Psoriasis

Not to long ago, I was speaking with someone recently diagnosed with Psoriasis and I wondered just how much people knew about it.

Psoriasis is a skin disorder which can appear like a skin rash or silver flakes, red irritated/inflamed skin. It can appear anywhere on the body.

As reported by NAMCS and NHAMCS demographics(2006-2007), In the US alone over 672 thousand are diagnosed every year. The average age is 53. Seems to affect men more then women. The actually cause is still unknown but there are theories.

Some suggest that diet plays a part. Deficiency in certain vitamins and minerals. Other theories are environmental, life stress, obesity and more. In essence, no one knows for sure but there are treatments.

See this recent article written by the Mayo-clinic to provide better insight.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/psoriasis/DS00193

Hope you find this link helpful. I will continue to search for useful information and solutions.

As always, Be Blessed, Be Healthy and Be Beautiful!

Jessner Peel Day 7 - Moisturizing Mask

Since I did the peel, my skin has been feeling really itchy and dry. There was flaking but very minimal since I only did one application to test. So to help prepare my skin for the full blown peel that I intend to do next week, I gave myself a moisturizing mask.

The moisturizing mask was made with items I already had in my cupboard.  It's really great for dry or sensitive skin types. Here is a list of what you will need with a helpful image to see exactly what I used. I followed the 1 for 1 rule for the exception of the lemon juice, as it is very acidic.

1 Tablespoon of Natural Organic Amber Honey

1 Tablespoon of  Raw Manuka Honey (Can't say enough about this honey, Great stuff!!)

1 Tablespoon of  Organic Virgin Coconut Oil 

1 Tablespoon of Pure Glycerin

1 Tablespoon of Distilled water (not shown)

1 Teaspoon of Lemon Juice

And a small container to store in refrigerator.

To combine I used a small spatula. The mixture will be a bit separated because of the Coconut Oil and water. That's okay. If you want it creamier, just don't add water. Perfectly fine. I just like the gliding effect of the water and oil. Plus the Glycerin is a humectant to it will take the water right into your skin.

Then take a small about of mixture, and begin to glide over your face working from the décolleté up to your forehead. Work in gentle, small circles over the skin, always in the up direction. Around the eyes going from outside in and over. Tap the skin gently as if you were playing piano on your face, this motion is called tapotement. The skin will start to feel warm and flush. Now let your skin rest with moisturizer on for about 2-3 minutes. 

With a gently cleanser, wash face with lukewarm water. Your skin may feel a bit slick still after cleansing. This is okay. Gently pat dry. No need to tone skin unless you have oily skin to start with. Then you should follow with a oil free moisturizer. Otherwise, leave as is. Sunblock if you are going out and that's it.

The mixture should last about 4 weeks in refrigerator. If you have really dry skin I would do this once a week until you see some changes in skin. If you have oily skin, once a month. As a side note,  it's is a super affordable way to take care of you skin and the products can be used for so many other things so it's not wasteful to purchase. 

The itch is gone, my skin is glowing and super refreshed. Try it out, I think you will love it.

P.S. - Add Raw Brown sugar/Sea salt  to make a great body scrub for shower.

As always, Be Blessed, Be Healthy and Be Beautiful!

Tanning beds raise melanoma risk: New research shows

Tanning beds raise melanoma risk: New research shows

It's like I always push, sunblock, sunblock and more sunblock. Some sun is healthy but these tanning beds are like sitting on the sun. There are enough "I don't knows" out there with cancer. Why add to the risk by using tanning booths? It especially drives me crazy when I see teenagers going into tanning salons. So take a moment to read the article and think about it. Life is to precious to waste it.

Hope you find this article helpful.


As always, Be Blessed, Be Healthy and Be Beautiful!

Jessner peel day 2

Today is an absolutely beautiful day! With that said, I definitely had to make sure that I used high SPF. So after washing and toning my face this morning, applying my moisturizer and letting it set, I added my SPF 50. This Way I could go out and enjoy the sun and know that it wouldn't do any further damage to my skin.

My skin is feeling tight, sometimes even itchy. Especially on my forehead and my jawline.
NOTE: Very important not to scratch the skin. Gently glide fingers over itchy area. Abrasion can cause further hyper-pigmentation.

Already I can start to see some dryness on the forehead, even some flaking. So once home, I applied as much moisturizer as I needed to deal with the itch and dryness. Also, I am drinking plenty of water to hydrate from within.


Here is a picture of some spots I am dealing with.

Though the peel can not help me with the Skin tags, I am testing out how well the Jessner peel will work on the Hyper pigmentation and the acne scars.  I'll check back in later this week. 

As always, Be Blessed, Be Healthy and Be Beautiful!

Jessner peel

Last night I gave myself a Jessner Peel RX that I ordered from Natural Skin Shop online. I chose this peel because I wanted something with little down time but that was multifunction for my skin tone and needs. I am considered a three on the Fitz Patrick scale. I am a light skin Latino with olive skin tone. My skin has some hyper-pigmentation , fine lines around the eyes and mouth, some comedones(blackheads) on my nasal area and some minor acne marks.

WARNING:
Now as a word of caution, I do not recommend you try and do this to yourself. As a reminder, I am a licensed professional with much practice when it comes to peels. I know what to look for and what questions to ask prior, during and post peel. So please seek out a dermatologist or an esthetician to provide you with this service.

Okay, now that I got that out of the way, let me fill you in on the peel.

HERE IS WHAT THEY CLAIM:
(Directly from their website)

The Jessner peel is a highly effective peeling agent formulated with a combination of Resorcinol, Lactic Acid and Salicylic Acid for a intensive medium to deep strength peel. For experienced users only who have had experience with peel treatments such as Salicylic 20% or higher or Glycolic 50% or higher.

The Jessner Peel can be used to lighten areas of hyperpigmentation, treat mild acne and acne scars and to treat photo-damaged and aged, sun-damaged skin.

Jessner peels cause the top layers of skin to flake off while also stimulating the deeper layers of the skin. The top layers of skin are the most sun-damaged, wrinkled, unattractive layers of skin. After they are removed, the new fresh and younger-looking skin is revealed and brought to the surface.

The deep layer of skin, the dermis, is also stimulated by the Jessner skin peel. This causes new fibroblasts and collagen to develop, reducing the depth of lines and wrinkles caused by aging. Repetitive peeling with Jessner’s peel improves tone, texture, and quality of the skin.

WHAT I KNOW:
If you were to look back on why I chose this peel and compare it to their claims, you would see that it matches up well with my needs/desires.

Now, I am not new to peels. I have had Glycolic, Salicylic, Lactic and TCA peels done on my skin before. Not at the same time. So I was dealing with one skin issue at a time. This peel is for the seasoned pro who has had other peels done before. It is multifunction offering your skin the lightening of spots, shedding of dead skin, boosting collagen and minimizing lines and wrinkles. Who doesn't want younger looking skin?

WHAT HAPPENED:
So I followed protocol steps starting with clean skin, peel prep (strips sebum from face),placed petroleum jelly on lips and eyebrows to protect from peel, then the Jessner peel.

I did just one pass of peel. Though they say you can do up to 5 but i wanted to test it out first. I felt some major tingling and slight burning sensation. A hand fan comes in handy at this point. As soon as I seen my skin frost (milky white color), I waited a minute and neutralized the peel. With the neutralizer that they provide. But you can also use Sodium Bicarbonate(Baking Soda) and distilled water. Don't be alarmed when it's remove it, you may hear a sizzle or feel momentarily some additional burn sensation. Not to worry it will pass. Even when done correctly you hear this. That's why a licensed professional should do this. Then I repeatedly added cold water to my face for a minute. My skin was immediately reddened.

Next, I used a Hyaluronic acid cream that helps keeps skin moist and plump. It is found naturally in the human body so it easily absorbs into skin.

In the morning I woke up with my skin feeling tight and dry but the redness was gone. I gently washed my skin, NO SCRUBBING OR HOT WATER. Patted dry, moisturized, lightly added some refined organic coconut oil. Allowed that to absorb, then I finished with SPF 50.

My skin is tight around the outer ridges of eyes, forehead and cheeks. But I am not feeling dry which is key and my face is protected from the sun should I go out.

Within a few days I should see some flaking and shedding of skin. In 10 days I should see much better results. I will keep you posted on how it looks in the next few days.

Thyme Treats Acne Better Than Medication, Study Finds - DailyBeauty | NewBeauty magazine

As always, in my effort to keep you well informed about skin care issues, here is a great article I read on New Beauty in regards to how Thyme and other herbs can better help those that suffer from acne. Check it out!

http://www.newbeauty.com/dailybeauty/entry.aspx?id=5814

As always, Be Blessed, Be Healthy and Be Beautiful!