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Air supply: Is oxygen really good for your skin?
It's at the spa and in your moisturizer, and you can even get it from a canister. Is oxygen therapy really good for your skin - or is it just a lot of hot air?
By Michelle Villett
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Dr. Neil Sadick, a New York dermatologist, uses oxygen therapy to calm patients' skin after cosmetic procedures and help those with acne. "It reduces inflammation," he says.
Besides the oxygen facial, there are a growing number of oxygen-based skincare products, including cult favourite Oxygen Plasma Potion from New York-based Ling Skin Care. "Oxygen plasma is a microscopic carbon molecule - called 'perfluorocarbon' - that mimics the blood's ability to carry oxygen to the skin cells," says Patrick Chan, chief executive officer for Ling Skin Care. "It was used by the U.S. military to treat burns during the Second World War."
According to Chan, when the molecule is applied topically, it transports oxygen to the lower layers of the skin, resulting in increased elastin and collagen production and a clearer complexion. While Oxygen Plasma Potion is suitable for any skin type, other oxygen products target either wrinkles or blemishes: Oxygen Face Cream from Karin Herzog counteracts the aging process, which is exacerbated by a lack of oxygen in skin cells, says Noëlle Palmisano-Herzog, the company's research and development director, while the new Oxygen Puractive+ line from G.M. Collin employs an oxygen complex to inhibit and prevent the growth of acne-causing bacteria, says product manager Karoline Kanani.
You can also get a dose of oxygen the old-fashioned way: by inhaling it. Although oxygen bars were popular in the late 1990s - the trend originated in Japan and quickly spread around the globe - they had limited appeal because many users found visiting them inconvenient; the fad eventually ended. Now, a number of companies are offering personal oxygen tanks for use at home or in transit. Vancouver-based Oxia sells portable, refillable canisters that supply 90 percent pure oxygen in concentrated form. According to Bryce Margetts, Oxia's chief executive officer and founder, people are using them for a range of ailments, including jet lag and asthma. And for home use, Bliss, a New York-based spa and skin-care company, sells the O2hi Personal Oxygen Machine, which reportedly improves alertness and mental acuity. Douglas McCullough, the product's distributor, says that the O2hi has skin-care benefits too. "If you're increasing your oxygen [intake], you're increasing your skin's resilience," he says.
Click here to read more.
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