Ready to Take Better Care of Your Skin? Adopt This Healthy Routine
If you want to live a healthier, happier life, start by taking care of your body’s largest organ. Regular skin care can provide some substantial benefits that you can benefit from for the rest of your life — from preventing potentially-deadly skin cancer to minimizing wrinkles, dryness, and discoloration. Addressing these issues can prove far more expensive and difficult than simply avoiding them through preventative care.
So now that you’ve established your intentions to keep your skin as healthy as possible, the question remains: how exactly do you do that? Even after you’ve settled on your essential products and strategies, you might not need or want to administer every step of a skin care regimen every single day. Use the following suggestions as your guide for creating a convenient, effective routine.
Every Day: Clean Your Face Gently but Thoroughly
The most critical step in your skin care routine involves gentle, thorough cleansing. Most people should wash their skin twice a day, including individuals who have combination skin, wear makeup, perspire a lot, or produce excessive skin oil. If you have dry or sensitive skin, however, you should limit yourself to one (nighttime) cleansing.
Warm water will do a better job than cold water of rehydrating the skin and removing excess oil. Select a cleansing product optimized for your particular type of skin, such as an oil-free product for oily skin or an alcohol-free product for dry skin.
Every Day: Add a Toner or Moisturizer to Freshly-Washed Skin
Get into the habit of applying toner after every skin cleansing. Toner can help to normalize your skin’s pH balance, which may be necessary to counteract any imbalances produced by the cleanser. It also closes pores, moisturizes the skin, and helps prevent ingrown hairs.
If your toner doesn’t include a moisturizing component, you’ll also want to apply a separate moisturizer to your skin after a cleansing. Moisturizers can prevent dryness, redness, cracking, and other unsightly or uncomfortable skin issues.
Once a Week: Exfoliate to Clear Away Dead Skin
As a living tissue, the skin constantly creates new skin cells to replace old, dead ones. Unfortunately, these old skin cells don’t necessarily slough off on their own; sometimes they require a little help. Accumulations of dead skin cells can clog your pores, leading to acne breakouts. They can also reduce the amount of collagen your body produces, making you more vulnerable to fine lines and wrinkles over time. Exfoliating your skin once a week can make it look healthier and younger.
You’ll find a wide range of exfoliating products and tools out there, from loofahs and pumice stones to special cleansing scrubs and brushes. Try one of these products at a time until you find the one that does the best job for your specific needs. (Don’t then all at once!) Take care not to use a facial exfoliant as a body scrub, or vice versa. Our Smooth-Move Exfoliating & Hydrating Face Mask has papaya, cucumber and aloe vera, making it calming to the face while washing those dead skin cells away!
Unless you spend 100 percent of your time indoors, you’ll want to have a high-quality sunscreen standing by as part of your outdoor skin care routine. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation can cause serious skin damage, from agonizing burns to malignant cancers. UV rays don’t just attack the skin during sunny days, either; under certain conditions, cloud cover can reflect UV energy toward the ground instead of filtering it.
Always choose a sunscreen that offers broad-spectrum protection, specifically blocking both UVA and UVB radiation. As for the SPF rating (which measures the degree to which the sunscreen blocks UV rays), you should select a product with a rating of at least 30 SPF. An SPF-30 sunscreen will protect you from 97 percent of surrounding UV rays. Assume that you’ll need to reapply your sunscreen every two hours, or even more frequently if you swim or sweat. Carry a separate UV-blocking lip balm to protect the skin on your lips.
During the Summer: Go Oil-Free
UV radiation isn’t the only threat to your skin’s health as you hit the beach or enjoy other summertime activities. Warmer temperatures and higher humidity levels encourage the oil glands in the skin to work overtime. To combat this seasonal complication, you may need to switch to an oil-free toner or moisturizer. You might also consider a less oily sunscreen than you normally use, as long it provides sufficient UV protection.
During the Winter: Moisturize More
Winter may bring the opposite problem, causing your skin to become especially dry. Along with reduced oil production, your skin may suffer from dehydration due to the drier air (including the drying effects of your indoor climate control system). During these months, you may need to moisturize more frequently than usual (or start using a moisturizer made for dry skin, if you don’t use one the rest of the year).
As the Years Go By: Add Collagen Serums and Creams to Your Routine
Skin naturally changes its composition as it ages. One major change involves reduced production of collagen, the connective tissue that gives skin its elasticity. As a result, lines and wrinkles become deeper and more numerous. You may need to start cleansing and moisturizing more frequently and thoroughly to give your skin every chance to retain as much collagen as possible. You may need more moisturizer (as well as more water in your daily diet) to keep the skin looking plump and hydrated.
Your dermatologist may recommend creams or other topical products that contain retinoids. These products can reduce wrinkles and lines to some extent by boosting collagen production. Take care, however — retinoids can cause irritation and/or dryness, especially if you overdo it with them. Start with the minimal recommended amount to see how much of it your skin can tolerate.
Now that you have a skin care routine to suit everyday life, seasonal challenges, and age-related changes, you’re ready to enjoy a lifetime of healthier, more attractive skin. Go for it!
Moving Your Skin Care Routine from Winter to Spring
/in Uncategorized /by James Anthony SkincareAs the weather outside changes, so too must our skincare routine. With the weather warming up and frigid chills in the background, now is the perfect time to usher in change, starting at your bathroom sink. Adjusting your skin care routine for the elements is a fantastic way to make sure that you are giving your skin the care and attention that it deserves.
How Does Warm Weather Impact My Skin?
The skincare needs that you explore in winter will change dramatically as spring rolls into view. With warmer temperatures on the horizon, individuals with normal complexion may find themselves suddenly dealing with excess oil and all the breakouts that come with it.
In addition to oily skin complicated your beauty routine, warm weather can also impact our skin through sun exposure. Sun blemishes lead to darkened spots on the skin, leaving an uneven texture and tone in their wake. Along with darkened spots, sun exposure can lead to potential consequences, including skin cancer, the most common type of cancer in the United States.
Let’s look at a few ways we can adjust our skincare routine as spring gets into full swing.
Boost Your SPF to Protect Your Skin
First and foremost, spring will probably feature more extensive outdoor activities than winter. That means that you will need to add a solid SPF to your routine to protect your skin. There are plenty of SPF options to consider, including combination sunscreen and moisturizer products like the Holy Veil tinted sunscreen and primer by James Anthony Skincare. This product can be used alone or beneath your makeup as a hydrating SPF designed to keep you free from sun damage.
Exfoliate & Hydrate With Face Masks
During winter, we tend to hide away from the elements outside. Even when we do go outdoors, the cold can leave our skin feeling chapped, dried out, and altogether dull. In order to revitalize our skin for our spring shenanigans, we need to get into the habit of exfoliating while properly restoring our moisture balance. This can be accomplished by incorporating something like the Smooth Move Exfoliating & Hydrating Face Mask by James Anthony Skincare.
The Smooth Move face mask features:
With a hydrating and exfoliating mask like this one, we can remove dead skin cells that have accumulated throughout the long and cold winter. In doing so, we can also moisturize and hydrate our skin at once, protecting the moisture barrier that is so important to our health and wellness routine.
Address Sun Spots With a Retinoid Cream
Now that we are getting ready to go back out into the world, let’s take some time to address those problematic sun spots and dark marks that we’ve been dealing with. The Ressurect PM Treatment is a retinoid cream that blends 0.1% Retinol, Passiflora Edulis Seed Oil, and Vitamin E for a restorative blend that addresses dark spots while also reducing wrinkles, fine lines, and acne.
As with any new addition to your beauty and wellness routine, consider asking a professional for guidance!
Your Skin Care Routine Can Improve Your Mental Health!
/in Uncategorized /by James Anthony SkincareAs the COVID-19 era descended upon the world in 2020, we all had to familiarize ourselves with staying home. While living in our pajamas has been interesting, to say the least, there are better ways to tend to our health and wellness routine. With vaccines on the way and quarantine coming to an end, it might be time to pay closer attention to our skincare practices.
Let’s look at a few specific ways our skincare routine can benefit our mental wellness.
Promote Mental Health and Confidence
As we transition from a life in quarantine to one of varying degrees of normalcy, there will likely be a bit of an adjustment period. Centering ourselves around a healthy skin-care routine can be a fantastic way to put our health first while focusing on boosting our self-esteem and confidence.
In the same way that exercise and healthy eating habits can lead to positive changes within our body, so too can a beneficial skincare routine predicated on quality ingredients and low prices. Studies have directly linked healthy skin and positive self-esteem to one another.
Grab your favorite face wash and enjoy the mood-boosting clarity that comes along with it!
Create Consistency In Your Self-Care Routine
One of the biggest hurdles that the coronavirus pandemic introduced was the importance of remaining socially distanced. Social distancing and social isolation can dramatically impact our feelings of positivity, health, and mental wellness. Creating a stable routine can benefit not just our mental health, but our physical health as well.
Creating a thorough skincare routine and sticking to it can lead to positive mental benefits, including feelings of accomplishment. These small victories can go a long way toward smoothing some of the pressure that the COVID-19 pandemic has introduced to our society.
Always remember to celebrate small wins because those victories can lead to momentum and motivation in all other aspects of life.
Enjoy Brain Boosting Chemicals
Did you know that a skincare routine can lead to the production of mood-boosting chemicals in your brain? It’s true! According to many scientific studies, there are neurotransmitters in the brain that are released when we anticipate feeling ‘happy’.
A calming face mask can do much more than removing dead skin cells while unclogging pores, it can send a flurry of mood-boosting neurotransmitters to our prefrontal cortex, providing a happy little ‘high’ as well as a healthy sense of well-being.
To really bring your self-care to another level, consider blending your relaxing face mask routine with a warm bath. According to a study published by the National Library of Medicine, submerging our body in hot water can lead to many soothing benefits, including mental calmness and clarity.
Explore Soothing Restoration With James Anthony Skincare
More than just a way to look better, a comprehensive skincare routine can benefit your mental health as well as your appearance. Committing to and following through with a comprehensive routine can deliver revitalizing health benefits to your skin while improving your mental health along the way.
James Anthony Skincare was founded to offer game-changing health and wellness solutions to those who need them most. Products curated by James Anthony Skincare are fragrance-free, gluten-free, cruelty-free, and non-irritating.
Why You Need an Oil in Your Skin Care Routine!
/in Uncategorized /by James Anthony SkincareThere are few things more important to a proper skincare regimen than a facial moisturizer. Available in a variety of different concoctions, including serums, oils, and fine mists, moisturizers are integral for the long-term maintenance and vitality of our skin. Let’s deepen our understanding of facial oil while improving our skin quality along the way.
What Are Moisturizing Face Oils?
When we think of ‘clean’, we often don’t imagine our skin drenched in oil. Maybe drenched is the wrong word, but following a skincare routine replete with moisturizing oils can feel like a totally new experience. Facial oils aren’t new products nor are they to be used by only specific skin types. In fact, aboriginal tribes in Australia have been using emu oil for nearly 40,000 years!!
So what makes a facial oil, well, a facial oil?
Face oils are designed to assist our skin by locking in moisture and providing rejuvenating hydration. Most facial oils contain a mixture of plant oils as well as beneficial essential vitamins like C, D, B, K, and A.
Key Reasons to Use Face Oils
Potential conditions that facial oil can help to improve include chronic dry skin, weather-related damage, and dehydration. Individuals with oily skin don’t even have to be concerned as most face oils are made to help them, too!
How To Incorporate Face Oil Into Your Beauty Routine.
To properly incorporate a face moisturizing oil to your beauty routine, let’s take Genie in a Bottle as an example. This product by James Anthony Skincare features Vitamins C, B, D, A, & K as well as rosehip oil and the revolutionary Lipopeptide Complex to provide deeper penetration.
Face oil can be added to your routine at differing points including
With the continued use of moisturizing facial oil, we can stimulate collagen, hydrate and plump skin, reduce wrinkles and fine lines, and tackle those dark circles beneath our eyes.
James Anthony Skincare specializes in crafting individualized products for each step of your beauty routine. Founded by an experienced industry professional with more than two decades of work in the field, James Anthony Skincare is primed for individuals who want to target dryness, oily skin, and acne by working with revolutionary peptides different from anything else on the market.
New Years Resolutions For Better Skin!
/in Uncategorized /by James Anthony SkincareA new year is upon us and many people start off the year with resolutions to improve their life. While some of these resolutions are quickly dropped and have a low likelihood of being successful, setting a skincare resolution is always beneficial. If you’re ready to improve the quality of your skin so you can enjoy a healthier, more youthful appearance, the following will help guide you along the right path.
Wear Sunscreen Daily
Too many people fall into the trap of only applying sunscreen when they’re heading out for a day at the beach or pool. However, the sun causes a lot of damage to the skin, most of it preventable. By making sunscreen a part of your daily routine, you will protect your skin and lower your risk of skin cancer in the future. This should be your last step in your morning skincare routine.
Use Moisturizer
Hydrated skin is healthy skin, but too few people actually use a moisturizer regularly. Using a quality moisturizer, like our Lightweight Replenishing A.M. Moisturizer – Vivify, ensures smoother skin and can help eliminate fine lines and wrinkles, giving you a more youthful appearance.
Use Proper Application Techniques
You may think there’s no wrong way to apply your skincare products, but the order in which you apply your products can have an impact on their effectiveness. In general, you should always start with the thinnest products and move toward the thickest.
Reduce Excessive Oil
If you have oily skin, you may think drying out your skin is the best way to alleviate the problem. However, this process will likely cause your skin to produce more oil. Instead, look for products that advertise oil control. These products won’t harm your skin’s protective barrier and will reduce oil while keeping your skin hydrated.
Stop Popping Pimples
No one wants to leave the pimples and other imperfections visible on their face, but popping them can lead to more problems for your skin. Instead of taking things into your own hands, let your skincare products do all the hard work. Look for products that work well with acne-prone skin. You may not see clear results early on in your skincare routine change, but don’t give up. Continue to use the products regularly and you’ll get the clearer skin you’ve always wanted without the hassle of popping your pimples.
Get Rid of Old Cosmetics
It can be painful to throw out cosmetics you spent good money on, but the truth is they do expire over time. While they may still look like they work properly, they’re more likely to clog your pores and cause other skin issues. Each cosmetic product you own should have a Period After Opening date marked with a PAO. If you have products you haven’t used in that timeframe, throw them out and start fresh.
Clean Makeup Brushes
Too many people use makeup brushes to apply cosmetics and then toss them back in their bag or a drawer. If you aren’t cleaning your makeup brushes regularly, now is the time to start. Wash all of your beauty tools at least once a week in warm, soapy water. Be sure to use a mild, scent-free soap.
Is Your Skin Drying Out This Winter? Here’s What to Do!
/in Uncategorized /by James Anthony SkincareAs the winter months begin to unfurl their cold banner, individuals struggling with dry skin will reach for their favorite heavy moisturizers. Dry skin during the winter is a problem for even those with the best skin, much less the individuals who struggle with the cold and dehydrating air. As the cold weather sets in and humidity levels begin to drop, moisture flees our skin, leaving cracking and splitting in their place.
We understand that dry skin can become cracked which can lead to harsh results, including flaking, cracking, and even bleeding in some instances. While we may accept winter as a yearly event, we don’t have to accept our dry and cracked skin. If you are tired of trying different moisturizers and are ready to find a solution for dealing with the harsh winter temperatures, keep on reading!
Winter Weather & Dry Skin: How Cold Weather Impacts Our Skin’s Health
Why does our skin seem to struggle so much during the winter months? Why do the inclusion of cold air and harsh wind leave us feeling raw, rubbed red, and in pain? While there are certainly genetic aspects involved in the moisture of our skin, environmental factors will always play a bigger part.
Dry skin develops as a result of low humidity levels pulling moisture from our skin and into the environment. As harsh winds blow through us, the problem can become infinitely worse. Not to mention the fact that sudden heat can lead to further deterioration. Individuals struggling with conditions like eczema might also see renewed struggles.
The combination attack of low humidity outside as well as dry and hot air inside is enough to make our skin suffer. So, how can we keep our skin healthy, glowing, hydrated, and smooth with cold weather still ahead?
Adapt Your Skin Care Routine For Colder Temperatures
As it turns out, the best way to treat dry skin is by preventing it altogether. By incorporating the appropriate skincare products into our daily beauty routine, we can ensure that our skin is hydrated, nourished, and brimming with radiance.
We have to be careful during the colder months when it comes to incorporating new products into our skincare line, as results may vary. For that reason, we’ve decided to highlight a few of the most tried-and-true hydrating products in the marketplace.
How to Avoid Dry Skin This Winter
While it is not possible to completely forego the winter weather and its associated impacts on our skin, there are a few key ways we can ensure our optimized skin health. Among the best ways to limit exposure to dry and cracked skin are the following:
With a little bit of knowledge and a revitalized skincare routine anchored by James Anthony Skincare, it is possible to enjoy the cold while keeping your skin calm!
Why You Need Peptides in Your Eye Cream
/in Uncategorized /by James Anthony SkincareThe skin around your eyes is the most sensitive and thinnest. When it comes to your routine anti-aging skin care regimen, eye serums and eye creams are a must-have in your arsenal. These eye care products have specific formulations to prevent and protect the skin around your eyes. These eye care products can prevent under-eye circles, crow’s feet, wrinkles, eye bags and fine lines. Eye care products incorporate a plethora of active ingredients in their composition. The main goal is to improve the signs of skin aging and to stop new ones from developing. While many eye products have mild ingredients, there are some folks who get rashes and other skin irritations from them. Peptides to the rescue. Eye creams and serums that have peptides are gentle on the skin. In contrast to retinol, peptides can prevent skin irritations from eye serums and eye creams. All around, peptides are mild and effective in maintaining the skin’s moisture level.
All About Peptides
Peptides are small amino acid chains that look like strands of collagen. Most commercially available peptides found in skincare products are synthetic. Peptides work as glue to keep together the strands of collagen. It’s the collagen fibers that ramp up skin rejuvenation and skin repair. Independent studies have shown that peptides do a number of good things. They improve the appearance of puffy eyes, improve skin firmness and lighten up those dark spots. Keep in mind that the studies done by manufacturers themselves is likely inconclusive and limited. But, independent studies are the proof in the pudding.
Peptides know if the skin needs to be repaired or restructured and stimulate collagen production accordingly. It sends a signal to the body to stimulate collagen production. Even though peptides can work magic on your skin, these little goodies need to be able to penetrate the skin. It’s the ingredients that are mixed with the peptides that make them easy for the skin to absorb.
Peptide Eye Creams
Peptides are marketing by different names, including neuropeptides, acetyl-hexpeptide-8 (AHA) and palmitoyl oligopeptide. Neuropeptides have been proven to improve skin texture, skin tone and skin firmness. AHA works on improving the skin around the eyes by smoothing the wrinkles out and improving collagen production. They help keep the skin moist and spongy. Palmitoyl oligopeptide is a compound that has a long peptide chain. It looks like a collagen strand. This peptide produces hyaluronic acid and collagen. It facilitates skin renewal and skin repair.
Continued use of the right peptide complex lightens the appearance of dark circles under the eyes and lessons fine lines and wrinkles. Your eye treatment should stimulate the skins daily repair via of bioactive peptide complex, which mimics cytokines produced during wound healing.
Tips on Picking the Right Peptide Eye Cream for Your Anti-aging Needs
Anti-aging eye creams and serums have ingredients to complement your skincare needs. Look for eye creams and serums that have antioxidants like Vitamin A,C, E and K. Keep in mind that a water-based eye cream is better than an oil-based one. And, if you’re unsure about what your skin needs, check in with a dermatologist. These professionals will do a complete skin evaluation and make sure you choose the best products to boost your skin’s health.
Check out our Cream de La Crème Peptide Complex Eye Cream! This is an age reversal regimen that firms and tightens delicate skin surrounding the eye area.
It will:
Peptides are the workhorses of your skincare routine. They help to repair, renew and strengthen both collagen and elastic. Just keep in mind that they do their work in time, but they do work. So, stick with it every day for the best results.
Makeup Primer 101: What Primer Does and Doesn’t Do For Your Beauty Routine.
/in Uncategorized /by James Anthony SkincareThe foundation of a beautiful makeup routine should start with a makeup primer. Makeup primer is the base of all great beauty looks, even before you apply your actual foundation. Makeup primer effectively works to prepare your skin for the makeup that you are about to apply, allowing you to cultivate a finish that is dewy, matte, luminous, or evenly textured. If you have never used a makeup primer before, you have come to the right place to learn more.
Traditionally, makeup primer will take one of many different forms. Listed below, you’ll find a small sampling of the styles of makeup primer commonly available.
Let’s take a closer look at makeup primer, what it is, and how to use it properly within your beauty routine.
Common Reasons to Wear Makeup Primer
Makeup primer can and should be your best friend, at least if you want to create a makeup routine that is at once effective and aesthetically pleasing! A skincare primer offers a variety of immediate benefits when applied before your foundation. Here are a few direct and targeted benefits that regular use of makeup primers can lead to.
Advantages: Longer-lasting makeup that wears well and degrades slowly.
Advantages: Smoother skin tone at your fingertips.
Advantages: Enhance other aspects of your makeup routine through a makeup primer,
making your entire look last longer as a result.
As you can see, makeup primer can contribute to a variety of beneficial aspects when it comes to applying your makeup. Whether you want a longer-lasting finish or a makeup routine that lets you look your best, keep the right primer nearby to get the job done right!
Is Your Mask Causing You to Break Out? Here’s How to Fight Maskne!
/in News /by James Anthony SkincareFor many of us, wearing a mask or other face-covering has unfortunately become a part of everyday life. Aside from being uncomfortable, wearing a mask for prolonged periods of time can also irritate your skin and may even lead to the dreaded mask acne (also known as “maskne”). By having a better understanding of what causes maskne and how to combat it, you can achieve clearer skin—even if you spend the majority of your day in a face covering.
What Causes Maskne, Anyway?
There is a specific type of acne that is actually caused or exacerbated by friction or pressure on the skin, which is exactly what can happen when you wear a mask for extended periods of time. This type of acne is known by the scientific name of acne mechanica.
When you wear a mask, especially in humid and/or hot conditions, sweat and bacteria can build up on your skin and cause pores to become clogged. Over time, this can result in the appearance of pimples or small cysts on the skin. Even in cooler conditions, when your skin tends to be drier, friction from your mask rubbing up against your face can cause hair follicles to break. This, in turn, allows bacteria to more readily enter the skin and cause acne.
What Can You Do About Maskne?
As frustrating as it can be to experience maskne, the good news is that there are steps you can take to minimize its appearance and achieve clearer skin.
First and foremost, make sure the mask you’re wearing is clean. Swapping out disposable masks at least once every couple of days (or more, depending on how often you’re wearing it) is the best way to keep your skin free of acne-causing bacteria. If you wear a reusable mask, make sure you’re taking the time to wash it regularly. Ideally, you’ll want to stick to a clean-and-free detergent to reduce the risk of allergic reaction or skin irritation.
Now is also a good time to update your skincare routine. Get into the habit of washing your face before you put your mask on and after you remove it. This is a great way to get rid of bacteria that would otherwise make its way into your pores and cause acne. Just be sure to stick to a gentle cleanser that won’t strip your skin of the natural oils it needs to stay healthy.
Exfoliation is also your friend when you’re wearing a mask regularly. There are plenty of exfoliating masks like our Smooth Move Mask that is gentle and will clean out your pores without drying out your skin. Exfoliating even once a week can make a big difference in the appearance and health of your skin. Just be sure to follow up with a great moisturizer.
Speaking of moisture, staying properly hydrated not only works wonders for your skin, but will keep you feeling your best while you’re out and about with your mask on. Aim to consume at least half your body weight in ounces of water each day. This means if you weigh 150 pounds, your goal should be to drink at least 75 ounces of water a day.
The Bottom Line on Maskne
Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem as though mask-wearing will be disappearing from our daily routines anytime soon. The good news, though, is that with the right skincare routine and mask-wearing habits, you can protect your skin from that dreaded maskne!
What Do You Need in a Skin Care Routine?
/in News /by James Anthony SkincareReady to Take Better Care of Your Skin? Adopt This Healthy Routine
If you want to live a healthier, happier life, start by taking care of your body’s largest organ. Regular skin care can provide some substantial benefits that you can benefit from for the rest of your life — from preventing potentially-deadly skin cancer to minimizing wrinkles, dryness, and discoloration. Addressing these issues can prove far more expensive and difficult than simply avoiding them through preventative care.
So now that you’ve established your intentions to keep your skin as healthy as possible, the question remains: how exactly do you do that? Even after you’ve settled on your essential products and strategies, you might not need or want to administer every step of a skin care regimen every single day. Use the following suggestions as your guide for creating a convenient, effective routine.
Every Day: Clean Your Face Gently but Thoroughly
The most critical step in your skin care routine involves gentle, thorough cleansing. Most people should wash their skin twice a day, including individuals who have combination skin, wear makeup, perspire a lot, or produce excessive skin oil. If you have dry or sensitive skin, however, you should limit yourself to one (nighttime) cleansing.
Warm water will do a better job than cold water of rehydrating the skin and removing excess oil. Select a cleansing product optimized for your particular type of skin, such as an oil-free product for oily skin or an alcohol-free product for dry skin.
Every Day: Add a Toner or Moisturizer to Freshly-Washed Skin
Get into the habit of applying toner after every skin cleansing. Toner can help to normalize your skin’s pH balance, which may be necessary to counteract any imbalances produced by the cleanser. It also closes pores, moisturizes the skin, and helps prevent ingrown hairs.
If your toner doesn’t include a moisturizing component, you’ll also want to apply a separate moisturizer to your skin after a cleansing. Moisturizers can prevent dryness, redness, cracking, and other unsightly or uncomfortable skin issues.
Once a Week: Exfoliate to Clear Away Dead Skin
As a living tissue, the skin constantly creates new skin cells to replace old, dead ones. Unfortunately, these old skin cells don’t necessarily slough off on their own; sometimes they require a little help. Accumulations of dead skin cells can clog your pores, leading to acne breakouts. They can also reduce the amount of collagen your body produces, making you more vulnerable to fine lines and wrinkles over time. Exfoliating your skin once a week can make it look healthier and younger.
You’ll find a wide range of exfoliating products and tools out there, from loofahs and pumice stones to special cleansing scrubs and brushes. Try one of these products at a time until you find the one that does the best job for your specific needs. (Don’t then all at once!) Take care not to use a facial exfoliant as a body scrub, or vice versa. Our Smooth-Move Exfoliating & Hydrating Face Mask has papaya, cucumber and aloe vera, making it calming to the face while washing those dead skin cells away!
Whenever You Go Outdoors: Use a UV-Blocking Sunscreen
Unless you spend 100 percent of your time indoors, you’ll want to have a high-quality sunscreen standing by as part of your outdoor skin care routine. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation can cause serious skin damage, from agonizing burns to malignant cancers. UV rays don’t just attack the skin during sunny days, either; under certain conditions, cloud cover can reflect UV energy toward the ground instead of filtering it.
Always choose a sunscreen that offers broad-spectrum protection, specifically blocking both UVA and UVB radiation. As for the SPF rating (which measures the degree to which the sunscreen blocks UV rays), you should select a product with a rating of at least 30 SPF. An SPF-30 sunscreen will protect you from 97 percent of surrounding UV rays. Assume that you’ll need to reapply your sunscreen every two hours, or even more frequently if you swim or sweat. Carry a separate UV-blocking lip balm to protect the skin on your lips.
During the Summer: Go Oil-Free
UV radiation isn’t the only threat to your skin’s health as you hit the beach or enjoy other summertime activities. Warmer temperatures and higher humidity levels encourage the oil glands in the skin to work overtime. To combat this seasonal complication, you may need to switch to an oil-free toner or moisturizer. You might also consider a less oily sunscreen than you normally use, as long it provides sufficient UV protection.
During the Winter: Moisturize More
Winter may bring the opposite problem, causing your skin to become especially dry. Along with reduced oil production, your skin may suffer from dehydration due to the drier air (including the drying effects of your indoor climate control system). During these months, you may need to moisturize more frequently than usual (or start using a moisturizer made for dry skin, if you don’t use one the rest of the year).
As the Years Go By: Add Collagen Serums and Creams to Your Routine
Skin naturally changes its composition as it ages. One major change involves reduced production of collagen, the connective tissue that gives skin its elasticity. As a result, lines and wrinkles become deeper and more numerous. You may need to start cleansing and moisturizing more frequently and thoroughly to give your skin every chance to retain as much collagen as possible. You may need more moisturizer (as well as more water in your daily diet) to keep the skin looking plump and hydrated.
Your dermatologist may recommend creams or other topical products that contain retinoids. These products can reduce wrinkles and lines to some extent by boosting collagen production. Take care, however — retinoids can cause irritation and/or dryness, especially if you overdo it with them. Start with the minimal recommended amount to see how much of it your skin can tolerate.
Now that you have a skin care routine to suit everyday life, seasonal challenges, and age-related changes, you’re ready to enjoy a lifetime of healthier, more attractive skin. Go for it!
12 Ingredients to Avoid When Shopping for Skincare Products
/in Uncategorized /by James Anthony SkincareSome call them “the dirty dozen,” while others opt for “the toxic 12.” No matter what you call them, there are 12 specific ingredients that should not be in any of your beauty or skincare products. Despite this, many of them were once common in everyday skincare regimens and may even still appear in a wide range of personal care items.
Our skin is one of the most important and largest organs of our body, performing numerous vital functions. It only makes sense that we should be incredibly conscious of what we put on it! Did you know our skin absorbs up to 60% of what we put on it?! If you care about your skin and your health, take the time to familiarize yourself with the ingredients before you buy.
Here are the 12 ingredients you should try to avoid when shopping for skincare products:
1. Ethanolamines
Commonly seen in the form of MEA (Monoethanolamine), DEA (diethanolamine) and TEA (triethanolamine), ethanolamines are essentially chemical amino acids that can irritate the blood vessels and even cause genetic damage that leads to cancer. They are often found in facial cleansers and soaps, shampoos, fragrances, sunscreens, eye makeup (mascara, eyeliner, eye shadow, etc.), and more.
2. Mineral Oil
Made from processed petroleum, the mineral oil you see in a lot of cosmetics comes in both safe and unsafe forms. Mineral oil can be dangerous when not highly purified or refined (especially common in cheaper ointments and lotions) because it can clog pores and trap toxins that would otherwise be shed by the skin.
3. Aluminum
Aluminum is a metal that can have toxic effects on the endocrine system. Sadly, aluminum is still commonly found in anti-perspirant deodorants and other common personal care products. Try exploring natural deodorants and ones without the anti-perspirant label.
4. Parabens
Parabens are a group of chemicals that have been commonly used as preservatives in cosmetics for the past 100 years. But they have come under scrutiny in recent years because of their ability to cause hormonal imbalances and contribute to certain illnesses. The tricky thing about parabens is that they’re often not labeled, but the good news is that an increasing amount of products are now being listed as “Paraben Free.”
5. Formaldehyde
Formaldehyde and Formaldehyde-releasing preservatives are chemicals that have historically been used in cosmetics for the same reason that morticians use them on cadavers — they preserve substances that would otherwise break down. This gives your skincare products a longer shelf life, but unfortunately it can lead to allergic reactions and even certain cancers.
6. Phthalates
Sometimes called “plasticizers”, Phthalates are used in items like fragrances and haircare products to increase flexibility while maintaining strength. However, they are also known to cause damage to internal organs. Phthalates are often not listed among ingredients, but look for products specially marked as “Phthalate Free.”
7. Triclosan
Triclosan is an antifungal and antibacterial agent that is still commonly added to a whole string of soaps and personal care products (like toothpaste and mouthwash) for its germ-killing abilities. The trouble is, it has also been linked to cancer and thyroid issues.
8. Sodium Laureth Sulfate
Also known as Sodium Lauryl Ether Sulfate or simply SLES, this ingredient is considered a cheap way to make personal care products foam or lather up. However, it is controversial because it can easily be contaminated with 1,4-Dioxane, a highly carcinogenic chemical.
9. Polyethylene Glycol
Polyethylene glycol or PEG is a polyether compound that has many uses, including industrial, medicinal and personal care (lotions, personal lubricants, toothpaste and more). However, it is troubling for skin use because it can reduce your skin’s natural moisture and can also cause severe allergic reactions in some people. You may sometimes see PEG written out as polyethylene oxide or polyoxyethylene.
10. Propylene Glycol & Butylene Glycol
These two chemical compounds are very similar in structure (Butylene Glycol contains 4 carbon atoms as opposed to Propylene Glycol’s 3), and they are also common ingredients in skin and hair moisturizers. While more research is needed on the health risks, both compounds are derived from petroleum and have been known to cause irritation in larger quantities.
11. Cyclotetrasiloxane
This is a silicon-based moisturizer and softener that is used in a variety of personal care products, particularly hair conditioners. While it is largely considered safe in small quantities, a study in 2008 suggested that long-term exposure (such as washing with it regularly for years) can be toxic to humans and pose various health risks.
12. Synthetic Fragrances
The chemical makeup of synthetic fragrances (commonly found in perfumes and lotions) varies greatly, but two of the biggest common denominators are petroleum and benzene derivatives. Both of these are carcinogenic and can cause cancer and central nervous system disorders, among other health issues. Always go for natural fragrances.