You all may remember in my article Sunsense that I spoke about a sunscreen additive called Mexoryl XL that isn’t legal in the US. It blocks UVA rays which is something no other sunscreen really does since they break down in the light. Luckily Neutrogena just released sunscreen in the US which contains Helioplex. According to Neutrogena Helioplex does exactly what Mexoryl does but has FDA approval in the US. So be sure you start looking for this in your summer sunscreen.

Up next….an article on self tanning & the new sun damage studies!

When you think about me and what I do you mostly think of facials and maybe waxing. What you may not think about is that I specialize in repairing and maintaining your skin – all of it. Look down at your arms. Notice your hands. Feel your back. Interestingly enough you have skin all over! So why aren’t you taking care of it?

There are many different kinds of skin on your body. Sure they all share the same name and many of the same features, but each section is unique. The skin on your face and neck are thinner and finer than the skin on your arms and legs. The skin of your palms and soles of your feet do not produce oil and therefore can callus easier to protect themselves. Just because your face is oily doesn’t mean your body is too.

To take proper care of all your skin you will want to give each section its very own assessment. Section your skin into 5 zones.

Zone 1: Face, neck, chest, and ears
Zone 2: Front of body, butt, and limbs
Zone 3: Feet and hands
Zone 4: Scalp
Zone 5: Back

Look at zoned sections of your skin. For places, like your back, that you can’t see, try to feel it. Notice if you seem dry and flaky, or if there are areas that are broken out and oily. Do you have sections that are ashy in color? What about calluses or rough patches? Make sure you pay close attention to your elbows and knees! Can you see how each section has its own personality? Maybe your hands are very dry, but your back is oily. Or maybe you have rough elbows, but your feet are soft and supple. Each zone is different and, like the face, will often change with weather, stress, and hormones.

Okay now that you’ve had a chance to notice your skin – all of it – lets learn about taking care of it. Care of the skin is actually very simple and generally the same for every zone. Cleanse, exfoliate, and hydrate. But just like the skin on your face each area needs it’s own routine.

Zone 1: Face, Neck, Chest, and Ears

Since zone 1 contains the face this is obviously the most complicated area to take care of – hence the reason you see someone like me! But take a moment to think about your neck, chest, and ears. Do you extend your daily face care to those areas? If you do, excellent! If you don’t, well let’s start. By adding just a little extra product to your application you will be able to exfoliate, moisturize, and SPF those areas along with your face. That way your neck, chest, and ears will stay just as young and healthy as your face.

Zone 2: Front of Body, Butt, & Limbs

The skin on your body needs help shedding, hydrating, and detoxifying just like the skin on your face does. There are a ton of different ways to accomplish this task, but this is what I recommend. Find a body wash gel or a bar soap that is mild and, if possible, pH balanced for the body. My favorite is Kiss My Face Olive Oil bar soap. It’s PH balanced for my most delicate areas, but is still strong enough to make me feel clean. At least 3x a week exfoliate with either an exfoliating body scrub, a manual scrubber, or my favorite way, body brushing (get a natural bristled brush or use a Bioelements Cactus Cloth dry. Before you bathe, stand in the shower and brush in light, vigorous, strokes from the outside of your body in. Start at the fingers and swipe in towards your heart, from toes to your groin, from your chest to your heart, etc. This brushing not only sheds dead skin, but helps you detox by promoting lymphatic drainage and stimulating oxygen supply to the surface of your skin.) When choosing a scrub, use something that has surgically rounded particles. They don’t tear the skin. If you are using a loofah or sponge be sure it’s very scrubby and don’t let it get moldy! Finally, use a body lotion daily either as soon as you get out of the shower since all your heated skin will suck in the product better, or right before bed so that while you sleep the heat of your body helps the product penetrate. Don’t use anything too heavy. I know we often think we are very dry so we need something thick, but if you exfoliate and use a light lotion on a daily basis you won’t need those heavy, often clogging, creams. Save those for spot treating only on places like elbows, knees, hands, and feet. Think about getting body treatments. Body treatments not only feel amazing, but are a facial for your whole body! Imagine that, happy, healthy skin all over!

Zone 3: Feet and Hands

This zone is a difficult one. The skin on our hands and feet is designed to try and protect us. Hot water, soap, shoes rubbing, walking barefoot, etc. All of these factor into how the skin reacts. The best way to manage this zone is like any other, regular maintenance! A manicure and pedicure once a month is great, but what about the time in between? On a daily basis use an exfoliant on both the hands and feet. For the hands you can use your body exfoliant, but for the feet get a pumice stone or specialty foot scrub. You don’t need to get every callus off. You probably need a few of them since they were created to protect you! Besides, daily care will help whittle them away and keep them thin and manageable. Once this is done be sure to use a thicker cream or oil. My favorite for feet is just organic virgin coconut oil, or shea butter. If either area gets really bad slather the cream on at night and put socks or gloves on and go to sleep. You’ll wake up to much softer skin. Be sure to put spf on your hands and if you are wearing open shoes, your toes too! You can also get hand and foot treatments added to almost any spa and salon service these days. This type of service can really boost the health of the skin in this zone.

Zone 4: Scalp

I am not a hairdresser or scalp specialist, but I did want to touch on it since it’s skin. Use a good shampoo that doesn’t build up. My personal favorites are the Giovanni line sold at most “Whole Foods” type stores and Epicuren’s Propolis shampoo. Both are great for controlling dandruff, stopping buildup, keeping your color true, and making your scalp and hair shaft very, very happy. Once a month be sure to give your scalp some TLC with a scalp treatment. Your hairdresser or esthetician can do this for you, or you can find some good essential oils and hair masks and give one to yourself.

Zone 5: Back

The back is a tricky area because we can’t see it ourselves and in some people it reacts very much like the face. If you don’t have problems with acne in that area treat it as you would zone 2. If you do, then see a skin care specialist for back facials and a special skin care routine.

Your skin covers your entire body and taking care of it makes you feel good all over. Once you start treating all your skin as well as you do the skin on your face you will see many positive changes in your appearance. It takes a little more time, but it’s time well spent.

I hate tea. I lived in Britain for 2 years and visit almost every year and still I hate tea. I know how good green tea is for people. I like it flavoring my ice cream. I adore using it in my facials, but I just don’t like how it tastes in the cup. So imagine my surprise when I found a tea that I not only love to drink, but that trumps green tea in the health and wellness department!

Rooibos (roy-boss), also known as Honeybush or Red Tea isn’t really “tea” at all. It comes from a reddish bush in South Africa and although the leaves are processed like tea, Rooibos comes from the plant Aspalathus Linearis and not the Camellia plants which produce traditional teas. Like traditional teas Rooibos leaves are brewed to give a refreshing flavor, but with a fruity, nutty, sweet, and totally non-bitter taste.

Scientists have been studying the medicinal properties since the early 1900’s when a Russian immigrant named Benjamin Ginsberg discovered Rooibos for Europeans, but our studies are just proving what South Africans have know for centuries. Rooibos tea not only tastes amazing, but eases headaches, digestive problems, allergy symptoms and colic. According to studies conducted in South Africa and Japan Rooibos aids in health problems such as insomnia, irritability, headaches, nervous tension, and hypertension. When used directly on the skin it reduces inflammation and irritation caused by things like insect bites, eczema, psoriasis, and other rashes.

Preliminary findings indicate rooibos tea contains more polyphenols than green tea. At least eight different polyphenols have been identified in Rooibos, and since rooibos is entirely caffeine free the antioxidant and healing power of this tea can be used to help slow the aging process and boost the immune system in anyone at any age. A good Rooibos tea contains no colors, additives or preservatives. It’s naturally sweet so you don’t need to add additional sweeteners, and even people who don’t like tea love the taste!

Rooibos contains almost no oxalic acid, making it a good beverage for people prone to kidney stones, and contains the following minerals: copper, iron and potassium, calcium, fluoride, zinc, manganese, alpha-hydroxy, and magnesium. Like green tea it helps freshen breath, keep your teeth and gums healthy, and keep you younger looking.

As with any tea, the quality of the leaf matters. I get mine from one of the top supplier of Rooibos tea in the world. They know tea, and if you’ve seen me and had a Tea Infusion Facial you can attest to how wonderful the tea tastes and smells, but also how beautiful it leaves your skin. So from now on think red when you think about drinking tea. Even if you, like me, didn’t think you were a tea drinker give a cup of Rooibos a shot.

Well it’s March and that means it’s time to move away from your Fall and Winter skin care routine. Luckily, Spring is the easiest season on your skin. Spring showers wash away pollution in the air, those horribly drying heaters get shut off, and humidity enters the picture once more. For Spring the overall skin care answer is lighter, brighter, and winter repair.

Lighter. Put aside the heavy creams and dark makeup. Spring is a season for rebirth and growth. During the winter you are battling harsh, dry climates like wind, cold, and electric heat. With the coming of the rains the air is fresher and cleaner, and much needed humidity comes back. With more moisture you need lighter creams and lotions. Many of the winter creams are heavy so they can protect the skin from water loss and create a barrier between your skin and the elements. The Spring means more water, nicer weather, and therefore the need for less.

Brighter. During the Winter months there is less sun and people stay inside more. This is when you should be on a deeper skin care regiment that includes more acid and peels. With the Spring, and more sun, you stop this but the results shine through. Your skin should be be brighter, fresher, younger looking. Sunscreen, always a must, is even more important now so you can maintain this new skin. Buy a sun hat you love and where it whenever you’re outside. Remember to put some of that sunscreen on the back of your hands as well!

Winter Repair. No matter how good we are to the skin in the Winter, some damage in the form of chapping, scaling, cracking, or dullness will be evident. Give your skin its very own Spring cleaning. There are lots of ways to do it. Spend the extra time scrubbing your body from head to foot and then slather it with a water binding lotion. Get a manicure and pedicure. Try a body treatment for the first time. If you only see an esthetician once a month, see them two times a month so you can get a good clean with the first visit and then get a rejuvenating facial for the second one. Spring is the best time for skin. Take the time and use this season well.