Month: June 2018

Vitamin D for Your Skin

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“Vitamin D is only manufactured in one place- the skin. As people age, the skin’s ability to produce vitamin D declines. Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to chronic skin conditions, such as rosacea, eczema and psoriasis. Heavy wrinkling on the face and body results as people bone density due to lack of vitamin D.” Celeste Hilling, Skin Inc.

Now that we know how important vitamin D is, how do we get more of it? You’ll find it in foods like salmon, tuna, cheese and mushrooms. They add it to products like cereal, milk and yogurt. Here is the downside of that…less than 1% of what is ingested makes its way to the skin. So it seems that trying to get more of it internally is not the answer.

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The sun. This is the best way to get vitamin D but now you have to worry about the negatives of sun exposure. The body will make vitamin D when it is directly exposed to the sun. It does not work through windows and is less effective on cloudy days.

So find your balance. Wear appropriate clothing, apply SPF (at least 15) and enjoy the outdoors. We are very lucky in southern California, we get a lot of sun year round. Be responsible but get your vitamin D. It’s good for your skin. It’s good for your body.

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Do You Know Why You Use a Toner?

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I always ask my clients this question when I’m going through their routine or explaining a new one. So many don’t know. I didn’t until it was properly explained to me because they (advertisers) make it all so confusing. I’m going to break it down for you…

The #1 reason to use a toner is to remove the excess cleanser from your skin.

That’s it. That means it is a pretty important step and should not be skipped. Of course, some toners provide other benefits but you only need to remember that reason. If you look at your cotton square after you use the toner, often you will see dirt, oil and/or makeup on it. That is why you ALWAYS use toner. If your face is not completely clean before you apply your serums, moisturizers, etc then you could cause breakouts.

Skin Script has a great toner that I love and use everyday. My clients love the smell.

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Beauty Mistakes

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1. Your foundation should match your face and your neck. Since your neck is often a different color than your face, blend your foundation down so there is an illusion of flawlessness.

2. French Manicures- It’s important to change up your look to keep you looking young and fresh. So if you’ve been wearing that french manicure since the prom, it might be time to give it up.

3. Your lip liner should never be visible, should you decide you even need to wear it. Most of time you can skip this step though.

4. Public grooming is a definite no-no! I remember walking into a Sears outlet one time and the sales guy was cutting his fingernails in the middle of all the washers and dryers. Not a joke. So gross. Some things need to be done at home! This includes brushing your hair. Keep this at home or in the bathroom. It always surprises me when I see people brushing their hair in a restaurant.

5. Bronzer is supposed to make you look sun-kissed, not look like you got smacked in the face with the sun. 🙂 A little goes a long way. Orange is not a bronzer.

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6. My mom always taught me to never leave the house with a chipped manicure or pedicure and I have followed that rule. I admit that I haven’t listened to everything mom has said but this seemed like a good one.

7. Over-tanning is dangerous. Tanning is dangerous. Bad for aging, bad for your health. Skip it and get a spray tan instead.

8. Mascara should not be clumpy or flaky. Applying 3-4 coats does not make your lashes look better, it makes them look messy. Find a good mascara that you can use with 1-2 coats. Tammy Faye Baker did not have the right idea! Do the opposite!!

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Is Mom’s Beauty Advice Right?

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Things have changed a lot since the 50’s and what women could do then, we can’t necessarily get away with now. Plus, we know so much more about skin and we have access to vital ingredients that will help us age. Of course, some women are just blessed with good skin and are able to not do anything to their skin and still age gracefully. Just because this was your mom, doesn’t mean this will be you. And you may not know until the damage is done.

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Here are some tips that mom may have given you…

1. Cold Cream is Best- That just isn’t true anymore. We know that retinoids and peptides can stimulate collagen, that antioxidants prevent free-radical damage and the breakdown of collagen and elastin, and that sunscreens prevent damage from ultraviolet light. Cold cream doesn’t contain these types of ingredients.

2. Use Vaseline to Remove Your Eye Makeup- Yes, it will work. You also take the risk of getting breakouts and milia (those tiny white bumps that are common around the eye area). Vaseline can clog pores and does not easily remove.

3. Wash Your Face with Hot Water to Clean Pores- Please don’t do this! Lukewarm is best. Hot water can actually dry out the skin and after continuous use can give you broken capillaries. It is exceptionally bad for those with rosacea and acne. Furthermore, it will not clean your pores. Proper exfoliation is still your best option (until you come in for a facial!).

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2 Beauty Myths

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I was reading some beauty myths and I wanted to share them with you. One made me mad, frustrated and confused. The other made me laugh.

1. Putting Vaseline on your face nightly will prevent wrinkles– I agree that this is not true. The part that made me mad, frustrated and confused was what the dermatologist said, “Petroleum jelly is the strongest moisturizer there is because it forces oils into the skin and prevents them from evaporating.”  He needed to elaborate on this. If you have oily skin, this may work for you but what about those of us with dry skin? I don’t have any oil in my skin so this would be absolutely useless on my face. At least the article mentioned the potential for breakouts that Vaseline can cause. I would not recommend this for anyone!

Often, not enough information is given, so people end up doing the wrong things for their skin.

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2. Preparation H deflates puffiness– This made me laugh. Apparently the ingredient in the product that used to help us with this is no longer available in the U.S. version. They reformulated it in 1994! So basically all it will do now is dry out your skin and inflame your skin. Stay away from it!! 🙂

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My Daily Routine

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I get asked a lot what products I use, when I use them and basically what my routine is like everyday. I thought writing it out in this blog would be the best way. I actually use (and love!) the products I retail and use on my clients. Having dry and very sensitive skin, I have had to be pretty careful and selective with what I can put on it. I finally have a great routine and I am seeing the results! That’s the best part, right?

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So, here it is. I keep it simple because I don’t want to spend an hour on my face morning and night.

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Some additional things…

  1. Konjac Sponge– I use about 3 times a week with the Raspberry Cleanser.
  2. Make sure skin is damp (not wet) when you apply serums moisturizers and sunscreen.
  3. I always apply my products to the neck, chest and hands.
  4. I also apply Grapeseed Oil to my entire body at night.

I know this seems like a lot but it actually takes me less than 3 minutes to do my face (yes, I timed it). This means that even busy moms have time! 🙂

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5 Random (and easy!) Skin Care Tips

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1. For the Feet– Mash 1/2 a banana, add a few drops of honey and rub onto bottom of feet. Wrap in plastic for 10 minutes and then exfoliate with a pumice stone. For extra soft feet- Massage oil (Grapeseed Oil is perfect) generously and put on socks. Go to bed. 🙂

2. Eyes– Green Tea actually does help your eye area because it has antioxidants and is an anti-inflammatory. Take the time to pamper yourself at home. Brew the tea bags and after they cool down, place them straight on your eye area. Or you can brew the tea and soak cotton rounds in the tea and place those on the eye area. Do this for at least 10 minutes. Great after a long night out.

3. Moisturizer– Please don’t ever skip this step! From dry skin to oily skin to acneic skin. Everyone needs it! It protects your skin and it helps your skin. If you think it is making you break out, you are most likely using the wrong one for your skin. The right one will not break you out or wreak havoc on your skin. Call, email or come see me if you have more questions about this.

4. Mouth– Worried about those fine lines and wrinkles? Well, you could stop using a straw (I’m not going to mention smoking because I know you don’t smoke…) but even I don’t want to do that! When you apply your eye cream, rub it around your mouth after. It will help with those pesky aging reminders.

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5. Body– After I get out of the shower, that is when I apply Grapeseed Oil to my neck, chest, breasts and feet. I mentioned before how amazing this oil is for the face and it is no different for the body, especially on those areas. Since it is a lightweight oil you won’t feel greasy all day (or all night). Love it and I’m not dehydrated anymore, even in the winter!

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Tinted Moisturizer

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I’ve said this a lot but I think it’s important to repeat. I had a client come in the other day and I could tell she wore Tinted Moisturizer. This isn’t something I should be able to guess when the client comes in with “clean” skin. Here is the trick to wearing this…

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Always, Always apply your regular moisturizer first! Yep, it’s that simple! Make sure it dries and then apply the Tinted Moisturizer. Now the tint won’t get stuck in your pores or any dry patches you might have on your face. It will also give you a more even application.

Hyaluronic Acid- My Favorite Ingredient!

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This is an amazing ingredient that we naturally produce in our skin so when we use it, our skin doesn’t see it as foreign and easily accepts it and everyone can benefit from it. The fact that it plumps and softens the skin is why all the  skin care and cosmetic companies are putting it in all their products. It’s also a key component in several injectable wrinkle fillers.

When you apply it to the skin, like in a serum or moisturizer, it helps to bind moisture to the skin as well as pull moisture from the air and is said to hold up to 1,000 times its weight in water.

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I’d love to say that this will eliminate fine lines and wrinkles but this blog (and what I do) is about honesty. What it can do for you when applied topically is form a barrier on the skin and give a soft moisturizing effect that makes skin smoother. That’s good enough for me!

I had a 1st time client the other day tell me that she started using a hyaluronic acid serum because her friend recommended it but she wasn’t sure why it was beneficial. I told her what it was doing for her and she said that had noticed her skin was more supple and that she had actually been getting compliments about the appearance of it. She is a woman in her 60’s and has been using it for about a month and already noticed a difference.

I started using Skin Script earlier this year and hyaluronic acid is in 2 of the products I use. Shortly after, I added 3 Le Mieux serums to my routine, 1 of them being just hyaluronic (featured above). My skin has completely changed. I have always suffered with really dry skin and every time I waxed, my face showed it for days. Now, even in the winter, no one knows. I don’t have that tight, dry feeling anymore.

Bottom line…I love it and everyone one should be using it! Dry, oily, acneic, in your 20’s, in your 60’s, it doesn’t matter.

For more information or to purchase:

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Let’s Compare Skin Lightening Pads

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I love Skin Script Rx Skin Care. I use it everyday on myself, I use it in my treatment room and I retail it to my clients. That doesn’t mean that there isn’t something that could be better out there so I like to do research. Below I have compared two skin lightening pads and (spoiler alert!), Skin Script came out on top.

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Philosophy Microdelivery Triple-Acid Brightening Peel

Retail $69 for 12 individually pads (12 treatments)

Claims:

  • triple-acid formula dissolves dull skin, buffers the appearance of fine lines and enhances skin clarity
  • skin-brightening technology visibly reduces the appearance of dark spots and discoloration

Pros:

  • niacinamide (4th ingredient) can improve skin’s elasticity, dramatically enhance its barrier function, help erase discolorations, and revive skin’s healthy tone and texture.

Cons:

  • the 2nd ingredient is sd alcohol (closer to the top means it is a main ingredient) and that is known to be drying and a skin irritant
  • 1st lightening ingredient is listed as the 5th ingredient and the others are after
  • other irritating skin ingredients
  • the price

Glycolic-Retinol-Pads

 

Skin Script Rx Glycolic and Retinol Pads

Retail $23.00 for 50 pads

Claims:

  • these pads break up surface oil to refine pores and reveal fresh, healthy skin.
  • Kojic and arbutin lighten sun spots and scars left from blemishes.

Pros

  • the price
  • packaging (pads are soaked in solution so they can be cut up for spot treatments)
  • 2% glycolic
  • 4% arbutin- limits melanin production, reduces visible pigmentation through lightening actions
  • 3% kojic acid- inhibits tyrosinase and also lightens existing pigmentation naturally, comparable to Hydroquinone without the negative side effects

Cons:

  • if you have super sensitive skin, these won’t be for you; although most of these type of products won’t be healthy for you

 

Just looking at the facts, I would definitely go with Skin Script Lightening Pads. The price is significantly less and the ingredients are significantly better!

www.PSBLounge.com