I introduced the first oxygen emulsion to the United States in 1990 and it quickly became a new "buzzword" in the industry. Originally, the products were imported, but we are now manufacturing them in the U.S.A. The oxygen emulsion is not a miracle product. It is based on sound chemical, biochemical and physiological facts, and some plain, common sense. The actions of the emulsion are so simple that many have a hard time accepting them. The only difficult part of the emulsion is making it.

AURA Research's oxygen emulsion is a stabilized emulsion of hydrogen peroxide, which is the main active ingredient. There is also a small amount of salicylic acid, and depending on the individual product, various vitamins and other ingredients. Full ingredient listings are on each product.

To understand the products, you have to understand the chemical properties of hydrogen peroxide and how the skin cells function. Hydrogen peroxide was first discovered in 1818. It was not until the beginning of the twentieth century that product and purification methods were developed that gave a chemical that could be produced commercially. Recent discoveries (1990's) have produced additional methods. Hydrogen peroxide(H₂O₂) is manufactured from hydrogen gas and atmospheric oxygen. After purification and concentration, the solution is stabilized.

Hydrogen peroxide has a molecular weight of 34.01. Stabilized aqueous hydrogen peroxide has a pH of about 1 and 3. It has strong oxidizing properties, but it also has low toxicity. Its decomposition products, water and oxygen, are harmless. Decomposition can be initiated by several factors, some of which are, light, heat, high pH, the presence of various impurities, such as metals, and in the skin, the enzyme "catalase."

2 H₂O₂ + catalase ---> 2 H₂O + O₂

When hydrogen peroxide meets the skin, it always breaks down to water and oxygen. Instead of the oxygen being released on the skin, and escaping back into the atmosphere, as in aqueous solutions, the oxygen released from the emulsion penetrates the skin. Why this happens is very simple. The oil phase of the emulsion offers a resistance to the oxygen, and the skin becomes the path of least resistance. When hydrogen peroxide changes from a liquid to a gas, which is instantaneously, it increases in volume 22.4 times. This increase in volume is what causes the pressure and why it penetrates the skin.

The oxygen is a gas only during this instantaneous reaction. When it penetrates the skin, it is dissolved in the extracellular water and in the capillary plasma. Molecular oxygen, which is a gas, can only exist in the lungs, where through a delicate network of capillaries, the oxygen is dissolved in the blood, carried throughout the body and released to the tissue.

Why Use an Oxygen Emulsion for Skin Care?

There are no blood vessels in the outer layers of the skin. Capillaries are responsible for supplying the skin cells with nutrients, especially in the face skin. As we age, circulation in the capillaries is at best, not very good. The capillaries become less permeable and little or no oxygen and nutrients are exchanged between the cells and the intracellular water. To have healthy skin, it must be properly balanced with the necessary nutrients, good capillary circulation and lymph drainage. The lymph drainage system, as you should know, is responsible for removing the cell wastes.

It is difficult to get enough oxygen to the face skin cells by inhalation, due to the poor capillary action, as mentioned. There is also the problem of dehydration. If the skin cells are not functioning properly, the skin cannot be in optimal condition. The result is a poor skin condition. Normally, the skin renews itself about every 28 days. To properly reproduce, the cells must have the necessary nutrients. The original idea of a massage was to stimulate the blood circulation and thereby increase the nutrient supply, but a massage cannot supply the necessary nutrients.

The oxygen emulsion combined, or used in conjunction with a supply of these nutrients applied before applying the oxygen emulsion, can supply the necessary nutrients. Sound far fetched? It really isn't. It is just basic chemistry, common sense and an understanding of how the oxygen emulsion works.

At the same concentration, hydrogen peroxide in the emulsion is more active than when in an aqueous solution. Skin application of the oxygen emulsion creates a local hyperbaric oxygen treatment, which counteracts oxygen and moisture deficiencies in hypoxic skin cells. When supplied transcutaneously, the oxygen, water and other nutrients travel a very short distance to reach the face skin cells, especially when compared to the distance when the cells are supplied by the circulatory system. The oxygen emulsion also has a very powerful antibacterial effect, as anaerobic bacteria (i.e., propionibacterium acnes) cannot live in oxygen rich environments. This is why the oxygen emulsion is so effective on acne.

The oxygen emulsion acts as a "vehicle" or "carrier" and when it penetrates the skin, it takes the other ingredients with it, if they are of the right molecular size. This unique action allows the oxygen emulsion to supply the cells with everything they need to function normally. When the face skin cells are functioning properly, the cells produce elastin, collagen, and other essential end-products necessary for good skin conditions.

Various ingredients benefical to the skin are added to some products. Some of the ingredients are: Beta-carotene, tocopherol acetate, ascorbyl palmitate, lactic acid, salicylic acid, ceramides, hylauronic acid, sunscreens (SPF-15), urea and yeast extracts to name some.

Now, you are probably thinking, "all this oxygen - what about free radicals?"

In normal cellular metabolism, oxidative reactions continuously take place, which does include the formation of free radicals. But, in a healthy cell environment, these reactions are so short that these free radicals cause no harm. In hypoxic cells, the free radicals remain active much longer, due to the lack of oxygen in the surrounding cells and can damage the cells. Vitamins E and C are in the all the oxygen emulsion products. Both these ingredients are well documented as anti-oxidants.

Very simply, the oxygen emulsion combined with the proper ingredients, can supply the skin cells with what they need to function normally.

Can I prove all of this?

Based on the following referenced information, I believe I can. In the November issue of ALLURE magazine, there was a negative article about "oxygen products." I cannot speak for all the mentioned products, but as far as our emulsion of hydrogen peroxide goes, I can.

One misstatement is the article was, "it's medically impossible to have oxygen penetrate the skin." Apparently, the author and the doctor who made the statement are not aware that there is equipment that can measure the partial pressure of oxygen (pO₂) in the skin. The equipment is a Cutaneous pO₂ Monitor, available in several modules and is manufactured by Hoffmann-LaRoche & Co. Ltd., Bioelectronics, CH-4002 Basle, Switzerland.

In the opening paragraph of the operating manual, it states:

Principle

Since oxygen gas is able to diffuse through body tissue and skin, it is possible to detect it by means of an electrochemical oxygen sensor applied to the skin surface.

"In order to create local arterialization, the sensor is heated to a constant temperature which is higher than normal baby surface temperature. The sensor allows a quantitative determination of the oxygen partial pressure at the level of the arterialized cutaneous tissue."

In a later paragraph, it states: "A low cutaneous pO₂ generally indicates a critical situation which, e.g., may be due to insufficient oxygen supply, respiratory distress, low cardiac output or impaired peripheral circulation."

The equipment is used in neonatal units to monitor the oxygenation state of babies, especially when premature. AURA Research, Ltd., owns such equipment and it is regularly used to prove the increase of pO₂, by doing a before and after demonstration of the Oxygen Emulsion Products.

I can prove, by before and after measurements, that the oxygen released from the Oxygen Emulsion penetrates the skin.

There are many medical and lay references that can be sighted in support of my statements. Unfortunately, it would take this whole newsletter to list them all. Just the operating manual of the Cutaneous Monitor, lists 34 medical studies as references, and this was published in the 1970's.

For those of you who may still doubt what I say, I have a very simple solution. Try the products. You have nothing to lose, as they are sold with a money back guarantee.

All the oxygen emulsion products, can be used in conjunction with other product line. But, you must know what the ingredients of the other products are, the oxygen emulsion products, actually penetrate the skin. It is used, in various ways, with glycolic acid. We are also currently evaluating some new combinations of the oxygen emulsion and other ingredients and, we shall be introducing some new, very exciting products.

References:

1. Webster's Medical Desk Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., Springfield, MA.

2. Advanced Professional Skin Care, Dr. Peter T. Pugliese, M.D., APSC Publishing, 1991.

3. Operating Manual, Cutaneous pO₂ Monitor, Module 632, Hoffmann-LaRoche, Basle, Switzerland.

4. Oxygen Oxygen Oxygen, Kurt W. Donsback, D.C., Ph.D., Wholistic Publications, 1991.

5. O2xygen Therapies, Ed McCabe, Energy Publications.

6. H₂O₂, A Handbook about Hydrogen Peroxide, Eka Nobel, Inc., Bohus, Sweden, 1991.

7. Hydrogen Peroxide, Consumer Products Brochure, Solvay Interox, H5-502, 7/93, AC 2000

8. Peroxygens from Solvay International, HH-267, GP: A..2.6.2, 2/93, AC 2500

Available on request from Hoffmann-LaRoche & Co., A.G.

Hochberg, H.M.: Case Illustrations. Use of the Roche Cutaneous Oxygen Monitor on Adults in the Surgical ICU.

Hochberg, H.M.: A multicenter clinical evaluation of the Roche cutaneous monitor in the Neonatal ICU.

Hochberg, H.M.: pO₂ bibliography with special reference to the cutaneous oxygen monitor.