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Why get a facial?

February 17, 2012

You would be surprised at how many times we hear this question asked.  Here are some examples of reasons you should consider giving us a call:

  • A facial provides proper analysis of your skin and correct product recommendations
  • It includes exfoliation which refines your skin’s texture allowing better product absorption
  • It is Anti-Aging by combating the negative effects of sun exposure and incorrect product use
  • Stress Reduction-
    • Stress is quickly rising to number 1 in the premature aging process (sun exposure is #2)
    • Stress is a rosacea trigger
    • Stress lengthens wound healing by up to 30%
    • Stress shortens the life span of your skin cells
    • Stress increases your cortisol levels triggering inflammation in the skin — weakens the skins barrier—increases dryness and sensitivity
    • Stress aggravates acne- increased inflammation
    • Stress makes every skin condition worse
    • Women are more susceptible to stress aging
  • Education
    • We explain how to care for your specific skin type and conditions you may be experiencing.  We also discuss diet and how it can affect your skin.
Filed under: acne,skincare — Tags: — cjacobson
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Got Holiday Face?

January 25, 2012

Ok, who else has holiday face? Seems like everyone, ourselves included, had too many sweets, way too much rich food and not enough sleep for the past month. Now our skin is suffering.

Sugar alone can cause crazy amounts of damage to the skin. Glycation happens when your blood sugar goes up rapidly and it attaches to your collagen. It stiffens it and turns it brown like creme brulee. Glycation of the collagen fibers makes the skin stiff and inflexible. This in turn contributes to deep wrinkles that make you look old. It also drives up insulin levels which contribute to acne. Dairy also plays a role, increasing certain hormones, like androgen, also increases acne.

If you are puffy, irritated, congested and all around not happy with your skin, get in here for some skin intervention.

Filed under: acne,anti-aging,life,skincare — MaryWynn
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Argh I woke up with 3 zits! What do I do?

November 16, 2011

Ok this is true, this morning I awoke to three lovely pimples on my chin. I went to dinner with some girlfriends, had some salad, pizza and wine. Not sure if it is related as I assume it’s the crazy level of stress I am under.

Try following these steps and see if this helps expedite you healing process.

1. DON’T PICK!

2. Grab a cup of coffee..this makes everything better in my world.

3. Grab an ice cube or frozen bag of peas or whatever you have  in the freezer and hold it on the pimple(s) for a few minutes to reduce the swelling and pain. Don’t pick!

4. Grab a topical that has anti-inflammatory properties, I use the Platinum Soothing Mask from Tu-el as my pimple cream. If you don’t have anything at home, wet a tea bag and apply it to the area and hold for a few minutes. I don’t like pimple creams with Salicylic Acid or Benzoyl Peroxide, but if you respond well to those ingredients knock yourself out. Again don’t pick.

5. Repeat with the ice, tea and topical. Don’t pick.

6. Dab some concealer on it, I use the Susan Posnik colorflo powder trick. Don’t pick.

7. Do this again at your lunch break or whenever you can through out the day and again before you go to bed. Don’t pick, don’t pick and lastly….don’t pick!

My breakout tends to go away in 2 days. Treat your skin with gentle loving care, lots of anti-oxidants and clean food and water and it will heal much faster.

Filed under: acne,education,life — Tags: , , — MaryWynn
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5 Vain Reasons to Quit Smoking

August 16, 2011

Ok I admit it, as a young woman in my early 20′s I smoked. I started on the weekends in high school rebelling against my parents who were ardent non-smokers. It continued until I was 25 when I finally quit.   There are endless reasons to quit, mainly it can give you cancer and kill you.

Oddly that wasn’t enough of a reason for me. What resonated with me strongest was that I wasn’t a rebel after all but a corporate dupe, even with my organic cigarettes. In additon I saw a documentary on the aging effects of smoking on the skin.  That it would age my skin and age me faster really struck me. I might not die for a while but I would look like crap pretty quickly. So with lots of help from my ex-husband I changed my routine and quit. Best thing I have ever done for myself.

For those of you thinking of quitting, here are some great reasons that are pure vanity. Maybe this will be the trigger for you or someone close to you who smokes, second hand smoking is just as bad for you if not worse.

1. ACNE!Smokers have a higher incidence of acne, some studies have shown up to 43%  of smokers have acne. Smoking introduces toxic chemicals to the body which slow down blood circulation to the cells. 

When smoking you  increase the production of free radicals. These have a direct bearing on the blood circulation to skin cells. The skin’s ability to heal and regenerate is blocked. The toxins released in cigarette smoke results in pores getting clogged, and this promotes bacterial growth in the pores. All of which contribute to growth of skin eruptions in the form of acne, zits and pimples.

2. Wrinkles! Smoking speeds up aging, studies have shown smokers to look 1.4 years older than non-smokers. Again, cigarette smoke contains carbon monoxide, which displaces the oxygen in your skin, and nicotine, which reduces blood flow, leaving skin dry and discolored. Cigarette smoking also depletes many nutrients, including vitamin C, which helps protect and repair skin damage.

Smoking also increases production of an enzyme which breaks down the supply of collagen to the skin’s structure. Collagen supply is vital to the skin’s elasticity. It decreases with age but smoking accelerates the process.

3. Skin Cancer! Most of you are aware that UV contributes to skin cancer, but it turns out that smoking triples your risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma. Enough said.

4. Psoriasis! Psoriasis is an auto-immune disorder, so many non-smokers are affected smoking or not. However if you do smoke the chances go higher with each additional year you smoke. Up to 10 years your risk is 20%, 11-20 years up to 60%.  

5. Stained Teeth! Yellow teeth that fall out sooner rather than later. Sexy for sure.

Filed under: acne,anti-aging,education,life — MaryWynn
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What can Vitamin C do for your skin?

August 8, 2011

Many people tend to think of Vitamin C only when cold and flu season rolls around. But did you know that Vitamin C is truly one of the unsung heroes in the skin care ingredient world?

Vitamin C improves skin appearance and visually lessens wrinkles by :

  • Increasing dermal thickness by stimulating collagen synthesis
  • Protecting Natural Killer (NK) cells of immune system
  • Lightening the appearance of age-spots
  • Strengthens capillary walls

Vitamin C serum is a must if you are a smoker, even if you are an occasional smoker. Of course you should quit, but until then use it twice a day. One drag of cigarette smoke (yours or second hand) kills 50,000 NK Cells. NK Cells are at the front line in the protection against cancer. Many of my clients that smoke notice a reduction in the overall redness of their skin when using it consistently.

An important tip to label reading if you currently use any Vitamin C skin care products, look for the key word “Ascorb” as in Ascorbic, Ascorbyl, Ascorbate. All forms are enzymatically transformed into bio-available L-ascorbic acid after absorption into the skin.

I’m not crazy about using L-Ascorbic Acid directly on the skin, it can be very irritating and unstable. Unstable Vitamin C can oxidize lipids, which in plain English means it can contribute to black heads.  A few of my favorite forms of Vitamin C you will see on labels are Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate and Ascorbyl Palmitate.  A simple way to determine if your Vitamin C serum or cream is stable is that when you apply it there is no tingle or burning.

A few of our favorite Vitamin C products are Tu’el’s Crystal C Serum, Valmont’s Infinite Radiance Essence and Cream as well as the DNA Repair Serum and our Moisture Replenishing Cream.

Filed under: acne,anti-aging,education,skincare — MaryWynn
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Will I break out after a facial?

June 8, 2011

We have many clients voice concern that they will have a  break out after a facial. I wish I could say “no of course not” but I can’t.

Typically if you have clear skin with an occasional bump or pimple, I would assume you wouldn’t. If you come in with severe acne your skin should look amazing afterwards. However some people do indeed break out after a treatment.  The reasons for a post facial break out may be many:

  • Allergic or intense reaction to a product
  • Your skin is purging bacteria that was already there and the facial simply brought it to a head
  • Too much pressure during extractions
  • Interaction with medications
  • Facial waxing or threading around the time of your facial
  • Stressful event or your period at the time of the facial that is unrelated to the treatment

The only time I urge caution in getting a facial is if it is your first time with us and you have a big event within the week, like a wedding. Should you experience a break out you need to tell your esthetician as soon as possible so that we can help resolve the problem.

Filed under: acne,skincare — MaryWynn
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There is no magic pill for acne

June 3, 2011

Oh how I wish I had a magic pill for acne, or a one time facial that would ”cure” acne. So many clients come to us looking for just that, a facial, a cream or treatment that will “cure” their acne. What we tell them is that everyone’s acne is different and there is no one treatment that we have found that works for everyone. 

Acne is an internal disorder that is expressing on the surface.  The four main triggers I see are; genetics,  hormonal imbalances, stress and food sensitivities/allergies (especially diary). By the time a client makes it to us many have already tried the mass market products and have seen the dermatologist. For many people these treatments work, but  not everyone is going to respond to benzol peroxide, anti-biotics, retin-a or salylic acid. Our focus at Skin by Marywynn is to calm down the inflammation and see if we can’t help you stop the cycle of breakouts. As estheticians we work topically to deeply cleanse the skin, clean out your pores, balance and nourish the surface of your skin and send you home with some products and tips that will help you continue the results at home.

Some of our clients respond amazingly well to one a facial and a change in their routine at home. We love it when it’s easy, but sometimes nothing we try seems to get anywhere.  We are left flummoxed and our client frustrated. When that happens it does send us back to the drawing board, but that is small consolation to someone with challenging skin.

What this means for new clients, is that we will work with you to help you achieve your skin care goals, but sometimes it takes more work than we realize. Our approach is to discuss your diet, life style, current skincare routine and treatments and products/treatments you have tried unsuccessfully in the past and develop a customized plan that includes home care products and possible changes in lifestyle.

We also welcome anyone who is dealing with acne to come in for a consultation to discuss their concerns. I also will continue to search for the magic pill.

Filed under: acne — MaryWynn
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