The Natural Skin Care Trend

The Natural Skin Care Trend

By: Audrey Marcher

The red carpet isn't only the place to show off beautiful dresses, it's also the place to show off healthy and radiant faces.

Apparently, the latest trend on the red carpet is natural skin care. Take a Google gander at singer/songwriter Taylor Swift and actress Gemma Arteton, for example, and you'll notice their glowing complexions and barely-there makeup (except of course for Taylor's signature bold red lipstick).

Remember, most dermatologists and other skin care professionals will agree that healthy skin often begins with faithfully following a good at-home skin care routine that includes cleanser, toner, moisturizer, and sunscreen.

Why not try something natural such as Burt's Bees products. Most of Burt's Bees products contain nectar, pollen, flower parts, vitamins, minerals, and other natural ingredients. Here are a few examples:


Garden Carrot Complexion Soap, Garden Tomato Complexion Soap, Garden Tomato Toner

There's even this amazing moisturizer with sunscreen!


Radiance Day Lotion with SPF 15

And for those of you who are on the road a lot like the lovely Taylor Swift, Burt's Bees offers a handy-dandy travel size "radiance healthy glow kit" that includes day crème, night crème, and eye crème (for the morning after late-night concerts).


Radiance Healthy Glow Kit

So what do you think? Could you "Bee" a natural beauty? Sure you can.

Stay Beautiful! – Audrey

Brand Spotlight - Keratin Complex by Coppola

Keratin treatments are the latest breakthrough in hair smoothing salon treatments.  Many hair types are highly resistant to straightening, but many women still want to wear straight hair... at least SOME of the time.  This manipulation can be very difficult to maintain.  Most techniques used to achieve straight hair have been very destructive to the natural pattern of hair.  Relaxers use intense chemicals and sometimes lye to break down the chemical bonds of the hair for a smooth texture.  After getting a relaxer, the hair has a smooth, silky feel to it, but the benefits don't last and the hair is often left weak and brittle and the texture is forever altered.  It is not a treatment that can easily be walked away from since any new growth has to be relaxed to match the already treated hair.

Japanese thermal straightening is a cumbersome, time consuming process requiring multiple applications and multiple flat ironing to lock in the treatment applications.  Stylists have to be specially trained at a handful of schools and it can be difficult and expensive to keep up with a qualified stylist.  It only works on limited types of hair.

The beauty of keratin treatments is that it actually works with the texture and not against it.  It fills in porous hair with the naturally occurring  protein keratin so that it lays smoother, but does NOT destroy it's chemical bonds.  It simply wears off of the hair with no distinction from untreated, newly grown hair once it does.  Treated hair can be worn wavy or straight.

Keratin Complex by Coppola is a leader in the development of keratin treatments.  Their formaldehyde-free formula is highly regarded in the hair industry.

The Keratin Complex Shampoo and Conditioner are highly recommended for keratin treated hair to maintain the life of the treatment.





Keratin Complex Infusion Therapy Keratin Replenisher works by opening the hair cuticle, infusing with keratin, and sealing the keratin into the cuticle with heat during blow drying and styling.


Not only does Infusion Therapy Thermoshine protect against the heat of flat ironing, it reduces fly aways and adds sheen.

Basic Skin Care: So Simple but yet So Necessary!

Basic Skin Care: So Simple but yet So Necessary!

By: Audrey Marcher

 

When you think of celebrities with flawless skin, who come to mind? Halle Berry, Jennifer Hudson, Cate Blanchett, even Ashton Kutcher?

Yes, these movie stars seem to shine (in a healthy way) on and off the screen and with or without makeup. Of course, these Hollywood hotties have shared their beauty secrets with numerous online sites.

If there is one thing that these celebrities have in common when it comes to taking care of their skin, it's a regular at-home maintenance routine. Here's what you'll need for yours:

1. Facial Cleanser

2.Toner

3.Moisturizer

Use these three products in the order listed in the morning not long after you wake up and before you put your makeup on and in the evening before you go to bed. First, use warm water with your cleanser to open up those pores and unclog them of any bacteria. Second, use the toner to clean off any residue bacteria the cleanser may have not washed way. Toner also closes up those clean pores so that bacteria doesn't get back in. Thirdly, use a moisturizer to hydrate your skin. Ashton Kutcher, for example, has said that his smooth complexion is due to diligent hydration.

One More Thing: Lastly, I can't stress sunscreen enough. Read any beauty tips from a Hollywood actor or actress and more than likely they've listed sunscreen as a staple in their daily skin care. Using sunscreen, even in the winter, protects your skin from harmful UV-B rays that can cause permanent damage and early aging to your skin. So make sure you slather on some sunscreen as the final step of your skin care routine in the morning before you brave the world!

Stay Beautiful! - Audrey.

Keep Your Skin Guessing

Keep Your Skin Guessing

By: Audrey Marcher

Oh no! Suddenly your favorite facial products - the ones that you’ve used for years and have kept your skin sprightly and supple – aren’t working for you anymore.

More than likely, overtime, your skin developed a tolerance for whatever you’ve been using. Your skin care regiment can be compared to any regular workout routine -- you’ve got to switch it up a little bit every now and then so that your body doesn’t plateau.

In other words, you’ve got to play the guessing game with your skin so it also stays fit. Estheticians say to keep a few different moisturizers, cleansers, toners and acne creams on a rotating schedule.

For example, if your skin is known to have bipolar moments when all of a sudden it decides to go from clear to pimple crazy, you might want to switch from your usual medicated product to a product with more natural ingredients.

Say you’re using the Bye Bye Blemish Anti-Acne cleanser that has 2 percent salicylic acid. To play the guessing game with your skin, you may want to use Murad’s Energizing Pomegranate Cleanser (which has a blend of artemia, pomegranate antioxidants, and witch hazel) once a week or for an entire week every few weeks. Then switch back to the Bye Bye Blemish cleanser. Then, every few months, try something else for a few weeks. Then switch back again.

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It may sound confusing but it’s all a matter of finding the key ingredients that work for your face and using products from different manufacturers that contain those ingredients. In the case of acne prone skin, products with salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, sulfur, witch hazel, and tea tree are all known to help with pimples. So you may want to switch back and forth with products that contain any of these ingredients.

Also, if you are using a skin care set or system, you may want to play the guessing game with the entire system or set. For example, if you’re using the Murad Acne Complex kit, switch to a totally different skin care system every few weeks and then back to the Murad kit.

Give your skin the excitement it may need by changing up your facial products every once in a while and see if this helps keep your favorite cleanser, toner, and moisturizer working for you!

Brand Spotlight - Do the Deva!!!

 

She was a curly girl, and she was confused.  Why did the beauty industry HATE her hair type?  All the girls in all the magazines had flowing straight hair.  All the fun hair tips were about how to wear straight hair.  All the advice was about how to get your hair straight if it wasn't there already.  And those AWFUL shampoos!  If you didn't already hate your curls, just try detangling after a shampoo.

That curly girl grew up to be Lorraine Massey, a hair stylist devoted to the love and care of curly hair, and founder of DevaCurl, a breakthrough hair care line devoted to curls.  Many women who spent a lifetime frustrated by trying to style and maintain their corkscrews and spirals have found this line liberating.

If your hair is naturally curly or spiraled, Lorraine has some universal tips that she shares in her book "Curly Girl"

Adopt a "no-poo" hair routine.

Most traditional shampoos contain sulfates and harsh detergents that strip the hair.  She recommends "conditioning washes" - washing the hair with light conditioner.  Your hair will be clean without the stripping and consequent tangling.  One of the stars of her product line is DevaCurl No Poo, a cleansing conditioner that leaves the hair vibrant and smooth, and an Allure Magazine award winner.



Finger style the hair after detangling with a wide tooth comb and air dry.

A lot of combing and brushing will just disturb your curl pattern.  Instead, lock in moisture and boost your curl definition with DevaCurl Set It Free followed by Angel Light Hold Defining Gel (another Allure winner).  Separate your wet curls with your fingers and leave them natural.



If you are in tress distress and need some serious deep conditioning, try this nourishing treatment.  Mix your own oil treatment of olive oil, castor oil, coconut oil ( you can also use jojoba or other hair conditioning oils), and combine with DevaCurl Heaven In Hair.  Leave the treatment in for at least ten minutes wearing a shower cap.  If you have a hooded dryer, the heat will give you deep penetration.  You can substitute this by warming a towel in the microwave and wrapping it around your head. Repeat the heating a couple of times when the towel cools.  Rinse the treatment and style.  Your hair will be hydrated and have incredible sheen and luster.

Flat Iron Shopping - How Confused Are YOU???

For any leading brand of any product, you are sure to find a positive review somewhere.  There are some things that are cheap enough to let you experiment with little to no risk until you find your perfect match.  Some things, like hair tools, require a bigger investment and a bigger commitment. Even if you snag a great deal on the internet,  you will have to pay the shipping and wait for your card to credit if you return it.

It's prudent to do as much research as possible, and there are an abundance of helpful reviews from Youtube videos to Google surfing.  The problem is, most women can't afford to have tried more than two or three flat irons, so their ability to make comparisons is limited - "the best" really means "the best one they've tried".  Here are a few things to keep in mind.

Often, it's not the tools... it's YOU.

The further your hair is from naturally straight, the harder you have to work and the better you have to condition your hair.  If you experience quick reversion (the hair "goes back" to its natural texture quickly after straightening), you need to evaluate every phase of your hair care.  Are you stripping and damaging your hair with harsh sulfate shampoos and overuse of chemicals?  Do you use a high quality ceramic dryer and employ good blowout technique?  Do you have an effective cocktail of products that leave your hair hydrated, supple, and tamed prior to flat ironing?  All this goes double for coarse and ethnic hair.

The technology is the thing.

A few years ago, the InStyler Rotating Iron came out.  The mechanics were very interesting with a rotating barrel and brushes that smoothed the hair.  Neat! Well, it doesn't hold a candle to the advances in ceramic technology employed by a quality flat iron.

Ceramic irons produce negative ions that neutralize the positive ions in hair.  Ceramic produces far infrared heat, which is the gentlest way to heat the hair.  Ceramic produces even heat distribution throughout the plates.  All of these factors promote a sealed hair cuticle that will stay smoother longer.  That is why every flat iron worth its salt is made with ceramic.

So what do you want in a flat iron?  Well, look for irons that have quick heating and temperature control.  You absolutely want ceramic coating - the more coating the better.  The average girl does not need solid ceramic.   It is superior, yes, but it is also very easy to damage (ceramic is a soft material) and crazy expensive.  Most quality irons will give you amazing results with a metal coated by ceramic.

The GHD IV Stylers provide these benefits PLUS:

• "Floating Plates" that grip the hair gently without damaging it.
• Static free plates to prevent fly aways.
• A fire retardant outer casing that doesn't overheat and can be handled easily while styling.
• Superior technology with great temperature control and fast, even heating.

Sulfate Free - The New Age of Shampoo

Getting to squeaky... that is the mission of many women when it comes to hair cleansing.  Rubbing and scrubbing and lathering until they get that noise.  A job well done!  But is it really?

Squeaky is often the result of stripping, and stripping is caused by harsh detergents.  Hair care companies know that the lather is the prize for many women.  If their products don't deliver, then their products aren't doing their job, and their products won't sell.  It's time to get smart about our hair.  There is no virtue in suds and squeaking.  In fact, it most often makes hair hard to manage, especially for coarse and curly hair.

Over the past several years, many brands have been bold enough to step out with sulfate free products.  These products aren't going to put on a show with a huge heap of foaming lather, but they WILL be gentle and sweet, caressing the cuticle to smoothness, and yes... your hair will be clean.

For Dandruff and Allergy Sufferers



Mastey de Paris has been around for decades and this company is still family-run.  Cream Traite Shampoo became a smash hit in the 80's for it's detergent free formula that did not aggravate people with allergies, and this product is great at eliminating dandruff while leaving the hair supple and healthy.  The internet and technology have brought this brand state-side.

For Ethnic Hair and Locs



Bioken Enfanti is another leading brand to step away from sulfate formulas.  If you wear your ethnic hair in natural styles such as locs, Enfanti Hydrating Shampoo will leave your hair super-moisturized and your color vibrant.



Follow with Enfanti Conditioner.

For Curlies

Lorraine Massey is a champion and savior for curly girls everywhere.  Her entire business is devoted to the care of this hair type, and she introduced "no-poo" and conditioning washes to the masses.  Deva Curl No Poo is a suds-free cleanser that will leave your curls bouncing.

For Clarifying



We beat our hair into submission... frizz busters, gels, sprays, whatever it takes to make our hair fierce.  Every now and then we need to get rid of product build up, and Mastey Clarifier does this without harshness or stripping.

Don’t Treat Me Bad

Have you been loving your hair all wrong?  You know what I mean.  You’ve done your best to baby your tresses with quality products.  You limit your use of heat tools.  Still, you are loving hair that doesn’t love you.  Fly-aways and frizzies plague you.  Your strands hang limp and lifeless without body or movement.  You can’t seem to get a whole day out of your styling.

It’s time to work smarter, not harder.  The right hair treatment can be a total game-changer and take the frustration out of daily styling.  If you can find just the right product, you will find your hair behaving in a whole new way.  This can be tricky for many women.  There is nothing more vexing than being disappointed by yet ANOTHER failed hair investment.  This mostly happens when women insist on working against their hair type – curlies that want to be straight, straight hair that refuses to hold a curl, coarse hair that can’t be coaxed into smoothness.

Fortunately, hair care has become very advanced along with the rest of technology.  Some hair treatments are real miracle workers for women who want to defy genetics, and some create maximum hair health by using science to target the issues at the source.

Keratin Complex Infusion Therapy Keratin Replenisher

Salon keratin treatments have become many women’s new best friend.  Instead of destroying the hair’s natural texture, it softens the texture by filling in porous hair.  This allows curly and coarse hair to be worn either wavy or straight without lasting damage.

Keratin Complex Infusion Therapy Keratin Replenisher can be used as an at-home treatment.  It infuses keratin proteins and emollients into the hair, and seals the cuticle with the heat of the blow dryer.

Bioken Enfanti Scalpi

An unhealthy scalp is often the root cause of thinning, damaged hair, and all the deep conditioners in the world will not combat this.  You need to create hair health at the source to reverse the problem.  A stimulated hair follicle is an awesome booster for hair growth and combating thinning hair and breakage.  Having sebum and dead skin cells trapped at the roots is counterproductive to all those masks and conditioners that are used on the ends.  This refreshing massage emulsion gently exfoliates oxidized oil and dirt on the scalp.  It detoxifies the hair and scalp, and also soothes and heals dry, itchy scalp.

A scalp treatment is good for ALL hair types, and can improve the way hair behaves whether it’s limp, thinning, or hard to manage.

PROMS, GRADUATIONS, WEDDINGS - YES! PIMPLES - NO!

How to Alleviate Acne Problems

By: Audrey Marcher

‘Tis the season for photographic moments – proms, graduations, even weddings! The last thing you need is a ginormous pimple that distracts from the overall beauty of your fabulous face.

Do you think that chocolate bar you devoured last night, that greasy hamburger you had for lunch, or the dirt you accidently got on your face in the garden caused an acne flare up? Nope. Think again.

Researchers say that more than likely acne is caused by your hormones and plugged up pores. When your skin can’t slough off those dead cells, bam! There’s major back up happening underneath your epidermis and the next thing you know here come those tiny puss-filled volcanoes just waiting to erupt. Unfortunately folks, the fates of our faces lie all in our genes.

The truth is, there is no cure for acne. There are, however, things we can do to either prevent or treat acne flare-ups. I’ll mention five major tips to keep acne at bay:

1. Don’t spend too much time in the sun. While the sun can help you with that much-desired bronzed complexion, it can also clog up your pores and cause blackheads and whiteheads. So slather on some sunblock with, at the very least, an SPF 15.

2. Don’t wash your face too much. You don’t want to irritate your skin or trick it into thinking that it’s losing too much oil so it suddenly goes into overdrive. Two to three times a day will suffice. Be sure to use a face wash that doesn’t contain a lot of harsh alcohol. Peter Thomas Roth Beta Hydroxy Acne Wash, for example, only has 2 percent salicylic acid, so it gently cleans your skin without totally drying it out.

3. Do use a basic 3-step system to wash your face. First, wash your face with a gently medicated cleanser. By the way, salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide are the two key ingredients to look for when finding medicated products to fight acne. Both these ingredients help unclog pores. Second, use a toner to remove any residue makeup or dirt that your cleanser left behind. Also, toner closes up your clean pores so they’re no longer open to any air pollutants. Third, follow up with a good moisturizer for the reasons mentioned in tip No. 2. It’s also good to keep in mind that there are 3-step systems designed especially for acne. Be sure to repeat your 3-steps in the morning and at night before you go to bed. Do it in the middle of the day, if you must, but remember no more than three times a day!

4. Do spot treat those pimples! Consider this point the if-needed 4th step in your 3-step-face-cleansing system. I say if-needed because spot treatments are exactly what they sound like – slightly higher dosages of salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide and perhaps other acne fighting ingredients that are applied directly to a pimple NOT all over the face. Bye Bye Blemish Drying Lotion, for example, has a 10 percent sulfur formula that is sure to give zits a smack down.

5. Do use a facial mask once a week. This is the extra super-deep cleaning that your skin needs. Pick a mask for oily skin like the Ahava Purifying Mud Mask with minerals from the Dead Sea that suck out all that embedded grime. Again, once a week is just right for a mask. Remember, you don’t want to dry your skin out. Plus, you’ve earned it. Kick back, relax, and enjoy an in-home spa moment!

There you go! Acne can really ruin your day but if you follow these five simple tips, you’ll more than likely be picture perfect for your special spring and summer events. Hey, you’ll probably even be picture perfect all year around!

 

 

YOUR SKIN IN THE SUN: PRODUCTS TO AVOID SKIN DAMAGE

Products to Avoid Skin Damage
By: Audrey Marcher

Warmer weather is here and no doubt you're going to want some fun in the sun! But while you are swimming, sunbathing, or shopping at that chic outdoor mall don't forget to be kind to your skin.

Honestly, you won’t be having much fun if you’re red, dry, itchy, flaky, and sunburned with premature wrinkles. Even worse, suffering from skin cancer. Yikes! Our skin, the largest organism of the human body, should never be neglected. Plus, there's nothing sexier than someone with a healthy, glowing, and smooth complexion.

So, to ward off all the aforementioned epidermis enemies and avoid skin damage caused by the sun, what your skin needs is something to keep it both hydrated and shielded from those nasty ultraviolet rays.

Skin products such as the Ahava Mineral Sun Protection Anti-Aging moisturizer is like body armor in a bottle. Not only are products like this oil-free so you won't feel greasy, but they contain the perfect cocktail of minerals and vitamins to keep your skin moisturized, rejuvenated, and youthful looking.

Ahava also comes in 15, 30, and 50 SPF (Sun Protection Factor). Remember the higher the SPF the more protection the product gives you against UV-B, which is the ultraviolet radiation that causes painful, ugly-looking sunburn.

Do you have sensitive skin? No worries, oil-free products that use natural minerals and vitamins more than likely don't have the ingredients that make sensitive skin react adversely or make allergies flare. Be sure to check that the product you are using is both approved for sensitive skin and allergy tested.

Don't forget your lips too. The skin on your lips is thinner than the skin on your face, so you'll also need something to protect your pout (or smile, or scowl, etc.). Jan Marini C-ESTA LIPS definition and repair, for example, make lips look dewy and plump with an infusion of a soluble vitamin C and DAE complex (antioxidants that stabilize cell membranes and enhance cellular activities). That means, no more bleed lines!

So go ahead and soak in the sun, but remember that while you're having all that fun, to use the right products to keep your skin healthy, fresh, and young!