Ordinary Bar of Soap

While training to become an Aesthetician, I had a teacher once ask "Would you use the same bar of soap that you wash your butt with?" Seriously, that is exactly how she posed the question. This changed the entire way I look at skin care and the products I would use from now on.

So ask yourself, do you use the same bar of soap to cleanse your face that you use on your body? I am sure some of you reading this do. However, I like to think that most of my readers are educated enough in skin care to know this is a major no, no.

Here is why.

Your basic bar of soap even if it has added moisturizers is stripping the skin of its natural oils and moisture. Especially if you like to shower with hot water. You leave the skin dehydrated and dull from having washed away natural oils. A necessity in order to get rid of the daily grime that accumulates through out the day. This can easily be remedied by using an exfoliater like a loofah in the shower followed by a creamy moisturizer  or oil for the body. I recommend exfoliation and moisturizing all year round but you can change the thickness of your moisturizer by season or need of your skin.

However, for you face you want to be a bit more gentle. Since you technically should be washing your face at least twice a day, morning and night, you want to be careful not to dry it out. Also, the change of season needs to be factored in as well. Your basic bars of soap that are not produced for the skin can leave skin itchy and dry. So focus on buying facial cleansers that are mild and moisturizing. I recommend Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser which works well for all skin types.

If you prefer a bar of soap, then try Neutrogena® Naturals Face & Body Bar. It gently cleanses, conditions and softens your skin without over drying. This way your covered head to toe by one product. It is important to say that I do recommend that you use a loofah for your body and a gentle cleansing cloth or pad for your face. Otherwise, I just think thats gross.

Be sure to use a body oil directly after showering while skin is still damp to lock in moisture and a thicker facial cream to lock in and provide long lasting moisture through out the day. And an extra thick night cream for body and face will help your skin replenish at night. Look for one with humectants that will bring moisture directly into the skin, i.e. aloe.

Hope you all find this helpful.

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

Winters dry skin repair routine

Well the winter is fast approaching and for many of us, that means dealing with dry dehydrated even cracked skin. It is important to avoid dry skin so that cracks don't develop. Moisturizing properly  prevents damaged dry skin, itch, infection or inflammation of other underlying skin disorders that can break out as a result like eczema.

STEP ONE:
Change your cleanser - Face
Choose a product with oils (moisturizing products)
Avoid dyes and alcohol products

STEP TWO:
Exfoliating - Face and Body
Use loofah or scrub with microbeads 2-3 times a week
Chemical exfoliation like lactic acid, once a month

Exfoliate your lips once a week as the cold air can damage the skin cells causing cracking. Follow with a moisturizing lip balm that replenishes lip moisture. I like to use olive oil followed by L'BEL Lip Moisturizer, Smith's Rosebud Lip balm or Nivea Lip balm.

STEP THREE:
Toner - Face
Witch hazel works great and is affordable toner.

STEP FOUR:
Moisturize your face with Virgin Coconut oil or a creamier moisturizer of your choice after you cleanse and tone. Try Eucerin Pro Repair for body, apply directly after showering to lock in moisture.

Remember that your skin is your first defense against unwelcomed bacteria or infection. Cracked skin is an open doorway for germs to be introduced into the body. So do your best to keep it healthy.

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

Hurricane Sandy Recovery

NJ's devastation from Hurricane Sandy

Sorry it has been so long since I last posted. Hurricane Sandy hit town and turned lives upside down. It took us 10 days to get our power back.

My last post was preparing for the storm and disappointed over the fact that I couldn't go to a conference. I'm certainly happy that I didn't take the risk of driving to PA only to return in horrible weather. It was bad!

Since the storm, I have been busy helping family and cleaning out my storage unit that was flooded. A great deal of my aesthetic equipment was destroyed as well as clothes and photo's. Sad when all the things you thought were treasure end up on curb for trash. Though I consider myself one of the lucky ones. My home is intact,  as is my family. My brothers home was hit hard and his entire first floor was damaged. But even he was lucky because his family is okay. You can reconstruct a house but not a life once it is taken.

Do any of you know anyone who was affected? I do hope you are taking out some time to help. Send a donation or lift a hand to help. Make some meals to help out those who are trying to rebuild their lives. You can visit RedCross.org to donate, or text REDCROSS to 90999 to give $10 to American Red Cross Disaster Relief.

The scenes here are straight out of a movie. It's so difficult for so many. Even the smallest gesture of kindness can help change the victims perspectives and give them hope. So I do hope that after that after a few weeks, we have not forgotten what so many will be dealing with this in the coming holidays.

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

Storm wipes out my weekend!

Haven't updated things lately because I was hoping that this weekend I would have more to share.  I was planning on attending The International Congress of Esthetics and Spa convention this Sunday.  The lovely hurricane by the name of Sandy is keeping me from getting there.

My disappointment lies in the fact that there were so many products I wanted to check out, classes to take and now I wont be able to. So my sharing new products with you and reviews will have to hold off for a while. At least for the new stuff out there.

Am looking into ordering some products soon for new reviews. In the meantime, be your own skin care advocate. Make smart choices by researching products and looking at reviews.

Will be back in touch again soon with new information.

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

Pumpkin, it's not just something to eat

It's that time of season when pumpkin is in high demand. Did you know that Pumpkin is great for your skin? It has a number of benefits ranging from wrinkle-fighting properties that help slow down the aging clock. Its rich in antioxidants and vitamins C, E, and A that cleanse, nourish and hydrate your skin.

Below is a Pinterest article on a wonderful Pumpkin Sugar scrub for the body.

http://www.tothemotherhood.com/2011/09/pumpkin-sugar-scrub-recipe.html?m=1

Also, here is a yummy Pumpkin facial mask by Bethenny Frankel. So good you'll want to eat it and the best part is that you can.

Bethenny Frankel's Pumpkin Mask

2 cups canned pumpkin

4 tablespoons Greek yogurt

4 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Combine ingredients. Smooth onto face. Rest for 10 minutes, then rinse off mask.  Follow with normal toner and moisturizer.

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

October means the start of peel season

October has arrived and for many, Autumn is beginning to show itself with cooler temperatures, changing foliage and falling leaves. NaturalSkinShop.com is celebrating the season with their Octoberfest celebration and 20% OFF ENTIRE PURCHASE, Now - October 10th. My viewers are sure to "fall" for Natural Skin Shop's glycolic acid & salicylic acid peels that renew and revitalize the skin. NSS offers quality skin care treatment such as: vitamin C treatments, skin lightening, anti-aging formulas, Botox-alternatives, acne treatments and at-home microdermabrasion.

I want to prepare you my readers for the change of seasons by promoting Natural Skin Shop on my blog and Twitter.

Though I don't recommend you trying a harsh peel on yourself, I do recommend you try the scrubs, serums and moisturizers. See attached links for the Octoberfest promotions.

Celebrate Octoberfest at NaturalSkinShop.com by Saving 20% on Entire Purchase. No Coupon Code needed. This saving ends on October 10th.





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

Move into the next season

With Fall here and Winter fast approaching, it is time to prepare your skin for the current season  and coming winter season. After a long summer of taking in the sun and lounging at the pool, one should consider repairing their skin from possible sun damage received and prepare for the coming cold season. So how does our skin benefit from the season changes and what to do to prepare your skin to move into the next season?

Fall is absolutely Exfoliation season. The leaves shouldn't be the only thing shedding, you should shed some skin too. You can exfoliate in a few ways. You can get a professional treatment that exfoliates by Microdermabrasion, Laser, DermaPlane, Chemical Peels, etc. You can make or buy your own scrubs at home which is cost effective and in some cases less evasive. Exfoliation is important because it prepares the skin to absorb serums and lotions to hydrate and repair skin by shedding old dead skin cells.

For clients that have dry skin, I recommend microdermabrasion, mild chemical peel (Glycolic), a gentle scrub or using an exfoliation puff. The last two can be done at home daily/weekly. Reducing minor wrinkles and hyper pigmentation.

For Oily skin, I would add to the above options a Chemical peel (Salicylic/Jessner), which can be more aggressive but more effective in treating the appearance of large pores, hyper pigmentation and fine lines. As well as using at home exfoliants like a microdermabrasion scrub or exfoliating puff.

Now the second thing you want to be diligent with is moisturizing. For dry skin complexions you want to use a cream rather then a lotion. You are going to want to keep moisture in and a thicker cream can do that for you as the winter approaches and through out. For Oily skin, it is still very important to moisturize. But you want to be sure that you use an oil free lotion with oil control. Both should contain humectant ingredients that allow moisture absorption like Aloe, Hyaluronic Acid and Vitamin E.

Lets not forget the importance of serums. They can add a boost to your skins needs that are easier absorbed into skin just after exfoliation and prior to moisturizing. There are also serums that focus on specific needs like fighting wrinkles, redness, acne or hyper pigmentation.

Speak to your skin care therapist or dermatologist for more treatments that will work best for you.


An all-star cast of the cosmetic industry's top peeling agents team up with the power of nature to create the ultimate exfoliation experience.

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