Author Archives: SkinSense

Maintaining your health is an active process that you should engage in on a daily basis and on multiple levels.

When it comes to your skin, this is, even more, the case, as proper skin care requires daily maintenance and attention. Working in coordination with a facialist, you can develop a regimen that will not only unveil the most beautiful, natural looking skin possible but also give you other benefits as well such as boosted confidence and a renewed appreciation for your health.

But skin care is something you MUST do every day. It is also a multifaceted chore. In this article, we’re going to offer you five general tips that you can do to improve your skin

1. Practice Stress Management Techniques

Meditation, prayer, or general relaxation. Not only do these three activities help you cope and handle life’s ups and downs but they also benefit your skin. Stress and anxiety can lead to fatigue, lines, wrinkles and even breakouts! While this differs from person to person the way your body reacts to stress could have an impact on your skin. Limiting stress is one way to keep those problems to a minimum.

2. Always Use Sunscreen

When you are out and about be sure to wear protective sunscreen as well as clothing to protect your skin from the sun’s harmful UV rays. Easily one of the largest contributors to early aging, sun damage is hard to repair and difficult to avoid unless you take the necessary precautions. Find a daily wear sunscreen for your face that you like and be sure you remain covered while out in the sun. If you’re planning a day outside be sure to re-apply sunscreen to all exposed areas every two hours. And wear a hat!

3. Don’t Smoke

Another detriment to your skin’s health is smoking. Apart from the damage it does to your general health it reduces the oxygen levels in your blood by 50% and causes collagen breakdown, wrinkling and early aging in the skin. Quitting now will not only have a myriad of benefits for your skin but also your overall well-being.

4. Be Gentle

Treat your skin with care. Do not wash with really hot water, try to avoid harsh chemicals and be gentle when scrubbing and drying your skin. Nothing too abrasive. When treating acne be gentle with your application of topicals. Consult an experienced aesthetician who can evaluate your condition properly and recommend the right procedures and products. This will correct the acne and bring the skin into balance

5.Maintain a Healthy Diet

Did you know that maintaining a healthy diet can also lead to improved skin health? Consider eating healthy whole foods and drinking plenty of water as part of your skin care regimen. Like many suggestions on this list it has benefits outside of your skin so don’t shy away from embracing a new you in terms of health management.

Summer is upon us again so here are eight things you can do to stay safe and be kind to your skin.

Anti-oxidants – stimulate your skin’s collagen production and reduce your chances of burning by using vitamin C serums two to three times a week during the summer months. Foods rich in leafy greens, blueberries, kiwi, sweet potatoes and salmon- also help to decelerate skin cell aging and repair past sun damage. Taking vitamin C with zinc will double up on boosting the skin’s natural immune system too.

Stay hydrated – as well as drinking water make sure to eat plenty of water filled vegetables during the summer months. Cucumbers, asparagus, celery and lettuce are great for added hydration and giving the skin a glow. (See post in Lifestyle/Wellness category titled “Water”).

Watch for sun sensitivity – prescription medications can cause some severe re-actions to heat and sun – everything from a painful burn, photo allergic dermatitis and pigmentation – the birth control pill in particular can cause a type of pigmentation that is extremely resilient to treatment. So check labels for any warnings and consult your doctor or pharmacist if you are unsure. My recommendation is to be a shade hound!

Sun screen application – lots has been written about this topic. As far as formulation goes, current wisdom recommends sticking with zinc, titanium and mineral based sun screens. Other anti-inflammatory and calming ingredients to look for would be aloe, green tea and pomegranate and as already mentioned in this blog, vitamin C. As we all know, a higher SPF does not mean double the protection and can often be irritating. Stick with an SPF 30 and find a texture and weight that suits your skin type. There are now powders as well as cremes and lotions.

Wear a Hat  –  there is now a great selection of hats made out of UV fabrics that offer extra protection to the face, ears and neck. And they are very stylish! Have one in your car at all times and several at home. That way you are always prepared.

Apply sun screen  – liberally at least 30 minutes before leaving the house and layer twice waiting 15 minutes before second application if possible. This ensures a more thorough covering. Consider any protection contained in make-up a bonus and not a main source of protection. (See this post in Seasonal category titled “Skin Sense on Sun Sense“).

Summer facials – all this extra product causes clogging and congestion so have deep cleansing facials every three weeks during the summer months. Avoid chemical peels, heavy exfoliation and laser treatments during this time. As already mentioned, the heat and sun can cause pigmentation and irritation – the very conditions that these protocols aim to correct. For maximum summer skin care, try oxygen facials. These super-deep cleansing treatments restore hydration and tighten skin tone.

Sunless options – Use one of the many sunless tanning products as a healthy alternative to the sun to keep the body glowing throughout the summer months. Start with a spa visit and then re-apply at home every 2-3 days. Return to the spa for an exfoliation and re-application every month to keep the tan fresh and the skin properly hydrated. Be careful about using these products on the face – they can both dry the skin and stain the pores. Better to use a tinted moisturizer or BB crème .

Here’s how nighttime is the right time for the skin to reboot, repair and refresh

By day, the body protects itself; by night, the body repairs itself. As aesthetic professionals we are constantly reminding our clients about the importance of their before-bed skincare ritual to piggyback onto this physiological phenomena.

So what exactly does the skin get up to when we are out cold in the Land of Nod (or as we British compatriots like to say, “Off to Bedfordshire”)?

Keeping the Beat
The circadian rhythm is a 24-hour cycle that regulates the bodies of all living creatures. In humans, it is often referred to as the ‘body clock’, for it tells us when to sleep, rise, eat, regulating many physiological processes. When we find ourselves getting hungry or sleepy at the same time each day, that’s the circadian rhythm at work.

Everyone has a slightly different circadian rhythm – hence Larks (morning people) and Owls (night people) – but the average length is 24 and one-quarter hours. Back in 1981, Charles Czeisler, MD, PhD, FRCP of Harvard Medical School showed that daylight keeps a person’s internal clock aligned with the environment. This means that those who are most comfortable staying up late have naturally longer circadian rhythms than those who prefer to jump out of bed at the crack of dawn.

Face Time
Generally, left to their own devices (that is, with no caffeine, party drugs, adrenaline or undue stress interrupting things), our bodies’ circadian sleep mode pattern kicks in around 9:00 pm.

Researchers also know that melatonin, the sleep hormone that protects the skin from pollution and sun damage during the day, begins to activate about this time signaling that it is time to wind down.

Then later as we sleep, serious skin revival and repair processes really kick in including increased production of HGH, the human growth hormone that helps all tissue repair and regenerate, as well as enhanced cell turnover.

So how can we as skincare professionals design our client’s nighttime skin care regime to capitalize on all this activity and ensure that the skin is refreshed and restored by morning?

Nocturnal Necessities
Start by advising your clients on a few strategies and remember to remind them to treat their neck and décolletage at the same time.

• Leverage the 9 p.m. skin receptivity window: According to Anna Persaud, CEO at This Works, a skincare company based in the UK that pays particular attention to circadian rhythms and how they affect the skin, “The mid-evening phase, around 9 p.m., is when the skin is most able to absorb topical treatments and DNA repair is boosted.” So, even if your client doesn’t generally go to sleep until midnight, if she’s in for the evening, advise her to perform her abolitions at this time.
• Remove, rinse and repeat: Double cleansing at night is an absolute necessity no matter where you live because of today’s polluted atmosphere. Using two types of cleanser has become popular for good reason. Applying an oil-based product or micellar water first to gently remove make-up, followed by a deep pore cleanser that can be washed off, is an efficient way to make absolutely sure the skin is scrupulously clean. This is essential if your client uses mineral based cosmetics – which I love and recommend – but have found they can adhere to the skin more than conventional formulations.
• Exfoliate as needed: Adding an exfoliating product or mechanical cleansing brush (like a Clarisonic) to the routine is also very helpful; two to three times a week for sensitive skin and more often for normal. For those with super-sensitive or rosacea-prone skin, I recommend avoiding exfoliating directly around the nostrils as this area tends to redden and flair. Just make sure the client keeps the brushes properly cleaned after each use and changed on a regular basis.
• Don’t forget to tone: I always recommend toning after cleansing to make sure not a scrap of anything remains on the skin and to restore the pH. Toning can also add a little extra hydration for those with extra dry skin.

Aesthetician’s Tool Box
Figuring out what products to recommend is where your skill and experience come to the fore. Each client is individual, of course, with skin that responds differently to products and ingredients. Here are my favorite ones that enhance the skin’s natural ability to regenerate itself.

• Retinol to boost collagen production and speed cell renewal. Well reputed to aid in exfoliation, topical retinol products can be sensitizing so advise your clients when first starting with this to use once or twice a week initially to build up the skin’s tolerance.

• Antioxidants to fight free radical damage. Our bodies naturally contain antioxidants that neutralize free radicals in enzymes like superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase. There are also smaller non-enzymatic antioxidants like vitamins C and E, coenzyme Q10 (ubiquinol) and glutathione. However, these natural mechanisms can become overwhelmed if too many free radicals are present, which is where the idea of topping up with antioxidant-containing products comes in. Great options to boost stability include Vitamins C and E, ferulic acid, green tea, lutein, lycophene, and resveratrol.

• Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) to boost the skin’s ability to fight pollution from the outside and counteract daily stress from the inside.

• Peptides to promote collagen production. Composed of amino acids, peptides form a vital part of the skin’s biological signaling mechanism. They carry information to the cells and stimulate fibroblast activity. In serum form, Matrixyl 3000, argiriline and pentapeptides are three options that have proved most effective.

• Stem cells to speed cellular repair. The advantage of plant-derived stem cells is that they are unspecialized or meristematic, until they receive a signal from the host plant to differentiate or change. Meristematic cells are generated from a defense response from the plant when it is cut. The responding callus contains stem cells that are now neutral. As they carry the entire DNA gene expression of the plant, they can turn themselves into any particular cell that is needed to heal or regenerate. At this stage these cells are cultured in the laboratory, become a usable active ingredient that eventually, when applied topically can protect against free radical damage caused by pollution, UV exposure, inflammation and photoaging. And the results can be dramatic. Smoother, toned skin with improved elasticity and firmness. Green apple, edelweiss, gardenia, sea fennel, grape and lilac are all great options.

• ATP to support cell metabolism. Known as the “energy currency of life”, adenosine tri-phosphate is a coenzyme that stores energy and improves microcirculation while restoring suppleness, radiance and firmness to the skin.

• Hyaluronic acid and ceramides to fortify the lipid barrier. While we are sleeping, the skin becomes more permeable and consequently is more receptive to all these fabulous ingredients above. This is obviously a good thing. However, the downside is that it works both ways. Permeable skin can easily become dehydrated through loss of moisture particularly in dryer, hotter or especially chilly climates where one sleeps with the air conditioner or heater on all night. Hyaluronic acid and ceramides are both natural components in human skin and are compatible with every complexion type needing a boost in the hydration department.

SNOOZE FEST

Getting enough sleep is a challenge for many of us these days and your clients will appreciate your suggestions. I recommend printing this list off to hand out to them on their spa visits.

• Expose yourself to lots of bright, natural light during the day. Getting outside each day, even if it’s a quick 20-minute walk, will boost ability to sleep at night as well as your lift your mood and alertness.

• Set regular bed and wake times whenever possible.

• Avoid hot baths just before bed.
Contrary to popular belief, a steaming bath can interfere with sleep by heating up the body’s core temperature. At bedtime you want to cool down. If you love that scalding soak in the tub, make sure you have it at least one hour before getting under the sheets.

• Keep your bedroom screen-free.
This is a hard one for many of us, but banishing the laptop, TV and mobile phones is one of the best things any of can do for our skin, our health and our stress levels. Exposure to the blue light these devices emit can inhibit the release of melatonin dramatically. If you can avoid looking at bright screens one to two hours before bedtime, the difference in both your skin and your mood will be dramatic.

• Sleep on your back if you can manage it.
Lines, wrinkles and puffiness literally get pressed into faces that sleep smashed into a pillow.

• Slip on a silk pillowcase.
While sleeping on our backs is better for us, for many it’s just not doable. So to avoid those deep creases and puffy eyes, a silk pillowcase can help. These are also great for the man in your life to help prevent ingrown hairs.

• Use lavender or chamomile pillow sprays.
This lovely touch can be very effective to help you fall asleep more quickly. Inhaling the aromas with a deep breathing exercise for just a few minutes quiets the mind and allows you to slip into a deep restful slumber.

• Careful with the alcohol.
Alcohol can interfere with a good night’s rest so have that glass of wine earlier in the evening. A glass of water before bedtime will also help to keep the skin hydrated while you sleep and nuts, especially almonds and walnuts, add oil and therefore moisture to the body and skin.

• Enjoy a light snack before bedtime.
This one is from the inestimable Anna Persaud who says, “Go for foods rich in tryptophan like turkey, chicken, pumpkin seeds and bananas.”

I cannot underestimate the importance of putting nighttime to work for maximum skin health and beauty. When a client is compliant, that’s when the results can be really remarkable. A motivated client recognizes that she is in a partnership with us, the aesthetician, to bring out the best in her skin. We know that what they do for their skin every day – and every night – is as important as what we do for them once a month when they visit us in the salon. Clearly, it makes all the difference in the world.