Tag Archives: skin

Skin Routines In Your 40’s (part 3 of a 4 part series)

As we move into our 40’s, you should know that you still have great skin ahead of you. You just need to learn to take care of your skin differently. Years of sun damage will now show in the forms of blotchiness and redspots. Begin by taking special care of your eyes. By now you have lost collagen and fat under your eyes, which will create crow’s feet. Use eye cream in your morning/night skin routines. For your overall face, use a moisturizer rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants will slow/prevent free radicals. Free radicals will cause oxidation and oxidation is the process that causes oxygen to damage the cells in your skin. Preventing these free radicals means preventing fine lines and wrinkles. The older you get the more sensitive your skin will become. In your 40’s begin taking luke-warm showers versus hot showers. Hot water can actually dry out your skin. Also, try using fragrance free soaps, as these can also dry out your skin. You can continue taking/using Vitamin C in your 40’s, but you can also add a fish oil supplement to support hydration, regulate oil production and prevent adult acne. What worked for your skin two-decades ago is probably not what you should be using in your 40’s, so you will need to make a few adjustments/tweaks to your skincare regimen. If you are not sure what to buy, schedule a visit to a dermatologist. They can advise you on what products you should be using at your age.

And finally…Sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen! Are you tired of hearing that yet….? Until next time.

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Beauty Balms 101

What exactly is a beauty balm?  First developed in Germany in the 1960’s under the name Blemish Balm, BB Creams were designed to streamline your beauty routine.  This little product promises to do what six other tubes/bottles can do.  Tinted moisturizer, sunscreen, primer, concealer, foundation and skin serum.  BB Creams began picking up steam in South Korea and soon became a sensation across Asia.  However, Beauty Balms did not work their way to the United States until about 2011.  Now you find every cosmetic brand has their version of a beauty balm.  The idea of a beauty balm is a great idea, and for the most part does a great job of evening your skin and moisturizing.  However, if you are planning to use a beauty balm as your daily sunscreen, I recommend using an additional facial sunscreen to protect your skin.  And don’t forget to put your sunscreen on last, which is a common made.  Also, some women who are prone to oily skin or acne might find a beauty balm is not for them.  Just like any new beauty product, if you are expecting a “miracle” you might find yourself feeling a little disillusioned.  However, women who apply moisturizer, sunscreen, primer and foundation every morning might find a BB Cream to be a warm welcome to their makeup regimen.  Just keep in mind that not all BB Creams are created equal, so you may have to search to find the BB Cream that is right for you.

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Teas For Healthier Skin & Hair

There is nothing more relaxing than drinking a hot cup of tea after a long day.  The benefits to drinking a cup of tea are numerous.  Not only are you hydrating your body inside and out, many teas contain amazing healing properties for your skin and hair.

Green tea – Probably the most well know tea used for healthy skin and hair.  This tea is rich in antioxidants and usually used as a healthy substitute to coffee and caffeinated beverages.  Green tea can also be used for a cleanser, toner, face mask and hair care. 

Chamomile tea – Made from the chamomile flower, chamomile tea is known for its amazing healing power.  This tea is said to accelerate the healing of minor cuts, bruises and scrapes.  It has also been used as a skin bleach, which provides your face with a healthy, natural glow.  Like green tea, chamomile tea is loaded with antioxidants and can also be used to diminish acne breakouts.

Oolong tea – This traditional Chinese tea has been said to hold anti-aging benefits.   This tea promotes healthy, shiny hair and can prevent hair loss.  Also to be noted, Oolong tea has said to be associated in alleviating stress and mood swings, and promoting healthy bone development. 

Peppermint tea – This caffeine free tea can help those who experience frequent skin irritations.  It can also help to diminish bug bites, rashes and burns.  The menthol in peppermint tea also helps heal those prone to acne and oily skin.  Peppermint tea has also been used to help stimulate/promote hair growth.  Peppermint soothes the blood vessels at your scalp, which then boosts blood flow at the roots.

There are hundreds of teas on the supermarket shelves for purchase and each tea holds its own special benefits.  Just remember that many teas contain caffeine, so it always wise to exercise caution in how much is consumed. 

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Sunburn Relief 101

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.

 

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Preparing For Those Summer Elements

As the temperatures begin to rise I am sure you’ll be spending more time outside, which means you will also be needing to protect that beautiful skin of yours. It is okay to have fun in the sun, but you also owe it to yourself to treat your skin graciously.

So what do you need to protect your skin from the outside elements? Sunscreen is not just for a day at the water-park, lake or beach. If you plan on being outside longer than 15-30 minutes, you should be applying sunscreen. Sun damage can happen anytime your skin is exposed to the outside. The sun can also do more harm than an uncomfortable sunburn. The longterm effects of sun damage can cause brown spots, skin cancer, early wrinkling and the list goes on. This means every part of your body that is exposed to the elements needs to be coated. Your body, face and even your lips. A good rule of thumb is to apply sunscreen every one to two hours. If you are planning on being in the water or sweating, your probably want to be safe and reapply every hour. When selecting your sunscreen you should be buying a sunscreen that offers protection from UVA and UVB rays, with a minimum protection of SPF 30. You are going to receive the most sun between 10:00am and 4:00pm. I personally know the sun cannot be avoided at all times, but during peak hours there are ways to limit your sun exposure. Place yourself in a shady area as much as possible, or wear a rashguard and hat when in the sun for prolonged period. This will protect you from wind exposure as well. And finally, after a long day of sand, chlorine, salt, wind, sunscreen and insect repellant it is best to use a gentle cleaner with a exfoliant to clean away the days pollutants.

All in all, sunlight is not bad for us. Not only does it offer our daily does of vitamin D, it harbors many other benefits to our health. However, we just need to be conscious of its full power.

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Aloe Vera based Sunless Tanning products

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

Enjoy your life and be healthy!

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Spray tanning in hot humid weather

Hey you all, hope you are enjoying your summer vacation, staying safe from the sun and looking radiant!

As the weather is becoming hot and humid each passing day of summer, we are receiving quite a few emails about what airbrush technicians can do to make their clients feel comfortable after spray tanning and achieving a gorgeous even tan.

Few tips:

Make sure you work in well air condition room and if needed keep fan circulating air as well.

When clients walk in, look at their skin. Use a pre-tan prep spray  to ensure that the oils and stickiness from the perspiration is being wiped off resulting in a  smooth clean skin surface ready for spray tan.

If clients says they shower before arriving for a appointment  you should still prep them with pre-tan spray and make them understand why it is necessary – because if skin is left sticky or wet and sweaty the solution would not adhere to the skin effectively.

Once you finish spraying your client make sure that the fan is facing them and give them time to completely dry. Once they feel dry I would recommend  a light dusting of smooth talc free powder to neck, arm creases, under breast and the back of knees. Any place you see a skin overlapping it is a good to lightly dust some powder to keep solution from rubbing off. If you find a bronzing powder it is even better. Ask your solution supplier who can help with that.

Ask client to get dressed in loose fitting clothing and give them time to sit and relax for at least 20 to 30 minutes after they get dressed.  Offer magazines or soft drinks before they walk out of the door as this will give enough time for solution to set in and client will have no more tacky or sticky feeling that they will want to wash off as soon as they get home due to humidity.

I hope that this helps to make your client feel wonderful and they will appreciate your attention to customer service in their hearts.

Keep smiling and enjoying sunless tanning, a good combination for a radiant look!

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