Tag Archives: skincare routine
‘Tis the season… for a crazy, busy holiday schedule filled with shopping, traveling, hosting, and attending parties. Then there’s the holiday food – an endless array of decadent entrees, spiked beverages, and sweet treats. All these can, no doubt, wreak havoc on your skin and leave you feeling more no-no-no than ho-ho-ho.
Here are some of the ways the winter holidays can affect your skin and how you can counteract it:
Stress
Holiday stress causes your body to produce cortisol which makes your skin more sensitive and reactive. The signs of stress can show up in the form of acne breakouts, hives, and blisters. It can also cause flare-ups in skin conditions like eczema, rosacea, and psoriasis.
When you’re feeling stressed, take some time to relax. Some ways to help you relax and de-stress include yoga, deep breathing techniques, meditation, and massage.
Sweet treats
Sugar and carbs cause inflammation. And too much sugar triggers a reaction in the body called glycation – a process when collagen and elastin break down. On the skin, this shows up as wrinkles, sagginess, and a loss of radiance.
You don’t have to give up sweet treats for good. Slow down and savor small portions of your favorite holiday desserts. Or put a healthy twist on the classic recipes by using honey, maple syrup, or stevia instead of sugar.
Not enough getting enough sleep
With all the excitement the holiday brings, it’s easy to miss a few zzz’s. Your skin repairs itself while you’re sleeping. Not getting enough sleep can result in dull and dehydrated skin in the morning.
Not to mention, a lack of sleep also increases collagen breakdown. Less collagen accelerates aging – this means more wrinkles and decreased skin elasticity.
Try to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep every night. And give your skin a little pick-me-up with a dose of antioxidants. Don’t book every night with parties and gatherings. If you can, space them out so that you get enough rest in between.
Alcohol consumption
Alcohol can dehydrate your body and your skin. This means the skin loses fluid and nutrients that are vital for healthy-looking skin. This can make the skin look wrinkled, dull, and grey, or bloated and puffy.
The effect of alcohol on your immune system and the way your cardiovascular system works affect the skin too. And it can worsen psoriasis and rosacea.
You can still drink and be merry but limit the amount of alcohol you drink and have plenty of water between alcoholic drinks to avoid dehydration. Also, you can opt for red wine over hard liquors. Red wine has healthy antioxidants.
Air Travel
The low humidity in the cabin of the plane can dehydrate the skin resulting in dry, flaky, or red skin. And if you are sitting in a window seat, you get extra exposure to closer UV rays.
Before you board, make sure your skin is super hydrated – eye cream, serum, moisturizer, and sunscreen. Go make-up-free or minimally made-up face so as not to clog pores. And don’t forget to drink copious amounts of water (60 – 80 ounces of water daily) to hydrate from the inside out. Lastly, avoid alcohol, tea, and coffee and order a light meal.
Harsh winter weather
The cold winter air can cause the skin to dry out exponentially, leading to cracking, chapping, itchiness, and redness. And while room heaters can keep you warm, they should not be your go-to solution for the cold. They turn the air dry and can, in turn, lead to dry skin and allergies.
Use a heavier-formula moisturizer for your nighttime skincare routine. In the daytime, apply a serum and moisturizer under your sunscreen (yes, even in the winter months you still need SPF). Twice a week, give yourself an extra soothing and hydrating mask that you leave on while you sleep.
Again, drink plenty of fluids and include flax or fish oils with your supplements. Exercise regularly as it helps increase the oxygen to your skin, making you feel warm and your skin looking youthful. Refrain from taking long, steamy showers. Instead, keep bath time short and sweet – a 5 to 10 minutes lukewarm bath or shower is much better.
And plug in a humidifier to add moisture to the air and prevent dryness.
Finally, splurge on a comforting winter facial to keep your skin shiny and bright until spring.
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For more skincare tips, visit our website, call us at Skinsense Wellness at (323) 653-4701 or email us at skinsense@skinsensewellness.com. And for skincare services, please visit us at 8448 W. Third Street, Los Angeles, CA 90048. We will be happy to see you.
First God created man, then he had a better idea…
What’s the difference between men and women… besides our genitals, of course? It’s pretty interesting how, biologically speaking, we all start out as women. So, you’re a little embryo – a little fetus, and around 5 – 6 weeks if you have a Y chromosome it develops, and you start making testosterone and sexually differentiate.
However, the differences between male and female skin only emerge from puberty and onwards. These variations determine the type of skincare routine and products one should use, so let’s compare…
Skin Thickness
Dermatologists have found that the male dermis is about 20% thicker than a woman’s and that is why men tend to have fewer superficial fine lines than women. But they are more prone to the deep wrinkles that are caused by repeated facial expressions. Frown and smile lines for example.
Collagen and elastin production
Both men and women have specific hormones which help promote collagen and elastin production. Testosterone in men and estrogen in women. Collagen and elastin are proteins that act as the main building blocks in the skin, keeping it tight and firm.
As we age the level of both proteins diminishes. While this process happens to both men and women, they taper off at different rates. Men lose collagen and elastin at a constant rate throughout their adulthood, but gradually. Women start losing both less quickly until they hit menopause, and then the loss happens very rapidly and results in thinning, saggy skin, and wrinkles.
Oil levels and pore issues
Sebum, the skin’s natural oil, helps hydrate the skin and mixes with fat molecules to form a protective coating on the skin, defending it from harmful pathogens and bacteria.
But too much of a good thing can become a problem. Men have more oil glands or sebaceous glands than women. In fact, it has been estimated that men produce twice as much sebum than women overall. They also have larger and a higher number of pores. This combination can result in clogging and lead to acne.
Shaving doesn’t help either. It exacerbates the skin surface and can cause irritation, ingrown hairs, and even more breakouts – particularly if the beard growth is heavy and curly.
Impact of lifestyle choices on skin
Although genes play a role in how we age as a whole, our lifestyle choices can also have a powerful effect. Unfortunately, men often engage in behaviors that can speed up skin aging.
Exposure to UV rays is a primary cause of premature wrinkles in both men and women. However, men are more likely to work outdoors than women and spend long periods of time in the sun without protection – sunscreen and hats for example.
Bad habits like smoking, not getting enough sleep or exercise, and poor diet can factor in too.
Finally, men generally lack the same skin care knowledge that women are taught from an early age. This gives them a significant disadvantage in preventing wrinkles and in recognizing the signs of aging.
Skincare Advice for Men
To keep your skin in the best possible condition, cleanse every morning and evening with a non-irritating product suitable for your skin type. Keep your skin moisturized and if it is oily choose a non-greasy face lotion which will keep your face feeling hydrated all day without causing blocked pores.
If you have a beard covering part of your face, it’s especially important to keep the skin underneath it properly hydrated. Dryness under the beard can be uncomfortable, resulting in itchy, flaky skin, and even beard dandruff.
Skincare Advice for Women
Every good skincare routine starts with washing your face using a cleanser that offers gentle exfoliation and anti-aging benefits — think AHA acids, plant-derived enzymes, or even fermented ingredients. Then use an antioxidant serum containing a cocktail of vitamins — most popular are vitamin C, vitamin E, ferulic acid, resveratrol, and niacinamide —to guard against free radical development that causes degradation of precious collagen.
For moisturizers, look for a formula that contains hydrating ingredients like ceramides, hyaluronic acid, squalene, and glycerin. These formulas will replenish skin and lock in hydration for the day.
A good eye cream that depuffs and hydrates the eye area, and a collagen-boosting product like a peptide cream or growth factor serum are also great additions to a morning skincare routine.
Lastly, for both men and women, apply sunscreen. A mineral SPF of at least 30 with zinc oxide and antioxidants to support protection against environmental pollution.
For more skincare and wellness tips, call us at Skinsense Wellness at (323) 653–4701, or email us at skinsense@skinsensewellness.com. And for skincare services, please visit us at 8448 W. Third Street, Los Angeles, CA 90048. We will be happy to see you.
“To change the world, we need to combine ancient wisdom with new technologies.” — Paulo Coelho
Milk, yogurt, oil, tea, honey, roses, saffron, salt, and pomegranates. No, not doing my shopping list but some of the most effective, tried-and-true ingredients that have endured centuries. It seems like our quest for beauty and the mythical “fountain of youth” have been around for thousands of years.
Of course, back then the ancient ladies could not just walk into a drugstore or cosmetic shop to get their stash of beauty products. So, they concocted their own creams with the use of natural and plant-based ingredients to have smooth and flawless skin. And, interestingly enough, in our modern world, we are making our way back to the roots of these ancient beauty traditions.
Let’s take a look at some of these beauty traditions that lives on to this day.
The practice of bathing in natural ingredients has been around for centuries, and various cultures have very specific bathing rituals. In Japan, different regions will infuse local ingredients into the bath water, such as green and black tea leaves, whose antioxidant properties soothe and detoxify the skin.
Cleopatra (the queen of beauty innovations) is known for using milk baths infused with all manner of fruits and flowers. Milk contains lactic acid, and we use a derivative of it today in the form of an AHA to exfoliate the skin, lighten dark spots, and improve the look of fine lines and wrinkles. There are a few other nourishing, plant-based options that you can use for your milk bath — coconut milk, oat milk, almond milk, goat milk, and buttermilk.
Similar to the effect of milk baths, yogurt was used by the ancient Greeks also as an AHA peel. They would mix yogurt with olive oil and apply it to the skin to treat sunburns and other skin conditions. The yogurt acts as a gentle exfoliant while the olive oil soothes and moisturizes.
The ancient Egyptians too were a big advocate for olive oil and used this along with many other ingredients to fight wrinkles and preserve their youth. Castor and sesame oils have also been used for centuries but one which has truly stood the test of time is moringa oil. Moringa seed comes from the moringa plant found in the Himalayan mountains. The seeds of the moringa tree contain high levels of oleic, palmitoleic and linoleic acids and contain vitamins A and Cand hydrates and nourishes the skin.
We all know how costly saffron is but Cleopatra is said to have added these bright orange stamens to her legendary milk baths. Studies found that saffron is a natural sunscreen and more recently scientists have discovered that saffron from Morocco’s High Atlas Mountains contains high levels of protective antioxidants and firming glycans, that protect, organize and stabilize the skin maintaining tissue structure, porosity and integrity.
And talking of mountains and high altitudes, Damask roses have historically been the preferred type of rose to treat the skin and body. Introduced by the ancient Persian empire, where the rose flourished, distilled rose water was then brought to Egypt and Rome through trade routes. It is often found in moisturizers and creams, but rose water is an effective toner on its own and is a great anti-inflammatory which can calm rosacea and eczema.
Salt scrubs have also been practiced across Europe and Asia since ancient times, incorporated into traditional bathing rituals. The coarse mineral acts as an effective physical exfoliator, sloughing away dead skin. Adding a few drops of essential oils to the salt makes the whole experience both functional and therapeutic. Lavender and eucalyptus work particularly well.
Pomegranate seeds can be arduous to extract from the fruit, but pomegranates are known to increase the potency of sunscreen, hydrate the skin, and fight free radicals with their high antioxidant content. They are now a popular ingredient in masks, moisturizers, and health elixirs.
A common ancient Greek remedy, honey, contains a plethora of antibacterial ingredients. Mixing it with olive oil creates a healing face mask that provides the skin with a boost of vitamins. Manuka honey, in particular, is now used in burn units and for ulcer treatment because of its exceptional healing ability.
And finally, another good skin care ingredient loved by the Ancients is turmeric. Its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties help to prevent skin problems like pimples and acne.
So, the next time you primp and pamper your skin, recognize and give thanks to the ancient founders who intuitively used nature’s gifts.
For more wellness tips, call us at Skinsense Wellness at (323) 653–4701, or check out our other blogs on Medium. And for skincare services, please visit us at 8448 W. Third Street, Los Angeles, CA 90048. We have re-opened our doors and are happy to welcome you all back.
“I remember smell better than my multiplication tables.”
Last year when I was doing home service facials for my clients, one of the homes I went to had the smell of fresh oven-baked chocolate chip cookies as I walked in. As soon as the scent of chocolate combined with brown sugar and dough hit my nose, I was transported back to my childhood in my grandma’s house and can’t help but reminisce on those good old happy times. For some reason scents have a way of magically bringing back a memory.
Working with beautiful aromas and scents is one of the perks of being an aesthetician and salon owner that I enjoy so much — from the essential oils that freshen the space to the skincare products that I use for my facial treatments. All in all, it makes for a totally relaxing atmosphere. My clients love it and can’t help but comment on the pleasant smell as they enter the salon or as I slather their skin with the mildly scented skincare products. It certainly is a key element in the whole self-care experience.
However, fragrance has garnered a bad reputation recently. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, fragrances are considered one of the leading causes of allergic reactions on the skin. Let’s get to the heart of the matter.
What is fragrance in skin care products?
It’s any ingredient or combination of ingredients added to a product to make it smell a certain way. It could be to cover up an unpleasant or chemical-like smell, or it might simply be there to add a pleasant aroma to an odorless substance.
From moisturizers to serums to sun care, fragrance is added to all kinds of skin care products to make them more pleasurable to apply and bring an element of luxury to your skincare regimen.
Now to find out what’s best for our skin, let’s take a look at different types of formulations.
Natural — are usually created with a mixture of natural-origin ingredients and essential oils.
Synthetic- are made up of artificially derived chemicals and are of particular concern among those with sensitive skin because of their potential to cause irritation.
Fragrance-free — are products that do not have added chemicals that enhance aroma or mask an odor.
Unscented — are products that has no scent. Often so-called masking fragrances are used to cover up unwanted smells from other ingredients that may not have a pleasing odor.
Organic, natural, and green — are botanical extracts and essential oils that may be manufactured or naturally occurring.
Fragrances today aren’t generally harmful, but some people with sensitive skin might like to avoid them. No matter the source, some fragrances may contain allergens. So, both natural and synthetic fragrances may cause irritation to very sensitive skin types. If you have a skin condition, such as dermatitis or eczema, or very reactive and allergy-prone skin, it would be best to use fragrance-free products.
However, only one percent of the general population suffers from fragrance allergies. If you have a more resilient skin type, you may not experience any irritation at all and, in fact, may benefit from the therapeutic element that fragrance brings to a product — whether natural or synthetic. It is usually a safe addition to skin care products and may evoke positive emotions and happy memories as well as bring a more luxurious feel to your routine.
For more skincare tips, call us at Skinsense Wellness at (323) 653–4701, or check out our other blogs on Medium. And for skincare services, please visit us at 8448 W. Third Street, Los Angeles, CA 90048. We have re-opened our doors and are happy to welcome you all back.
“If you’re feeling blue try painting yourself a different color.” — Hannah Cheatem
When I think of blue light, I am reminded of the time I was driving on Wilshire Boulevard at night and from my rearview mirror I saw the flashing lights of a police car signaling me to stop. My violation — over speeding. That was terrifying! Never will I do it again.
But we are talking about a different kind of blue light. This particular blue light is a form of visible light, also known as high-energy visible (HEV) light. It is one of the several colors in the visible light spectrum, the others are red, orange, yellow, green, indigo, and violet. Blue light represents about one third of all visible light — a pretty high percentage — so blue light is practically everywhere.
By far the largest source of blue light is from the sun itself. But we also get it from artificial light sources such as LED light bulb, fluorescent bulbs, your flatscreen tv, your laptop, your tablet, your cellphone, all these digital devices that you have in your hand and keep in your house.
Both natural blue light from the sun and artificial blue light during the day can boost attention, reaction time, and moods. But studies to date show blue light from electronic devices can lead to changes in your skin cells, including the production of free radicals and break down of collagen. This speeds up the aging process — wrinkles, fine lines, dilated pores, and loss of firmness. Even exposures as short as 60 minutes can trigger these changes. Too much blue light could also lead to pigmentation especially in deeper skin tones.
The other concern about blue light is it’s ability to disrupt your sleep cycle, also called the Circadian rhythm. It does this by suppressing melatonin, a protein necessary for promoting restful sleep. And we know how vital our beauty sleep is. Here’s how to protect your skin from blue light…
During the day:
- Use a Vitamin C serum every morning.
- Wear a mineral sunscreen that contains Zinc Oxide, with an SPF 30. It also helps protect skin against UV rays — which pose a serious threat to skin. Sunlight and electronic devices reach skin both indoors and out, so it’s important to protect your skin even if you’re indoors most of the day.
- Add antioxidants to your diet, brightly colored fruits and vegetables, and take vitamin supplements to counter free radical damage that occurs from UV and visible light.
- And expose yourself to lots of bright light during the day — this will keep your circadian rhythms functioning properly and help you sleep longer and more deeply.
At night
- Use dim red lights for night lights. Red light does not interfere with melatonin production as much.
- Don’t use bright screens two hours before bed. This may be a practice that is hard to break. But better to read a book (an actual paper version) before you go to sleep.
- If you work a night shift or have to use lots of electronic devices in the evening, consider wearing blue-blocking glasses that filters the blue light wavelength. These glasses are now readily available online or at most reputable opticians and are very reasonably priced.
- Lastly, install blue light filter apps or activate the night shift/night mode on your smart phones, tablets, and laptops.
For more skincare tips, check out my other blogs on Medium or call us at Skinsense Wellness at (323) 653–4701. And for skincare services, please visit us at 8448 W. Third Street, Los Angeles, CA 90048. We have re-opened our doors and are ready to welcome you all back.
Living more consciously year round seems to be the theme for 2014. Everything from the food we eat, to the juices we drink, the cars we drive and the clothes we wear have details about what they contain and where they come from. All steps in the right direction.
Certain things never loose their appeal – essential oils and aromatherapy, for example, have always been important to improve ambiance but are becoming more mainstream in a clinical way for treating mental and physical ailments. And now there is a wonderful blend between science, technology, botanical and organic products that spas are in a prime position to offer.
Looking your best this year means getting away from the faux beauty fashions of the past few years and adopting a less complicated and fresh faced approach to personal care. Improved skincare formulas and electrotherapy to combat aging and a greater understanding about the body as a whole, have resulted in this more hands off approach. Even plastic surgery offices seem more focused on updated injectables, more subtle lip injections, fat harvesting and reinjection to soften fine lines and wrinkles rather than turning to more extensive surgery.
This doesn’t mean we can let go or neglect ourselves. We are returning to hippydom!
Exercise is the only area where extremism seems to be in vogue. High-intensity interval training, hot yoga (be warned: intense heat can cause irritation for some skins) and extreme outdoor sports activities have become very popular and when we travel today we often look for destinations that offer spa facilities, exercise options and healthy menus that can boost our health and well-being rather than giving us an opportunity to get off track and over indulge.
Two newer trends that we are looking to introduce at SkinSense this year are topical probiotics to help control acne and strengthen the skin’s natural defense barrier, and a treatment protocol for targeting stubborn pigmentation.
One thing that will never change however, is the need for a skincare routine that hydrates and protects during the day and treats at night. And of course, regular facials. No matter how great all the new products and protocols turn out to be, daily maintenance will always be necessary.
