A guide for better application on everyday skin products.

Many times when a client tells me that they are not happy with their products, I wonder if it is how they use them? Just to be sure, it is not a mis-matched product for their skin, I would ask them to bring me in what they use and then we go over the instructions together. I wish I could do this with all my customers, but I have begun to sell online and have many new customers from distant areas that I am not able to reach. For this reason, I have put together a simple guide that encompasses the most widely used products…

Cleansers:

This product is so often misused and also the one that most people skimp on. Why you may ask? Well, when I ask my customers this same question, they say that they don’t want to spend a lot on something that gets washed OFF the face. Oh how I wish that this were really true (the part that gets washed off the face…)! If in fact, people washed their face correctly I may agree that MAYBE you could skimp a bit, but more than not, the cleanser does remain on the skin, simply because the product is not used properly.

Here is how to best cleanse your skin.

1.      Apply your cleanser ,whether it be oil, foaming or gel, with your fingertips and some water. Massage your face, neck, and around (not inside) the eyes. Rinse really well with warm water. (Really well is a good three full splashes)
2.      Take a flat round wet cotton pad, and from the neck up, swipe the skin well. Most likely you will see dirt and debris on the pad. If so, use both sides of the pad, and one more for the eye area to remove all make-up.
3.       Splash your face one more time with cool water and then pat dry with a towel.

Toners:

If you cleansed well, guess what? You don’t need a toner. Toners were originally made to make the skin pH balanced. Old-fashioned cleansers (like a cold cream) left residue on the skin and offset the pH. Modern cleansers are already pH balanced at 5.5. If you insist on using a toner, or just like the way it feels, take a cotton ball and in circular motions, swipe the skin from neck to forehead. A good alternative to a toners are hydrating mists. They add nutrients to the skin after cleansing and are water based like toners. Avoid the eye area.

Serum: Serums should go on before the moisturizer or night cream. A good rule of thumb is that the lightest product goes on first. Most serums are gel based and are lighter than a cream or fluid moisturizer. 

1. Apply serum after cleansing and toning. Apply a dime size dollop into the palm of your hand.
2. Dip two fingers into the serum and distribute around your face and neck by lightly patting the product into the skin. Do this a few times until the dollop is gone. 
3. Then take both hands and use two fingers from each hand and pat all areas of the face and neck to press the serum thoroughly into the skin.                                

Moisturizers: This is your chance to awaken your circulation, by giving your self a two-minute massage. Apply a few dots of the moisturizer at the base of your neck, to your chin, cheeks, and forehead. Now work it in the skin with a hand over hand massage beginning at the neck, to the chin, to the cheeks and up to the forehead. You will see the color return to your skin. Apply your eye cream next. * I recommend following the instructions for your eye products to the T by the manufacturer.

Make-Up Primer or Sealer: This is a fairly new product to the market place. It basically will seal in your moisturizer and leave an invisible barrier so that your moisture stays put all day and your make-up goes on smoothly. I love a primer and believe it is my secret to why my skin looks even-toned and smooth. If you have the extra minute to do this, I promise you it is worth it. Make up primers are usually oil based, but generally they are made from a very light oil that dries upon application. Since oil and water do not mix, it helps the water (moisture) from your moisturizer and serum penetrate and protect it from escaping the skin. 

1. Spritz a tiny amount of primer-sealant to your palms, press palms together and place on your cheeks. 
2. Then with your fingertips, move the primer around the face. That’s it! Wait two minutes. Now you can put on your make-up.

*A side note is that between applications of serum and moisturizer, you leave about a minute or two for the product to penetrate. 

Have a question or comment? Are there other products you are not sure how to use? Please write in and I will be happy to respond!

Is your make-up aging you?

I just read an interesting article about how make-up can either age your or make you look younger. Apparently as we age, the color of ones skin tones darkens, there is less glow to the skin and therefor much less contrast in ones overall hues. I guess I knew this but somehow hearing it this way made me think about how cosmetics can really enhance the coloration of the skin. I follow trends and enjoy trying out a new look from time to time. But at the same time I realize that some make-up techniques are not for me. For instance, the NO Make-Up Look. Honestly, it is like I am in a morgue! Everything blends together, my hair, my eyes, my skin, my lipstick, it is just awful. And I don't like it on some beauties either. I thought Halle Berry looked under the weather at the Academy Awards, her NO Lipstick shade just made her look dull. It works well when a person has natural coloration in their skin that contrasts with the rest of face, either the hair is black or the contrast of platinum, the skin is dark or very pale, the eyes are a deep brown or gold, or green or blue, hope you get my point here.

So realizing that ones color pallet gets more monochromatic as one ages, just made me evaluate how I wear make-up.

It makes sense to add a little red to the lips, and it doesn't have to be ruby red, it can be Bobbi Brown red, the red with brown added, a soft and more neutral red. Some of this is intuitive, I still provide make-up services from time to time and the colors I choose are ones that brings out the natural tones in my clients eyes, skin or hair. This is not a matchy-match look. A deep purple can really bring out the green in hazel eyes, a soft blue liner can make the whites of the eyes brighter, a bronze blush can soften a ruddy skin tone. This comes from learning about color but also just from experimenting with various shades. Quick advice, look before you leap. Try a new look at home, or go to a cosmetic counter and see what kind of a make-over they do. But don't leap to buy all the latest colors, see how they wear on you, and look at your skin to see if looks more youthful. The skin tells all. Then if your still not sure, take a photo of yourself. The photo never lies!

Reduce Cellulite at home with Water Therapy and Heat

I have been thinking about how great it would be to be able to give yourself spa treamtments at home.

My motto is what you do everyday is what matters most. So while spa treamtments are wonderful, they don't do as much for wellness as your daily routines.

I have the advantage of knowing what can be done at home and just recently started packaging home spa treatments. The first of this was ElectroLast which mimics the microcurrent facials performed at spas. Now I am working on a cellulite massaging device to mimic the endermology toning treatments for cellulite. There is much that can be done without purchasing much of anything. Taking a bath each day is an under-used and under-valued water therapy that is great for overall wellness. In the colder months I indulge in a bath and put a half cup of Epsom Salts and a few drops of my favorite aromatherapy oil. Soaking for ten minutes or more gets the circulation going. Now I am working on the body wrap method that can be done at home. I just purchased an EverLast warm-up suit made to be used in saunas. Since I don't have a sauna, I am going to prepare the herbs I use for body wraps at the spa, soak 6 ace bandages for 10 minutes in the herbal solution, wrap my legs, buttocks and abdomen and enter into this loose fitted warm-up suit. I'll just lay down and meditate for a good 15 minutes and unwrap the bandages thereafter. Then I will slather on Cellaction Contour Gel and be on my way to a bathing suit ready body by February. (That's my goal in any case.) For you at home, try incorporating a warm bath at least once a week. Invest in a body brush and brush your skin from the ankles up towards the heart once a day. Massage a natural cellulite gel into your skin at night when the skin naturally heats up. And keep in touch with me, it will not be too long until I package an at home body wrap. As with any of my products, the first test is with me. Will keep you posted, pictures and all!

To Wax or Not to Wax?

Believe me when I tell you I have seen it all! I started waxing in my NYC spa in the early 1980's and had women, men, transgenders, you name it, all coming to remove hair that they didn't want. Whatever the reason may be to remove unwanted hair is not as important as whether or not there may be a better option. When it comes to waxing areas where the skin sits on a good strong bone, like the legs for instance, I am all for it. Since the skin is taught, there is not a lot of pulling on the skin and the results are usually great. For the more delicate areas, like the lip or the coochy, you have to more careful. The skin is looser in these areas and with frequent waxing can contribute to premature wrinkling. The skin around the upper lip is where most women will find their first lines.

Using hot wax, then taking a strip and pulling in the opposite direction of the hair growth is not ideal for keeping the skin toned.

The same applies for brazillian waxing. Hey, nature gave hair for a reason, it offers some protection. If you pull and pull on that oh so delicate skin, over time you will loose elasticity and wish you had your hair back! By it may be too late as when you wax often, the hair grows back finer. I have some suggestions that I think you find helpful. First off, if you have fine and light hair on your upper lip, consider trimming it. If your hair is dark, bleaching is a good option. For coarse hair, electrolysis and laser work well. Brazillian wax is great for special occasions and keep it to that. Go semi-hairless-ask for the landing strip-it leaves a small area of hair on the most delicate area of the bikini area. And if you must wax because you love the results, ask for hard wax. This type of wax is applied warm, then cools and is removed without using a strip cloth or any kind. It is easier on the skin, and causes less sensitivity.

Summer Foundation Customized with SPF

While most of us use make-up as a cover-up or as a means of creating a more even toned skin, we don't consider it a sunscreen.

I found out years ago that just wearing a pressed powder to the beach gave me better sun protection than my full sunscreen product.

What I didn't know was that it had a built in SPF of 17 or higher. This was way back in 1990 and I was the pale one on the beach-my girlfriends begged me to get a little color, but I came with my loose braids, a baseball cap and make-up on. Quite frankly, the make-up was pure vanity, I had no idea about how well it protected me from sundamage. Now moving on to years later...I created my own skin care line, and just launched a mineral based cosmetic line in the spa-AND the testing on the pressed and loose powders confirms it offers a SPF of 17. All the wonderful minerals, titanium and others are Natures SPF. OK, so the good news is protection. But I want you also to realize that you can customize these powders with your favorite toners, moisturizers or face oils. Depending on your skin, and the season (more humid climates add a lot of moisture to the skin...) you decide how to mix. I prefer to use the loose powder and I put a little bit in the palm of my hand, add one spritz of ISS Saturation Spray and a small pump of ISS Chain Reaction Moistuizer. I mix them together and apply with my fingertips to my face and neck. On top I take a large Kabuki brush and dip it in ISS pressed powder and work the brush around my face. It looks so natural that most people would think you were not wearing make-up at all. Beach friendly and perfect for your skin and summer!

Age Rebel: Preview "Summer Foundation Customized with SPF"

Age Rebel: Preview "Summer Foundation Customized with SPF"

My Review of Compu-Lift Machine by Silhouet-Tone

Originally submitted at Banner Therapy Products

Compu-Lift brings effective anti-aging treatment into the 21st century - Stimulates cellular regeneration through the use of Micro Currents.

Compu-Lift Machine by Silhouet-Tone

This Machine is Simply Wonderful

By age rebel from Fairfield, CT on 5/15/2012

 

5out of 5

Pros: Effective, Simple to Use

Describe Yourself: Brand Buyer

I have been using the machine for six years at my spa and think it is the best skin care treatment for those who prefer a natural way to lift the skin. It is an alternative to Botox but in all honestly, I get those cleints who do both. Botox will not help the neck and jowls so this mahine takes care of those areas.It should only be used by a liscensed professional esthetician or nurse practioner/medical technician. Not for consumer use.

(legalese)