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15 · Friday, June 18, 2010 OAKVILLE BEAVER · www.oakvillebeaver.com Torch Run FOR SPECIAL OLYMPICS: The Oakville portion of the Ontario Chiefs of Police, Law Enforcement Torch Relay for Special Olympics began at W.H. Morden School on Rebecca Street Thursday. At right, Ryan Cooper hoists a torch high. Below, officers escort the torch run.At left, from left, Hunter Felix, Thomas Campbell (happy shirt) and Alex Gordienko wave flags as they cheer on the torch run. PHOTOS BY RIZIERO VERTOLLI / OAKVILLE BEAVER By DR. W. GIFFORD-JONES Green tea - it's not just for sipping anymore What's the latest eco-friendly product? It's not a new discovery to run your car or get rid of your garbage. Rather, it's an eco-friendly skin cream that contains green tea extract. I thought green tea was for drinking. But a report from the American Academy of Dermatology claims that 150 studies prove green tea is beneficial to skin in several ways. D r. Stephen Hsu at The Medical College of Georgia, says a five-year study was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health.The purpose was to find a non-toxic method to prevent the increasing number of people developing skin cancer. Every year one million Americans are diagnosed with this disease. A shocking report from the U.S. National Cancer Institute indicates a whopping 50% increase in the number of women between the ages of 15 and 39 who were diagnosed with melanoma from 1980 to 2004. It's been known for years that in Japan and China, where green tea consumption is high, there are fewer oral, prostate, colon and bladder cancers. Recent research on mice shows that polyphenols in green tea help to inhibit carcinogenetic changes in skin and other organs. The way our skin ages depends on several factors.The most controllable factor is "photo-aging." Excessive exposure to sun results in coarse, rough wrinkled skin. The time clock also plays a role in skin aging and none of us like to see these increasing imperfections in the mirror.That's why everyone's antenna, but particularly women's, lights up when I write about this subject. Green tea extract is also an antioxidant that counteracts the action of free radicals, the end products of metabolism, associated with the aging process. Vitamin E, long known for its healing qualities, is part of the formula. This fat soluble antioxidant is normally present in low concentrations on the skin's surface. It helps to protect cellular membranes. LET'S NOT FORGET ABOUT BEAUTY. AFTER ALL, THERE'S NO HARM IN A TOUCH OF VANITY HERE AND THIS ECO-FRIENDLY GREEN TEA CREAM ALSO PROTECTS THE SKIN AGAINST THE RAVAGES OF ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION AND AGING. It accomplishes this by adding moisture to the skin and thereby preventing the appearance of wrinkles. Reversa's green tea extract also has a booster effect on other day and night skin care products such as anti-spot lightening and exfoliating creams. The earlier in life you get started on protecting skin, the better. Unfortunately the aging of skin starts in our twenties when reduced collagen production causes thinning of skin and fine wrinkles.This along with decreased concentration of glycosaminoglycans results in dry skin and slower removal of dead cells.There's also less spring-back due to a loss of elastic fibres. Today's Reversa Antioxidant Booster Serum, available in drugstores, is a far cry from grandmother's cold cream. And there's sound scientific evidence to back up its claims. So, while you enjoy the benefits of drinking green tea this summer, you can also protect your skin from the damaging effects of radiation with an eco-friendly skin cream containing green tea. DEFENSE MECHANISM The last ingredient, ß-Glucan, obtained from the cell wall of baker's yeast, also helps to decrease the ravages of oxidative damage by stimulating the skin's natural defense mechanism. But why the claim that Reversa Antioxidant Booster Serum is an eco-friendly product? Because it contains no mineral oil, petrolatum, volatile silicones, colouring agents, or synthetic fragrances. Its packaging is entirely recyclable and contains no Bisphenol A. The formula is paraben-free (a preservative used in cosmetics) and its cold manufacturing process consumes a minimum of energy. NOW A RECENTLY DEVELOPED PRODUCT, REVERSA ANTIOXIDANT BOOSTER SERUM, IS A UNIQUE BLEND OF SEVERAL BENEFICIAL PRODUCTS. At the top of the list is pure and natural Teavigo, a green tea extract containing polyphenols that decrease the appearance of redness caused by exposure of the skin to ultraviolet rays. I HOPE THAT THIS ECO-FRIENDLY CREAM WILL HELP TO DECREASE THE INCREASING NUMBER OF SKIN CANCERS AND OTHER DERMATOLOGY PROBLEMS. It's too early to know, but Dr. Hsu suggests, that in addition to its anticancer and photo protection qualities, future research may show that green tea extracts are helpful in treating other skin disorders such as psoriasis, actinic keratosis, seborrheic keratosis and rosacea.