Vitamin C Serums For All; SkinCeuticals, Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare, Naturopathica

Posted on November 4, 2010

With the confusing, overly-cluttered skin care landscape it’s hard to narrow it down and find something that benefits your skin. The thing I recommend the most to people is to use a Vitamin C serum. It’s the universal skin-bettering wonder that brightens, correct, protects, hydrates, and nourishes skin of all types. It’s available in every form imaginable, but I like it best in an easier-to-deliver super light serum. Here are a few I’ve tried recently that help bring dull skin back to life.

SkinCeuticals Serum 15

SkinCeuticals‘ serums are legendary in the pro-skin arena. I used their best selling C E Ferulic for years before recently switching to their Serum 15, a 15% megadose of L-Ascorbic acid, the purest and best absorbed version of Vitamin C there is. It fades out fine lines and adds a ton of healthy radiance to your skin while protecting it from daily damage at the same time.

Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Hydra-Pure Vitamin C Serum

Hydra-Pure Vitamin C Serum uses Ascorbic Acid to brighten dull skin along with their own Hydra-Pure Chelating Complex® to detoxify your skin from heavy metals found in tap water. You’ll notice a brighter, clearer complexion without any irritation.

Naturopathica Vitamin C Revitalizing Complex

It’s not quite a moisturizer, but it’s a little thicker than a serum. Naturopathica’s Vitamin C Revitalizing Complex blends Ascorbic Acid Polypeptide, Ascorbyl Palmitate (forms of vit c) with Vitamins A & E, aloe, and plant-based enzymes for a holistic skin care approach to making skin more youthful.

Find a Vitamin C that works for your skin type and budget so you can discover what the power of a good C can do for your skin.

Zap Breakouts on Sensitive Skin; Eau Thermale Avéne Cicalfate

Posted on November 1, 2010

Eau Thermale Avéne call themselves the experts in sensitive skin since 1743. Their Hydrotherapy Center in France has been home to over 300 studies based on the efficacy of their thermal spring water that flows around the property, known for its soothing and healing benefits which is the basis for the line. My aesthetician, Tjaden (of The Skin Studio in Wash Park) introduced me to Cicalfate a while back because of how it gently heals compromised skin while maintaining its overall health.

When I start to feel a breakout coming on, my first inclination is to reach for something that will blast the inflammation and bring it down quickly, which often leads to a longer healing time because of the flaking and redness that soon follow. Cicalfate Restorative Skin Cream is meant to heal breakouts, burns, scrapes, diaper rash, and even irritation caused by laser skin treatments by speeding up the skin’s ability to heal itself and also reducing subsequent scaring. Its anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties make it perfect for gently diminishing breakouts while leaving the skin in a pristine state.

You may not have heard of this popular line, but it’s everywhere. You’ll find it in spas and dermatologist’s offices, but also in select retail stores and of course online at one of my very favorite sites to buy beauty on the web, Drugstore.com.

Cicalfate Restorative Skin Cream

Dry, Sensitive, and Uneven Skin Rejoice; A Body Scrub for All

Posted on October 31, 2010

I’ve always had a body scrub or two hanging out in my shower, I’m a big fan of using them even before I run the water to really slough off the dryness giving my skin new life and a healthy glow. Here are a few exfoliants I’ve used that suit every skin’s needs.

For Red, Bumpy Skin:

Glytone’s Exfoliating Body Wash exfoliates without the harsh, scrubbing granules. Instead, they use a 8.8% glycolic acid wash that you work into skin with a shower pouf to exfoliate clogged pores. It’s ideal for getting rid of the bumpy chicken skin that lurks on the backs of arms as well as the dry patches over knees and elbows.

For Sensitive Skin:

To get skin sparkling clean and really soft, you don’t have to sandpaper the life out of it. Erno Laszlo’s Gentle Body Exfoliator uses tiny beads inside a rich, yummy smelling cleanser to gently remove dry skin without the irritation. You’ll love using it on your legs instead of shaving cream to get an ultra smooth shave.

For Dry Skin:

Noah’s Naturals new packaging is perfectly suited for its sweetly simple spin on nautral skincare. Their Moisturizing Body Scrub combines brown sugar with jojoba oil, vitamin e for a straight-forward sugar scrub that smells as great as it works.

At-Home Peels for Better Skin

Posted on October 19, 2010

I got a peel done once from a professional, it was $150 and didn’t do anything. Soon after that I began dabbling in the wonders of at-home DIY peels to slough off the top layer of skin when I’m starting to look dull and sluggish. What better time than fall to revive the skin that the sun damaged while you were basking in it all summer long. Here are a few peels I’ve tried that are sure to get your skin back to a brighter state.

I’m a huge fan of Glycolic acid, I’ve used it daily in various forms for years because of its ability to turnover skin without making you as sun-sensitive as its rivals. I love Glytone, they have a full collection of effective skin care for face and body that works like crazy to improve all sorts of skin problems while maintaining the skin’s ph so the irritation is minimal. You can use a thin layer of Mini Peel Gel up to a few times a week for 10 minutes to see brighter, clearer, tighter skin almost immediately without redness, irritation, or downtime. It’s a perfect compliment to your current regimen.

Your skin will look like it has just taken a deep breath of fresh air when you use The Oxygen Peel. Philosophy uses an oxygen foam to infuse the skin and give it an instant noticeable radiance. It’s the perfect treat pre-event or for when you haven’t been getting enough rest and your skin can tell the tale.

Cane + Austin have simplified their line into two jars, one meant for skin with acne and the other for wrinkling and pigmentation issues. These glycolic-soaked Treatment Pads work as a daily retexturizer to help peel back the layers of wrinkled, uneven skin to reveal a brighter look. It’s a gentle, daily way to ease into better skin over time.

You don’t have to completely desecrate your skin to get some positive changes, at-home peels like these are genus because you can get some great results while keeping your skin in tact.

Super Duper Skin Care

Posted on August 2, 2010

Skin care is getting more and more advanced, so there’s no excuse to not love the look of your skin. Check out my picks for some skin care that has been giving my skin the royal treatment.

The Super Duper Do-It-All Skin Reviving Serum

SkinMedica’s skin boosting serum is widely regarded as one of the best on the market for changing skin on a few fronts. TNS Essential Serum uses a powerful growth factor combined with peptides to get into the skin cells and repair them so when they make their way up to the surface, they create younger looking skin that’s less wrinkled and more radiant. 7 antioxidants are used to fight off environmental damage to protect the youthful, new skin it helps to create.

The At-Home Peel

Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare (formerly MD Skincare) makes a bunch of stuff that I love, but recently I’m addicted to their Alpha Beta Daily Face Peel. For half the cost of a peel done by a pro, you’ll have a month’s worth of pads that will correct redness, calm acne, chase away fine lines, tighten large pores, and address dull skin. It didn’t leave my face flaky or red, it just started doing its thing right away to calm an annoying breakout and give my skin a totally rested and alert look.

The Smart Cleanser

Who cares about a cleanser right? You rub it on then wash it all off, it doesn’t matter what’s in it as long as it’s getting skin clean. Not true with Erno Laszlo because they’re taking cleansing a step further with their Firmarine, a Spirulina Maxima and Algae Extract rich cleansing bar that strengthens and firms the skin even after it’s washed away.

The Beautiful Moisturizer

I’ve been prepping my client’s skin with Intraceuticals Opulence Moisture Brightening Cream because it adds so much radiance to the skin, I’m cutting down the amount of foundation I use on them by half. I wore it today by combining it with a drop of liquid bronzer which made my skin practically glow. How many moisturizers can make your skin look that good instantly?

The Nourishing Eye Oil

Eye cream, yes, but eye oil? You bet. Before bed, I’ve been using an oil under a cream for added moisture before wearing a silk eye mask to keep it all in place. You don’t have to do the whole routine like I do, just get a moisturizing oil like Bioelements new All Things Pure Eye Oil. It absorbs easily into the skin and has an ingredient lineup that’s so pure you could eat it.

Facial Scrubs; Dense, Denser, and Densest

Posted on June 8, 2010

Whether you realize it or not, you choose a scrub based on its density, or how packed the formula is with the scrubbing particles. You either like the feeling of a lot of little scrubbers, or you don’t. If your skin is mature, thin, or sensitive, you probably like a lighter exfoliation but if you have dry, oily, or troubled skin, you’d want something dense with beads to really sweep away dead skin.

I’m surprised I have any skin left after trying out these scrubs, but at least I can tell you which ones are the densest right?

L’Oreal Go 360 Clean Deep Exfoliating Scrub

Density Score: 2 out of 5

I hate gimmicky stuff, so I was fully expecting not to like the little scrubber thing that rests in the open cavity of the bottle for L’Oreal’s 360 Scrub. It’s job is to give a little extra exfoliation beyond the light smattering of beads in the cleanser. It’s a formula that’s great for all skin types because the scrubbing beads aren’t very dense so there’s more cleanser in there to cushion the exfoliation.

If you’re feeling like you need a little more oomph, pop out the scrubber and let the little rubber-tipped points massage your face. It isn’t harsh at all, it’s actually super relaxing and leaves skin so soft.

Mmmm doughnuts…

Not a ton of beads, but the little scrubber kicks it into high gear.

Naturopathica Oat Facial Polish

Density Score: 3 out of 5

The Oat Facial Polish from Naturopathica uses jojoba beads encased in Apricot Kernel oil and Oat Beta Glucan to polish and hydrate. It’s a best seller for the line because of its ability to soothe the skin while exfoliating, a difficult thing to pull off. You’ll be able to feel the fine beads buff the skin in a ratio of about 50/50 beads to creamy skin nourishers. It’s not overly scratchy but it certainly gets the job done.

SkinMedica Skin Polisher

Density Score: 4 out of 5

SkinMedica is a professional line, so when they create a Skin Polisher it’s one that really polishes. It has a unique feel for a scrub because it completely coats your face in tiny jojoba beads but it doesn’t feel the least bit abrasive. I loved how completely soft my skin felt after I used it which helped my makeup to smooth right on.

Tiny little beads

DERMAdoctor Physical Chemistry

Density Score: 5 out of 5

It’s not just buffing, it’s renewing your skin. DERMAdoctor’s Physical Chemistry is the densest scrub of the bunch with a thick consistency and tons of polymer beads to remove your skin’s top layer of dead cells. You’ll feel a little somethin’ extra going on because of their Multiacid Resurfacing Complex – a cocktail of Glycolic, Lactic, Azelaic and Beta Hydroxy Acids to combat an uneven skin tone and fine lines.