The skin protects our internal structure from the outside elements. Given that simplistic explanation of the skin’s role, there are many activities that go on in your skin. How acne and bacteria develops in your skin is dependant on your genetics and how you maintain your skin on a daily basis.
It is also important for you to understand your acne. The more you understand how acne develops and what the contributing factors are, the more likely it is that you will be able to create an effective treatment plan. If you don’t understand how acne develops, you are not likely to follow a treatment plan consistently. You’ll get discouraged. When you learn, for instance, that any single pimple has taken about ninety days to form, you’ll understand that what you do today will prevent a pimple not now, but two to three months from now.
How the Skin Works
The skin is your body’s largest organ and one of its most complex. The skin protects our body from the environment’s hostile elements, cooling us down, warming us up, retaining water, sending messages from the environment back to the brain, and furnishing us with the sensation we need to enjoy being alive. The skin is a dynamic, living membrane that separates us from the environment. Without it we would die of dehydration because the body is 85 percent water.
Epidermis
The outermost layer of skin is called the epidermis. The epidermis is very active. It creates a total new cell population every twenty-eight days, and one complete layer of cells falls off into the environment every day. Skin is fourteen cell layers thick.
The Development of the Skin Follicle
Follicle is another word for pore. A follicle or pore is the small structure that opens onto the skin’s surface. Developing follicle has two “choices” -- either it will produce hair or it will predominantly produce oil (a sebaceous follicle).
Many of the follicles on your face are quite visible, especially on and around the nose where they are large.
The site of your acne disease is in these follicles, so you need to thoroughly understand what a follicle is and be able to visualize it in cross sections.
The specific hormone which stimulates the development of our sebaceous follicles and their attached oil glands is testosterone, the major male sex hormone. Both males and females produce testosterone.
The Sebaceous Follicle
As mentioned earlier, the skin has basically two types of follicles -- a hair and a sebaceous follicle. Both have sebaceous glands attached to them. If the maturing follicle is a hair follicle, it grows a thick hair which acts like a wick to help bring the oil and other debris to the surface.
But it’s the sebaceous follicle that gets into trouble. As acne develops, it usually coils up in the follicle, gets lost in the rest of the debris and never even gets out to the surface.
Bacteria
The description of the follicle is not complete without telling you about the little creatures who reside there. Anaerobic bacteria (growing without the presence of oxygen) flourish in the follicles. Bacteria exist in the pores of every human being, and do not dwell in greater numbers in acne-prone people.
The bacteria feed off the triglyceride produced by our sebaceous glands.
All of the factors that have been detailed operate in all human skin. They are normal processes -- the stratum corneum turning over, the testosterone flowing and triggering the production of sebum, and the bacteria feeding off the sebum. However, while these are not the cause of your acne, they do form the staging ground and provide the fuel to feed the flames of your disease.
Melanie Vasseur is a renowned chemist, esthetician and the founder of Vasseur Skin Care. For more skin care tips and information on Vasseur Day Spa’s highly effective acne treatment options please visit www.vsskin.com or call 619-236-9095.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Recovering from a Facial Mask Peel
As a guest of a top quality skin care Clinic you may just be looking for some routine R&R. However, you may also be actively searching for new ways to combat acne, scarring, hyperpigmentation, fine lines and the aging process.
In your search, you may have found that peels are one of the most effective ways of fighting those specific issues. A peel can be a great way to treat your skin, but with many there is also a "downtime". Downtime is the duration of the peeling process in which you are advised to stay out of the sun, and you may look less than 100%! Although a peel can do wonders for your skin, unfortunately life itself cannot stop for our beauty needs! Therefore, I am here to give you some tested, and true, tips on how to look your very best during that pesky downtime!
1. Healing Serum - an all natural concentrated serum designed to heal burnt, irritated skin. It contains pumpkin seed and carrot oil, and has been proven to make you peel 3 times faster than normal! Apply twice daily for the entire downtime. This also makes makeup application much smoother and makes peeling less noticeable.
2. Moisturize more AFTER you begin to peel - too much moisture before you begin to peel may prolong the peeling process.
3. Primer - A good primer is essential to makeup application during a peel! It is a thicker hydrating cream that goes on before your makeup and acts as a barrier for your skin. It fills in the fine lines and unevenness that peeling can cause.
4. Drink a lot of water - Internal hydration during a peel is extremely important. It allows your body to create new skin cells and repair and rebuild your natural barrier. A good rule of thumb is to drink (in ounces) half of your body weight in water.
5. Toner - A toner is designed to bring your skin back to its normal pH as well as hydrate and kill bacteria. Spritz your face with toner to make your product go further, to set your makeup or when you're feeling dry/cracking throughout the day!
6. Liquid foundation - A liquid foundation or tinted moisturizer is the easiest, most comfortable form of foundation during a peel. It hydrates and makes the cracks and peeling in your skin less prominent. Powder foundations absorb oil (healing serum) and water; they also give a matte look, which makes the peeling stand out and the skin look dry. Set makeup with a loose powder if skin looks oily/shiny.
7. Don't pick! - Picking at your peel allows bacteria onto the raw (peeling) skin and may cause scarring and hyperpigmentation.
8. Enjoy- After the peeling process is done, enjoy your improved skin and radiant glow!
In your search, you may have found that peels are one of the most effective ways of fighting those specific issues. A peel can be a great way to treat your skin, but with many there is also a "downtime". Downtime is the duration of the peeling process in which you are advised to stay out of the sun, and you may look less than 100%! Although a peel can do wonders for your skin, unfortunately life itself cannot stop for our beauty needs! Therefore, I am here to give you some tested, and true, tips on how to look your very best during that pesky downtime!
1. Healing Serum - an all natural concentrated serum designed to heal burnt, irritated skin. It contains pumpkin seed and carrot oil, and has been proven to make you peel 3 times faster than normal! Apply twice daily for the entire downtime. This also makes makeup application much smoother and makes peeling less noticeable.
2. Moisturize more AFTER you begin to peel - too much moisture before you begin to peel may prolong the peeling process.
3. Primer - A good primer is essential to makeup application during a peel! It is a thicker hydrating cream that goes on before your makeup and acts as a barrier for your skin. It fills in the fine lines and unevenness that peeling can cause.
4. Drink a lot of water - Internal hydration during a peel is extremely important. It allows your body to create new skin cells and repair and rebuild your natural barrier. A good rule of thumb is to drink (in ounces) half of your body weight in water.
5. Toner - A toner is designed to bring your skin back to its normal pH as well as hydrate and kill bacteria. Spritz your face with toner to make your product go further, to set your makeup or when you're feeling dry/cracking throughout the day!
6. Liquid foundation - A liquid foundation or tinted moisturizer is the easiest, most comfortable form of foundation during a peel. It hydrates and makes the cracks and peeling in your skin less prominent. Powder foundations absorb oil (healing serum) and water; they also give a matte look, which makes the peeling stand out and the skin look dry. Set makeup with a loose powder if skin looks oily/shiny.
7. Don't pick! - Picking at your peel allows bacteria onto the raw (peeling) skin and may cause scarring and hyperpigmentation.
8. Enjoy- After the peeling process is done, enjoy your improved skin and radiant glow!
How To Get Rid Of Acne In The Shortest Time Possible!
Acne is virtually impossible to cure overnight,but there are some treatment options that can dramatically speed up your recover time! You may have seen dermatologists, purchased hundreds of dollars worth of ineffective creams and cleansers, and were prescribed every other kind of acne medication available today. When the treatments failed and your acne worsened daily, your dermatologist may have recommended Accutain. Accutain is the last attempt in streamline medical for acne treatment. It is extremely harsh on the body, and changes its chemical makeup. You may have been frustrated with your dermatologist's advice and the uneven, bumpy skin that you were still left with.
Below you will find several suggestions on how to quickly eliminate acne without the side affects of harsh drugs.
1. DO NOT pick - Acne is caused in part by bacteria in the skin, your hands and face have bacteria on them (even if you wash them). By touching your face and picking at your skin, you are causing your acne to worsen! Scarring is also a result of picking, by tearing off the scab before the skin underneath has healed you are causing buildup of scar tissue.
2. Eat Healthy - A healthy inside means a healthy outside! Foods high in fiber are essential in detoxing the body, less toxins will result in clearer, healthier skin! Cutting down on the consumption of sugars, dairy and citrus will help results drastically.
3. Drink more water - Water is key to healthy skin. Drinking at least 2 liters of water per day will help your body flush out toxins and speed up your cell production.
4. Use the right products - Keeping your face clean and oil free is extremely important when treating acne.
Foaming Cleanser - Contains salicylic acid to kill bacteria and get rid of congestion. Cleansing 2-3 times daily is recommended; any more and it will cause dryness and lead to an overproduction of oil.
Buffing Cleanser - Exfoliation is necessary in achieving clear skin. Acneic/problem skin has trouble sloughing off dead skin cells, therefore dead cells get trapped inside of pores causing congestion. Use 2-3 times weekly for clean, even skin!
Benzo Clear (5 or 10) - Has a high content of Benzol Peroxide to kill bacteria and can be used even on dry, painful skin.
Maxi Clear- Can be used as a mask or spot treatment. The clay base dries and absorbs oil, sulfur and salicylic acid are effective in killing underlying bacteria causing congestion.
ALA Cream- Alpha Lipoic Acid is perfect for treating acne scarring, residual acne, and redness. Apply 3 times daily for best results!
5. Invest in good makeup - Your skin will absorb whatever product you apply to it. Therefore, a good mineral foundation, blush/bronzer etc. is necessary and will allow your skin to breathe throughout the day! Not to mention the coverage with a mineral makeup is unbeatable!
6. Treat your skin to facials regularly - Getting facials at least once a month is most important when treating acne. Estheticians are trained to extract congestion properly, and apply products best suited for your specific skin type!
7. Get your rest - When your mind is asleep, your body goes into rest and repair mode. A full 6-8 hours of sleep at night will help your cells reproduce more efficiently and essentially repair your skin faster!
8. Ice it - Apply a bag of ice or an icepack (with a clean paper towel around it) to your acne twice daily. This will help control inflammation and redness.
9. Don't Stress - Stress is one of the main triggers of acne. When you stress your body is put into stress mode and hormones become imbalanced. Practice daily routines such as meditation, yoga, or deep breathing to calm your mind, body and skin!
10. Last but not least, GET MOVING - Exercise is one of the easiest ways to improve your acne. 30 minutes of exercise a day will stimulate overall circulation, cell and collagen production. Not only will you have a fit body, but glowing, beautiful skin too.
Melanie Vasseur is a renowned chemist, esthetician and the founder of Vasseur Skin Care. For more information on acne treatments please visit www.vsskin.com or call 619-236-9095.
Below you will find several suggestions on how to quickly eliminate acne without the side affects of harsh drugs.
1. DO NOT pick - Acne is caused in part by bacteria in the skin, your hands and face have bacteria on them (even if you wash them). By touching your face and picking at your skin, you are causing your acne to worsen! Scarring is also a result of picking, by tearing off the scab before the skin underneath has healed you are causing buildup of scar tissue.
2. Eat Healthy - A healthy inside means a healthy outside! Foods high in fiber are essential in detoxing the body, less toxins will result in clearer, healthier skin! Cutting down on the consumption of sugars, dairy and citrus will help results drastically.
3. Drink more water - Water is key to healthy skin. Drinking at least 2 liters of water per day will help your body flush out toxins and speed up your cell production.
4. Use the right products - Keeping your face clean and oil free is extremely important when treating acne.
Foaming Cleanser - Contains salicylic acid to kill bacteria and get rid of congestion. Cleansing 2-3 times daily is recommended; any more and it will cause dryness and lead to an overproduction of oil.
Buffing Cleanser - Exfoliation is necessary in achieving clear skin. Acneic/problem skin has trouble sloughing off dead skin cells, therefore dead cells get trapped inside of pores causing congestion. Use 2-3 times weekly for clean, even skin!
Benzo Clear (5 or 10) - Has a high content of Benzol Peroxide to kill bacteria and can be used even on dry, painful skin.
Maxi Clear- Can be used as a mask or spot treatment. The clay base dries and absorbs oil, sulfur and salicylic acid are effective in killing underlying bacteria causing congestion.
ALA Cream- Alpha Lipoic Acid is perfect for treating acne scarring, residual acne, and redness. Apply 3 times daily for best results!
5. Invest in good makeup - Your skin will absorb whatever product you apply to it. Therefore, a good mineral foundation, blush/bronzer etc. is necessary and will allow your skin to breathe throughout the day! Not to mention the coverage with a mineral makeup is unbeatable!
6. Treat your skin to facials regularly - Getting facials at least once a month is most important when treating acne. Estheticians are trained to extract congestion properly, and apply products best suited for your specific skin type!
7. Get your rest - When your mind is asleep, your body goes into rest and repair mode. A full 6-8 hours of sleep at night will help your cells reproduce more efficiently and essentially repair your skin faster!
8. Ice it - Apply a bag of ice or an icepack (with a clean paper towel around it) to your acne twice daily. This will help control inflammation and redness.
9. Don't Stress - Stress is one of the main triggers of acne. When you stress your body is put into stress mode and hormones become imbalanced. Practice daily routines such as meditation, yoga, or deep breathing to calm your mind, body and skin!
10. Last but not least, GET MOVING - Exercise is one of the easiest ways to improve your acne. 30 minutes of exercise a day will stimulate overall circulation, cell and collagen production. Not only will you have a fit body, but glowing, beautiful skin too.
Melanie Vasseur is a renowned chemist, esthetician and the founder of Vasseur Skin Care. For more information on acne treatments please visit www.vsskin.com or call 619-236-9095.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Answering skin care questions
Having had acne for the past 40 plus years and having under complete control for 22 years, I feel it is my duty to help others who have skin problems.
I am a professional skin care therapist, otherwise known as an esthetician.
I help 100's even thousands of people weekly and monthly.
I created a skincare line known as Vasseur Skincare www.vsskin.com.
I am not here to sell the product, only to help and answer questions. If I do sell my products, good for you because I personally make each and every one of them.
I am here to help you. I will post any questions with my answers to this blog.
Melanie Vasseur
I am a professional skin care therapist, otherwise known as an esthetician.
I help 100's even thousands of people weekly and monthly.
I created a skincare line known as Vasseur Skincare www.vsskin.com.
I am not here to sell the product, only to help and answer questions. If I do sell my products, good for you because I personally make each and every one of them.
I am here to help you. I will post any questions with my answers to this blog.
Melanie Vasseur
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