Healthy Skin From Head To Toe: Part 2

Spring is finally here! And it took long enough... The warmer weather means shedding those clunky winter layers and letting your skin breathe! In this Healthy Skin series, I'll be talking about what you'll need in the coming months to protect your skin from head to toe. (This means a lot of sunscreen!)

I already touched base on what kinds of ingredients and claims to look out for in your SPF to make sure that you won't break out from your product.

My clients often ask me, "How much sunscreen do you need for the face?" The answer is pretty simple.

Healthy Skin From Head To Toe: Part 1

Spring is finally here! And it took long enough... The warmer weather means shedding those clunky winter layers and letting your skin breathe! In this Healthy Skin series, I'll be talking about what you'll need in the coming months to protect your skin from head to toe. (This means a lot of sunscreen!)

First of all, you know that your body skin is not the same as the skin on your face. If you suffer from breakouts or have even slightly oily skin, most sunscreens just feel gross. The creams are either goopy or greasy and even the ones that say "oil-free" often don't feel so great.

One thing you need to know about sunscreen for the face, is that for a long time manufacturers thought consumers wanted to have a moisturizing sunscreen, since the sun has a slightly drying effect on certain skin types. This has caused way too many SPF moisturizers to be formulated as though everyone has super dry skin. Watch out for labels that talk too much about the cream having moisturizing qualities. What skin really needs is water, not lubrication. 

Sometimes the claim of "oil-free" can actually be a red flag.  Many base ingredients that are meant to replace oil are waxy substances that clog pores until they're totally stuffed.  If you like natural or organic brands, check in with a knowledgable Esthetician (like me! :)) to make sure the ingredients are suitable for your skin type.

People email me all the time with ingredient lists, and what surprises them when I respond is that some of the most pore-clogging ingredients are natural!  Raw materials like cocoa butter and coconut oil are known to be very pore-clogging. Shea Butter is another comedogenic (pore-clogging) ingredient.

What Ingredients Really Matter In Your Skincare Products?

"I’ve read that it’s better to use 'all natural' products to treat acne because there are no chemicals.  Is it better to use all natural products or is it all hype?"

As an Esthetician who deals exclusively with adult acne and sensitivity, I'm asked this question a lot. You might think the answer is quite simple, but it really isn't. The problem is that acne cannot always be effectively addressed by ingredients that are typical of "all natural" skin care lines. In fact there are some "all natural" ingredients that can be horribly aggravating to acne. 

Getting Rid Of Ingrown Hair Irritation

I've covered the topics of body exfoliation, what to know before you get waxed, and how to treat and prevent body acne breakouts, but ingrown hairs can be persistent and frustrating to deal with if you don't know how to properly reduce them! Many of the same products and regimens used for breakouts on other areas of the body also apply in the case of ingrown hairs around the bikini line.  However, the blemishes that occur there are not always the same type for everyone.

Skincare Q&A: Ingrown Hair Madness

As an online esthetician, I spend many hours answering questions about adult acne, ingrown hair problems, rosacea, or general skin sensitivities. So! I thought that I would feature a skincare Q&A on my blog to address some of these issues.

There are some questions that are sent to me via email or through ChickRx, a now-defunct site where anyone could ask questions that related to various lifestyle topics, and experts (like myself) could offer valuable advice or suggestions. If you have any questions that you would like to ask (or have featured on the blog), please don't hesitate to speak out in the comments below! If you would rather have a question be answered privately, I am always available by email.

This week's Skincare Q&A features concerns about how to treat and prevent ingrown hairs and dark spots along the bikini line right in time for the warmer weather.

What Causes Ingrown Hairs?

So you have the new swimsuit and are contemplating wearing it on that up-coming vacation... But, one thing you can't forget or ignore is the bikini line! 

Some people are more prone to ingrown hairs on the bikini line than others. What kind of ingrowns you get definitely makes a difference when it comes to how to get rid of them.

How do you get ingrown hairs?

Ingrown hairs are basically caused by three things: 

8 Facts About Wax

While I'm an Adult Acne and Rosacea Skincare Specialist, I used to perform waxing services at my location in Chicago. Brazilian and bikini waxes were very popular at my facial and waxing studio, but over the years, I have actually realized that many women don't really know much about the waxing and hair growth process, even those who have been getting waxed for years! 

With winter coming to an end and many people looking forward to their sunny Spring Break vacations this month, you might want to take these waxing facts into consideration before your next appointment. And if you're new to waxing, these pointers will help you have a much more manageable appointment. 

Make sure to follow these tips for an easier (and less painful!) waxing experience.

       

        Your waxing cycle (and that other cycle)...