Rx for Cold-Weather Hands
Winter can be hard on your hands -- keep them looking their best with this professional advice.
During the winter months, wind and cold can inflict damage on your delicate digits and make your hands look weather-beaten and world-weary. To help you combat those ill effects, we assembled tips from some of the best experts in the beauty business. Follow their advice, and your hands will look their best all winter long — no matter how harsh Mother Nature decides to be.
1. Wear gloves.
It might seem obvious, but it bears repeating: Gloves are key to protecting the fragile skin of your hands. Even for quick errands outside, you should shield your hands from the elements. Keep a pair in your purse, in case you forget them on your way out the door.
2. Swap harsh soap for something milder.
“Trade in your bar soap and keep a bath and shower gel sink-side for hand washing,” suggests Marion Fenwick, head nail trainer at Bliss spas in New York City. “It’s a nice change for the colder months, because while bar soaps can strip the skin of moisture, bath and shower gels are richer and can actually add moisture to dry hands.”
3. Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize!
Moisturizing is crucial to hand care year-round, but in the winter it’s even more important. Aside from regular application throughout the day and after washing your hands, consider an intensive treatment. “Try applying your favorite hand or body cream to hands, then putting on [specialized hand treatment] gloves for 20 minutes,” she advises. You can also try regular cotton gloves for short intense treatments or overnight use.
Also, it’s a good idea to keep a small bottle of lotion in your purse so you’ll have it available while you’re on the go.
4. Stay hydrated.
A refreshing glass of water may be the last thing on your winter beverage list, but it’s actually one of the times you need water most: Water will keep your body hydrated and counterbalance the drying effect of indoor heating. By drinking water throughout the day, you’ll help your skin stay supple and moist. You might also want to invest in a humidifier to put moisture back into parched indoor air.
5. Supplement your way to softer hands.
In a recent study of 45 non-smoking, healthy women between the ages of 18 and 65, researchers in Dusseldorf, Germany, found that flaxseed and borage oils helped to significantly decrease roughness and scaling in the skin. If you don’t want to take supplements, you can always add a sprinkling of flax seeds to oatmeal or a salad for some of the same nutritional benefits.
6. Use the Vasseur Candle Treatment on you hands before you go to bed. Light the candle for 5 minutes. Blow candle out and pour the treatment on your hands and rub in. You can put gloves on for added benefit.
By following these simple tips, you’ll have soft, supple hands all winter long!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Under Eye Circles
Nonsurgical Solutions for Dark Under-Eye Circles
Now that the festivities are over, your eyes may be showing the signs of too much indulging and too little sleep. Whether you want to look relaxed and in control at work or to be fresh-faced for a new date, you can minimize dark under-eye circles, depending on what's causing them. The following are common causes of dark circles, along with tips on treatments.
Excess skin pigmentation on the upper part of the cheekbone and under the eyes can lead to dark circles. Freckles and sun damage can gather in this area. In addition, people with darker skin tones can have extra pigment under the eyes. One way to tell if you have excess pigment is to gently pull down on the lower eyelid. Do you see freckles or dark patches inside the lid? If so, skin-brightening creams can help reduce pigmentation. A recent study showed that a cream containing licorice extract and hyaluronic acid reduced dark circles after six weeks. Both of these ingredients are found in the new Fade Cream by Vasseur Skincare.
Thin lower eyelid skin can also produce dark circles, because the dark eyelid muscles are visible beneath the skin (the same way that black panties are visible through thin white pants). Another study showed that a gel containing retinol helped reduce dark circles after four weeks, possibly because it helped thicken the skin of the lower eyelid.
Under-eye bags can have shadows and hollows underneath them that accentuate dark circles. Of course Eye Q Gel in the refrigerator works great, but some at home remedies can also help If you wake up with puffy lids, try soaking cotton balls in cold chamomile tea, or soymilk and holding them on your closed lids for a few minutes in the morning. The cold temperature and anti-inflammatory properties of chamomile and soy can help shrink swollen tissues and reduce puffiness. However, if you have under-eye bags caused by fat deposits, topical treatments won't be enough to shrink them and reduce the circles. These types of circles may respond to injectable fillers or injections of your own fat to fill in the hollows. Try Juvederm 18.
Now that the festivities are over, your eyes may be showing the signs of too much indulging and too little sleep. Whether you want to look relaxed and in control at work or to be fresh-faced for a new date, you can minimize dark under-eye circles, depending on what's causing them. The following are common causes of dark circles, along with tips on treatments.
Excess skin pigmentation on the upper part of the cheekbone and under the eyes can lead to dark circles. Freckles and sun damage can gather in this area. In addition, people with darker skin tones can have extra pigment under the eyes. One way to tell if you have excess pigment is to gently pull down on the lower eyelid. Do you see freckles or dark patches inside the lid? If so, skin-brightening creams can help reduce pigmentation. A recent study showed that a cream containing licorice extract and hyaluronic acid reduced dark circles after six weeks. Both of these ingredients are found in the new Fade Cream by Vasseur Skincare.
Thin lower eyelid skin can also produce dark circles, because the dark eyelid muscles are visible beneath the skin (the same way that black panties are visible through thin white pants). Another study showed that a gel containing retinol helped reduce dark circles after four weeks, possibly because it helped thicken the skin of the lower eyelid.
Under-eye bags can have shadows and hollows underneath them that accentuate dark circles. Of course Eye Q Gel in the refrigerator works great, but some at home remedies can also help If you wake up with puffy lids, try soaking cotton balls in cold chamomile tea, or soymilk and holding them on your closed lids for a few minutes in the morning. The cold temperature and anti-inflammatory properties of chamomile and soy can help shrink swollen tissues and reduce puffiness. However, if you have under-eye bags caused by fat deposits, topical treatments won't be enough to shrink them and reduce the circles. These types of circles may respond to injectable fillers or injections of your own fat to fill in the hollows. Try Juvederm 18.
Chest Wrinkles
De-Creasing Chest Wrinkles
While it's difficult to get rid of chest creases completely, there are some things you can do to minimize their appearance. Sleeping on your back is the easiest change you can make. If you usually sleep on your side, switching to your back may help reduce creases. Think about what would happen to a piece of linen if you scrunched it up for hours every night. Basically, that's what you do to your poor chest when you sleep on your side.
Your sleeping position is not as problematic when you're young because elastic tissue helps your skin spring back into shape after you wake up and change positions, but as you age, your skin loses elasticity and the creases no longer go away. The same happens with your face. I trained myself to sleep on my back for this reason — I look like a vampire, but the sleep creases in my cheek have diminished. If you have trouble staying on your back, try putting pillows at your sides to prevent yourself from turning over — it may not be conducive to romance, but it's better for your skin! The BeautyPillow really helps also. It makes sleeping on your back doable because you can turn your head side to side and not your body. The arms of the BeautyPillow hug you, so you get the side sleeping feeling without turning your body.
In addition to changing your sleeping position, be sure to practice proper sun protection, on your chest, even in winter, since the sun contributes to the deterioration of your skin's elastic tissue. Idebenone cream has also been shown to help stimulate new elastic tissue in your skin. If you're seeking a treatment, talk to our nurse. In the spa, we sometimes recommend chemical peels and noninvasive laser treatments with the Sciton Microlaser Peel to help smooth out creases and stimulate new collagen and elastic tissue.
While it's difficult to get rid of chest creases completely, there are some things you can do to minimize their appearance. Sleeping on your back is the easiest change you can make. If you usually sleep on your side, switching to your back may help reduce creases. Think about what would happen to a piece of linen if you scrunched it up for hours every night. Basically, that's what you do to your poor chest when you sleep on your side.
Your sleeping position is not as problematic when you're young because elastic tissue helps your skin spring back into shape after you wake up and change positions, but as you age, your skin loses elasticity and the creases no longer go away. The same happens with your face. I trained myself to sleep on my back for this reason — I look like a vampire, but the sleep creases in my cheek have diminished. If you have trouble staying on your back, try putting pillows at your sides to prevent yourself from turning over — it may not be conducive to romance, but it's better for your skin! The BeautyPillow really helps also. It makes sleeping on your back doable because you can turn your head side to side and not your body. The arms of the BeautyPillow hug you, so you get the side sleeping feeling without turning your body.
In addition to changing your sleeping position, be sure to practice proper sun protection, on your chest, even in winter, since the sun contributes to the deterioration of your skin's elastic tissue. Idebenone cream has also been shown to help stimulate new elastic tissue in your skin. If you're seeking a treatment, talk to our nurse. In the spa, we sometimes recommend chemical peels and noninvasive laser treatments with the Sciton Microlaser Peel to help smooth out creases and stimulate new collagen and elastic tissue.
Dry Skin Drama?
Dry Skin Drama
Tips to Soothe Dry Skin
Very dry skin is itchy and flaky, and may even become red and painful. Don't put up with dry, itchy skin. Soothe it with the right dry skin care.
Flaky, scaly, itchy — these are the classic signs of dry skin. And who wants to look like a lizard, much less touch dry skin? Slapping on lotion when dry skin gets flaky isn't enough to kick the skin health problem to the curb — you need to take some serious steps to soothe dry skin.
Dry Skin-Soothers
Try these beauty tips to add moisture and bring dry skin back to life:
1. Cool down your showers. Very hot water will only dry your skin out more. So when you enjoy a bath or shower, keep the water lukewarm instead of hot. Ditto for when you wash your face.
2. Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize. It seems like a no-brainer — if you've got dry skin, you need to moisturize. But how and when you apply moisturizer makes a big difference. If you’ve got dry skin, apply a moisturizer to your face and the skin all over your body at least twice a day for extremely dry skin. The best time to put it on is when you get out of the shower. You should always pat, not rub, your skin dry so that a little moisture is left on the skin. Apply treatment creams like ALA, DMAE, or Ester C, then moisturizer quickly to lock in the moisture from the shower. Adding a soothing oil like Olive Oil, or Lavender Oil to your bath will help moisturize your skin.
3. Exfoliate your skin. Avoiding exfoliation because you think it's drying your skin? It's not. Regular exfoliation is actually good for dry skin. If the skin is thickened, always exfoliate to help moisture sink in better. That thick, callused, dead skin that's covering healthy skin beneath is soaking up all the moisture. So slough it off with an exfoliant like Buffing Cleanser, then moisturize.
4. Be gentle to your skin. If you've got dry skin, it's time to skip those harsh, drying bar soaps and upgrade to something a little more soothing for your skin, like Creamy Cleanser. Some bar soaps are now made with moisturizers, but they are still the wrong ph. Body washes that contain a lot of moisturizers — and always look for for sensitive skin. If you're using an anti-aging cream to combat wrinkles, you may want to use Idebenone. It is moisturizing and anti-aging.
5. Wear sunscreen. Sunscreen like Day 25 will not only help protect your skin from drying burns and sun damage, but also offer moisturizing qualities. Men and women must apply sunscreen every day to all areas that see the sun — face, neck, ears. You can even get a moisturizer with built-in sunscreen to get the benefits of two products in one.
6. Cover skin in the cold. Extreme outdoor weather can suck the moisture right out of your skin, whether it's the bitter cold of winter or the dry heat of summer. Use physical barriers in the cold, like masks and gloves, to protect the skin from wind burn..
7. Use a humidifier. When the climate outside is dry, you can escape inside your home, but what if the air in your home is drying, too? Use a humidifier in the room to put moisture back in the air. This is especially helpful in winter if your home has drying central heat.
8. Cut back on bathing. One good way to preserve moisture in your skin is to cut back a bit on bathing. Don't bathe every day if you can get away with it. Don't let yourself go grimy. Instead use a washcloth and gentle soap, like Foaming Cleanser to wash your face and neck, under your arms, and any other areas where skin touches skin. It’s also a good idea to limit the amount of time you spend in the shower or bath — 10 to 15 minutes max.
Tips to Soothe Dry Skin
Very dry skin is itchy and flaky, and may even become red and painful. Don't put up with dry, itchy skin. Soothe it with the right dry skin care.
Flaky, scaly, itchy — these are the classic signs of dry skin. And who wants to look like a lizard, much less touch dry skin? Slapping on lotion when dry skin gets flaky isn't enough to kick the skin health problem to the curb — you need to take some serious steps to soothe dry skin.
Dry Skin-Soothers
Try these beauty tips to add moisture and bring dry skin back to life:
1. Cool down your showers. Very hot water will only dry your skin out more. So when you enjoy a bath or shower, keep the water lukewarm instead of hot. Ditto for when you wash your face.
2. Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize. It seems like a no-brainer — if you've got dry skin, you need to moisturize. But how and when you apply moisturizer makes a big difference. If you’ve got dry skin, apply a moisturizer to your face and the skin all over your body at least twice a day for extremely dry skin. The best time to put it on is when you get out of the shower. You should always pat, not rub, your skin dry so that a little moisture is left on the skin. Apply treatment creams like ALA, DMAE, or Ester C, then moisturizer quickly to lock in the moisture from the shower. Adding a soothing oil like Olive Oil, or Lavender Oil to your bath will help moisturize your skin.
3. Exfoliate your skin. Avoiding exfoliation because you think it's drying your skin? It's not. Regular exfoliation is actually good for dry skin. If the skin is thickened, always exfoliate to help moisture sink in better. That thick, callused, dead skin that's covering healthy skin beneath is soaking up all the moisture. So slough it off with an exfoliant like Buffing Cleanser, then moisturize.
4. Be gentle to your skin. If you've got dry skin, it's time to skip those harsh, drying bar soaps and upgrade to something a little more soothing for your skin, like Creamy Cleanser. Some bar soaps are now made with moisturizers, but they are still the wrong ph. Body washes that contain a lot of moisturizers — and always look for for sensitive skin. If you're using an anti-aging cream to combat wrinkles, you may want to use Idebenone. It is moisturizing and anti-aging.
5. Wear sunscreen. Sunscreen like Day 25 will not only help protect your skin from drying burns and sun damage, but also offer moisturizing qualities. Men and women must apply sunscreen every day to all areas that see the sun — face, neck, ears. You can even get a moisturizer with built-in sunscreen to get the benefits of two products in one.
6. Cover skin in the cold. Extreme outdoor weather can suck the moisture right out of your skin, whether it's the bitter cold of winter or the dry heat of summer. Use physical barriers in the cold, like masks and gloves, to protect the skin from wind burn..
7. Use a humidifier. When the climate outside is dry, you can escape inside your home, but what if the air in your home is drying, too? Use a humidifier in the room to put moisture back in the air. This is especially helpful in winter if your home has drying central heat.
8. Cut back on bathing. One good way to preserve moisture in your skin is to cut back a bit on bathing. Don't bathe every day if you can get away with it. Don't let yourself go grimy. Instead use a washcloth and gentle soap, like Foaming Cleanser to wash your face and neck, under your arms, and any other areas where skin touches skin. It’s also a good idea to limit the amount of time you spend in the shower or bath — 10 to 15 minutes max.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Structure of Skin - Understanding How Acne Develops in Skin
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.
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.
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!
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