Love your skin this Valentine's Day & Beyond

My six expressions of love for your skin

Drink Water

When your body is properly hydrated you will look and feel better.

Water helps to clear your complexion, it flushes out toxins.Water hydrates skin,
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.

Exfoliate your skin

Exfoliation removes dead skin cells to improve the look and feel of the skin.

This will assist in the reduction of acne and oil production if done properly.

Cleanse your skin

Cleansing the skin gently removes dirt & debris (free radicals from the skin.

It also reduces oil secretion in the skin (especially the face) and calms and

soothes the skin. Cleansing eliminates surface bacteria and removes excess

toxins from the skin.

Use sunscreen

Sunscreen acts as a barrier between your skin and the sun. When the skin is over

exposed to the sun it’s immune system shuts down, which can leave your skin open to bacteria getting inside your skin and possibly into your body. IE ( Staphylocuccus). Sunscreen blocks the burning and aging sun rays that harm our skin. African Americans should use sunscreen to keep your skin tone even. You only need 15 ( light skin) to 40 (dark skin) minutes of direct sun exposure to get your daily required amount of vitamin D.

Skin check

If you have many moles on your skin or any unusual skin lesions on your skin , go to a

dermatologist and have your skin checked. It is good practice to visit a dermatologist once a year to look at your skin. They should check everything from your scalp to the soles of your feet. What they find might save your life.

I

Love the skin your in

This is necessary, to love yourself. Loving who you are opens your mind to seeking wholeness if you aren’t already whole. So when I close my blog with Love the skin you’re in, I am not only speaking about your skin but to your spirit.

T

Happy Valentines Day!

As always” Love the skin you're in”

Skinchick;-)

References: naturalskincareserets.com; ezilon.com

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;-)

Vampire Facelift

Seeing that it will be Halloween soon and I recently saw Dr.Oz talk about the new Vampire Facelift, I think it's fitting to discuss this new procedure. This feels like Dr. Frankenstein comes to life to me. This facelift is certainly buzz worthy, however it's not really a facelift. Yeah that's right. It is an injectable filler called Selphyl. Selphyl temporarily plumps up the lines in the face. It uses the patients own blood to fill in the lines in the face.

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'-)

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'-)

The buzz about Microskin!!

Australian makeup artist Linda Lowndes created this phenomenal product to help people with various skin conditions. People living with Vitiligo, Lupus, Burns, Keloids, Birthmarks & Ecezma can all benefit from this new skincare technology! Linda Lowndes was touched by a young boy who is living with a skin condition that confines him indoors.For a complete list of skin conditions Microskin covers go to www.microskin.com.

Mrs. Lowndes has many accomplishments under her belt as a makeup artist in the film industry. She has done makeup for movies such as Peter Pan & Lord of the Rings, but she stated in an interview that working with that young boy was her most rewarding work.She started out focusing on birthmarks and then began to realize that she can cover up other skin conditions with Microskin. It is not makeup, it is simulated skin. Microskin stays on your skin for days without washing off or wiping off on clothes. It has sun protection built in and it can be used on any part of the body. You can swim in Microskin and work out in it.

This is so exciting for people who are uncomfortable with their current skin condition. They no longer have to worry about peoples strange looks and/or comments.You know people can be mean!Currently there is one clinic in the United States. It is in New York. The address is 317 East 34th Street 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10016. Their phone number is (212)779-4000

This is such great work on the part of Mrs. Lowndes, She is brilliant!

Until next time...

Love the skin you're in! Skinchick'-)

Where did skin care come from?

The history of skincare and beauty began as far back as prehistoric times. The need for skin care arouse as a necessity. Prehistoric people did not have the modern conveniences we do. Their skin was exposed to extremely rough weather conditions. Skin care for prehistoric people was closely associated with exposure to the sun, weather conditions and pain relief.

The development of skin care products was from the need to protect the skin, while working out in the elements. Farmers and fishermen exposed their skin to rough equipment and bad weather conditions causing them to need skin care products. Fast forward to today and we see that the need still exist, as many of our friends and neighbors have jobs that are hard on the skin.

It is believed by many, that Egyptians developed skin treatments for a variety of skin conditions. Some of the treatments had olive oil, dough,resin, whipped ostrich eggs, bullock's bile mixed with milk. No I'm not making this up. The Egyptians were the first to develop methods for extracting herbal & flower essences through distillation. This method is still being used today to make essential oils.

The Egyptians also developed elaborate systems for bathing.Romans & Greeks later adapted the Egyptians bathing methods. Cleopatra queen of Egypt bathed in bath oils, milk baths and fragrances.She also used clay from the Nile River mixed with herbs and essential oils for facial treatments.Around 200 AD a Greek doctor named Galen created the first cold cream. He mixed rose water, beeswax and olive oil to create his cold cream.Cold cream has being around a long time.

In the Middle Ages bathing was not a daily ritual, but fragrance oils were used by those who could afford them.Only the wealthy could afford the cost of firewood to heat their bath water. The rest of society would have to walk around dirty most of the time.Imagine the germs they lived with! You can clearly see here where skin care was sourly needed for the ones that could not bath frequently.

No one has to tell you how bathing and good hygiene promotes health and prevents disease. Now a days basic hygiene is a virtual event. We have so many options to fit any mood we are in. We sometimes forget that we are meeting an important need, because of how versatile and plentiful the products are now. From our prehistoric ancestors developing skin care products to meet a need to 2010 where we pay people to exfoliate our skin with a Microderm Machine or Chemical Peel.We've come a long way baby!!

Until next time... Love the skin you're in!

Skinchick '-)

Melasma, What is it and How do you treat it?

Melasma is defined as hyperpigmentation of the face. It occurs mostly in women during pregnancy and while using birth control. Melasma usually settles on the upper cheeks, bridge of the nose, forehead and upper lip. The sun darkens melasma, so usage of sunscreen is recommended.In an article published in Modern Medicine Magazine, Dr. William Baugh MD stated that we have known about melasma for centuries but our understanding of it in well controlled studies is significantly lacking.

He goes on to say that a spectrum of drugs, including minocycline can cause patchy hyperpigmentation. Likewise topical exposure to certain plant derived chemicals combined with sunlight exposure may produce an acquired patchy hyperpigmentation of the skin that may also mimic melasma.The most accurate way to diagnosis melasma is to use a ultraviolet lamp (wood's lamp). This device helps to classify the depth of the pigmentation into superficial, deep and compound types of melasma. Dr. Baugh goes on to say that current classifications does not often take that into consideration.

Dr. Baugh recommends using a sunscreen that blocks UVA rays along with UVB rays to work along side topical bleaching creams and other therapies. Anti-oxidants are now being used to help treat melasma. Anti- oxidants are known to reduce inflammation which is a major factor with melasma. Anti- oxidants also capture ultraviolet light. Vitamin C is an anti-oxidant that have demonstrated the ability to have photo- protective and pigment lightening effects on the skin.Dermatologist have more options in medical therapies to pair with chemical peels and laser treatments for melasma.You probably know, there is probably something else even more fantastic on the horizon to assist with treating melasma. When I hear about it I will let you know!

Until next time... Love the skin you're in!

Skinchick'-)