beauty

The Truth About Anti-Aging Products

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Updated: July 2017

We all want to fight the signs of aging and so we go to the malls, our Estheticians and Dermatologists, hoping they will have the answer, maybe even the cure for our wrinkles. From fighting free radicals to stimulating skin’s natural collagen production, anti-aging products make enticing promises.

Do they work? That’s what we want to know, right? Below I have listed 4 commonly listed ingredients and some evidence on whether they actually play an effect on your skin.

Peptides

As we age our skin gets thinner, loses fat and starts to sag and develop fine lines and wrinkles. We produce less collagen and elastin to keep our skin firm and plump. Oh my gosh!

Peptides are small proteins that help stimulate new cells to grow and to help skin cells to heal.

Scientists are still not sure how beneficial these actually are because of the size of the molecule. They are rather large and that makes it more difficult to deeply penetrate the skin. They can, however, do some good in a moisturizer and serum. This way they can hydrate the skin and make lines less noticeable. Whether they reduce wrinkles, the jury is still out.

Alpha-Hydroxy Acids (AHA’s)

Examples are glycolic, lactic and citric acids which are natural ingredients that come from fruits and milk sugars. They are great for exfoliation because they get rid of dead skin cells, allowing new cells to grow.

Each acid does something different for the skin. Lactic Acid (comes from sour milk) removes the dead skin cells so this will have a brightening effect. Glycolic Acid (comes from sugar cane) helps reduce fine lines and wrinkles which can make skin look smoother and tighter.

Retinols

A natural form of Vitamin A, this boosts the thickness and elasticity of the skin therefore reducing the signs of wrinkles.

There is an abundant amount of evidence to support that retinol works! Finding it in the right products is the tricky part because you need to have enough to get results. Most over-the-counter products cannot put enough retinol in them to give you the benefits you need. This Retinol Serum is amazing and when used correctly, can do great things for the skin.

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Antioxidants

Help fight cell damage from free radicals, which are molecules that could injure cells and increase inflammation.

There are many antioxidants that are effective, however, the formulation is the most critical. Vitamins C and E are the most commonly used and time-tested.

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Cetaphil. Is it Actually Good For Your Skin?

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Cetaphil is definitely one of the most common cleansers that I find my new clients using. It is a deceitful product and most think that it is a “pretty good” cleanser and gentle for the skin. At one point, years ago, I used this cleanser too. Now that I know better, I would never recommend it to anyone and I always get annoyed when I hear that a Dermatologist has told my client it is good for the skin. Below is an excerpt from a blog post that I found about Cetaphil. She explains it better than I can.

Why Not Use Cetaphil?

I cannot even begin to tell you how many people I have spoken to who have been recommended to use this cleanser, for their so named ‘sensitive’ skin concerns. I would love to share my professional knowledge regarding the Cetaphil cleanser formulation, with specific regard as to what it is actually doing for your skin – and the topic regarding ‘sensitive’ skin is one best left for another day!

There are a multitude of reasons why skin breaks down, creating inflammation – otherwise known a ‘sensitivity’. For a cleanser that is advertised worldwide by Galderma as “developed by dermatologists especially for sensitive skin, [this] soap substitute preserves your skin’s natural protective oils”. I’m quite adamant that they have missed their mark… totally!

Cetaphil is loaded with the emulsifier sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), one of the most overused synthetic skin cosmetic ingredients that actually strips your skins natural lipid barrier as it ‘cleanses’ your skin. This surfactant is very unpopular with every serious skin therapist as its effect renders your skin more susceptible to external irritants, increases internal inflammation as your skin immune cells become overagitated, heightening redness & possible breakout as it negatively impacts your natural pH. Otherwise known as your ‘acid mantle’, our natural pH balance is our first line of defense that protects our skin in numerous ways, including against invading microbes. I do think it is pretty odd that Galderma call their cleanser ‘pH balanced’ – as, yes, the actual entire formulation inside the bottle may be – but as soon as there is contact with skin it completely interferes with our pH. In reality there no balance there at all!

Why not use Cetaphil cleanser Spa & Beauty Therapy Articles

Some skins will hide the presentation of inflammatory symptoms better than others, although it is important to note that it IS happening, whether you can immediately see and feel it, or not. This is what alarms me about so many products like this, and why I feel compelled to share!

SLS is used because it is cheap and easy to synthetically manufacture. You can find SLS in body washes, shampoos, toothpastes, cleansers and in cleaning products. These are all high contact products, which is a scary thought. I have certainly easily and affordably chosen to limit or eliminate my daily exposure to this ingredient!

Written by Pia Kynoch

Click here to shop for cleansers that are good for the skin.

www.PSBLounge.com

Wash Your Face!

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Eyelash mites are usually harmless, and most people live their day to day lives without being bothered by the fact that a worm-like parasite is currently feeding off his or her oils.

Washing your face every night will keep these from getting out of control. However, they do love mascara, so ladies…make sure to properly remove your makeup at the end of the day!

Will you ever go to bed again with your makeup on??

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Cleansing Towelettes- What I Really Think!

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Updated: July 2017

I get asked about these all the time and I know these are quite popular especially for those of you that have late nights. They are easier and at least you aren’t going to bed with makeup and your whole day on your face, right? Wrong. Kind of. 🙂

For the most part, I would prefer you not to use these. There are so many varieties and most are not good for your skin. I simply cannot try every towelette and read all the ingredients to determine which are acceptable and which are not. However, I will give you a couple to use and some to absolutely stay away from completely.

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A lot of these contain alcohol so they are super drying to the skin. Then you have the ones that have a lot of fragrance and that can irritate the skin and since you are not washing after, the ones that can be hydrating may leave a film on your skin.

If you have oily or acne-prone skin, I would run from these towelettes. I haven’t seen any that are good for your skin types yet. In fact, the only skin type that can really tolerate these, generally speaking, are those with dry skin. As always, there are exceptions to the rules but do you want to find out if you are that exception? You only have 1 face! The more you irritate it, even if you don’t see it now, can cause damage down the road and make you age faster. Now I know you don’t want that!!

That being said, here are my recommendations, as promised, for the good and the bad towelettes…

Good– Neutrogena has 2-  Night Calming and Hydrating Towelettes; most brands that are for dry skin will probably be ok because they will have way less alcohol and fragrance in them. This is still not a recommendation to use.

Bad– Olay Facial Cloths for Combination/Oily; as I said above, most brands for oily and acne-prone skin will not be good for the skin. Avoid!

Cleansing your face properly is the best way to keep your skin clean, postpone aging and stay hydrated. If you find yourself using these, try to keep it to “every once in a while, only when you need to” situations. Your skin will thank you! (and you’ll thank me when all you friends are jealous of how great you look! 😉 )

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Your Personal Skin Care Prescription

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Are you frustrated with your skin? Do you want to try something but afraid to spend the money and not get the results? Once consultation is purchased, you will be emailed a form to fill out so that I can learn more about you and your skin and properly give you the best products for your skin. This is easiest way to get skin care products that are for YOU. And it doesn’t end after I mail you the products. I will help you with questions after you receive the products.

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$20

What You Will Get:
– FULL regimen of samples that is customized for your skin
– Prescription sheet that tells you exactly when and how to use the products.
– 10% off your first order

Start Now!

Should I Shave my Face?

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Updated: July 2017
I get this question a lot! Men have always been known for aging gracefully (and they don’t even appreciate it). Their secret? Shaving. Here are some myths and facts regarding shaving your face. You might find that you will want to do it…
 
Myth: Shaving your face makes your hair grow back darker and thicker. Just as with the rest of your body, hairs on your face will not grow back darker, thicker, or more numerous if you shave them. 
Fact: Shaving coarse hair will create stubble. If you have a few coarser hairs sprinkled among the peach fuzz, pluck or wax them first to avoid any chance of (horrors) facial stubble. Female face shaving is a skin treatment, not a hair removal method.
Myth: Shaving roughens the skin. If you’re like most women, you’ll find your legs feel smoother than parts of your body that you don’t shave. Smooth, fine-textured skin is just a side effect for legs, but for your face, it’s a prime benefit of shaving.
Fact: Men look so young for their age in part because they shave their faces. Exfoliation speeds up skin cell turnover and reveals chubby young skin cells underneath the old gray ones. Women exfoliate with scrubs or cloths and men shave. As far as skin is concerned, it’s all exfoliation; skin doesn’t care if it’s taboo to shave.
Myth: Shaving gives you ingrown hairs. Fine hairs don’t have the tensile strength to grow into skin like coarser hair on the legs and at the bikini line, so shaving can’t cause ingrown facial hair. This is another reason to remove coarse hairs before shaving.
Fact: Makeup goes on more smoothly with a shaved face. If you want immaculate foundation coverage, shave your skin smooth. While female face shaving improves skin texture, taking off any fine hair down near your jawline is a nice fringe benefit. Powder that used to cling to facial fuzz now lies flat and smooth on your skin.
 
If you’re convinced, here’s a quick rundown on how to shave your face. If it makes you feel better, call it “razor exfoliation.”
  • Wash your face before shaving and let it dry thoroughly.
  • Use a special razor and throw away after 5 uses. You don’t want to use a dull blade.
  • Remove any coarse hair with tweezers (a good pair of tweezers is important).
  • Shave in the opposite direction of hair growth at a 45 degree angle using short, upward strokes.
  • Avoid acne, blemishes or any skin irritation.
  • Shaving is a form of exfoliation. Skip other forms of exfoliation a few days before and after.
  • Clean the blade with rubbing alcohol when finished.


Always use a razor dedicated to face shaving alone. Hair elsewhere is too coarse, and using the same razor everywhere leads to shaving cuts. Take care around your hairline and eyebrows. You want people to notice your glow, not your half an eyebrow.  As long as you remove coarse hairs first, you can shave as often as you like (about every 3 weeks). It’s one of the kindest and least irritating skin treatments.

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Skin Feeling Thirsty?

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The last few months have been rough for our gentle Orange County skin. We aren’t used to winters like this and it has left our skin, dry, parched, irritated, red and chapped. I’ve seen it on a daily basis with my clients. So, what can you do about it?

First, you want to look at what you can do to prevent moisture loss from your skin. Hot showers, harsh cleansers, and products with alcohol and retinoid creams. Of course, alcoholic and caffeinated beverages have a dehydrated effect on the body as well. Medications can be the culprit too but those can’t always be avoided.

Cut back as much as you can on drying ingredients. Switch to cream cleansers, which do not strip the skin of its natural oils. Instead of using your retinoid cream every night, use it every other night or twice a week. You will still get results and you can put a hydrating cream (or Grapeseed Oil!) on top to prevent flaking.

I have been suggesting grapeseed oil to all my clients to use at night as their nightly moisturizer. Cleanse, tone and then apply the oil. It does wonders for the skin and I have already seen a difference in my clients. Not only does it help with dryness but also has antioxidants, helps protect collagen, improves the production of elastin and hyaluronic acid and when used daily and consistently, can help brighten and even skin tone.

Weekly masks are another way to keep your skin hydrated. Honey is a great moisturizer and everyone can use it (unless you’re allergic!). Mix 1 teaspoon honey and 1 teaspoon grapeseed oil and apply to your face for 10 minutes. For those of you with oily or acneic skin, it can help with unclogging pores, drawing out impurities and killing bacteria, which cause acne. Manuka Honey (from New Zealand) is best for acne. Leave on your skin for about 10 minutes.

Facials help tremendously with hydration and getting your skin back. Visit my website to see how I can help you or book a facial online now!

www.PSBLounge.com

Skin Care Resolutions 2015

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Most people will make New Year’s resolutions for their life. What about your skin though? Often forgotten but our face is what people see first. Don’t you want to make a great impression every day?

I’ve made it easy for you this year. Here are some skin resolutions that you can make that will make a difference. Start today!

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Share the Love

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I love what I do and I want to share what I have learned over the years with everyone but I need your help! Share this blog on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram…whatever you use for social media. Let your friends and family learn about skin too. I speak the truth and let you know what is really going on and how to keep your skin young and healthy.

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Thank you in advance! YOU allow me to do what I love!!

SKIN CARE BLOG

An Esthetician’s Point of View

Personal Shopper…for Your Skin

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Are you frustrated with your skin? Do you want to try something new but afraid of spending the money and not getting results? Fill out a simple form online and purchase your very own personal consultation with Devyn!

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What You Will Get…

-FULL regimen of samples that are customized for your skin

-Prescription sheet that tells you exactly how and when to use the products

-Explanation of why each product is recommended to you

-Skin Care Information Brochure

-Discounts on Purchases

Only $25!

 

CLICK HERE TO START YOUR CONSULTATION