Gimme 'dat glow!

Ever see a woman who's skin is literally glowing?  I would be willing to bet a good portion of those glowing women are not blessed with good genes, they are, in fact, blessed with good skin care products.  For those of you that are blessed with naturally glowing skin, this blog is not for you, and good Lord you are one lucky duck.  For the rest of us, fear not, we can fake that glow.  One way to get after that glow cleanse or apply a topical that contains AHAs.  What are AHAs?  They are: glycolic acid- derived from sugar and the most potent and popular because it has the tiniest molecular size, meaning your skin absorbs it extremely well. Great for acne prone, oily, dry, and combination  skin. Lactic acid- derived from milk, less aggressive than its brother glycolic, lightening and very hydrating. Great for dry, sensitive and pigmented skin.  Malic acid- derived from apples also less aggressive than glycolic.  Good for all skin types and conditions.  Tartaric acid- derived from grapes.  Again, less aggressive than glycolic and good for all skin types and conditions. Citric acid- derived from, you guessed it, citrus fruits.  Still less aggressive than glycolic, but I would not use on extremely sensitive skin.  Citric acid, like its sister lactic acid, is very lightening and brightening.  Last, but not not least, Acetic acid- derived from vinegar and least aggressive of the acids.  Great for all skin types and can be especially beneficial on acneic skin conditions.  What do AHA's do?  They dissolve the glue that holds the dead skin cells to the surface of your skin.  This means those dead skin cells that are hanging around making your complexion appear dull, are now skittering off into oblivion.  Woo Hoo!  Furthermore, with those dead skin cell off of your face any product that you apply on it, penetrates much better because a dead skin cell barrier is now gone.  One of my favorite AHA filled cleanser is Glytone's: Mild Gel Wash.   One of my favorite AHA topicals is Image's: Total Anti-Aging Serum.  However, one does not want to be using any form of AHA without using snscreen because when you are removing that layer of dead skin cells, you are indeed making your skin more sun sensitive, so to get and maintain that glow, one must apply a sunscreen with at least an SPF of 20.

skinspot and mercperks have joined forces

If you live in portland check out skinspot's rad deal : http://post.portlandmercury.com/portland/custom-signature-facial-at-skinspot/Shop?oid=2966460

And.... you still get your supportland points when using this deal.  This makes you the big winner!

Got Acne?

Since the ripe age of 15, acne has been my nemesis. I spent many days in high school begging my mom to let me stay home from school in lieu of my multiplying lesions. For a good stretch, I was in the dermatologist's office on a weekly basis.  And after years of having sir acne under control he came back in my adult years. How is it fair that one has to deal with wrinkles, sun damage and acne? Welcome to adult acne, an ever growing problem among women older than 25.  I have a love/ hate relationship with acne.  I hate it for all of the obvious reasons, and I love it because I'm fairly certain without it, my love of skin care would not be what it is today.  With that said, I truly understand, the emotional implications acne has on its victims.  However, fear not, there are things you can do to tame and eradicate this wild beast.  While every skin condition and type is going to require its own customizable routine, there are a few basic ingredients and tips every acne sufferer can benefit from.  Ingredients to be on the prowl for:  salicylic acid, retinol, glycolic acid, benzyol peroxide, azelaic acid, and hyaluronic acid.  There are more ingredients that are beneficial and important, but these are the top contenders.  However, if you're pregnant or breast feeding several of those ingredients should not be used, which is particularly tricky because women often experience adult acne during pregnancy and their breast feeding days, due to hormonal changes.  In a later entry, I will go over a routine that will be suitable for all of those with a bun in their oven.  Things every acne sufferer can do to help eliminate lesions are:  wash make-up brushes 2-3 times a week with a mild shampoo or Dr Bronners soap, clean your phone with witch hazel every night and make sure when talking on your cell phone it is not touching your face, don't touch your face unless you're washing it, don't let anybody else touch it either (you feel like a weirdo at first, but it's worth it), have a sacred face towel that nobody but you touches (hide it if necessary), have a towel for your body and a towel for your face (think about it), and change your pillow cases at least twice a week.  All of these seem a bit neurotic, but bacteria is major contender in acne, so taking a few precautions to reduce the spreadage ( I think I just made that word up) of it, can make a significant difference in reducing it.

to sunscreen or not to sunscreen?

Now that fall is coming upon on us, many are packing up their sunscreens and putting them in the back of their linen closets.  However, just because your days at the beach are up, it doesn't mean you don't need sunscreen on a day-to-day basis, even if you live in Portland.  Incidental sun exposure (the sun exposure we get just doing are day-to-day activities) is a major contributor to those little lines and and brown spots we see as we age.  People often ask me what is the number one product you would recommend for anti aging and my answer is: you guessed it, sunscreen.  It's a lot easier to prevent rather than correct.  And given that sun is the number one cause of fine lines and pigmentation, I would use the one tool, that helps to protect you from it.  I'm not advocating for one to fear the sun because the sun offers oodles of benefits; I'm simply saying, "work with it."  And not all sunscreens are created equal.  First and foremost, if it says it offers an spf of 45 or higher, don't be fooled.  Anything above an spf of 30 means you're most likely getting more chemicals and the increase in your sunscreen coverage is minimal.  With that said, look at the active ingredients in your sunscreen. The only active ingredient I fully support is: Zinc Oxide.  Titanium Dioxide is a close second. As for other chemical active ingredients, studies are beginning to find that when these ingredients have been on the skin for a certain period of time, they actually begin to cause free radicals and free radicals are the jerks that take part in giving you your wrinkles and helping your skin to sag. These guys are to be avoided at all costs.  Zinc and titanium dioxide are physical sunscreens, meaning they work as a block between your skin and the sun, rather than chemical sunscreens, which absorb the sun's rays.  Additionally titanium and zinc are minerals, which help calm down inflammation and inflammation is also a cause in those pesky wrinkles. When looking at a products ingredient declaration look for a zinc or titanium percentage of  8 or higher.  Furthermore, if you're prone to rosacea and acne, zinc and titanium reduce the redness in both cases, and the sun aggravates both of these conditions, so you're getting a two-for-one benefit by using a sunscreen with zinc or titanium dioxide. One last thing, to up your sunscreen's ante, get a sunscreen with antioxidants, which are like little warriors helping to protect your skin against free and radicals and, again, free radicals are not your friend. What are some examples of antioxidants?  So glad you asked.  They are: vitamin c, green tea, white, vitamin e, coffee berry and there are many more, but those are the heavy weights.  My favorite sunscreen, that also acts as a moisturizer and it is divine for oily and acne prone skin is:  Image's Oil Free Spf 30. I am acne prone and I fear sunscreen as do most acne prone people; however, fear not, this guy goes on like water and alleviates any dehydration my skin may be feeling at the moment.  What a fella!!!

nutrition and skin

As of the last 3 years, I have been constantly reading up on this connection between nutrition and skin.  I do think the link between what you eat and your skin is there, but I also believe it varies from person to person and the skin condition they are looking to address.  In attempts to eradicate my acne naturally, without using topicals, I ate entirely raw food, I followed a macrobiotic diet, I bought a Vitamix and blended various expensive super foods together, I have done the vegan thing, I have taken every supplement  imagineable, and I spent oodles of dollars working with a very smart nutritionist.  As a result, my acne remained and the one theme that was present through the different eating patterns is:  I obsessed (aka stressed) over every morsel that went into my body, not to mention I felt somewhat isolated from society, because my diet was quite a bit different from what one could find at a typical restaurant and grocery store.  Stress is a large culprit in acne and fine lines, so I think my hard work was coming undone with all of  my nutrition obsession.  I'm not saying, nutrition doesn't hold credence because it does!!!  However, it's the obsessing and trying to stay under a label that I would advise against staying away from.  Nutrition is one of my favorite topics and I am constantly intrigued by what people are eating on a day to day basis. Food and are relationship to it plays such a critical role in everybody's day-to-day life, that I find myself constantly asking people what do they eat and how do they feel?   So, if you feel inclined to share what your diet looks like, please do!!! 

Here's what my breakfast looks like:

gluten free grains
spirulina
flax seeds
some fruit
1 cup hemp milk
1cup coffee
cinnamon
stevia

For now, I'm only going to include breakfast because my other meals vary soooo much from day to day, but breakfast stays pretty much the same.


Fine Print:  I am not a nutritionist, I just read a lot of books on nutrition, so do what you will with my opinion.:)