many of our customers have noticed significant improvements in the appearance of early sun damage and age spots using our Intensive Restore Cream.

Atopis Intensive Restore Cream has been scientifically formulated to repair and rejuvenate damaged skin, leaving you with an even skin tone and soft, hydrated skin.

The all-natural cream contains our patented Myriphytase extract, formulated by Chief Scientist Dr. Iona Weir. The active ingredients in Myriphytase work at the cellular level to eliminate unhealthy damaged cells and regenerate new cells for stronger, healthier skin.

Learn More About Atopis Intensive Restore Cream

Hormonal Acne & Mature Skin Breakouts? Here’s Why.

Tuesday, February 2nd, 2021

Both men and women are consistently asking: “Where am I going wrong?” so I decided to shed some light on the acne-creating cycle we can all get caught up in.

Once you understand what’s causing your breakouts, you can start changing your habits, and clear up your skin.

If you’re looking for a Hormonal Acne solution – we’ve created the Atopis Radiant Skin Bundle – our 4 products work in perfect synergy to give you a clear and hormonally balanced complexion.

First, What Causes Acne?

Short on time? Here’s a 30-second intro video on What Causes Acne.

We’ve done a whole blog post on What Causes Acne – but for now, it’s important to remember there are 3 main causes of Acne:

1. Hormones

One of the biggest culprits of acne is fluctuations in your hormones (which is what we’ll be talking about today).

Across a variety of ages, hormones and hormonal imbalances can lead to detrimental effects on our skin. Read more about how your acne can vary as you age here.

For women, acne usually appears in the later stages of the menstrual cycle, so a week before or even during your period.

It can also appear after starting a new form of birth control, hormone replacement therapy through menopause, or as a result of fluctuating hormones and conditions such as Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS).

Androgens (male sex hormones) can fluctuate in level when compounded with stress, fatigue and lack of skin care.

Androgens are the worst perpetrators for causing bad skin because they stimulate the growth of the sebaceous glands and increase sebum levels, making skin oily and causing severe congestion (known as hyperkeratinization).

This condition means dead skin cells don’t slough off naturally and instead clog the skin’s pores.

Cue the entry of bacteria and acne appears as the star of the show.

2. Lifestyle

Though less of a factor than genetics and hormones, your lifestyle can certainly be reflected in your skin.

Poor cleansing (or over cleansing), dehydration, stress, smoking, poor diet and abrasive product use can all be detrimental to your skin.

3. Genetic Makeup

Studies suggest that you’re more likely to struggle with breakouts if your direct relatives have suffered from acne.

Skin types are passed down through your genes and play a key part in how your skin responds to your hormones and how well it deals with sebum (oil), bacteria, anti-inflammatory properties and the regeneration of skin cells.

4 Stages of Hormonal Acne Development:

1. Hormonal Changes

When increases in testosterone or estrogen occur, this increases the production of sebum (oily or waxy matter that lubricates and waterproofs the skin and hair) at the base of the hair follicle.

Over-cleaning the skin, over-exfoliation, or use of astringent cleansers can also lead to the sebum gland overproducing sebum as these actions send the wrong message to the skin that its over dry.

Unlike teenage skin, where cells are being actively renewed causing the greasy appearance due to the increased sebum, with dry, mature skin, the sebum gland produces too much sebum to compensate for the skin’s dryness.

2. Blockage

Too much sebum results in the hair follicle becoming blocked (clogged pores).

Excessive cleaning of the blocked pores then causes the sebum gland to produce more sebum and the pores block again.

This means gentle cleaning is critical.

3. Over-cleaning

Over-cleaned skin and pores blocked with sebum unbalance your skin’s microflora (your unique mix of good and bad bacteria) as the bad bacteria is fed by the sebum.

This results in what is effectively skin infection.

4. Immune system reaction

The immune system then reacts to the bacteria imbalance and tries to counter the bad bacteria by turning on defense pathways, which can result in an allergenic response on the skin’s surface and pimples appear.

If infection worsens, then a full-blown immune system response occurs and the skin becomes inflamed, hair follicles are blocked, the site contains pus and the sebum gland produces even more sebum creating a severe outbreak.

Why Antibiotics Don’t Work for Hormonal Acne Long Term:

Some of you might have been prescribed antibiotics to kill the acne-creating bacteria, but this also kills the good bacteria, leaving the acne sufferer with no defense against the next bacterial attack.

On top of this, the use of alcohol-based astringents open the pores, clear the blockage but leave the skin dry and inflame pores.

This can take you frustratingly back to step one of the acne cycle.

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Break Out of the Hormonal Acne Cycle with Atopis Radiant Balance Cream:

Atopis Radiant Skin Bundle gives you 4 products, including the Acne Prone Skin Cream and The Radiant Balance Cream, that all work in synergy to balance the skin’s response to hormonal fluctuations.

These 4 products create a skincare routine that cleanses, clears, moisturizes, and tones the skin, so you can say goodbye to hormonal acne, and hello to healthy and glowing skin!

When choosing your skin care products, we highly recommend sticking to natural and non-abrasive products – rather than harsh antibiotics.

Based on award-winning international research and successful clinical trials, Dr. Iona Weir has formulated safe, natural products to help unlock the skin’s own immunity and assist self-repair.

Meanwhile, the probiotic peptides in Atopis, work to restore your skin’s friendly bacteria microbiome, just like probiotics in the gut.

Learn more about the Atopis Radiant Skin Bundle

Learn More About The Radiant Skin Bundle

How To Naturally And Effectively Restore Menopausal Skin

Sunday, November 18th, 2018

One moment you’re enjoying a healthy and youthful complexion, the next minute, you’re breaking out in all manner of rashes, hormonal acne, dry patches, and skin coloring unevenness – distressing, to say the least.

Are you starting to notice the signs of aging? Our Atopis Intensive Restore Cream has been scientifically developed to hydrate, reduce wrinkles and restore skin using 100% natural ingredients.

How To Balance Menopausal Skin

“You don’t know what you’ve got ’till it’s gone” rings particularly true when it comes to mature or menopausal skin.

But it doesn’t have to be like this. If there’s a time when a little TLC is needed, it’s now.

You can’t turn back the clock on your skin’s health – however, you can take care of the present, and start treating your skin with the utmost care from now on.

Learn How To Combat Aging Skin in this video below:

Nourish your skin with natural products

Menopause causes many changes to your skin, meaning your current skincare routine may no longer meet its changing needs.

Most standard moisturizers are plain water-based and packed with tonnes of fillers, parabens, and alcoholic substances, which dry your sensitive maturing skin even further. This damages it and strips it of its unique microflora. Our article on Always Reading The Label investigates what a majority of beauty and skincare products contain, and what they do to your skin.

By making the switch to high-quality, all-natural products, these products will carry out the much-needed intricate repairs to your skin.

This includes; regenerating and reprogramming the epidermis at the cell, as well as at surface level, to give you the best skin possible for your stage of life.

However, keep in mind that all skincare products are not created equal. As with any scientific breakthrough, there are an increasing number of companies that claim that their products contain ‘all natural’ ingredients.

It’s important to remember that evidence of effectiveness and non-toxicity is very important before you part with your money and put them on your precious skin.

Think of how you’d treat a baby’s skin and what ingredients you would and wouldn’t use on it – that’s how you should treat your own skin.

The Science Of Maturing Skin: The Plant Phenomenon

From birth, our cells are programmed to die and be replaced – it’s how we grow.

But, once we hit menopause, the replacement of cells slows down, and the texture and quality of skin is no longer that of a younger person.

In the plant world, the phenomenon of programmed cell death is called Apoptosis. In my research, I discovered that, not only was the process in plants reversible, but it could also be manipulated and used in skincare for humans, particularly for the needs of menopausal skin conditions.

In my extensive study of New Zealand and Australia’s indigenous plants, I’ve identified and isolated four main natural substances that can be extracted to work together in synergy to reprogramme and repair human skin.

These substances can help repair skin that’s suffering from the effects of menopause, as well as other conditions such as acne, psoriasis, dermatitis, and eczema.

Working from within

First and foremost, we use unpasteurised coconut water – a plant’s equivalent of colostrum (milk produced by mammals during birth), with its rich combination of vitamins and minerals.

Then, we add peptides from biotic reactions of bacteria and insect components in New Zealand native plants, bound with lipids from coconut oil to form the patented Peptilipids™. These have the unique ability to penetrate skin-cell plasma membranes and work from within.

Then, there’s honeydew – a bioactive anti-microbial from beech trees in the Southern Alps of New Zealand – with similar properties to Manuka honey – created by the tree’s natural efforts to defend itself against microbial attack.

Next, bee pollen, which is gently handled using enzymes to destroy all allergens.

Finally, a special combination of selected essential oils: coconut oil, with its Myristic acid to modulate the immune system, protect and heal, and Myracetin for its anti-inflammatory properties, plus kiwifruit seed oil, canola, avocado oil, macadamia nut oil, sweet almond oil, safflower oil, camellia seed oil and jojoba seed oil.

Once extracted, these elements are all fused together to form the patented Myriphytase™ extract, incorporated in the Atopis™ skincare range, safe for everyday use, offering a unique solution to the trials and tribulations of menopausal skin conditions.

Key Ingredients

How We Can Help Restore Your Aging Skin 100% Naturally

Our Atopis Intensive Restore Cream utilizes these indigenous plant and essential oil extracts as ingredients to formulate a cream that naturally revitalizes your aging skin, restoring your healthy and youthful glow.

The natural ingredients in our product work together to:

1. Intensely hydrate – peptides, lipids, and antioxidants work at the cellular level to hydrate skin.

2. Repair skin – reduces redness from sun damage on face and decolletage and fades age spots, evening skin tone.

3. Plump skin & reduce wrinkles – stimulates collagen production to smooth out wrinkles and lines.

Learn More About Intensive Restore Cream

How Does Sun Exposure Affect Your Skin?

Monday, January 29th, 2018

When summer rolls around, there is nothing better than hitting the beach and soaking up the sun to get that Instagram-worthy golden tan. When you’re young, it’s easy to forget about skin-protection, and sunburn just seems like temporary damage.

However, the consequences of not considering the effects of too much sun exposure to the skin can cause permanent skin damage and premature aging, also known as photoaging.

Are you noticing the effects of sun exposure causing wrinkles, lines, and discoloration on your skin?

Our Atopis Anti-Aging Cream has been designed for skin that has lived, including over-exposure to the elements over time. Using 100% natural ingredients, our cream stimulates collagen production to plump your skin, reduce wrinkles, and restore your youthful glow.

How Does The Sun Affect My Skin?

Sun exposure is responsible for up 90% of the visible changes attributed to aging (WHO report) that we generally consider as a normal part of aging. This process is known as ‘photoaging’.

Signs of Photoaging include:

• Fine lines and wrinkles – around the eyes and mouth.

• Skin dryness – flaking of the skin in patches.

• Skin laxity – loss of collagen and elasticity in the skin.

• Pigmentation – discoloration of parts of the skin in the sun-exposed areas.

• Vascular abnormalities – such as spider veins on the nose, cheeks, and neck.

But there are far more sinister aspects to photoaging than just the appearance aspects.

Melanin and Skin Pigmentation

UV exposure causes skin cells to produce melanin, which results in the “beautiful” golden tan, but this is essentially the skin trying to protect itself from damage.

Melanin is actually the end byproduct of oxidative stress within the cell. It is the same chemical process as when an apple or banana goes brown, so getting a tan is not healthy, but rather a sign of your skin suffering high levels of oxidative stress.

Unfortunately, UV does not just cause melanin production, it also causes DNA damage which if not repaired will in later life result in actinic keratosis or worse, melanoma.

Oxidative stress caused by UV Rays

As far as prematurely aging your skin, UV rays cause intense oxidative stress within your skin cells.

As well as the DNA in your nucleus being damaged, UV ray exposure can also result in mitochondrial impairment.

Mitochondria are the powerhouse of your cells, and their job is to fight free radicals to control the level of oxidation in a cell and to produce cellular energy.

Any damage your mitochondria results in your cells destroying your antioxidation system and energy supply.

This causes an increase in free radicals within the cell and a decline in cellular energy production. If left unchecked, this build-up of free radicals can also damage the DNA within the mitochondria – potentially resulting in skin cancer.

Unfortunately, by damaging your cells mitochondria powerhouse, you impair energy production.

This creates a long-term potential for large-scale cellular damage across the body which can cascade into changes in your metabolic state, leading to potential weight gain, diabetes, and fatigue.

So it is absolutely critical to protect your mitochondria from UV and oxidative stress to avoid potential longer-term negative effects.

Can our skin rust?

Nuclear ferritin (iron) in your cells protects your DNA from free radicals.

UV exposure results in the release of ferritin, and its oxidation means that your defense systems are damaged, your iron levels are reduced, and your DNA is now at risk of being damaged.

Although this is the same chemical process as what occurs with metals and rusting, your skin cells do not technically rust, but your cellular iron does oxidize in the same way.

Controlling Wrinkles

Unfortunately, UV damage does not stop there, it changes the three-dimensional structure of vital proteins including collagen so that they lose their “bounce” and become flattened.

This results in wrinkles and thinning of the skin. Nothing will prematurely age you more than UV exposure.

It takes the skin two years to “recover” from sunburn on the surface, the cellular damage, however, can remain with you for life.

Make sure you use a high SPF sunscreen that meets US standards, as these are the highest in the world. Apply regularly and make sure you cover up your skin.

Prevent Photo-Aging With Atopis

If you are looking for a product to reduce sun damage, Our Atopis Anti-Aging Cream has been scientifically formulated to work below the skin to balance hormones, which will give you visible results on the appearance of your skin.

Our Anti Aging Cream uses 100% natural ingredients that stimulate collagen production which plumps the skin, reduces wrinkles, and restores your youthful and healthy glow!

Using sunscreen initially is the best way to make sure your skin is protected. However, if the damage is done, using a cream packed with antioxidants for your skin body will give your mitochondria the help they need to function properly. Remember oxidative stress anywhere in your body will show on your skin.

Learn More About Atopis Intensive Restore Cream

MATURE SKIN? Why your regime may no longer work.

Sunday, April 23rd, 2017

We may get wiser, but Dr. Iona Weir reveals why our tried and true skincare régime may no longer work as the years go by.

We expect a lot from our skin. We often mistreat it, yet expect it to bounce back and still look good as we age. Over the years, a combination of stress, lack of sleep, poor nutrition, dehydration, and environmental pollution, such as car fumes and UV rays from sun, phones and computers all take their toll.

So, if you’ve noticed a change in the quality and resilience of your skin, maybe it’s time to rethink your skincare régime. Caring for your skin is more than just applying moisture. As we age, the needs of our skin changes, and what used to work may not anymore.

Exfoliation Essentials

Regular but gentle exfoliation is essential as a starting point to get rid of the dead skin cells and toxins that build up on the skin’s delicate surface.

Not only do they make it difficult for moisturisers to do their job, but also cell renewal slows down as the years advance, so applying more and more cream won’t have the required effect.

In fact, smearing on the moisturiser could make things worse, leaving you looking tired instead of radiant.

Damage Limitation

Pollution and stress can trigger the skin’s outer layer, or epidermis, to go into defense mode to protect itself.

Extra layers of cells are created, thickening the skin in places. Once again, usual moisturisers can no longer penetrate into the skin, and a lot more is used than is normally required but for less effect.

Hormonal Hell

Stress wreaks havoc with hormones, causing them to overreact and change, and skin bears the brunt of this.

To help combat this, take the time to relax. Take a good antioxidant dietary supplement, and use a cream that contains potent and safe antioxidants.

As women grow older, our bodies produce less oestrogen and progesterone, resulting in slower cell renewal. Collagen is also lost, which results in the skin cells drying out, rather than having a healthy, youthful and plump appearance.

This means that it’s critical to use a cream that promotes cell renewal, and offers protection from damaging environmental effects. Simply just moisturising is no longer enough.

With this in mind, I created a dedicated anti-aging cream for the Atopis range, which contains no parabens, no solvents, no artificial fragrances, and has been only clinically trialed on humans rather than animals.

I needed to create a treatment that offers the intense hydration that mature skin needs – retexturising and plumping the skin at the actual cellular level. This helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

I say ‘actual’ because it saddens me to see multinational brands claiming their products work at the ‘cellular level’ without adequate evidence. We have the clinical trial data to prove Atopis does exactly that.

After gentle exfoliation, the concentrated anti-aging cream can be applied to the face, neck and décolletage.

Better Absorption

When applying skincare, warm it in your hands first, then pat it gently onto the skin. This prevents dragging which can easily damage the epidermis and create wrinkles.

It also has the bonus effect of allowing the cream to be absorbed into the skin more effectively, so less is wasted.