Oxygen... question from the confused
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free skin care · Sun Nov 05, 2006 10:43 pm

Since joining this forum I have read a lot of interesting posts about people getting positive results from oxygen products, O2 mists, serums, masks etc. I of course have decided that I NEED all of them NOW Smile

but I haven't bought any yet.

The oxygen products are confusing to me as what I have learned before is that free radicals that contain oxygen are some of the worst offenders as far as causing cell damage, hence the use of antioxidant serums, creams, masks etc to stop oxidation.

So, oxygen ladies, could you please help me understand? Antioxidant or oxygen therapy, which is correct? Are the oxygen products really delivering oxygen at the cellular level? If so, what are the benefits and does using an antioxidant product cancel the oxygen out? hmm

free skin care · Tue Feb 06, 2007 10:08 pm

*Bump*

I'm curious about this topic as well. Anyone?

free skin care · Tue Feb 06, 2007 10:10 pm

I personally wouldn't use oxygen products on my skin (because of the reasons you have stated).

free skin care · Tue Feb 06, 2007 10:19 pm

stellamaris wrote:

Since joining this forum I have read a lot of interesting posts about people getting positive results from oxygen products, O2 mists, serums, masks etc. I of course have decided that I NEED all of them NOW Smile

but I haven't bought any yet.

The oxygen products are confusing to me as what I have learned before is that free radicals that contain oxygen are some of the worst offenders as far as causing cell damage, hence the use of antioxidant serums, creams, masks etc to stop oxidation.

So, oxygen ladies, could you please help me understand? Antioxidant or oxygen therapy, which is correct? Are the oxygen products really delivering oxygen at the cellular level? If so, what are the benefits and does using an antioxidant product cancel the oxygen out? hmm

You can find the answers in the following thread

http://www.essentialdayspa.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=9260&highlight=psf+oxygen+serum

free skin care · Tue Feb 06, 2007 11:06 pm

I posted this a long time ago before I learned to be a better searcher... the thread Wild Cat posted does cover it and also Miranets has a Zenbiotic thread that discusses this as well.

free skin care · Wed Feb 07, 2007 1:37 am

There are mixed reviews about whether this harms or benefits the skin. I've decided to be on the safe side and cut down use of my PSF O2 serum, I'm using it only when I'm red, irritated and/or itchy.

free skin care · Wed Feb 07, 2007 2:49 am

I am one of those people for which PSF 02 serum did absolutely nothing... It was indeed like putting water on my skin, so it was not the best investment... I am not sure that this is really necessary (unless you use a whole oxygen "line"), especially since it is so wonderful to have a nice, simple regime and not have to introduce more waiting times and other potential complications into one's routine. I believe that a good vitamin c serum is a great antioxidant.

--avalange

free skin care · Wed Feb 07, 2007 3:13 am

I am still a big PSF O2 serum fan Very Happy

I believe it also help other actives to penetrate skin deeper.

free skin care · Wed Feb 07, 2007 3:31 am

Wild Cat wrote:

I am still a big PSF O2 serum fan Very Happy

I believe it also help other actives to penetrate skin deeper.

Wildcat,

you are very knowledgeable, and I'm of the homeopathic persuasion like you, so my question is: how do you know it helps penetration of actives? just curious, since I also realized somewhere along the way that
1. i will never know if it does or not
and
2. weekly exfoliation helps, too!

your opinion will be much appreciated....

--avalange

free skin care · Wed Feb 07, 2007 4:38 am

avalange,
I don't actually have scientific support for the effect of 02 serum. I believed what PSF's owner explained to me. I have a lot of respect for PSF products. But, I do know there were so many time I tried to eliminate this product from my routine (cuz it is expensive). I was always unsuccessful. When nothing else in my routine changed, the absence of O2 serum was missed. My skin just didn't look as good and PSF's Retinol Night Repair didn't absorb as well. I only use O2 serum at night because I have to conserve. I can't afford using it twice a day. You are right that Vit-C is a very good antioxidant and I also use Vit-C during the day. Maybe I am overloading my skin Rolling Eyes

I believe in layering Smile

free skin care · Wed Feb 07, 2007 11:02 am

Any thoughts on the effectiveness of the derma wand/oxylight tools that are suppose to infuse the skin with oxygen?

free skin care · Wed Feb 07, 2007 4:25 pm

Wild Cat wrote:

You can find the answers in the following thread

http://www.essentialdayspa.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=9260&highlight=psf+oxygen+serum

I'm glad that you posted that thread again -- it's very informative. I am really liking my PSF O2 serum; I think that it's beneficial.

free skin care · Tue Apr 22, 2008 1:19 am

I also wouldnt used oxygen products. I used Jane Iredale D20 mist but for some reason my skin looked worse. I used it for a week and then stopped.

Now my skin has returned to it usual self. I do occasionally break out but when using the D20 for some reason it made my face look awful.

free skin care · Tue Apr 22, 2008 7:07 am

My take on this is go for a long walk and your skin will get all the oxygen it wants. But heres a really good article that will dispel the myth of oxygenated creams,

http://www.cosmeticscop.com/learn/art.asp?ID=154

free skin care · Wed May 07, 2008 7:24 pm

What I don't understand is why people don't just add a few drops of hydrogen peroxide into a cream they already have, which would make it an oxygen cream..(If they like hydrogen peroxide on their skin)

The KH products are pretty popular now, and here is the list of ingredients for the 1.7oz Oxygen Face Cream;

Ingredients:
Aqua Paraffinum liquidum Glycerin Stearyl alcohol Polysorbate 20 Hydrogen peroxide

(The Paraffinum Liquidum is mineral oil)

So wouldn't adding a few drops of hydrogen peroxide + an alcohol to baby oil be the same thing?

If not, I'd be interested to know why not.

Any thoughts?

free skin care · Wed May 07, 2008 7:36 pm

The short answer is, I don't think so. I'm sure someone can chime in with a marvelous explanation of the KH process but,at this time of night all I can do is copy & paste:

It was in fact a dual discovery. Firstly, Dr. Paul Herzog succeeded in stabilizing oxygen, in fixing it inside a cream. Secondly, this oxygen, contained in the emulsion in liquid form, was released in gas form when coming into contact with skin and caused a form of pressure, i.e. a mechanical effect which literally injected oxygen beneath the skin.

All I know is..it works....and, most importantly, it is not like putting HP on your skin.

free skin care · Wed May 07, 2008 9:02 pm

marina wrote:

The short answer is, I don't think so. I'm sure someone can chime in with a marvelous explanation of the KH process but,at this time of night all I can do is copy & paste:

It was in fact a dual discovery. Firstly, Dr. Paul Herzog succeeded in stabilizing oxygen, in fixing it inside a cream. Secondly, this oxygen, contained in the emulsion in liquid form, was released in gas form when coming into contact with skin and caused a form of pressure, i.e. a mechanical effect which literally injected oxygen beneath the skin.

All I know is..it works....and, most importantly, it is not like putting HP on your skin.

Even though you are right, I　ｔｈｉｎｋ　there are still several issues need to be considered.

1. THere is HP in the cream, and it will definitly contact your skin.

2. HP will react with reductive agents , such as VIt C, Vit E, rose hip or whatever reductive stuff which is common in skincare products.

3. From HP to oxygen, it is a chemical reaction, and it is very common for an oxidation-reduction reaction to produce free radicals as a side product. Free radical radicals are very harmful, both to beauty and health.

free skin care · Thu May 08, 2008 2:28 am

I have always been sceptical about oxygen products as I cannot understand how the oxygen can get into the skin. At the same time, I have a lot of respect for Swiss skincare companies as most of them have been around for a long time, do a lot of research and have a lot of long time users. The other thing you will find with most Swiss skincare companies is that they concentrate on one type of skincare and usually don't vary from it as their own research shows them that it can work. Examples are Valmont and dna/rna, Cellcosmet and their bio-integral cells and now Karen Herzog with their oxygen.
I don't think we will ever be told how Karen Herzog get the oxygen into the skin as it is probably a trade secret.
If anyone is capable of getting oxygen into the skin then it is probably Karen Herzog. I am not a user of the line but I do use Valmont and Cellcosmet and they certainly work for me.

free skin care · Thu May 08, 2008 6:26 am

Hi Bushy,
I always had some doubts about the hoopla regarding the acclaimed Swiss skincare but my experience with Herzog has led me to reevaluate all my skincare beliefs at this point. I will never use home made lotions and potions again particularly of the acid variety.

free skin care · Thu May 08, 2008 6:34 am

januarui wrote:

marina wrote:

The short answer is, I don't think so. I'm sure someone can chime in with a marvelous explanation of the KH process but,at this time of night all I can do is copy & paste:

It was in fact a dual discovery. Firstly, Dr. Paul Herzog succeeded in stabilizing oxygen, in fixing it inside a cream. Secondly, this oxygen, contained in the emulsion in liquid form, was released in gas form when coming into contact with skin and caused a form of pressure, i.e. a mechanical effect which literally injected oxygen beneath the skin.

All I know is..it works....and, most importantly, it is not like putting HP on your skin.

Even though you are right, I　ｔｈｉｎｋ　there are still several issues need to be considered.

1. THere is HP in the cream, and it will definitly contact your skin.

2. HP will react with reductive agents , such as VIt C, Vit E, rose hip or whatever reductive stuff which is common in skincare products.

3. From HP to oxygen, it is a chemical reaction, and it is very common for an oxidation-reduction reaction to produce free radicals as a side product. Free radical radicals are very harmful, both to beauty and health.

Hi Januarui,
I have copied and pasted a portion of an article here for your perusal. I've also included the link to the rest.

Commercially produced hydrogen peroxide has been used for medical purposes since 1920. Yet because hydrogen peroxide manufactured by the body is an activated oxygen species that can be an "intermediate" for the formation of free radicals like hydroxyl, the issue has been raised that commercially produced hydrogen peroxide may be undesirable to use in medical therapy and skin care. However, a closer look at recent findings in the field of free radical production is needed before reaching such a conclusion (4).

While the formation of the hydroxyl radical is essential for fighting off disease, it is the uncontrolled production of excessive hydroxyl that is harmful (4,5). There has been some concern about the ability of superoxide to react with hydrogen peroxide to form the hydroxyl radical. However, studies have shown that the direct interaction of hydrogen peroxide and superoxide is extremely slow compared to the dismutation or destruction of superoxide, making it very unlikely that his reaction takes place under biological conditions (5,6).

Dr. Charles Farr, the physician nominated for the Nobel Prize in medicine in 1993 for his research on hydrogen peroxide, found that hydrogen peroxide leads to the formation of hydroxyl radicals only under special circumstances, primarily when ferrous (iron) oxide is present (4). In normal cells iron exists primarily in the ferric (Fe3+) state, and thus hydrogen peroxide is not reduced to the hydroxyl radical. It instead is converted to molecular oxygen and pure water, therefore rendering hydrogen peroxide beneficial to the body.

When applied on the skin in a cream, hydrogen peroxide comes in contact immediately with catalase, which is particularly abundant in the epidermis, as well as the dermis. The enzyme is very rapid and potent (7). One molecule of catalase can convert millions of molecules of hydrogen peroxide into oxygen and water within seconds ( Cool

. On the surface of the epidermis, hydrogen peroxide present in the liquid phase within the cream is converted to molecular oxygen, a gas which creates pressure. In certain correctly formulated hydrogen peroxide creams, this pressure is able to force the oxygen deep into the epidermis and dermis, where it is effective and can be measured.

http://www.shop.karinherzog.co.uk/web/knowledge/effective-oxygen-therapy.htm

free skin care · Thu May 08, 2008 10:12 am

It seems the 'oxygen' in these creams is the result of the decomposition of Hydrogen Peroxide. So HP in the presence of H20, causes a gas, which converts the HP to oxygen..

Nothing magical about that. Anyhoo, here's the lowdown on Hydrogen Peroxide;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen_peroxide

ETA: A google of ["Hydrogen Peroxide" and "Skin"] will tell you the flip side of the "KH" website.

free skin care · Thu May 08, 2008 10:32 am

I just love how people who are not even using products feel educated enough to comment on the inefficacy of them.

Do any of you REALLY think that you are more enlightened than the Nobel group who awarded Dr. Herzog with a Laureate for his work in creating an oxygen cream that assists in wound healing? If hydrogen peroxide could be dripped onto a wound and provide the same results, they wouldn't have bothered to recognize his contributions to medicine. I mean, really.

Adding hydrogen peroxide to a cream is not going to give you the same product or results. Give me a break. Is anyone here a cosmetic formulator and if so, I can only assume you're packaging up your creations to start a world-wide takeover of the Swiss skin care industry. We should warn them of their impending doom. Laughing

free skin care · Thu May 08, 2008 11:07 am

Which reminds me Scally, did you see the pictures of the child's ear that had been severed and reattached? JoElla told me about it initially, they are quite graphic but the healing from the Oxygen Body 3% was quite amazing.

free skin care · Thu May 08, 2008 11:14 am

BluesHeart wrote:

Which reminds me Scally, did you see the pictures of the child's ear that had been severed and reattached? JoElla told me about it initially, they are quite graphic but the healing from the Oxygen Body 3% was quite amazing.

Yes, I did and you're right, they were quite graphic but amazing, as well. Given the belief that drugstore variety hydrogen peroxide is exactly the same as what's in the KH creams because it's on the ingredient list of the products, wonder why they bothered with the Oxy Body 3%, ya know? I mean, they could've just popped down to the local Walgreens and saved themselves about $39.50. Bad Grin

I use the Oxygen Body 3%, actually,and it's wonderful. One of my top faves in the line.

free skin care · Thu May 08, 2008 11:18 am

scalawaggirl wrote:

BluesHeart wrote:

Which reminds me Scally, did you see the pictures of the child's ear that had been severed and reattached? JoElla told me about it initially, they are quite graphic but the healing from the Oxygen Body 3% was quite amazing.

Yes, I did and you're right, they were quite graphic but amazing, as well. Given the belief that drugstore variety hydrogen peroxide is exactly the same as what's in the KH creams because it's on the ingredient list of the products, wonder why they bothered with the Oxy Body 3%, ya know? I mean, they could've just popped down to the local Walgreens and saved themselves about $39.50.

Yessss. I wondered that myself. I was actually considering doing that myself later today, I'll grab some Johnson's and darn, I've got the peroxide here. I'll call it Vita Kimbo. Watch out Valmont, here I come.

I use the Oxygen Body 3%, actually,and it's wonderful. One of my top faves in the line. Bad Grin

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