Fantasia Salon / Spa and Wig Specialists

As humidity levels rise, it might be a good time to pay attention to your skincare regime. Managing your skin during the summer can sometimes be a challenge particularly for those with extreme skin conditions like acne or excessively oily skin. The heat and environmental toxins can all play a role in the overall look and feel of the skin. Humid weather can exacerbate a variety of skin problems.

You can’t escape entirely from the humidity unless you stay inside, and that would be a travesty as summer is all too brief in Minnesota! Here are a few tips and strategies to help restore and balance your skin so you can enjoy summer fun!

Use a clarifying facial wash or cleanser. SkinCeuticals has an excellent skin care line which we sell at Fantasia. Clarifying cleansers help to unclog pores that are working overtime during the hotter months as skin sweats more often.

Drink plenty of water! This is good for your overall health anyway in addition to flushing out toxins and keeping your skin well - hydrated.

Use an exfoliating scrub at least once per week. Try different scrubs to remove dull skin cells and increase circulation in the process. If you can afford it, think about having some microdermabrasion treatments at the salon or treat yourself to an anti-aging facial.

Use a toner with glycolic acid to further help remove pollutants and toxins. Again, I would recommend SkinCeuticals.

Use a light moisturizer with SPF protection on a daily basis. This will leave skin supple, smooth and well-toned. If your skin is oily, make sure you are using a light moisturizer. Apply it sparingly.

Use a eye gel before bed. This can help reduce puffiness and any tenderness in the eye area as well as have you waking up with bright eyes and smooth skin.

Use botanical products and essentials oils which can help you stay cool. Anything based in chamomile and lavender will be soothing and cooling. Cucumber and aloe-based products are rejuvenating and restoring.

This is a no-brainer, always wash off your makeup before bed. Your skin needs to breathe overnight and can detoxify naturally without the blockage of makeup. Eat lots of water-based foods. You will get vitamins and minerals from your daily diet but you can stay hydrated with less water if you consume lots of water-based foods.

Be sure to use a shower filter to filter out the chlorine which can be very damaging to your skin. Keep your skin well protected when swimming and showering.

Exercise early in the morning. You can enjoy the benefits of exercise without worry of overheating or dehydration if you exercise early.

Humid summer weather can affect your skin in many ways. It can be more likely to breakouts and can become imbalanced. Use the right products for your skin type and follow a healthy regime to create a healthy and vibrant summer glow!

When it comes to having great looking skin, experts say moisturizers and the right makeup are essential. But, how do you know which is giving your the best bang for your buck?

Here is a common concern. “When I put makeup on it goes into my fine lines and then I think they are more noticeable, what can I put on before my makeup to help with the problem?”

This can be a common problem. Foundation makes a difference and some of the cream based foundations just seem to find those lines and crevasses. So what’s a woman to do? Powder based makeups or mineral makeup is the solution. These are applied with a brush instead of a sponge so they are far less likely to exacerbate the problem.

There are a lot of great mineral makeup products on the market, all over the place in terms of price. I use and love Jane Iredale, sold in many upscale salons such as Fantasia. In addition to minimizing lines, another attribute of mineral makeup is that it doesn’t have all the preservatives and it goes on light. You get excellent coverage without feeling like you have heavy makeup or a mask on.

Those with dry skin should always moisturize well first before applying mineral makeup or, they may feel as though the powder is drying them out even more.

Choose moisturizers that have peptides in them, these are great for helping keep the skin hydrated. When it comes to skin care, it pays to spend as much money as possible for good products. With skin care you really do get what you pay for. SkinCeuticals is an excellent line which is why it is sold at Fantasia.

Half the fun of being female is all of the wonderful options we have with regard to makeup and skin care. For those of us who love natural, we have a lot of great choices available to us. And today, with the help of the internet, it’s pretty easy to be an informed consumer!

Many adults who have always enjoyed unblemished, peachy looking skin are having a problem with adult acne. True, it’s not life threatening but it can be soul destroying.

Adult acne damages self-esteem and can be physically painful with scarring which can last a lifetime. Adult acne is on the increase and, contrary to popular belief, is not always caused by junk food diets or poor hygiene.

The main culprit for this scourge is genetic, hormonal imbalances, nutritional deficiencies and low immunity and stress. Unfortunately it can strike anyone at any time and there is no way of knowing if it will be a phase or there for the long haul.

Skin experts suggest that if you think you are suffering from more than just break outs, you should take immediate action and seek professional help. Adult acne generally cannot simply be treated by using a strong face wash and often needs to be looked at by a qualified skin professional or dermatologist.

One thing doctors fail to tell their patients is that intestinal health has been found to be important in the severity of adult acne. In one study, 50% of those with severe acne had increased blood levels of toxins that were being absorbed from a faulty gut. This suggests that many acne sufferers need a several-pronged approach, which not only helps the skin to return to normal functioning but also repairs and heals an impaired digestive tract.

It is vital to treat the skin from the inside as well as the outside by balancing hormone levels and using a good skin care approach. A good internal nutritional cleansing program such as Isagenix, would be beneficial with regard to decreasing toxin levels in the body.

Additionally, there are some foods which can help prevent acne:

• Calcium: A calcium rich diet has been found to help reduce the severity of acne. However, that does not mean you should mega-dose on dairy. In fact, it would be a good idea to eliminate cow’s milk and cheeses for a while as the lactose (sugar) in dairy product may be causing a hidden food intolerance. Instead, get your calcium from nuts and seeds, dried fruits, oily fish with bones, beans, green leafy vegetables, broccoli and shellfish.
• Vitamin A: Helps maintain normal skin functioning. Dietary sources include all the yellow fruits and vegetables, especially carrots and fish oils.
• Zinc: Helps your body absorb vitamin A. Good food sources include pecans, peanuts, shellfish, turkey and wheat germ.
• Bananas: Help the good bacteria in your gut. If your acne is severe, take a pro-biotic supplement also and drink at least two liters of water daily to help the body flush out toxins as well as increasing your intake of dietary fiber.

And, one final tip. Try to reduce the stress levels in your life. The largest study ever conducted on acne reveals that people under high levels of stress are 23% more likely to develop severe acne.

In another post, we talked about everyday items you probably have in your kitchen that you could apply topically to help with your hair. This time, I’d like to talk about what you eat and what it can do for your skin. Clearly fancy lotions, creams and sunscreens can help keep your skin beautiful. But, since beauty is more than skin deep, good skin is an inside job. You need to eat the right antioxidants, vitamins and fats. As we have discussed before, what you eat affects your skin.

With that in mind…here is some food for thought. (and good skin)

• Tomatoes- Think of them as sunblock. In Germany, researchers say people who ate 1 1/2 ounces of tomato paste daily for 10 weeks had 40% less artificially induced sunburn than those not eating the tomato paste. Researchers credit the tomato paste’s 16 milligrams of the antioxidant lycopene with fortifying the skin against sun damage.
• Marmalade as a cancer antidote. The University of Arizona researchers were amazed to find that eating orange and grapefruit peels once per week or more, which 37% of the subjects did, cut the risk of squamous cell skin cancer by a third. They suspect it is the high concentrations of the antioxidant d-limonene in the oil of the peel that migrates into the eater’s skin.
• Prunes fight wrinkles. A large group of elderly Greeks, Swedes and Australians found that those who ate the most prunes, apples, vegetables, olive oil, fish and legumes, had fewer wrinkles and less sun-damage skin than those who ate lots of meat, butter, margarine and milk products. Prunes have a higher concentration of protective antioxidants than any other fruit.
• Salmon as a face-lift. Nicholas Perricone, MD and author of the Perricone Prescription advises eating 8-12 ounces of fish per day, primarily salmon as part of a nutritional face life. Perricone says salmon’s Omega-3 oil combats wrinkle-promoting inflammation and “plumps up the skin.” Fish oil does look promising for the skin. In British research, taking 4000 mg of Omega -3 per day for three months reduced sunburn damage by 30%. This dose is equivalent to eating 12 ounces of salmon per day.
• Tea against skin cancer. Studies show that tea-drinking mice have fewer skin cancers. Even rubbing tea extract on their skin keeps cancers away. Green and black tea appear equally effective, and caffeine may help as well. In one study decaf tea was less effective than caffeinated tea in the mice.
• Antioxidants save skin. Several studies suggest that antioxidant supplements help protect skin from sun damage. German researchers found that dose of 1000 IU vitamin E and 2000 mg of vitamin C daily for eight days, boosted resistance to sunburn by 20%. Other research found that a mixture of beta carotene, lycopene and lutein taken for three months also reduced mild sunburn.
• Alcohol promotes skin cancer. Men and women who consumed three or more alcoholic beverages per day were 30% more likely to have basal cell carcinoma- the most common skin cancer than non-drinkers, according to Harvard research. The main causes of wrinkled, damaged, cancer-prone skin are aging, sun exposure, smoking and excessive alcohol.

So, it truly does matter what you eat!

You already know Fantasia is excited about SkinCeuticals Skin Care line. We could tell the product ingredients were superb without knowing anything about the science behind them. It’s always great when you find a product that looks and sounds good and has the science behind it. We’d like to talk a bit about the company and it’s philosophies.

SkinCeuticals was founded in 1994, and as we have discussed, they have innovative dermatology products designed to improve the overall health and appearance of the skin. The company’s goal was to create and market innovative products backed by science. They have been careful to devote significant resources toward careful controlled and peer-reviewed research in support of the technology behind the products. SkinCeuticals is committed to clinical research, product development, and education to promote complete skin care solutions. (At Fantasia, we like this because we are all about solutions. Solutions for thinning hair and hair loss as well as solutions for damaged and aging skin.)

Here’s what dermatologist are saying: SkinCeuticals has a great product lineup. The products are pleasant and even elegant. There are three SkinCeuticals product classes that stand out as an exceptional amongst an impressive overall lineup. Vitamin C products, broad spectrum sunblocks and phyto skin lighteners which are rich in botanicals are areas in which SkinCeuticals truly excels.

SkinCeuticals topical vitamin C products comprise an innovative skin care line featuring stabilized L-ascorbic acid at a low pH. We all know that vitamin C products like SkinCeuticals are supposed to visibly improve skin clarity, tone and texture as well as minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, leaving the skin with a firmer, smoother, younger looking appearance.

Peer-reviewed clinical studies have shown that in order to be effective, a vitamin C formulation must contain stable, acid pH, L-ascorbic acid of at least 10% concentration. SkinCeuticals topical vitamin-C products feature the Duke University-patented technology for stable L-ascorbic acid, in concentrations ranging from five (for around the eyes)to fifteen percent, in cosmetically-elegant formulations.

SkinCeuticals sun protection products contain Z-Cote, a form of micro fine, transparent zinc oxide which provides true broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection. These sunscreens are cosmetically elegant and perfect for use under makeup or other cosmetics. SkinCeuticals are really among the best we’ve seen. The products are quite elegant, the packaging is awesome and the price is reasonable.

So, it’s not just Fantasia. If you are seeing a dermatologist for whatever reason, be sure to ask about SkinCeuticals. At least ask if they are familiar with the products and what they think.

Okay, I’ll bear my soul on this one. I never used to use toner, actually thought it was a waste, just something extra the company was trying to sell me to make more money off of me. I’m sure you have never had those thoughts. I mean I would buy the cleanser and moisturizer and skip the toner, even though the sales person would do their best to convince me I really should also buy the toner. So why would we want to use toner anyway?

Well, it is important we use a good skin care line including the toner!   And, if you recall from a previous post, we talked about the importance of sticking with one product line as the manufactures formulate the products to work together synergistically.  So, back to the toner, toner can help to balance, refresh and restore the skin’s protective pH mantle while removing residue. And if it’s SkinCeuticals Toner with hydroxy acids, it will help exfoliate dead skin cells while the botanical extracts such as witch hazel, rosemary, aloe and chamomile soften, soothe, and tone the skin.

So, you can see it’s something very necessary in a good skin care regimen. In fact, these days I can’t imagine not using it. I never realized that it takes more than just a good cleanser to really get the skin clean. And, it’s so soothing and refreshing for the skin.

I want to talk more specifically about some of the ingredients SkinCeuticals uses in their Equalizing Toner:

Witch Hazel extract which is credited with anti-inflammatory and wound healing properties as well as anti-itching softening and emollient properties and, it is effective against free radicals.

Aloe barbadensis gel which is an emollient with skin softening, healing and anti-inflammatory properties. Aloe has widely recognized moisturizing abilities and is beneficial for sunburned or sun-exposed skin. And aloe barbadensis is known to have synergistic effects which used in conjunction with other anti-inflammatory substances.

Rosemary Extract is said to have astringent, toning, stimulating, deodorant, antiseptic reactivating, anti-bacterial, softening and invigorating properties.

Thyme is antiseptic, tonic, anti-bacterial, deodorizing, fungicidal, circulation stimulating, soothing and healing. The active ingredient in thyme is thymol acid which has disinfectant properties similar to carbolic acid.

Wow! I get turned on just writing about this stuff much less using it because of the quality ingredients. If you are a baby boomer (or not) like I am and want only the best to put on your skin, because we know what we put on our skin, gets in our body, you will love SkinCeuticals! Perhaps you are beginning to understand why Fantasia is thrilled to carry the SkinCeuticals skin care product line.

We’ve talked about the SkinCeuticals Skin Care product line which Fantasia carries. I want to talk about one product in particular which is    C + E. As we have discussed, nutrients are very important when it comes to skin care and Vitamins C and E are very important taken both internally and topically. Together, they form a synergisitc antioxidant combination that provides unmatched protection from photoaging. (entrinsic aging)

SkinCeuticals super-antioxidant treatment contains L-Ascorbic acid and alpha tocopherol to optimize protection against damaging UVA/UVB rays of the sun. It also helps prevent premature signs of aging and stimulates collagen production. This combination of C + E provides unprecedented preventative and anti-aging benefits to the skin as it is effective at neutralizing the chemical reactions that cause premature wrinkling and other signs of aging. Studies proved ultimate protection from UV damage when C + E is combined with a broad-spectrum sunblock. The most surprising discovery is its ability to prevent the mutations in skin cells associated with the formation of skin cancer.

If you have photoaged or photodamaged skin, dry or sensitive skin, erythema, poor skin elasticity, hyperpigmentation, have had or are having invasive or non-invasive rejuvenating procedures (Microdermabrasion, Facial Sculpting), you should be including SkinCeuticals C + E in your skin care routine. It is applied once daily, using your fingertips to apply 4-5 drops of C + E to your face, neck and chest.

In addition to all of the wonderful vitamins in this formulation, it also has zinc which accelerates wound healing, offers protection against UVB radiation, promotes collagen synthesis in the dermis and is useful in acne treatments since it lowers sebaceous secretion.

The C + E is just one component of the SkinCeuticals and an example of the quality of this line of skin care products. It fits in with Fantasia’s philosophy of providing the finest products available for our clientele.