Fantasia Salon / Spa and Wig Specialists

Occasional breakouts can be expected during the summer season. Both humid weather and high temperatures can make acne and blemished skin difficult to manage. Using makeup can further exacerbate the problem. If you are having trouble with your skin, here are some tips to help you counteract the problem.

Use makeup designed for sensitive skin. Jane Iredale Skin Care Mineral Makeup is a fabulous line and what we carry at Fantasia.

Use a gentle cleanser to cleanse the face and neck area twice per day. SkinCeuticals products are excellent and they have a wonderful gentle cleanser.

Avoid using astringent until shortly before bedtime. Astringent can strip away the skins natural oils which can irritate blemished skin. If used just prior to bedtime, it will help keep pores clean.

Always use non-comedogenic brands and non-oily foundations. Again, you can beat the combination of the SkinCeuticals Skin Care and the Jane Iredale Skin Care Mineral Makeup.

Use earthy and natural powdered eye-shadows. Although eyelids rarely break out, you can reduce the chance of wrinkles and creases by using enriching eye-shadows on a regular basis. Jane Iredale Skin Care Mineral Makeup is great for sensitive skin.

Avoid hair spray near your hairline. This is a surefire trigger for acne breakouts, and, when mixed with makeup, it can drip onto your face when you sweat for further skin irritation.

Don’t apply cakey foundation. If you haven’t tried the mineral makeups that are applied with a brush, you really don’t know what you are missing.

Use an aloe and cucumber-based mask to soothe and soften skin. SkinCeuticals uses these and other botanical formulations in their products. Both of these have nutritive properties that can help to reduce inflammation.

Use a powder with SPF protection. Again, back to the mineral makeup which has naturally occurring SPF protection; it’s a great choice. This helps cover minor blemishes without a complete foundation application. Use eye makeup remover nightly, make sure it’s one that’s designed for sensitive skin so that residue does not irritate the area around your eyelids and nose.

Use a blotting tissue or pad throught out the day. This will soak up excess sweat and help creat a sleek, matted finish.

Many women with acne make the mistake of overdoing summer makeup as a cover up. This can irritate and inflame the skin even more. Look for natural and organic products such as SkinCeuticals Skin Care and Jane Iredale Skin Care Mineral Makeup whenever possible and keep in mind, less really is more during the summer season.

We’ve talked about facials now I’d like to talk about facial peels. You may have heard the term “chemical facial peel”. The facial peels we do at Fantasia are “light chemical peels”. It is a treatment similar to a facial yet different.

Candidates for a light chemical peels would be those with problematic skin, sensitive skin, aging skin, hyperpigmentation, or photodamaged skin. The purpose of a chemical peel is to remove blemished, damaged skin. The damage can be from many things such as acne, sun damage, freckles and signs of aging including fine lines and wrinkles.

AHA or Alpha Hydroxy Acids are the mildest of all peels. The AHA that we use, SkinCeuticals products, are combined with glycolic and lactic acid or salicylic and mandelic acid. SkinCeuticals gel formulations ensures maximum acid delivery to target areas.

The 20 percent glycolic/10 percent lactic mixture offers the following benefits:

• provides superior exfoliation due to glycolic acid
• improves hydration due to lactic acid stimulating glycosaminoglycans production in the epidermal and dermal levels
• is less irritating than a pure glycolic peel
• improves collagen synthesis and remodels existing collagen
• improves elastin fibers in dermis
• encourages cell renewal
• improves the appearance of skin discolorations by dispersing melanin granules more evenly in the epidermis
• increases ceramide levels in the stratum corneum

The 20 percent salicylic/10 percent mandelic mixture provides the following benefits:

• dissolves sebum and cellular debris in pores due to lipid-solubility of salicylic acid
• exfoliates skin without irritating
• improves collagen synthesis and remodels existing collagen
• improves elastin fibers in dermis
• encourages cell renewal
• improves the appearance of skin discolorations by dispersing melanin granules more evenly in the epidermis
• increases ceramid levels in stratum corneum

The base ingredients in both of these gels is a Mediterranean fruit vinegar (a complex of apple vinegar and apricot and peach extracts) which supplies citric and malic acid to enhance exfoliation capabilities, softens and invigorates skin and has anti-bacterial properties.

In discussing facials, we mentioned that you should have them every six weeks or perhaps seasonally. With regard to light chemical peels which have the benefit of not causing the client any down time or irritation, it will depend on the condition being treated and the skin type. Weekly applications are typically recommended and a series of 6 peels will achieve significant skin improvement. Again, your esthetician will work with you based on your budget and unique skin care needs.

You should know that complications from light chemical peels are extremely rare. Possible complications during the peel may inculde intense burning, erythema, headache or nausea.

We have an esthetician on staff at Fantasia who would love to discuss the different procedures with you, whether you are thinking about facials, chemical peels or microdermabrasion. If you feel you are looking old and tired, we have a solution for you!

I used to ask this question until I had a facial myself. Anyone who’s every gone for a professional facial would agree that they are pretty great. Obviously how much you enjoy your facial will be determined by the esthetician and the products she uses. At Fantasia, because SkinCeuticals is the skin care we promote, our esthetician uses these professional products on the clients having facials.

Other than just being good for your skin, a facial is a great way to chill out and relax. And after you have relaxed and hopefully let go of stress, you will leave the salon with glowing skin. Your skin will feel so good in fact, that you will not want to put make up on. This is one reason I prefer to have a facial late in the day. I just hate to put anything on my glowing, clean, hydrated skin!

At Fantasia, our facials are European Facials. These relaxing treatments take approximately one hour and there are several aspects to the treatment. Your esthetician will begin with deep cleansing of the skin. Next she will perform a skin analysis on you followed by exfoliation. If needed, she will do extractions for you. This is followed by a relaxing massage of the face, decolletage area and shoulders. She will then apply a soothing mask and after removal of the mask she will hydrate your skin.

One might think suffering through the extraction phase of the facial would be nasty but, if performed correctly, it is not that unpleasant. It is necessary that extractions be done to prevent spots (blackheads) from getting worse but it is best left to a professional as doing it yourself can break the skin and end up making things worse.

Probably one of the best parts of having a facial is the massage as mentioned above. This is the part of the experience where you can relax and truly enjoy being pampered. This amazing super calming feeling is just a side benefit of the facial massage as it’s main purpose is to increase blood circulation which, in turn, plumps the skin and helps you achieve that healthy glow.

Just when and how often you need a facial really depends on your budget. In talking with the esthetician at Fantasia, she suggest that you begin having facials in your mid twenties and suggest a routine of once every six weeks. If this is not do-able, you could have them seasonally. Many women do this because with the changes of the seasons can come skin changes. Everyone’s skin is different and your esthetician can work with you to customize a program suited to your needs.

A good esthetician will tell you what products she is using on your face. You will not be pressured to buy products, at least not at Fantasia. If you have indicated to your esthetician that you would like to see a change in some facet of your skin, whether it’s less break outs, better hydration, fewer lines, reduction in sun damage, etc, she can act as your partner in helping you to achieve your goals. If you truly want to see a difference in your skin, you will have to participate by taking care of it with a daily home regimen. Fantasia recommends SkinCeuticals products and will educate you as to how to use them.

If you have a special occasion coming up such as birthday, anniversary, holiday- ask for a gift card from Fantasia or a salon where you can treat yourself to a facial. You will be glad you did!