5 minute read
Smoke alarm drops vegan dental products, itch-fi ghting alternatives
CHEW ON THIS
After three years in development, musician, interior designer, and style icon Lenny Kravitz’s Los Angeles–based, vegan, cruelty-free, and recycle-ready dental care line TWICE just launched, with clean formulas such as nano-hydroxyapatite Oral Wellness Toothpaste ($7, target.com) and alcohol-free, nano-silver and coconut oil–spiked Oral Wellness Immunity Rinse ($15, smiletwice.com). So how did Grammywinner Kravitz become a chief creative o cer for teeth? Co-founders Cody and Julian Levine’s father, Jonathan Levine, DMD, is Kravitz’s dentist, and the two are committed to bringing health and dental care to those in need—10% of TWICE’s profi ts go to the GLO Good Foundation to provide free dental care and education to under-resourced areas such as Kravitz’s beloved Bahamas. Every year, GLO Good partners with Kravitz’s Let Love Rule Foundation to sponsor a free medical and dental clinic in Gregory Town. In 2019, 1,200 Gregory Town adults and children were treated by over 75 volunteers. Now that’s something to smile about.—NING CHAO
SMOKE AND MIRRORS MIRRORS
Summer is wildfi re season in California, Summer is wildfi re season in California, and this year’s fl ame forecast is alarming. Scentless and invisible, airborne smoke particles can travel thousands of miles and cause infl ammation and speed up aging, especially in the skin, according to a UC San Francisco study published last summer in JAMADermatology. Pour Moi Smoke Alarm Drops ($45, pourmoiskincare.com) contain moss stem cells, organic hemp seed oil, and Swiss stone pine extract “to hydrate and create a shield-like sunscreen, catching every smoke particle so it doesn’t penetrate the epidermis,” explains Ulli Haslacher, who founded Pour Moi’s climate-targeted line in San Bernadino fi ve years ago (fun fact: while Pasadena qualifi es as desert, coastal cities like Santa Monica have humidity and are considered monsoon desert). An independent 2022 study shows that Smoke Alarm Drops have 100% e cacy on the epidermis and dermis and protect from all types of smoke (think fi replace, tobacco). The serum can be mixed with moisturizer, sunscreen, or makeup, or applied directly on skin. Consider it fi re insurance for your face. —N.C.
BUG IN THE SYSTEM
→The invasive Aedes mosquito is here to stay, surging in population during summertime and more aggressive than previous species. If your bites have become immune to cortisone or calamine, Pasadena-based Banish skincare o ers an itch-fi ghting alternative. Fighter Gel ($39, banish.com) not only works on acne but also bug bites, using aloe, arnica, peppermint, and antioxidants like green tea and gotu kola to soothe redness, swelling, and infl ammation. →The Organic Skin Co.’s Task Force Nine ($30, theorganicskinco.com) is another option, with turmeric and calendula to calm eczema rashes as well as insect bites.
→For those who need to physically restrain themselves from scratching, the two Australian dads who introduced BuzzPatch mosquito repellent stickers now have MagicPatch, which uses kinesiology technology (like the therapeutic tape athletes swear by) to lymphatically drain itch-inducing mosquito saliva ($36 for three packs of 27 patches, naturalpatch. com). The patches are chemical free and waterproof, promising up to seven days of scratchless protection. —N.C.
ASK THE EXPERT
JOHN C. LIPHAM, MD
ACID REFLUX: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Q: What’s the one thing you wish that every patient knew?
The one thing I wish every person knew, whether they’re my patient or not, is that heartburn is not a harmless annoyance. Chronic acid refl ux can lead to real damage to the esophagus and even cancer. About 30 percent of Americans have acid refl ux, and most don’t understand how serious it can be.
Q: Do you recommend over-the-counter antacids for acid refl ux?
I don’t for everyone, and not for long term. Antacids mask your symptoms—which means they can be masking the warning signs that something is wrong. Antacids reduce the amount of acid in your stomach, but they don’t stop the refl ux itself. Fluids from the stomach still refl ux up into the esophagus and still cause damage. There’s no real warning sign that something is wrong until you have trouble swallowing. But at that point, a tumor is likely already at stage 3 or 4. You don’t want that. Esophageal cancer is very treatable if you catch it early on.
Q: What should a patient with chronic refl ux do?
I recommend a screening endoscopy. That allows us to spot a potential problem early on. If you can get your refl ux under control with diet and lifestyle changes and have no damage, great. Leave it alone and come back for another screening endoscopy in three to fi ve years. If we catch something in the pre-cancerous or even early invasive cancer stage, we can treat it endoscopically, without the need for surgery. If we catch something at a later stage, we have much better options than were available to patients even 10 years ago. Minimally invasive or robotic surgical techniques allow us to get the same or better results as a traditional open surgery with much less time in the hospital and a much easier recovery.
Q: What about patients who can’t control refl ux with diet and lifestyle changes?
For those patients, we have plenty of options—some of which our program took the lead in developing. We have the LINX device and other minimally invasive options where we can fi x the valve, stop the refl ux, and get you off long-term medications. Many of these procedures are outpatient—they take just an hour to perform, and the recovery time is short. We’re also actively running clinical trials for new techniques.
Q: What about your program are you most proud of?
Three heads are better than one, and that’s what you get with us. We take a multidisciplinary team approach, which means we work closely with other experts—gastroenterologists, oncologists, and radiation oncologists—to make sure every patient gets a personalized plan and the right care. I am also proud of our volume. We have one of the highest volumes for refl ux and esophageal cancer procedures on the West Coast. For surgery programs, there’s a direct relationship between a higher volume and positive outcomes. With a high volume, there’s just more likelihood that you’ve seen everything and you’re ready for anything. When everyone on the team is highly experienced, you get the best possible care. We make sure everyone gets personal care from a team of experts.
Upper GI and General Surgery Keck Medicine of USC 1450 San Pablo Street, Suite 6200 Los Angeles, CA 90033
