So you did it…you burned yourself crispy. You don’t need the guilt trip associated with three to four days of discomfort and several days of peeling ahead. We have all heard that dreaded phrase “you should have used sunscreen” and hopefully you learned your lesson. Now you need a course of action to prevent/minimize the pain and peeling associated with your sunburn.
Milk – Soak a small towel in cold milk and lightly pat the cloth on the effected areas. This is probably the most cost effective and quickest methods to easing your sunburn pain, while simultaneously creating a layer of protein to protect your skin and help it heal.
Yogurt – Also milk based, yogurt holds large amounts of probiotics and enzymes that help heal a sunburn. Be sure to use plain live cultured yogurt when applying to the burn. Let the yogurt sit for five minutes on the skin before rinsing off with cool or luke-warm water.
Aloe Vera – This treatment has been around forever, but it still works as effectively as ever. Aloe vera cools and alleviates immediate pain, while also helping to remove the redness from your sunburn.
Cucumber Slices or Paste – Place cucumber slices on sunburned areas can help soothe burned skin. This miracle vegetable not only helps to relieve the burn but is loaded with antioxidants to promote healing. If you plan on making a cucumber paste in the blender you can also add some aloe vera to the mixture for additional soothing properties.
Hydrate – You literally just burnt your skin, so there is a good chance you are somewhat dehydrated as well. Your sunburn has also dried your skin out. Make sure you are drinking plenty of water during this time to heal your skin.
There are dozens of other ways to help limit pain and discomfort identified with your sunburn. These are just a few of the treatments I have chosen today. Potato, witch hazel, oatmeal, apple cider vinegar and mint are just a few of the others I did not have time to touch today. Just keep in mind the true prevention to a sunburn is to apply sunscreen regularly.
From disease and sickness prevention, to skin care and beauty, there are hundreds of ways to benefit from coconut oil. This super food has been used throughout the ages for its healing and nutrient rich properties. Today I am going to list four ways to use coconut in your daily beauty routine.
1. The hair mask – Are you struggling with dry and damaged hair? Try putting coconut oil on the tips on your hair 30-60 minutes before your shower. Do this two-three times a week and you will notice softer and more manageable tresses.
2. Makeup remover – Instead of using harsh makeup remove towelettes, try using coconut oil to remove that stubborn eye makeup. You will be surprised at home much easier your makeup comes off. However, if you tend to have skin prone to breakouts be sure to use a cleanser after removing your makeup.
3. Lotion and body oil – Use coconut oil straight out of the shower on your body. It helps to keep your skin soft for prolonged periods of time and it smells great.
4. Shaving cream – Traditional shaving creams tend to leave skin dry and irritable. However, using coconut oil in your shaving ritual leaves your legs feeling smooth and can help prevent razor burn.
If you do plan on taking up coconut oil as a regular part of your beauty routine, make sure you are buying organic extra-virgin coconut oil that is cold pressed and unrefined.
May is Skin Cancer Awareness month, so let’s revisit ourselves and remind our friends, clients and family about proper sun safety. Skin cancer is almost preventable. Not only that think about pre mature aging, wrinkles and pigmentation issue coming from the daily sun exposure. So if skin cancer doesn’t concern you particularly, at least protect your skin from the sun in order to keep it looking young and fresh.
The Skin Cancer Foundation provides the following sun safety tips:
Since its inception in 1979, The Skin Cancer Foundation has always recommended using a sunscreen with an SPF 15 or higher as one important part of a complete sun protection regimen.
But you know Sunscreen alone is not enough, however, these simple recommendations can help:
Seek the shade, especially between 10 AM and 4 PM.
Do not allow yourself to burn. Sunburn is damaged skin and greatly increases the risk of skin cancer.
Avoid tanning in the direct sun or UV tanning booths.
Cover up with clothing, including a broad-brimmed hat and UV-blocking sunglasses.
Use a broad spectrum (UVA/UVB) sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher every day. For extended outdoor activity, use a water-resistant, broad spectrum (UVA/UVB) sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher.
Apply 1 ounce of sunscreen to your entire body 30 minutes before going outside.
Reapply every two hours or immediately after swimming or excessive sweating.
Keep newborns out of the sun. Sunscreens should be used on babies over the age of six months.
Examine your skin head-to-toe every month.
See your physician every year for a professional skin examination.
Please, make your loved one aware of these guidelines and stay safe this summer.
Cleopatra, it is believed, bathed in sour milk (lactic acid) to improve her complexion. In France, over 200 years ago, there is documentation of a “Youth Cream” made from aged wine. Lemon and fruits have been used in Hungary, and other parts of Europe for hundreds of years as skin toners. Alpha hydroxy acids (AHA) have been a part of skin treatment regimens since ancient times. This historic experience base has lead a to growing body of current research around the effects of photoaging. With this research, alpha hydroxy acids have become even more popular.
PHOTOAGING
Photoaging was first coined in 1986 and is a direct result of ultraviolet light exposure on the skin. On sun exposed skin, up to 90% of skin aging is due to the deleterious effects of the sun. The natural aging process is dependent on time and genetics, and is unchangeable. However, photoaging can be avoided with good sun protection habits.
THE BENEFITS OF AHA
Alpha hydroxy acids work mainly as an exfoliant. The cells in the outer layer of skin detach and slough off, making room for regrowth of new skin. Alpha hydroxy acids may even stimulate the production of collagen and elastin. Alpha hydroxy acids are reported to improve wrinkling, roughness, and mottled pigmentation of photo-damaged skin after months of daily application. AHA found in skin-care products works best in a concentration of 5% to 8% and at a pH of 3 to 4.
Read the ingredients of your skin care products carefully. Those with AHA in them are likely to help diminish some of the signs of aging, but AHA can also increase sensitivity to the sun by 50%. It appears that alpha hydroxy acids may be able to reverse some of the damage caused by photoaging, but at the same time may make the skin more susceptible to photoaging.
AHAs have side effects that can include redness, burning, itching, pain, and possibly scarring. People with darker colored skin are at a higher risk of scarring pigment changes with alpha hydroxy acids. When using AHA it is important to protect yourself from the sun. A tanning alternative, such as spray tanning, would better serve the desire for a golden tan, than laying out in the sun and risking exposure to damaging UV rays.
Preservatives are the ingredients that protect spray tanning solution or any cosmetic product from the growth of the microorganisms like bacteria, fungi and molds. A preservative also helps the product to protect itself against damage and degradation caused by exposure to oxygen. Without preservatives, cosmetic products can become contaminated, leading to product spoilage and if used on the skin possibly cause irritation or infections. Microbial contamination of products can cause significant problems.
Most people probably appreciate that it is an essential requirement for manufacturers to sell safe products that are hygienic when used according to the instructions and that the product retains its integrity during the required shelf life of the product.
Before we go further, one important things you should know that most spray tanning products and lotions and creams contains water (aqua) as one of the main ingredients and if those products are not properly preserved it will grow microorganism and product will be contaminated right away.
Preservative free products?
When we have a client ask us why so and so company says they have preservative free products our only answer we have is to carefully look at the ingredient list on those products, If they are using water (aqua) as one of their ingredient then their label is incomplete or they are just hiding the truth!
So how about Natural preservative?
Some companies claim that they use certain “natural” ingredients which they claim safely preserve their products. However, whether that is the case or not can only be proven by a microbiologist carrying out a challenge test on the product. A challenge test provides a standard test regime which establishes whether the product is safely preserved under normal conditions of use against the microorganisms that could be harmful to user and product stability. The fact that a particular “natural” ingredient has preservative properties does not necessarily mean that it is sufficient to provide adequate preservation to the finished product during the normal shelf life of the product. At AYU we are constantly looking at any “natural preservative” out in the market and do challange test and few different types of micro testing and we have not found any natural preservative that successfully preserves our products and keeps the products stable or fresh.
How we choose preservative system for our products?
At AYU, we are group of cosmetic chemists and we have considerable experience, a combined 80 years of experience in fact, with preserving cosmetics, skin care and sunless tanning/spray tanning products. The choice of a suitable preservative depends upon many issues, not the least of which is pH. Other considerations include compatibility with other ingredients in the product, as sometimes these will affect the preservation efficacy and the end result could potentially be an under-preserved product. There are many preservatives available for the cosmetic chemist to use, but not all are suitable or desirable for the type of products that we manufacture. For example, there are preservatives that work by releasing a small amount of formaldehyde in order to kill off any microorganisms. However, although highly effective as a preservative, there are issues with formaldehyde even in low doses, such as irritation and other health issues. Another family of preservatives are called parabens. Chemically, parabens are esters of p-hydroxybenzoic acid. These are again highly effective and have had a long history of use in cosmetics. The issue here is that the parabens have received negative publicity whether justified or not and we have chosen not to use them purely for our customer’s peace of mind even though they are deemed safe for use in cosmetic products at the normal levels of usage.
At AYU, we keep abreast of all new ingredients and review very carefully all the safety and technical data applicable to an ingredient being considered for use in our products. Only when we are completely satisfied will we incorporate it into our products.
Do you have any questions regarding preservatives in cosmetics and skin care products or you have different views on preservatives in these products,If so feel free to leave us a comment.
This may be a strange title for my blog, but this step is really necessary because these areas can become super dark and orange and becomes a tell tail sign of spray tanning.
Most all of us suffer from dry skin around these areas on a regular basis and when you spray tan this becomes a huge problem. This is because these areas will absorb more DHA ( the active ingredient that gives skin a tan color) and the result is a dark color or orange appearing on the elbows, knees and ankles. I would like to suggest a few tips that you can do every day for smooth, soft elbows, knees and ankles.
1) Get into the habit of regularly exfoliating these areas with fine grain sugar scrubs. Look for scrubs that are rich in botanicals, oils and butters like Cocoa or Shea Butter. Wet your skin and apply gently in a circular motion. Do not use force because it can scratch or tear the skin then rinse off with warm water. This will help to soften these areas. After doing that apply a rich moisturizer like body butter. This daily 5 minute ritual will help keep these areas soft and hydrated in preparation for your tan.
2) Warm baths with some good bath oil or bath salt will do wonders. Just be sure to apply a little lemon juice and oil to those areas before you get in to the tub. Lemon juice will help to exfoliate and oil will help to keep skin soft.
3) Before going to bed apply AHA or BHA cream to these areas and that will help to exfoliate dry skin making it soft and smooth.
Only follow these tips when you are not wearing spray tan or preparing for spray tan
When you have a spray tan on you should avoid exfoliation until you are ready for the next spray tan application.
Do you have any suggestions or questions? please leave us a comments.
Hello there,
Hope this post finds you well!
I was answering an email that I received this morning and thought, why not share with everyone. How you can avoid getting dry skin when you spray tan?
When you are looking for spray tanning solution ask if it contains one of these ingredients: denatured alcohol, SD-40 or ethanol and if it does and it is listed within the first 4 ingredients , stay clear of the product… why?
1) DHA already has a drying effect on the skin and using this ingredient makes the skin even drier.
2) If you are using this type of product on a regular basis with your clients, and they have to leave this product on their skin for 6 to 8 hours before they can rinse off, sooner or later the client will develop dry skin
What are the results of dry skin? Dry skin leads to loss of tone and that can result in premature aging.
AYU Products are free of any of these ingredients and all products are formulated with hydrating and skin nourishing ingredients that combat the drying effect of the DHA so you and your clients can enjoy a beautiful healthy tan with flawless skin.
Hope this helps and should you have any questions regarding spray tanning products, or how they work, please do not hesitate to contact us vie email (info at ayusunless. com) call us at 888-298-8081 or 423 910 0577
We hope that this post serves you well. As the seasons begin to change and the air becomes cooler your skin will undergo changes as well. However, you can follow a few easy steps to maintain the radiant, glowing aura of summer skin as autumn and old man winter start to creep upon us.
Skin is the largest organ in our body and it helps to do many things. Skin removes impurities via sweat, controls body temperature, and keeps all our other body part tucked in. Could you imagine if we didn’t have this first line of defense between our interior organs and the outside world? While skin fulfills all of its necessary duties, it also helps to keep our appearance nice and beautiful. This is why we need to feed our skin with nourishing treatment products that help to keep it in top condition and keep it working to its full potential.
Our skin has to endure many things during our busy days including time spent in the sun, the effects of everyday stress, pollution, smoke, etc. and its appearance is the early tell-tale sign of our age, so taking care of your skin at an early age definitely has its benefits. Just like other things in life, if you take care of your skin it will last longer and stay healthy.
So how do we take care of our skin?
Bathing: By bathing and washing we are keeping our skin clean and grime free so it keeps the skin’s pores clean. Bathing prevents any infections or acne. Washing your face from the neck up with a very mild pH balance cleanser is a good way to keep your skin clean. You do this by massaging the cleanser in a circular upward motion and then rinsing with lukewarm water. For a whole body cleanse you should use a body shower gel, or for a milder product, shower creams. Remember to rinse yourself off with lukewarm water (NOT hot water) and always pat dry your body.
Moisturizing: Choosing moisturizers that are rich in botanical butters, oils, vitamins, extracts, and anti-oxidants are often recommended for moisturizing your skin. Moisturizing your skin will make it smooth, supple, and plump while keeping it hydrated. Moisturizing is very important no matter what type of skin you have. Moisturizing the face should be done in a circular upward motion. You should always be gentle with your skin.
Drinking Water: Drinking plenty of water is another necessary step for plump, smooth, radiant skin. If you can’t get enough water in a day try eating various fruits and vegetables. Food that has more water content in them for example watermelon, grapes, and tomatoes helps give your skin and body a water boost you need for the day.
Those are some of the basic steps to follow everyday to ensure clean, healthy well nourished skin.
Time to time you can add some extra step to pamper your skin, you don’t have to do this everyday but every few days or once a week, try and treat your self with some pampering skin treatments like bath soaking, exfoliating, massage that helps to relax your body and choose products that will feed your skin
Bath soak: soaking in a bath full of water with added bath salts, bath fizz, aromatherapy essential oils blends, or flower and milk can be very relaxing, very hydrating, and also stress relieving. It also helps toxins out through your skin. when you soak for 15 to 20 minutes in your home bath tub or in a spa bath with water pressure jets or enjoying a bath in some romantic beautiful resort spa, it all gives you a same relaxing sensation that is priceless, no words to express the feeling. Always explore new way to take an advantage of good bath soak when ever possible.
Exfoliation : exfoliation treatment involves removing dead skin cell from our skin surface giving it a smooth and supple feel, our skin regenerates it self every 28 days and it goes through this cycle all our life. By doing manual exfoliation treatment with ingredients like walnut shell powder, salt, sugar, or coffee ground use those exfoliating scrubs once a week or twice a month which will help to remove dead skin cell and ensures deep skin cleanse. Also helps with stimulating the blood and lymph circulation that increase cell regeneration, even out skin tone, it appears more radiant , silky and smoother to touch. Also helps with easy absorption of moisturizer and it is very necessary step if you enjoy sunless tanning, spray tanning treatments.
Massage: Body massages are a great way to relax your whole body and are an excellent way to feel calm and stress free. By using massage treatments every system /organ in your body benefits, your skin really appreciates soft and supple feel and improves all over appearance and condition of the skin. There are many different type of massage techniques, explore and find what works bets for you.
Using these extra steps helps to relax your body and improves your skins function to its full potential and helps your skins appearance, with glowing, radiant youthful looks that help reduce signs of aging.
How are you all doing? Hope you have found a way to keep it cool in this hot humid weather! Drinking lot of water and keeping the body hydrated will help your skin to look and feel radiant even on a hot sunny day.
Speaking of hydration, I have found that Aloe Vera works really well. Products made with Aloe Vera juice help to keep skin hydrated due to the incredible moisturizing properties of Aloe Vera.
We use Aloe Vera in most products and sunless tanning products made with Aloe Vera are very moisturizing. Recently we have received some calls that made me write this post. Misguided information about products made with Aloe Vera Juice,some companies promoting that products made with Aloe Vera Juice are thick, tacky and sticky, leaving the skin feeling wet longer period of time after spray tan and aloe products clog pores – that is far from the truth.
Aloe Vera used in cosmetics, personal care products most likely are 1:1 or 10:1 ratio liquid or sometime used as a 200x powder (which can be reconstituted in a liquid form just before using in products) all of these versions have the same viscosity as a water, leaving the skin feeling smooth and not tacky or sticky, so even if Aloe Vera is the very first ingredient in the products ingredient list, the end result does not feel tacky , sticky and it does not leaves skin feeling wet for a long period of time.
You might ask why Aloe Vera Gels or Jelly’s found in the stores are thick and green or clear and sometime tacky to the touch. All of these gel or jelly products are formulated with a combination of Carbomer and TEA( Triethanolamine) which creates a perfect gel or some time used is Xanthan gums or Cellulose , all these leaves the skin feeling a bit wet until it dries but it is not the aloe juice that causes this, it is the other ingredients .
If you have ever applied Aloe Juice direct from the plant, it will feel a bit sticky until it dries. Aloe powders available in the market place for cosmetic or food industry use are either freeze dried or spray dried. We like to use IASC certified Aloe Vera powder. IASC stands for International Aloe Science Council, it is a third party verification process that makes sure purity of aloe products,
How do they make aloe powder from Aloe Vera plants?
Aloe plants are freshly harvested, inner gel is then carefully removed to ensure it does not disrupt the Aloin layer, then all the collected gel is processed to remove all the pulp and fiber, gel is then pasteurized to maintain efficacy and concentration using temperature evaporation, concentrated gel is then freeze dried without the use of any matrix, preservation or any other additives.
I hope this gives some idea on how aloe juice are used in cosmetic products including sunless tanning solution. Should you have any questions please feel free to contact us at AYU labs
