A question came through about finding a good eye cream for lines around the eyes and also combatting dry flaky skin around the eye area. Let me start off by saying that sometimes what we may think are "wrinkles" are actually dehydration lines or actual expression lines and it's important to know what it is that you have before you try to treat. If you smile and get little lines around your eyes from the movement your face is making, then those are expression lines. Using eye treatments and exfoliators will help keep them from getting deeper in the long run but as long as you're smiling you'll always have them (at least you're actually smiling, no?!)
Dehydration is a little harder for one to self-diagnose but you can take a look at your skin as a whole to know if you're suffering from dehydration. Is your skin tight or more irritated than usual? Does it not have a plump appearance? Maybe you're noticing little striations on your skin and even some flakiness building up. A lot of people confuse dehydration for dry skin because it manifests itself similarly. I always say the face is like a grape and when it's dehydrated it turns into a prune, which I know none of us want to look like. Make sure you're drinking a minimum of 64oz of water daily, exfoliating regularly, and hydrating your skin with oils, serums, moisturizers and masks (especially in this weather!).
Now onto the eye area! I'm gonna give tips that work across the board that if you don't have fine lines will help keep them at bay and if you do can help smooth the area a bit. Like I said before, exfoliation is important, but you're probably wondering how the heck could you exfoliate the delicate eye area?! Now don't go on using scrub around your eyes, I may have to pound on you a bit..
My personal solution is the Naseberry Eye Exfoliant by Eminence Organics. It's a super gentle exfoliator specifically meant for the eye area to keep the area smooth, wrinkle-free and it also helps to prepare the delicate skin for your eye treatment. It also helps to get rid of any dry, flaky skin around the eyes that can pop up during this winter weather. You can smooth it around your orbital bone, leave it on for 5mins to work its magic and just wipe it off, super simple! For my natural and organic people, they also have a Naseberry Eye Treatment to use after the exfoliator which is very lovely and hydrating for the eye area and prevents that pesky dehydration.
Another great product for exfoliation is the Actifirm Z-peel. The beauty about this product is that it can be used not only around the eye area, but all over the face and lips to offer a gentle enzyme exfoliation, so it's like a triple whammy! Apply a thin layer over your desired area and use a warm towel over your face to activate. It's okay if your skin turns red or flushes, it's just the product boosting circulation to the area. Wipe off after 7-10mins and moisturize! Both the Eminence and Actifirm products can be used once a week to exfoliate the eye area and are available for purchase at www.dermstore.com.**
As far as eye creams are concerned I always leave that up to personal preference. Many people are partial to certain types of consistencies so I always like to let them be the judge. They may want some super antioxidants that I may recommend in an eye balm but if they don't like the consistency, then they won't use it. Here are some of my recommendations:
Eye gel: Triple Oxygen Instant Energizing Eye Gel- Great for puffiness, hydration and relieving tired eyes. You can keep this one in the fridge to speed up the de-puffing action in the mornings! www.blissworld.com
Eye cream: Mario Badescu Hyaluronic Eye Cream- This is a great, simple eye cream to moisturize the eye area and keep fine lines at bay. www.mariobadescu.com
Eye balm: Skinceuticals Eye Balm- This one is for drier or mature skin, it helps with existing damage around the eye area and replaces lost moisture. www.skinceuticals.com
Natural/Organic Options: Along with the Eminence products, a few other options are the eye cream by Acure Organics (this is what I'm currently using and I'm in love!) It has a cream/balmy consistency and the ingredients help to promote collagen production and keep wrinkles away. Another great option for super serious eye people is the eye serum by Kahina Giving Beauty. Serums penetrate the skin at a deeper level since the molecules are smaller than creams and balms, so you get more benefits out of them. It's rich in antioxidants (they help fight wrinkles!) and it also gives a boost for collagen production with a nice silky finish. You can find these two options at www.spiritbeautylounge.com
Finding an eye cream that you absolutely love can take a little trial and error, but be patient, I know you're going to find something you love! Be sure to give your eyes a little tlc by gently massaging your eye area when you put your eye treatment on. Another tip I give clients is to be mindful how they sleep, side sleeping and belly sleeping cause fluids to go straight to your face, resulting in puffiness. So if you suffer from puffy eyes, sleep on your back! for the record, cold tea bags and cucumber slices do work to reduce puffiness, so when you have some time just lay back and treat yourself! Hope these tips were helpful, leave your questions and comments below!
**Please be mindful when using anything to exfoliate your skin if you're on any dermatological treatments, such as Retinol, Tazorac or Accutane. We don't need you looking like Samantha from Sex and the City in that one episode we all know. Consult with your doctor or esthetician before using a new exfoliating treatment!
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Monday, February 10, 2014
Skin health from the inside out: take your vitamins!
I wanted this first post to be about taking care of your skin internally because that is definitely the foundation to great skin! It is also a question that I got last week from one of my darling friends wondering what they should take to take good care of their skin and body daily. Now I'm not talking about those little flintstone's vitamins we all took as kids (I would pick out only the red ones to eat) but the real deal stuff! Here's a list of things I recommend and also take myself (I buy my personal vitamin stash at Trader Joe's) :)
*Daily Multivitamin: If you're gonna take only one vitamin make sure it's a multi! You're gonna get your A through Zinc which are all important for daily body and skin functions. Some important ones you wanna look for in your multi:
B3 (niacin/niacinamide)- Helps to strengthen the barrier of the skin so it can protect itself
Zinc- Helps to reduce inflammation
A, C, E- Help with anti-aging and fighting free radicals
Vitamins A, C and E are also essential in topical application of the skin, you can read more about them here: http://www.prevention.com/beauty/beauty/5-best-vitamins-beautiful-skin
*Evening primose oil: Helps with eczema and acne since it has anti-inflammatory properties. It can also help people suffering from hair loss. Can also be a good way to moisturize from the inside.
*Omega 3 fatty acids: Also an anti-inflammatory, not only helps with acne but also helps people suffering from psoriasis and rosacea.
Another more obvious thing to do to maintain skin health is eating as healthy and clean as possible. Add as much color into your diet to get as many nutrients as possible in a natural way. Fruits and vegetables are THEE way to go and you'll definitely notice a difference in your skin when you start incorporating more into your diet! Every morning I eat my oatmeal with fresh organic berries and I snack on fruits like pineapple, mango and bananas to keep me full in between meals :)
Water is VITAL to the skin and is its primary makeup, so drink half your weight in water everyday if you can! Spruce it up with some fruits like berries, citrus fruits and watermelon to give it some flavor. You can even incorporate cucumber and mint to change it up :) Drinking herbal tea is another way to up your water intake. I drink Yogi Tea Skin Detox** on a regular to maintain glowing skin and i recommend it to all my friends and clients and they love it! I sweeten it with a teaspoonful of Nature's Way Coconut Oil** which is so good for so many things such as regulating blood-sugar levels, controlling cholesterol and kill infections and viruses. I also love to use this coconut oil in my hair, on my face and on my body to hydrate and moisturize :)
I hope this post was useful to you guys! If you have any questions about this post or want to know about other vitamins and minerals, leave a comment below!
**You can purchase Yogi Tea and Nature's Way Coconut oil at my favorite website, Vitacost, and get $10 off your purchase of $30 or more! Use my site code: https://www.vitacostrewards.com/g1WBBeh
*Daily Multivitamin: If you're gonna take only one vitamin make sure it's a multi! You're gonna get your A through Zinc which are all important for daily body and skin functions. Some important ones you wanna look for in your multi:
B3 (niacin/niacinamide)- Helps to strengthen the barrier of the skin so it can protect itself
Zinc- Helps to reduce inflammation
A, C, E- Help with anti-aging and fighting free radicals
Vitamins A, C and E are also essential in topical application of the skin, you can read more about them here: http://www.prevention.com/beauty/beauty/5-best-vitamins-beautiful-skin
*Evening primose oil: Helps with eczema and acne since it has anti-inflammatory properties. It can also help people suffering from hair loss. Can also be a good way to moisturize from the inside.
*Omega 3 fatty acids: Also an anti-inflammatory, not only helps with acne but also helps people suffering from psoriasis and rosacea.
Another more obvious thing to do to maintain skin health is eating as healthy and clean as possible. Add as much color into your diet to get as many nutrients as possible in a natural way. Fruits and vegetables are THEE way to go and you'll definitely notice a difference in your skin when you start incorporating more into your diet! Every morning I eat my oatmeal with fresh organic berries and I snack on fruits like pineapple, mango and bananas to keep me full in between meals :)
Water is VITAL to the skin and is its primary makeup, so drink half your weight in water everyday if you can! Spruce it up with some fruits like berries, citrus fruits and watermelon to give it some flavor. You can even incorporate cucumber and mint to change it up :) Drinking herbal tea is another way to up your water intake. I drink Yogi Tea Skin Detox** on a regular to maintain glowing skin and i recommend it to all my friends and clients and they love it! I sweeten it with a teaspoonful of Nature's Way Coconut Oil** which is so good for so many things such as regulating blood-sugar levels, controlling cholesterol and kill infections and viruses. I also love to use this coconut oil in my hair, on my face and on my body to hydrate and moisturize :)
I hope this post was useful to you guys! If you have any questions about this post or want to know about other vitamins and minerals, leave a comment below!
**You can purchase Yogi Tea and Nature's Way Coconut oil at my favorite website, Vitacost, and get $10 off your purchase of $30 or more! Use my site code: https://www.vitacostrewards.com/g1WBBeh
Starting New!!
Well I haven't been around this corner in some time! I deleted every past post so that I could start off fresh and what I'd like to do is cater to anyone who is reading this! I don't want to just post about whatever comes out of my ass, I want to give YOU answers to YOUR questions!
A lot of friends have come forward texting, emailing, instagramming and facebooking me asking me for help with their hair, face, makeup, itchy skin, breakouts, everything really! I want to put everything in a place where not only they can read it and get help but where everyone can benefit from the advice and maybe add in their two cents on things as well so everyone helps each other out!
So by all means, keep sending me your questions and come visit the blog to see your answers! I'll post up on facebook as well when a new post comes up!
A lot of friends have come forward texting, emailing, instagramming and facebooking me asking me for help with their hair, face, makeup, itchy skin, breakouts, everything really! I want to put everything in a place where not only they can read it and get help but where everyone can benefit from the advice and maybe add in their two cents on things as well so everyone helps each other out!
So by all means, keep sending me your questions and come visit the blog to see your answers! I'll post up on facebook as well when a new post comes up!
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