Post Trauma Skin Care

With the numerous skin procedures offered today such as dermabrasion, dermatological grade peels, esthetician grade peels and laser treatments, post surgery skin care is a must. While many procedures offered don’t require heavy down time, some do. The best way to ensure the best results of these procedures is to care for the skin afterwards.

Many of the treatments work by stripping the skin's top layers, revealing new, immature skin cells. Because these are new skin cells, they are more susceptible to damage. The most important thing to remember is to wear sun protection after any kind of facial procedure. CosMedix Serious Protection offers an SPF 28 that protects against both UVA and UVB rays.

Healing and soothing ingredients are essential to incorporate into a post trauma skin care regimen to ensure that the skin has enough nutrients to help itself heal. CosMedix Rescue combines hydrating shea butter with natural copper peptides to rejuvenate the skin. Rescue can be used as a daily mask or left on over night for extended benefits.

Alpha hydroxy and beta hydroxy acid peels can cause irritation and leave the skin feeling tight and itchy. PCA Skin Apres Peel is ideal for this post hypersensitive skin.

Healthy Nails and Hair

The condition and appearance of our nails and hair is highly influenced by how we take care of our body, both good and bad. Proper diet and intake of essential nutrients is crucial in maintaining the healthy condition of our hair and nails.

Daily supplements will help to enhance and strengthen your hair and nails. Elon Matrix Plus Vitamins consists of 3 nail enhancers and calcium, which helps to improve the health of your hair.

Nailtiques Protein Formula 2 repairs splitting and brittle nails by applying a thick coat of protein. This product is ideal for those with nail biting issues, weak or thin nails or slow growing nails.

Maintaining your hair with the appropriate products will keep your hair in good shape. Warren Tricomi has created PureStrength Close – All Hair Types to fortify dull or damaged hair, while addressing split ends and breakage. Keep in mind your hair ages just like any other part of your body. Jan Marini Age Intervention Hair Revitalizing Conditioner contains a patented ingredient to produce fuller, thicker hair. Help regain young, full hair, or help to prevent brittle weak hair with this product.

Firm Up Your Features

With age brings the loss of elasticity and the breakdown of our natural collagen. Collagen is the main protein of connective tissue found in our skin. Factors such as sun damage, extrinsic and intrinsic aging and inflammation contribute to the breakdown of this essential element and a loss of firmness in the face and body.

With the right products we can firm the areas that show this loss of collagen and sagging appearance. CosMedix Affirm is a serum that contains 12 antioxidants and natural actives that infuse the production of elastin, thus giving a more firmed appearance.

Dermalogica Extra Firming Booster is another firming serum that’s super concentrated to provide a lifting and firming effect to the skin that lasts for 6-8 hours, perfect for a planned event or evening out.

The body tends to show a loss of firmness in areas such as the neck, arms, and buttocks if we do not take proper care of our body. SkinCeuticals Advanced Body Firming Lotion replenishes moisture while firming the areas where it has been applied.

Summer Sunscreen

Summer is officially here. Do you know where your sunscreen is? There's no more essential tool for healthy skin that sunscreen.

Many people think a sunscreen will leave their skin pale and pasty, and opt for no protection in order to tan. Korres Sweet Orange Sunscreen provides SPF 15 protection against UVA and UVB rays while maintaining the skin's ability to create a healthy tan.

Elta MD has a full line of moisturizing sunscreens for the face and body, including a very popular waterproof sport sunscreen with SPF 50 protection.

Many people enjoy Colorescience Sunforgettables, a weightless powder sunscreen that provides no-mess sun safety. Colorescience just unveiled new additions to the line with sparkles, adding a hint of glint to the skin while providing SPF 30 protection. Sunforgettables Sparkles are available in Brush, Roller and Shaker, each in three colors.

Get Glossy

With summer here, a lot of women are looking for a simpler makeup regimen that won't have them battling the heat. Lip gloss is the perfect one-step way to dress up your look without weighing down your skin.

For a non-sticky, high-shine look, try gloMinerals gloLiquid Lips. Available in a wide range of colors, from nude to plum, this antioxidant-rich gloss leaves the lips smooth, comfortable and kissable.

Paula Dorf Perfect Illusion for Lips is a lip-plumping, line-smoothing gloss that can be used under lipstick or as an overnight treatment. Its hypo-allergenic formula is ideal for all skin types.

For subtle color but maximum protection, try Tinted Balm for Fuller Lips SPF 15 from Bioelements. Made with natural oils and extracts, this light-pink balm erases fine lines while protecting the lips against the sun's harsh rays.

Lighten Discoloration – Naturally

Discoloration of the skin, also commonly referred to as hyperpigmentation, age spots, melasma and liver spots, is common in both men and women. Pigmentation irregularities are usually caused by UVA and UVB damage, however other contributing factors include medications, trauma to the skin such as wounds or contact burns, and a severe fluctuation in hormones, like during pregnancy.

Decleor Aroma White – Brightening Spot Corrector for Face uses a rare blend of essential oils to lighten such concern as melasma and hyperpigmentation. Essential oils are ideal to use in any skin care product because they can penetrate the deeper layers of the skin, deeper than most ingredients can reach, thus producing better results. Combining this with Decleor Aroma White – Brightening Night Cream for Face is a great way to see faster results. Sunscreen is essential to use daily while using both of these products, as sun exposure worsens discoloration.

Eminence Organics offers the Stone Crop Collection Tube to address pigmentation issues. Plant derivatives in these products treat pigmentation at a slower rate, yet the results are great and steady once introduced. Organic ingredients such as these treat the skin naturally, while producing results that are not harmful to the skin and non-irritating.

Enzyme Peels

Enzymes are used to exfoliate or peel the skin's superficial, outermost layer. Papain (papaya) and bromelain (pineapple) are two enzymatic ingredients that are commonly used in retail products and professional peels. Enzymes work by digesting the keratinized epidermal cells (dead skin cells). During the enzymatic peeling process, the active ingredients dislodge or break up the intercellular glue and sebum that accumulates in the follicles. Enzymes are more gentle than many alpha hydroxy acids, and as a result enzymes do not cause peeling of the skin and downtime after being used. Enzymes help to even out skin tone and prepare the skin for extractions during a facial treatment.

Professional enzyme treatments are commonly used for more sensitive skin clients, or those who have not experienced peeling procedures before. Many times, those who are using retinol products will also have enzyme peels performed.

At home or retail products that contain enzymes are excellent to incorporate into ones skin care regimen. CosMedix Pure Enzymes contains such ingredients like l-lactic acid that purify and soften the skin to give it a healthy glow.

Jan Marini Clean Zyme Papaya Cleanser fights acneic issues, as well as resurfaces the skin. When combined with Jan Marini Skin Zyme Papaya Mask, it works even better for acne skin. Skin concerns such as melasma and sun damage are also addressed with these two products.

Prenatal Care

Being pregnant and becoming a mom can be the most joyous time in a woman’s life. However with pregnancy come many skin and body concerns such as stretch marks, melasma, morning sickness and much more. Such concerns can be prevented and treated if one is using the right products.

To prevent stretch marks, one should keep their skin hydrated as well as allow the skin to stretch to a certain extent without damaging it. Belli Cosmetics Elasticity Belly Oil coats the skin with a protective barrier to prepare it. If stretch marks do occur, ProCyte Striae Stretch Mark Crème addresses such scarring whether they are on the buttocks or tummy.

Melasma, also known as the pregnancy mask or chloasma affects a large percentage of women during as well as after pregnancy. Sunscreen is vital to protect against such discoloration. Belli Cosmetics Anti-Chloasma Facial Sunscreen SPF 25 offers moisture, sunscreen protection as well as a slight tint to conceal any imperfections.

With most pregnant women, the breasts can go through a traumatic time, becoming swollen and enlarged and then slimming down again. Mustela Specific Support Bust promotes firmness during and after pregnancy.

Morning sickness is also a concern that most women have to endure. Lemon Belli Soothers from Belli Cosmetics are great for calming upset stomachs and have a delicious taste.

Summer Colors

Summer brings a change of season, as well as a change in the colors that are appropriate and popular to wear. For the most part, during summer, our skin's natural ability is to produce more melanin to protect itself from becoming burned. Once our skin becomes a bit darker, different makeup colors look better with our new tones.

Lighter and brighter colors are more popular to wear during the summer months. A bronzed body, as well as bronzed face, makes one look healthier and like they’ve spent a day in the sun. Paula Dorf Heartbreaker Eye Kit combines a variation of summer colors as well as a great darker blue color for more dramatic eyes, or can be used as your eyeliner.

Nude or light lip colors look best for summer, especially for an added accent on the beach or lake. Paula Dorf Lip Color Sheer Tint – Baby Love is a glossy pink tone that looks good on all skin tones.

Looking for that beautifully bronzed look? Try Moonglow from Jane Iredale, which has four different shades that can be used separately or mixed together for that perfect glow and just a hint of sparkle to give a luminescent appeal.

For a slight hue of color on the cheeks gloMinerals gloBlush – Hibiscus gives a pink tone without being too heavy or dramatic; it looks great on lighter skin tones and gives lively color to darker skin tones.

Retinol

Retinol is an antioxidant derived from vitamin A that is vital to use in your skin care regimen. Retinol, commonly referred to as retinoic acid, retinaldehyde and retinal, is widely used in cosmetics because of its highly effective results. In studies, retinol has been shown to affect the production of human growth hormones, which stimulate growth and cell reproduction. Retinol is formulated in products to help address such conditions as acne and keratosis pilaris.

All derivatives of vitamin A are used in skin care products because of its anti-aging abilities. Vitamin A has a very small molecular structure, therefore is easily absorbed into the skin, thus increasing the skin's cell turnover rate and resulting in an increase of collagen.

SkinCeuticals Retinol 1.0 Maximum Strength Refining Night Cream is one of the most highly concentrated retinol products available without prescription. It helps to prevent as well as reduce wrinkles and fine lines.

Eye creams containing retinol are particularly helpful in preventing premature aging in the eye area. iS Clinical Eye Complex is ideal for use around the eye, as it contains ingredients that also help to fight dark circles.

When retinol is used with ingredients such as glycolic acid and vitamin E, it provides an excellent exfoliant as well as humectant for the skin, such as in Glycolix Elite Treatment Pads 20%.

Feet First

The heat is here. Warm weather is the time for flip flops and shorts, which means time to get our feet in shape. Summertime can cause the feet to become dry and cracked very easily. Proper care of our feet will keep them looking their best for the beach.

Exfoliating is essential to slough off the dead skin cells that accumulate on our feet in dry weather. Glytone Ultra Heel and Elbow Cream is an aggressive alpha hydroxy acid treatment that can be left on or washed off to reveal a soft and smooth heel and foot.

Deep hydration and moisture is the next step in your foot care regimen. Nailtiques Avocado Foot Crème absorbs instantly to leave the feet feeling moist, but not greasy. For a relaxing treatment wear Bliss Softening Socks after application for even more moisture.

Tweezerman Pedicure Solution Kit is a collection of professional tools that make at home pedicures simple and salon perfect. Your feet will look like they just stepped out of the salon.