Skin Fitness Blog

Admist a Sea of Products Part 2: Reading Product Labels

2008-04-18T10:15:00.000-07:00

To best understand what makes a product effective you need to be able to read a label. Anyone watching what they eat will tell you reading the labels allows them to know exactly what they are getting and make educated choices on what they put into their bodies. The main problem with reading skin care labels is that most of us know what partially hydrogenated soybean oil is, but we don't know what Dimethicone 350 is and what it does. This makes reading skin care labels very difficult, but there are a few questions you should keep in mind:

What are the Active Ingredients?
What does this Active Ingredient do?
Is there enough of the Active Ingredient in the product for it to work?
Does the product's formulation allow Active Ingredients to penetrate the skin?
Do any of the inactive ingredients (the other stuff) interfere with the effect of the active ones? Do they have the potential to harm the skin, e. g. by causing allergic reactions, irritating or dehydrating the skin, clogging pores, etc.

Some of the above questions I will address in another part of this series, but much of the above info can be found in a product label if you know how to decipher it. I am not going to delve deeply into the FDA laws on labeling since they are complicated, and most cosmetic companies ignore them anyway, but I am going to give you a basic run down of how to read a label.

Breaking Down A Label

So lets start at the top. Active Ingredients. An Active ingredient is the substance that is pharmaceutically active. In other words, what makes the product work. We all want to effect changes in our skin and the only way to do that is to use products that have ingredients designed to target specific problems.

In this label the Active Ingredient is Salicylic Acid 0.5%.

The next part of the label is a laundry list of what makes up the product, including the Active Ingredient.

You might notice that Salicylic Acid is almost at the bottom of the ingredient list. This is completely normal. Most products are made up of water and other ingredients that create feel, smell, slip, color, and preservation. A good manufacturer will carefully chose these other ingredients to enhance the Active Ingredient and help get you the end result you seek, but many manufacturers use cheap filler substances to sell to your senses, or just plain trick you. My favorite example of this is menthol. A client will come in and tell me that they "feel" a product working. When I look at the label I discover that what they are feeling is menthol - a key ingredient of Vapor Rub - tingly on the skin. Trust me, it isn't doing anything but making you "feel" like the product is working.

Although the US federal regulations require ingredients to be listed in descending order from most to least, the FDA doesn't require that a distinction be made between active or inactive ingredients. Also, any ingredients with concentrations below 1% may be listed in any order the manufacturer sees fit. This means that the top third of the ingredients listed generally consist of around 80-90% of the entire product, the middle third represents around 5-8% of the product, and the bottom third represents 1-3% of the total product. Doing this math is easier than you think. Let's work with the 22 ingredients in our sample product label. We take our 22 ingredients, divide them by 3, and get 7 1/3. So we can estimate that the first 7 ingredients make up 80-90% of the total volume of the product.

An easy trick for comparing products is to compare labels. Start by counting how many total ingredients are listed on each product. Try to chose products that have close to the same total number of ingredients. Then count down from the first ingredient until you reach your Active Ingredient. If you find your Active Ingredient listed as #8 on one product and #10 on the other product, then the #8 listing is the product that contains more of the Active Ingredient because it is closer to the top of the label. But remember that this trick is useless if the ingredient you seek falls into the bottom third or 1% of the label because these ingredients can be listed in any order.

Now that you have the basics of reading a label let's learn to chose the correct ingredient with the correct amount of oomph!

Admist a Sea of Products Part 1: Anatomy of a Product

2007-07-31T11:04:00.000-07:00

The hardest thing I face in skin care is really the same thing everyone else does - the sea of products, product claims, and pricing. Luckily as an "expert" it's my job to immerse myself in product knowledge. This means that in a normal month I spend about 12 hours researching new products, learning about cosmetic chemistry, dissecting new ingredients, and testing new product lines. To some this may sound very exciting. All those creams, lotions, and potions. But anyone who has seen my skin after a bad "testing" can understand why I as a professional frown upon anyone testing a new product on themselves without my go ahead. It isn't that I'm a control freak...well maybe a little…but mostly it's due to the fact that unless you understand product ingredients, cosmetic chemistry, and labeling, then you are playing Russian roulette with your skin and wallet!

So let's get down to it. What the heck makes the $10 cream found your local drugstore different from the $50 cream found at a department store, different from the $50 cream found at a dermatologist or esthetic office? Heck what makes the $50 cream I sell different than the $200 cream another person sells? Well a lot. An awful lot. And an awful lot that is hard to describe, but I'm going to try anyway. By the end of this series of articles we will have covered all the pieces that makes product quality different/better/worse:

Type of Ingredients
Active Ingredients/Amount of Active Ingredients
Ingredient Processing
Delivery Systems
Studies/Research
Packaging/Advertising

But before we get to all that we need to understand the anatomy of a product. To understand the quality of a product you must be able to read a label, and to do that you need to understand the major categories of what makes up a product. This list is compiled thanks to www.smartskin.com.

Antioxidants: Antioxidants are substances that neutralize free radicals. Damage by free radicals is one of the key mechanisms of the aging process. Also, free radicals mediate many forms of inflammation. Antioxidants reduce the skin's exposure to free radicals. Not all antioxidants are created equal, they vary by the range of activity, solubility in oil and water, and other properties.

Active Ingredients: An optimal skin care product should contain one or more active ingredients in an effective concentration. These are the ingredients that actually do something to the skin. For example Retinal or Vitamin C would be an active ingredient.

Binding Agents: Substances that hold products together and prevents separation of the water and lipid components. The most important binding agents in skin care are emulsifiers.

Emulsifiers: Emulsion is a smooth blend of oil and water. Since most skin care product formulas include both water and oil soluble ingredients, emulsions are very popular in skin care. Most creams and lotions are emulsions. However, emulsions are unstable and quickly separate. Emulsifiers are substances that stabilize emulsions and prevent products from separating.

Delivery Enhancers/Systems: Ingredients that enhance delivery of other ingredients into the skin and/or insider skin cells. This is easily the most important category when it comes to separating the good and the bad products since the delivery system dictates how much product is actually used by the skin.

Emollients: Substances that smooth and soften the skin. There exist a wide variety of emollients, each providing its own individual texture to the skin. This is usually the ingredient that creates "slip" or "feel" which in product lingo mean how the product feels to the user. Often companies spend more money on making a product feel good than making it work since feel sells to the ignorant.

Humectants: Substances that can attract water, usually out of the air. By definition, all are also moisturizers. In fact, any good moisturizer has to contain potent humectants. Serums are comprised of humectants.

Lubricants: Substances that make skin feel smoother to the touch and reduce friction; more common in hand creams. Once again we have slip and feel.

Preservatives: Substances that kill detrimental bacteria, yeast and/or molds, thus prevent spoilage. While some preservatives may occasionally be irritating to the skin, the use of products spoiled by microorganisms may be equally or more damaging. Sometimes antioxidants and stabilizers are also referred to as preservatives because they inhibit chemical degradation of products.

Solvents: Substances, such as alcohol or water, which dissolve other ingredients.

Surfactants: wetting agents, substances capable of reducing the surface tension of a liquid in which it is dissolved. In skin care, surfactants enable a topical product to easily spread and glide across the skin.

Vehicle: The base that carries the active ingredients.

Fragrance/Color: the other stuff that goes into a product to make it more appealing for sale.

Next we will use this knowledge to learn how to read a label.

A tan by any other name...

2007-05-22T12:33:00.000-07:00

…will still age you, increase your risk of cancer, and break down your immune system.

A tan is a tan is a tan. Unless it comes out of a bottle it isn't safe. No if, and's, or but's about it. So knowing this. Knowing that all the research in the world has linked sun damage (aka tanning) to the rise of many illnesses and disease, I have to ask myself why my clients are still doing it. The only answer I can come up with is I haven't educated them enough. So here we go. Please pay attention!

So lets talk tanning. I know summer is here and everyone wants to look good with a "healthy" tan. But trust me, there's nothing healthy about a suntan. The only safe tan is a fake tan. So let's start from the top.

UVR or Ultraviolet Radiation

UVR comes in a few different forms, but when talking about tanning we are discussing UVA & UVB which are the rays in sunlight. UVA rays are known as the "aging" rays and consist of longer wavelengths that penetrate deep into the dermis - our "true" skin. UVB rays are knows as "burning" rays. They are shorter than UVA, affecting the top layers of skin – the epidermis.

Suntan (via the Mayo Clinic)

A suntan is the result of injury to the top layer of your skin. A tan develops when UV light accelerates the production of melanin – the pigment in your skin that makes up your color. The extra melanin produced to protect the deeper layers of skin oxidizes and darkens your pigment giving you a tan color. In essence, a suntan is your bodies defense mechanism against UVR rays. While you are tanning, your body is fighting to prevent further injury to the skin, but the protection only goes so far.

Sunburn (via the Mayo Clinic)

Eventually, ultraviolet light causes the skin to burn, bringing pain, redness and swelling. Depending on the severity of the burn, the dead, damaged skin may peel away to make room for new skin cells. Though the symptoms of sunburn may fade after several days, the damage to your skin remains. Sun exposure that is intense enough to cause a burn can also damage the DNA of skin cells. This damage sometimes leads to skin cancer.

People with darker skin pigment are less likely to burn because of the protective action of the melanocytes, which produce melanin. However, even those with darker skin types can burn with repeated exposures to UV light. This intense exposure can produce negative effects in the skin, including dry, rough patches, wrinkling and other skin disorders. So even though people with darker skin can tan and tolerate longer periods of sun exposure without "burning," the sun can still cause skin damage.

Tanning Beds

Researchers estimate that a twenty-minute visit to the tanning booth is equivalent to spending a day at the beach. And contrary to most claims, there is no truth in getting a "base tan" in protecting against future sunburns. Tanning beds and sun lamps emit 93% to 99% UVA. This increases the speed of a tan allowing for a fast and even tan, but it's also 3x the normal UVA the sun puts off. This means you are getting 3x the amount of UVA radiation without the usual burn this type of exposure would give you. Let me repeat that because it's important. 3x the usual amount of UVA radiation, but no UVB to burn you. What does this mean to a tanning bed user? Well it's the reasoning behind all the tanning bed propaganda like:

"Safer than the sun."
"Good for your health."
"Excellent source of vital Vitamin D."
"Protect against bone loss."
"Giving you a safe base coat to protect you from sun damage."

You see, UVB creates immediate damage to the top layers of skin and is therefore considered the "dangerous" part of tanning. At least that's what these companies want you to believe. Yet, ask experts about even limited exposure to UVA and they will give you hard, scientific data that UVA exposure leads to long-term skin damage such as cancer, DNA destruction, dysfunctional immune system, sun and eye burns, cataracts, and photosensitivity. So tanning bed companies claiming that their beds are "safer than the sun", "good for your health", or safe at all is like big tobacco claiming that smoking is safe and good for you. In fact, I often tell my clients that tanning is like smoking. It's something you chose to do even though you know all the data points to it killing you.

Tanning Beds – The New Cigarette (via Elizabeth Carruth)

Studies have concluded that indoor tanning is directly linked to skin cancer, specifically malignant melanoma, and other numerous health problems. Although tanning industries claim that UVA radiation is safe, medical research disproves this theory. Researchers say that because UVA rays penetrate deep into the skin, they destroy skin fibers and damage elasticity. Long-term effects of UVA rays include premature aging and wrinkles. They are also linked to malignant melanoma, damage to the immune system, weakening of the skin's inner tissue, and other types of skin cancers… From his research, Dr. David Sidransky concluded that UVA radiation causes the same damage as UVB radiation to skin cells which leads to cancer. In cases where exposure to light was increased, it was more likely that the damage would exceed the constructive, cellular-repair mechanisms, and a tumor would be more likely to develop.

A study conducted in Sweden helps to prove that tanning beds are a major factor in the development of malignant melanoma. Different people, all under the age of 30, were included in the study. The data concluded that the people who used tanning beds more than 10 times a year were seven times more likely to develop malignant melanoma than those who did not use tanning beds as often. The study also concluded that melanoma risks are increased by 300% for those using tanning beds occasionally, and that the risks increase by 800% for those who use tanning beds more than 10 times a year.

A number of various authorities warn the public of the dangers of tanning devices, but if that isn't enough for you here are some hard facts. A Dermatology Department in the United Kingdom conducted a study examining DNA damage in human fibroblasts cells after they were exposed to artificial tanning lamps. The study showed that it is highly likely that the lamps cause DNA damage that is directly related to the development of skin cancers, cutaneous effects, and damage to the immune system. They believed that the public should be warned about the dangers of using tanning beds. (Woollons, Clingen, Price, Arlett, & Green, 1997) This was in 1997. New studies have conclusively proven these same findings.

A study published by the Journal of the National Cancer Institute in February 2002, found that people who used tanning devices were 1.5 to 2.5 times more likely to develop common kinds of skin cancer than people who did not use the devices. Dr. Madeleine Duvic, professor and chairman ad interim of the Department of Dermatology at M. D. Anderson, said,

"Basically, the ultraviolet radiation given off tanning beds aren’t good for your skin. The longer ray UV-A radiation goes deeper into the skin than UV-B and does not protect you from a sunburn at the beach. Both UV-A and UV-B cause aging and skin cancer just like the sun. Use of phototherapy is immunosuppressive so when it is used to treat diseases, there is increased risk of getting a skin cancer. It’s like a safer cigarette. There is no such thing. There are no safe tans – they are a sign of DNA and skin damage."

Dermatologists believe that tanning beds are a leading factor in skin cancer cases. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) lists tanning beds as possible health hazards, and the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) encourage people to avoid using tanning and sun lamps since they contribute to eye problems such as conjunctivitis and corneal infections. Ultraviolet rays can cause serious damage to the cornea and retina. Even the American Medical Association (AMA) and the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) are fighting to ban the use of tanning equipment for non-medical purposes.

And Yet People Still Tan…

All the facts pile up to one conclusion. THERE IS NO SAFE TAN but a fake tan. I know brown is hot. I know it makes you feel sexy and healthy. But I am through talking. Talking doesn't seem to be helping since skin cancer due to unprotected exposure is on the rise. So I am going to leave you with a look of your sexy future if you keep tanning.

Resources

CancerWise May 2002

A Healthy Glow? The Dangers of Tanning Salons by By Michael Woo-Ming M.D., MPH

Sun damage: The true price of tanning published by The Mayo Clinic

Do Tanning Beds Cause Skin Cancer and Other Harmful Effects? by Elizabeth Carruth

Abstracts for Saturday meetings 7 OCTOBER 2000 : SUN AND SKIN - THE HEALTH AND METEOROLOGY OF ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION

Miller, S.A., Hamilton, S.L., Wester, U.G., & Cyr, W.H. (1998). An analysis of UVA emissions from sunlamps and the potential importance for melanoma. Photochemistry and Photobiology; 68(1): 63-70. (abstract).

Swerdlow, A.J. & Weinstock, M.A. (1998). Do tanning lamps cause melanoma?. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology; 38(1): 89-98. (abstract).

DeMarini, D.M., Shelton, M.L., & Stankowski, L.F. (1995). Mutation spectra in Salmonella of sunlight, white fluorescent light, and light from tanning salon beds: induction of tandem mutations and role of DNA rapair. Mutation Research. 327(1-2): 131-149. (abstract).

Cress, R.D., Holly, E.A., & Ahn, D.K. (1995). Cutaneous melanoma in women. V. Characteristics of those who tan and those who burn when exposed to summer sun. Epidemiology; 6(5): 538-543. (abstract).

Woollons, A., Clingen, P.H., Price, M.L., Arlett, C.F., Green, M.H.L. (1997). Induction of mutagenic DNA damage in human fibroblasts after exposure to artificial tanning lamps. British Journal of Dermatology 1997; 137: 687-692.

Devgun, M.S., Johnson, B.E., & Paterson, C.R. (1981). Tanning, protection against sunburn and vitamin D formation with a UV-A ‘sun-bed.’ British Journal of Dermatology 1982; 107: 275-284.

Kennedy, M., Kim, K., Harten, B., Brown, J., Planck, S., Meshul, C.,Edelhauser, H., Rosenbaum, J.T., Armstrong, C.A., & Ansel, J.C. (1997). Ultraviolet Irradiation Induces the Production of Multiple Cytokines by Human Corneal Cells. Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science. Sept, 1997, Vol. 3, No. 10.

Sorry it's been so long!

2007-05-11T09:17:00.000-07:00

Thank you all for being so kind and understanding about the lack of blogs. With the server move for this website, bronchitis, and the move to my new, larger, location I've been remiss with my writing. But we are all back on track and blogs will be appearing.

And There I Was....

2007-03-12T10:46:00.000-07:00

I get a LOT of trade magazines – and I get behind in reading them, but I was recently laid up with a bad bout of Bronchitis and had the chance to catch up. And there I was in Skin Inc's December 2006 issue! That's me in the purple jacket on the left hand side sitting at a Medical Esthetic Conference in San Fransisco. …I look funny from the back!

Anthropology of the Skin

2007-01-18T20:03:00.000-08:00

I was sent this link and am going to let it to my job this week. Origianl NYTimes article: Always Revealing , Human Skin Is an Anthropologist’s Map

In an era of academic hyper-specialization, Dr. Nina G. Jablonski has an amazingly broad résumé. At 53, she heads the anthropology department at Pennsylvania State University. She’s also a primatologist, an evolutionary biologist and a paleontologist.

Jeff Swensen for The New York Times Skin tells a story of human history, says Nina G. Jablonski, an evolutionary biologist.

Last year, Dr. Jablonski led an expedition to China, where she dug for human fossils in an attempt to learn how early man coped with climate change. This month, she’s in Kenya, where she and Meave Leakey are putting together a study on prehistoric monkeys.

For more than a decade, Dr. Jablonski has been trying to get her arms around a ubiquitous and yet mysterious topic: the biology, evolution and social function of human skin. The results of her studies have been published by the University of California Press as “Skin: A Natural History.”

“Skin has been studied to absolute death by dermatologists,” Dr. Jablonski said jokingly during a recent visit to New York City. “They know it inside and out from the point of view of diseases that afflict it. What we wanted to learn was how human skin came to be as it is and what that meant for humanity.”

Q. What set you off on writing a natural history of human skin?
A. I had an insight in 1981, when I was teaching gross anatomy to medical students at the University of Hong Kong. The students had been presented with a cadaver to dissect, and they were tremendously frightened of it. However, their attitude changed the very moment they cut through the skin. With the skin gone, they began seeing it as a mere body devoid of a personal history, and they could get on with their work.

That moment showed me how much of what we consider our humanity is imbued in our skin. It stayed with me for a long time. Then about 15 years ago, I joined a project studying the natural history of skin color. The topic was so engrossing that I began looking into the larger question of what our skin does and is.

Q. And what have you found?
A. That skin is the most underappreciated of our organs. Unless we’re having the sort of problem that brings us to a dermatologist, we take our skin for granted. We never think of it as working very hard for our body or doing valuable things for us socially.

But when you really start thinking about it, it’s a factory that produces vitamin D, sweat, hormones, oils, wax, pigments – substances we need. Skin is a raincoat in that it protects us from water, bugs and noxious chemicals. It’s also a billboard which we adorn with powder, tattoos, piercing and scars to give off instant messages about our history, health, values and availability for mating.

On an evolutionary level, there are three remarkable facts about skin. It comes in colors, of course. Compared to other mammals, our skin is relatively hairless. And it’s sweaty. In the last few million years, humans became the sweatiest of mammals.

Q. Is that important?
A. Absolutely. It’s often said that our large brains are what made it possible for us to evolve from ape to human. But those big brains could never have developed if we didn’t have exceptionally sweaty skin.

It happened this way. There was a tremendous takeoff in human evolution about two million years ago when primates who could no longer be called apes appeared in the savannahs of East Africa. These early humans ran long distances in open areas. In order to survive in the equatorial sun, they needed to cool their brains. Early humans evolved an increased number of sweat glands for that purpose, which in turn permitted their brain size to expand. As soon as we developed larger brains, our planning capacity increased, and this allowed people to disperse out of Africa. There’s fossil evidence of humans appearing in Central Asia around this time.

Q. In a nutshell, what has your research shown about why humans have varying skin colors?
A. That it’s not about race – it’s about sun and about how close our ancestors lived to the Equator. Skin color is what regulates our body’s reaction to the sun and its rays. Dark skin evolved to protect the body from excessive sun rays. Light skin evolved when people migrated away from the Equator and needed to make vitamin D in their skin. To do that, they had to lose pigment. Repeatedly over history, many people moved dark to light and light to dark. That shows that color is not a permanent trait.

Q. Did early humans decorate their skin?
A. We don’t know. There’s no human skin in the fossil record. The oldest preserved skin we have is that of Ötzi, the Neolithic iceman whose mummified body was found in the Alps in 1991. Ötzi lived about 5,000 years ago. Interestingly, he has tattoos. But we can only guess what they mean.

Modern humans, we love to alter our skin. You’ll find very few people walking around today with unadorned skin. They might make permanent changes – piercing, scarring, tattooing – to memorialize events and announce their identity. Or they might use cosmetics for temporary alterations to announce their attractiveness, mood or sexual availability. The bottom line: humans are the self-decorating ape.

Q. I get the feeling that you think cosmetic use is some kind of ancient evolutionary behavior. Are we reading you correctly? A. Evolution is all about attracting a mate and getting a chance to reproduce, so yes, makeup helps with that. When a woman uses eyeliner to make her eyes appear larger, she’s giving off a message: “I want you to see me as attractive.” Large eyes in a woman are almost universally seen as appealing. This is not just a girl thing. Male body paint in East Africa emphasizes forbidding facial expressions. They announce a man’s prowess as a warrior and as a mate.

Q. How do you feel about your own skin?
A. I like it. It is my unwritten biography. My skin reminds me that I’m a 53-year-old woman who has smiled and furrowed her brow and, on occasion, worked in the desert sun too long. I enjoy watching my skin change because it’s one of the few parts of my body that I can watch. We can’t view our livers or heart, but this we can. And yes, I use cosmetics. Like other humans, I have a penchant for changing my appearance easily and quickly. It also helps me feel more confident. That may seem silly, but I still do it.

Q. You made news in 2004 when you discovered the world’s oldest chimpanzee fossil. These were chimp teeth about a half-million years old. Where did you find them?
A. In a drawer at the National Museum of Kenya in Nairobi. I was rummaging through this bag labeled “fossil monkeys” and I saw it. “This doesn’t look like monkey,” I thought. It turned out they were from an early chimp. That find proved important because there had been no chimpanzee this old in the fossil record. By analyzing it, we’ve learned that chimpanzees in their current form have probably existed for longer than previously thought. (Laughs) Since my find, people have been rummaging through dusty museum drawers everywhere!

Deal or No Deal?

2006-12-15T18:53:00.000-08:00

So how much are you paying for your Botox? Trust me if you think you are getting a "deal" then think again. Botox is only produced by one company, Allergen, and it isn't cheap. It is dilutable though! What this means to you is that your Botox may be too weak to work, or diluted so that it doesn't work as long.

Botox should last about 6 month and you should be charged per unit. The going rate in Los Angeles is $12-$14 per unit. A good estimate of units used per area is:

Vertical Furrows Between Eyebrows (Glabella): 15-10 units
Crow's Feet (both sides): 20-25 units
Forehead (horizontal wrinkles from raised eyebrows): 20-25 units

Realize some people need more units due to stronger muscles or over time, a built up tolerance. Also understand that you will pay more money for a specialist or doctor who can make the injections less painful and more effective by skillful placement.

So before you start bragging about how cheap you got your Botox, think about what value you got for your money. I don't know about you, but I HATE having needles put into my face! So paying a bit more for a longer lasting manufacturers recommended dosage seems much better to me.

Shaving 101

2006-11-18T04:43:00.000-08:00

So you either can't or won't wax it so you shave it. But shaving isn't the best option for the skin and often creates more problems then it seems to solve. But okay, I understand, you are going to do it. So let's leave the days of shaving with sharp stones and animal bones in the past and move into today's more enlightened age – and trust me, I ain't talking about bar soap, canned foam, and your daddy's alcohol-based Old Spice!

Four Simple Rules to Shaving Anything

Soften hair by wetting the hair completely.
Shave IN THE DIRECTION of hair growth.
Avoid stroking the same place more than once.
Don't pull the skin taut! Keep it relaxed.

Men Are Special: How to Shave A Beard

Unlike the rest of the body, the facial skin is very delicate and exposed to the environment. Since a man's beard hair is generally coarser than the rest of the bodies hair, and often shaved on a regular basis, it needs special attention. The following techniques can be used on any unwanted hair, but is especially good for thick, coarse, hair.

Before Putting Blade To Skin

A good shave is only as good as the products you use, so get some good advice from a professional about cleaner, shaving cream, and post-shave serum. A good quality foaming or gel based shaving serum is best to shave with. The problem with over the counter shaving creams in a can is that they are too thick so clog the spaces in between the razor blades which leads to a poor shave and more nicks and cuts. Bar soap it designed for cleaning the skin and is therefore alkaline aka "stripping". It dries the skin and hair shaft up leaving you with broken hairs and sensitized skin. My favorite shaving products are Bioelements HIS products and glycerin-based Geo F. Trumper Shaving Soap and balm.

Prep

Believe it or not, bead hair is tougher than the edge of a razor blade, and shaving dry, un-prepped skin, as the majority of shaving creams, foams, and gels on the market tell you to, means you’re literally tugging on each and every hair on your face instead of neatly slicing it at the skin’s surface and moving on without irritating your skin. The best way to avoid this is to shave when the skin is warm and the hair totally wet, like after a shower. The warm water and heat softens both the hair shaft, and opens up the hair follicle for a closer, less irritating, shave.

While in the shower, or before wetting down for a shave, be sure to use a mildly exfoliating cleanser that will lift dirt, oil, and removed dead skin. It will also assist in lifting the hair off the skin for a close shave, and in the long run prevent in grown hairs. These two simple prep steps take about a minute and will prevent cuts, nicks, and razor burn!

Shaving

Follow the 4 easy rules at the top of this page.

For hard to shave areas try one of these tricks:

Angular face: Try shaving small areas with small, quick, gentle, strokes while the skin's pushed up so that the hairs stand up.

Sagging face: Try pulling the skin in small areas taut, but not too tight, just enough to get into nooks and cranny's!

Protection Post Shave

After shaving it is important to soothe and protect the new skin. Depending on your skin type depends on what you should look for. If you tend to get in-grown hairs use something that caters to them like In Grow Gold. If you have sensitive skin that stays red or is painful post shave try an aftershave with aloe vera, green tea, comfrey, or vitamin C.

Finally everyone needs SPF! If you don't use any other skin care products be sure to finish with your sunscreen no matter what.

The Most Perfect You

2006-10-03T23:41:00.000-07:00

People sometimes don't realize how hard they are on themselves and therefore me. When I have a client my goal is to help them become, as I say, "The most perfect you". What that doesn't mean is you looking perfect, but you looking as perfect as your genes, skin type, budget, and dedication will allow. Yet people want perfection. They want the current cultural "ideal", and when they can't get it – because honestly it's just not realistic – they have to blame someone. Often that someone is me.

I'd like to say we are new to the pressures of unrealistic beauty standards, but throughout history we have seen the same thing. Whether it be corsets to create a "perfect" figure, or mercury for a white complexion we are willing to hurt ourselves to obtain the "ideal" look. So what if the corset deforms our insides so horribly that we die prematurely? So what if the mercury makes us crazy and ill? So what! Everyone does these things because that's the only way to be beautiful, right?

Unique to our era is the digital age. Not only can we use cosmetics, clothes, and lighting to make us look our best – we have computers to help us create the false ideal. People read magazines, see billboard ads, watch movies and television. They see X actress and want to look like that. They KNOW that what they are seeing is touched up, perfectly lit, painted, and posed, but it doesn't stop them from wanting to look the same. It's almost like a mental illness. We see what we wish we could be and want to be just like it; even though we know that it's an illusion. Maybe this video by Dove for their Campaign for Real Beauty will help get the message across. In it we see how a model is transformed from her usual self to today's beauty ideal.

Let's talk about X actress for a moment. I can't tell you how many clients want to look perfect without makeup. It's probably the #1 goal I'm told someone wants. They want to have poreless skin, perfectly even color, rosy cheeks, sparkling eyes, etc.… all naturally. Just like X actress does. Well I work on X actress and you know what I can tell you? She suffers the same problems you do. She wants the same things. The only difference is she understands that almost none of those things come naturally – they are all smoke and mirrors. Without her makeup she has pores, lines, acne, discoloration, birth marks, and moles. Without dedicated skin care she can't even hide those things with good makeup! Her #1 goal is finding the right application of the right makeup, and the right skin care to get the best skin she can. Her biggest fear is someone seeing her without these things and realizing that she too is human and NOT the ideal.

So why isn't the ideal the most perfect you? Why is it something else? Would there even be imperfection if everyone just accepted themselves as they are? In a recent episode of the TV Show Bones Dr. Brennan says, "People have done much worse for beauty, foot binding, neck stretching… Any major alteration of our underlying architecture demeans us… You know, we all have aspects of ourselves we all wish were different… Our society puts a premium on beauty, which is common in declining cultures." I haven't yet met a person who is happy with themselves. Our culture doesn't teach us to be. Instead it pushes the unrealistic ideal onto everyone – demeaning each and everyone of us.

Now don't misunderstand me. There is nothing wrong with wanting to improve yourself. To look good helps you feel good. I have seen first hand how someones life changes because they no longer have acne, or learned a way to cover a large birth mark. But these are all things that fall into the realm of making the most perfect you. These are attainable goals that don't force you to strive for a perfection that cannot exist. And let's say it did. Let's imagine for a moment that you could be the ideal. Are you happy? Yes? You sure about that? Because perfect skin isn't going to make your mother in law like you more. Reducing your fine lines isn't going to get you better friends. Trust me, I understand that good looks can get you places, but they don't change the problems around you.

I am many things to a client. I'm your friend, your shoulder to cry on, your person to bitch at about a bad day, and someone you can share your joys with. I'm the person you see to feel better, look better, and give you hope for a better, more perfect, you. Yet many people mistake me for their savior or a miracle worker. They think that I can solve all their problems with a cream or peel. Although I wish I could take away your fear of aging, or promise that you will be acne free forever, I can't. What I can promise you is that I will always be there for you 110% with my knowledge, skill, and caring. In many cases I can slow aging and make it less noticeable. I can reverse and repair damage. I can keep your skin healthy. As I said – I can help you be the most perfect you. That's all I, or anyone, can do.

I make a living helping people look their best. I try and do it with caring and respect for every one's wants and needs, but sometimes it's hard on me. I often get the brunt of someones dissatisfaction in their most perfect them because they haven't reached the unattainable ideal they strive for. I hope in time we will all start embracing our own ideal and not someone else's. I change the world with my hands, and I hope that one of the changes I make in each and every person I see is to make them see themselves as a beautiful work in progress.

Changing the World With My Hands

2006-09-19T10:09:00.000-07:00

Most people who schedule an apt to see me come with problems they need assistance with. What most of those people don't realize until much later is that those problems aren't just skin care issues.

Hello, my name is Cybil and I am an undercover energy healer.

When I opened Solyn Skin Fitness Studio I added Energy Healing to the list of services I offered, and every single client I see receives some form of energy healing each time they step through my studio door. Yet very few clients every realize this. They never suspect that the power of my touch alone can balance their chakras, release negative energy, heal emotional pain and trauma, and leave them feeling cared for and loved.

So what exactly is Energy Healing? Well it's mostly the power of "touch". One can combine it with gem stone therapy, aromatherapy, or any other holistic approach they believe in, but when you get down to it, what Energy Healing really is, is the power of my energy touching yours.

In today's world we don't touch each other like we used to. Think about how often you touch your friends, your co-workers, even your family. Yet we know through scientific studies that touch is not only an anti-stresser, but can heal the body and mind. In hospitals when a baby is sickening from some unknown, non contagious, ailment they will put another baby in the same crib. Why? Because miraculously the contact of that other living, breathing, human can help the struggling baby improve. In retirement communities and some hospitals they allow animals to visit because they have proven that having a pet helps you live longer. Why? The touching of course! The contact. The love. The shared energy.

In the book Touch by Dr. Tiffany Field the director of the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami School of Medicine, Field shares her research on touch and the importance of all forms of touching. She argues that while skin is the largest organ of the body and our primary sensory organ, it is taken for granted and often not cared for. She believes that since Americans are some of the least tactile people in the world we are actually "touch hungry" and are lashing out because of it. Field believes that many of the problems of today, both physically and emotionally, are due to touch deprivation.

When my clients lay on my bed I share my energy. I touch them. I touch their mind, their spirit, as well as their physical body. Jane Wurwand, the founder of the International Dermal Institute, is known for saying "We can change that world with our bare hands." I like to think that as each day passes, and each client passes through my door, that I am.

Aha! Epicuren Agrees!

2006-08-30T14:28:00.000-07:00

So I recently arrived back from the Epicuren Symposium and here is a quote from their material about their enzyme:

"Aerobics for the skin: Medical studies and life experiences prove that when you exercise your body, your metabolism and cellular activity increase - keeping your body young and fit."

I love when others validate my own thinking!

Screwed by State Board

2006-08-22T16:52:00.000-07:00

Oh the on going saga of my time with the CA Board of Barbering and Cosmetology continues. It would seem that I didn't sign the bottom of the form I sent in with my check for an establishment license and the fine that went with it. So I am now in big trouble and owe a $575 fine instead of my $25 one. *sigh* So I called and asked what was up with that since I got this form stating I owed money and no reason checked. After the usual 40min on hold I spoke to the usual b*tchy state board employee. The lady said that there was no appeals process and that I needed to pay the full fine. When I told her that a $25 to $575 fine seemed ridiculous considering I sent in my paperwork and check in ample time. She stated, "If you can't follow simple instructions like signing the bottom of the form then what do you expect?" I said I expected someone to notify me that my paperwork was incomplete and that I had X number of days to rectify the problem or a $575 fine would be instated. Her reply was, "I assure you ma'am there is NO appeal process and you must pay the additional fine for this violation or we will revoke your esthetic licence. We don't have time to contact everyone who can't follow directions." Yes indeedy this is how the state board treats everyone. Since I believe in Karma I must assume I pissed of some God to get this kind of crap sent my way, but I am comforted in knowing that if Karma pays out to everyone who is treated the same by the Sate Board as I am (which is everyone) then they will all be horribly maimed in the next Sacramento based earthquake.

Zit SOS

2006-08-09T16:01:00.000-07:00

We've all had it happen - a zit pops up and we need it gone NOW! As an Esthetician with a room full of products and tools I could easily zap that sucker fast, but if you just don't have the time to rush over to me here are a few zit zapping tricks.

DON'T PICK IT!

I am not kidding. Don't do it. Your fingers are not a tool. In fact, they are a scar forming destructive force of oil and bacteria. If you pick the thing you are going to create a mess. I promise you, you aren't going to be able to make the thing look better. Instead the inflammation and redness will increase. This means your concealer isn't going to stick to it as well and it's going to be puffy under the concealer too!

Instead…

If you have a couple of days to make it go away use a spot treatment. My two favorites are the overnight treatments End-Zit for red, pussy, puffy pimples, or Bioelements Kerafole Mask for scabby or "underground" pimples. Put a little bit of either product on the spot (more isn't better!) and sleep with it on. In a day or two the spot will be gone. You can also use an over the counter benzoyl peroxide cream, but it never works as well and usually leaves you dealing with flaking skin in that area which is almost as annoying as the zit!

If today is the big day and the zit just appeared (damn that stress!) then first realize that we are only going to do damage control. We will be able to help the blemish a bit and then cover it. That's it. Think Better Not Perfect.

Damage Control Home Facial

Wash your face.
LIGHTLY (please don't go rubbing your face off!) exfoliate the area with a light scrub or mild acid mask.
Use a warm compress on the spot for 5-10 minutes (I like to wet a wash cloth, fold it, and stick it in the microwave for 15 seconds). You want it warm but not scalding. Then use a cool compress (DO NOT USE ICE) for an equal amount of time. This stops the swelling.
If there is a white top on the pimple try to lightly rub it off with a warm wash cloth or gently stab it with a CLEAN needle. Let it ooze out on its own. DO NO SQUEEZE!!!
Apply an anti-acne mask like Bioelements Amino Mask to fight the bacteria and sooth the area.
Apply an SPF to stop scaring.
Use a good concealer, preferably one that will help heal the zit at the same time like Jane Iredale's Disappear. Ignore what people say about green concealer. That's just crazy in this day and age.
If the spot is still really red so the concealer won't cover it soak a cotton pad in Visine and apply to the area for a minute or two. This constricts the blood vessels for a couple of hours. This is ONLY to be used in emergency circumstances. Long term it isn't good for the skin. Now apply concealer.
Dust some powder over the spot.

Viola! You are ready to go.

Trendy New Ingredient May Not be Hype

2006-08-02T01:04:00.000-07:00

There's been a ton of buzz about a new berry called Sea Buckhorn. China has been keeping it a secret since they started studies on it in the 1930, but everyone is now jumping on the band wagon. Usually I am wary of any "NEW AMAZING" ingredient, but the studies on this one are compelling. So far the best results for healing and anti-aging are to take it internally or eat the whole berry, but post op and burn victims who have been treated topically with this berry have healed faster and with less scaring than with the usual treatments.

The magic of this little fruit is what it contains: Vit E, C, B. 36 kinds of flavanoids, folic acid, and 106 types of oils and organic acids which include quinic acid, malic acid, palmitic acid, and linoleic acid. And Carotenoids like beta carotene, lycopene, and zeaxanthine.

Keep your eyes peeled for this one. I know I am!

Give 'em Lip!

2006-07-28T22:38:00.000-07:00

The number one makeup complaint I get is about lipstick. It doesn't stay on. It runs. The lips don't look big enough. It gets on my teeth. You name it I've heard someone complain about it. So here are a few tricks of the trade for seriously good lips.

Keep Them Healthy

For the best lips you must keep them healthy. Feel free to use a moisturizing mask over your lip area once a week, or get a specialty treatment. Bioelements makes Lip Buff which is a sugar scrub for the lips that not only tastes great, but keeps your lips free of dead skin and hydrated. If you need a chap stick be sure you use a chap stick or lip moisturizer with an SPF of 15+ and that doesn't addict your lips to it. Most chap stick's teach your lips to stop producing their own moisture, so use a natural moisturizer like shea butter or coconut oil or get a good chap stick like Epicuren's SPF 15 Enzyme chap stick. Without a good base for lipstick no lips will look their best!

Changing Lip Color

So you buy a lip color and then you put it on, or the as the day wears on, it looks totally different! Well one thing is the light in the store where you purchased the color might have mislead you. Always be sure to check color in natural lighting. The second reason could be that your hormones are fluctuating and as the pH of your skin changes it can effect the pigments in the lipstick. To put this problem to a stop just apply a thin coat of your face powder or concealer onto your lips first. This will keep the color on your lips true all day long.

Lip Plumping

So you have thin lips huh? Well we can't all be Angelina Jolie, but with a little makeup magic we can all aspire to have lips as lush as hers.

Outline your lips on the outer edge of the mouth starting from the corners and working inward with a nude color. For the most realistic look don't extend the lip above the lip line, just keep the outline right on the edge of the lip.
With the same nude color, color in the corner of the lips so you have a nude triangle on each side of your mouth. This gives your lips a pouty appearance instead of a bigger one.
Blend all the lines so that everything is soft and you can't see any lines.
With a lip brush mix a medium shade of lipstick with a lip plumper like Jane Iredale's Lip Plumper. The lip plumper with help plump up the lips, add hydration, and make your lipstick glide one. A medium shade of lipstick will make the lips look fuller than a dark or light one.
Add some gloss just in the center of your lips. This will make your mouth appear full and kissable!

Whiter Teeth

Believe it or not lipsticks can make your teeth look whiter or dull and dingy. For a whiter smile stick to colors that have a blue base. If you worry about yellow teeth stay clear of all yellow or orange based colors. You can always be safe with a neutral.

Smudge Proof, All Day Wear

This trick is especially good for any occasion (weddings!) that you need to smooch.

For longer lasting lipstick without all the nasty chemicals used in "long lasting lipstick" try this simple trick:

Line the lip then fill the entire lip in with the lip liner or your blush color.
Blend the lip liner into the lip well. Imagine yourself pressing the liner into the lip more firmly.
Apply your lipstick
Dust your lips with a translucent powder and then apply another coat of lipstick Do not use gloss! If you want a shimmer try a gold dust powder

Now your lips will stay perfect all day.

Staying in the Lines

If your color has a tendency to bleed or smudge out the edges the be sure to finish any application with concealer around the edge of your lip. Not only will this give your lips an ultra sharp appearance, but it will stop all that nasty moving. A trick I like to use with this is to apply a concealer one shade lighter than your skin. This highlights the mouth and makes lips look fuller.

Too Full

On occasion someone tells me their lips are too full. I know it sounds crazy, but to each their own. In a case like this I tell the client to love nude colors and light glosses. If you fell like your lips are too much just keep it all very low key.

Shaping it

2006-07-22T18:23:00.000-07:00

I just pulled this very clever add out of my Shape magazine. I did a double take and then realized what it was advertising. Do you get it? :) If not, ask a friend!

This advert made me think about people who want shapes "down there". When people come in to see me for pubic waxing most times they have no idea what shape they want. They know they want some hair or no hair on specific areas, but otherwise they are looking for guidance. As someone who has a lot of experience with this I am happy to offer it.

You see just like the hair on your head, pubic hair needs shaping for the most flattering look because not every one's body shape and hair type can pull off the same "look". Most people go with three basic shapes, triangle, strip, or bare. But even these have variations. A wide strip? Thin strip? Where does the triangle sit on your pubic mound (aka mons)? Are you sure you look good bare? Do you have enough hair to pull off an unusual shape like a Christmas Tree or star? There is a lot of design a good waxer does for a client, but you can think about what you want before you go in.

Setting aside specific shapes like hearts, stars, and green clovers for a moment. My favorite client is the client who at least knows the general type of shape she wants for her wax:

Full Brazilian: Everything gone from the front of the genitals and between the butt cheeks.

Traditional Brazilian: A small strip of hair or "landing strip" on the labia's that extends onto the mons a bit. Everything else gone from the genitals and between the butt cheeks.

Traditional Bikini: If it sticks out of your underwear and is on the pubic area then I take it off. This doesn't include inner thigh, belly's, butts, or other body parts.

Bikini Plus: Little to no hair left on the labia, but hair (usually a triangle) on the mons.

Even with these basic guidelines a good waxer will be the person best able to help you look your best. As long as my clients can give me basic input on the shape and how much hair they want left when we are done, then I can do the rest. But your input is essential. We need to communicate! People seem to think the awkwardness and pain associated with bikini waxing is the worst part. But as anyone who has had a bad waxing experience can attest to, a crappy shape or a botched job can leave you traumatized. This is why finding a good waxer is essential, and a good waxer is someone skilled, clean, efficient, and that you can communicate with! Let your waxer know what you want, but trust them to know what you need. Remember you can always take more off, but growing back in is a total pain.

I can't tell you how many clients come to see me asking for a Full Brazilian, but leave with a Bikini Plus instead. You see, going totally bare can be VERY scary and often unflattering. Try to imagine having long hair and then coming out of the hairdresser with a short bob. You look different. You feel different. It can be…frightening. This is the same with losing all your pubic hair. Sometimes you just don't think about what that hair has been covering up, or what it provides a distraction from. Have a bit of a tummy? What about jutting hip bones? A freakish mole you never noticed? Or, my all time favorite, "I look like a 2 year old!". I know Full Brazilians are currently all the rage, but you really might want to move a bit slower. If your waxer recommends not going bare the first time listen to them. Let me repeat – you can always take more off, but growing back in is a total pain.

Let's talk about my favorite and the most versatile shape – the Bikini Plus. I think this is the perfect shape for newbies to try out. You see once the hair is removed from your labia and all the other hair is cleaned up you are going to feel sexy, clean, and wonderfully confident about your newly groomed area. Because the Bikini Plus is such a versatile shape it's flattering on everyone. It can be wide, tall, short, fat, think, long…it can be whatever you need. And best of all, if you want more off next time it's a snap to do. If you hated your shape it will usually fill in by the second or third wax so you can get a shape you'd rather have.

The shape of your body and the type of hair you have plays a large role in how you should be shaped. Since the Bikini Plus is the most versatile of the wax shapes it's the one I am going to give examples of.

Let's say you have wider hips and thinner pubic hair. If you try and have a small triangle you are going to look wider and your hair will appear scraggly very much like a prepubescent boy trying to grow his first goatee. Instead you will look better with a wider triangle (see image below) at the top that bows in a bit on the sides before coming to a point at the bottom. This gives a softer look and gives the illusion of narrower hips. It also makes use of the hair you have.

A person with narrow hips, a long torso, and thick pubic hair would look much nicer with a longer, sharper triangle that matches her angles and gives the illusion of a longer bottom half to match the top half. She can go narrower because she has enough hair to fill in that thinner triangle.

As you can see the versatility of the Bikini Plus makes it a great place for a waxing newbie to start, but the other shapes are all wonderful for the right person. If you hate any kind of hair at all go with a Full Brazilian. Just realize that you REALLY must take the hair out from between your butt cheeks. I know it's a weird thing to wax, but trust me everyone has hair of some sort there and once you don't have hair anywhere else you'll notice it BIG TIME!

Just like the Bikini Plus the other shapes can be designed to cater to your specific needs. I have many clients who get a Traditional Bikini but instead of angled sides go straight up and down. I have clients who love the shape of the Traditional Brazilian with it's thin landing strip, but hate any hair on the labia so we knock that off leaving just a small strip on the mons. The list goes on and on.

Now and then, usually around Valentines Day and Christmas, I have people request special shapes such as hearts, moons, lighting bolts, etc. These are totally doable, but you have to plan for them. First you need a LOT of hair and it has to be on the thicker side. You can't have someones initials designed into your bikini if you don't have enough hair to define those letters! Also one wax might not do the job. This is design work and I usually recommend two to three waxes for a good shape. Of course if you have a wonderfully thick thatch of fur, and lots of it, we probably can get it done in one go. But most people who are walking on the waxing wild side are long time waxers and have to grow some more hair in as we go along.

Well I hope this has taken some of the mystery of of bikini waxing. Any long time waxer will tell you that shaping is the hardest part of the process. It takes a lot of communication and experience to make someone feel good about their bikini wax. This is why it's so important that you find a good waxer and stick with them.

State Board Pays me a Visit

2006-07-11T12:22:00.000-07:00

So I just got visited by the State Board of Cosmetology and Barbering. Can I say SCARY. I am still shaking. The adrenaline that kicked up was almost as bad as that last car accident I was in!

As an esthetician who falls under the supervision of the State Board I know that at any time I can have a surprise inspection, but usually we don't get them. Luckily for me I passed with flying colors. And I learned a lot from the ordeal about some of the new rules and regulations. Luckily I passed all of them…thank God for making me anal-retentive about sanitation!

R&D: Research and Development

2006-07-02T21:16:00.000-07:00

Picking a new product isn't easy. In fact, it's one of the hardest things I do. The products I use and sell need to be exceptional, but meet multiple client needs and be within a budget that my clients can afford. So how does it all happen?

Well it starts with me selecting a few products that seem interesting. I learn as much as I can about the products online and from other people in my field. Armed with that knowledge I attend any classes those products offer. If I like what I hear I go to the booth and ask questions - lots of them. Essentially I need to know as much about this product as the chemist who created it and the person who first conceived it. If I can't get these answers I strike the product off my list. I don't care how good a product is supposed to be. If the people peddling it can't answer my questions or find someone who can, then it's useless to me. I am only as good as the products I use. They are the number one tool I have. I can know what's wrong with you and how to fix it, but if my products are mediocre then I can only get you mediocre results. And any product line that can't answer a few important questions is merely mediocre.

Sometimes I can't get a good sense of a product after just one show or convention. In this case I ask the company for as much literature as they will send me and then I hang out at their booth the next show or convention I am at. I listen to what current clients have to say, and what new clients are asking. I become a groupie and just take it all in. If I had more time I'd do this with every line, but this process is very time consuming - yet always rewarding.

This process usually narrows the number of products a great deal. Out of the 5 or 6 I was interested in only 1 might make the cut. Any products that make the cut I spend about a month playing with. Once I deem the product safe and understand it enough to feel comfortable with it, it goes into a "Pilot Program" where I select specific clients to try it out.

After I get their feedback I keep it and get all the training I can on it, or I dump it and put all data on it into a file. This file is important. I will revisit it when a product line changes, there is a product line spin off, or I continue to hear good buzz about a product I axed. I haven't yet taken in a product that was axed, but the data is always a great reminder to me of why the it didn't make the final cut. The notes I gather also help with future research by narrowing down research on new product lines that hit the market.

So there it is. Not very exciting I know, but so many people asked how I pick my products after I attended my last Vegas Convention that I figured I might as well answer you all here. :)

Science, Psuedo-Science, Science Fiction

2006-06-26T06:52:00.000-07:00

It's amazing how much money and research is going into beauty. It's no wonder when you look at the statistics and realize that the beauty industry has been booming since its inception in the early 1920's. Every year more money is spent by consumers trying to stay young and beautiful. Even during times of economic crisis like the Great Depression the beauty industry was the ONE industry that made money…and not only did it make money, but it made more money than ever!

So here we are in a day and age where science has merged with skin care in an attempt at keeping us young and beautiful. And I use the word attempt lightly. Quite frankly I think we live in a time where if we take care of ourselves we may never need to age like our parents. BUT, and this is a big but, with science comes lies and misconceptions. All of which are swallowed whole by consumers because we don't know how to filter the truth from the lies. We don't have enough knowledge to understand what we read and hear, but we have enough to get us into trouble.

Nathan Zohner, a student in Eagle Rock Idaho, did a science fair project on the deadly chemical compound dihydrogen monoxide (DHMO) entitled "Dihydrogen Monoxide: The Unrecognized Killer" This chemical has been implicated in the deaths of thousands of Americans every year and it's in every single facial product we use. The chemical is so caustic that it "accelerates the corrosion and rusting of many metals, …is a major component of acid rain, [and] …has been found in excised tumors of terminal cancer patients." Symptoms of ingestion include "excessive sweating and urination," and "for those who have developed a dependency on DHMO, complete withdrawal means certain death."

Scared?

You're not alone. After reading Nathan's report and looking at his research and statistical data on DHMO 86% of Nathan's sample group voted to ban dihydrogen monoxide because it had caused too many deaths. This same report was used on the first season of Penn & Teller's Bull Shit with the same results. Most adults who were asked agreed that DHMO should be banned based on the destructive nature of the chemical compound.

The thing is, DHMO is just water.

Nathan's real science fair project was entitled "How Gullible Are We?" and was about people's ignorant reaction to totally factual information they didn't understand. His findings point out that anything can be spun to seem good or bad if you don't understand all the information. In his report he discusses how any of the students could have asked the teacher what DHMO was, but none did, and in his conclusion he states, "I was appalled that my peers were so easily misled…I don't feel comfortable with the current level of understanding." Worse yet, in a Washington Post article about this story, James K. Glassman quotes David Murray, the research director of the non-profit Statistical Assessment Service in Washington as saying, "The likelihood is high that I could replicate [Zohner's] results with a survey of members of Congress."

The implications of Nathan's research were so disturbing to Glassman that he decided to coin the term: Zohnerism – the use of a true fact to lead a scientifically and mathematically ignorant public to a false conclusion.

A little knowledge can hurt you. I am a firm believer in educating my clients, but in today's market a little knowledge can be harmful just as Nathan Zohner proved. Products are marketed to prey on consumers belief that they know "what's up" in skin care. They use key words and terms that mislead and virtually lie. For example, you read that vitamin C is good for the skin in Generic Fashion Magazine which recommends Orange4U Cream. You go to the mall and find the Orange4U vitamin C cream. But is that vitamin C cream a good cream? The right cream for you? Does it really even have active vitamin C in it? To know for sure you MUST seek an expert because the marketing of the cream is full of Zohnerisms.

Unless you read the study on vitamin C for yourself and fully understand it, you know close to nothing. Generic Fashion Magazine didn't tell you that the study said you must have a certain amount of vitamin C in the cream to make a difference, and that it must be delivered to the skin in a certain way, AND that the vitamin C had no effect to the skin unless it was a particular kind of vitamin C combined with a certain amount of another ingredient. Generic Fashoion Magazine also didn't tell you that Orange4U cream's makers paid big bucks to get recommended as the vitamin C cream you should buy. So were you lied to? Can you sue? Nope. Technically you weren't lied to, you were merely misled.

How can it all be lies? You've heard about the benefits of Vitamin C every where and the box of Orange4U cream even said its results were "scientifically proven"! Like I said it wasn't all lies. Just some careful obfuscations. Hype is what it's all about. Because Orange4U cream company actually owns ten other companies that make vitamin C creams under different labels they are paying for all of them to be marketed, and at the same time hyping vitamin C so that you as a consumer believe vitamin C is the next big thing. As to the scientific proof, well Vitamin C was scientifically proven. Orange4U cream never said that its particular cream was scientifically proven, just that Vitamin C was scientifically proven – which it was. Companies use your small amount of knowledge against you. There is truth in the lies, and that's where the problem really is. Vitamin C WAS proven in this study to be good for you, but it was a very specific use and type of vitamin C. A use and type NOT used by any of these hyped creams.

So how do you navigate the lies? Well you find someone you trust, like me, to do this for you. Or you spend a lot of time researching products and staying up to date via scientific studies – the ORIGINAL scientific studies and data. Don't fall prey to Zohnerisms. Make smart choices – even if those mean finding an honest professional to make those choices for you.

To Tip or Not to Tip

2006-06-23T20:21:00.000-07:00

Knowing when to tip, when not to, and how much is always confusing. I can't tell you how many people ask me about the "rules" of tipping, and not just about tipping me! I get asked questions about hairdressers, nail techs, and even a dental student once! So let's get it out there. Let's talk about tipping.

First I want to state the I hate tipping as a principal. And not just on a level that I have to do math to figure out how much to tip. No I hate the entire concept of tipping because the notion that I should somehow be obligated to pay more for a service than stated seems ludicrous. If you needed more money for the service why not just make the price more? Add to that the lack of a standard tipping manual, and the sheer guilt/confusion inherent in the current tipping system and you may find yourself nodding in agreement and saying, "Yeah I hate tipping too!".

To me the only time I should think about tipping is if someone has gone above and beyond the required service. When I go to a restaurant and order a meal good service should be included in the price. Now if I have an opera singing waiter, or a waitress who notices that I've barely touched the "interesting sounding" side order I'd never tried before and asks me if I'd like to exchange it for something I might like more, or a waiter who helps me special order food I'm not allergic too by speaking to the chef for me (all of whom were Cracker Barrel waitstaff BTW)...well THAT all deserves tipping! That is extra service. Bringing me my food while it's hot, refilling my beverage, and doing it all with a smile…well that's what I'm paying for. Right?

Yes…and No.

In America almost any service based industry worker lives on their tips. They aren't just "gravy" or "extra", it's how the bills get paid and food gets on the table. You see you might be paying $50 for a meal, but that waitress is only making $2.50 an hour. You maybe paying $125 for that facial, but your technician is making $20 on that service and NO HOURLY WAGE. You might pay $200 for a good cut and color, but your hairdresser is making 20% of that and NO HOURLY WAGE. All these service jobs also don't come with benefits, paid time off, or any other perks like sick time or 401K plans. It sucks. I think it's crap, but it's how the system currently is. I heartily wish that we would throw the tipping system out the window, and pay people a fair wage. Leave tipping for those extra special moments and not as an annoying obligation, but until then please keep in mind that your tips really ARE important.

Now I am not saying you should tip for incompetence. If someone sucks tip them less, or don't tip them…but tell them why. If you don't they will just think you are cheap. You don't have to be mean about it, but an honest word or two about how you wish you had been treated or what you thought was missing can help improve a good service employee.

Alright so what are the tipping rules? Well there really just aren't that many which is why tipping is so darned hard! The New York Daily News just put out an excellent article on tipping (special thanks to the great Waiter Rant blog for pointing it out) that doesn't even talk about Estheticians and Massage Therapists. Be sure to check out the article, but here's what they are missing.

Esthetician & Massage Therapists: $10-$20 on a facial or body service depending on the service of the technician. If you are doing numerous services or getting a wax 20% of the regular price for the services is customary. If you get the service for a discount please don't penalize your technician for your bounty by cutting into their tip. Trust me, they probably get a percentage of what you pay, so if you pay less they make less!

Doctors offices and Medi-Spas: Tipping in this area is tricky. If the tech is on salary then No. If the tech is on commission then Yes. You have to ask. Just say to your techinician "Is it customary for me to tip you?" Don't be embarassed! They will thank you for asking and let you know.

Tipping the owner or a sole proprieter: The answer is you choose. Someone in this catagory should make sure they charge enough to give themselves a fair wage. But at the same time remember that quite often an owner is struggling to make ends meat. Owning a business isn't easy and if business is hurting they aren't getting paid.

I can't speak for everyone, but as an owner myself, I make sure my prices pay me fairly, but tips are still greatly appriciated because they show me that I am appreciated by you for what I do. For an owner a tip isn't just money it can be a small gift or a thank you note. I have one client who brings me hand made grape leaves, one who gives me the most thoughtful gifts and cards, and another who sends me more clients – which is truly the best tip of all.

My personal feeling about monetary tips to an owner are that they should go back to the clientele. This is why my tips go into a seperate account that is used for advancing my education, new equipment purchases, and as emergency funds. As any of my clients can tell you I am always training and experimenting, and it's all thanks to my clients' generosity.

Hopefully this has shed some light on the ambiguous world of tipping. I know it's all very complicated and can make people upset and embarrassed, but until America changes the system it's here to stay.

One Size Never Fits All

2006-06-19T19:18:00.000-07:00

So I was in getting a haircut recently when my technician told me I had amazing skin and asked me how I did it. I told her skin care was my profession. She then booked an appointment with me, all because my skin looked good. I always think this is funny because most esthetician's will tell you they got into this field because they had bad skin no one could fix. I'd sure tell you that! And here I am getting compliments.

I take pride in my work. I take pride in your skin because it is my work. It's also my calling card. Who is it that has the tag line, "We look good if you look good"? Brilliant slogan because it's SO true! I want your skin to look amazing – even on those days when it isn't. My job is to make you look good no matter what. Thank god for Jane Iredale Makeup!!

It's important to remember on this mission to have great skin that what makes my skin look good isn't what makes your skin look good. It's like the idea of one size fits all. Such BS! Even if you think that someone has skin like yours it doesn't mean the same things are going to work. You are unique. You are special. Try to remember that when struggling with your skin. And keep in mind that a little makeup, as long as it's GOOD makeup, never hurt anyone.

Out-growing your In-grows: Stopping Ingrown Hair

2006-06-04T08:19:00.000-07:00

As bikini season comes on I get more and more questions about ingrown hair and what to do about them, but the real question people should be asking is what they can do to prevent them.

Regardless of how you remove your hair you can get ingrown hairs. There are three reasons people get ingrown hairs. Most ingrown hairs occur when the hair isn't removed from the root properly and is shaved off or broken off at the top of the skin.

Notice how the tip is thinner and pointed in the hair diagram to the left? It's shaped like this so that it can penetrate the skin. When hair is shaved or broken (breaking often happens with improper tweezing and waxing) off at the surface of the skin the hair no longer has a tappered top. Because it's blunt and thick it has trouble getting through the skin. This creates dysfunctional hair that can't escape the skin's surface.

You can also get ingrows from curly hair that grows back into the skin. This is often seen with pubic hair and men's beards. As the hair gets longer it is either rubbed into the skin by clothing, or curls and pushes back into the skin. This irritates the skin and creates an ingrown hair.

Finally there is hair type. Thin or fine hair is weak and will have more trouble getting through the skin. This is why a long time waxer may suddenly start getting ingrown hairs when they never did before. When you wax the hair follicle is damaged and the hair gets weak and thin. This means the hair is dying (hurray!) but it can also create ingrown hairs.

Reducing ingrown hairs is really very simple. You need to exfoliate and use an ingrown hair product every day. My regiment for clients with ingrowns is Bioelements Cactus Cloth and Hovan's In-Grow Gold. Many people tell me they are already scrubbing the area, but unless you are using something as hard as a Cactus Cloth on a daily basis you aren't exfoliating hard enough or often enough. Using an anti-ingrow product like In-Grow Gold every day is essential too. The formulation of this product is designed to help prevent in-grown hairs AND to heal ones you may already have.

If you already have in-grown hairs you need to scrub daily and use your anti-ingrown product 2X a day until they go away. I know many people want to remove the hairs by, as I call it, performing surgery, but give this routine a week before you start digging into yourself. If you MUST perform surgery, please use clean tools - YOUR NAILS ARE NOT TOOLS - like a tweezer and a lancet. Release the hair from the skin and don't pull it out unless you are sure you can get it by the root. If you break it off you are going to make the problem worse. If the area is red or pussy put a product like Neosporin on it to keep the infection down.

I hope that helps everyone! No one hates ingrown hair more than me, because I have suffered them too.

The Power of Red II: Using your tea wisely

2006-05-28T10:05:00.001-07:00

Since I did my article on Red Tea I've gotten a lot of questions about different ways to use your tea besides hot and iced. People have especially been interested in Sugar Free options. My suggestion in regards to this is use sugar recipes but use your favorite sugar substitute in its place. I love splenda, and I get a liquid version of the stuff online. It's a secret place that only sells it certain times of the month in limited quantities so if you want to know more about it email me directly. Black market sugar substitute…can you believe it?!

These are my favorite recipes from a great site called Silk Road

Mulled Teas

(makes 1 cup)
Steep 1 tsp. tea leaves in 1/2 cup water · heat 1/2 cup hot apple or pear juice · combine tea & juice · serve in heatproof brandy snifters, bowls or tall glasses · garnish with a cinnamon stick; citrus, pear or apple slices. to make a wine or cider based mulled drink, decrease the water & juice to 1/4 cup each & replace with 1/2 cup of wine or cider.

Tea Sangria

(makes 1 cup)
Steep 1 tsp. tea leaves in 1/2 cup water · heat 1/2 cup white or purple grape juice. Combine tea & juice. Serve in heatproof glasses or champagne flutes and garnish with cranberries, thinly sliced seedless grapes, lemon, orange, mandarin or tangerine. For an iced sangria, steep the tea & refrigerate until cold. Instead of heating the juice, make sure it's well chilled before combining with the tea. For wine based sangria, decrease the water & juice to 1/4 cup each & replace with 1/2 cup of fruity red or white wine.

Tea Punch or Lemonade

(makes 1 cup)
Steep 1 tsp tea leaves in 1/2 cup water. Heat 1/2 cup cranberry, cran-raspberry, grape, apple, or pear juice. Combine tea & juice. Serve in heatproof punch glasses or champagne flutes. Garnish with cranberries, raspberries, cloves, thinly sliced lemon, orange, mandarin, tangerine. To make an iced punch or lemonade (homeade or store bought), steep the tea & refrigerate until cold. Instead of heating the juice or lemonade, make sure it is well chilled before combining with the tea.

Tea Infused Spirits

(makes 1 cup)
Create your own tea flavoured vodka, gin, tequila, saki or rum. The infused alcohol can be added to tea drinks, tea punch or in the case of vodka or gin, used to make a martini. 24-hour infusion: add 1 tsp of tea leaves to 1 cup of alcohol. Wait 24-hrs & then strain the tea leaves out. 20 minute infusion: add 3 tbps of tea leaves to 250 ml of alcohol. Wait 20 min and then strain the tea leaves out.

Glacial Melts

(makes 1 cup)
Place a few scoops of ice cream, gelato or sorbet into a heatproof bowl or sundae dish. Steep 1 tsp tea leaves in 1 cup water. Strain & pour liquid over ice cream. Serve immediately with garnishes like whipped cream, chocolate shavings, cinnamon powder or a vanilla bean.

Fruit Salad

Mix melons, peaches, grapes, oranges, apples, lychee fruit, mangos, etc. Brew tea & chill until it's cold. Cover fruit with tea and let stand for at least 15 min before serving. Almost any tea works well for this, just choose flavor carefully. Fruity, floral, or herbal are always good choices.

Fruit Popsicles

(makes 6-18 popsicles, depending on size of molds)
Thaw 2 cups frozen fruit slightly or use fresh. Mix with 1/2 cup water, 1/2cup cold tea & 1 tbsp sugar. Pour into molds or paper cups. Freeze until mixture is mushy and then insert sticks & continue to freeze until pops are hard.

Marinades

Teas make terrific marinades for chicken or duck, tofu, vegetables, kebabs etc. There are several ways to introduce tea as a flavouring: marinade the item in tea that has been chilled, or add tea to cooking oil or vinegar. I love to use citrus and herbal flavored teas for this also smokey flavors like chai, lapsang, and oolong.

Rice

Try adding a teaspoon of tea when cooking rice. Think floral flavors like jasmine, and lavendar. Also smokey flavors like chai, lapsang, and oolong.

Salad Dressings

Teas can add a delicious flavour to salads. Simply add a teaspoon of loose tea to olive oil & allow the herbs to infuse overnight. For flavoured vinegars, add 1tsp. loose tea to vinegar, allow the herbs to infuse for 1 hour.

Moving in!

2006-05-23T07:19:00.000-07:00

It's official, I have a new location! I just took my first client there today and It has been a long and unusual search, but I'm pretty happy with the space I have. I am working in the heart of Burbank's Media Center in a back room attached to a gym...ahh my Total Woman roots are showing!

Address:
228 Glenoaks
Burbank, CA

For all the details and a kick ass map visit the "location" link in the nav bar on the top of this page

Everything will be up on the website soon including my new logo and menu! If you are a current client you will get a menu in the mail and an invite to my Grand Opening party (TBA).

See you all at my new place. And thanks for everyone who made this possible!

Vacations, Moving, and Excuses

2006-05-19T15:05:00.000-07:00

Okay so if you follow my blogs (and I hope you do!) you probably noticed that I haven't posted in a month. Since I try to post every week you can see how time can get away from you. Since my last post mid April I visited Chicago for a body training class at Bioelements where I was in a car accident (no one was hurt, but apparently a CA drivers license isn't "valid" in Illinois so I also took a trip to the local jail to await someone to post bond for my ticket.), signed the lease on my new location in Burbank, went to Puerto Vallarta, and moved into my new location.

All this business makes me think about how time gets away from you. I hear it all the time from clients who miss an appointment, then another one, and so on until suddenly you have gone 6 months without a facial and your skin is thrashed and all the good work we've done has gone to pot. We've all been there. Look at my Blog. An entire month got away from me! But the thing we all have to remember is that when time does get away from us and we fall out of our routine we have to just get right back to it.

Alright here's the moral of this post - don't make excuses, just get back to it! So here I am back on the blog horse. If you've fallen out of a good habit get back to it. We'll do it together. :)