Archive for the ‘Reader's Questions’ Category

Quick Waxing Tip

Wednesday, August 11th, 2010

Here in Vermont we are in the height of the hot summer days….mid-August!  I love love love the hot weather, so it is all great with me.

People must be out at the lake, on boats or just enjoying some time in the sun because I have been getting a few questions about how to keep your bikini line smooth and free of ingrown hairs after waxing.  My favorite tip is a simple one.  While in the shower gently brush upwards on the skin that has been waxed with a terry washcloth.  This will exfoliate the area which will help keep hair follicles from being clogged by dead skin.  Brushing against the direction of hair growth will also help to discourage the hairs from curling back down and under the skin while they grow out.

Also, I know I harp on it (here and here for instance), but maintaining a good waxing routine also helps with the problem in a few ways.  Firstly, a hair that has been shaved has been bluntly cut off at the widest part of the hair shaft.  This makes it more likely that it will get caught and curl back under the skin.  The hair that grows back after waxing is a new hair with a tapered tip and is more likely to grow out without issue.  Waxing also damages the hair follicle which results in new hair growing back that is thinner and finer.  Again, less likely to become ingrown.

I hope you all are enjoying the same beautiful summer we are having here!  (And don’t forget your sunscreen! :) )

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Ingredient Series – Cetyl Alcohol…It is Everywhere, but What is It?

Monday, August 2nd, 2010

Cetyl alcohol can be found in many hair and skincare products.  It is either created synthetically, a byproduct of petroleum or derived from a number of different plant sources (most commonly coconut).  Cetyl alcohol bares no resemblance to what most think of as alcohol.  Unlike isopropyl, ethyl, or “rubbing” alcohol, cetyl alcohol is a “fatty” alcohol, not drying to the skin and has a texture more like wax.

Cetyl alcohol is used in cosmetic preparations for a number of reasons.  It is an emulsifier which means it holds together preparations of water and oil, and an emollient which means it leaves skin or hair feeling smooth and soft.  It’s wax-like texture thickens formulations, helps them spread smoothly and turns the color opaque.  It also creates an occlusive barrier on the skin which holds in water and can keeps natural moisture from escaping the epidermis.

Although most people would agree that cetyl alcohol is not an ingredient that causes harm or irritation to the skin, I would be wary of products that have it listed as one of the first ingredients.  Ingredients are listed in order of prevalence, so the farther up the list, the more of it is found in a product.  In my opinion, although it is not irritating to skin, it is not particularly beneficial to the health of skin either.  It may not hurt, but it doesn’t really help anything either.  I should say that found further down the list is fine as it does have some benefits in terms of the actual product such as improving texture, keeping products from separating and improving the ability of a product to spread.

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Reader Question – Why is Smoking so Bad for My Skin?

Friday, January 15th, 2010

If you need one more reason to quit smoking, here it is.  Smoking is terrible for your skin.

The blood in our bodies transports oxygen and nutirents throughout our system and to our organs, the largest of which is our skin.  When a person inhales tobacco smoke, highly toxic carbon monoxide displaces the oxygen that our blood should be absorbing from our breath and is delivered throughout the body in it’s place.  Additionally the nicotine in cigarettes narrows the blood vessels in the outer most layers of skin.  This impairs blood flow to the area resulting in an even further depletion of the oxygen (as well and many other nutrients) needed to keep skin cells healthy.

Tobacco smoke blocks the absorption of the essential nutrient Vitamin C in our bodies.  Among it’s many functions, Vitamin C is responsible for the preservation of collagen in our skin.  Damaged collagen leads to loss of tone and elasticity as well as deep wrinkling.  Smoking also reduces the bodies supply of Vitamin A which helps the skin protect itself from sun damage and regulates the production of oil in the skin.

There is a cocktail of 4000+ chemicals in cigarette smoke that includes ammonia and arsenic.  Inhaling these toxins forces our liver into overdrive in an effort to expel them.  This compromises the livers ability to perform it’s normal functions which causes the skin to take on a yellow or gray cast.

Repeated puckering and squinting results in deep wrinkles around the mouth and eyes.

So, can the damage be reversed?  Truthfully, if you have been a life long smoker, probably not completely.  But healthy choices, including a quality skincare routine, can do a lot towards making skin look young and vibrant again.  And remember, if you are a new smoker who had yet to see the effects of smoking on your skin, much of this damage can’t be seen until 10-20 years after beginning smoking.  The choices we make, good or bad, have a cumulative effect on our skin.  Making healthy choices today will help to insure you are looking your best tomorrow.

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Reader Question

Tuesday, November 17th, 2009

I was recently asked another great question, and this is one I get often.

Q: What is the best way to deal with dry skin that still has break outs?

A: This is a confusing and frustrating situation for people, and one that is very common.  Part of the problem starts with the misunderstanding of the word “dry” and how it relates to your skin.  Dry skin is skin that produces little (or no) oil.  People with truly dry skin do not struggle with consistent break outs as there is no oil to cause clogging.

What I suspect the question above is actually referring to is dehydrated skin which is often found in conjunction with skin that is oily or prone to breaking out - some as a result of the types of products people choose to use to combat this problem.

From the time we are young we are taught that oil is something to be washed away from our skin.  That tight feeling left after using a foaming cleanser and hot water is thought to equal clean.  While you may be rid of the oil, the effect tends to be just the opposite of what people expect.  As I have mentioned before, the oil in and on your skin plays a really important part in keeping it healthy.  Oil and sweat mix on your skin to create a barrier called the acid mantle.  This barrier holds moisture in your skin while also creating a slightly acidic environment that protects your skin from outside invaders such as bacteria.

In my experience, people who are prone to breaking out tend to use products geared towards ridding their skin of oil, such as harsh cleansers and light moisturizers (if any).  This causes a chain reaction in your skin.  By washing away the oil on your skin, your skin is triggered to make more oil.  At the same time, though, the barrier you skin creates to hold moisture in your skin is compromised and water is able to evaporate leaving skin dehydrated and tight.  The excess oil that is being produced has no where to go and clogging can occur.  It can be compounded by the flakiness of dehydrated skin further clogging pores.  Additionally, the acidic enviroment on the skin is disrupted which leaves skin open to infection which can lead to even more breakouts or worsen existing ones….

What I suggest actually sounds very counter intuitive.  Add a little bit of oil into your skincare routine.  This has two major benefits.  First, by adding a little oil to your skin you can calm down you skin’s own oil production.  Secondly, the oil helps to create a barrier against the environment and also holds moisture into the skin.  Also, always use a moisturizer.  Be careful to not use a cleanser that is too drying.  Unless you have very oily skin, I recommend a cream cleanser with no foaming action.

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Reader Question

Tuesday, October 27th, 2009

Hello Everyone!

I received a really great question over the weekend and I wanted to share it – and the answer – with all of you.

Q: “I like the feeling of putting moisturizer on my skin after a shower when it feels tight and dry.  Does it matter how long I wait to put on moisturizer?

A: Yes!  There are many reasons that your skin will feel tight after taking a shower, but it is something you want to do all you can to avoid.  That tight, dry feeling is a result of loss of hydration from you skin.  The combination of a hot shower and alkaline soaps compromises the hydro-lipid barrier, or acid mantle, and skin is left unprotected and subject to moisture loss.  The tighter and dryer your skin is feeling, the more dehydrated it is becoming.

Although it is very important for the health of your skin to stay hydrated by drinking enough water, internal hydration is often not enough to keep the upper layers of your skin well hydrated.  Topical moisturizing is often necessary to supplement hydration and aid in protecting skin from the effects of a compromised acid mantle.

In order to keep skin as healthy as possible there are a few steps you can take.  Start by taking shorter, cooler showers.  Hot water washes away the sebum your skin produces.  It is a mixture of this sebum and sweat that creates the barrier that holds moisture in the skin.  Also, watch for soaps and body washes that contain detergent.  These detergents have an alkaline pH which disrupts the natural acidic pH of your skin.  This leaves your skin open to infection from the outside environment as well as allowing water to be lost through evaporation.  Lastly, follow with a moisturizer rich enough to combat the feeling of tightness you feel after stepping out of the shower.  It is best to do this while your skin is still damp, as the lotions and creams can lock the water directly into your skin.

Keeping your skin well hydrated is one of the best things you can do to keep your skin looking healthy and young.  By waiting to moisturize until your skin feels tight and dry you are forced to play catch up.  The top layer of your skin has no way to create moisture for itself, and can only be replenished by cells that are adequately hydrated to move up from the lower layers of skin.  It is very important to do all we can to not allow the moisture to be lost in the first place.

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