What's The Connection Between Allergies And Acne?

If you have filled out my Eval by Email® Skincare Consultation Form, you may have noticed a section dedicated to listing your allergies -- anything related to food products, environmental allergens, metals, even medication. When it comes to tackling your skincare worries, it's better to be on the detailed side about everything you use topically or ingest. My new clients are often very surprised when I tell them about there possibly being a connection between acne breakouts and  allergies.

One client even submitted a Yelp review mentioning the difference in their skin after assessing their allergies and skincare product usage.

Melissa P. from Wisconsin:

I have been struggling with acne for a long time before I contacted Daniela. The damage was done (scars, red marks, self-confidence) and I figured there was no hope. I randomly found Daniela from a friend's FB post. I contacted Daniela and did her online survey. I noted the allergies I had along with the products I used.

Within 2 days, Daniela had assessed my problems over the internet to a T. Turns out I was allergic to everything in the facial products I had been using!!!! I tried Daniela's products she recommended over the last few months and doing everything she said.   

Here's where the story gets really good.....
My skin is gorgeous!!!! 50% (MAYBE MORE) of the red marks and scars are gone! My confidance has been restored. My friends and family compliment my skin vs. look at me with a pained look. 

Consider the following:

Allergen => Sensitivity => Inflammation => Immune Response

Are "All-Natural" Skincare Products Worth The Hype?

There is a very pervasive perception out there in Skincareland that "natural" is better because any products with chemical ingredients surely must be dangerous or unhealthy.  See a long sounding name on a label and all sorts of red flags go up.

The thinking goes like... If it goes into a car, it can't go on the face. If it has a bunch of long names you can't pronounce, put it back on the shelf. It's usually the ingredients that are derived from petroleum that cause the most trepidation. But petroleum does come from the ground. ...Is that not natural? Silicone also comes from the ground.  As does heroin...

There is a question in the minds of many as to what happens after something has penetrated the skin: Do these ingredients go anywhere else in the body? Do harmful chemicals enter the blood stream? 

Here's a really important fact that should give you pause:

Many medications that are used topically.  What many don't know is that the labs and drug companies that manufacture them have spent millions and millions of dollars figuring out how to get these drugs into the skin! How much more difficult must it be to get these into the blood stream from there??  As a colleague of mine said exasperatedly, "The skincare industry is not out to get everybody!!" 

In my opinion, there is more to worry about with bacterial or fungal laden kitchen ingredients in DIY home remedies than there is about whether or not you can pronounce everything on an ingredient list.

Diet & Acne: Is There a Connection?

"Does it really matter what I eat, and are there foods that can cause 

(or even cure) acne?"

I get asked this question ALL the time. The truth is, some foods will aggravate an already existing acne problem, but no foods will actually cause the issue from scratch. 

It's true that some foods are scientifically proven to be acne triggers, but other foods leave an impression of cause and effect when it's really timing that's at play. 

Is it really chocolate that's causing breakouts or is it the onset of a menstrual cycle causing an increase in the eating of chocolate??

Or....! 

Is it that the food contains a component that has been scientifically proven to provoke acne (rather than the entire food itself)??

Approaching Anti-Aging Without The Quackery!

Many of you know that my specialty is Adult Acne but, most notably, I focus much of my practice on providing anti-aging products suitable for acne-prone skin. Although my expertise is chiefly in acne formation and treatment, I do know something about the aging process as well. 

A while back, on the rare occasion that I was idly watching The Dr. Oz Show, an audience member asked Dr. Oz about sagging skin and what can be done about it.

Is There A Connection Between Water Consumption And Clear Skin?

I often hear from clients who've been having trouble with dehydration amidst breakouts, "I know, I know, I don't drink enough water."

(I even hear this from other Estheticians who advise their acne and dry skin clients alike to drink more water to help with dehydration!)

The truth is, skin dehydration actually has very little to do with your water intake - your organs get all of the water first, then your skin gets the little bit left over, but that's usually enough.

Let's put it this way: by the time your skin is dry from not drinking enough water, you're so thirsty, you're dying. 

The Wonder Product That Will Simplify Your Skincare Routine

One of my proudest achievements, my hand-crafted Papaya Pumice Clay-Scrub Kit, gives you the best of multiple salon care products at home. Made with 2 fruit enzymes, 3 types of clay, soothing allantoin, and crushed pumice, this kit is a wonderful multi-purpose addition to your skincare routine.  It comes in powder form, and the kit includes 2 plastic shot glasses, a small scoop for measuring, a small spatula for mixing, and a small brush for application.  Why the silly name?  Honestly, I had no idea what else to call it.  I'm open to suggestions. lol

This Clay-Scrub kit is great for giving yourself a once-a-week facial at home for smooth, clear, decongested skin. For an occasional pick-me-up when your skin is looking dull or feeling a little rough, the powder makes for a perfect scrub (thanks to the action of the crushed pumice) when mixed with your regular cleanser. 

When used as a scrub and mask, first scrubbing very gently to make way for the actions of the enzymes and clay, the various clays then work their magic, and then going even further are the fruit enzymes that loosen and dissolve dead skin cells, which enhances the drawing action of the clay ingredients. Then, the crushed pumice whisks away all the loosened dead cells as you rinse! Nothing else like it out there, I checked!

How Teenage Acne Turns Into Adult Acne...

One of the major changes in the bodies of teenagers (especially during puberty) is the development and dilation of hair follicles (the pores that hair grows out of) within the skin. 

Testosterone, the male hormone coursing through adolescent veins, triggers new and more abundant hair growth, as well as increases in the skin's natural oil production. Meanwhile, enzymes produced in this process tell pores to get bigger in order to accommodate the new hair and the greater oil flow.