Tips for Winter Skin Care--Staying Beautiful throughout the Holiday Season!

Tis the season for holiday parties and face to face gatherings. In this era of cell-phone and digital cameras, your friends and family will capture and share your face again and again--with many candid, bare-faced shots included. Are you ready for your close up? If not, don't fret.  A few simple changes in your skin care regimen and your daily habits can help you navigate the festive weeks ahead and look great, with or without makeup, all season long!

Challenge:
Harsh winter cold and dry indoor heat can cause skin to feel tight and itchy.

Solutions:
Exchange your exfoliating cleanser for a gentle cleanser several times a week and splash with cool water after cleansing to make sure there’s no residue left on skin. If you already use a gentle cleanser, use it at night . AM – massage and rinse your face with cool water and apply your AM moisturizer.

Also, layer a serum under your regular moisturizer or change to a moisturizer with hyaluronic acid, the most powerful natural moisturizing ingredient known to science.



Challenge:
After work gatherings can be fun but late nights and alcohol can contribute to dark circles under the eyes. Sugar overload can make morning eyes puffy.

Solution:
Drink plenty of water with lemon throughout the day to help flush toxins from your system and take extra vitamin C to keep cells healthy. Use a hydrating eye and neck crème for sensitive skin.

Challenge:
Your big party is tonight but your make-up looks flaky and your blush is blotchy.

Solution:
Remove makeup and gently cleanse. Apply a 10 minute enzyme mask with HA to loosen dead cells, rehydrate and smooth skin. Remove, moisturize, reapply makeup and -you’re good to glow!



Challenge:
Lips are dry, chapped, cracked and sore. Lipstick and lipgloss make it look worse.

Solution:
Moisten the dead skin on lips, apply a gentle exfolient for 1 minute only. Gently wipe the loosened dead skin from lips being careful not to pull the skin. Apply a lip butter with hyaluronic acid and healing emollients to help heal lips and prevent dryness. Find some mistletoe and …pucker up!

Lifestyle Do’s and Don’ts for winter skin:

-Don’t take long hot baths or showers ..it increases moisture loss and dehydration. And reduce the number of baths or showers that you take.

-Don’t use harsh soaps or cleansers and reduce your use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers.

-Don’t use fragrance(the number one irritant) in soaps or lotions on dry, sensitive or cracked skin.

-Do hang hand-washed clothing in your bedroom to help increase humidity.

-Do treat cracked skin on hands and feet ASAP to hydrate and protect it. Left untreated it could become infected .

-Do turn down thermostat at night- and use a cool-mist humidifier in your home or office to maintain proper humidity.

Stay Beautiful & Happy Holidays,
Millie

Keeping Teen Skin Beautiful

At a time when fitting in becomes really important to tweens and teens, puberty rears its unpredictable head and causes all kinds of skin care challenge.  Pimples, blackheads, pustules and cysts can cause insecurity, low self-esteem and a tendency for teens to isolate themselves. The emotional scars--we know how cruel children can be--as well as the physical scars and disfigurement resulting from untreated acne or blemishes- can last a lifetime.

 Teaching skin care at an early age to both girls and boys can save lots of stress for them and save lots of money for you. Selecting the right product for your teen is crucial. Products that are too harsh can overly irritate skin and do just as much damage as the acne. Products that are too heavy can plug pores and cause blockages that lead to more breakout.


Diet plays an important part in skin care too. You really are what you eat and rising teen obesity is a big reminder of “Junk in-Junk out.” Constantly eating double fries, soda and brownies will probably show up the face as well as on hips and waistline. Did you know that the skin is an organ of elimination and it’s sometimes called the third kidney. It breathes oxygen and excretes sweat, oils and wastes from the body. During adolescence with increased hormone activity, there’s an overload of wastes, especially if a teen’s diet includes lots of sweets, pastries, fast foods, fried food, sodas , etc.
Teens are living breathing ‘transformers’ and as their body goes through physical changes their emotions are going through ups and downs. To help their transformation be fun instead of traumatic, I suggest preparing a small arsenal of products to help them navigate through these transitional years.

Teen Skin Care Must Haves:

• A gentle, water based, non-oily cleanser (use when skin is dry, irritated or normally clear)- like dermHA’s Gentle Face and Body Wash.

• An exfoliating cleanser with alpha hydroxyl acids (for oily thick skin or with frequent breakouts) like dermHA’s Rejuvenating Cleanser.

• An acne cleanser with alpha hydroxyl acids and salicylic acid /or benzyl peroxide (for consistant acne breakouts with pustules and blackheads) like dermHA’s Acne Skin Cleanser.

• A non-alcoholic tonic with witch hazel an zinc (to use when needed with the gentle cleanser) like dermHA’s Rejuvenating Tonic.

• A water based moisturizer, like dermHA’s Therapeutic Crème or Therapy Plus, to use daily after cleansing.

• An enzyme and/or creme mask, like dermHA’s Enzyme Mask or dermHA’s Crème Mask with tamanu, to help refuine pores and calm acne irritations.

• A small bottle of pure tea tree oil from (after cleansing face, apply with a Q-tip directly onto blemishes, blackheads and pustules). Tea tree oils, like dermHA Tea Tree Oil, kills bacteria. (You can also purchase pure tea tree oil that’s pesticide free at a reputable health food store.)

Acne can also be a result of abnormal hormone production and you may need to see a dermatologist if cysts or pustules increase and become painful. In our next blog entry, we’ll talk about habits that can increase acne flare-ups. For more information or to find out the best dermHA products for you or your teen, call one of our licensed aestheticians at 1-877-933-7642. We can talk to you about how to better care for your skin on a daily basis.

Stay Beautiful,
Millie

dermHA's Hydrating Lip Butter~ the beauty of hydrated lips...

Do you have trouble with dry or cracked lips?  It's a complaint that we have heard often at dermHA, a skin care problem that affects everyone at one time or another. It's important to know that lip skin is very different from other skin because it is very thin.  Moisture rapidly evaporates from the lips causing them to dry out very easily.  Unfortunately, as we age, the elasticity in the lips break down, causing a loss in fullness and less definition in the lines that surround the lips.  The good news is that keeping lips moisturized and hydrated helps lip skin to naturally exfoliate and feel and look soft and smooth. 

To help you keep your lips beautiful and soft, dermHA has created the dermHA hydrating lip butter.  Our hydrating lip butter is the ultimate lip treatment packed with nourishing, protecting and hydrating ingredients that will help soothe dry, chapped lips leaving them looking and feeling softer and smoother.  Smooth and creamy shea and cupuaca butters help to protect the sin against the damaging effects of the sun, while ultra hydrating hyaluronic acid and aloe helps restore moisture. The antioxidant, vitamin and essential fatty acid rich oils of coconut, tamunu, grapeseed, and avacado helps to nourish and soften dry and scaly skin.

Don't miss out on this treat for your lips, a great addition to your skin care regimen!

Stay beautiful,
Millie

TLC for Healthy, Smooth, Soft Summer Skin!

Skin is your best fashion accessory during this hazy, humid, hot summer weather. Skimpy tees, sun dresses, shorts, mini’s and sandals all expose more skin in one outfit than most of us have exposed all year! Guys keep it cool with everything from short sleeve dress shirts and sockless shoes to tanks and shorts. Even feet and toes are set free …(but that’s a whole other blog, stay tuned.)

But to keep your skin looking great all summer long, you’ve got to provide it with a little TLC.

T: Take the ‘touch’ test by lightly running your hands over your shoulders and upper back, the backs of your arms, the backs of your thighs, legs and over your feet. These out-of-sight areas could be unsightly to others. Check for bumps, rough or scaly skin.

(If a mole, unusual growth or raised lesion is tender or painful to the touch, check in a mirror for discoloration… and if the condition persists, see your dermatologist.)

L: Layer a film of dermHA’s lactic acid exfoliating gel on rough, scaly areas. The leave on gel helps to gently lift dead cells and smooth skin on elbows, knees and feet. It also unroofs and lightens blemishes on the shoulders, chest and back to reveal a softer, smoother, clearer skin.

C: Cleanse your skin morning and especially at night to remove dirt and grime as well as dead cells, sweat and oils that are naturally excreted every day.

Calm, cover and clothe sun stressed skin with a light film of dermHA’s therapeutic crème--loaded with moisture soaked hyaluronic acid to keep skin soft and smooth, plus arnica, aloe and calendula to calm and help heal damage caused by the sun.

Start now to keep skin touch-ably soft and healthy all summer long. If you have questions for special skin issues, call 877-933-7642 for a complimentary consultation.

Stay Beautiful,
Millie

Always remember to use sunscreen on any area of the body that is exposed to direct sun. Reapply as necessary, especially on the face, earlobes, shoulders, arms back and chest.

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

The Notorious Winter Itch, Oh that pesky W-itch!

The notorious winter itch rears its annoying head once cold weather arrives. Skin often feels dry, tight and itchy, especially right after a bath or shower. The accumulation of dry cells makes the skin look ashy. Winter itch can occur at any age, although its more common as we get older. That's because older skin develops tiny cracks allowing moisture to escape, making skin even dryer. Add that loss of moisture to the heat and low humidity found in homes, schools and offices... and winter itch can pose quite a challenge!

Personal care products can also play a part in aggravating winter itch. Soaps or shower gels with fragrance, harsh cleansing agents or deodorants, even body depilatories that were fine in warmer weather, can suddenly become irritating. Fragranced body lotions and cremes can also add to the itch. Unfortunately, the more you scratch, the more you itch.

When skin gets really dry, even skin that is typically considered 'normal' begins to itch. Skin with eczema, psoriasis or other skin diseases are especially prone to winter itch and the scratching associated with it can cause welts, swelling and blisters. When skin becomes broken or severely cracked, it is more susceptible to infection and it may need the help of a physician.

Here are a few dermHA tips to help keep the pesky W-itch at bay:

• A long hot bath feels good, but pulls moisture from the skin. Keep baths and showers short and water warm, not hot.


• Lower room temperatures at night, open a window slightly and/or use a humidifier or a pan of water on radiators to keep moisture in the air.


• Use hydrating bathing and personal care products with no fragrance, alcohol, lanolin, dyes or propylene glycol to prevent irritating already dry skin.


• Use non-greasy moisturizing cremes after a bath or shower--especially on arms and legs because they have fewer sweat glands than other parts of the body.


• Keep toasty in cold weather, but eliminate itchy wools and synthetics garnished with glitter. Prevent further moisture loss by layering light weight items.


• Switch to fragrance free detergent and stop using fabric softeners on sheets, pillowcases, wash clothes and towels or anything that comes in direct contact with your skin.
  

When you are a victim of winter itch, that pesky W-itch, take time to investigate what your skin is telling you. Cortisone cremes are a quick fix, but they thin the skin and aren't recommended for daily use long term. Winter skin needs increased hydration. Check out dermHA's products http://www.dermha.com/ to see which ones would be best to help you fight winter dryness! You can also call dermHA directly at 610.269.7009 or 877.933.7642 for advice from one of our skin care experts.

Stay beautiful,

Millie

dermHA's Dry Skin Help Series: The Importance of Hyaluronic Acid in Skin Care

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is one of the most amazing ingredients in skin care. It is safe, versatile and effective. HA has the ability to hold 1000 times its weight in water and is the most powerful natural moisturizing ingredient known to science. HA's unmatched hydrating ability plumps the skin, resulting in an increased smoothness, softening and a decrease in wrinkles. Any skin care formulation targeting anti-aging and the restoration of damaged tissue should include this valuable ingredient.

Hyaluronic acid is found naturally in our bodies in connective tissue and it contributes to the elasticity of the skin. Medical grade HA is used to replace fluid in joints and is commonly used in cosmetic injectibles to fill in wrinkles. As our skin ages, hyaluronic acid dimishes, resulting in a loss of elasticity that leads to the formation of wrinkles. However, HA can be applied in order to provide anti-aging assistance. When applied topically, hyaluronic acid holds water onto the surface of the skin while allowing the skin to breathe.

In the article, 33 Secrets to Perfect Skin on MSN.com's Lifestyle page, Dr. Shimamoto emphasizes the importance of HA. "Your skin needs its daily dose of water, which is more than your intake of H2O, " says Dr. Shimamoto. "Sodium hyaluronate, more commonly know as hyaluronic acid, helps balance your skin, bringing it to a normal pH level. Balanced skin is optimal for all healthy skin functions. When this ingredient is used in cosmetic formulations at a high concentration (check the ingredients list and make sure it is some where in the middle or toward the top of the list), it will leave your skin plump and dewy looking."

All of dermHA's products include this miracle of nature and science, helping you create healthy, beautiful skin. Go to our website http://www.dermha.com/ to find which products will be most helpful in achieving your skin health goals!

Stay beautiful!

Millie