Transcript
A (0:00)
Hey Esti, have you ever posted or thought about posting anonymously on those other social media platforms because you're afraid of the backlash? Well then this community is for you. Join the HHP Collective where your opinion is appreciated and the education is elevated. Visit hhpcollective.com for more information and use code ASCP26 to browse your first month for free. And don't worry about writing it down because you can find the link in the show notes. If you're an esthetician, you know how frustrating it is when clients don't return consistently. Stop using software built for salons and start using Spa Sphere. Spa Sphere is built specifically for estheticians with simple tools like treatment plans and skin reports that get clients to come back. It helps you turn one time appointments into loyal regulars so your clients get better results and you make more from every session. ASCP members can try it for $1 for 90 days at Spa Sphere AI ASCP. Hello and welcome to ASCP and the Rogue Pharmacist with Benjamin Knifeooks. And in each episode we will explore how internal and external factors can impact the skin. I'm Maggie Stasik, ASTP's program director. And joining me is Ben Fuchs, skincare formulator and pharmacist. Hey, Ben.
B (1:33)
Hello, Maggie.
A (1:34)
Ben, I recently read about how scent can subtly change over time. And most of us can recognize that people have a natural individual signature smell that evolves across their lifespan. Can you explain to us how much of this is biology versus perception?
B (1:53)
Oh, it's biological. Yeah. As we age, our fats in the body's lipid compartment breaks down. Lipids are very unstable. Anyway, that's why, you know, we talk about seed oils and the problems with seed oils and fried oils and processed oils. Oils are very unstable. When they break down, they become rancid. And that smell that you're referring to is basically rancidity. But it's not inevitable. In other words, if you use certain nutrients and you stay away from certain foods, you can minimize or even eliminate that smell. The problem is we don't really understand nutrition as well as we should. Elderly people who, who may not have been taking care of themselves or may not understand the importance of supplement, dietary supplementation or, or a good diet, they're more susceptible to that smell. And there's one particular breakdown product of lipids called nonenolated. And if you've heard of that, that's the famous molecule that gives the characteristic smell that people smell in nursing homes sometimes where there's lots of elderly Folks. But the most important point is to recognize that it's not inevitable. And really, there's a lot of things about aging that we consider to be inevitable, like aches and pains and osteoporosis and weakness, frailty and such slow healing, particularly odors and smells that are not inevitable. They're not inevitable part of aging. And there's certain things that we can do, but we're not really told by our authorities, by our health authorities, by medical authorities, that there are these strategies that you can use to slow down the aging process. That smell that you're referring to is really part and parcel of the aging process, because we don't take care of ourselves. So if you don't want to have that, that aroma or, you know, that smell, make sure you're using lipid fat antioxidants. Vitamin E being the most important. Alpha lipoic acid, selenium, possibly vitamin A, glutathione, glutamine, vitamin C. All of these can help protect lipids or protect the. The antioxidant profile or support the antioxidant profile to protect the breakdown of fats and breakdown of lipids. So it's definitely biological, but it's not necessarily inevitable. Also, staying away from processed fats and staying away from processed oils, and that's so, so important. And ironically, the most important or the most fragile of the oils are the ones that we consider to be the most important. And then we find that in nutrition a lot, that there's a relationship between nutritional value and instability. A molecule is very, very valuable from a nutritional standpoint, is often very unstable. And in fact, its value is in proportion to its instability. The fact that it breaks down quickly is what it allows it to be valuable. But on the other hand, if he breaks down too much or you have too much too rapid a breakdown, it can cause problems. And that's really what that smell is. Now, there's other factors, too, by the way, that are associated with the smell that you're referring to. The microbiome on the skin contributes to that smell. And there's a relationship between fats in the skin and the microbiome. And by destabilizing the fats, you destabilize the microbiome, and that can also contribute to that smell. So if you. If you know somebody who has that smell or you don't, you're getting older and you don't want to have that smell. Make sure you're pounding the nutrition, the antioxidant nutrition. Pigments from, from vegetables and fruits have antioxidant properties and also stay away from fried and processed fats. I can't emphasize that enough. Such a big problem, especially considering the fact that we love fried fats and we love processed fats. So, you know, if you're going to ingest those kinds of fats, then it becomes extra important that you make sure that you're using your vitamin E and selenium and glutathione and all the, all the natural antioxidant support molecules to protect those fats.