Posts Tagged ‘breakout’

Countdown to Glowing Skin for the Holidays

The countdown to Christmas has started which means that the countdown to Christmas parties has also started.  We all want to look our best during these festive occasions so I’ve put together an express skin makeover that will have your skin glowing right through till the new year!

Take it from dull to radiant with exfoliation

If you are like most people, you would like to say that you are exfoliating regularly, but the truth is that it gets put off more often than not.  It’s hard enough to drag yourself to the bathroom to wash your face before bedtime and in the morning when you’re racing to get to work? Forget it.

Normal to Dry Skin

Use a gentle exfoliator (not a harsh scrub) everyday for a week for a jump start and then twice a week to maintain.

Yonka Gommage 305

Normal to Oily & Acne Skin

Use an exfoliator that contains salicylic acid everyday for a week for a jump start and then twice a week to maintain.  The salicylic acid will help to dissolve excess oil and clogged pores leading to brighter, clearer skin.  For acne skin, avoid scrubs as they can irritate the skin and spread infection.

B. Kamins AHA & BHA Gommage

Cure your affliction with a serum and a mask

Think of your serum and mask like your skin’s medicine.  Whatever is bothering you most about your skin, choose your serum and mask accordingly.  Use your serum every day, twice a day.  Use your mask daily for a week as a jump start and then twice a week to maintain.  If your main concern is bringing radiance back to your tired, dull skin, choose a brightening serum and mask.

Phytomer White Lumination Remineralizing Lightening Mask

Pimple problem

If your pimple is infected (white inside, sometimes painful, sometimes itchy) it needs to be extracted in order to heal quickly.  If you can’t make it in to see your esthetician for professional extractions, you will have to do it yourself at home.  Instead of squeezing it until it pops open (which leads to a big, noticeable red spot and later turns into a scar), make a small opening and gently press the white fluid out.  A sterilized pin or extraction tool works and a disposable lancet works even better.  Once the pimple has been extracted you can apply a product which contains an antibacterial ingredient such as tea tree oil.  Now you must leave it alone and let it heal.  Don’t touch or pick at it and you’ll be surprised at how fast it disappears completely!

Skeyndor Clear Complexion Spot-Less Patch

Now that you have a fresh, clean, and clear canvas, your makeup will go on beautifully and look flawless!  If you’d like to indulge on holiday drinks, be sure to drink plenty of water too to maintain your skin’s hydration levels.

For more skin tips or for product recommendations for your skin type, don’t hesitate to leave a comment or to contact one of our estheticians!

As always, just for being a follower of our blog, enter coupon code BLOG10 for 10% off your next purchase! Also, remember to follow us @spaboutique on Twitter, like our Facebook  page, and check out our boards on Pinterest! You could be the lucky winner of one of our many contests!

 

 

 

 

How to get rid of pimples and get clear skin

Pimples can be the most frustrating and difficult skin issue to deal with.  Having acne brings down our self confidence and on some days we just feel like hiding rather than leaving the house.  Our skin can break out for many different reasons including hormonal imbalance, excess oil, clogged pores, and excess bacteria.  Here are a few key steps to maintaining clear skin using the Celazome Clinical Skincare O-Plex System:

1. Proper cleansing to purify and prepare the skin

 

Celazome Clinical Skin Care O-PLEX Wash with Complex Origanum (AM+PM) – contains salicylic acid & Egyptian geranium

 Celazome Clinical Skin Care O-PLEX Mist with Complex Origanum (AM+PM) – purifying toner contains oregano oil & Egyptian geranium

2. Exfoliation to keep surface of the skin clear of debris and to allow active ingredients to penetrate easier

Celazome Clinical Skin Care Gly-Clear Cleanser (AM or PM, 3 days per week) -  exfoliating cleanser with alpha hydroxy acids and green tea extract

5. Treatment with anti-bacterial and oil-balancing ingredients (tea tree oil, sulphur, camphor…)

Celazome Clinical Skin Care O-PLEX Target Facial Treatment (AM, PM up to 3x daily)

6. Hydration and sun protection

 

Celazome Clinical Skin Care O-PLEX Acne Treatment Lotion (AM, PM) – a light, exfoliating hydrator with retinol & salicylic acid

Celazome Clinical Skin Care naturalSkin Finishing Powder (AM) a non pore-clogging mineral powder with natural sun protection

More tips:

•Don’t pick at your skin because this can lead to permanent scarring

•Don’t touch your skin unless you’ve washed your hands

•Sanitize your telephone regularly with alcohol if it touches your face

•See an esthetician for professional extractions if you have infected breakout and deep clogged pores

We would love to hear your thoughts on the topic of this blog! Feel free to leave your comments or questions below.  As always, just for being a follower of our blog, enter coupon code BLOG10 for 10% off your next purchase! Also, remember to follow us @spaboutique on Twitter, like our Facebook  page, and check out our boards on Pinterest! You could be the lucky winner of one of our many contests!

 

Spa Boutique All Stars: best products

Each brand has its own ‘hero’ product; a product that just sells itself because of its own awesomeness.  You know, the kind that you try once and you just have to own.  We carry a lot (I mean a lot!) of kick-butt brands here at Spa Boutique which means we also have a lot of those all-star products! So, don’t you want to know what they are? Here are our top ‘Oh my goodness I need that product!’ products:

1.  Clarisonic Mia

It’s a sonic cleansing brush that removes 6x the amount of makeup/debris/oils/cosmetics as regular cleansing and leaves your skin deeply cleansed, fresh, and healthy.  Who wouldn’t want it? I know I can’t imagine life without mine! It’s a huge seller (the lavender color is the most popular).

2. Jane Iredale Mineral Makeup Pressed Mineral Powder SPF20

This is an all natural mineral concealer, foundation, and sun protection all in one! It gives skin a beautiful even tone and illuminated glow and it doesn’t contain any of that skin-clogging junk that other makeups have. Apply with the Handi Brush for all over coverage/protection or the Camouflage Brush if you are concealing spots.

3. Yonka Lait Nettoyant: Cleansing Milk

A beautiful essential oil-based, softening milk cleanser that removes makeup and leaves skin supple and radiant.  Pairs perfectly with Yonka Lotion toner.

4. Phytomer Rosee Visage Toning & Cleansing Lotion

 

This re-mineralizing, soothing rosewater toner can be used alone for an ultra-sensitive skin or a light makeup wearer.  Use as a toner after Phytomer Perfect Visage Gentle Cleansing Milk for a luxurious, softening, soothing cleanse.

5. Eminence Organic Skin Care – Stone Crop Gel Wash

Let your skin be taken away to Eminence’s organic stone crop gardens in Hungary with this healing, hydrating gel cleanser.  It can be used by all skin types and what a magnificent smell!

 

Have you tried any of these great products? What did you think? We would love to hear your thoughts on the topic of this blog!  Feel free to post your comments or questions below.  As always, just for being a follower of our blog, enter coupon code BLOG10 for 10% off your next purchase! Also, remember to follow us @spaboutique on Twitter, like our Facebook  page, and check out our boards on Pinterest! You could be the lucky winner of one of our many contests!

 

Acne Skin Care Tips: How To Treat and Prevent Pimples

 

We get a lot of questions about how to best deal with pimples. Harsh medications, completely natural remedies and everything in between exist for treatment. The reason why there are SO many products is that it’s an extremely complicated issue and unfortunately not everything works for everybody. Take heart though! There is a solution for you; it’s just a matter of being patient and finding the right one.

A pimple can be in the works for a couple of weeks before it decides to make itself known. Acne varies in degrees from mild (a few spots here and there) through to severe cystic acne (large, painful nodules that cover most of the area affected), and can occur on arms, chest, backs and shoulders.

Who gets acne?
Acne can pretty much affect anyone at any age. Women who’ve gone most of their lives with clear skin can find that pregnancy or menopause makes their skin go crazy. Or some just suffer from it during the already tempestuous teenage years and then clear right up. A large percentage of adults now experience an onset in their 20’s and 30’s .

Why do we get acne?
Isn’t that the million dollar question? There can be many factors that contribute to acne, sometimes even a combination of them. Some of them linked to acne are:

• Hereditary: There is a tendency for acne to run in families, so thank your parents!
• Hormones: Over production of the oil glands can be influenced by the hormone androgen. Puberty, stress, menstrual cycles and pregnancy increase production of  it, resulting in more breakouts during those times, also be aware of medications that cause an increase of hormone production.
• Build up of skin cells: If the dead skin cells don’t shed properly, they stick around and create places for bacteria and oil to buildup.
• Bacteria: P. acnes is the culprit. It thrives without oxygen, so those pores filled with oil and skin cells are a perfect breeding ground.

It isn’t caused by dirt or a lack of hygiene. The jury is still out on whether or not diet affects your skin. But diet affects most things about our body, so it doesn’t hurt to be responsibly and eat a well-balanced diet and drink plenty of water. I don’t think you can ever feel bad about that.

So finally, here are ten tips to gain control over your acne:

1. Be consistent and patient: Your body does not rest when it comes to producing oil and skin cells. When you start a system, do every step-every day, and give yourself time to see results. Most acne products may cause you to break out a bit more for a short amount of time, this is ok. It’s awful, but it means all the bacteria are being flushed out of the skin, and your skin will be healthier. Give a product at least a month before you decide if it works. Of course this is barring any other negative reaction i.e.: burning, redness or swelling. If that happens, stop using the product.
2. Use the right products: Look for ingredients like salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide. These are proven to help control acne. Try and use products with the lowest percentage possible that still give you results. They can be a little drying so you absolutely must use an oil-free moisturizer and sun-screen. Also only use makeup that is non-comedogenic (doesn’t cause breakouts).
3. Follow the instructions! I know this sounds obvious. But you’d be surprised how many times I’ve seen people using a drying treatment as a moisturizer and complaining about the results. Make sure you understand how to use each product and in which order. With stronger ingredients you may have to gradually get the skin used to them.
4. Cleanse: Cleanse daily, morning and evening. Use one designed for oily skin. This helps to dissolve the oil and remove any debris or makeup, making the next steps more effective. The cleanser shouldn’t make your skin feel tight, but it should feel soft and clean.
5. Exfoliate: Gently exfoliating removes the clogging dead skin cells and improves texture. People with oily and acneic skin tend to like to scrub the heck out of their skin. This has the opposite effect than what they want. Our goal here is to balance the skin, not strip it entirely of the oils and irritate it. Over exfoliating can stimulate the oil glands. We don’t want that. There are many different ways to effectively and gently exfoliate. Alpha Hydroxy Acids loosen the bonds between dead skin cells and they can then be washed away. Mechanical exfoliants (with little beads or grains, or gommages which are gently rubbed off the skin) pull the dead cells away from the fresh new ones and then are rinsed away.
6. Tone: This is an extremely important step that is often skipped or done incorrectly. It finishes the cleansing process (what’s shampooing without conditioning?) and helps to dissolve oil and re-balance the skin. Make sure to use a professional quality toner. They’re gentler and often moisturizing as well. Cheaper ones contain alcohol which just dry out the skin and can irritate. A good ingredient to look for in a toner is salicylic acid. It dissolves the sticky oil inside the follicle.
7. Moisturize: Even with oily skin, moisturizing is important. After the other steps, if a moisturizer isn’t applied, the skin can overcompensate and create MORE oil. So save yourself the frustration and finish with an oil-free moisturizer. They’re light and specifically designed for that skin type and shouldn’t cause more breakouts.
8. Extras: There are spot treatments, masks and serums available to enhance whatever program you’re using. Make use of these. Masks are extremely underused but very effective. Look for clay masks that absorb oil while providing valuable nutrients. Spot treatments are fantastic for getting rid of any stubborn little guys.
9. Standard No No’s: Don’t squeeze, pick or touch! This is the hardest to do, but leave them alone and allow the products to work. Keep things that touch your face clean: pillow cases, cell phones, hands and hair. This will prevent old oils and skin cells from getting back onto the skin.
10. Pay attention to results: Whether positive or negative. I remind you, there are a lot of great products out there, but you have to find the one that works for YOU. If your skin gets too dry, make sure you’re using the right moisturizer, don’t just stop using the other products. Professional products use higher quality and more active ingredients, which doesn’t just mean clear skin. It means healthy, hydrated and glowing skin.

 

We would love to hear your thoughts on the topic of this blog!  Feel free to post your comments or questions below.  As always, just for being a follower of our blog, enter coupon code BLOG10 for 10% off your next purchase! Also, remember to follow us @spaboutique on Twitter, like our Facebook  page, and check out our boards on Pinterest! You could be the lucky winner of one of our many contests!

Combination Skin Treatment Tips: dry and oily skin

How Can my Skin be Both Oily and Dry?

Of all skin types, combination skin is the most common but managing combination skin can be quite a balancing act. Generally, the T-zone (the forehead, down the nose and on the chin) produces excess oil and occasional blemishes. At the same time, less oil is produced in the cheek, eye and neck areas, causing possible dryness, tightness and flaky patches.

As with other skin types and conditions, the cause of combination skin appears to be genetic. However, lifestyle, stress, diet and the environment can contribute to the imbalance. In addition, climate changes can cause combination skin to be drier during the cold, windy months and shinier with more breakouts during warmer, more humid seasons.

The Skin Test

• Does your skin experience more oil and blemishes on the forehead, nose and chin than other areas?
• Does your skin feel normal or dry and tight on your cheek and eyes areas?
• Is your skin drier in the winter and oilier in the summer?
• Does your makeup become blotchy in the T-zone and disappear on your cheeks?

Tips and Techniques for Combination: Oily Skin and Dry Skin

• Daily gentle cleansing and exfoliating with a natural exfoliant such as glycolic acid will help remove dulling skin cells that contribute to dry skin and can clog pores in the oily T-zone.
• Use a lightweight, oil-free moisturizer that is non-comedogenic (won’t clog pores) which will moisturize the drier areas without contributing to excess oil in the T-zone.
• Apply a gentle cleansing masque once a week to the T-zone. Ingredients such as natural clays, vitamin A and enzymes help to remove pore clogging oil and skin cells—the cause of skin breakouts.
• Use an additional moisturizer or hydrating masque that contains strengthening antioxidants more often during harsh, winter months.
• Avoid sun exposure and apply a physical sunscreen containing zinc oxide daily with a minimum SPF 15.
• Drink plenty of water to keep skin hydrated.
• Use oil-free, non-comedogenic makeup which will not clog pores in the oily T-zone.

The following is a recommended treatment for combination skin with Jan Marini skin products: Glycolic Acid 4 step process:

1. Cleanse – Jan Marini Bioglycolic Face Cleanser – cleans, exfoliates the skin. Contains glycolic acid.
2. Correct – Jan Marini Bioglycolic Bioclear Face Lotion – diminishes lines, large pores, breakout, and exfoliates.
3. Hydrate – Jan Marini Antioxidant Hydro Silk Protecting Hydrator – restores skins moisture while preventing excess oil buildup.
4. Protect – Priori CoffeeBerry Natureceuticals Perfecting Mineral Foundation SPF 25

As always, just for being a follower of our blog, enter coupon code BLOG10 for 10% off your next purchase! Also, remember to follow us @spaboutique on Twitter, like our Facebook  page, and check out our boards on Pinterest! You could be the lucky winner of one of our many contests!