Skin Care for Beginningers.

Skin Care has gained popularity as one of the top essentails for self care.

The amount of growth in the industry unfortunately doesn't match the education. Don't worry, that's what we're here for! Let's begin by breaking down the essentials of a stable skin care routine. It's crucial to pick products that work well for your skin. Not all skin is alike, therefore not all products and ingredients will work for everyone. The Skin, is the largest organ in the body. The ingredients that we apply matter, do your best to self educate, so you know what ingredients to avoid! Cleansers are often mistreated and misunderstood, most cleansers containe harsh ingredients such as sulfates that actually strip our skin of it's natural oils and good bacteria, which we do not want to disturb! Keep an eye out for Sulfates, Parabens and fragerance (parfum) in your cleansers. These aren't ingredients that we want! A good cleanser should leave you feeling refreshed, but not tight and dry. Opt for a gentle cleasner, with a creamy consistency.

- Pro tip, if you wear foundation or heavy SPF, double cleanse your skin at night!

The only skin type that needs a foaming cleasner is Oily skin, which only a rough 15% of the population has. This does not include combination skin! For hypersensitive skin, including Rosacea, be sure to use a creamy or oil cleanser that doesn't foam!

- Pro tip, if you love feeling squeaky clean after your cleanse, use a mild cleanser with a drop of pure tea tree oil. Never apply essential oils directly to the skin, they can cause a chemical burn.

Toners are good for every skin type, if used correctly. The purpose of a toner is to balance our skins ph. levels, and provide a deeper cleanse. Toners are great for blackheads and acne prone skin types! Hypersensitve/ Rosacea skin types should opt for only using a senstive skin toner.

We love Emergin C's Lavender toner. This is gentle enough to use am/pm after your cleanse. Pure Witch Hazel is great for toning and works well with all skin types. Be sure your Witch Hazel doesn't contain Fragerance or irritating alcohol such as isopropyl alcohol or benzyl alcohol. Not all alcohol ingredients should be avoided. Methanol, ethanol, propanol and denatured alcohol are used for antibacterial purposes. Cetearyl alcohol, cetyl alcohol and isostearyl alcohol are fatty alcohols that are good for our skin. Some toners are packaged as mists that can be sprayed to the face throughout the day making it easy to keep the skin hydrated. Look for a mist containing Hyaluronic Acid, an ingredient that holds 1,000x it's weight in water. Hyaluronic Acid pulls the moisture from our environment into our skin. The skin recognizes Hyaluronic Acid because our bodies produce it for natural hydration. The skin slowly dwindles the production of Hyaluronic acid as we age, which is when fine lines become present. -Pro tip, using a cotton round, apply toners to skin that is still damp after cleansing.

Products applied to wet skin will penetrate into the deeper layers of our skin cells and help prevent Trasepidermal Water Loss, protecting our skins natural barrier from damage.

Serums are my favorite part of my skin care routine.

A good serum provides hydration and healing ingredients at a low molecular weight, making it easy for them to travel into the deeper layers of our skin. You will find Vitamin C, Hyaluronic Acid, Squalene, Ceramides, Antioxidants, and much more in high quality serums. Hello glow! Some serums contain Retinoids, and exfoliating Beta Hydroxy Acids, or Alpha Hydroxy Acids. These ingredients will remove dead skin cells and promote healthy cell funtion. Serums contain skin strengthening ingredients, to return skin to optimum health. Treatments typically contain one of the active ingredients mentioned above.

AHA's, BHA's, Retenoids, Vitamin C and other stimulating ingredients are to be used with caution! Retinoids in serums, a synthetic Vitamin A ingredient works by increasing our cellular turnover rate that looses it's metabolism as we age. This process begins in our early twenties. Please be cautious about over using these stimulating ingredients. Serums with stimulating ingredients should be slowly introduced to a routine, and only be applied 3x weekly. These ingredients will cause the skin to be sun sensitive, when used SPF of 30 or higher is a must!

- Pro tip, if you wear foundation look for a misting sunscreen such as super goop spf 30. This will allow you to reapply without sacrificing your makeup!

Moisturizers lock hydration into our skin, without them we may suffer from Transepidermal Water Loss. Moisturizers lock in serums, allowing them to penetrate into the skins deeper cells. An appropriate mositurizer, will compliment your skin. It wont leave you feeling greasy, and you wont feel dehydrated. Look for moisturizers free of Phlafates, Fragerance (parfume), Mineral oil, and Parabens. These are linked to causing serious health conditions. Be sun smart, not sun scared! There are Physcial and Chemical Sunscreens.

Look for a Physical sunscreen, which works by blocking the damaging sun rays out without exposing ourselves to harsh chemicals. A physical sunscreen contains Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide for active ingredients. These ingredients are non irritating, will not clog pores, and act as a mirror reflecting sun rays away from your skin. It is crucial to wear spf from 10 am to 3 pm, this is when the most damaging sunrays are out! For product recommendations, take our complimentary skin quiz! Consultations are complimentary, but packages are available to be purchased to guide you through your skin care journey. Let us know what questions you have, keep your eye out for more self education!