New You Resolutions!

The holidays are right around the corner, and we all know what that means – New Year’s Resolutions!  Instead of making a resolution that you know will be ridiculously hard to keep, here’s a list of 10 resolutions that will be easy and beneficial for your skin and health!
1. WEAR SUNSCREEN EVERY DAY – We know, we know…we preach this every blog almost.  But that should tell you how important a daily SPF of 30 or higher is!  Many women don’t like the texture of sunscreen, but with so many new formula’s coming out, it’s easy to find one you like. Look for "nongreasy" or "sheer" on the label.  Try our private-label Topix spray zinc, or La Roche Posay’s “Shaka” Anthelios 60 Ultra-Light Fluide, available at www.skincarekorner.com.
2. TAKE OFF YOUR MAKEUP AT NIGHT- As someone who is a guilty party when it comes to night time makeup remover, this will absolutely be one of my resolutions this year! You've known since middle school that makeup can mix with skin oils and dirt to cause zits. Cosmetics can also trap skin-damaging free radicals that float in the air (think: bus exhaust) against your skin. But it always seems like such a hassle to drag yourself to the bathroom and splash water everywhere!  So what can make it easier? If you have no plans for the evening, wash you face as soon as you get home and into your comfy clothes!  Still too burdening?  Use a makeup remover towelette for easy makeup removal.
3. BOOK A YEARLY MOLE CHECK – It’s once a year, but having a mole checkup is crucial, even if you are doing monthly self exams. It could mean the difference between life and death.

4. EXFOLIATE REGULARLY – The first thing we notice as we get older is our dull complexion.  Did you know a baby’s skin replenishes itself every 14 days, but by age 30, it takes 28 days? Scrub away the dead skin with an exfoliator!  Try Vivite’s Exfoliating Facial Cleanser once or twice a week, or a daily cleanser containing glycolic acid such as Topix Glycolic 10% Cleanser, which will help your skin stay smooth and bright!  Both are available at www.skincarekorner.com.

5. CLEAN YOUR MAKEUP BRUSHES - Brushes collect makeup, skin oils, and dead skin cells, making them a breeding ground for bacteria. Wash your tools twice a month with your facial cleanser or an antibacterial hand soap.  Rinse well, squeeze out excess water, and allow to dry thoroughly before using again.

November Product Spotlight- Topix

The arrival of November brings our Spotlight to Topix!

Topix Pharmaceuticals provides our Skin Care Krew with our very own line of products. From retinols to sunscreens, Topix has our patients covered. Antioxidant rich, Topix products can be very calming and soothing to the skin. 

Some of our favorite products will be covered this month not only by our regular Krew, but also other members of our Blair Plastic Surgery Staff.

Are there any specific products you would like to see reviewed? Leave your suggestions in the comments or email us at skincarekrew@gmail.com

-Diane

Things I didn't know

I don’t know about you, but I feel like every day I’m bombarded with TV and infomercials with new tips and techniques to make my skin look “flawless” or “perfect.”  Truth is, nothing in this world can make your skin look like the airbrushed supermodels in your monthly Cosmo.  And, like all of you, I am tired of companies trying to persuade me to purchase their very expensive products in order to attain this so-called “perfection.”  So here is a list of things that you’ve probably not heard that are relatively easy (and cheap) to do.  While they won’t make your skin perfect, they will definitely help to improve!

1.       Even the cheapest lotion will work.

Afraid to use that lotion from your hotel room?  Don’t be.  Any emollient will not only temporarily plump up fine lines but also help prevent skin aging.  Any lotion containing glycerin, Shea butter, or any other basic hydrator will help your skin by moisturizing it, increasing elasticity, and helping to decrease flakiness.  That being said, do you want to use your hotel lotion every day?  Probably not.  For everyday use, Dr. Fanny recommends a cream or lotion that contain ingredients such as glycolic (to help with cell turnover), peptides (to stimulate collagen growth), or antioxidants (to fight against DNA-damaging free radicals.

2.       Relax your face while working out.

Everyone knows that exercising regularly is great for your skin.  But are you conscience of the facial expressions you’re making when you lift those weights?  Clenching your teeth, clenching your jaw and throat can make the cords in their neck pop out and become more prominent, as well as pull down the face.  Instead, try to relax your face as much as possible.

3.       When we say wear a daily sunscreen, we really mean daily.

I can’t tell you how many patients have told me they don’t wear a daily sunscreen.  Why?  Because “it’s dark when I leave for work, and it’s dark when I get home.” Don’t assume you aren’t going to have ANY exposure to the sun on a daily basis. Unlike UVB light, UVA rays travel through windows in the office, home, and car.  UVA rays are the long, aging rays, and have been discovered to be carcinogenic.  SPF 30 in a broad-spectrum sunscreen needs to be worn daily in order to protect your skin.  No ifs, ands, or buts.

4.       Don’t sit too close to that space heater.

With winter and cooler weather coming, women (even on our office) are breaking out the space heathers!  All the SPF and sun avoidance in the world can't protect you from the space heater next to your desk or the fireplace in your living room.  Redness, flushing, broken capillaries, and breakdown of collagen are all caused from sitting to close to direct heat.  So what’s too close?  Experts advise sitting at least 10 feet away from the heat source.

5.       Don’t over-fill.

Women are beginning to realize that fuller faces look younger, and have started getting filler injections to help reverse the years.  Radiesse, Juvéderm, Sculptra, and other volume fillers are more widely available than ever.  But don’t overdo it.  Eyes, mouths, and jawlines can become dwarfed by filling in the cheeks and naso-labial folds to the extremes.  Instead, ask your doctor to just fill in the places where the fat had gone away with age – the temples, front of the ears, and chin.  By making your face fuller from the outside, the softness of your face increases without looking overdone or unnatural.

6.       Banish those straws!

Water, water, water.  We all know water is one secret to great skin.  However, how you drink the water can also have an effect.  Women who drink from straws or out of plastic water bottles with small openings are the most common to suffer from unwanted peri-oral wrinkles and fine lines.  The constant pursing can aggravate the current lines, as well as even create new ones!  When drinking your water, opt to drink from a glass or carry a reusable bottle with a spout so you can squirt the water in.  New reusable water bottles have been designed with large openings to prevent this as well.

 

7.       Sleep position can cause wrinkles.

When we sleep on our sides or stomach as night, the skin on our face is pressed into a pillowcase all night.  There are two potential problems with this.  First, pillow cases need to be washed once a week.  Oil and dirt, as well as makeup (if you don’t wash your face at night) can get trapped in the pillowcase and transfer onto your skin as you sleep, causing acne and blackheads.  Keeping the case clean protects against this.  Second, the smoother the pillowcase, the better.  The skin in pressed against the wrinkles of your pillowcase as you sleep, causing them to transfer.  The best way to avoid this is sleeping on your back. However, if this is not an option, we recommend satin or silky pillowcases, or if you prefer cotton, the highest thread count available.

-Rebecca

Featured Product Line- Skinceutical

October's featured product line is Skinceuticals! Since 2001, Dr Fanny has incorporated this product line into the care of our patients.

Skinceuticals is truly a skincare line that has the science behind the products. Dr. Pinnell, Skinceutical's founding scientist has changed the face of antioxidant technology. Dr Pinnell now holds 10 patents for antioxidants and skin treatments! Most of these products only are effective because of the patents that he developed.

Skinceuticals has products available for all skin types, and is committed to educating patients on the importance of antioxidants and skin protection.

We will be reviewing many of our favorite products this month. What products would you like to know more about?

-Rebecca

Product Line Spotlight- La Roche Posay

La Roche Posay is our featured skin care line this month over at www.skincarekorner.com! To know why we are featuring such a great product line, we wanted to give all of our subscribers a bit of background on this line and explain why La Roche Posay is known for longevity in the skincare industry.

La Roche Posay is a small village in the heart of France that has a one of a kind, selenium rich spring flowing through it. Selenium is a powerful antioxidant with heavy duty healing properties. The people of the village have known for a very long time that their spring, and the Thermal Spring Water that bubbled up from it, was something special. In fact, The Thermal Center was established as a hospital for dermatological problems and healing and gained recognition from the French Medical Academy in 1865 for efficacy of Thermal Spring Water in treating skin conditions.

Some of the products from La Roche Posay at skincarekorner.com

On a side note, there are two stories circulating about the discovery of La Roche Posay spring. The first legend says that in the Middle Ages, a knight named Bertrand Du Geusclin stopped at the spring to water his horse. The horse, who suffered from eczema, took one drink of water and then leaped into the spring. When the horse emerged, his eczema was healed. The other story is that Napolean built a hospital to treat his soldiers coming back from war who had suffered skin injuries at the La Roche Posay spring in the 19th century.

Today, the same dermatological hospital treats roughly 7,500 patients annually for everything from rosacea to psoriasis. For those of us looking for the benefits of selenium and Thermal Spring Water a bit closer to home, Thermal Spring Water is used in each and every La Roche Posay product!

All this month, the Skin Care Krew will be reviewing our favorite products and passing on our recommendations. If there is a specific product you would like to know more about, you can always leave your request in the comments or email us directly!

skincarekrew@gmail.com


-Diane