Got a Teenager with Acne?

Life as a teenager is hard enough. Pressures from school, an ever complicated social life and throw in uncontrollable acne, things can get a little stressful. Teens are often embarrassed by the spots on their faces, but fear not, there is hope!

It may seem to acne sufferers and their parents that all is lost, and acne is a right of passage through the tumultuous waters of teenage life. However, there are several tried and true ingredients and new products that can help tremendously.

Although they can exacerbate the problem, acne is not directly caused by foods that you eat or a less than perfect skin care routine. To put it simply, it’s caused by puberty hormones that trigger oil. The excess oil and accumulation of dead skin cells within a pore start to build up. Sometimes this leads to a bump that has a black or a white head. If bacteria gets into the mix, a pustule may form. These pustules are also known as zits that we all dread and want to pop.

So, what’s a teenager to do? First and foremost, consistent cleansing and treatments need to happen on a daily basis. Begin with cleansing your skin twice a day with a clean soft washcloth and a mild alcohol-free cleanser. Avoid over scrubbing, it can make things worse. If you have mostly blackheads, look for a treatment product with 2% salicylic acid, if you have pustules, use salicylic acid and 5% benzoyl peroxide.

If you have mild acne, mostly blackheads, whiteheads and the occasional pustule it can be controlled by over the counter products and an occasional trip to the esthetician. If you are suffering from 10+ pustules and have painful large nodes or cysts, you would benefit from visiting a dermatologist.

The point is that your acne can be controlled and you can have clear skin. If you are willing to do your part at home you can be acne free!

To Peel Or Not To Peel

Curious about peels? Peels can do wonders for your skin. They can help to reverse sun damage, soften fine lines and reduce acne scarring. Peels improve the appearance of an uneven skin tone, for a radiant appearance. Even acne can be controlled by peels by exfoliating dead skin cells and controlling oil that clog pores.

Professionally applied peel solutions exfoliate dead skin cells and help healthy skin cells rise to the surface. These treatments allow deeper layers of fresh and untouched skin to be revealed. The result of regular treatments can even skin tone, clear acne, improve the appearance of aging skin and make dull complexions glow.

A qualified licensed esthetician will get to know your skin and it’s condition before starting a peel seriesl. She will answer any questions and address concerns. Estheticians trained in peels can provide beautiful results for your skin with little or no downtime.

Check out the Peel FAQs tab for more information.

The ABCDE’s of Suspicious Moles

Your Guide to Skin Cancer Detection

According to the American Skin Cancer Society, 76,000 people will be diagnosed with melanoma and nearly 10,000 will die from skin cancer this year. It’s time to ditch the temporary summer tan for health and safety. Here is a guide to help you determine if you need to see a doctor.

A – Asymmetrical: The mole should be round in shape. It’s the irregular shapes that need to be checked by a doctor, preferably a dermatologist.

B – Border: The border of a non-cancerous mole is smooth. There may be cause for concern if it is jagged.

C – Color: Regular moles are typically gray or brown. Potentially cancerous moles may have more than one color.

D – Diameter: Size does matter, when it comes to moles. Be concerned with any mole that you notice growth. If it’s bigger than a pencil eraser, you’ve got a reason to see your doctor.

E – Evolution: If you have noticed a new mole, it’s time to see your physician. Cancerous moles can appear in all areas of the body, even parts that have never seen the light of day.

For more information, please visit www.cancer.org and www.skincancer.org.

Does the order of product application affect results?

Are you applying skincare products in the most beneficial order?
Applying products in a particular order is very important. The reason being is that different products have different molecular weights. In general, it’s best to apply products light to heavy. Products lighter in weight are able to penetrate while heavier products help keep lighter products from evaporating.
Daytime is all about protection. Use a broad spectrum SPF 30 and reapply! Nighttime is the right time to give your skin a little love. Don’t worry if you don’t have a product, use what you have. So, without further adieu… here is the order you should be applying your products.

Daytime Regimen
Cleanser – go gentle and pH balanced
Toner – always choose alcohol free
Moisturizer – preferably with Vitamins C&E
Apply sun protection – ok to mix with moisturizer

Nighttime Regimen
Remove makeup – take the day away: makeup, SPF and environmental debris
Cleanser – get a deeper clean
Toner – balance your skin’s pH, prep and hydrate
Exfoliate – prep skin for subsequent products (a gentle enzymatic or chemical works great for younger skin or Retinol for aging skin)
Serum – peptides, antioxidants
Eye Cream – a dab will do
Moisturizer – lock it all in

Vitamins A, C, & E for beautiful and younger skin!

Vitamins A, C & E for your Skin

Vitamins A, C & E are essential for younger looking skin. Individually the vitamins deliver specific results, and when used together this “awesome threesome” works to combat the signs of sun damage, loss of elastin and collagen and reduce wrinkles.

What to use to curtail the signs of aging skin plagues many of us. Contrary to what you’ve heard a brand name is not nearly as important as the ingredients, the delivery system and potency of active ingredients. Do not be tempted by high-priced fancy department store brands, charming sales girls or gift with purchase sets! Be more focused on the quality of ingredients, than on expensive packaging. In fact, skip the department store all together and head straight to your local esthetician. You will find effective products with more active ingredients there. Estheticians have been trained to recommend products based on your skin type and condition.

Vitamins A, C & E are your skin’s best friends. These antioxidants fix what time and sun exposure have done to your skin. Specifically they work against free radical damage, to bolster skin firmness, thickness and elasticity, and help stop sun damage in it’s tracks. If you are serious about skin health and vitality, these are “must do’s” for your skin.

Vitamin A, also known as a retinol, is the only skin care ingredient FDA approved to soften fine lines and correct hyper-pigmentation (small brown spots.) According to Dr. John Voorhees, Chairman of Dermatology at University of Michigan, “Retinol is the only drug for which there has been a crystal-clear demonstration that it works on the molecular level.” Numerous studies back up these claims.

The American Academy of Dermatology now recommends retinol for some types of acne. You can get it two ways, OTC and by prescription. Most people can tolerate a retinol if taken slowly. It should be applied at night after cleansing and before moisturizer.

Vitamin C is a powerhouse of an antioxidant for your skin. It helps to brighten skin tone, increase collagen, reduce inflammation and more. Keep in mind that vitamin C can deteriorate and eventually becomes ineffective. Look for magnesium ascorbic phosphate (MAP) for the most stable and strongest form of Vitamin C.

Vitamin E (d-alpha tocopherol) is a supercharged antioxidant and is considered the most potent oil-soluble antioxidant and free radical scavenger. Vitamin E helps to build elastin fibers, reduce dehydration and improve the appearance of rough, dry and damaged skin.

But wait there’s more! Vitamins C&E work synergistically against free-radicals. The C&E combo are an antioxidant force to be reckoned with to help fight the signs of aging. Its best to apply C&E in the AM along with your SPF.

Keep in mind, beautiful skin does not come from one ingredient or product. The good news is scientists are constantly bringing us new ingredients to help us fight the signs of aging. ACE vitamins should be at the top of your list when caring for your skin.

Sunscreen. Every. Single. Day.

Sunscreen. Every. Single. Day. Skin cancer is on the rise, sadly one in five Americans will develop skin cancer. According to http://www.skincancer.org, it is diagnosed as many times as breast, prostate, lung AND colon cancers combined! Not to mention, the wrinkles… yeah, yeah, yeah we’ve heard it all before. But we love our sun-kissed skin!

It’s safe to say that we all know that we should apply sunscreen every single day. But do you know why? Obvs, we stay out of the sun to avoid a painful burn. But there is so much more to it than that. Plain and simple… A sunburn is an inflammatory response to trauma of the skin. The sun’s rays are not just giving you that natural glow, they are damaging skin many layers deep. UV rays are able to penetrate through glass and clouds and cause all sorts of free radical damage. They are directly responsible for the lines and spots on your face. The sun’s rays destroy the collagen and elastin which causes wrinkles and sagging.

Chances are that anyone born in the 20th century did not wear enough sunscreen as a child. Those of us in our 30’s and up are waking up to sun damage that happened 10-20 years ago. Photoaging (sun damage) that we do today will show up on our faces in about a decade from now in the form of wrinkled, sagging and pigmented skin. Don’t believe me? Take a quick look at your naked booty. Since it hasn’t seen the light of day, it is not wrinkled, sagging and pigmented. It is never too late to begin sun care routine.

Even though the FDA lags behind Europe in approving the latest and greatest sunscreen ingredients, there are still many options as far as ingredients go. There are two main types of sunscreen, absorbing chemical and reflecting physical. If you believe that you should not use any sunscreen because of its potentially harmful ingredients, you could be dead wrong, literally. True, some sunscreens have questionable ingredients, but there are many, many brands and formulations to choose from. Some contain anti-oxidant vitamins C&E which help with free radical damage. Physical sunscreens which list zinc and titanium dioxide as their main active ingredients are made from natural minerals and are generally safer, even on sensitive skin. For the best protection, look for a sunscreen with an SPF of 30 that says Broad Spectrum.

Sunscreen. Every. Single. Day.