Positive Health Online

Today we face the challenge of chronic conditions that modern life has created. Heat, dust, pollution, stress and long working hours in air-conditioned surroundings have made it tough to maintain and defend our health and beauty. To worsen the situation, a number of toxic chemicals are being indiscriminately used in regular cosmetic products which most of us swear by. It's proven scientifically that chemicals in cosmetics are linked to disorders like dermatoid allergies, cancer and birth defects. Most of these chemicals are not listed by manufacturers in the ingredients list. Phthalates, parabens, toulene, diethanolamine, sodium lauryl sulphate top the charts of the harmful chemicals in cosmetic products. As a customer we fail to look beyond the media hype when a product is launched and are largely unaware of the presence of such chemicals in our creams, lotions and shampoo. These cosmetics in which we place our trust for healing our body actually damage it irreparably. Artificial cosmetics blemish rather than replenish the skin in the long run.

Natural is the Way to Go

Natural cosmetics whose worth was not gauged earlier have become relevant today. Natural cosmetic ingredients are those which are obtained directly from nature or derived from something found naturally. Natural ingredients have a large potential of healing without any side-effects. One such natural ingredient whose potential is not fully realized is oil from chicken’s egg yolk. Egg oil also has its reference in Alchemy (originated circa 400 BC) in regard to its effectiveness in regeneration of skin and cell membranes. Egg yolk oil (Oleova®) mainly contains triglycerides with cholesterol and phospholipids. The star ingredients of egg yolk oil are Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids a.k.a. the poly unsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). These are classified as the essential fatty acids since the human body cannot synthesize them and they need to be supplemented from outside.

Be Egged With Egg Oil (Oleova®)

Egg oil is a miracle ingredient that nature has blessed us with. It works wonders for both cosmetic applications like hair care, skin care, anti ageing and also for medicinal applications like treatment of burns and wounds.

Glow Natural

Skin is the largest organ of the body. Any chemical applied on skin will find the largest surface area to enter the body. A very simple test to see how readily our skin absorbs, rub garlic on the sole of your feet and within 20 minutes the odour fills the mouth! From the skin the chemical readily enters the bloodstream. Majority of these chemicals are toxic and many are carcinogenic. So by using artificial cosmetics on skin we are simply loading our body with toxins.

Egg oil makes for an excellent ingredient in a skin cream formulation. It is an excellent emollient and has the properties of a moisturizer because of which it is used in a variety of cosmetic preparations such as creams, ointments and lotions. It helps the texture, lubricating and anti-friction properties of these creams and lotions. It is also a penetration enhancer which makes it an important ingredient in sun-screen products. Egg oil acts as a compatible dermatological agent. With fine spreading, it reduces the scaling effect of many cosmetic formulations, thus helping to avoid heat congestion. Testing indicates that egg oil exhibits anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. As an occlusive agent, egg oil protects against dehydration without disturbing the pores and is easily incorporated in topical preparations since it forms stable oil in water emulsions. Thus egg oil has a dramatic ability to nourish, moisturize and improve the condition of the skin.

Returning to the Roots

Everyday our hair are exposed to dust and pollution. Chemical treatments like colouring, rebonding, perming further adversely affect hair. To get beautiful, long and healthy hair seems like a dream. Egg oil can help make this dream come true. In Indian, Japanese, Chinese and the 2000 year old Unani-tibb or Greek system of medicine (Roghan Baiza Murgh), egg oil was traditionally used as a treatment for hair care. The properties of egg oil create the needed impact on dull and dry hair. Egg oil helps the hair to recreate itself and maintains the texture of hair with the presence of the important elements. Egg oil is an excellent natural hair nutrient for dry scalp which nourishes hair and promotes growth of healthy hair giving natural softness. It is ideal for use in hair care since as it acts as a humectants drawing moisture in as it conditions. Egg oil averts falling of hair, prevents premature greying and strengthens hair with regular use.  It has superior nourishing and conditioning property which help in reducing the onset of premature hair loss. Egg oil also promotes the growth of new hair by nourishing the hair roots.

Who’s Counting? - Stay Young Forever

Ageing may be inevitable, but the rate at which one ages is in one’s hands. While it is true that genes may be partially responsible for determining the time at which ageing could start, ‘nature’ and ‘nurture’ are the key to slow down the process.  Cells, the most basic body unit, are at the centre of any discussion about ageing. Except for the cells of the heart, nerves, and muscles which cannot reproduce, all other cells have short life spans and are continually replaced by new cells in the body. Over time, cell death outpaces cell production, leaving the body with fewer cells.

As a result, we are less capable of repairing the wear and tear on the body and our immune system is compromised. We become more susceptible to infections and less proficient at seeking out and destroying mutant cells that could cause cancerous tumours.

Free radicals are destructive marauders roving the body, ready to pounce on healthy cells. They are produced as part of the millions of chemical reactions the body performs to sustain life. Our body also makes them in response to environmental toxins such as excessive amounts of unprotected sunlight and cigarette smoke. As unbalanced, reactive oxygen species (ROS), they sacrifice healthy cells to make themselves more stable. In doing so, free radicals destroy or alter the DNA - the cell's genetic blueprint - and disrupt many other cell functions. Free radicals may kill cells as a result of their marauding, or they may give rise to mutant cells that can lead to chronic conditions including cancer and heart disease. Fortunately, the body maintains a sophisticated defence system against free radicals comprising of enzymes like catalase, which destroy the free radicals.

Egg Oil influences the production and sequestering of free radicals. In a scientific study done on human skin cells, it was found that after 24 h Egg Oil-treated cells produced less ROS. Egg oil increases the production of catalase which acts as a scavenger of free radicals or ROS. Also, Egg oil stimulates breathing of cells. Cells incubated with egg oil overnight showed an increase in oxygen consumption. More oxygen means more energy for the cell.

Studies have shown that Egg oil stimulates re-epithelialization. In an experiment, skin cells were grown to confluency and a rim was left free of cells. On incubating with Egg oil for two days, this previously cell-free area was covered by growing cells. Hence, a speeding up of cell growth was observed.

Whenever there is any injury or infection, inflammation ensues. Inflammation is a protective attempt by the organism to remove the injurious stimuli and to initiate the healing process. Redness, heat or fever and swelling are all signals for the white blood cells to gear up for action. The major mediator of inflammatory response is a molecule called interleukin 8 or IL 8. Egg oil has been found to stimulate the release of IL 8.

Burned for Life?-Not Anymore with Egg Oil

A burn injury is one of the most complicated, painful and worst injuries one can suffer. Skin protects us from harmful elements and microbes.  It also protects internal body tissues against injury. The skin helps the human body regulate its body temperature through the process of perspiration, and it also has thousands of nerve endings that allow us to feel temperature and pressure.  When damaged, these functions are severely impaired which causes severe pain and discomfort to the injured person.  Severe burn injuries can also leave the human body more susceptible to infection and diseases. Survivors of burn accident suffer from extraordinary psychological trauma due to physical disfigurement apart from the physical pain. For many the ordeal is too much to survive through. The incidence of suicide among burn victims is quite high. Those who do survive the physical and psychological torture are scarred for life and needless to say that this whole process is arduous for them.

Egg oil is a life saver for burn patients. It is a natural emollient and can be used externally on burns. It reduces pain and aids faster healing by re-epithelialization keeping the wound sterile due to its anti-bacterial action. It is also a useful first aid treatment for immediate pain relief and prevention of blisters. The essential fatty acids of the yolk are responsible for the reduction in catabolism as well as increased matrix synthesis and promotion of new skin growth. This minimizes the scar formation. As opposed to skin grafting, egg oil does not change the texture of the new skin. It is also useful in treating burns caused by radiations such as those caused during cancer treatment.

These properties of egg oil make it suitable for treatment of wounds as well. Egg oil has been used in treating wounds and injuries since centuries. Ambroise Paré used a solution of egg yolk, oil of roses, and turpentine for war wounds, an old method that the Romans had discovered 1000 years before him. He published his first book The method of curing wounds caused by arquebus and firearms in 1545.

How to Get Egg Oil?

Among other processes, one way of extracting oil from eggs is a cold process technology without the use of any chemicals, which preserves the therapeutic properties of the egg oil thus making it very suitable for several applications in dermatology and cosmetology. Mumbai-based biotechnology research firm VAV Life Sciences has developed the technology and the product Oleova® is available in the market. Additionally, Oleova® is free of egg proteins and therefore can be used easily even by people who are allergic to eggs.