Skincare Walk of Shame

Has your skin taken a beating after those late night holiday parties? Do you find yourself waking up the next morning with mascara smeared under your eyes, and probably your pillow, and think “oh no, I didn’t remove my makeup or cleanse my face last night”? It happens to the best of us, and of course I am going to scold you and tell you not to do it again! But here are some tips on how to make it up to your skin the next day.

My first suggestion of course in instances like these is to come see me for a customized facial, but since I can’t see all of you on January 1st, because I know how you party animals will be living it up this New Years Eve, here are some other tips.

• Cleanse with the Clarisonic. The Clarisonic cleanses 6x more effectively than manual cleansing and allows for greater absorption of serums and moisturizers
• Exfoliate your skin, preferably with an enzyme exfoliant, or something that has a small amount of lactic acid or a glycolic/lactic blend. Let it sit on the skin 3-5 minutes before rinsing so it has some time to eat through that build up
• Apply an antioxidant serum, such as products with Vitamin C or Idebenone (aka Co-Q10) which fight free radicals and brighten the skin
• Re-hydrate, apply a moisturizer with hyaluronic acid, or sodium hyaluronate, it binds water up to 1,000 times its weight
• Eat fruits and vegetables – Specifically berries like blueberries, blackberries, goji berries and cherries are loaded with antioxidants which brighten your skin
• Osmosis harmonized waters improve health at a cellular level. Take 2 oz of the Digestive Health and 2oz of the Hangover Water before you go to bed and when you wake up in the morning. It will minimize hangover symptoms and normalize your body. For information visit http://www.osmosisskincare.com/HarmonizedWaters.aspx

Don’t forget to drink lots of water after those crazy nights out too. Your skin is the last organ to get any of the water you’re drinking, so just because the headache and nausea went away doesn’t mean you got enough! Have a happy and safe New Years!

Give Thanks…For Your Skin!

Last week I drove by a Christmas tree lot and as much as I LOVE Christmas, the first thought that came to my mind was “Wasn’t Halloween just last week?!” Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, not just because of all the amazing food I get to guiltlessly shovel in my mouth (we all know holiday calories don’t count), but because its a time to reflect on this past year and bring to light all the things that I am thankful for in my life.  Let’s slow down the Christmas excitement and use this Thanksgiving holiday to reflect on all of our blessings this season.  And as you do let me remind you to be thankful for your incredible skin!

As the largest organ in your body, not only does is cover your bones, internal organs, and muscles keeping all of them safe and secure from trauma, but it regulates your body temperature, helps keep bacteria and diseases away, excretes waste material, and allows you to feel sensations like touch, pain, hot, and cold!  It take the abuse to protect your internal organs and then heals itself so it can do it again the next time you fall off that bike or trip over the ledge on an uneven side walk.

So, if you happen to burn yourself on that hot roasting pan as you cook your holiday bird, remember to be grateful that your skin is there to protect you.

Happy Thankgiving!

Repairing Summer Skin – Part 2

Now that you’ve learned about some options to get your skin back in shape and are ready to take the next step and start a professional treatment series, let’s talk about how to make the most out of those treatments!

Pre and Post Care for Professional Treatments

Having a good pre-treatment and post treatment regimen is very important.  What you do at home is going to be 70% of your end results.

First we start with prepping your skin to get the most out of the treatment.  A lot of variables go into how your skin will react to microdermabrasion and peels and easing your skin into them will not only get you the best result, but will also help prevent any negative reactions.  You’ll want to talk to a skin professional prior to starting your treatment to determine the best regimen for your skin, but it will likely consist of skin lighteners, retinols, light enzymes, and/or low levels of Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA’s) like glycolic or lactic acid.  Depending on your skin, your current regimen, and the type of treatment you decide on, your pre-treatment regimen should start anywhere from 7-21 days prior to your first treatment

Following your treatment be prepared to avoid the Sun and any heat for at least 24 hours, as well as any heavy makeup (all makeup should be avoided if possible).  For 72 hours post treatment you will want to avoid any retinols, AHA’s, and harsh ingredients such as hydroquinone.  Next make sure you are wearing an SPF of at least 30 DAILY.   This is now found in most daily moisturizers making it super convenient to make sure you’re covered.  This is the most important product to have post treatment.  If you don’t protect your skin after a deep resurfacing treatment you are allowing more damage to get to it.  Not only are you reversing the effects of the treatment you just shelled out your hard earned money for, but you are potentially causing more damage to come.

Results Driven Skin Care

I recommend using skin care lines that are labeled as cosmeceuticals.  Cosmeceuticals contain ingredients that are able to penetrate deeper into the skin delivering nutrients to the dermal layer where those live cells live and can influence the biological function of the skin.  If your products aren’t making it to the dermal layer they are doing very little for you, because they are working on cells that are dying or are already dead and are unable to change.  You’ll find these products at most day spas or salons, and they all offer different advantages and disadvantages so do your homework or talk to someone you trust before you stock up on something.  Just because it looks pretty and smells good, it might not be the best option for you.

Many products tell you they are for pigmentation, wrinkles, or brightening, etc., but there are specific ingredients you can look for to know they’re going to give you results.  For instance, if you are targeting pigmentation, look for a product that contains kojic acid, bearberry, and/or licorice root as those ingredients target pigmentation and are natural lighteners.  If you are targeting wrinkles you will want to add peptides and/or Retinol to your regimen.  Antioxidants such as Vitamin C, Idebenone (or Co-Q10), Green Tea Extracts, and Hyaluronic Acid are going to help even out skin tone, camouflage redness, and brighten skin by fighting free radicals that constantly attack the skin.   Many of them also help boost the protection of sunscreens as well when applied to the skin first.

Ready to get that bright, healthy glow back?  Restore and repair that damaged skin now and wow your family and friends this holiday season!  Mention this blog post and receive 20% OFF any treatment with me through the month of November!

Repairing Summer Skin – Part 1

The sun is setting sooner, the nights are getting cooler, we’re back to work, back to school, and back to our everyday schedules….it all must mean one thing: the dogs days of summer are over!  Now we’re looking in the mirror seeing all the damage we did to our skin while basking in the warm sun at the beach for the last three months.  The dullness, the dryness, the uneven skin tone, pigmentation, and all those dreaded signs of aging – wrinkles, laxity, etc.

With the Holidays fast approaching its time to repair that damage and get that luminous skin back before the parties start to roll in.  But how do I do that you ask?  Imperfections such as sun spots, scars, fine lines and blemishes often only affect the top layers of skin, so by removing those layers we help to remove those imperfections.  With those layers gone we can deliver antioxidants, peptides, and nutrients into the dermal layer where the live cells are found that are able to cause a change in your skin quickly and more effectively.  Microdermabrasion and Chemical Peels are deep resurfacing treatments that do just that.  Read on to find out more about them.

Microdermabrasion

Microdermabrasion is a gentle mechanical resurfacing treatment that uses aluminum oxide crystals and a machine to remove the top layer of skin.  This treatment removes the dead skin cells that build up on the surface of your skin which cause that dull, lackluster look and prevent the beneficial ingredients from your products from getting deeper into the skin.  The skin interprets the removal of this top layer of skin as an injury and quickly sends new healthy cells to replace the lost ones.  During this process the skins visible imperfections such as sun damage, fine lines, and blemishes are diminished and the beneficial ingredients from your products are able to penetrate more effectively.  Repeat treatments influence the way the lower layers of skin grow and remove deeper imperfections over time.  So expect to have this treatment done in a series anywhere from 7-21 days apart.

Light Chemical Peels

There are many different types of peel options, but all of them essentially do the same thing, like Microdermabrasion they erase skin imperfections by removing layers of damaged skin.  Peels are a less abrasive method than microdermabrasion but a much more active one.  Enzyme peels are my favorite, but are the mildest of the options.  Enzymes eat away at the cells to remove them; imagine a little pac man munching away on that top layer.  Many Enzymes come from Fruits (Papaya, Pumpkin, and Pineapple are a few) so this is often a great option for clients who are looking for organic treatments.  AHA Peels, or Alpha Hydroxy Acids, include Lactic, Glycolic, Malic and Tartaric Peels.  AHA’s dissolve the glue that hold the cells together to remove that top layer.  Your skin care goals and needs, skin sensitivity, and lifestyle, will determine on which Peel is best for you.  These light chemical peels may cause light peeling or flaking that could last anywhere from 3-5 days, but because they are mild, like Microdermabrasion, will typically require more than one treatment to achieve the desired result.

Medium/Deep Peels

You’ve done Microdermabrasion, you’ve done Light Peels and you still haven’t seen the results your want? It might be time to try something stronger.  TCA Peels, or Trichloroacetic Acid, is a stronger peel that will penetrate deeper and cause more drastic results.  With a TCA Peel expect at least a week of down time, as your face will begin to shed the skin 1-3 days post peel and the intense peeling often last 3-5 days.  For some, one TCA peel is enough, for others they will do two or three every 1 to 3 months apart.  A Jessners Peel, which is a blend of Lactic Acid, Salicylic Acid, and Resorcinol, can also deliver similar results, or be combined with a TCA or AHA peel to achieve a deeper peel.

To determine the best resurfacing treatment for yourself you should speak with a skin care professional to discuss your skin concerns, skin care history, daily skin care regimen and current lifestyle.