With the cold weather upon us, our skin can often become dehydrated. Adding a hydrating toner to your usual skincare regimen can be very beneficial. Toners are great for removing any residue after cleansing and balancing the skin. To help fight off dehydration, try a hydrating toner or mist that is alcohol-free and contains ingredients to help your skin stay hydrated throughout the day.
Even an oily skin can benefit from using a hydrating toner since dehydration is a problem that affects all skin types. When the hydration level in the skin is properly balanced, your skin will not overproduce oil to compensate.
Here are a few of my favorites:
Juara Tamarind Tea Hydrating Toner – The tamarind is used to increase hydration in the skin throughout the day, while the blend of white, green & black teas provide excellent antioxidant protection. For oily skin types this can even be used in place of a moisturizer.
Kinerase Hydrating Antioxidant Mist – This can be used both as a toner after cleansing and as a rehydrating mist throughout the day. It contains Hyaluronic Acid to help the skin retain moisture all day long.
ARCONA Triad Pads – These multitasking gems are my go to items after a long day. These pads are infused with cranberry toner and are great for removing makeup and leaving the skin feeling hydrated and nourished. They cleanse, tone, hydrate and provide antioxidant protection all in one little swipe.
So it’s nothing new that money may be tight for everyone these days, even for the avid spa goers. There are priorities like kids, appointments, friends and family to attend to. Relaxing a little usually falls to the bottom of our to-do list. Here are some great products and tips for an at home facial, that will guarantee refreshing results.
The DIY facial consists of a few main components. You need just an hour of your day, a few products, and a calm mind. It is important to relax and have a little fun. You may want to get your kids involved by putting a mud or clay mask on them. Otherwise your spa getaway can be a solo project, or a fun time with your girlfriends.
Tea bags or cucumbers for the eyes. To use up the leftovers, you can make an iced tea or sip on some cucumber water while you relax.
Hand or body lotion and cuticle oil if you have it. (olive oil is a great alternative to soften hands and cuticles).
Essential oil of your choice. Any health food or specialty store should have a selection. Pick the scent that speaks to you and enjoy.
Applicators for products: A paint or nylon foundation brush will work great for your applying your mask.
Quiet place to lay down with relaxing music. This is simply a must!
Tip: You can store very hot towels inside of a large ziploc bag by rolling them up; this will keep them warm for a little while. For a longer lasting approach, try putting water on the bottom of your crock pot, enough to cover the bottom and fold up a few wet hot towels. Then put the lid on and presto… instant hot towel cabby! You can also put a few drops of essential oil into the pot for an aromatic experience.
While you’re masking you can give yourself a nice hand and arm massage. First apply your cuticle oil generously, and then follow with the body moisturizer of your choice. You also may have one of those spa foot tubs lying around from a few Christmas’ ago, now is the perfect time to dust it off and put it to use. You can place a few drops of essential oil in the water and enjoy a relaxing foot soak. For some bubbles add a teaspoon of bubble bath or shower gel to the water and enjoy. Hot towels will also come in handy for your foot bath.
After you cleanse remove with hot towel. Then apply a toner or water to your skin. You then will want to apply an exfoliator of your choice. For something quick, easy and non messy try an exfoliating peel pad. The Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta Daily Face Peel/2 Steps is an amazing two step treatment with real results. For the lips you can use a little brown sugar and a few drops of water or olive oil (if you have some honey you can a little to the paste), this will give you a smooth finish for soft, healthy lips. After you have exfoliated and cleansed your skin and lips off with a towel you will want to apply a mask of your choice for 10-15 minutes.
After masking in pure bliss you will want to apply a treatment serum of your choice. You will need to go out into daylight and face the world after your relaxing facial so choose an antioxidant serum like Skinceuticals CE Ferulic. This will hydrate and protect your skin from free radical damage. Lastly, don’t forget the moisturizer preferably one that contains an SPF and an eye cream. Moisturizing your skin will seal in the benefits of the facial and also soften and hydrate your skin. An eye cream will do the same and will make your under eyes feel hydrated all day long. Try the Lisa Hoffman Spa Facial Eye Treatment. This is a weekly eye treatment just perfect for that spa facial experience. In every good facial your Esthetician will finish off with a lip balm or treatment, don’t forget this step just because you’re at home. The lips are important too!
We hope you take steps to put yourself first sometimes. You can try these simple tips and tricks for a luxurious facial all in the comfort of your own home.
Here are some top products that every moisture-starved skin type deserves:
Dry skin types always need a great hand cream. One fast absorbing hand cream with real staying power is the AHAVA Mineral Hand Cream. This is one of Ahava’s top selling products and for good reason. This hand cream has a nice silky feel with no greasy leftovers, very nice. This line uses Dead Sea water extracts which will replenish and protect your skin.
ATOPALM MLE Body Lotion must be noted for a hydrating body lotion. Our customers can’t get enough of the Atopalm products, and the body lotion is no exception. This works great for eczema, sensitive, and dry skin types.
If we are going to mention hyaluronic acid, then we should talk about the Cellex-C Advanced Skin Hydration Complex. The hyaluronic acid will help to restore the skin’s moisture and add additional hydration. This product also contains ellagic acid, which is very powerful antioxidant other wise known as a polyphenol. Polyphenol has proven to be effective in treating wrinkles.
Try the H2O Plus Oasis 24 Hydrating Booster because even oily and combination skin types need a little hydration. With the natural sea mineral complex and extracts, this is a wonderful oil free skin booster that will retain your skin’s moisture levels for hours. We love products that do all the work for us!
SkinCeuticals Hydrating B5 Masque this works great for any skin type that is in need of some moisture. This masque is also enhanced with vitamin B5 to repair damage done to your skin such as traveling or sun damage.
A personal favorite is the Avene Rich Compensating Cream – This works great for very dry and sensitive skin types. It has no fragrances and contains Avene’s thermal spring water mixed in to add additional benefits of soothing and calming the skin. Also great for after sun, skiing in Aspen, or post procedure care.
For a great men’s hydrator we suggest Menscience Advanced Face Lotion. This has glycerin and silicone to bind the moisture in your skin and refine pores. It is also packed with antioxidants to protect the skin. After all, men deserve wonderful skin too!
To refresh and hydrate the skin we suggest a hydrating mist or toner to add to your daily regime. We like the Kinerase Hydrating Antioxidant Mist. It has aloe and hyaluronic acid to soothe and moisturize the skin.
We should cover all areas of the body so let’s talk about eye creams. The Kerstin Florian Rejuvenating Eye Creme would be a good choice if you have a dry and dehydrated under eye area. This product also offers great antioxidant protection and will help with those unsightly dark circles too.
For hair we suggest the Ojon Restorative Hair Treatment. The high concentration of Ojon oil makes this hair treatment a must buy for dry and damaged hair types. You can leave this on for 20 minutes for a hair strengthening treatment. Otherwise for increased results leave this mask in overnight and rinse out in the morning. Your hair will thank you!
With the right products you and your skin will look great just in time for spring!
Visit SkinStore for more great moisturizing products!
It’s hard to muster up the energy to get ready for work when you feel like you have been hit by a truck …or two. So what to do when you’re tempted to go to work in your pajamas and you know that’s a bad idea? Try adding these energizing additions into your routine to start your day on the right foot.
First, you will want to channel your sleeping beauty. Go to bed early and get as much rest as possible. Using a humidifier is a great idea to prevent a dry, scratchy throat.
Next, wake up and take a shower using any type of invigorating, energizing shower gel, like Molton Brown Energizing Seamoss Bath & Shower. This aromatic pick-me-up will awaken your senses and banish stress and fatigue in an instant.
Eat a good breakfast and remember to stay hydrated by drinking lots of water. You can add Pure Inventions Green Tea – Tropical to provide yourself with additional antioxidants that promote energy and healthy looking skin.
Life doesn’t always tend to accommodate your schedule when you need time to take care of yourself. The sooner you find time to rest, the sooner your body will be able to heal itself. So listen to doctor’s orders if told to stay home; your co-workers will probably thank you.
The holidays are over! You’re now able to recoup and relax with a cup of eggnog, but our stressed skin may take a bit more time to get its healthy glow back. The cold weather and indoor heat don’t help for your skin to look that great, either. But don’t worry! There is hope for our dehydrated, sallow skin. After a long day, slather on a bit of Juara Skincare Turmeric Antioxidant Facial Mask and watch your skin transform. This creamy treatment mask brightens, soothes, strengthens and detoxifies with Turmeric, an anti-inflammatory antioxidant. This mask is outstanding for all skin types. Here’s to a healthier, happier and better you in 2010!
Take 10-15 minutes to yourself and fix your skin love! Travel can wreak havoc on our skin. Flying can over dry your skin…baggage claims can over stress your skin…and the ride in the taxi cab…well that is a whole other story. Whether in travel or not, sometimes we need a skin intervention to relieve the daily damage and stress that we put our skin through. Avene Soothing Moisture Mask is preservative-free, hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic. Help restore your skin’s barrier function and replenish the moisture in your thirsty skin. As an additional benefit, Avene Soothing Moisture Mask contains the Avene Thermal Spring Water clinically proven to calm, soothe and soften the skin while restoring skin’s natural balance. Yes, this is the same water used since 1743 in Avene’s Hydrotherapy Center to treat skin conditions such as atopic dermatitis, eczema and psoriasis.
For individuals with dry skin, changes in the weather or other environmental factors can often lead to the frustrating process of finding a new way to best hydrate your skin. Without immediate and proper attention, you know that your skin can quickly become parched and flaky, or even hypersensitive or painfully tight.
The manifestation of dry skin can vary from person to person. Severity can range from dry patches to chronically dry skin on the face and body. The pervasiveness of your dry skin may also be year round or just when weather or environmental factors change. Regardless, those who experience dry skin seek moisture and relief.
Since cleansing is one of the most important aspects of our daily skin care rituals, I will often start there when providing a consultation to our clients. When speaking to those who have truly dry skin (skin still feels dry even after 12 hours), I often ask if they have ever tried an oil based cleanser such as Babor Hy-Ol & Phytoactive Base Cleansing System. Most individuals that I have spoken with had not considered taking such an aggressive approach to dry skin, but I have to tell you, personally I have tried oil based cleansers, such as the one just mentioned, and I find that they are highly effective especially during the winter season, in high elevation areas, windy climates or dry cool regions. One of the active ingredients that I appreciate in the Babor Combination Skin Cleanser is the witch hazel which is an astringent that has antioxidant qualities and has been used to treat eczema and psoriasis. I will generally suggest that this type of cleanser be used in the evening and a hydro-based lighter cleanser like the Pevonia Dry Skin Cleanser or the Decleor Cleansing Milk in the morning, but that is really a personal preference based on the user and what their specific needs are. Babor also makes a sensitive skin formulation of the Hy-Ol and Phytoactive solutions.
Another more natural approach to cleansing is the Sundari Comfrey Cleanser for Dry Skin. Sundari has a high concentration of natural based ingredients such as comfrey and chamomile extracts. Follow this cleanser with the Sundari Essential Oil for Dry Skin and the Lavender Moisturizer and you have a cocktail of wonderfully hydrating ingredients. Check out the customer reviews by going to the product pages at SkinStore.com if you have a moment.
Moisturizers are another critical element of caring for your dry skin. Facial moisturizers come in all levels of hydration and consistency. It can be confusing to try to find the right one. There are night creams, day creams and multipurpose creams in every type of delivery system from tubes to pumps to jars.
From a moisturizer perspective, because I have true dry skin, I prefer to use, as well as recommend, a hydrator such as the SkinCeuticals Hydrating B5 Gel or the Cellex-C Hydra 5B Complex, and then a moisturizer on top, this is a morning regimen. The moisturizer you choose should have an SPF. I suggest the La Roche Posay Hydraphase UV SPF30 because it is light enough to apply under makeup without any sticky or cakey feeling that some sunscreens can have, it is also super hydrating. Another good moisturizing SPF is the Peter Thomas Roth Max All Day Moisture Defense Cream SPF30, again it is light enough to use under makeup.
If you use or need a treatment, use your treatment product first, then the hydrator and apply the moisturizer last. For treatment, the SkinCeuticals Phloretin CF or the C E Ferulic is a must have for every woman concerned with preventative measures, cell turnover, elasticity and even hyperpigmentation. Depending on what you need, I would advise reading about the products on SkinStore.com to determine which is best suited to address your skin care concerns.
For an evening moisturizing treatment Kinerase and SkinCeuticals have some wonderful options. SkinCeuticals has the Renew Overnight Dry with a 10% hydroxy acid to exfoliate the skin. Kinerase has a couple that I have used and can suggest the Ultimate Night Moisturizer and the Pro Therapy Ultra Rich Night Repair. The Pro Therapy line in general is really great. The Night Repair has the Kinetin and Zeatin formulation that help with moisture retention and to improve the signs of aging. It also has the Palmitoyl Tripeptide-3 to help with the appearance of wrinkles and the antioxidant benefit of Ergothioneine (More info here). Again, if you use treatments such as Retinols, serums, or gels, apply them under your moisturizer.
More suggestions for dry skin will be in later articles. These are just a few suggestions for those with excessively dry skin; it is not an all inclusive list of what can be used or even all inclusive listing of a complete skin care regimen. For example, toners and treatments are important to a health skin care regimen, but some may or may not choose to include them in their regimen as a personal choice. With that said, no one can or should avoid a great cleanser and moisturizer.
For more information about dry skin, you can contact SkinStore.com for a consultation or visit us at www.skinstore.com.
With the cold weather upon us, our skin can often become dehydrated. Adding a hydrating toner to your usual skincare regimen can be very beneficial. Toners are great for removing any residue after cleansing and balancing the skin. To help fight off dehydration, try a hydrating toner or mist that is alcohol-free and contains ingredients to help your skin stay hydrated throughout the day.
Here are some top products that every moisture-starved skin type deserves:
It’s hard to muster up the energy to get ready for work when you feel like you have been hit by a truck …or two. So what to do when you’re tempted to go to work in your pajamas and you know that’s a bad idea? Try adding these energizing additions into your routine to start your day on the right foot.
For individuals with dry skin, changes in the weather or other environmental factors can often lead to the frustrating process of finding a new way to best hydrate your skin. Without immediate and proper attention, you know that your skin can quickly become parched and flaky, or even hypersensitive or painfully tight.
Subscribe to our Feed
Follow us on Twitter
Join us on Facebook