In the United States, 98 percent of skincare and personal products available for purchase contain mineral oil, petroleum, petrolatum, animal products and animal by-products, and artificial colors and fragrances.
by Linda Leibl —
Did you know that your skin follows a biological time line for each decade of life? During your 20s and 30s, your first wrinkles will start to appear. Your skin becomes less resistant as elasticity declines and gravity begins to take hold.
During your 40s and 50s, you will begin to see your first permanent wrinkles from repetitive facial movements, as well as from sleeping on your face. (A travel pillow can be purchased for less than $20, which allows you to sleep on your back, and assists in preventing facial creases and wrinkles.) After age 40, your skin and muscles begin to sag. This is caused by genetics, gravity and a decrease in collagen and elastin.
My clients are always shocked to learn that 90 percent of all visible signs of aging are caused by the sun and free radical exposure, and only 10 percent of aging is inherited. That means you can control 90 percent of the aging process on your skin. Yes, 90 percent — that’s a lot of control!
Looking for results
In the United States, 98 percent of skincare and personal products available for purchase contain mineral oil, petroleum, petrolatum, animal products and animal by-products, and artificial colors and fragrances.
You want to look younger, and feel and look your best, so the first thing to do is to seek out a seasoned aesthetician with extensive experience in the field. Look for one who offers gentle yet powerful exfoliating treatments that can be easily tolerated by the most sensitive skin types.
Whether you are in your early 20s, your 50s or older, you need to exfoliate the dead skin from your face. Just think of it as washing your car — all that buildup of dirt and grime starts to look unsightly after a few weeks. This scenario is even worse on your skin and can lead to more severe conditions over time.
Ask your aesthetician for a description of treatments and if a range of exfoliating and light peels (from light to medium) are offered. These treatments should be less than $200, and make sure there is no down time after the treatment — meaning you could get off the facial table, put on light makeup and attend a meeting, if you needed to. Call three or four skincare salons and interview the aestheticians. They should be happy to explain everything you need to know about your skin treatments.
Important concerns
Exfoliation can be done at home; however, the only products available to you may be filled with mechanical scrubbing agents that can scratch and harm your skin. This is why I always suggest seeking an aesthetician if you want professional results.
You can severely damage your skin if you use the wrong product for your skin type, use it too often or combine it with other scrubs, exfoliates, fruit acids, Retin-A, retinals, glycolic, etc.
Do not use exfoliating scrubs if you have acneic skin, as this will only spread the condition. See a professional dermatologist, instead. If you are on Accutane or Tretinoin, you should not use any exfoliates or scrubs whatsoever.
If you have any allergies, you may have a reaction to your products. And if you are on prescription drugs, like Retin-A, Differen, Tri-Luma, you may experience some sensitivities.
Benefits of exfoliating
- Softer skin
- Helps skin look more radiant
- Helps prevent acne and oily breakouts
- Helps reduce creases, lines and wrinkles
- Reveals healthier-looking, beautiful skin
- Encourages new collagen renewal, repair and rejuvenation
- Removes dead skin cells from the top surface
- Unclogs pores by removing pore-clogging dirt
- Keeps skin healthy, thus preventing more breakouts
- Allows moisturizers to penetrate more deeply
- Reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
- Improves overall skin texture, making it more vibrant
- Helps retain tan when you exfoliate before applying self-tanners and/or sunscreens
- Evens out skin tone and lightens hyperpigmentation (due to sun damage and sun-spots)
Linda L. Leibl, B.S., therapeutic aesthetician, founded Advanced Skin Technology in 1993. 480-443-3445 or [email protected].
Reprinted from AzNetNews, Volume 29, Number 4, Aug/Sept 2010.
February 26, 2012
Beauty and Anti-aging, Skin