Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Photo by Ethan Robertson on Unsplash A variety of vitamins and nutrients – from supplements to skin care – are needed throughout the season. Summer is coming, and the products you need to revamp your healthy supply have arrived! To Support Hydration You’ve always been …
Photo by Ian Dooley on Unsplash Side-note: It’s not pretty. You’ve had a long day – meetings, conference calls, subway rides, classes and maybe even a long night out. So by the time you head to bed, washing your face seems like a pretty easy …
Whether it is summer and the temperature is hot and the air is humid, or winter and it’s cold and dry, you skin needs certain minerals and vitamins in order to look (and feel) it’s best. Your skin is the largest organ you have, so treating it with the respect it deserve is important! Getting into a daily skin care routine that pays off in more ways than one, leaving you with healthy, radiant, youthful looking skin.
Don’t get tricked by your tan – your skin is craving numerous that only a few products can provide. Here is the ultimate guide to skin care that you need every season.
Throughout the day, your skin is collecting dirt, oil, and other unwanted debris and is covered by bacteria, pollutants and old (and dead) skin cells. Washing your face daily will help to remove those impurities. Leaving your face unwashed could cause clogged pores, dirty skin and a breakout you really don’t need.
You’ll want to find an all-natural facial cleanser that cleanses deep benefit your skin’s surface and provides long-lasting hydration to get you through the day. Stay away from products that contain parabens, petrolum, colorants, fragrances, sulfates, benzoic acid and other harsh and dangerous ingredients. Be sure your facial cleanser contains antioxidant ingredients (like Green tea, Grape Seed extract, and Vitamin C) to help slough off rough, dead skin cells, tone pores and clean the skin.
If you’ve been skipping a facial toner, you don’t know what you’ve been missing, especially if you have acne-prone skin! Facial toners help to prep the skin for moisturizer and can get rid of the excess oils, stubborn dirt and makeup that could be left over after using your facial cleanser. A facial toner will also help to keep your pores tight. You’ll want to use a facial toner that contains ingredients that are light enough to not leave your skin feeling tight, but powerful enough to show benefit. These ingredients include Green Tea, Witch Hazel, Marine collagen, Aloe Vera and Cucumber oils.
If you’re skin care routine is easiest for you after you shower, that’s great! But did you know that a hot shower or bath can strip your skin of moisture and oils it needs to stay hydrated? No worries – here is where a good facial moisturizer comes in! Using a facial moisturizer replenishes the hydration that your skin needs in order to give you that dewy, glowing skin you’ve been looking for, without making it feel oily to the touch. The best moisturizer includes antioxidants like Grape Seed, Bilberry Fruit, Vitamin C and E and Alpha-Lipoic Acid (ALA), that offers enriching protection for healthy, smooth, and even-toned skin.
If you’re concerned about your skin’s brightness or discoloration (especially in the summer due to the sun), you may want to invest in a toning serum. It’s job is to help fight free-radical and chemical damage on your face and neck and brighten your skin tone. Uneven pigmentation can be a serious issue for many women (and men!). An overnight toning serum, especially one with Vitamin C, can help be both protective and beneficial.
?: Savs on Unsplash Fall and Winter are extremely tough on the skin due to the harsh temperatures and dryness. Now that Spring has arrived you’re excited to take your hats and scarves off – only to reveal dry, cracked skin. So what can you …
Photo by Autumn Goodman on Unsplash The skin is the largest organ in the body and it is responsible for many functions that contribute to our health and well-being. It protects the body against physical and chemical aggressions, serves as a sensorial receptor, regulates body …
We’ve all had acne as teenagers, but it can be even more embarrassing to have acne as an adult. This is the most common skin condition in the United States, affecting up to 50 million Americans each year. Rosacea affects an estimated 14 million (1 in 20 people) in the U.S. It is often mistaken for acne, eczema, or a skin allergy and may worsen over time if left untreated. Individuals with acne and rosacea commonly have a difficult time choosing skin care products. While treatments from dermatologists can work very well, they may require lots of maintenance and follow up appointments depending on the treatment. Anyone who suffers with acne can understand how difficult it can be to find that perfect product that actually works. It can be quite an expensive investment. Even though acne is a common problem for many, it can take its tole on people’s confidence and self esteem, especially when cystic bumps begin to appear. So whatever can be done to improve this is always a positive. Speaking at the 69th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology, dermatologist Diane Berson, MD, FAAD, discussed how proper skin care and using specifically formulated cosmeceuticals can improve the skin of acne and rosacea patients, as well as helping them comply with their treatment regimen.
One of the most important parts of your daily skin care routine is to cleanse the skin. A good cleanser removes oil and dirt from the surface of your skin without causing damage. Dr. Berson explains, “When the skin is stripped of lipids, which are part of its protective outer layer, the skin barrier is compromised and can worse acne and rosacea. Harsh cleansers, alkaline bar soaps and alcohol-based products may worsen irritation.” Gentle cleansers are best for skin prone to acne and rosacea.
For many acne and rosacea sufferers, it is a common myth that moisturizers should not be used. But Dr. Berson says that not using a moisturizer may negatively impact your skin. “Your skin can become red and peel easily due to the drying effect of your acne medications. By using a moisturizer, patients counter the effects of these medications by adding moisture back into the skin. Those with acne should use a light, oil-free moisturizer that is non-comedogenic (will not block your pores). Moisturizers containing heavy mineral oils should be avoided, though products containing silicone oils such a dimethicone are good choices.” For individuals with rosacea, the skin is more sensitive and is likely to react to ingredients in both prescription medications and skin care products. “Moisturizers are extremely important for both acne and rosacea patients, and the key is finding the right moisturizer for your skin time. The humectants glycerin and hyaluronic acid are often added to moisturizers to hold moisture in the skin and hydrate it.”
There are many serums on the market that promote bright skin tones, natural glow, and help with pigmentation. But not many have acne and rosacea fighting ingredients formulated inside. A great overnight serum with antioxidants and fruit extracts can provide that natural glow but can also help with recovery from free-radical and chemical damage. Alpha-Hydroxy Acids and collagen help to form a ‘second skin’, to promote the growth of new skin cells and act as a protective barrier. Stay away from skin care products that contain alcohol, parabens, petroleum, colorants, fragrances, sulfates, benzoic acid, and other harsh ingredients.
Dr. Berson reports that sunlight, may also aggravate acne and rosacea. Using a broad-spectrum sunscreen that protects from both UVA and UVB light daily is best. The best part is that many sunscreens do not feel as heavy on the skin as they have in the past, due to new technologies like microfine particles. Many are even designed to not clog pores or worsen acne.
For women, using make up is part of an everyday routine. But for acne and rosacea sufferers, this is a tantalizing task. But fear not! Many cosmetic companies are using minerals as their base formula; adding silicia, titanium dioxide and zinc oxide into the formula to absorb oils and camouflage redness, creating a non-irritating product for those with troubled skin. Cosmetics are continually improving and are available in non-greasy, non-comedogenic formulas.
In a study published in the journal Beneficial Microbes in January 2017, researchers set out to learn more about how the imbalance of skin bacteria can lead to acne, dubbed “the gut/skin axis”. According to the study, bacteria living in the intestines contributes to acne and inflammation. A specific strain of probiotic, Lactobaciullus Plantarum, was shown to reduce inflammation and improve the look of the skin. In the study, a five-point scale rated the improvement in the skins appearance of 20 adults with acne. In a placebo controlled, randomized, double-blinded study, help of the subject took 3 billion CFU (colony forming units) of Lactobacillus daily for 12 weeks or took identical looking placebo. According to the five-point scale, the look of the skin improved by 32% within this time, with no improvement in the placebo group. Inflammatory bacteria damages the lining of the gut allowing toxins to enter circulation. This affects genes that regulate growth factors and insulin signaling in the skin contributing to acne. According to the Italian researchers, the probiotic reversed damage to the lining of the intestinal wall, blocking absorption of toxins, reducing inflammation, and impacting insulin type growth factor 1 and the FOXO1 gene expression in the skin by 65%, which reduced the appearance of acne. Source: American Academy of Dermatology (AAD)