How to Pamper Your Skin

"I want my skin to look like yours" and "I want the glow that you have." I hear this all the time so I thought it important to share tips on How to Pamper Your Skin and this is really key if you are experiencing any dryness. At one point in my seasoned adult life, I was looking for these very sound tips that can help to bring my skin back to normal.

We've had many changes in the weather lately which certainly affect your skin. The commandments of skincare below are educational and informative and serve as a guide to youthful looking skin and retaining moisture which lessens the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

As you read the commandments, take a look at my image above and make a plan for yourself to incorporate these steps in your skincare routine.

Always Wash Your Face Before Bed

No matter how dry your skin, gentle cleansing at night is essential. Makeup, sunscreen, bacteria, dead skin cells, dirt, and oil build up on your face during the day. They can work their way into your pores, causing inflammation. Wash gently without scrubbing to avoid irritating your skin.

Cleanser: Soap or Non-Soap?

Harsh detergents in soap can strip away the natural moisturizing oils in your skin. This can cause dryness, irritation, and inflammation. Soap-free cleansers work on your skin the same way as soap, but they're made of milder ingredients that don't deplete skin's oils.

What to Look for in a Face Cleanser

When you have dry skin, consider a gentle cleanser with added moisturizers (normally milky cleansers are better for dry skin than gel cleansers). Your skin should feel soft and smooth after cleansing. If the cleanser makes your skin feel too dry, tight, or irritated, try a different one. Check with your licensed skin therapist for recommendations on the appropriate cleansers based on the needs of your skin.

What to Avoid in a Face Cleanser

In addition to steering clear of harsh soaps, look for a cleanser that is free of fragrance, chemicals, or alcohol. Avoid antibacterial soaps, which are drying. Ask your doctor/skin therapist whether you should use or avoid cleansers with exfoliants such as glycolic acid. Some exfoliating cleansers may irritate dry skin.

Water and Dry Skin

Showers and baths add moisture to your skin, but they can also dry it out by removing the skin's natural oils. Hot water washes away oil faster than warm water. So use warm water when you cleanse your face and limit yourself to one short (under 10 minutes) warm shower or bath a day. Close the bathroom door while you bathe to keep the room humid. Now this one was a little hard for me initially to change because we are all used to taking a really hot shower.

Dampen Your Hands and Face

As simple as this sounds, most people do not even think about this. Because you're cleansing with your hands, wash them first. Then dampen your face and hands with tepid (warm) water. Don't concern yourself with using enough water to work up a good lather. Mild cleansers may not lather much. Remember, your goal is to have skin that's smooth and supple, not "squeaky clean."

Use a Light Touch for Cleansing

More is not better when it comes to washing dry skin. Squeeze from a dime size to a quarter-size dollop of cleanser (depending on the concentration) into your palm and apply it evenly to your face. Then gently massage it into your skin with your fingertips, using circular motions and moving upward. Be especially gentle around your eyes. Remember not to scrub -- even with your fingers.

Pat, Don’t Rub, Your Face Dry

Don't ruin the perfect face cleansing by rubbing your skin dry. Rubbing can cause abrasion to your skin, which can lead to irritation and inflammation. Instead, rinse your face with tepid water, then pat it with a clean, dry cotton towel or washcloth. Don't dry it all the way -- the idea is to leave some moisture for your moisturizer to lock in and hold onto.

Go Easy on Exfoliation

Exfoliation removes dead skin cells, allowing moisturizers to better penetrate your skin. But abrasive scrubs can damage dry skin, so exfoliate no more than once a week. Skip fruit scrubs, which can be harsh. Instead, try a scrub with synthetic beads. These particles are more uniform in shape and can be less damaging to skin. Exfoliating should never hurt. If it does, stop or try a gentler product.

Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize

Moisturizers don't actually add moisture to the skin. They seal in existing water so it doesn't evaporate. Use the 3-minute rule: Apply moisturizer within 3 minutes of your cleansing. If you feel the need to apply moisturizer again during the day, it's not necessary to rinse or cleanse first. However, finding the right moisturizer for you skin will eliminate the need to re-apply multiple times.

What to Avoid in a Moisturizer

You may want to avoid moisturizers that contain fragrances. And some ingredients, such as retinols, may be irritating to sensitive, dry skin. Test a facial moisturizer by first rubbing a tiny amount on your forearm for a few days. If it stings, burns, itches, or feels dry, don't use it.

References from WebMD, Jan. 2013

A New Year's Recovery For Healthy Skin

Here are some basic tips for skin recovery for the New Year. 

1.  Since alcohol is so dehydrating to the body and makes the skin more sensitized, you should make sure you carry a calming mist ( i.e. Rosewater is great) in your bag. This will not only add much needed hydration to the skin’s surface but it will also calm and reduce the redness. It can be easily spritzed over make-up.

2.  When nights out become mornings after and your skin looks dry and dull, treat it to an overnight, oil-based serum ( you know how I always preach to choir about the need to use a good serum which contains anti-oxidants to fight free radicals) to replenish lost lipids and moisture and rebuild collagen. Apply in the evening and let the essential oils work with the body’s own circadian rhythms to leave your skin silky soft and luminous.     

3.  How to handle the tell-tale dark circles around the eyes? In Chinese medicine, shadows under your eyes are indicative of stress on the kidneys and liver (which makes sense after lots of parties and late nights). You can’t instantly get rid of dark circles, but helping the body detox, rest and revitalize through good nutrition and exercise will all help greatly. For a temporary quick fix, use products that contain anti-inflammatories and optical light diffusers, which are often combined in a light concealer make-up base and act as a multitude of ‘microscopic mirrors’ that deflect the light and decrease shadow lines.

References:  International Dermal Institute.

Homemade Recipes for Great Skin at Home

Recipes/Instructions for Healthy Skin care at home

In between your professional skincare treatments, here are some tips on how you can maintain your youthful appearance, keep your skin hydrated and acne free.

Why:

Giving yourself a facial is a rejuvenating experience that you will want to have weekly, so schedule some time in each week to spend on just yourself and your beauty regiment, including time for a facial. There are ways of giving yourself a facial that are better than others, so follow our steps here and give yourself some great face time!

How:

1. Take off jewelry, including earrings. Some of the chemicals in natural substances do not blend well with metals, so you are better safe than sorry.

2. Clear your hair off of your face with a headband or scarf. In college we use to cut the bottoms of old t-shirts, twist to double them and voila! Instant headband you don't mind getting dirty with facial muck.

3. Wash your face so that there is no makeup left behind.

4. Follow the instructions to the tee… timing is often everything with facial masks, so set a timer.

5. Enjoy the time, sit back and relax.

Here we go, recipe numero uno and don’t worry if you make a mess the first time.  Bye the way, it’s good enough to eatJ

Homemade Recipe:

1.     Acne Facial mask:

Puree in a blender or food processor 1 chopped, ripe tomato, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of instant oatmeal or rolled oats. If mixture seems too runny, add more oats. Apply to skin for 10 minutes and rinse with warm water.

BYE BYE ACNE:

 

It's More than Just a Facial - You must Relax

Did you know the impact of Stress on your skin:

THE STRESS CYCLE

The way stress affects your skin is that when you're tense, your brain releases cortisol, a stress hormone, into your bloodstream. That tells the oil glands to ramp up production, leading to breakouts. Stress also dilates blood vessels, which causes redness and aggravates rosacea.

Another side effect of stress on your skin is that your skin becomes dehydrated, sensitive, and more susceptible to damage. Besides causing lines from furrowing your brow, stress also makes you look markedly older.

We already lose 1 percent of our skin's collagen supply every year after we hit age 20, but stress can accelerate that. Younger women are are getting wrinkles early and older women are still fighting acne. These issues are caused in large part because people are more stressed out than they were even five years ago.

Some wrinkle/acne triggers are relationships, money, work, and family, and according to leading Dermotologist, Dr. Howard Murad, there is a rise in "cultural stress--the feeling that women expect perfection from themselves in all areas at all times. We all know that stress is unhealthy for your heart and brain, but it's just as bad for your skin." Repairing it works best with a dual-pronged approach that incorporates internal and external fixes, i.e, intake of essential nutrients topically especially on your face ( Vitamins A, C and E) and internally through food and supplements.

Take advantage of this unique opportunity to not only treat your skin because it's more than just a facial, there is incredible lymphatic massage of your scalp, neck, shoulders, arms and hands. Just imagine 60 minutes of healing, hydration and self-indulgence at Nurturing Touch Skincare, An Oasis for skin nutrition. Holiday savings: Treatment only $75.00 ( Normal value $130.00). Gift certificates are available.

Peace, Healing and Hydration,

Charlotte

"Did you know" tips for Dry Itchy Skin in the Winter

8 reasons for dry itchy skin in the fall and winter. Cold air, harsh winds and other seasonal factors can lead to dry skin in the fall and winter. 8 tips from a leading dermaesthetic company:

1. Cold dry air has less moisture than warm dry air. During winter using a heavier lotion or cream can help your skin retain moisture longer especially for rougher or extra dry areas.

2. Strong winter winds can strip your skin of it’s natural lipids which are the most important parts of the skin barrier and keeps the skin from drying out.

3. The heat in your house can be drying as well.

4. The heat from a toasty fire can toast your skin. Dead skin builds up quicker in dry heat.

5. Hot showers can feel great but it’s actually bad for your skin

6. Coffee and chocolate can dry your skin from the inside out.

7. Winter clothing can dry your skin and leave it itchy.

8. Ultra violet rays are ever present even during the winter months so you are always at risk for sun damage.

4 Secrets to Healthy Looking Skin (Shhh - tell only your best friend)

1.  Which way do you sleep - on your stomach or on your back.  The best way is to sleep on your back, preferably with your head elevated.  This reduces the puffiness most of us see in the mirror each morning.  You might want to invest in a form-fitting pillow that will help keep your head upright.
2.  Please don't smoke.  The heat and smoke of the cigarette itself will constrict your blood vessels and cause wrinkles.  Overuse of the muscles used to draw in the smoke can cause just as many wrinkles and smoking as you surely know is a risk factor for lung cancer.
3.  Don't use alsohol-containing products on your face.  Products containing alcohol tend to dry out the skin, even oily skin.
4.  Don't wash your face more than twice a day, unless you exercise.  In that case, be sure to wash away any sweat that could be drying to your face as it evaporates.  Please consider a non-soap skin cleanser.

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

What do you see when you look in the mirror?  What do you hear yourself saying to the "you" that's looking at you?  Is it a struggle to stand boldly before the throne of grace and declare that you are beautiful, powerful, confident and deserve the very best that you create for yourself.  Are those positive thoughts dancing all around you, crawling up that crooked spine and making it straight, taking those shoulders that were leaning forward and pushing them back creating stronger images of the shadow and casting doubting thomas to the abyss. 

Do you hear these words: worthy, happy, amazing, loving ringing in your ears.  Are you flushing out the toxins of " I can't, I need, I should" and replacing them with " I can do all things, I have everything I need, My life is worth living".  If you aren't seeing this in yourself and these thoughts are not eminating from your heart and soul which controls your thought process, then you are not feeding yourself the proper self nutrition to change your behavior, to empower yourself, to achieve your dreams.  your future is shaped by your imagination so imagine where your journey can take you.  Inspire your world and live the life you love.  LET GO, BREAK OUT, WARRIOR, OH BEAUTIFUL WARRIOR - Amen.