Hands Off!

One of my biggest pet peeves as an esthetician, is when someone comes up to me, rubbing their face, and says, "look at this pimple I have."  If you know me, you know the first thing I say, (normally I cut that person off before they finish), is, "well, first off, you need to stop touching it", which inevitably is followed up by, "I know, I know." But do you know why you shouldn't touch your face in general, especially when you have a breakout?  I want you to think of all of the bacteria, lotion, grease from food, or hair products that accumulate on your hands throughout the day.  Now imagine you're resting those same hands on your chin, rubbing your temples, or touching your forehead; that bacteria and grease is now transfered from your hands, to your face. See where I'm going with this?

Another fact I learned today, via Neal Schultz, M.D., is that repetitive touching of your face can cause a slight thickening of your skin, (i.e., anti-exfoliation), which can promote pore clogging and then lead to breakouts.   And, this theory applies to anything that touches your face; even your hair brushing across your face repetitively can cause a breakout to occur! *note to self: always have extra hair binders on you*

I suggest keeping your hands as clean as possible and being aware of how often you touch your face throughout the day, as a start to breaking this bad habit.  It's such an easy way to prevent breakouts; all it just takes a little attention and some hand soap!

Image via Rex Features

Get Rid of Those Chapped Lips

I'm addicted to lip balm.  I have about 5 tubes laying around my house and one in my purse at all times, yet I know a lot of people, especially men, who pass on lip balm, because they don't like the way it feels.  The problem with this, is that they will lick their lips to "moisturize" instead.  Saliva is meant to aid in the process of food digestion, by starting to dissolve food particles.  So saliva is actually going to exfoliate, crack and irritate your lips, instead of moisturizing.  Being that we're entering into the coldest season, I thought I'd give some recommendations to help break this bad habit for non-users once and for all!

Everyone's tried Carmex...I was a Carmex girl for many years, and although it was my fave in the past, I can't help but feel like I'm putting candle wax on my lips.  It's a little too thick for my taste these days, but I still have some floating around that I'll use infrequently.

                                                     

Z Bigatti 'Lips at Large' - this stuff is amazing, once I tried this, my lips were never the same.  It's spendy at $55, but I was able to use it very sparingly, so it was worth the price.  It's ultra silky, and melts into your lips.  My only complaint is that there's no sun protection offered, so this is strictly a night product for me.

Another product that's equally as great is Creme de la Mer's lip balm.  Both this and the 'Lips at Large' have a cool mint sensation hidden in that wonderfully silky texture. The  Creme de La Mer is a also a little bit less expensive at $45.  And again, no sun protection is offered.

This Nivea lip balm, 'A Kiss of Moisture', came free with a moisturizer purchase at Costco (go figure), and it's actually pretty awesome.  This is an inexpensive product that comes very close to having that same silky texture as the Z Bigatti and the La Mer balms. My only complaints are that this product doesn't have that menthol tingle to it, (I like that active feeling), and it doesn't last long.  I feel like the product evaporates rather quickly, but at this drugstore price point, you can afford to keep piling it on. My 'gift with purchase' I received doesn't have sun protection, but they do offer this balm with SPF as well, which I would highly recommend.

And finally, my favorite lip balm at the moment is Epicuren's.  This is by far the best inexpensive lip balm I've ever tried.  This provides that creamy, non-waxy texture,  it has tea tree oil for a little active sensation and healing, and it also boasts an SPF 15.  I have no complaints about this product, and at $5 a tube, it's the clear winner in my books right now!

So please do your lips a favor and buy a lip balm this winter, and hopefully it will become a year round habit for you.  Remember, no one wants to kiss dry lips! ;)

Clarisonic Vs. Neutrogena Wave

After my post last night, I had a client contact me and ask me how the Clarisonic compares to the Neutrogena Wave.  I haven't personally tried the Wave, but I knew it was a similar concept.  I went to work today and had another person ask me the difference.  Being that there is such a big difference in the price points ($195 for the Clarisonic vs. $15 for the Neutrogena Wave), everyone wants the best bang for their buck, naturally.  I thought I'd research it and give some conclusive answers to all those inquiring minds!

On the Neutrogena website, it says that the Wave is a battery operated "vibrating cleanser" that is supposed to deep clean your skin.  It comes with "deep clean foaming pads", that you attach to the attachment head, run it under water, and then use it to cleanse your skin.  There are two speed settings, and it's water resistant.

That doesn't sound terrible, but let's break it down.  First off, battery operated compared to rechargable.  I don't know about you, but I HATE when something needs its batteries changed.  I don't even use batteries for anything anymore, so I don't ever have them laying around.  Add up the cost of batteries over time and that can get pricey, not to mention annoying.  The Clarisonic is rechargable, so all you have to do is set it on the cradle and it's always ready to go.

Next up is the issue of the deep clean foaming pads.  Personally, I'm NOT ok with the fact that I wouldn't be able to use my own cleanser.  I love my Epicuren, so that is a huge turn off about the Neutrogena to me.  It is a great way to get people to use their products, but the fact that you can't customize this product for your skin type isn't great. (And no, having an option between "Deep Clean Foaming Cleanser" or "Shine Free Blemish Free" pads doesn't consitute as being suitable for all skin types).  I read some reviews on the Wave, and there were a few consumers that said it made their skin "red and irritated". The Clarisonic has an option of three different brush heads for the face: Delicate, Sensitive, and Normal.  The Sensitive brush head is what comes standard when you order the unit, and that is what I use on the majority of my clients.  The Decliate brush head is for sensitive or rosacea skin types, and the Normal has a stiffer bristle, so although it says it can be used on combination/normal skin types, I still prefer the Sensitive brush head.  Still, it's nice to have options and to be able to customize the product to your needs!

The Neutrogena has two speed settings, and on their website it recommends the low speed for everyday use, and the higher speed for a deeper, weekly cleansing.  The Clarisonic model that I carry has four speed settings, which again, is more customizable.  The Clarisonic also has a timer on it.  You can set the timer many different ways.  The standard timer setting is for one minute - 20 seconds on the forehead, 20 for the nose/chin, and 10 for each cheek. I personally like having a timer, so I'm making sure I'm washing every area thoroughly, and the beeping noise makes it seem like a game!  As far as I know, the Wave does not have a timer.

I've also checked out some other websites that offer customer reviews, and it seems as though most people tried the Neutrogena Wave first, liked it, but were then blown away by the Clarisonic, to the point where it didn't compare.  The Wave just claims to deep clean, where as the Clarisonic has real life studies that offer proof to their results. It also seems as though the Neutrogena unit just vibrates, where as the Clarisonic uses a sonic frequency of more than 300 movements per second. The thing moves so fast it doesn't even look like it's moving if that makes sense (you have to see it to believe it).


So overall, yes, the Neutrogena is cheaper initially, but I would rather use something that will work with my skin type and actually gives substantial results.  In my opinion, you get what you pay for a lot of the time and this is another example of where the bigger inital investment pays off in the long run.

Clarisonic Bushes Are AMAZING!!!

It's that time again where I'm here to tell you about my love for another product! I'm talking about the Clarisonic cleansing system; I'm carrying them now at the salon I work at, and I couldn't be more impressed with them.  Clarisonic brushes were developed by the same inventor as the Sonicare toothbrush, so it's taking similar technology, but applying it to your face.  You use the brush with your cleanser, twice daily and it's more than twice as effective as manual cleansing.  In addition to cleaner skin, you'll have improved skin tone, smaller appearing pores, a reduction in the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and most importantly, you'll have an improved absorption of serums and moisturizers.  Who doesn't want more effective products?

Here are some examples: (I know these pictures are on the small side -- if you want to see the bigger versions, go to http://clarisonic.com/us/ )

Before and after:  In this study, an esthetician used the Clarisonic on one side of the forehead to cleanse, and then cleansed the other side manually.  These are the results (R).

Another before and after: This was taken after using the Clarisonic brush for 6 weeks.  Notice how much more healthy and clear the skin appears overall.

This before and after offers a great visual of the improvement in the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

Pore size is an issue that a lot of people struggle with, so here's an example that there is hope in reducing the appearance of large pores! Also notice the reduction in redness -- fabulous!

And last but most definitely not least, the before and after on rosacea.  It's so tricky to treat sensitive skin types, as they need exfoliation like everyone else, but they can not use anything abrasive, otherwise it will just trigger more redness and more sensitivity.  These results are amazing!

 Have you ever used the Sonicare toothbrush?  If you have, you know you would never go back to using a regular toothbrush again; much like the Clarisonic vs. a washcloth.  The units are waterproof, rechargable and they last about 5 years.  It almost makes it more fun to wash your face. I'm all about getting my makeup off at the end of the day, but for others who think it's a pain; this might just motivate you to be more diligent about cleansing.

It's $195 for the unit, and then you buy replacement brush heads every 3-4 months.  There are different brush heads for different skin types, and they even offer a body brush that is amazing for exfoliation, and getting rid of those bumps and patches of dry skin on your body

It's the best feeling as an esthetician to be able to help people with their skincare issues and to ultimately make them feel better about themselves, so I'm really excited to offer these to the public.  If you're interested in trying one of these brushes out, and if you're in the Twin Cities area, contact me so you can see for yourself how amazing they are! (Email me at eaudebeauty@gmail.com)

[Images via clarisonic.com]

Cheap Alternative For a Makeup Primer

Don't worry, I'm not going to write about the wonders of chafing cream! I had gotten sucked in to youtube some random night awhile back, and I came across a makeup tutorial where this person said they used Monistat Chafing Powder Gel as a makeup primer.  They claimed it was as good as the Smashbox Photo Finish primer.  That's a lofty assertation, but I researched it further, and they indeed have very similar ingredients, for a fraction of the cost.  The Smashbox Photo finish runs for $36-42 for 1 oz., and the Monistat Chafing Gel runs for about $7 for 1.5 oz.  Photo Finish has been at the top of every magazine and every major beauty journal's list for the best foundation primer, for those not in the know.  A primer essentially preps your skin for foundation by filling in fine lines and wrinkles for a perfect look, and also providing staying power so your foundation lasts all day. 

I ordered mine on Amazon, where I got three tubes for about $20.  Three tubes will last me a long time, but it will be nice to know I won't run out of it in my makeup kit!  After trying it for myself, I have to say it is in fact an amazing product. It is super lightweight, silky feeling, and it just melts into your skin.  There's no scent to it, and it made my foundation go on so smoothly! And, the ultimate test: at the end of the day, my foundation was still in tact in my t-zone area. Love!  Whenever I hear that someone has taken a random product like this and put it on their face, I normally wonder what posessed them to do so (much like using Preparation H under your eyes), but I'm throwing reason out of the window on this one, because it is such an awesome substitute for a fraction of the cost.  Go get some!

 

Brow Bleaching

I said I'd talk about it, so here it is, my opinion on the big B! As I said before, brow bleaching is everywhere at at the moment, and in some cases it can look fantastic;  yet for the most part I'm not a huge fan of it.  I have personally bleached my eyebrows before, just for fun, and I'm one of the many people that it didn't really look right on. I SO wish I could find some pictures to show you, but I've probably burned them ;)

To bleach your eyebrows, you can either go to a salon, or to go Target and buy any sort of bleaching product for facial hair.  The tricky thing about doing this, is that when you're lightening your hair, it goes through a process where it "lifts".  During this process, your hair goes from an orange shade to a lighter, white shade.  We're talking Carrot Top to Platinum within a couple of minutes, so it's a big trial and error to know when to stop.  You either have a gold shade to them, otherwise they're non-existent.

So let's say you successfully bleach your brows, you will probably still have to pencil them in or at least powder them a bit, unless you're cool with your eyebrows disappearing from your face.  Oh, and did I mention you'll have roots?  Unlike brow tinting, where the color gradually fades, bleaching needs to grow out, so yes, you'll have lovely roots on your brows.  Not fun.

Bleaching your brows will open up your face in a big way, and most people need their brows to enhance their eyes and break up their features a bit.  But, if done on the right person, in the right situation, it can look good.  Here are some examples of both.

Here's an example where you almost need to lighten your brows, otherwise it won't look natural.  Kim Kardashian dipped her toes into the blonde pool, and it actually looked great.  Her makeup artist still powdered her brows in, to prevent her from looking totally washed out.  Bravo.

Britney Spears has bleached her eyebrows on and off throughout her career.  I think she looks good either way, but girlfriend tends to neglect her waxing (tisk tisk), so the bleaching helps to hide her lack of upkeep, therefore making it work on her.

This is a great example of bleached vs. natural.  Obviously Mary Kate (I think), has bleached her brows and has opted to not pencil them in, and her sister has kept them dark and thick.  So here, you can see that the bleaching makes her forehead look quite a bit larger, and it makes her look older. 

Here's an example where opening your face can be a good thing.  Although Nadine Coyle is a pretty girl in general, her dark brows were overpowering her face, and the small eye space that she has.  I was so happy when I saw that someone lightened them up.  Now you see her beauty and aren't distracted by her brows.

Ashanti's makeup artist did an amazing job with her brows for this look.  She only lightened her up a little bit, and without the orange shade (lucky).  It looks super natual and softens her look up immensely.

And finally, Miss Stefani.  I love Gwen and her style, but this wasn't my favorite look on her.  She must have thought the same, because she didn't keep the lighter brows for long!  Again, I think this ages her, and for how rockin she looks at 40, she doesn't need that in her life!

So overall, bleaching can be fun for something different if you're brave, but in general, I'd stay away from it.  I personally don't offer bleaching as a service for my clients, as I don't want to disappoint them if the results aren't what they wanted.  And, I figure most people want to make their lives easier, not complicate it by HAVING to pencil their brows in before they leave the house, or to deal with roots and the upkeep.  I hope this was helpful!

Credit: Getty Images, WENN, chicintuition, zumbro, celebrity-gossip.net, and kissandmakeup.tv