Posts Tagged ‘dry skin’

Forgotten Areas – Tips on Exfoliating Your Knees and Elbows.

Knees and elbows can possibly be forgotten areas. A few months ago I asked my mom “if you had a chance to turn back the clock, what would you have paid more attention to with regards to your skincare regimen”. And surprising enough she answered, “I wish I took care of my elbows and knees better”. She spent all her efforts on trying to keep her youth in her face and chest area – she did a pretty good job of it too. But looking back, she really wished that she prevented her elbows and knees from the elephant-like, dry and patchy skin she has now.

Dry, dark patches on elbows and knees can be caused by heavy use, leaning on elbows, kneeling all the time, and neglect. You can prevent dry and dark patches by exfoliating and moisturizing your knees and elbows 2 times a week. By doing so you smooth away roughness and dramatically improve skin texture.

Note: You may already be exfoliating your body on a regular basis and know you have to pay more attention to your knees and elbows. (I definitely fall into this category!)

Why Exfoliate?
Exfoliation is an essential step in skin care. When you exfoliate, you’re sloughing off dead skin and exposing the fresher, brighter, younger cells beneath, as well as helping in its natural renewal process. It accelerates the skin renewal process.

Why Moisturize?
Moisturizer helps to form a fine, protective layer that enables the skin to retain the moisture it requires. There can be many damaging side effects of lack of moisture or a dehydrated skin such as; premature wrinkles, fine lines, increased sensitivity, also many skin conditions develop overtime as a result of chronically dehydrated skin.

Basic Tips on Knee and Elbow Care Technique:

• Exfoliate your knees and elbows at least 2 time week, with a loofah and/or scrub. Use a washcloth for mild exfoliation.
• Exfoliate while skin is wet with gentle circular motions.
  Choose exfoliating cleansers that contain ingredients such as apricot micro-particles, cane sugar, ground almonds, pumice, glycolic acid and sea salt.
• Make your own exfoliating cleanser, if you don’t have one on hand (see the home remedies below)
• If your skin is very sensitive, use as little friction as possible and stick to the least abrasive products.
• The milder and more gentle your exfoliating product, the more frequently you can use it.
• Be careful not to over exfoliate, you can run the risk of bursting delicate blood vessels under the skin.
• Never exfoliate your skin if it is sunburned or has open wounds. If you have chronic dry cracked skin on elbows and knees, please see you doctor.
• Apply moisturizing lotion after you exfoliate. Look for moisturizers that have alpha hydroxy – they will continue the exfoliating process because the acids further exfoliate and remove dead skin cells.
• Choose moisturizers that contain ingredients such as alpha hydroxy, sweet almond oil, urea, shea butter, and jojoba oil.
• The best time to moisturize is right after a bathing while the skin is damp, usually within 3 minutes of bathing.

Recommended Product for Elbow and Knee Care:
A great product to use specifically for your elbows and knees is B.Kamins Elbow, Knee and Foot Treatment Kit. It’s a two step treatment system, that, when used in tandem, smoothes away roughness and dramatically improves skin texture on elbows, knees and feet. Its key active ingredients are Pumice (removes dead skin), Apricot Shells (buffs your skin), and it’s Bio-Maple Compound (natural alpha hydroxyl acid), which is well known for its moisturizing and anti-aging properties (helps hydrate, brighten and renew the knees and elbows).

If you don’t have a body exfoliator or products at home, you can most likely whip up a homemade product in your kitchen today.

Homemade Remedies for Your Knees and Elbows:

• Brown Sugar Scrub (for normal skin):
  3 tablespoon brown sugar
  1-1/2 tablespoon olive oil

  Mix ingredients in a bowl. Massage the scrub into elbows and knees. Wash off and moisturize.



• Lemon Salt Scrub (for normal skin):
  1 fresh lemon
  3 tablespoon sea salt
  ½ teaspoon olive oil

  Squeeze the juice out of four quarter wedges of a lemon and add sea salt. Scrub into your elbows and knees gently, trying to slough away the dead skin. Then massage each of lemon wedges onto elbows or knees (one each for elbow and knee). Wash off and moisturize.

• Lemon Soft Scrub (for sensitive skin):
  1 fresh lemon
  1 teaspoon baking soda

  Mix fresh lemon juice and baking soda to make a thick paste, apply to dry elbows. Gently rub in to exfoliate the knees and elbows for 5 minutes. Wash off and apply a moisturizer.

Beauty Alert: It is not recommended to use any body exfoliator on your face, as it is ussually too abrasive.

If you have any experiences with treating dry knees and elbows or would like to share anything with us, please post a comment or question below or contact our Esthetician online!
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Do It Yourself Facial Mask Recipes

Tips for Body Contouring, Firming and Detoxing

Get Bikini-Ready: Body Contouring, Firming and Detoxing – Your Home Care Program and What to Watch for in Professional Products.

Practice the basics of exfoliation, hydration, detoxing and safe tanning with your contouring and/or firming cream you will be on your way to a firmer and sexier toned skin!

Why is your skin sagging, dull, not firm and looking dimpled? Over time when you age, your skin looses it’s elasticity, inherits an uneven skin tone and texture, has excess fluid retention from poor circulation, loses nutrients, and is prone to dehydration. A common problem is cellulite – it occurs when connective tissues under the skin drag down on fat. This causes the skin to bulge and warp, creating a dimpled appearance on thighs, stomach, and buttocks.

Body firming & contouring creams are highly advertised in drug stores and frequently over-promised as the ”all-in-one wonder cream”. The consumer may not see the results that the one product promised and will be very disappointed in the end.

Why didn’t it work for me, you ask? It is important to incorporate more than one product in your regimen and choose your product brand wisely. It should have a proven track record with regards to results. You must also be consistent with your product usage. Use products that are from a professional skin care line (usually found in day spas). Professional skin care lines invest a fair bit into research and development and will show results if used in conjunction with a proper skin care regimen.

To optimize your body firming and contouring program, it is highly recommended to commit to a daily or weekly regimen with a mix of body skin care products that are complimentary. They will work together to tighten your loose skin, regenerate your skin cells, activate the circulation and get rid of the toxins. Each product will contain a variety of active ingredients and specific benefits. In a nutshell, if you practice the basics of exfoliation, hydration, detoxing and safe tanning with your contouring and/or firming cream you will be on your way to a firmer and sexier toned skin!

Here’s 7 tips on what to look for in body products under each of recommended areas for your home care body firming and contouring program:

1. Exfoliation Body Products
   These products usually have regeneration properties – helps your skin produce new skin cells and increases your circulation. Exfoliation eliminates dead skin and imbedded impurities. It will uncover a soft supple skin. It is recommended to exfoliate daily while you are in the shower (some products are 2x/week). Look for products with active ingredients like: Natural Marine Elements, Seaweed, Essential oils, Pure Carrier Oils, and Sea Salt. Products with exfoliating properties can be in the form of scrubs, soaps, or gels.
   Recommended product: Ancient Secret Seaweed Salt Glow
2. Hydration Body Products
   Preserve, protect and renew your skin with hydration products. This is especially important as we age. Our body will require nutrients and more hydration. If our skin is not kept moisturized, it will not preserve well and will lack firmness over time. Look for products with Anti-oxidants, Natural Emollients, Shea Butter, Plant Extracts, Vitamins C, E and A. Use daily after exfoliating to lock in the moisture and your skin will absorb the nutrients.

Recommended product: Ancient Secrets Seaweed Multi-Active Body Butter.

3. Detoxing Bath Products
   Certain bath products can help with contouring and firming. They usually rebalance your body. They can eliminate water in body tissues; draw out elements that your body needs to relax. Some seaweed-based products are so effective that you have to relax and take it easy afterwards – you may feel faint because it is working so hard detoxing! Look for products that have natural ingredients such as Marine Elements, Sea Salt and Essential Oils with specific benefits. Thyme and Ylang-Ylang oils have de-toxicant effects and regenerates cells. Rosemary and Sage oils metabolize fats and stimulate drainage.
   Recommended product: Phytomer Alguomer Aqua-Detoxifying Bath
   (Note: Phytomer Products can only be accessed by logged-in members only! – login here or start a new account!)
4. Contouring Body Products
   Has slimming performances. Reduces the appearance of excess weight, slows down the appearance of fat reoccurrence and helps diminish the appearance of cellulite (the orange peel effect). Look for products that have Caffeine. Caffeine drains the water from the fat cells in your body giving you a more slimming appearance.

Recomended product: Skeyndor Body Shaping Kit (Shorts & Foam) or the Shaping Foam by itself.

5. Firming Body Products
   Hydrates your skin, becomes firmer and youthful over time. Some will have toning properties for specific areas like a bust gel or a stretch mark reduction cream that is formulated to regenerate cells responsible for restructuring the connective tissue and prevents new stretch marks. Body firming creams contain a variety of active ingredients. Some contain Seaweed Elements, Soya Peptides, Vegetable Extracts, African Kigelia, Asian Pennywort, Dried Ginkgo Biloba extract, Dried Sweet Clover Extract, and Grape Seed.
   Recommended product: Skeyndor Svelte Anti Stretch Mark Cream
6. Safe Tanning Products
   Can make your skin look firmer, more toned and give you a healthy glow. Self-tanning products don’t age your skin nor lessen your skin’s elasticity vs. the sun. Gives you an instant healthy glow. It is best to use self-tanning products after exfoliating to get a perfect smooth tan. The active ingredient in most sunless tanning products is dihydroxyacetone (DHA). DHA is the only color additive approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in sunless tanning products. The FDA considers DHA safe when applied to your skin. You may have seen ads for sunless tanning pills, but these products are unsafe and aren’t approved by the FDA.

   Recommended product: Skeyndor Self Tanning Foam

7. Sun Protection Products
   Minimizes the damage caused by the UV rays and sunbathing. When the UV rays harm skin over time, it can be prone to hyperpigmentation (age spots) and dehydration. Dehydration can lead to a loss of skins elasticity and faster aging – leaving your skin to sag and loosen. Look for products that have both UVA and UVB protection. Some sun protection products will have advanced benefits such as anti-oxidants that can actually slow down the aging process.

   Recommended product: Skeyndor Anti-Oxidant Solar Cream SPF 15

Dry & Oily Skin Treatment Tips

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 oily & dry Skin with Intaglio Skin Care Products: Glycolic Acid 4 step process:

1. Cleanse – Intaglio AHA Glycolic Facial Body Cleanser-3 – cleans, exfoiliates the skin. Contains glycolic acid.
2. Correct – Intaglio AHA Glycolic Resurfacing Gel-15 – diminishes lines and exfoliates and Intaglio Antioxidant Replenishing Toner restores skins natural pH level and eliminates bacteria on the skin.
3. Hydrate – Intaglio AHA Glycolic Day Lotion-10 – restores skins moisture while preventing excess oil buildup also contains SPF 15. Intaglio Antioxidant Hydrating Moisturizer – recommended for dry skin, contains powerful antioxidants to smooth and refine fine lines.
4. Protect – Use a SPF of minimum of 15 (protects from environmental factors)

Advanced Products for Oily & Dry Skin:

• Intaglio Antioxidant Vitamin A Emollient: Oil-free and lightweight reveals younger-looking skin. Doubles the cell turnover rate.
• Intaglio Antioxidant Vitamin C Emollient: Diminishes skin discolorations. Highly concentrated serum formulated to deliver Vitamin C topical therapy to the skin.
• Intaglio Antioxidant Rejuvenating Mask to eliminate oily shine & diminish enlarged pores
  

Moisturize & Protect Dry, Dehydrated & All Skin Types

The skin alone contains 1/5th of the water found in the body and we all know that water makes up 65 to 70% of the weight of our body. Water may be intracellular (80% on average of each of our cells) and extracellular (“the internal environment” incorporating blood plasma and lymph fluid).

In winter the skin suffers from numerous harsh external attacks that weaken its hydrolipid barrier. Cold, wind, and exposure to heated environments are responsible for the dehydration of the skin. When the skin is dehydrated, it becomes irritable and gradually loses its suppleness.

But what is the difference between dehydration and cutaneous dryness?

The characteristics of dehydrated skin may be described as follows: the skin is rough and coarse, fine dehydration lines may appear, and the skin feels tight. But dehydration is a state. This means that once the balance has been restored, the skin recovers its suppleness and a normal moisture level.

Desquamation, painful pulling sensations of the skin, a lack of suppleness and feelings of discomfort are the most glaring symptoms of acute cutaneous dryness. Dry skin is more fragile and more sensitive. As it is more vulnerable, it also ages more quickly. In fact, the aging mechanism tends to accelerate in dry skin.

Moisturizers protect the skin and help to maintain the cutaneous balance by retaining moisture on the surface of the skin and preventing it from evaporating. The moisturizing marine active ingredients in Phytomer skincare products restore and strengthen the natural hydration process of the skin.

Beauty treatments for soft, supple and intensely hydrated skin…

Rid of impurities and dead cells, your skin is more receptive to moisturizing marine active ingredients. PHYTOMERS VEGETAL EXFOLIANT gently exfoliates your skin, while respecting its natural radiance. Caution: only use once or twice a week.

To cleanse your face on a daily basis, use PHYTOMERS HYDRACONTINUE Comforting Toning Lotion, a gentle alcohol-free toner, or PHYTOMERS DOUX VISAGE for those who love rinse-off textures.

To give your skin an intense moisture surge once or twice a week, use PHYTOMERS HYDRACONTINUE Moisture Quench Mask.

PHYTOMERS HYDRACONTINUE Hydra-Nourishing Serum may be used alone, for an intense moisturizing treatment, or in addition to your usual cream. It compensates for a lack of water, supplies additional nutrition to skin suffering from cutaneous dryness and provides instant comfort. The results on the moisture level of the skin are significant:+ 42%* from the first hour after application and all throughout the day+ 50%* on average (ranging up to + 66%** on very dry skin) after 28 days of twice-daily application.

* measurement by corneometry on a panel of 20 people over a period of 28 days of twice-daily application
** measurement by corneometry on a panel of 10 people over a period of 28 days of twice-daily application

Every day, apply the moisturizer best suited to your skin type.

Your skin is normal.
Choose a light texture. If your skin feels a little tight, apply a more nourishing night cream before going to bed. We recommend Phytomers HYDRACONTINUE Instant Moisture Cream and OGENAGE Extended Youth Night Cream. For younger skin, Phytomers HYDRACONTINUE Moisturizing Base Skin Cream is perfect as a first moisturizing cream.

You have combination or oily skin.
Fluid “oil in water” textures and mattifying emulsions that reduce shine on the skin are most suitable for you. Phytomers OLIGOPUR Control Moisturizing Fluid is ideal for skin that has a tendency to shine on the T-zone (forehead, nose and chin). OLIGOPUR Balance Emulsion restores purity and radiance to even the most oily skin.

Your skin is dry or sensitive.
“Water in oil” emulsions, which are rich in soothing active ingredients, are the most suitable textures.Dry and very dry skin will appreciate the incredibly rich and silky smooth texture of HYDRACONTINUE Moisture Reinforcement Cream. Phytomers ACCEPT Soothing Cream will protect and soothe even the most sensitive skin, which sometimes suffers from diverse red patches.

Final advice:
Remember to protect your skin morning and evening after cleansing and ridding it of its impurities.Skin does not like temperature changes. Avoid overheated areas, especially in winter.Make-up (foundation) helps to provide better protection for the skin, but its purpose is not to provide moisture. Before making up your face, you should apply a moisturizer.

Lips and hands are often forgotten, yet suffer from dehydration as much as your face.

The lips are without doubt the part of the body that suffers the most from the cold during winter. So don’t forget your lip balm. Your lips should be moisturized and protected throughout the day. Avoid moistening them with your tongue. This gesture encourages dehydration.

In winter, the hands are subject to all sorts of attacks. The skin is finer than that of the rest of the body and the sebaceous glands are fewer in number.While the best protection against the cold is to wear gloves, the application of Phytomers HYDRACONTINUE Moisturizing Hand Cream morning and evening is not a luxury. We even recommend that from time to time you apply a thick layer of cream and slip on your silk gloves before going to bed. On waking, you will be pleasantly surprised by the results. The skin on your hands will be suppler, silkier and more radiant.