Sun Safety Made Simple

1. Learn to read a label. Check the sun protection factor number; those with SPF 15, or greater, yield the best results. Scan the active ingredient label to make sure the product contains UVA-blocking elements such as titanium dioxide, zinc oxide or anything in the avobenzone family.
2. Do not fry, re-apply. While at the beach or other sun-drenched locations, re-apply your sunscreen at least every two hours. Re-apply immediately after swimming or sweating. Apply a teaspoon for your face and neck and one ounce or a shot glass amount for your body
3. Do not hoard your sunscreen. The active ingredients in sunscreens deteriorate over time, so toss a bottle after 12 months.
4. Be sun-safe inside. Even if you are indoors, you need to wear a sunscreen with full-spectrum protection from both UVA and UVB rays. Most of the sun exposure that ages us comes from the windows of our car, home or office.
5. Get your C! Double up on safety by using a 20% concentration of topical vitamin C under your sunscreen. It boosts the immune defense of your skin cells against ultraviolet damage while reducing the appearance of brown spots.
6. What do different levels of SPF mean? Most dermatologists and skin care experts recommend using an SPF of 15, or greater, daily. When you look at a bottle though, you probably think that SPF 30 gives you twice as much protection as SPF 15 and SPF 45 will be three times better, right? It is not that simple:

• SPF 15 blocks 94 percent of ultraviolet rays
• SPF 30 blocks 97 percent of ultraviolet rays
• SPF 45+ blocks 98 percent of ultraviolet rays

No sunscreen will offer 100 percent protection. Wear a hat, sun protective clothing and sunglasses.

http://www.allureaesthetics.com

Advertisement

Seasonless Skincare

Here are three skin care habits that should be continued all year long.

 

SUN PROTECTION

Daily sunscreen is imperative for healthy skin. Sun exposure not only leads to skin cancer, but to aging, hyperpigmentation, capillary damage, free radical damage and collagen and elastin deterioration. Daily sunscreen can be in moisturizer form and comes in all weights and formulas. Allure Aesthetics Advanced Protection SPF 30 is designed to lighty hydrate your delicate skin with natural ingredients. It is developed for the face and the body.

EXFOLIATION

Exfoliating is an important step to a smoother skin texture. Removing dead skin from the surface of the skin will allow other products to absorb quickly. The removal of dry, dead, surface cells can help the skin in the following ways:

1. It makes the skin smoother.
2. It facilitates the extraction of matter that clogs pores.
3. A faster cell turnover rate brings cells to the surface more rapidly.
4. It improves the skin’s ability to retain moisture.
5. It helps product penetration which makes the ingredients in your skin care products more effective.

Allure Aesthetics Papaya Creme Enzyme Polish gently cleanses and exfoliates in order to prevent pores from becoming clogged. It contains a high-powered antioxidant fruit blend and anti-aging peptides that provides new ways to quench the skin’s need for free radical fighting power.

MOISTURIZE

Moisturizers seal and protect the surface of the skin. Even oily skin needs hydration or it will overcompensate for dryness and produce more oil or become dehydrated. Allure Aesthetics Herbal Silk Moisturizer is a silky moisturizer that leaves a light protective moisture barrier that helps smooth skin texture.

 

 

Don’t Let Summer Burn You

 

Everyone knows sunscreen is important but there are still five places lots of people miss! Next time you’re lathering up, avoid an awkward burn by remembering these five spots:

1. Scalp – Sunscreen in your hair can be a nightmare, but it’s better than a burnt, itchy scalp. Try a gel or spray sunscreen instead of lotion.
2. Ears – When we apply sunscreen to our face we usually just cover the center. Don’t forget to lotion your lobes.
3. Hands – Yes, the things you use to apply the sunscreen are often forgotten! Remember to cover the top of your hands!
4. Feet – Besides the fact that a flip-flop tan can look weird, a burnt foot can hurt! Apply sunscreen to the  toes and top of your feet.
5. Behind Your Knees – A burn behind the knee can make it uncomfortable to walk. Give this spot the attention it deserves.

http://www.allureaesthetics.com

What Is Micro Needling?

The Micro Needling device is an instrument consisting of a heavy duty roller head covered in 192 high quality titanium acupuncture needles. The needles are designed to:

• Penetrate the outer layer of the skin.
• Hundreds of tiny channels are created through the skin, which facilitate the passage and absorption of your skin care product to maximize its absorption.
• It gently exfoliates excess skin cells which contribute to hair follicle malnutrition scaring or premature aging, wrinkles and scars.
• The roller stimulates blood flow to the surface, gives a skin massage, cleans out the pores and stimulates collagen re-growth.
• Additional age fighting skin benefits can be achieved when skin needling is combined with products that contain collagen boosting and skin fortifying ingredients like Retinol, Vitamin C and Peptides.

 

The best candidates for micro needling are people from the age of 25 to 65. Ideally people in their 30’s who are starting to develop the early signs of aging. Micro needling will plump up fine lines and boost collagen production on any area that is needled. Micro needling can also effectively treat skin that has been scarred from acne.
Skin needling is an innovative concept that remained elusive until late 1990s. In fact, the new technology opened doors for healing skin damages naturally. The fact that skin needling or collagen induction therapy can be done on all skin types, without any side effects, makes it more popular among people of all ages.

 

You are eligible for Dermal Rolling if the following applies to you:

• –  Lack of skin radiance
• –  Loss of elasticity and epidermal thickness
• –  Rough and uneven skin texture
• –  Fine lines
• –  Wrinkles
• –  Crow’s feet
• –  Hyperpigmentation
• –  Scars, especially indented acne or chicken pox
• –  Post surgical Scars
• –  Skin Dullness
• –  Dry Skin
• –  Pre cosmetic Surgery
• –  Pre injection
• –  Open pores

You are not eligible for Dermal Rolling if the following applies to you:

• –  You suffer with active pustular acne
• –  Active bacterial, viral or fungal infections
• –  Eczema and psoriasis
• –  Rosacea
• –  Keloid or raised scars
• –  Scars less than 6 months old
• –  Raised moles or warts
• –  Facial surgery in the past 6 months
• –  Patients taking blood pressure, blood thinning or heart medications
• – Diabetes

What happens post-treatment?

After the procedure the clients skin will be red and flushed in appearance in a similar way to moderate sunburn. The client will also experience skin tightness and mild sensitivity to touch on the area being treated. This will diminish greatly after a few hours following treatments and within the next 24 hours the skin will be completely healed. After 3 days there is barely any evidence that the procedure has taken place.

How quickly are results visible?

 Visible results of skin rejuvenation are seen after just 6-8 weeks following procedure and continue over the following months for up to a year. A course of three  skin needling sessions, at 6-8 week intervals, is usually recommended to achieve optimum results; however great skin improvement is noticeable after just one treatment.

Is skin needling safe?

Skin needling does not involve injections and therefore allergic reactions and side-effects are unlikely. It is minimally invasive, involves minimal downtime (max. 24hrs), rapid healing and requires simple after-care. Clinical skin needling is minimally invasive and normally no blood is drawn, however small amounts of pin point bleeding in clients with thin skin may occur and should be considered as normal.

 

http://www.allureaesthetics.com

 

Home Care Can Make A Significant Difference In The Skin’s Health And Appearance

Home Care Facial Protocol

Allure Aesthetics skin care products contain specially chosen natural herbal extracts, specialty ingredients and aromatherapy essential oils that are blended with water-based emulsions to provide results. No sensitizing fragrances are used.

1. Cleanse – Apply Oxygen Revitalizing Cleanser to remove all facial make up around face and neck.  Rinse completely with tepid or warm damp towel.

2. Tone – Apply Vital Hydrant Toner. Spray several pumps of mist to flat cotton pad and apply small gentle upward sweeping motion to face and neck.

3. Exfoliate – Use a quarter size Papaya Creme Enzyme Polish and massage in gentle upward motion to face and neck area.  Do not use pressure while massaging.  Massage for 1 to 2 minutes.  Rinse completely with tepid or warm damp towel.

4. Address eye areas – Apply a small amount of Refreshing Anti-Puff Eye Gel to eye area. Carefully apply to top and bottom of the eye not too close to the lash line. 

Final step – Apply Herbal Silk Moisturizer and Advance Protection SPF 30.

 

http://www.allureaesthetics.com

 

Healthy Skin Solution

Moderating sun exposure and using sunscreen are two of the best ways to keep your skin healthy and to minimize your risk for skin cancer.

OVEREXPOSURE TO THE SUN IS THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF AGING SKIN

 

If you want to maintain a youthful appearance, you must protect your skin from the sun. 

1. Avoid suntanning. 
2. Wear sun screen (SPF 30 or higher) that blocks UVA and UVB rays whenever you are out in the sun. 
3. Sunscreens are the best “anti-aging” products currently available.

How Sunscreens Work

Sunscreens absorb or reflect ultraviolet rays. Both zinc oxide and titanium dioxide reflect or scatter UV radiation. Octyl methoxycinnamate (OMC) and oxybenzone absorb radiation, dispersing it as heat.

Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen that protects against the two types of damaging UV radiation: UVA (causes tanning) and UVB (causes sunburns).

SPF refers to the sun protection factor in sunscreens.

An SPF of 8 blocks almost 90 percent of UVB rays.

An SPF 15 blocks 93 percent of UVB and some UVA rays.

An SPF of 30 blocks 96 percent of UVB and some UVA rays.

Additional Ways To Avoid Skin Damage

• Wear protective clothing, such as a long sleeved shirt, pants, a wide brimmed hat and sunglasses.
• Look for shady areas. The sun’s rays are strongest between 10 am and 4pm. If your shadow appears to be shorter than you are, seek shade.
• Use extra caution near water, snow and sand because they reflect and intensify the damaging rays of the sun, which can increase your chances of sunburn.
• Avoid tanning beds. Instead, try a sunless, self-tanning product, but continue to use sunscreen daily.
• Eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. They provide antioxidants, which may help protect cells from free radical damage that occurs when UV rays from the sun are absorbed by our skin.

http://www.allureaesthetics.com

Properly Sequenced Order For Applying Skin Care Products

Do you have questions about whether or not a product is best used in the morning or night? Are you confused about whether special treatments should be applied before or after moisturizer or sunscreen?

These general guidelines should help provide specific directions about when and how to use skin care products.

1. Apply eye makeup remover on a two-sided moistened cotton pad and swipe the eye area in a downward direction. Flip the pad and wipe the eyes until clean. If necessary, turn the pad inside out or use a newly moistened pad and repeat until the eyes are completely clean.

2. Cleanse the face with a cleanser that best suits your skin type and condition. Cleansers should be used twice a day.

• oily or combination skin – foamy cleanser or face wash
• normal or combination skin – cleansing lotion
• dry skin – milky cleanser
• very dry or mature – cleansing cream

3. Toners are used after cleansing. They remove residue left by cleansers and they restore the skin’s natural pH after cleansing.

• oily and acne prone skin – astringent
• normal and combination skin – toner
• dry, mature and sensitive skin – fresheners

4. Exfoliation removes the dry, dead surface cells that makes the skin smoother, helps unclog pores, helps product penetration making them more effective and improves the skin’s ability to retain moisture.

• limit exfoliation to once a week  ( 3 times a week for  oily skin types)
• use exfoliants at night to avoid leaving the skin exposed to the elements during he day

5. Masks work best on freshly exfoliated skin. Used weekly, masks can:

• tighten and tone the skin
• draw impurities out of the pores
• clear up blemishes
• hydrate
• nourish
• calm and soothe
• rejuvenate the skin

6. Serums are thinner liquids and eye creams are usually thicker to protect thin, delicate skin. Serums and eye creams are applied under moisturizers.

7. Moisturizers seal and protect the surface of the skin. Even oily skin needs hydration or it will have to overcompensate for dryness and produce more oil or become dehydrated.

8. Daily sunscreen is imperative for healthy skin. Sun exposure not only leads to skin cancer, but to

• aging
• hyperpigmentation
• capillary damage
• free radical damage
• collagen and elastin deterioration

http://www.allureaesthetics.com

What Is The Main Cause Of Premature Aging Skin?

Did you know that approximately 80 percent of premature extrinsic aging is caused by the sun?

There are two types of ultraviolet rays that are generally not filtered out by the ozone layer, UVA and UVB.

UVA rays account for 95% of the solar radiation that reaches the earth. They penetrate the skin more deeply than UVB rays and can penetrate clouds and glass. They are the rays that cause the skin to tan and are present on the atmosphere with equal intensity year round. Tanning is actually an injury to the skin’s DNA. The skin tans in an attempt to prevent further DNA damage. UVA rays cause the skin to prematurely age and wrinkle and damage cells in the basal layer of the skin, where most skin cancers occur. They have been proven to contribute to the development of cancer.

UVB rays do not penetrate the skin as deeply as UVA rays. They damage the skin’s surface in the form of sunburns. Although they are always present in the atmosphere, they are strongest between April and October, from 10 am to 4 pm. UVB rays are mainly responsible for the development of skin cancer.

 

Environmental exposure, pollutants, air quality and humidity also affect the skin’s health.

Poor maintenance and home care can also be a contributor to skin problems.

Misuse of products or poor facial treatments can be detrimental to maintaining a healthy and attractive complexion.

Preventative measures for skin care include:

• avoiding the sun and wearing sunscreen, which is the best protection for our skin.
• Proper home care, professional skin treatments and ingredients such as antioxidants, lipids, and alphahydroxy acids can be beneficial.
• A good diet
• vitamins
• water intake
• exercise and other healthy practices all have a positive effect on our health and our complexion.

http://www.allureaesthetics.com

The Best Treatment For Hyperpigmentation (Brown Spots)

Hyperpigmentation is a condition that affects many people. As acne blemishes heal, they leave dark spots on the skin. Sun exposure also causes dark pigmentation areas on the skin that clients often want to diminish. The best preventative measure is to stay out of the sun and wear sunscreen daily. Peels and brightening agents can be effective in reducing breakouts and some of these hyperpigmented areas. Hydroquinone is the only FDA approved agent. It is not a bleaching agent, but a melanin suppressant. Brighteners such as kojic acid, mulberry, licorice root, bearberry and azaleic acid are known to reduce pigmentation. These affect melanin production and are more effective when used with peels.

 

Peel Benefits

Peels improve the texture of the skin and increase hydration, moisture retention, elastin and collagen production.

Peels also reduce fine lines, wrinkles and pigmentation. After treatment, skin looks and feels smoother and softer.

Peels are used to control skin conditions such as  hyperpigmentation and clogged pores.

When It Comes To Professional Treatments, Trust The Experts

Whether you are trying to even out skin discoloration, clear acneic/blemished skin, smooth fine lines and wrinkles, improve the texture of your skin or reduce redness, you may be a candidate for a peel. It is your physician’s, nurse’s or skin care professional’s role to select what type of peel is right for your skin type and condition. They are the key to creating a customized plan that will help you achieve younger-looking, healthy, beautiful skin.

http://www.allureaesthetics.com

What Are These White Spots On My Arms And Legs?

Idiopathic guttate hypomelanosis (IGH) is the name given to 2 to 5-mm flat white spots found on the shins and forearms. ‘Idiopathic’ means the cause is unknown, ‘guttate’ means resembling tear-drops, and ‘hypomelanosis’ refers to the lighter color of the affected areas.

Who does it affect?

Idiopathic guttate hypomelanosis predominantly affects fair-skinned individuals, but it may occasionally arise in darker skin. Although most often found on the shins and sun-exposed parts of the forearms, guttate hypomelanosis may also arise on other sun exposed areas including the face, neck and shoulders. The white marks are usually smooth with a reduction in the normal skin markings, but they may be slightly scaly.

They appear as part of the aging process, becoming quite common in those over 40 years of age. They are more common in women than in men. Inherited factors may be relevant as the lesions appear to be more common in family members.

What is the cause of guttate hypomelanosis?

A skin biopsy demonstrates that there is no pigment (melanin) in the skin cells (keratinocytes). There is also a reduction in the number of pigment-producing cells (melanocytes). The skin is slightly thinner than normal and flattened out.

The cause of guttate hypomelanosis is speculative. It is thought to be an inevitable part of the ageing process, with a gradual reduction in melanocytes – a similar process to greying of hair. Other theories include:

• Sun damage – the lesions are a kind of white freckle
• Non-sun related seborrhoeic keratoses – degenerative scaly spots

Idiopathic guttate hypomelanosis does not appear to be due to trauma or viral infection. The white areas do not predispose to skin cancer.

Is there any treatment?

• In most cases, treatment is not required as the marks are completely harmless. Attempts to destroy the lesions may leave brown marks or larger white marks, which may look worse than the original condition.
• Sun protection is very important. Avoid prolonged sun exposure to prevent further damage.
• White spots won’t tan, so if the rest of your skin gets darker, you risk exaggerating their appearance.
• Self-tanner doesn’t help either; it doesn’t adhere to the white spots.
• There is no sure fire cure for IGH

http://www.allureaesthetics.com