shea butter

Masks!

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Masks. I think this is probably the skin care product that people love to do the most. It’s something fun to do on a girl’s night or even when we just want to have a glass of wine and unwind. At the same time, we put a lot of expectations into a mask. We want them to smooth out our wrinkles and clear up our acne. I wish they could do those things! What they should NOT do is make our skin look and feel dehydrated or make us breakout. What they can do is improve the skin and be a great addition to your regular skin care routine.

Here are some tips to get the most out of your mask, whatever you decide to use.

  • Make sure your skin is clean and makeup free. Don’t forget toner.
  • You can still apply your serums under a creamy mask. The mask will actually push and lock the serums into the skin. It’s a great addition!
  • Be relaxed. Your skin will benefit the most when you are relaxing. So yes, you can do laundry or cook dinner or whatever while wearing a mask but if you can, try to sit and do nothing. Read a book, watch tv, catch up with a friend, etc.
  • Sheet masks can usually be used twice, at least the ones I use and recommend.
  • Once a week is enough for masks.

So let’s talk about the masks that I love…

LM Hyaluronic Shea Mask– Oh my gosh, this is such a great mask! It’s silky and creamy and you can immediately feel your skin drinking in the hydration. And what is so great about this one is that you can use it all over. I use it on my clients hands for a hand treatment during a facial. Deep conditioning cream mask binds moisture to prevent water loss, dryness, and roughness while improving elasticity. Nourishing and rejuvenating blend of soothing oils, hyaluronic acid, and shea butter provides intensive, long-lasting hydration for dry, damaged, or mature skin.

Great for the face, neck, chest, hands and feet!

LM Icy Revitalizing Mask– This is a clay mask but not your typical clay mask that makes your skin feel tight and dry when you remove it. You can also add a little of this O2 Calming Gel to the mask to make it feel even better on the skin. Refreshing, stimulating clay mask features 3 exotic clays and 8 botanical extracts to unclog pores and rebalance oily skin. Soothes irritation, inflammation, and redness, leaving skin moisturized and velvety soft. Ideal for acne-prone or sensitive skin.

Travel Size

 

LM Moisture Infusion Mask– If you’re feeling dry, this is the mask for you. If you want a pick-me-up, this is the mask for you. This serum-infused mask soothes and hydrates dry, sensitive, and stressed skin, brightens dull complexions, and minimizes the appearance of expression lines. Features 3 anti-aging peptides, the most stable form of Vitamin C (MAP ), 7 botanical extracts, and marine collagen to promote collagen synthesis for smooth, radiant skin. Ideal after microdermabrasion procedures. Contains 4 masks and each one can usually be used at least twice!

LM Bio-Cell Mask– When I was first introduced to this mask, I was told that it’s great for fine lines and wrinkles and will make you look younger. The cynic that I am didn’t believe it so I had to experiment for myself. I used it 3 different people and only put it on half the face and couldn’t believe the results. It really did soften the imperfections that come with aging! I love this mask for a date night or any special night. But of course you can also use it just for you! Serum-saturated, marine collagen mask incorporates peptide technology in an advanced microencapsulation delivery system for unparalleled results. Features 2 potent peptides, freeze-dried marine collagen, powerful antioxidants, Vitamin C (MAP), and 8 botanical extracts to hydrate, brighten, and improve the appearance of sagging facial contours.
Contains 4 masks and each one can usually be used at least twice!

LM TGF Eye Firming Mask– Sometimes our eyes just need a lift and these eye masks will do that for you. This cooling eye mask dramatically minimizes the appearance of expression lines, dark circles, and puffiness around the eyes. Features 3 potent peptides, red and green algae extracts, and hyaluronic acid in a sophisticated micro-delivery system to smooth, brighten, and firm the eye areas while stimulating collagen synthesis. And guess what? You can use these around your mouth too!
Contains 4 eye masks.

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www.PureSkinOC.com

Moisturizers

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For this week on product talk, I am going to discuss moisturizers.

First thing to know…everyone should wear one. Moisturizers offer different things but the one thing they all do, is protect the skin. The name itself is a little misleading in my opinion. Most people think that if you are feeling really dry, then just add moisturizer to fix it. This isn’t necessarily the case. You need actual hydration, like water, to hydrate the skin. Moisturizers lock in hydration. So if you are applying serums on damp skin and then immediately applying your moisturizer, you will be locking in that hydration and protecting your skin.

Now those that have oily skin or even those with acne tend to shy away from moisturizers. Please don’t. When you have oily skin, you need hydration. Your skin produces oil because it feels dehydrated and since it cannot produce water, you get oil. If you do the steps I said before…apply serums on damp skin and then immediately apply your moisturizer, then your skin will have hydration and therefore will begin to balance itself out. This is not going to be a quick fix. It’s something you have to do everyday. It’s also why I love grapeseed oil so much. It deeply hydrates your skin at night and in time, helps to balance the oil your skin is producing.

So now you know that everyone should wear a moisturizer but now I’m going to help you find one that works for you. I of course have my recommendations I am going to talk about but here are some tips.

  1. Figure out your issue. Do you have dry skin? Oily skin? There are different moisturizers for different skin types and someone with dry skin will not like a moisturizer for oily skin.
  2. Avoid moisturizers that contain mineral oil or petrolatum (another word for petroleum jelly). Definitely pore clogging ingredients. I’ll also throw in coconut oil since that is still a thing I hear about all the time. And yes, I know that some people use it and don’t have a problem…at least one they know about. It can irritate the skin and cause issues down the road. An important thing to know is that coconut oil doesn’t even penetrate the skin, it just lays on top. So if you are looking for hydration, this one won’t do it for you.
  3. Once you pick one out, then here is a test you can do to see if it is appropriate for your skin. Apply it and wait 5 minutes. If you can still feel it, it’s too heavy for your skin.
  4. For those that love a moisturizer that does a lot of things like a BB Cream, remember that skin care and makeup should always be separate. Anything that can correct the skin needs to penetrate. A BB Cream is only going to sit on the surface because it’s also a moisturizer. It’s not possible for it to do both, penetrate and sit on the surface.
  5. Tinted Moisturizers- I think the idea of these are great but here is my suggestion. Find a moisturizer you love that is appropriate for your skin and also a foundation that also meets your needs. Then make your own tinted moisturizer. You get what you want and need from each product without compromising. And as an extra tips, apply your regular moisturizer first (and then hopefully your spf) and then your tinted moisturizer. Skin care first, makeup second. Also, if you have dryness or crevices in your skin, as most people do, the tinted moisturizer will lay more evenly on your skin if you apply the regular moisturizer first. And just as a side note: don’t bother with spf in your foundation. You have to wear 7x the amount you would (hopefully) normally wear to get that number on the bottle. If you always remember skin care first and makeup second, it will help you make a lot of decisions.
  6. Moisturizers with SPF- This is fine. I prefer it separated but it’s not the end of the world.
  7. Sometimes you need to change up your moisturizers for seasons. Those with dry skin don’t seem to need to as much (I know I don’t) but if you have oily skin, sometimes you feel like you need something lighter in the summer.
  8. Moisturizers are important and should not be skipped. They do offer benefits for the skin but are not the skin changers that people expect. That’s why we have serums.

Now I will discuss the moisturizers I use and retail.

SS Light Aloe Moisturizer– I love this moisturizer for my teens, acne and oily skin clients. It’s very lightweight. Aloe is great for helping to heal the skin.

Benefits: Improves surface hydration
Encourages proper moisture levels
Normalizes water / oil balance
Soothing and Calming
Improves Skin Function

SS Ageless Skin Moisturizer– This one is a step up from the Light Aloe. It gives the skin a little bit more so usually when the skin improves, my clients will move from the Light Aloe to this one. It’s also just a good basic moisturizer. And it’s only about $15 so you can’t lose.

Benefits: Ageless Skin Moisturizer Benefits:
Improves Surface Hydration
Encourages Proper Moisture Levels
Soothing and Calming
Improves Skin Function

SS Hydrating Moisturizer– This one is for dry skin. It has aloe, shea butter and rose hip which all helps to heal, strengthen and soothe dry, inflamed skin. I used this one for years before I became obsessed with another. At only about $23, this one is great for dry skin and isn’t expensive.

Benefits: Binds moisture to the skin to reduce wrinkle depth
Boosts collagen to improve appearance of wrinkles
Soothes and heals chapped and irritated skin

SS Cacteen Balancing Moisturizer– I like this one for my sensitive skin clients. Gives the skin what it needs without anything in it to possibly irritate it.

Benefits: Provides anti-inflammatory-like benefits                                     Normalizes water/oil balance                                                                                  Soothes and calms

SS Peptide Restoration Moisturizer– This is a good anti-aging one. It has antioxidants and peptides to help with the growth of epidermal cells. Feels great on the skin. I like this one but I do have 2 others that are my favorites to recommend for anti-aging.

Benefits: Skin repair and wound healing
Reduces wrinkles
Reduces inflammation
Antioxidant/anti-aging

LM Essence Moisturizer– Lightweight and hydrating moisturizer. It’s an anti-aging one but more lightweight than most. Our skin gets drier as we age so this is the beginners anti-aging moisturizer.

LM 24 Hr. Age Defying Cream– I can’t say enough about this moisturizer. It’s what I use now and I am in love with it. I love the way it feels and I love the way it makes my skin glow. Definitely for normal to dry skin. Really great to use on the neck and chest! This one is a little pricey and honestly, if I didn’t love it so much, I wouldn’t retail it. I always am aware of what things cost but this is a special product. This is worth it, in my opinion.

LM Bio Cell Rejuvenating Cream– Another fantastic moisturizer from Le Mieux. While this one actually costs less than the Age-Defying Cream, it is the one to use for anti-aging so I recommend this to clients usually 50 years and up. It’s creamy and silky and makes your skin look and feel amazing. It’s got lots of amino acids and peptides to help you age gracefully. It even has hyaluronic acid in it!

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Do You Have Dry, Winter Skin

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I’m getting so many questions about how to fight dry, winter skin. I even got a call from my sister the other night and she lives in Utah. It just seems to be super dry this season so I wanted to give you all some suggestions to help your skin.

Exfoliate– Sometimes when our skin is dry or even sensitive (which is often caused by dryness), we skip exfoliation. This is important because it helps slough off the dead skin and allows your products to penetrate deeper and more efficiently therefore properly hydrating the skin. I gave myself a chemical peel on Monday night and unfortunately the next day it was windy and very dry. That meant my skin was very dry and it even got flaky. So last night I took my sponge and gently exfoliated. My skin feels and looks so much better today.

Konjac Sponge for dry skin. Click on picture to see all sponges.

 

Moisturizer– While I don’t think this is a life changing product, it is important and which one we choose does matter. As the seasons change, sometimes we have to change our moisturizer. We often need something a little heavier in the winter to really protect our skin. I have a couple of favorites and I will post them on my blog. The one I use now feels amazing on my skin and gives me a glow even when I’m feeling dry. I’m a little obsessed with it and love putting it on everyday. The other thing to know about moisturizers is that you can’t rely on them to hydrate your skin. Serums will do that or even the grapeseed oil I recommend.

My current obsession!

Grapeseed Oil– Use it every night. And if you want, you can also use it during the day as long as you are wearing sunscreen. Just apply a very small amount after serums and before moisturizer.

You might also have to change up your skin care routine. What you use and how often you use each product. Skin has different needs in the summer than it does in the winter. Adding a different serum can make a difference too. One that is just for making the skin feel better.

 

Chapped Lips– While licking your lips may feel good, it is only a temporary solution and may actually make them more chapped. The more you lick, the drier they get because the saliva attracts moisture from deep within the skin and then evaporates into dry air. Another thing to consider is that saliva has digestive enzymes and those can breakdown the skin. Use a lip balm because lip balm heals and chapstick protects.

Chapped Hands– If you find your hands are constantly in water then wear gloves. If you live in an environment that warrants wearing real gloves, wear them as often as possible. This will save your hands from the weather. You can also exfoliate your hands. Like your face, dead skin builds up and doesn’t allow product to penetrate. A nice hand treatment would be a hydrating mask  and then apply some grapeseed oil on it and put on gloves or socks. Whatever works that is cotton. This is will force the oil deeper into your skin. You can do this overnight if you want. In fact, you can use the hydrating mask with gloves or socks and keep that on overnight. Both will work great and will also work for the feet!

Great for exfoliating the hands and feet!
Great for the face, neck, chest, hands and feet!

Humidifier– Perfect to leave on at night so your skin stays hydrated. Even more needed if you have a heater on at night. When there is no moisture, the air will take it from within your skin, dehydrating you more. Bonus- this creates less static electricity!

I’ve mentioned this before but it bears repeating. When you apply your products, you should be applying them to damp skin (not dripping wet). Right after your toner, apply your serums and follow up with your moisturizer and sunscreen. When your skin is damp, it allows your moisturizer to lock in that hydration. Super important to not feeling dry. Your moisturizer and sunscreen will also go on smoother.

www.PSBLounge.com