Skin Deep
Blog about skin care from a Medical Esthetician's point of view. Tracey "aka" Skin Chick gives you her advice on skin care and current beauty trends. For information on spa services Tracey provides, visit her website at www.sparadise.biz
Sunday, June 5, 2011
A few Organic Skin Care Recipes
The more I research all the new skincare products and treatments, the more I see a trend of using natural ingredients in the products. This got me to think about how simple and basic some of these recipes are. I found lots of recipes and created some of my own that I like. Here are a few of the recipes I found that I like:
Soothing & Smoothing Toner
1 small cucumber-juice extracted
1 tablespoon milk
2 tablespoons finely chopped mint
Mix cucumber juice, mint and milk together well
Cucumber is a gentle, soothing astringent, which helps reduce puffiness and has a slight bleaching action which aids in diminishing freckles and age spots as well as in the exfoliation of dead skin cells while the mint and milk cleanses and gently removes dead skin cells.
Revitalizing Cleanser (All Skin Types)
1 slice of peeled apple
2 tablespoons plain yogurt
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon citrus: lemon, orange
Combine ingredients in food processor until very smooth.
Refrigerate unused mixture for up to 3 days
Apples have vitamins C & A that are good for the skins immunity.
Yogurt has anti fungal and antibacterial properties. Olive oil has vitamin E and helps to hydrate the skin.
Apple zinger Facial Mask (Oily skin that is acne prone)
1 medium size organic apple (grated)
5 tablespoons of organic honey
Mix the grated apple and mix with honey to make a mask. Smooth over skin then let it sit for 10 minutes, rinse off with cool water. Apples have vitamins C & A which are good for the skin's immunity. Honey has enzymes, minerals, vitamins and amino acids that aid in detoxifying and hydrating the skin. Honey is also antiseptic.
I hope you enjoy these recipes. Learn to love the skin you're in '-)
Skinchick
Source: Organic skincare dictionary and skincare resource center
Monday, May 30, 2011
To my Type V and above clients, friends and family, you too need to use sunscreen
While we do not burn easily our complexion will easily become uneven, requiring us to use a sunscreen to provide a barrier between our skin and the sun. Because we have lots of Melanin in our skin the sun can trigger an over production of these cells that cause hyper-pigmentation (over production of melanocyte cells, causing dark spots on the body). Skin Types V and above only needs 45 minutes of direct sun exposure to produce enough vitamin D. After 45 minutes you are over exposed to the sun and at risk for hyper-pigmentation and skin cell damage.
Regardless of your skin type or complexion, the sun's energy can penetrate deep into the skin damaging the skin's DNA. This can cause skin cancer, Yes even for darker complexioned individuals. Typically the skin cancer is formed on the palms of the hands, fingers or lighter pigmented areas of the body of a darker complexioned individual. So again, we too have to use sunscreen to protect our skin. Some of the reasons are a little different, but no less important.
There are many good options out there that are light and oil free (for the face). I personally like Cetaphil's facial moisturizer with a SPF of 15. It's light, oil free and is absorbed quickly into my skin. If you don't like the white color the sunscreen leaves, try using a light weight formula and do not dispense too much out of the container. Use a dime size amount and massage the sunscreen into your face thoroughly to allow your skin to absorb it well. This should reduce that ashy look.
For the body there are light weight lotions on the market with a sunscreen in them. If you plan to stay out in the direct sun for more than one hour you may want to use a sun block on your body instead, especially if you are working in the direct sun or on the beach. I just want to let you know so you can continue to enjoy your beautiful skin for years to come.
Til next time, Love the skin you're in
Skinchick'-)
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Skin Chick "Tracey's" Top 10 must haves for summer skin care
Friday, February 11, 2011
Love your skin this Valentine's Day & Beyond
giving it a more youthful appearance. In the winter months it becomes more of a
challenge to keep your skin hydrated, so pull out that humidifier and sleep with it on.
This will help your hair also. Don’t like to drink water then eat more fresh fruits and vegetables. They have water in them. Apply a good moisturize to your skin to help your skin's water supply.
Milkweed Plant Sap Effective on skin Cancer
In an article from Dermatology Times, researchers in Brisbance, Australia claim the sap from the Milkweed plant has removed cancerous skin lesions from 41 out of 48 skin cancer patients. In the study there were 36 patients with a total of 48 non- melanoma lesions. They include basal cell, squamous cell and intraepidermal carcinomas. None of the patients responded to traditional treatments including surgery.
In the study that was published in the British Journal of Dermatology, it states the three types of skin cancer that the sap was tested on had the following outcome. 75% response to intraepidermal lesions, 57% response to basal cell lesions and 50% response to squamous cell lesions. There were 43% of the patients in the study that stated they had no pain. 14% complained of moderate pain and one patient reported serve short term pain.
Kimberly Carter of the British Association of Dermatologist states “ This has not been studied in a larger group of people, warns the public not to try this on your own. Exposure of the sap to mucus producing surfaces, like the eyes can result in extreme inflammation and can lead to hospitalization. The concentration of the sap varies between different plants, with high doses able to cause very severe and excessive inflammatory response. “
This is a light at the end of a dark tunnel for skin cancer patients. I would suggest signing up for one of the studies if your doctor approves,or reviewing the literature for yourself. Stay positive and proactive
In 2011 We are still loving the skin we are in.
Until next time Skinchick;-)
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Vampire Facelift
The patients blood is extracted and the blood platelets are separated from the red blood cells. The platelets are then blended with a proprietary synthetic mixture and injected into your wrinkles and lines in your face. After about 3 to 4 days the wrinkled areas will be smoothed out, lasting from 12 to 18 months. This actually lasts a bit longer than Botox and some of the fillers like Juvaderm. I'm not real sure how I feel about this one just yet. I need to see more people do it. So who's next up for a Vampire Facelift?
Love the skin you're in
Skinchick'-)
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
The truth about acne
Ok so everyone at some point in their lives either has acne, will have acne or know someone with acne. Let's look at the definition of acne first. In the medical dictionary acne is described as a common skin disease characterized by pimples on the face, chest and back. It occurs when the pores of the skin become clogged with oil, dead skin cells and bacteria.
What sets this process in motion is hormone irregularities. Hormones are chemicals that the cells in our body produce to communicate with other cells. There are many things that can trigger your hormones to be imbalanced enough to cause acne. One example is how the hormones Insulin, IGF-1 (Insulin like growth factor) IGFBP-3 ( Insulin like growth factor binding protein)triggers oil production in our sebaceous glands, increase skin cell renewal and causes clumps of skin cells to shed instead of one by one. This chain of events creates acne.
Now you have an increased production of new skin cells being shed causing a mound of cells to clog a pore. The clogged pore is shut off from oxygen. With no oxygen in the pore the cells produce bacteria and needs to be cleaned out. So it is plausible to say that sugar does contribute to acne. It is NOT the only cause, however the root cause is hormonal. Remember there are several causes of hormonal imbalances. Some other causes are nutritional deficiencies, menstruation,lack of sleep,prolonged stress, build up of toxins & thyroid problems.
Our bodies are communicating to us that something is wrong when we get acne. Things like washing our faces on a regular basis and keeping dirty hands out of our faces help to keep the skin from being irritated by the germs on our epidermis.A holistic way to regulate your hormones is by eating less processed foods and by taking zinc. Zinc is known for regulating hormones.
There is so much to be conscious of when caring for our skin. Just remember the root cause of your acne is a hormonal imbalance and you should look a little deeper to help fix it for good. As always Love the skin you're in!
Skinchick'-)