Skincare Clinic

[TheChefs]

Short exposures to sun of aroud 5min per day are actually good for the body, since that's how we generate vitamin D. It's a major antioxidant and it's used in bone formation. But aything more then that and it's excessive.

As for dark skin it acts like sunscreen. I've read something ages ago (don't quote me on that) that the skin of a person with really dark black skin would be equivalent to SPF rating of 4 to 8. I can't remember the exact number, but it was quiet low. So if you are going to be out in the sun for long periods of time, put on sunscreen. It's especially true where I live since the ozon is so low, that you can get a bad sun burn in less then 5-10min.

 

[GentsLLC Shaving-Skincare]

Since no sunscreen will give you 100% protection from UVB rays, you will generally get enough incidental exposure for vit D synthesis even with sunscreen.

 

[Soaper]

I have a question to ask you Nicole. I've read your stuff on AAAC and SMF (which is a bit down right now), and I really enjoy your viewpoints. If one wants to treat his skin the way that it should be, what steps does he have to take? I mean, I get so confused with talk of moisturizers, creams, sun screens, exfoliates, etc. What step by step guide should one undertake to take care of his skin correctly? I am completely ignorant of all of these things, and I need some guidance in what to do and what not to do.

Naturally, one could write a book on such a process, so if you could just give us the bare bone, essential things to know, I (and many others, I’m sure) would be most appreciative.

Thanks,

Soaper

 

[GentsLLC Shaving-Skincare]

Soaper,

Obviously, what I state is my personal/professional opinion and is with a more holistic approach to skincare.
Cleansing: Depends on how oily your skin is. Generally, cleansing once a day, pm, is preferred to remove dirt (from touching your face, holding phone/cell phone against your face, pollution, etc.) There generally is no need to "clean" am since you have only been laying on a pillow. If you wake up and see an oil slick on your face, then am and pm would be preferred. Otherwise, just splashing with water before applying a moisturizing product would be fine. Look for products which don't use harsh detergents that are stripping to the skin and that contain natural antibacterial ingredients if you're oily (I prefer seaweed.)

Moisturizing: The name of the game in skincare is keeping moisture in the skin. That's why you don't want to apply a moisturizer to dry skin. Leave the face/body damp before applying. An oilier skin would do well with a moisturizer that adds moisture (ie. jojoba oil) while incorporating oil controlling ingredients (I prefer "oil controlling oils" like lavender, thyme, cypress,etc.) Oily skins generally prefer light gels as opposed to creams since the oil in an oilier skin itself acts like glue to keep cells together and to help prevent moisture loss. A drier skin would appreciate a heavier cream with "richer" ingredients like olive oil, shea butter, avocado oil, etc. In general, ingredients like glycerin (preferably of vegetal origin) and hylauronic acid are good b/c they are humectants and pull moisture from the air to the skin. If you are drier, you'll probably want to use a moisturizer at nite as well since the air at nite has less moisture in it. Use what works as the whole day/nite moisturizer distinction is very often more marketing than anything else. The main idea is to protect your skin before heading out. Shaving is also very dehydrating to the skin and so it is very impt to moisturize after shaving.

Exfoliation: Once a week in colder weather and 1-2x/wk in warmer weather is what I recommend, preferably pm (because you are exfoliating when you shave except for areas like forehead and nose.) We have a natural exfoliation process which slows down as we age (to get rid of dead skin.) Many people over exfoliate w/c ultimately causes sensitive skin. We still need a certain barrier on the skin to prevent unwanted things from coming in (ie. bacteria) and precious things from leaving the skin (ie. moisture.) I am not a big fan of acids as they generally work by initiating damage to the skin in order to cause a repair response to the skin. I also don't favor scrubs as most are made from the shells of nuts (like walnuts for example) which are pulverized and the resulting particulate is uneven and can cause microtears in the skin. In addition, the scrubbing motion stimulates the oil glands. You can go natural with a gentle washcloth for the face (w/c you should change often) or use a body brush for your body. The brush is great b/c it also stimulates circulation and lymph flow. If that's not your pleasure, again I prefer seaweed since it softens the hard protein (dead cells) and allows for a more "natural exfoliation."

Sunscreen: As the sun is primarily resonsible for aging, I never leave the house without it. Unfortunately, you typically find most moisturizers with a sunscreen containing chemical sunscreen ingredients which I don't favor at all. Sunscreen should be the last thing applied to your face. I believe I did a separate post on this which goes into more detail on sunscreens in general.

Eye Cream: Also a must as there are no oil glands around the eye area and this skin is much thinner than the skin on the rest of your face and so one of the first areas to show signs of aging. Typically, a moisturizer used on the rest of the face is very often "too heavy" for this thinner more delicate skin. Again, humectants like hylauronic acid are very good for this area. Would use am and pm.

Again, I have my own loves as far as ingredients. Since I'm not at a manufacturer I can take on whatever I like. In my opinion, as far as ingredients go (and given their concentration in a product,) seaweed and oils rock! Seaweed is very similar to what bathes our own cells and it is remineralizing, moisturizing and antibacterial. Science can't duplicate the wonders of plants and these oils are the most occulsive things to trap moisture that you can use on your skin while feeding it. Hope that helps.

 

[Soaper]

Soaper,

Obviously, what I state is my personal/professional opinion and is with a more holistic approach to skincare.
Cleansing: Depends on how oily your skin is. Generally, cleansing once a day, pm, is preferred to remove dirt (from touching your face, holding phone/cell phone against your face, pollution, etc.) There generally is no need to "clean" am since you have only been laying on a pillow. If you wake up and see an oil slick on your face, then am and pm would be preferred. Otherwise, just splashing with water before applying a moisturizing product would be fine. Look for products which don't use harsh detergents that are stripping to the skin and that contain natural antibacterial ingredients if you're oily (I prefer seaweed.)

Moisturizing: The name of the game in skincare is keeping moisture in the skin. That's why you don't want to apply a moisturizer to dry skin. Leave the face/body damp before applying. An oilier skin would do well with a moisturizer that adds moisture (ie. jojoba oil) while incorporating oil controlling ingredients (I prefer "oil controlling oils" like lavender, thyme, cypress,etc.) Oily skins generally prefer light gels as opposed to creams since the oil in an oilier skin itself acts like glue to keep cells together and to help prevent moisture loss. A drier skin would appreciate a heavier cream with "richer" ingredients like olive oil, shea butter, avocado oil, etc. In general, ingredients like glycerin (preferably of vegetal origin) and hylauronic acid are good b/c they are humectants and pull moisture from the air to the skin. If you are drier, you'll probably want to use a moisturizer at nite as well since the air at nite has less moisture in it. Use what works as the whole day/nite moisturizer distinction is very often more marketing than anything else. The main idea is to protect your skin before heading out. Shaving is also very dehydrating to the skin and so it is very impt to moisturize after shaving.

Exfoliation: Once a week in colder weather and 1-2x/wk in warmer weather is what I recommend, preferably pm (because you are exfoliating when you shave except for areas like forehead and nose.) We have a natural exfoliation process which slows down as we age (to get rid of dead skin.) Many people over exfoliate w/c ultimately causes sensitive skin. We still need a certain barrier on the skin to prevent unwanted things from coming in (ie. bacteria) and precious things from leaving the skin (ie. moisture.) I am not a big fan of acids as they generally work by initiating damage to the skin in order to cause a repair response to the skin. I also don't favor scrubs as most are made from the shells of nuts (like walnuts for example) which are pulverized and the resulting particulate is uneven and can cause microtears in the skin. In addition, the scrubbing motion stimulates the oil glands. You can go natural with a gentle washcloth for the face (w/c you should change often) or use a body brush for your body. The brush is great b/c it also stimulates circulation and lymph flow. If that's not your pleasure, again I prefer seaweed since it softens the hard protein (dead cells) and allows for a more "natural exfoliation."

Sunscreen: As the sun is primarily resonsible for aging, I never leave the house without it. Unfortunately, you typically find most moisturizers with a sunscreen containing chemical sunscreen ingredients which I don't favor at all. Sunscreen should be the last thing applied to your face. I believe I did a separate post on this which goes into more detail on sunscreens in general.

Eye Cream: Also a must as there are no oil glands around the eye area and this skin is much thinner than the skin on the rest of your face and so one of the first areas to show signs of aging. Typically, a moisturizer used on the rest of the face is very often "too heavy" for this thinner more delicate skin. Again, humectants like hylauronic acid are very good for this area. Would use am and pm.

Again, I have my own loves as far as ingredients. Since I'm not at a manufacturer I can take on whatever I like. In my opinion, as far as ingredients go (and given their concentration in a product,) seaweed and oils rock! Seaweed is very similar to what bathes our own cells and it is remineralizing, moisturizing and antibacterial. Science can't duplicate the wonders of plants and these oils are the most occulsive things to trap moisture that you can use on your skin while feeding it. Hope that helps.

With this new information available, can any of you guys on the board recommend products that you guys use that fall into these categories? Which products do you guys use? I've heard good things about John Allan's products.

Thanks,

Soaper

 

[mrob]

Nicole,

Thanks for the skin care info--this is a good resource for men looking to protect their skin during the warm weather we're having this time of year.

 

[Jim]

Thanks Nicole! much appreciated!

 

[SSLStudio]

Hi Nicole,

What is your vision about Glycolic ACid ? I have three bottles at home .

30-50-70 % . it burns incredible on the face the 30% already.
they say beauty salons use it doesnt mean its good or bad? I do notice a nice improvement of skin when I use it. I apply it with a special brush and let it soak on the face about 60 seconds then wash it off with plenty of water.

 

[GentsLLC Shaving-Skincare]

A big you're welcome to everyone. To Rene, It's not just the % of acid that is impt but the ph is EXTREMELY impt. Why are you using these products? What are you trying to achieve? If you are "burning" this is not a good sign and continued use can cause damage to the skin by compromising it's protective barrier. This is one of the reasons why you MUST use sunscreen afterwards. The population at large has gone "exfoliation crazy" and so we are seeing a lot of sensitive skins as a result. Let me know what you want to accomplish and I'm sure we can come up with a safer, healthier solution.

 

[GentsLLC Shaving-Skincare]

Aging can be broken down into two primary causes: genetic aging and environmental aging. Genetic aging occurs when our skin's cells begin to degenerate, and the time it takes for these cells to begin to wear out is determined by our DNA. Unfortunately, we can do little to change our inheritance; the good news is that it only accounts for about 30% of our skin's aging. Environmental aging factors are sun, wind, airborn pollutants, medications, smoking, alcohol, poor diet choices and more. Environmental aging accounts for nearly 70% of the aging process and the good news is that this is where we have the most control. So, here's the best ways to fight back in a top 10 countdown, David Letterman-style:

10: Don't skip your home care. You have 60 opportunities a month to nourish, hydrate and protect your skin against environmental damage. Make use of it.

9: Get regular facials. Don't miss out on the more intensive therapy of professional treatments. A deep facial massage every 6 weeks will not only help release deeply embedded toxins, it will also flood skin tissues with fresh, re-oxygenated blood that will bring a metabolic boost to the skin's cell renewal. The treatment is also a great way to decompress and is an opportunity for early detection of skin abnormalities and skin cancer.

8: Manage and reduce stress. The skin acts as a virtual mirror of our inner turmoil, thus accelerating the aging process. Regarding the facial above, facial masage that incorporates digital acupressure is especially impt b/c it affects our body's parasympathetic nervous system, w/c goes "out of whack" when we are overly stressed.

7: Stop overexfoliating. We love it a bit too much. The skin sheds when an irritating acid or chemical is applied and because of this, there is a certain amount of irritation that comes with exfoliation. More is not better. You must allow for "rest periods" between treatments.

6: Counteract inflammation. When the skin is injured in any way, be it through sunburns, the assault of constant exfoliation or any of a long list of other things, the inflammation cascade weakens our skin, breaks down it's defense mechanisms, accelerates aging and free-radical damage and impairs the skin from being able to repair and regenerate itself. The answer to this problem is to minimize exposure to inflammation. The biggest inflammatory aggressors against skin are UV exposure, free radicals and the overuse of harsh acidic and irritating products.

5: Minimize glycation. Glycation is a process that occurs throughout our bodies and increases with age. A sugar molecule bonds with a protein molecule and the protein becomes a "glycated protein," and it becomes weak, brittle or even fractured, making it extremely vulnerable to a free-radical attack. If your diet is high in sugar, it increases the level of glycation throughtout the body and skin. Proteins in our skin, mainly collegen (the skin's foundation,) becomes glycated and very vulnerable to the attack of aging free radicals.

4: Consume vitamins and antioxidants daily. Topically and internally. The skin is nourished to a certain extent by the circulatory system but it's not enough. Internal organs get "first dibs" on ingested vitamins. Make sure that your skincare has nutrients like vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

3:Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Much of our skin's aging process is simply caused by our cells losing moisture. W/o moisture, cellular metabolism cannot occur. Unfortunately, as we age, more and more water evaporates from the skin and because of the slowdown of cell renewal as we age, we produce less and less natural moisture.

2: Become a sunscreen zealot. There is no such thing as a safe suntan. If you think a taning bed is safe, it's actually worse than hitting the beach unprotected. Ever think about why your derriere has no wrinkles?

1: Accept the fact that prevention is easier and cheaper than correction later on.

Best-Nicole

 

[SSLStudio]

A big you're welcome to everyone. To Rene, It's not just the % of acid that is impt but the ph is EXTREMELY impt. Why are you using these products? What are you trying to achieve? If you are "burning" this is not a good sign and continued use can cause damage to the skin by compromising it's protective barrier. This is one of the reasons why you MUST use sunscreen afterwards. The population at large has gone "exfoliation crazy" and so we are seeing a lot of sensitive skins as a result. Let me know what you want to accomplish and I'm sure we can come up with a safer, healthier solution.

I think I have quite an oily face, Id like to have a smooth healthy looking face with zero outbreak of acne. sometimes I will get this really super healthy look when my face is complete clear zero acne. but like now for example I have some on my face . I hate that Hate any acne at all, Im not a sever case like have Acne everyday and tons of them or else id be at the doctor's office but I need to know how to get that tight looking healthy look in my face ive had it once 3 weeks ago when I already had a clean face and used the glycolic acid on top of it.

 

[GentsLLC Shaving-Skincare]

It's quite possible that you have been over-exfoliating (getting rid of too much of your skins barrier.) This allows bacteria to get into the skin and moisture to get out of the skin. Glycolic acid is traditionally used to help treat wrinkles, sun damage - more weathered skin. If you must use acids, salicylic would be a better choice because it addresses the lining of your pores where the oil is. What exactly is your regimen- cleansing, moisturising, etc???

 

[SSLStudio]

It's quite possible that you have been over-exfoliating (getting rid of too much of your skins barrier.) This allows bacteria to get into the skin and moisture to get out of the skin. Glycolic acid is traditionally used to help treat wrinkles, sun damage - more weathered skin. If you must use acids, salicylic would be a better choice because it addresses the lining of your pores where the oil is. What exactly is your regimen- cleansing, moisturising, etc???

I have no special regimen at the moment. this week is pretty bad some more acne dots here and there. I use sometimes a cucumber Toner by Kiehl's I use daily the face wash anti acne by Clear&Smooth (some ebay seller) and have or use Carley's daytime moisturiser

 

[Joedy]

...If you must use acids, salicylic would be a better choice because it addresses the lining of your pores where the oil is...

Nicole,

What does the acid do exactly? Does it break down the oils? If so, what happens to the remains?

-joedy

 

[tam.audio]

Nicole,

Sorry to add to the bombardment of questions. Is washing one's face every day with a washcloth bad?

Thanks

 

[GentsLLC Shaving-Skincare]

I have no special regimen at the moment. this week is pretty bad some more acne dots here and there. I use sometimes a cucumber Toner by Kiehl's I use daily the face wash anti acne by Clear&Smooth (some ebay seller) and have or use Carley's daytime moisturiser

Is the Clear and Smooth by Carley as well? I can't find a website for the company and so I'm unable to find the ingredients. Is it possible to direct me to a place to find the ingredients or for you to post them in the order in which they are listed on the labels?

 

[GentsLLC Shaving-Skincare]

Nicole,

What does the acid do exactly? Does it break down the oils? If so, what happens to the remains?

-joedy

Joedy,

Without getting too technical, salycilic acid is oil-soluble whereas glycolic acid is water soluble. Acne mainly consists of oil, dead skin cells and bacteria to put it very simply. Since salycilic is oil soluble, it works on a deeper skin level b/c it can get down into the follicle (where there is an oil environment) where it helps to slow down the shedding of cells inside the follicle (your pore is the opening of the follicle at the surface of the skin.) So it can penetrate an area where oil is to also break down black heads and white heads. It loosens the bonds between older cells to allow for their removal. Then you can have other ingredients like sulphur or certain botanical oils which work to control the actual oil production of the oil glands. My personal preference is to use algae to act as the exfoliant (instead of salycilic) similar to the way pulp is softened to make paper and to combine algae with either sulfur or botanical oils. The dead cells are basically sloughing off as they make their way to the surface of the skin.

 

[GentsLLC Shaving-Skincare]

Nicole,

Sorry to add to the bombardment of questions. Is washing one's face every day with a washcloth bad?

Thanks

Washing your face with a washcloth isn't bad provided you are:
1) Using a relatively soft washcloth.
2) Not using it agressively on your skin - be gentle and
3) Washing the wash cloth frequently or changing it on a daily basis so that it does not become a breeding ground for bacteria (similar to loofahs, etc.)

This is very different from using scrubs and acids to exfoliate. I also recommend dry brushing for the body to exfoliate and stimulate circulation and lymph flow.

 

[Joedy]

Joedy,

Without getting too technical, salycilic acid is oil-soluble whereas glycolic acid is water soluble....

Thank you for the reply, Nicole.

Of course, this leads to the next question: Should these items be considered as an effective and safe cleaning regimen?


Also, TendSkin works well, but why? Why does the acid prevent ingrown hairs? Does it have anything to do with the above explanation? Should TendSkin be considered a safe regimen?

It's painful to use, but it does provide results.

-joedy

 

[SSLStudio]

Is the Clear and Smooth by Carley as well? I can't find a website for the company and so I'm unable to find the ingredients. Is it possible to direct me to a place to find the ingredients or for you to post them in the order in which they are listed on the labels?

Does this help you out Nicole ?

http://samus.securehbs.com/~clearand/store/index.php

those products. if you really need to have all the ingredients of the ACNE face wash id need some minutes to hand type it all its a lot its on the bottle I have here.