Skin Agers

Indulging in a Sweet Tooth
If you fill up too often on sugar or foods that are high on the glycaemia index like white bread and pasta you may eventually find that your skin looks older than it should. Sugar breaks down into glucose which eats away at collagen and elastin the structural proteins that make up your skin therefore causing your skin to be less supple and its texture worse. Avoiding sugar is easier said than done so your best bet is to eat a balanced diet rich in fruit and vegetables. If you do eat carbohydrates and sugar, balance them with protein, like nuts, beans and chicken to slow the harmful effect on your blood sugar levels.

Taking Window Seats
Even if you’re good with applying your SPF every morning, you can still suffer damaging sun exposure if you sit near a window at the office or you spend a significant amount of time commuting in a car. UVA rays have a long wavelength and go through window glass; they penetrate the skin deeper, aging it and causing skin cancer.

your skin

made myself another goal, it is to have summarised what i know about the largest organ of the body into a simple little 'assignment' if you'd like to call it that, by the end of the year. which shall be interesting. cause i do have a few things coming up, hopefully going away to nowra. so i'll have to squeeze it in between everything. but basically i want to bring to you, in a shorter version. what is the skin? what parts are important to know and what you need to do about it to keep it looking good. :)

whats your age group?

so how old you are depends on what you need to do with your skin, and how you need to look after it. though we can't turn back time. it is best to start at a young age so if you can start early.. if not, well dont think that what you do now won't help cause believe me it will.

20s - the most important thing to do at this age is SUNSCREEN. so start protecting your neck, hands, chest as well as your face. If you're likly to stay up all hours of the night drinking and smoking, kick start anti aging by using a serum at night that contains vitamin C to help fight free radical damage.

30s - as you get older you skin only exfoliate every 35 days naturally instead of every 14 in your 20s. so this is why its important for you to exfoliate two to three times a week. If you have drier skin, twice a week is fine, if its more oily, then three times a week will help. Add a retinoid to your skin care routine at night to help improve your overall texature

40s - lines of movement aren't going away as easily as they did in your 30s, so you'll need to add moisture and collagen-building ingredients into your routine. Peptides is an ingredient group that is helpful to rebuild collagen assisting in hiding those lines.

50s - Loss of tone and sagging are the biggest issues, consider talking to your skin care therapist about laser treatments and other non-evasive or evasive skin rejuvenation options. Ensure your using a peptide and retinoid.

As you get older, don't take away the fact you need to use sunscreen. You should be protecting your skin and your children's skin from day one, this will be your best tip to slow down the aging clock as well as avoid skin cancer.

skin sins

There are things that we are doing every day (nearly) that are not only affect our skin, but our health as well. Learn about what these bad habits are and avoid them for healthier skin and a healthier you.

Not having a home care routine, I see several clients weekly that come into the collage clinic saying that don’t do anything at home or they only just rinse their face. They may have really good skin (which they must be damn luckier, cause I can’t explain it just yet) or they don’t have good skin: they’ve found that it ages too quickly, they are still having pimples pop up. A basic routine includes cleansing once in the morning and twice at night if you’ve been wearing make-up, following up by applying eye cream and moistuiser. Ensure you exfoliate twice a week and use a mask once a week.

Basic aging habits are also part of these skin sins that include not using sunscreen daily, not drinking enough water, consuming too much alcohol, smoking, too much junk food and caffeine, too little exercise and too little sleep.

Not using oil on your face - Most people would freak at the idea of putting oil on their face, especially if you have oily skin. But using oil can actually decrease your oil production. Sounds crazy, i know. Overcleansing the skin is known to stimulate the sebum glands which promotes more oil production whereas applying oil to your face can have the opposite effect and actually slow oil production and make you less shiny. Essentials oils that are anti-bacterial and anti-fungal are good at killing bacteria that causes breakouts. Apply this oil at night when you don't mind looking a little bit greasy.

Eating diary and other inflammatory foods - The hormones in cow's milk have androgenic affects that can cause acne in women. They can worsen acne issues and accelerate aging. So it is best to find calicum in other forms such as leafy greens and tofu.

Using too much cortisone - They tend to be in your first aid kit at home and are used for bug bites, rashes, etc. But we tend to forget that cortisone is a steriod and long term use can lead to tachyphylaxis which is when the skin gets so used to having cortisone around to control any inflammation, it reacts if you suddenly stop using it and becoming 'angrier' and itchier than ever. Overuse of cortisone also causes collagen to break down, which leads to thinning of the skin and worst case - stretch marks. So remember to use this product safely - only using a small amount, not using it for more than two weeks and only when you need it.

Not airing out your makeup brushes - While we know that we should wash our brushes, once a week, there is the common mistake of not airing them out after washing them. So remember after you washed, leave them out till they are bone dry and see your doctor if you develop a rash.

Using recreational drugs - while there are obvious health reasons to avoid recreational drugs, now there's another consequence that can result if you just say yes. You could find crusty, purplish areas of dead skin on your body that have a good chance of getting infected.

Taking supplements without a doctor's approval - Certain supplements can interfere with prescribed medications. Even if your not on any meds, mixing supplements can be hazardous to your health

Drinking your water instead of eating it - We all know the 8 glasses a day rule, but it turns out that your body doesn't retain a lot of that water, since it goes right through you during your bathroom breaks. The secret to retaining water is by eating it. Suggested are food with large quantities of H2O such as watermelon and zucchini. As a general rule, starting eating more fruits and vegetables, which have higher percentages of water than processed foods.

Getting refills of prescription pills without seeing your doctor - Some medications for your skin need to be monitored closely as they can affect your liver, blood pressure, etc. So its best to check with your doctor before getting your next refill.

Coenzyme Q10

I had a client at college ask me about Q10 and I didn't know much about it, so i thought i would do some research and here's what I found.

What does Coenzyme Q10 do for your skin? Is it helpful at all? How often should it be used? Have people seen results from continuous use of the product?

CoQ10 is found in all skins but it depletes with age, which is due to free radicals, UV rays and the aging we can’t stop. The CoQ10 is an antioxidant which helps neutralize harmful free radicals (such as pollution in the air, smoking, alcohol, UV rays, etc) When your skin has low levels of CoQ10, it can be more prone to free radical damage therefore producing premature aging.

There are 5 ways in which CoQ10 can benefit your skin. Firstly, it energizes your skin and this energy is needed to repair your skin and make sure the skin cells are healthy. Secondly, it protects against photo aging (over exposed of UV rays) as the sun is known as the fastest skin ager. Thirdly, it rejuvenates skin by stimulating skin cell activity which will rid of toxins in the skin. This process slows down as you get older. Fourthly, it stimulates collagen production which is needed due to the loss of collagen causing wrinkles and leathery skin. Fifthly, it is an antioxidant as I mentioned before protecting against free radicals which causes premature aging

A German researcher conducted a study in 1999 and reported that long time use reduced the crows feet around the eyes. Tiny particles of CoQ10 can be added to facial lotions and night creams, look for Coenzyme Q10 on the back of products which looking for a lotion or night cream. But always remember that a big factor in aging is the sun so protect your skin from the sun everyday but applying sunscreen to your face and exposed areas and reapplying throughout the day.

anti aging tip

did you know that most of our aging is not actually due to genetics? its 80% due to the enviroment and what we do in our life. so i cannot stress enough the importance of sunscreen, even if you're only outside for 5 minutes. if you plan on leaving the house, WEAR SUNSCREEN.

basic skin care tips.

A simple good skin care regime would include the following: Cleaning, Toning, Moisturising, Sun Protection and Skin Treatments. It must be kept in mind that it must be followed everyday for the best results and keeping it looking younger for longer.

Don’t leave home without sunscreen, especially in the summer. UV rays are there everyday even if it’s cloudy and those are the sorts of days your face or other exposing areas of your body can be really damaged. Use a foundation with sunscreen in it, or if your face is dry use a moisturising cream with sunscreen in it. Make sure that if you’re going into water that you use a water resistant sunscreen; also try to find a sunscreen which suits your skin type.

When you apply sunscreen, make sure you have applied it 20 to 30 minutes before you allowing exposure to the sun and before going into water. If you have fair skin, you may want to prepare yourself the night before by applying a layer of sunscreen. Don’t forget important areas such as ears, nose, feet, hands, hairline and lips.

Avoid aging habits such as excessive sun tanning, no skin care, not drinking enough water, consuming too much alcohol, smoking, junk food, too much caffeine, too little exercise and too little sleep.

Drizzle cool water on chamomile teabags, wring and rest of problems areas such as your chin, nose and forehead to unblock angry pores.

Your face should be steamed once a week as it increases blood circulation and deeply cleanses the skin. The steam should not burn the inside of the nose as its important to have the right temperature for this. Boil a large pot of water and add a few drops of your favourite essential oil. Bend over the pot and drape a towel over your head to capture the steam. Keep your face steamed for 5 minutes, pat your face and neck dry with a towel and apply a moisturiser to face and neck afterwards.

Exfoliate your feet following a bath or after applying a lotion. Use a pedi-paddle to soften the hard areas of the foot.

Wash your hands before applying anything to your face such as skin care products or make up and avoiding touching your face too often as your hands can spread bacteria onto your face.

If you were sunglasses or glasses make sure you clean regularly to avoid them clogging up your pores.

Regular exercise helps to achieve glowing skin by sweating out toxins as well as improving your circulation.

Don’t be afraid of retinoids, they are well-known to assist in turning back the age clock. Products containing retinoid have been found to assist in smoothing out fine lines and hiding the signs of ageing skin.

Due to the level of damage that Australian Sun gives, it is recommended to start using anti-ageing creams earlier than normally suggested. Start using an eye cream from the age of 21 and if you spot fine lines appearing on your skin, start applying enriched products immediately to prevent further damage.

Exfoliating the skin regularly (two times a week) will help buff away dead skin cells, allowing creams to penetrate deeper, giving you an overall clearer complexion and healthy skin.

Make rosewater ice cubes for your blemishes. Rose water is a great natural healer, boosting serious soothing properties. And the ice will shrink the swelling and inflammation.