Saving my pennies for...

So after having the twins, I have lost a good amount of weight. Still have 5 pounds to go but I feel great. For one exception, (Why is it that there is always an exception, right?)

My skin hasn't pulled back the way I had hoped, as it did the first time around. It's a self-esteem buster at times. Muffin top was one thing. You could get the right pants or top on and you wouldn't have to look at it. When you are naked it's fine because you can't tell, no pressure. However, Muffin top with shriveled saggy skin is an entirely different look. So what is a girl to do?

As an esthetician, I am constantly learning about the skin and new skin care products and treatments. I personally like to concentrate on less invasive procedures for myself and as recommendations to others. I support those who want to go under the knife to enhance their beauty but it's just not for me. I accept my body for how it is. Small chest, big bootie. I'm absolutely okay with my curves or the the lack of, it's what makes me, me. Plus, I have never had any complaints. HAHA!

However, it doesn't mean that I am just going to let myself go and be okay with certain things that can be improved on naturally or with a little advance technology. In an effort to be "Fit at 40", I am trying my best to eat right and find time to exercise more. This loose skin seems to be sticking around. Much like my cellulite but that has been an issue my entire life so lets not get into that.

In the case of my loose skin on my belly, here is what I have found and you can bet I am saving my pennies for this one. The Reaction High Frequency Laser treatment. Here is what they claim.

Reaction™

The new generation in body contouring & skin tightening treatments

Reaction™ offers multiple treatment applications for the industry's most-wanted aesthetic treatments:

• Cellulite treatment (YOUR SEEING THIS RIGHT. BONUS!!)
• Circumferential reduction
• Skin-tightening for aging & lax skin on the face and body
• Skin tightening treatment for appearance of stretch marks

Can it do all of the above? I mean, if this is true...WOW! Women everywhere should be running to their local plastic surgeon or dermatologist/Aesthetician Laser centers, signing up for treatments. Does it work? 

I'm a "proof is in the pudding" type person but I don't just take the account of a person or company telling me it works. I do research and so should every consumer before they buy into any advertisement or story. So here is a link to a clinical study done on Radio High Frequency (RHF) lasers CLICK HERE. If you don't care about all the medical jargon, skip to Safety and Conclusion for found results.

After reading this, I would have to say, Yes, it does work. It works for the person who already takes great care of themselves physically and just needs a little help touching up. In my case, tightening up.  It boosts collagen,  helping turn back the clock. In addition to my research I have my own experiences with lasers. In the past, I worked at a popular Aesthetic Laser chain in New York City and the laser treatments for fat reduction, skin tightening and peeling worked fabulously. Clients always came back for their treatments wanting to look younger or slow down the effects of gravity.

There are risks. Clients can get burned and scared, so make sure you qualify for such procedures before you even walk through the door. Make sure you go to a reputable clinic with a Doctor on staff.  Some skin types can not use certain lasers because of the high risk of burning. I want to reiterate, do your research before you make any decisions on lasers and skin care treatments. The more you know the better.

For me, I qualify for this type of laser to reduce sagging skin after having the twins 18 months ago.   I've lost almost all the weight with just 5 - 8 pounds to go. Exercise can help with the pounds reduction but a laser like REACTION can help with the skins loss of elasticity. My skin is a #4  on the Fitzpatrick scale, medium brown, therefore I don't have to worry to much about skin burning (all though there is always the risk if you go somewhere with lack of training or care.)  Professionally, I would avoid using heat inducing lasers on skin types higher then a 4, as the potential risk  of burning is higher.

The pennies are going in the jar but I would love to hear from anyone that has used a laser like this one to reduce fat and or tighten skin. First hand testimonials are the best way to obtain information. Please share your experience below.

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

It's the most wonderful time to PEEL!

The holidays maybe the most wonderful time for kids but to us adults, it can be frustrating and time consuming. With all the planning, decorating and shopping one can get overwhelmed. So why not take the focus of the major To Do Lists and give yourself a pampering treat. The holidays are fine but I don't want to look broken down and aged. Who does, right?

With that said, I have taken sometime to give myself a gentle peel, twice in the past two weeks and am recruiting others in my circle. I peeled my husband for the first time ever. For the longest time, I told him "You are like my personal billboard. If you walk around with wrinkled, marked and pimpled skin, what will people think of my skills as an aesthetician?" Nag, Nag, he always refused, but I finally got him to do it. To start him off, I did a very gentle Salicylic peel with one pass. Not sure he could handle anything else. He has oily skin and enlarged pores so to start I thought this would be a great fit. It's still a struggle for him to wear sunscreen so I went easy to start.. He seriously doesn't get the importance of sunscreen. Trust me when I say, he won't leave the house without his Aveda Pomade in his hair, but sunscreen, always forgets. 

In any case, I am in peel mode. Planning to peel my sister in the next coming days. Already gave her a peel at the start of the season. She is brave and a seasoned pro to peels, so I am going full force on her. She will look like a twenty something soon enough. LoL! She looks younger then she is already so shouldn't be to hard. Maybe they will start carding us again M. (Small inside joke. HAHA!)

Now not everyone can afford to go out and get peels every month. If you have minor skin issues, for example small dark spots, fine lines starting to show, you can use items right out your fridge to give you gradual but effective results. 

Prefered brand for me.

APPLE CIDER VINEGAR PEEL

Ingredients:

1Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar (Organic is best)

1Tbsp Lemon Juice (Fresh is best)

Tools:

Small Clean bowl

Gauze, fan brush or cotton round (Either will do)

Mix and apply with gauze, fan brush or cotton round, starting from the neck up in a gentle upward and out motion. Avoid getting to close to eyes or using on open cuts, abscessed/ recently popped pimples. It WILL burn. 

Leave on for about 10 minutes. You will feel a tingle on your skin. If you feel pain, remove at once with warm water. If your face still has a "burning" sensation you can use water and baking soda to stop the acid effects. (1 TBSP baking soda to 1 cup Water. Stir and apply.)

It is the holidays, why not drink a cup of Hot Apple Cider while you wait for those ten minutes to pass. The aromas of the Cider will help you forget how stinky the vinegar is too. Always follow with a serum or moisturizer. Do I have to remind you to wear your sunscreen? Wear your sunscreen unless your going to bed of course. 

This should leave skin tight, glowing and will gradually shed within the next few days. You can repeat ever two weeks or until you have achieved the results you are seeking.

However, if you a results now kind of person see your dermatologist or Aesthetician and see what kind of peel they recommend for you.

Happy Peeling and happy holiday prepping.

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

Post Thanksgiving Mask

My inspiration for mask.

Manuka (Raw) Honey

So I hope we all survived Thanksgiving better then most turkeys did. As I enjoyed a slice of pumpkin pie, it was more like I scarfed it down because I had to rush home with kids. 2/3 were crying because they were so tired. In any case, I thought of a relaxing Pumpkin Mask that would be wonderful for the skin.

Nutmeg - Anti-inflammatory/Acne reducer

Pumpkin Puree

Try 2 tablespoons of Pumpkin Puree mix with 1 tablespoon of raw honey(I love Manuka Honey) and a pinch of Nutmeg.  After washing your face, use this as a dual scrub/mask for about 10 minutes. Gently scrub skin in a circular motion from neck up to forehead. Try not to lick it off your face until then. You will be tempted but don't do it. Then wash off with Lukewarm water and pat dry with clean cloth. Follow with toner, serums, moisturizer and SPF for daytime. 

It's a great mask to moisturize skin, reduce inflammation from perhaps to many eggnog's and heals acne inflammation or pain. You could add a bit more nutmeg to left over mask and you can use as a body scrub. Waste not, want not. 

Please take a moment to comment, Like, Share and Subscribe. Thanks so much for coming by.

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.