Fab Skin Friday

Happy Friday Everyone!

How are you taking approaches on preventing damage from the winter weather?
Here are a couple of my favorite must do's for having fabulous skin for the fall/winter seasons:

1. Make sure you are using a cleanser that has the right pH balance to it. You want it to be close to your natural pH of the 4.5-5.5pH as possible. Taking the pH of your natural skins barrier is damaging. Keeping it calm and familiar will do wonders.
2. Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate! Even those of you with oily/combo skin. If you are at a constant state of dry then your sebaceous glands are in overdrive to keep your skin balanced causing more harm than good. Use a emollient moisturizer for those of your on the dryer side. For those oily/combo acne prone clients use a medicated moisturizer with a salicylic or sulfur with hylauronic acid, grape seed extract, Retinyl Palmitate. Product to try- For dry skin types: Murad Essential-C Night Moisture ( even OK if you are acne-prone)
3. Make sure you are EXFOLIATING throughout the fall/winter months. As the seasons begin to change so does our skin. Which means dry, ashy, rough texture. NO! Who says you have to look dull during the fall/winter. If you are exfoliating properly then your skin will look fresh and dewy all season.

These are my protocols that I go by to ensure that I have healthy skin throughout the fall/winter seasons.
I am all for education so if any of you have any questions, or would like to add what your protocols are I am all ears!

Have a Fab Friday and a Wonderful Weekend!
See you at the Spa!
JK

Skin Truth

Don't have time for intensive skin care? Pamper yourself with the basics. Good skin care and healthy lifestyle choices can help delay the natural aging process and prevent many skin problems. Get started with these five no-nonsense tips.

1. Protect yourself from the sun

The most important way to take care of your skin is to protect it from the sun. A lifetime of sun exposure can cause wrinkles, freckles, age spots and rough, dry skin. Sun exposure can also cause more-serious problems, such as skin cancer. For the most complete sun protection:

• Avoid the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. This is when the sun's rays are the strongest.
• Wear protective clothing. Cover your skin with tightly woven long-sleeved shirts, long pants and wide-brimmed hats. You might also opt for special sun-protective clothing, which is specifically designed to block ultraviolet rays while keeping you cool and comfortable.
• Use sunscreen when you're in the sun. Apply generous amounts of broad-spectrum sunscreen 30 minutes before going outdoors and reapply every two hours, after heavy sweating or after being in water.

2. Don't smoke

Smoking makes your skin look older and contributes to wrinkles. Smoking narrows the tiny blood vessels in the outermost layers of skin, which decreases blood flow. This depletes the skin of oxygen and nutrients, such as vitamin A, that are important to skin health. Smoking also damages collagen and elastin — fibers that give your skin its strength and elasticity. In addition, the repetitive facial expressions you make when smoking — such as pursing your lips when inhaling and squinting your eyes to keep out smoke — may contribute to wrinkles.
If you smoke, the best way to protect your skin is to quit. Ask your doctor for tips or treatments to help you stop smoking.

3. Treat your skin gently

Daily cleansing and shaving can take a toll on your skin, so keep it gentle:

• Limit bath time. Hot water and long showers or baths remove oils from your skin. Limit your bath or shower time, and use warm — rather than hot — water.
• Avoid strong soaps. Strong soaps can strip oil from your skin. Instead, choose mild cleansers.
• Shave carefully. To protect and lubricate your skin, apply shaving cream, lotion or gel before shaving. For the closest shave, use a clean, sharp razor. Shave in the direction the hair grows, not against it.
• Pat dry. After washing or bathing, gently pat or blot your skin dry with a towel so that some moisture remains on your skin.
• Moisturize dry skin. Find a moisturizer that fits your skin type and makes your skin look and feel soft.

4. Eat a healthy diet

A healthy diet can help you look and feel your best. Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins. The association between diet and acne isn't clear — but research suggests that a diet rich in vitamin C and low in fats and carbohydrates may promote younger looking skin.

5. Manage stress

Uncontrolled stress can make your skin more sensitive and trigger acne breakouts and other skin problems. To encourage healthy skin — and a healthy state of mind — takes steps to manage your stress. Set reasonable limits, scale back your to-do list and make time to do the things you enjoy. The results may be more dramatic than you expect.