Posts Tagged ‘beauty myths’
5 Things NOT To Do To Your Skin this Summer.
5 of the worst things you can do to your skin during Summer.
1. Aggressive Facials
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By aggressive I mean any treatments that involve advanced exfoliation techniques, or includes terms such as chemical peels or microdermabrasion.
Also any facial procedures involving invasive techniques – cosmetic surgeries, nips, lifts, tucks – anything that pierces the face, should also be put off until the fall or winter, unless you would be recuperating in some retreat, indoors and far, far away from the hustle of life in the fast lane where the rest of us will be. If you would be at such a retreat, gwaan on along with your treatment and please do us all a favour and, like a good friend, not mention how ‘ super awesome’ it was.
Exposure to UV rays already increases skin’s sensitivity. No need to make this sensitivity worse by dousing your face in glycolic acid. This combination can result in your worse nightmare, including, but not limited to blisters, darkening of skin areas and disfigurement.
2. Skipping moisturizer
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Typically most skin types are more oily during the summer months. Those of us with naturally oily/ acne prone skin tend to forgo moisturizer altogether, thinking that this excess oil means that the skin moisturizes itself on it’s own. Increased oil production is usually a sign of dehydration, therefore it is important to replenish water levels in skin by increasing the amount of water you drink yes, but it’s said that only something like 10% of the water we drink actually make it to the skin. This is not something that you can quote me on, but considering that most of us barely pass the 2-glass mark daily for water, anything less than 115% absorption of this water we drink is cause for concern.
Therefore, applying a water-based, oil free moisturizer can help replenish the water levels in the skin. These types of moisturizers usually are labeled as such, may be referred to as a ‘gel’ or ‘fluid’ moisturizer and usually list ‘Water’ as the first ingredient.
Stay clear of anything that is labeled a ‘cream’, passes the ‘Dairy Queen’ test (you can turn the opened jar upside down and the contents not fall out), or contains mineral oil (or any such oil) in it’s ingredient listing.
3. Showering less
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“So many fun things to do, so little time!”
No papi. Not so fast.
It’s summer. It’s warm, and it’s humid. Bacteria are in love. They breed, and they multiply, which inevitably results in an odour. YOUR odour, aka B.O.
Hygiene in general needs to be thrown into high gear, and on autopilot. Automatic. Noone wants to out more fires than necessary at the BBQ lime.
Let’s remember the Summer watchwords – Shower & Shave.
4. Not exfoliating
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Closely related to #3, exfoliation of the body helps to remove excess oil buildup that may occur during the day. It helps skin to breathe, look instantly refreshed and ‘glow’, as manually exfoliating the body increases blood circulation.
You can cop one of those kazillion commercial body scrubs on the market and and get it on in the shower. However, I find most of them oily, and hardly worth their cost as most contain very little exfoliating ingredients.
Alternatives?
Dry brush your skin using a dry body brush before you shower, brushing in strokes that lead toward your heart (the direction in which your blood flows). I’ve read that dry brushing, among many other benefits such as shedding dead skin cells, rejuvenating the nervous system and assisting in lymphatic cleansing to name a few, also assists with decreasing the appearance of cellulite… could be as good a reason as any to try it I’d say. Hey, I’ve done more for the promise of far less.
I find dry brushing more effective than brushing your skin in the shower (wet brushing I presume, though this term makes me feel like I need handcuffs), as the bristles of the brushes, shown to the left, get softer in the shower.
I prefer my massage-pressure firm though, so if you are more of a light-pressure person, perhaps an in-shower brush-exfoliation may work. I do this twice a day – morning and evening.
For good measure, once a week I also do a body scrub, using a combination of cornmeal, honey and, for some slip, a bit of whatever body wash I’m using at the time. Sometimes I just use ground coffee beans and body wash. Whatever is convenient. For more on body exfoliation see Smooth Criminal.
5. Not using sunscreen
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To my melanin-challenged folks, we aren’t all skin-kissed, bronze goddesses, I get that. But that is no reason to opt to play Cancer Roulette. Besides, sun-burns aren’t sexy, no matter what reality TV says. If wanting a tan is your reason to ride the sun-wave buck nekked, get a sun-less tan. There are tons on the market. I’m familiar with the brand Fake Bake – it’s fairly easy to use, it’s sold where I work, doesn’t leave you looking like like you belong on the Jersey Shore cast, and so this particular brand comes to mind, but there are many other brands. Try that route.
For those of us who are doing backstrokes in the melanin pond, don’t believe the hype that “Black Don’t Crack”. Not only can it crack, it can get mad spotty and unslightly – dark spots, light spots, uneven skin tone – you name it. Skin damage is not known to discriminate.
Be responsible with your skin, and, for wrinkles sake, use sunscreen.
Party on!
b FiercelyFabulous
Parabens and YOU
Parabens. Parabens. Parabens.
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I’ve just cursed you in skincare language – 3 times too. Ha!
Parabens have received a pretty bad rep in skincare recently, resulting in large part from a UK study back in 2004 that looked at paraben-containing deoderant and it’s relation to breast cancer.
But before we get into that…”I know they are bad but…”
What ARE Parabens?
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Parabens are preservatives that are commonly used in the cosmetic, pharmaceutical and food industry to guard against bacterial and fungal activity, and prevent the growth of other possible organisms such as mold and yeast. They are widely used because they have been found to have the least ability to sensitize (cause redness and irritation, among other reactions) the skin in preparations that are left on the skin.
Parabens are easily identifiable as they would normally contain the word ‘paraben’, as in methylparaben, ethylparaben, etc.
Why use preservatives cosmetics?
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Well… let’s think about it for a second.
Take your everyday skincare cosmetics – Your cleanser. Your toner. Your moisturizer. – Chances are water is listed somewhere on the ingredient list.
This would be the case unless of course you are using something that contains no water at all, like 100% of an oil based substance – 100% Shea Butter for example, or perhaps loose powder (or ‘baby’ powder) which is basically 100% talc – no water present. We’re not talking about these. No water means no disease carrying organisms to worry about.
Think about mixing a concoction of different (edible) ingredients from your kitchen with water in a container, covering it and putting it away on a shelf. Then think about opening this container 12-24 months later. Would you drink the mixture? If not why not?
Cause it will be wrenk that’s why. Eww.
Bacteria and fungi have a field day and multiply in water (with the presence of oxygen), unless there is something, in this case some ingredient present that inhibits it’s growth.
The same concept applies regarding water-based skincare cosmetics – basically different ingredients suspended in water.
Therefore, it is important to use a preservative(s) in these cosmetics when it is required that they remain safe for use after sitting on a shelf in a store, on your dresser or worse – under the face-basin in your bathroom for a year… or two.
Okay… But what’s the deal?
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So back to the initial sentance, the real jibber-jabber with parabens came around 2004 when a UK-based study looked at the use of parabens in deoderants, and it’s connection to the development of breast cancer.
The Issue: Parabens have been shown to have estrogen-like qualities and they’ve also been shown to be absorbed into the body when applied topically, hence begging the question – Are they somehow cancer causing?
Studies and tests have shown that:
1. The estrogenic effects of parabens are thousands times lower than the most estrogenic compound in the body and that
2. Once they enter the body, parabens are incapable of imitating estrogen. The U.S Food & Drug Administration [FDA] has also stated:
“FDA is aware that estrogen activity in the body is associated with certain forms of breast cancer. Although parabens can act similarly to estrogen, they have been shown to have must less estrogenic activity than the body’s naturally occuring estrogen.”
Moreover, the Milady’s Skin Care and Cosmetic Ingredient’s Dictionary indicates that plant substances including but not limited to soybeans, strawberries, sage, dong quai, pumpkin, red clover and rosehips are considered to have natural estrogenic effects 1000 to 1,000,000 times stronger than parabens.
Righto. I type this as I inhale a bowl of fresh strawberries I just copped for 99c a carton.
So with no solid proof that parabens are related to [breast] cancer then…
Why the controversy?
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Who really knows?
There’s not nearly as much fuss over the use of tanning beds and its relation to skin cancer, and it can be argued that the case is much stronger for that link.
Perhaps, as with most other skin care myths, it’s just a marketing strategy, which means that the ‘controversy’ is being fueled by the skin care manufacturers – Those who have replaced the use of parabens in the skin care cosmetics with some other preservative, never mind they don’t state exactly what that preservative is, other than stating “Paraben Free” on the label.
Given that parabens were shown to be the least sensitizing, could it be that the replacement preservative(s) is/ are more sensitizing/ dangerous than the use of parabens?
Or perhaps, I don’t know, the replacement preservative used is less effective than parabens and therefore puts the user/ user’s skin at more risk if the product is either used past it’s safe-by date (which usually goes unchecked), or after having endured unfavourable conditions, like being out in the sun for example.
I can ponder forever.
Definitely something to think about while you sip your overpriced soy latte after making a trip to the local tanning salon.
Just sayin’.
b Freakin’Fabulous
Steppin’ on up!
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The term “anti-aging” is quite possibly one of the best marketing ideas this century, because , of course, it is virtually impossible to get physically get younger with time, whether or not it refers to the skin.
What we can do however is prevent the acceleration of the skin’s aging.
One of the best ways to prevent this acceleration is to do something. Even if you have the most basic of skin care routines – cleansing and moisturizing with pH balanced products i.e. a routine that doesn’t involve using soap-and-water followed by nothing, or worse, body lotion… on your face.
So if you are using a drug store skin care line religiously, twice a day – in the morning and before bedtime, you are already ahead of the pack.
However, if you’ve had this routine for some time and want to up the results of your skin care routine, here are a few options that you can look at.
1. Add an exfoliant and a mask.
Incorporate an exfoliant to assist in ridding dead skin cells, (enzyme or lactic acid based preferably, rather than a scrub type exfoliant) paired with an hydrating mask, to nourish skin/ replenish any water content that has been lost in the process.
If you must go with a scrub, avoid the ones with apricot and walnut shells, and look for ones with microbeads – tiny spherical substances, are much gentler on your face as the perfectly round and smooth surfaces prevent any micro tearing/ ripping action on the skin, which can lead to skin damage, sensitivity and of course, ugh, pigmentation.
2. Try a professional skin care line.
Another way to boost the results of your skin care is to try a professional skin care line. Your skin therapist, if you have one, can recommend the right one, along with the right type of cleanser/ toner/ moisturizer combo.
Professional skin care lines typically have more active ingredients in their ingredient list, either that or they use a higher percentage of these active ingredients, so, though they are typically a bit more expensive depending on the brand, you get more bang for your buck. Of course there is a point where you are just paying for the brand – we no likey those.
3. Get a professional skin treatment at least once a month.
Your skin therapist may recommend a customized program to start, in order that you both work to get your skin where you want to be, after which a treatment every 4 to 8 weeks ought to suffice.
~|~
Regardless of which route you choose to go, you ought to look at the product’s ingredient list to make sure it doesn’t contain skin sensitizing ingredients, for example:
- Mineral oil/ petrolatum or lanolin.
These ingredients have been shown to form an impervious layer that prevents oxygen, water, or anything else really from moving across it’s layer. Great concept for freezing food, but not so good when it comes to skin that needs to breathe, in order to prevent the development of “Dr. Zit”.
Choose other ingredients like shea butter, or jojoba oil for example that can provide the same benefits, while allowing your skin to breathe.
The following ingredients are well known to increase skin’s sensitivity, especially with regard to the sun:
- Fragrance / parfum
First or last ingredient, just avoid it.
- Denatured alcohol
E.g. rubbing alcohol, typical found in over the counter toners/ astringents, that are targeted to oily or acneic skin. Witch Hazel, as an ingredient, is a much better alternative.
- D&C colour (artificial colour).
Typically indicated by a primary colour name. Must your skin care really be electric blue?
So yeah pass on that Coconut Sorbet facial sunscreen lotion that’s on clearance rack; It’s there for a reason.
Thanks for the question AK!
b FiercelyFabulous.
Photo Credits: Tina Phillips / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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Sensitive vs. Sensitized
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Sensitive vs. Sensitized
A classic case of skin type vs. skin condition.
“Sensitive” and “sensitized” skin, are they one and the same? Are the words interchangeable? Do they both ‘basically’ refer to the same thing?
No. No, and No.
Yes, the picture is all butterflies, flowers and pink and all but it’s not a ‘girl’ only issue. The guys walking around with itchy, burning, red, or inflamed skin would attest to that I’m sure. Holla.
SENSITIVE
Sensitive skin is considered a skin type, meaning that you were born with it. As it’s in your genes you aren’t going to grow out of it, ever. It’s embedded in your DNA and nothing can be done to change the fact that you indeed were born with this particular skin type.
It is not uncommon for people of Celtic, Scottish or Irish descent to have this skin type. Other common traits of people with this skin type are:
- Light eyes
- Red hair and
- Almost transparent looking skin.
However, this is not absolute. This is a global world, breeds get mixed. Medium skin with light eyes? Yes. It is not impossible for darker skin to be genetically sensitive.
As sensitive skin is a genetic condition, it would stand to reason that if you have sensitive skin there is most likely someone else in your immediate family with sensitive skin – mom, dad, son, daughter, sister or brother.
It has also been found that:
- Allergies (e.g. hay fever)
- Eczema and/ or
- Asthma
are genetic predispositions often associated with a sensitive skin type.
SENSITIZED
Sensitized skin, or skin that has been environmentally sensitized is considered to be a skin condition.
A skin condition is the present state that the skin is in. As such, skin conditions can vary from year to year, season to season and even from day to day. Your skin condition in the morning can even be different from that in the afternoon. It is a temporary state of the skin which can be treated.
Many factors can trigger sensitivity/ environmental sensitization of the skin. These include but are not limited to:
- Aging
- Cosmetic Products
- Diet
- Climate
- Hormones
- Stress
- Environmental Assault
- Impaired barrier function of skin
All of which will be discussed in a later post.
Keeping the skin both calm and hydrated is the most effective way to decrease skin’s sensitivity and keep it under control.
And you’d want to do this why? Because skin that remains in a red, irritated or inflamed state over extended periods of time is skin that is prone to hyperpigmentation (darkening), deep lines and wrinkles aka signs of accelerated aging. Yeah, you’d want to not do that; Premature aging is not Sexy.
If you can help slow down the signs of aging just by soothing inflamed, irritated skin, why wouldn’t you?
Stay tuned for a further discussion on triggers, treatment options, and my favourite topic – useful ingredients to look for in skin care products .
b FiercelyFabulous
Photo credits: Tina Phillips / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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POSSIBLY RELATED GC POSTS
Tip | Skin Types
Q/A: Skin type vs. Skin condition
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Anti-Aging Tip #3 | Preserve the skin’s protective barrier
She got it from her mama
Humans are an interesting bunch.
We are so technologically advanced at times, yet at the same time it’s amazing the things we accept as truth. “Anti-Aging” for example, must be one of the most overused words this decade, yet when you really think about is, is ‘anti-aging’ possible?
No.
A perfect example of marketing at it’s finest.
Truth is, although aging (an alteration in structure, appearance and function of skin as taken in this context) cannot be prevented, it can be accelerated.
Aging is a continuous process that starts the day that you were born. It is one of life’s harshest realities; the degree of harshness of course, is dependent on many factors including both Skin Type (genetics) and Lifestyle (how you choose to live your life) – just how much you didn’t care about your skin in your 20s shows up in your 40s, if you’ve paced yourself socially, earlier if thought then that life was running away from you.
As you can imagine, there are many factors that influence how a person ages. These factors may be classified as being either Intrinsic or Extrinsic in nature.
Intrinsic Aging refers to that which may be naturally expected to happen with time. It is said that 10% of our aging is intrinsic i.e. 10% of how we age is beyond our control and is affected by:
1. good old Father Time and
2. Genetics, that which your parents were so kind enough to give to you, like those allergies, and those toes.
A whooping 90% of our aging however, is extrinsic, meaning that it is under our control. Can you imagine that? Ninety percent.
What we eat, what we do, where we go and how we go there, as well as what we don’t eat, what we don’t do, where we don’t go and how we don’t go there can determine how well or how dreadfully awful we age.
Extrinsic factors would include:
- Diet, nutrition and overall health
- Lifestyle
- Exposure to UVA and UVB radiation, like the sun’s rays)
- Smoking
- Excessive alcohol consumption
- Stress
- Medication
- Environment, or other such external factors, for example if you injured yourself or otherwise did some damage to your skin. Or for example, if you live day in day out in metropolitan smog or if you live your life breathing in the fresh Caribbean breeze in some laid back tropical paradise.
- Hormonal
As you may, or may not, imagine, a significant amount of extrinsic aging may be attributed to aging as a result of the damage that is done to the skin as a result of the over exposure to UV radiation, which is otherwise referred to as ‘photo-aging’, a state where the skin is irreparably damaged.
Photo-aging may occur on it’s own or as a result of other ‘lifestyle’ factors. For example, the heightened sensitivity to the sun’s UV rays that occurs within the skin when something like alcohol is ingested. Smoking, quite a few over the counter medications as well as poor nutrition can also make your skin more sensitive to the sun’s rays aka burn more easily when you are outdoors.
So yes, she may have got it from her mama, but if she’s over 35 and can still get carded, best believe that there are a whole lot of other things that she, and her mama for that matter, have been doing right, like using a cleanser that’s an upgrade from soap perhaps, or using sunscreen… for starters.
be FiercelyFabulous.
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Anti-Aging Tip #6
What is it? | "Dry Scalp"
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In the Caribbean, we are familiar with ‘dry scalp’, a term that is used to explain almost any scalp condition that involves powdery flakes – on the scalp, in the hair, on someone’s back and on their clothing, which usually serves as a source of embarrassment. Some also use this state as an indication to shampoo their hair.
The term ‘dry scalp’ is also used to refer to another condition, also called dandruff – thick patches of scale that are caked to the scalp, that may also be associated with acne-like bumps on the head.
In it’s mildest form, ‘dry scalp’ is harmless, although it can do a number on your social life.
Dr. Patricia Yap, a dermatologist who practices in Jamaica and specializes in black skin, states that:
The medical term for ‘dry scalp’ is Seborrheic Eczema/ Dermatitis. It is a condition that is usually accompanied by itching, redness or whitening of the scalp and face. Other parts of the body can also become involved, such as the hairline, eyebrows, and the sides of the nose, behind and in the ears, in the middle of the chest and back and in the groin. These areas have the highest concentration of sebaceous (oil) glands. It can also be found in infants and when present during infancy, is called cradle cap when present on the scalp but can affect the entire body of the enfant.
Seborrheic eczema is a subdivision of eczema and is based solely on clinical grounds. The term “seborrheic” is thought to be misleading because seborrhoea (a medical term applied to describe an accumulation on the skin of the normal sebaceous secretion mixed with dirt and forming scales or a distinct incrustation) is not always present and is not required to make a diagnosis.
It has been proven that pityrosporum, a type of yeast, plays an active role in Seborrheic eczema. These yeasts are oil-loving organisms, (lipophilic) and are normally found on the skin in areas where oil (sebaceous) glands are abundant.
Findings
In her Jamaican practice, Dr. Yap has found that Seborrheic eczema:
- Exists in infants
- Is commonest in young adults, females more so than males
- Is common in patients with Parkinson’s disease and immuno-suppression.
Symptoms
Large quantities of these organisms can give rise to the following:
1. Inflammation, which results in redness, scaly or dry patches on skin, especially after washing face.
2. Itching and burning of the face when hot or after face is washed.
3. Hair loss when combing or even tugging on hair. This worsens after the hair is chemically processed, as often during chemical treatments, there is excessive burning, which causes acute damage to the scalp.
4. Uneven skin tone – whitening or darkening of the areas involved, especially those on the face.
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Dr. Yap found it interesting that, in the the Jamaican culture, it is not uncommon for hairdressers to suggest oiling of the scalp for effective treatment of this condition. While oiling of the scalp makes the flakes less obvious (masking the flakes), it worsens the condition as the presence of this oil provides a rich breeding ground for the reproduction of the Pityrosporum yeasts, and so they remain.
Some factors she highlights that contribute to the high incidence of Seborrheic eczema in Jamaica are:
1. Genetic
This condition is hereditary, i.e. the patient has a first degree relative e.g. a mother, father, daughter or son, with this condition.
2. Cultural Practices
Because of certain hair styles and processes, it is not uncommon for many women to wash their hair no more than twice a month. This natural oil buildup, coupled with oiling of the scalp provides an ideal environment for multiplication of these yeasts.
3. Environmental
Heat worsens this condition, and the tropical climate of Jamaica provides the ideal temperature for growth of these yeasts, which grow best between 27 and 30 degrees Celsius - the temperature of Jamaica in summer when the condition has been found to be most prevalent.
4. Stress
During stress, oil glands are more active. It is then perhaps as a result of the increased production of oil, the yeasts multiply and conquer. It is then no coincidence that individuals who are often under stress, for example police officers, lawyers, accountants and students who are studying for exams for example, often are affected by this condition.
5. Hormonal
Seborrheic eczema has been shown to be more active near menstruation as well as during pregnancy.
6. The overuse of harsh cleansing soaps like blue soap, Protex and Lifebuoy.
The pH of the skin is about 5.5, which is the optimal pH needed for the skin to fight off infection, bacteria, yeasts and potential viruses.
Using harsh soaps, which are alkaline in nature, alters the pH of the skin, leaving it susceptible to the invasion of the yeasts that perpetuate this condition.
The use of antibacterial soaps kill the normal bacterial flora needed to fight the growth of the yeast.
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In my view, many of Dr. Yap’s findings may be applied to the wider Caribbean, and possibly to other areas of the world where such conditions and/ or practices, as listed above, are found.
Seborrheic Eczema/ Dermatitis is a treatable condition, you do not have to live with its symptoms for the rest of your life.
When present on the scalp in it’s mildest form, this condition can be rectified by washing hair regularly, at least 2-3 times a week – not necessarily everyday because then you may develop other issues, especially if your hair is naturally dry.
For other acute forms, or if for some reason you are unable to wash your hair that regularly, seek the advice of a dermatologist. Seborrheic Eczema/ Dermatitis shows up very differently in darker skins than it does in lighter skins, so if you fall in the former category, it would be in your best interest to seek the advice of a dermatologists who specializes in black skin.
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Source, (Reproduced with permission):
Pamphlet: “This Thing called Dry, Itchy, Scalp”, Dr. Patricia Yap - MBBS, Dip. Derm.; F.A.A.D
Presentation: “Seborrheic Dermatitis: The Jamaican Experience”, – Dr. Patricia Yap - MBBS, Dip. Derm.; F.A.A.D
Dr. Yap is a dermatologist practicing in Jamaica. She is a member of the Dermatology Association of Jamaica and a Fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology. She runs her own practice at:
Apex Skin and Laser Centre
2A Molynes Road
Kingston 10
Jamaica W.I.
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Clean roots, Soften ends
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Anti-Aging Tip #1
HELP! My skin is schizo
Q/A : Oil on 'Oily'
It’s great to find something that works – a relationship, a pair of jeans, and yes even a facial cleanser.
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” I have sensitive, combination skin, with oily patches and terribly dry, flaky patches. I usually use foaming washes or scrubs, which have sometimes helped but largely… not so much. I live in the Caribbean and flew North over Christmas time, and my face dried out so badly I was like a snake shedding skin. Then I tried a “Cleansing Milk”. Not to sound like a cheezy ad, but it was like a miracle; No more flaking, my skin was soft and smooth, and no breakouts. I’m currently back home and I’ve kept using it. It’s been a week and my skin still looks great.
My question is, how does this make sense??? everything that I’ve been told about skin care suggests that I should avoid an oil based cleanser, yet this contains nothing BUT oil and it is making my skin thrive. How does that work?”
…
Oil on ‘oily’ skin? I know right, totally doesn’t follow logic. Maybe then:
1. Combination Dry
Your skin is combination yes, but combination dry, rather than combination oily, which would explain why your skin would benefit more from products that are formulated for dry skin types rather than products that are formulated for oily ones.
Alternatively:
2. Dry & Dehydrated
It is possible that your skin isn’t oily at all, and really is more of a dry skin type (sensitive skins usually are) that is also dehydrated, a skin condition that is very prevalent in tropical climates.
Dehydrated skin lacks water, and as the skin cannot produce water to hydrate itself on its own, (it will require that you either use hydrating moisturizers and/ or increase your water intake), the skin will produce more of what it can produce – oil. The over production of oil in this way can give the impression that your skin is combination oily when really is isn’t, because you see oil, but it’s not all over your face – only in certain areas, so you don’t think that your skin is outright ‘oily’, so ‘combination’ is the next best guess.
Dry skin types lack oil, which may explain why your skin is absolutely thriving with a milk cleanser rather than a foamy cleanser, which is normally very stripping for dry skin types.
Of course being in a temperate country for the winter only makes a naturally dry skin type more dry and irritated, which is what probably prompted you to use a lipid based cleansing solution, like the milk cleansing solution in the first place. These ‘milk’ solutions, especially when ‘ (artificially) fragrance/ parfum free’, are usually specifically formulated for sensitive skins as well, and don’t contain harsh cleansing agents that would further irritate skin, resulting red/ dry/ flakey/ tight skin.
So although the product is largely oil/ lipid based, it is possible to see a dramatic improvement after switching to this product because it addresses at least 2 of the 3 possible challenges your skin faces:
- Combination (normal to dry) &
- sensitive
Many cleansing milks contain ‘natural extracts. Though some of these may seem like oils, it is not uncommon for certain extracts to have hydrating properties that will deal with your skin’s 3rd possible underlying condition – dehydration, which will result in your skin itself producing less oil, and seeming to be more balanced.
Alternatively, as you did think that your skin was more on the oily side, you may have been using a moisturizer that contains less oil, and therefore more water or another hydrating ingredient, which will work with your milk cleanser to address this dehydration, which results in your skin producing less oil.
Less oil production by the skin = less breakouts, as the ideal conditions (excess sebum/ oil) for this type of bacterial activity no longer exists. This type of moisturizer will still work with the milk cleanser because your skin doesn’t seem to be chronically dry so this balance of oil and water products can work quite well.
So… boom, bang, boom.
You have a product that works perfectly for your skin type and conditions
Scrubs (with spherical micro-beads) do well at helping to exfoliate the excess flakiness on dry skin, maybe 2-3 times a week.
However, it must be followed up with a moisturizer that would replace the oil that is lost/ hardly present. So maybe you can do the scrubs at nighttime, and follow with a rich, thick, cream moisturizer, to allow your skin to rebalance itself while you sleep. That way when you follow with your normal cleansing routine the next morning, you wouldn’t have the excess oil that the thicker cream would have left on your face still lingering during the day.
Thanks for asking. Keep the questions coming.
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Q/A: Skin type vs. Skin condition
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Skin Type | Oily Skin
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BMP Tip 3 | 5 easy ways to look 10 years older
Wearing foundation in the wrong undertone.
Take the time to figure out what the undertone of your skin is. Typically medium to darker skins have a yellow undertone and fair skins have a pink undertone. However, this may not hold true for everyone as Mediterranean skin can have an olive undertone.
Your skin undertone will establish the colour foundation that you should wear, as well as the hues of coloured cosmetics that will work effortlessly well for you – eyeshadows, cheek colour, as well as lip colour – sticks, glosses or stains as well as other things like clothing and hair colour.
Knowing your skin undertone, and choosing the right hues to compliment it, is a guaranteed way of looking your best self even on your worst day; regardless of whatever else is going on, your skin will always glow and your eyes will always sparkle because of the colour that surrounds them.
This also holds true for wearing too thick a layer of the right colour or wearing too much concealer on dark circles. Holy Concealer Batman!
For all my tanning and bronzing fiends, this also falls in this category. No-one is naturally orange. And as exciting as you’d like everyone to believe your life is, no-one’s gonna believe your fake bronzed look in the middle of the holiday season. There is a huge difference between naturally warming up the skin with cosmetics and artificial tanning.
Work with the skin colour you were given. Keep it at a hundred and let your true self shine. If you wish to use the tanning creams to give you a hint of colour then do so, but lets not go overboard.
If you use a tanning bed, please stop. It’s not smart, you will only damage your skin.
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5 Simple Ways to Look 10 years older | BMP Tip 2
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5 Simple Ways to Look 10 years older | BMP Tip 2
Lest you be found guilty by the Beauty & Makeup Police (BMP) while you try your very best to get your festive sexy on this holiday season, here is a second easy way to look 10 years older.
Wearing too much powder
Because it’s cakey and aging.
Packed on powder doesn’t stand up well to bright lights and flashing camera lights. Also if you have started to wrinkle or even if you have laugh lines, it’s just way too easy for the creasing lines to be more pronounced by wearing too much powder, as the powder will tend to break apart and crack in a sort of arid, desert lands steez.
Further to this, unless you are of a fair complexion, do not believe the hype that translucent powder matches ‘every’ skin color. It doesn’t.
There are over 6 billion of us here, if finding a similarity between all of us was as easy as translucent powder, then World Peace would not be an issue. Skin and skin tones, like human beings are way too complex for anything to be even remotely that simple.
Find powder in your skin tone, apply it over any foundation or concealer that you may be wearing and call that a day. Unless you’ve been sweating up a storm crunking in the club and have totally removed your makeup, use oil absorbing or blotting sheets to get rid of the shine, rather than apply more powder.
In a crunch? Those sanitary toilet seat ‘paper’ covers, grab one (a clean one) tear it in some manageable sized square-ish shapes and stash a few in your pocketbook.
They function in pretty much the same way as those commercial blotting sheets and work better than tissue, as they don’t leave any white residue behind. This way you don’t look all spotted when the UV black light comes on in the club.
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Possibly related GC posts
5 simple ways to look 10 years older | BMP Tip 1
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Anti-Aging Tip #6
Wear Sun Screen
This should have been the first Anti-Aging tip, but I didn’t want it to get lost in the melee.
Badly damaging skin due to unprotected exposure to the sun’s UV rays is the greatest way to accelerate your skin’s aging process.
The best anti-aging advice anyone can give is to avoid excessive sun exposure and at the very least, wear a broad spectrum sun screen that protects against both UVA and UVB rays.
Everyone should wear sunscreen daily, SPF 15 minimum. Lighter skin types, Fitzpatrick skin types (I, II and III), should wear sunscreen containing a minimum of SPF 20.
Exposure to ultraviolet radiation emitted by the sun, even in small daily doses, results in free radical action on skin that enables the destruction of natural collagen and elastin fibres in skin, causing skin to lose elasticity and tone, as well as develop wrinkles, crows feet and frown lines.
We live in modern times. There are many types of sunscreen products in various formulations/ weights in creams, lotions and fluids. No longer does sunscreen have to smell of bananas and coconuts, be oily, or cause acne breakouts. There are formations that incorporate sunscreen into moisturizers and foundations. Alternatively sunscreen can be worn alone or under makeup. There are sunscreens formulated for the face and others formulated for the body. The options are endless.
It may be cute and ‘cool’ to bake in the sun and live in tanning beds when we are young, but not so cute to have to consider replacing the lost collagen in our skin when we are older, by the use of injectable fillers or surgical procedures.
Though darker skin types are better protected against the damaging sun’s rays, they are not immune to aging.
So really, there is no excuse to not wearing it.
Playing russian roulette with your skin health is so 80′s.
For more on Sun Screens see post Sun and Skin Types
Lotion up!
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