FDA is alerting consumers of Saniderm Products and UVT Inc.’s voluntary recall of Saniderm Advanced Hand Sanitizer. Following FDA’s recommendation, two distributors – Saniderm Products and UVT – agreed to recall Saniderm Advanced Hand Sanitizer packaged in 1-liter plastic bottles and labeled with “Made in Mexico” and “Produced by: Eskbiochem SA de CV.”

The UVT hand sanitizer is labeled with lot number 0530 and an expiration date of 04/2022. The Saniderm Products hand sanitizer is labeled with lot number 53131626 and “Manufactured on April/1/20.”

FDA advises consumers not to use any hand sanitizer manufactured by Eskbiochem SA de CV in Mexico, due to the potential presence of methanol (wood alcohol), a substance that can be toxic when absorbed through the skin or ingested. FDA has identified the following products manufactured by Eskbiochem:

• All-Clean Hand Sanitizer (NDC: 74589-002-01) Esk Biochem Hand Sanitizer (NDC: 74589-007-01)
• CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 75% Alcohol (NDC: 74589-008-04)
• Lavar 70 Gel Hand Sanitizer (NDC: 74589-006-01)
• The Good Gel Antibacterial Gel Hand Sanitizer (NDC: 74589-010-10)
• CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 80% Alcohol (NDC: 74589-005-03)
• CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 75% Alcohol (NDC: 74589-009-01)
• CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 80% Alcohol (NDC: 74589-003-01)
• Saniderm Advanced Hand Sanitizer (NDC: 74589-001-01)

FDA tested samples of Lavar Gel and CleanCare No Germ. Lavar Gel contains 81 percent (v/v) methanol and no ethyl alcohol, and CleanCare No Germ contains 28 percent (v/v) methanol. Methanol is not an acceptable ingredient for hand sanitizers and should not be used due to its toxic effects.

Consumers who have been exposed to hand sanitizer containing methanol should seek immediate treatment, which is critical for potential reversal of toxic effects of methanol poisoning. Substantial methanol exposure can result in nausea, vomiting, headache, blurred vision, permanent blindness, seizures, coma, permanent damage to the nervous system or death. Although all persons using these products on their hands are at risk, young children who accidently ingest these products and adolescents and adults who drink these products as an alcohol (ethanol) substitute, are most at risk for methanol poisoning.

On June 17, 2020, FDA contacted Eskbiochem to recommend the company remove its hand sanitizer products from the market due to the risks associated with methanol poisoning. To date, the company has not taken action to remove these potentially dangerous products from the market. Therefore, FDA recommends consumers stop using these hand sanitizers and dispose of them immediately in appropriate hazardous waste containers. Do not flush or pour these products down the drain.

FDA reminds consumers to wash their hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after coughing, sneezing, or blowing one’s nose. If soap and water are not readily available, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend consumers use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent ethanol.

FDA remains vigilant and will continue to take action when quality issues arise with hand sanitizers. Additionally, the agency is concerned with false and misleading claims for hand sanitizers, for example that they can provide prolonged protection such as 24-hours against viruses including COVID-19, since there is no evidence to support these claims.

To date, FDA is not aware of any reports of adverse events associated with these hand sanitizer products. FDA encourages health care professionals, consumers and patients to report adverse events or quality problems experienced with the use of hand sanitizers to FDA’s MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program:

Source: US Food and Drug Administration July 2020

Good skin care involves more than just your face. Many users of washes, moisturizers and skin rejuvenation products apply them only to the visible regions of the face. Have you forgotten to take care of your neck while focusing on your face? Here are a few things which may help…..

Nourish Your Neck
Have you noticed that your skin is starting to look a bit dull? When the harsh summer sun gives way to the dryness of indoor heat, your skin may also turn dry and dull. Smooth your moisturizer and/or hydrator down past the collarbone area to keep both neck and décolleté soft and firm.

Protect It
Apply sunscreen every day! We recommend sunscreens that contain zinc oxide >6% which protects you from burns, skin cancers, and premature aging. Even while indoors or driving, you are exposed to UV (under fluorescent lighting, through windows, etc.) Over the years, sun exposure/burn can lead to dark spots, wrinkles, and skin laxity. Apply to face, neck, and décolleté. Physician-grade sunscreens include the following: Elta MD has several formulations of sunscreen with zinc oxide >9%; Eraclea 4 in 1 has 20.5% zinc oxide; ISDN Eryfotona has 11% zinc oxide and is formulated not only to protect but also to repair sun damage.

Moisturizers
Over the counter moisturizers for the neck include Cerave Moisturizing Cream, Cetaphil Restoraderm, and Neutrogena Hydro Boost. Physician-grade moisturizers (from physicians’ offices and not over-the-counter) include Sorbolene, Avene Xeracalm Balm, Sente Dermal Repair (see below), Skinbetter Face and Neck Cream, and Skin Better Trio.

Sente Dermal Repair Cream is another great moisturizing option. This product contains Heparan Sulfate Analog (in the same family as injectable hyaluronic acid fillers), a revolutionary repairing molecule that helps reduce redness, delivers deep hydration, and support the skin’s ability to repair itself. In a clinical study, 100% of subjects had increased skin hydration starting from week 2 through study completion at week 8. 73% of subjects showed improvements in fine lines and wrinkles at week 8.

Hydrators
How are moisturization and hydration different? Simply put, hydration equals water, and moisture equals oil. If your skin is dehydrated, it is lacking water. To hydrate your skin, drinking plenty of water is key. Reminder that drinking caffeine dehydrates. Topical hydration products that are physician-grade include Eraclea Hydration Serum.

Firm Up
Apply products specifically made for the neck. They can nourish as well as regenerate. Physician-grade products include Sente Neck Firming Cream, which is formulated with patented Heparan Sulfate Analog (HSA) technology ((in the same family as injectable hyaluronic acid fillers) to rapidly and profoundly hydrate and strengthen the skin’s natural ability to repair itself. This cream improves the appearance of crepey skin and horizontal neck lines. It also contains caffeine, an ingredient known to help tighten and brighten the skin.

Get Even
For fading dark spots, use a physician-grade brightener such as Eraclea Reveal (containing Nicinamide PC, Synovea® HR a safe and effective hexylresorcinol that is used as a skin lightener and is clinically proven to be four-times more effective than Hydroquinone. Licorice Extract – used for its antioxidant and lightening properties. Kojic Acid is used as a skin toner and lightener.) or SkinBetter Even Tone. Even Tone, featuring the patented a ground-breaking, non-hydroquinone, non-retinol formula that delivers a visibly dramatic reduction in the appearance of hyperpigmentation.

Smooth Those Lines
Retrinals and Retin-A are the best to smooth wrinkles. Apply in the evening to help exfoliate and stimulate collagen. Consider a physician grade skin smoothing cream like SkinBetter AlphaRet. AlphaRet is the latest innovation in retinoid renewal delivering remarkable results, with little-to-no irritation compared to other retinoids and retinoid-based products.

Posture
Be aware of your posture as you read your smart phone or work at the computer. Constantly bending your head down can exaggerate wrinkles. Try sleeping on your back so you don’t press wrinkles into your cheeks or chest.

FOR ADVANCED NECK CARE….

Pelleve radio-frequcncy treatments can firm and tighten the skin. This is an in-office procedure with very minimal downtime. See before and after pics here

Kybella treatments can permanently remove fat and produce secondary tightening of skin. This is an in-office injection performed by Dr Moore.

For more information, simply ask your Provider at your next office visit or call Pat at 817-795-7546 ext 304 or orders@acderm.com

Eczema is not just a childhood disease. Adults can get any type of eczema, including atopic dermatitis (AD), even though many people consider eczema only a childhood disease. Eczema can occur at any stage of life. A peak time for developing adult-onset AD is in your 50s.

For some children, the AD never goes away, so it’s a lifelong disease. This happened to Peter Moffat, the award-winning writer of the British TV series Criminal Justice. You can read about how AD affects his life by going to: Adults with eczema too often suffer in silence.

Even if you had AD as a child, your skin can look and feel differently when you have AD as an adult. That’s actually one of the most striking differences between AD in adults and AD in children.

In adults, the skin tends to be extremely dry and scaly where the AD appears. If you’ve had AD for years, patches of your skin may be thick, leathery, and darker (or lighter) than the surrounding skin. Years of scratching causes this. The thickened skin can itch all the time. Adults also tend to get AD on different parts of their bodies than do children. When an adult has AD, it’s most likely to form in one or more of these areas:

• Backs of the knees
• Crooks of the elbows
• Back of the neck
• Face

Adults, unlike children, often have AD around their eyes. You’ll often see thickened, darker skin circling the eyes, as shown in the picture on this page. The skin around the eyes also tends to be very itchy.

AD shows up with many of the following symptoms in both adults and children:

• Appear anywhere on the skin
• Be intensely itchy
• Cause sleep loss due to the itch
• Make you feel depressed, anxious, or both
• Lead to skin infections
• Increase your risk of developing asthma, hay fever, and other allergies
• Decrease your quality of life if left untreated

The numbers are showing that more children and adults are developing AD than ever before. Dermatologists are not sure why this increase in AD cases is happening. What they have discovered is that AD can worsen without treatment. While AD causes some obvious signs and symptoms, other types of eczema can cause intensely itchy patches of skin. These include:

• Nummular eczema
• Neurodermatitis
• Hand eczema
• Dyshidrotic eczema
• Pityriasis alba

Each of these skin conditions requires different treatment, so it’s important to know which one you have. By seeing a board-certified dermatologist, you’ll get the expertise you need for an accurate diagnosis. A dermatologist can also create a treatment plan tailored to your individual needs. And that can bring welcomed relief.

Dr. Moore treats atopic dermatitis and may have a clinical trial with free medicine and treatment. Please ask about this on your next visit in our office.
(Source AAD.org)

Psoriasis, a condition that manifests with itchy raised areas of red skin that often scale and flake, has been found to affect more than 8 million people in the US. These red, scaly bumpy growths of skin often appear on the scalp, knees, elbows, face or other parts of the body and are often quite painful. Many patients suffer most from the appearance of plaque psoriasis, feeling rejected or distanced by other people afraid of this non-contagious skin disease.

Newer treatments called biologics are restricted for use for about 25% of Psoriasis patients with extreme manifestations of the disease. Only about 6% of psoriasis patients use biologic treatments. These treatments involve injections and can have severe side affects as these treatments lower the ability of your immune system to fight off other disease.

Topical treatments for psoriasis are used by about 90% of patients. There has been no new mechanism of action for topical treatment of psoriasis for over 20 years. Just recently new studies have shown promise for a new medication for the topical treatment of psoriasis.

The New England Journal of Medicine has published in its July 2020 issue that a new topical cream called Roflumilast has shown positive results in treatment of plaque psoriasis. Patients with moderate psoriasis treated with a 0.3% cream or a 0.15% cream experienced an almost clear condition after 6 weeks of treatment (28% and 23% of patients respectively). Patients with mild cases of psoriasis experienced a clear state of skin after 12 weeks of use the 0.3% cream (93% of these cases). Ninety-seven percent of adverse reactions were rated mild or moderate in severity.

These initial test results show positive potential for a new and effective once-daily topical treatment for psoriasis patients with mild to moderate cases of the disease. The product seems well tolerated and is significantly successful in reducing or removing psoriasis without injections or immunity suppression.

Dr. Moore and her research team are enrolling patients in Arcutis Clinical Trials for this new topical treatment of psoriasis. This same medication is being tested with other inflammatory skin conditions such as Seborrheic Dermatitis and Atopic Dermatitis. Please contact our Clinical Trials (click here) department if you or someone you know might be a candidate for this free treatment. Contact us at 817-795-7546 extension 339
(Source New England Journal of Medicine, July 2020)

Skin Lightening Products May Contain Dangerous Levels of Mercury

Skin-lightening products containing mercury are illegal in the US. But they are available, and dangerous. A recent report from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) highlighted the alarming trend of illegal skin lighteners from other countries that are being sold and used in the United States.

A 47-year-old Mexican American woman living in California presented with dysesthesias (abnormal sensations such as burning, electric shock, or a general tightening around the body) and weakness in her arms. Over the next 2 weeks, she began experiencing dysarthria, blurry vision, and gait unsteadiness. She was hospitalized and developed agitated delirium. Two weeks after admission, screening blood and urine tests showed mercury concentrations exceeding the upper limit of quantification. It was discovered the woman had been applying, twice per day for seven years, a skin-lightening cream from Mexico. An analysis showed the cream contained 12,000 parts per million (ppm) of mercury. (The maximum allowable limit for mercury in cosmetic products, per FDA regulations is 1 ppm.) Despite treatment, the woman’s condition deteriorated. According to the report, she is unable to verbalize or care for herself and requires tube feeding for nutritional support.

Patients should be aware that mercury-containing skin lightening products exist and should be avoided when selecting and using skin-lightening products.

The American Academy of Dermatology has issued warnings regarding skin lightening substances that contain mercury.

Please consult with your dermatology provider if you are using a skin lightener or are considering to be begin use.

Source: Dermatology World, April 2020