Flawless Skin (dermHA) to DivaScribe: THANKS Millie!

Flawless Skin (dermHA) to DivaScribe: THANKS Millie!: "OK...it's been a while been a while since you last heard from me, but first I have to give a big thanks to Mildred Bell first. Millie - I fe..."

Managing Dry Winter Skin

Dryness, Acne & the Winter Blues...

It's particularly challenging to manage acne during the winter months.  The outdoor cold coupled with dry heat from homes, businesses and cars cause moisture loss and skin becomes tight and dry.  This dryness stimulates the oil glands to produce more oil.  The excess oils subsequently accumulate and solidify in the pores, mixing with dead cells on the surface to form waxy plugs.  Add bacteria and you've got blackheads! 

An acne breakout can take the form of blackheads, pustules, cysts or any combination of those.  It can negatively impact a person's life by lowering their self-esteem and changing the way they are perceived by others because of their altered appearance.  But you can battle winter dryness and the acne associated with it by following a simple skin care routine and changing some basic lifestyle behaviors.

Daily cleansing and hydration is crucial in winter months.  Look for products without major irritants like fragrance, alcohol, lanolin, dyes and propylene glycol.  Use an exfoliating cleanser that's gentle but effective. Wash and rinse your skin in cool water, not hot, because hot water tends to dehydrate skin even more.  If you are using a topical prescription, you might want to try a gentle cleanser without exfolients and use a tonic with ingredients like multi-fruit acids, zinc and non-alcoholic witch hazel after cleansing. 

Hydration is the most important part of your winter regimen.  Use a water based moisturizer with hyaluronic acid (they should be the first and second ingredients listed to ensure high concentrations of both) and apply a thin film dail in the AM and PM to keep skin healthy and hydrated.  An enzyme mask used once or twice a week is a gentle way to lift dead cells and dried surface skin without dehydrating or irritating the skin underneath.

Other tips for battling winter dryness and acne:

• Use a humidifier to keep moisture in the air of your bedroom
• drink 8-10 glasses of water a day, every day
• Don't rub skin and avoid tight turtlenecks and scarves, because friction causes pimples
• Keep hair out of your face
• Wipe your cell phone often to remove oils and bacteria
• Don't use topical or oral steroids since its known to aggravate acne
• Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables, especially ones that have zinc

If you do get a pimple:

• apply a dot of pure tea tree oil on pimples or pustules to kill the bad bacteria but not the good
• Dont touch the affected areas unless your hands are clean
• Don't squeeze the skin beneath!

Don't let winter dryness and acne get you down, follow a winter regimen like the one above to keep your skin healthy and hydrated.  If you are not already using it, dermHA's enzyme mask is a perfect addition to your winter skin care regimen.  Go to http://www.dermha.com/ to learn more about our other hydrating products. 

Stay Beautiful,
Millie

Introducing...

www.facebook.com/dermha

One Man's Shaving Victory: Banishing Ingrown Hairs

My name is KG and dermHA has changed the way I shave and view skin care forever. I have gone from hating to shave to looking forward to it because it gives me an additional opportunity to utilize one of my favorite dermHA products, which seems to make my skin smoother every time I use it.


I am 32 years old and most of my shaving life I have had tremendous battles with razor bumps and ingrown hairs. For several years I tried products like bump stopper products and like most African-American males that I know, I still found myself plagued by razor bumps and ingrown hair. I also tried a product called Tend Skin, and I rotated between shaving with razors and with machines manufactured for shaving. I was told I was doing it wrong so I tried using a warm towel before I would shave, and I applied well known cleansers like Noxzema. I even tried very harsh exfoliating products which left my skin raw and feeling like an open wound. Everthing I tried ended with frustration. My relief eventually came when I was introduced to dermHA almost four years ago.


I first started using the dermHA cleansers and therapeutic creme, and I saw a tremendous decrease in the amount of razor bumps and ingrown hairs that shaving produced. Then I began using the product that I now simply cannot live without, the dermHA gentle exfoliating creme. Since I have been using it my battle with razor bumps and in-grown hairs is over. My in-grown hairs and razor bumps are now a thing of the past. Now, every day after shaving, I use the dermHA rejuvenating cleanser, then I apply the gentle exfoliating creme. After that dries, I apply the dermHA therapeutic creme, which also helps to prevent that dry, rough, and raw feeling that seemed to come with my irritated skin. I am convinced that the dermHA gentle exfoliating creme by itself is the ultimate "bump stopper", but these three products in combination seem to have reversed the damage done to my skin before I found dermHA. It seems to have reversed the clock of my skin's age...


Grateful,
KG

Jana's Journey...

My skin care challenges go back to my teen years. In high school I went to doctors and took medications and managed to get it somewhat under control. However, during college, my skin went haywire. I went to tons of doctors, had numerous medical grade skin peels, changed my diet, took medication and anything else people told me might help change the appearance of my skin. I keep my hair in my face as much as possible to block people from seeing my skin. I eventually even stop trying to put myself together, what did cute clothes and shoes matter, once people saw the pimples, bumps and discoloration of my face, I knew that would be all they saw. It really hurt my self-confidence and when my skin was at its worse, I retreated from the social world. Eventually my dermatologist put me on accutane for almost ten months, which finally cleared up the acne. However, I was still left with splotchy discoloration on my face and neck.


I had my acne under control for a while when I was introduced to dermHA and Millie, but I was still bothered by the discoloration that had not receeded. I tried all of the time to scrub off the dark marks, but it never worked. Millie gave me one on one attention, wanting to learn everything about my skin care routines, skin care needs and ultimate goals. She had such a thorough knowledge of skin health and skin care and was able to tell me what my skin needed to achieve my goals. After an extensive evaluation and treatment session with Millie, I made a conscious decision to 'listen to Millie' from then on because I knew that her knowledge and her desire to provide others with beautiful skin would help me achieve my skin care goal of clear, healthy skin. I had been to some of the best dermatologists in the country and never got the kind of personal attention that Millie gave me. The regimen and behavioral recommendations were specific to me, my history and my needs. Millie did a great job of explaining the whys of everything. She knew about products, not just her own, ingredients, skin care tools and everything connected to skin health and beauty.


I immediately noticed that my skin felt different. From the day I meet Millie, I made the commitment to wash my face every morning and every night and to use sunscreen and moisturizer. Now, I will not leave my home in the morning without using the dermHA HA Therapy Plus. It doesn't feel greasy or heavy. I've been using it and the other products Millie recommended for six months and the discoloration is fading and my tone is even. I think I have a glow now and my skin looks healthy. I no longer feel that I have to put foundation on my face to be presentable, I can just put on my moisturizer to refresh and I feel ready to go!


Feeling beautiful,

Jana


Jana is a teacher, wife and mother and eats healthy and exercises to complete her healthy living goals. Jana is also the coordinator of the REVHS AVID program, an innovate education program that helps promote academic achievement and college readiness for low to moderate income families. Jana has won numerous awards for her work with AVID and is an incredible role model and community leader. For more information about the AVID model go to http://www.avid.org/

Staying Beautiful: Behind the Scenes with Angie

Conquering Common Skin Challenges

Taking care of my mind, body and spirit is important to me, I know that they are all connected and I make a daily effort to nurture all three. Having a mother who is a skin care expert has made it easier to take care of my body and skin because she shares her wealth of expertise and knowledge with me. I have been using hyaluronic acid (HA) products since I was 17 years old, knowing how incredibly beneficial HA is to beautiful skin. However, she also taught me that skin care is an ongoing commitment and knowledge, without effort, could not give me my desired results.

My skin care challenges are sensitive skin, adult acne and hyperpigmentation that results from breakouts, leaving dark marks on my face. But I do not let problem skin keep me from being beautiful! As Director of Production for dermHA, I have amassed a lot of knowledge about key ingredients that help a variety of skin challenges and I utilize that knowledge and our companies products to take care of my skin. Read below to learn how I manage my skin care challenges, my routine, combined with healthy diet and exercise, keep me feeling and looking beautiful...

Washing my face morning and night is a must and is always followed by dermHA Eye & Neck Creme. I use to think eye and neck creme was unnecessary until I attended esthetics school and learned that the skin under our eyes, neck and chest is thinner, dryer, and does not have as many oil glands as the rest of our skin. It gets dehydrated and starts to wrinkle, darken and age faster than other areas of our skin. Just imagine a grape that dehydrates and turns into a raisin! Eye creme has more lipids (fatty oils) to compensate for the lack of oil glands in the eye and neck area and helps hold the moisture in those dryer areas. Using eye creme can help lighten the appearance of darkness and minimize any wrinkles that have already appeared, but its best to start using an eye creme as a preventative tool before wrinkles occur!

In the morning:

I cleanse with our dermHA Rejuvenating Cleanser because it leaves my skin feeling clean and fresh. I love the green tea in it because it helps fight the free radicals that cause skin to age, and at age 36...well...

Then I apply a layer of dermHA Hyaluronic Moisture Serum to my freshly cleansed skin because it is like giving my skin a green tea cocktail to nourish and moisturize my skin. I have an oily t-zone and because the Hyaluronic Moisture Serum has the highest amount of hyaluronic acid of our products, I am hydrating my skin with the water it thirst for, instead of a lot of oils and waxes that would add to my oiliness and clog my pores.

Next I mix my foundation and sunscreen with a dab of dermHA HA Therapy Plus to help protect my skin from the damaging rays of the sun while giving it a natural glow. The HA Therapy Plus is beneficial to my acne prone skin because it contains Tamanu Oil, an ingredient that helps relieve irritations, inflammation and has the ability to help heal cuts and wounds and prevent infection.

In the evening:

I use the dermHA Cleansing Lotion to remove my make-up, then follow with the dermHA Acne Cleanser. the Acne Cleanser has salicylic acid which neutralizes bacteria and helps unclog pores. It has the ability to penetrate pores to exfoliate the dead skin cells, keep the pores from clogging, and prevents the breakout of acne.

Next I apply a thin layer of dermHA Lactic Acid Exfoliating Serum to accelerate cell turnover. By exfoliating the top layers of skin I help to lighten dark marks on my face until they eventually disappear. I follow with the dermHA Eye & Neck Creme and my dermHA Hyaluronic Moisture Serum.

My favorite skin care tips are: drink water and use an eye creme! Dehydration is the lack of water and expedites the aging process. In order for our skin to be healthy, we must keep it hydrated inside and out. We can do this by drinking enough water and applying moisturizers that contain and can deliver water to skin cells.

It may seem like a lot, but once you get into the habit and see the results you desire, it will become second nature. I haven't let labels like 'sensitive skin' and 'adult acne' keep me from having healthy, hydrated skin and feeling beautiful!


Wishing you happiness, peace and beauty in the New Year,
Angie


Angie is a co-owner and Director of Productions for dermHA. She is also the mother of a beautiful son and very involved in community activities and with her church family. To order any of the dermHA products that Angie highlighted above, just click on the product name. For more information about dermHA skin care products go to http://www.dermha.com For a free phone skin consultation, call 610-269-7009 to speak to one of our skin care specialists.

A Life Changing Experience: one woman's road to healthy skin...

"Hello,

I was introduced to your skincare line by a friend of my mom's Liz. She was watching me suffer with horrible acne, and told me to lose faith, that this skincare line might offer some much needed relief. I am 26 and had NEVER had acne. I actually remember the two pimples I had in high school. All of a sudden, in my mid-20's I was beginning to see these horrible blemishes, and they just got worse and worse until my cheeks were covered in painful, stubborn pimples that just wouldn't budge. I was absolutely miserable, and my mind was CONSTANTLY busy with feelings of self-consciousness and sadly self-loathing came with those feelings. Not long after the acne took over, my boyfriend proposed. It's sad to say, but I almost couldn't enjoy the engagement because I was so worried that my skin would continue to look horrible, and that I would have to walk down the aisle looking like an acne ridden teenager. I tried EVERYTHING...and nothing worked. I was absolutely heartbroken. In this time, Liz told my mom about dermHA, and was kind enough to send me sample. Right away, I could tell that this product line was different, nothing smelled strong, there weren't crazy ingredients in the washes and creams. My skin started to feel softer just one day after I started using the products. I was noticing an all over difference. Nothing was dry, my face just felt clean. The Gentle Face and Body Wash has this fantastic lather, and when I rinse my face and it doesn't feel like there is residue left behind. The toner is fantastic, and doesn't have the extreme smell like so many toners do. It adds that extra feeling of cleanliness post-wash. And the HA Therapy is one amazing lotion! It is unlike any moisturizer I have ever used. The consistency is perfect, and it is the first lotion that I have ever used that I can really feel working long after I have applied it. Using your line in addition to a topical solution prescribed by my dermatologist has completely eradicated my acne!!! I am emailing you right now, because I just washed my face and looked in the mirror and was GENUINELY happy with the way my face looks. My skin is almost totally perfect. I now see these products as the backbone of my beauty routine. I recently also started using the enzyme mask more frequently, and the gentle exfoliating cream, and they have both been helping a lot with the scarring that the acne left behind. I could not be happier, and it is important that you know that you have created products that change lives. I'm living proof! I will walk down the aisle with my head held high because my skin is amazing, thanks to you. "

A.G.

This is a real letter, unsolicited, by a real dermHA user. To order the products she mentioned, go to www.dermha.com or for a free skin consultation with one of our skin care experts call 1.610.269.7009 . Healthy, hydrated skin is possible with dermHA...