2 posts tagged “q&a”

photo by Minnaloushe

How do i keep my skin from looking "blah" this time of year? 

it's definitely not an easy thing to do, but trying to keep stress down to a minimum is certainly going to benefit the health of your skin. when you're upset or stressed, your brain releases a hormone called Corticotropin Releasing Factor (CRF). this causes you to feel almost "wired" in a sense, since it's your body's natural emergency response. (aka: adrenaline!) this in turn puts you in a constant "alert" mode, which if you've experienced it, exhausts you quite easily! it then affects your surface adrenal glands, and can cause both irritated flakiness, or an overproduction of oil. (oh no, breakouts!) so, to break it down: stressed-out-skin = tired, dull and unhappy! 

Try: thinking of things for only you that help you cope with the holiday stresses. take a warm bubble bath after your long day at work, (or with the in-laws!). take your mind off of things with an interesting book, and your favorite cup of hot tea. once you find one or two things that relax you and make you happy, (even if it's for only 20 minutes of your day!) you can start to deal with your current troubles a little easier. 

you'd think it wouldn't be a problem, especially since it gets dark around the crack of five o'clock! but 2 out of 3 women have trouble sleeping at night. statistically if you think about it, that's a LOT! there are many factors that play into the role of sleeping, but these are more common and can be avoided:

-stress can hinder sleep (there it is again!)

-napping during the day, which disturbs your internal-clock, and throws off your schedule. 

-drinking caffeine close to bedtime. 

Try: turning your lights down about an hour before you go to bed, and keeping music and tv on a low volume. heck, even turn the thing of! tv and computer screens keep your mind busy and awake, and could keep you up longer than you need to be. 

my lambie i got from work! it's soft, cuddly, and sure to help anyone get to sleep. i just got the new lambie eyemask; tomorrow's post!

you see drinking plenty of water as a given during the summer, but the same should apply for the winter as well. your skin has more of a tendency to "dry-out" and chap during the colder months, so drink your 8-10 glasses of water a day! (or de-caffeinated tea!) 

and for an extra boost, try my absolute faaavorite hydrating facial mask. it's a clear, cool gel mask from Juvena that hydrates and smoothes your skin. it's even good for acneic and break-out prone skin, as well. it's basically like slathering your skin with a moisturizing watery... blanket! it's so easy, too. before bedtime and after cleansing, i just slap on some of that mask, let it soak in for 15 minutes, blot off and go to bed! simple, no? another excellent choice is Dermalogica's Hydrating masque. it's chalk-full of vitamins A, C, and E, which are necessary for healthy skin. it's oil-free, and replenishes skin perfectly at the same time. also, moisturize! my favorite nighttime facial moisturizer is of course, Murad's Essential C night moisture. since i have combination skin, you'd think this shea butter-rich concoction would be ridiculous and too oily, but it's perfect! oh, and don't forget your lip balm! 

try trading up your current cleanser (if you don't already have a fabulous one) for a more hydrating, soothing cleanser. im in love with Murad's Refreshing Cleanser, which is perfect for taking off your makeup, and giving your skin a healthy glow! 

(my secret to clear skin? i double-cleanse my face each time! wash once for 60 seconds for the first initial layer of dirt and makeup, then a second to get into your pores and leave your skin the healthiest it can be. i also switch off and on to an exfoliating cleanser, and exfoliate 2x a week. more info on exfoliating!) 

i hope this helps! 

Q: What are those little rashy-red bumps on the backs of my arms, and how do I get rid of them? 

A: I get this question asked of me a LOT, as it's a really common skin disorder. a lot of you may possibly have heard or referred to it as "chicken skin", acne, or a rash. although it looks as if it could be painful or irritating, it actually doesn't feel like anything! i mean, to the touch it feels slightly sandpaper-y and rough, but possesses no actual harm or health risks. It's called Keratosis Pilaris, and i've actually had a slight case of it most of my life. it's basically just an over abundance of dead skin cells that your body has a problem with sloughing off naturally. though it may look like acne in some cases, it has nothing to do with your oil glands or bacteria, but can be treated the same way as you would acne in the sense that they both need to be exfoliated. 

(that's not my arm, just FYI!)

it's quite simple to treat, although if yours is severe enough, may possibly look like something different than what you see here, or have any concerns i definitely recommend you see your Dermatologist. 

 

- Quality ingredients are key. you want something that exfoliates chemically and mechanically, which means acids and granules! look for cleansers with ingredients such as AHA/BHA's, which are Salicylic, Glycolic and Lactic acids, and be sure to check up on the percentages. effectively, salicylic works best at a 1.5 - 2, glycolic at a 2%.  

- Don't be cheap! i know it's rough right now, especially with the economy being in the position it is, but when it comes to quality skin care, sometimes you just have to shell out the bucks. i use Murad's Clarifying Cleanser, Acne Body Wash and their Hyper-pigmentation serum to help with the discoloration. and don't forget to moisturize! you don't want something SO heavy that it blocks up your pores and cancels out all the work you just did! try Eucerin's  Moisture Plus, which has the AHA/BHA's (Alpha/Beta Hydroxy Acids) that help exfoliate. the downside is that Murad isn't cheap ($30+ a bottle?!), but the upside is that IT WORKS! if you're on a REALLY tight budget, stick with the advice i gave above about ingredients. Note: Try and steer clear from exfoliants with "rough" or uneven particles such as walnut shells and apricot-pit bits, as these could leave tiny cuts and scrapes in your Epidermis. Opt for gentle, smooth, or round exfoliants such as JoJoba beads or rice bran. Try Dermalogica's Skin Prep Scrub. it's gentle enough to use everyday, but extremely effective. 

- Don't be lazy! once you have a good regimen, stick with it! make it a part of your daily routine, mark it on your calender if you have to! the more you use your products and use them consistently, the better the results are going to be. 

- Watch the hands! try your absolute best to not pick or scratch at the bumps. it irritates the skin, and causes scarring and discoloration later on in life. keep in mind while exfoliating: for some reason, we get the idea that scrubbing reeeeallly hard will do the trick. in reality, you really don't have to work the skin all that hard, and could be damaging it. let the exfoliants do the work for you, and save your poor little arms some unnecessary heartache! 

- Try not to over-exfoliate! if you're like me and feel that you should join a club called "Over-Exfoliators Anonymous", raise your hand! while getting your treatment started, you should start in small increments at first to prepare your skin. try 2-3 times a week with your exfoliation, possibly even just once a week. then after 2 weeks to a month, bump it up to every day. if your skin gets at all red or irritated, stop what you're using and see your doctor. it could be an allergy, or you're just scrubbing the hell out of yourself!  

Be good to your skin, and it'll be good to you. if you have any more questions, just ask. =]