What to buy Spring 2013

With spring around the corner it is time to clean out our cabinets, throw away anything that has past its expiration date, and try some new products. After many research hours at Sephara, I created a small Amazon store containing my personal recommendations for women and men. Many of the items are cosmeceuicals, meaning, they contain a combination of creams and FDA approved pharmaceuticals. They contain biologically active ingredients having medical benefits.

Please take the time to browse the store, and indulge in a few of my favorite products.

CLICK ON THE STORE BELOW TO SEE MORE

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(¯`'•.¸ ★ ¸.•'´¯) Growing up with Acne

Growing up with acne is extremely painful. I know because I have been there. Between the ages of 13 and 17 my skin looked horrible. Even in my early twenties I had problems. It is no walk in the park.

It is right there smack on your face. Everyone can see it, and you know it. It is a horrible thing to live with.

Adolescents with severe acne become shy, introverted, and many times do not want their photos taken. When I suffered from it there were a lot of myths about acne. I was told that I should not eat chocolate and that I was not washing my skin often enough. Usually the "information" was coming from some person who was not a dermatologist and just spreading misinformation.

Before we begin discussing how to cure it, it is important to explain that acne is often genetic. It is caused by blocked pores. Puberty causes testosterone to raise in girls and boys, this is one of the causes of acne. Working out also increases testosterone production. You will see weightlifters develop acne.

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Laser Resurfacing Amazing Results

This lady had more than one kind of treatment. I think she had thermage, which made her skin firmer, tighter, and created more collagen. She also had a treatment to eliminate the sun damage, find lines. I suspect that she had a surgery under her eyes. The fact that accumulated under her eyes has been removed in some way. 

Whatever she did, the procedure took about 25 years off her face. 

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Aging Celebrities

Some celebrities age better than others. First and foremost, it must be said that everyone ages differently. In these images, I ask my readers to pay close attention to how each person ages. We can tell who has had a drug and alcohol problem, who has used tanning beds and never uses sunscreen. We can tell who lives a healthy life and who does not. Finally - we can tell who is relying too much on cosmetic surgery.

The best aging award goes to: Susan Sarandon, Cindy Lauper, Bon Jovi, Bono, and Bruce Springsteen.

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$1700: Average Cost for Laser Resurfacing

The Winter is the Best Time to get Laser Skin Resurfacing

After you have had your skin resurfaced, your skin will be very vulnerable to UV rays. During dark winter months, presuming you live in the Northern Hemisphere  your skin will be less exposed to sunlight. I recommend getting this work done now rather than any other time of year 

What Is Laser Skin Resurfacing:

Each laser is a little different, some are Co@ lasers, some are Erbium YAG and fractional lasers. There are a few types,  but the general idea is that they remove top layers of skin via focused light energy. Some penetrate into deeper layers of the skin, stimulating collagen growth. Yay! That is what we really want, something to stimulate collagen growth. As we get older our faces start to skin in, and collagen stimulation is the only way to prevent this from happening. The main goal of laser resurfacing is to make the skin tighter, brighter, smother and more even in texture, color and tone. 

Remember that beautiful skin is more than just wrinkles. It is about how your face reflects light. I always tell people do not try to look younger, just try to be a better version of yourself. 

Who Is a Good Candidate:

The best candidates for skin resurfacing are light-skinned non-smokers who are in generally good health and who have a positive outlook and realistic expectations about outcome. You should be free of any active skin infections, including acne. If you have cold sores the dermatologist will prescribe a special medication to take for a few weeks prior to your resurfacing. Laser resurfacing can trigger outbreaks.

If you smoke you should quit for a two weeks prior to surgery. Smoke blocks oxygen to the skin. (It also ages the skin terribly, so if you care about your skin smoking is something you should never do.)

Fraxel Laser Before and After

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Celebrities without Sunscreen: Time Lapse

Susan Sarandon Timeless Beauty

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Warm Winter Body Scrub

It was freezing yesterday. The cold was one of those foggy, trembling, bone splinting types.  Nothing in this world makes me happier than having a hot cup of coffee and a warm bath on these freezing days.

I decided it was time to treat myself to a moisturizing scrub. Here is the recipe:

one half cup finely ground rolled oats
one tbs finely ground coffee
quarter cup Greek Yogurt
one tsp Salicylic Acid (mixed very well)

I mixed the batch up in a mason jar and placed it right next to my warm bath, ready for use. First, I always sit in the water and wash up, this opens my pores so that they respond to the treatment. The Yogurt contains lactic acid. Combined with salicylic acid we have two fold chemical exfoliation.

Scoop up a small amount of oatmeal scrub and massage it into your skin. The finely ground oats and coffee will provide enough physical exfoliation to remove dead skin. The acid dissolves the fibers connecting the cells. This is a perfect combination of physical and chemical exfoliation. Rub just until it starts to feel uncomfortable, then stop.

Rinse with warm water. Immediately after the bath, pat the excess water. This is when I use my massage bar, lotion bar, or body lotion. The pores are still open, there is a short window so lotion up quickly.

My skin still feels very soft.

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