La Prarie and Chantecaille use a substance known as “colloidial gold”. This is gold broken down into nanoparticles and suspended in a liquid-y substance known as a colloid. These nanoparticles are so small that they cannot be seen with the naked eye and can pass through the skin to deliver the benefits of gold to the deeper dermis level. Gold is purported to contain anti-aging properties, to stimulate collagen production and lightening age spots.

However, dermatologists are tarnishing gold’s manufacturer-created reputation of being a highly effective anti-aging ingredient. As several dermatologists told the New York Times in the May 27th, 2010 issue, gold has no topical application for the skin.  In fact, it is a well-known allergen. As Jeannette Graf, MD pointed out to the Times, the American Contact Dermatitis Society gave gold the dubious distinction of being the “allergen of the year” in 2001.

With colloidial gold making an appearance in skin care, you now have the honor of spending large quantities of money only to develop a rash and other forms of skin irritation. Instead, it’s a better idea to spend a fraction of the money and get something that actually works as an anti-aging regimen: Vitamin A derivatives, alpha hydroxy acids and, the most important product of all, sunscreen.

Lycopene:

Lycopene is the major carotenoid found in tomato plants. Eating cooked tomatoes (tomato sauce, paste, etc) will provide your body with powerful anti-oxidants. Research out of Germany showed that daily lycopene intake resulted in decreased sensitivity to UV in just 12 weeks.

Vitamin C:

One of the most popular anti-oxidants, Vitamin C helps strengthen your body’s cells and stops the oxidative stress brought on by sun exposure. Vitamin C is found in citrus fruits, tomatoes, strawberries and more!

Green Tea:

Chock full of flavinoids, the compounds in green tea provide numerous health benefits, including to the skin. A study at Rutgers University found that mice that were given green tea extract showed an 88% reduction in skin tumor development when exposed to UV rays, compared to mice given a placibo. Drink it iced or mixed with fruit for a refreshing summertime treat!

Remember, adding these delicious and healthful foods can help boost your body’s immunity, but they are no replacement for sun block and shade. Make applying an SPF of at least 30, preferably 45,  an essential part of your daily summer regimen. If you do, your skin will remain healthy and beautiful for many more summers to come.

Also in her interview with Allure, Megan discusses plastic surgery and sagely states that everyone should see a therapist before getting work done.  Once again, I applaud Ms. Fox.  While cosmetic surgery can enhance or refine a person’s appearance, it can sometimes be a crutch. It’s only AFTER the surgery that people realize that the problem was never with their outside, it’s with something happening inside.

Bravo, Megan!  Finally, a beauty icon that we can all learn from.

The news is scary, but don’t doom yourself to a lifetime of age spots and freckles. Here are some tips for ensuring that you are using safe skin lightening products:

1. Buy from a reputable manufacturer. Larger skin care companies are far less likely to fall under the FDAs radar. Stick with American-based manufacturers.

2. Speak with your doctor. In addition to prescribing products that are stronger than what you can purchase over the counter, the pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical companies that produce these products are heavily regulated.

3. Look for the following active ingredients: hydroquinone (which is safe in small amounts and when used for short periods of time), kojik acid, vitamin A derivatives (Retin-A, retinol, retinoid), vitamin B3 (Niacinimide), licorice extract, and Vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid, ascorbic acid, vitamin C esters).

1) Estheticians can correctly diagnose your skin type.

Chicago-based esthetician Liz Quesnelle, owner and esthetician at Le Bon Visage Corrective Skincare and Cosmetics, says that facials provide the springboard to healthy skin. Says Ms. Quesnelle, “Often, individuals misdiagnose their skin type, usually thinking that they are oilier than they really are. When your skin is overly dry, it can compensate by overproducing oil, thus making you think you are oily, when you are actually dry. This becomes problematic as the products for acne-prone and oily skin are rather harsh. If you are using them without actually having oily skin, you are causing some serious damage. They can dry skin out which can cause accelerated aging and a dull appearance. More seriously, though, is the fact that the dryness causes breaks in the skin. These microscopic tears are invisible to the naked eye, but allow bacteria to penetrate your body’s best defense against the environment.”

2) Estheticians have access to stronger ingredients than the general public.

If you want a great exfoliation, seeing an esthetician is the way to go. Estheticians can use stronger alpha and beta hydroxy acids and enzyme masks than are available to the public. In the carefully controlled environment of the esthetician’s treatment room, the client is able to safely receive a stronger exfoliation, leaving the skin soft, smooth and glowing. Home exfoliation between esthetic appointments will keep the skin looking younger and suppler for years to come.

3) Estheticians can help recognize problems in home care regimens.

Much like a good pharmacist, a good esthetician is able to recommend products and make sure that there are no contraindications between each individual product, as well as with any physician-recommended treatments or medications. Says Ms. Quesnelle,” Often I will see clients who are complaining of hypersensitivity or are exhibiting signs of it. When we take a closer look at their daily regimen in combination with lifestyle and medications, we usually are able to determine the culprit. Often, it is a situation where every product in their regimen contains an acid or other potential irritant. I then work with the client to find appropriate replacements for the offenders in their price range. This almost always corrects the hypersensitivity.

4) Estheticians can safely extract pore congestion without scarring or inflammation.

When pores get clogged or blackheads appear, it is normal to want to extract them yourself. Without proper preparation of the skin, as well as knowledge of what to extract and what to leave alone, it is very easy to permanently damage the skin. In improper conditions, home extractions can lead to scarring, broken capillaries, discoloration or the spreading of acne causing bacteria around the skin. A good esthetician can prepare the skin in such a manner as to significantly reduce the chances of any damage being done to the skin. Extractions leave the skin brighter, cleaner and healthier.

Although they feel amazing, facials are not just for relaxation anymore. They are essential for skin health and well-being. Not only is the actual treatment beneficial, but also through your relationship with your esthetician you will learn appropriate home care treatments and have a trusted expert to turn to when navigating the confusing and expansive skincare jungle.

In 2007, researchers at the University of Wisconsin – Madison first determined that skin cells could be turned back into stem cells. That’s pretty amazing in and of itself, but it gets better. In a new study published in the February 12th, 2009 edition of “Circulation Research”, the researchers at UW – Madison found a way to turn these skin cells – cum – stem cells into working heart tissue. Researchers are working towards the day when heart patients can have new cardiac tissue grown from their own skin cells, instead of waiting on the transplant list.

So this Valentine’s Day, remember to take care of your skin. You never know when you’ll be calling on it to fix your broken heart!

Non-melanoma skin cancer could be a harbinger of other non-skin cancers.

According to a report by the National Cancer Institute and the Medical University of South Carolina, people who had been diagnosed with either basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer had double the risk of developing another type of cancer when compared to those with no history of the disease.

The full results on this study are published in the August 26^th online version of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute

This summer, don’t let your eyes and the delicate skin surrounding them go unprotected! Be sure to always wear your sunglasses, preferably the wraparound style, which has no gaps that let the sunlight in. The result will be worth it – smoother, younger looking skin for years to come.

It’s normal to break out after a facial

This is the mother of all facial myths. Shoot. If I had a dime for every time I heard this, well…let’s just say Elizabeth Arden would be renamed Elizabeth Quesnelle. There is absolutely no reason you should break out after a facial. If you do it’s because the technician used the wrong products, causing irritation and inflammation, or because they did not do extractions correctly. When an esthetician performs extractions, he/she looks at each pore/blemish/blackhead and assesses whether it can be safely extracted. If the esthetician thinks that it’s ready to come out, then they begin gently pushing on the area, working the debris out. If, after applying gentle pressure, the impurities are not budging, then it should be left alone. If the esthetician continues to force it out, then you can end up with a busted follicle wall and the spreading of bacteria into other follicles or even a scar.

I can do these treatments at home for much cheaper

You can do treatments at home, and they would cost you less money, but you won’t get the results you can at the hands of a professional esthetician. Estheticians are able to use special instruments to look at your skin and correctly diagnose each area and determine the best course of treatment. Over 50% of women incorrectly identified their skin type according to a recent study published by a beauty publication. Usually, people mistake their skin for being oilier than it actually is. Therefore, they gravitate towards those products with oil controlling properties, which can seriously throw off the balance of the skin by making it way too dry.

I have to purchase every product, every time

Sometimes it seems as though if you don’t immediately purchase the recommended product your skin will fall off. Not so. Make educated choices about your skin care. Ask the technician why he/she is recommending that you take home that product today. If they can’t give you a well thought out or intelligent and scientific answer, then you may want to pass on the purchase. Take the name of the product home and do your own research on the web.  Also, don’t be afraid to tell your esthetician that you are on a budget and ask what one product at the spa/salon is essential in their opinion. Follow that up by asking what drugstore brands will work well with your skin. Your skin’s health and appearance are very important, but you shouldn’t have to break the bank to take care of it. There are things that work (and don’t work) at all price points.

It’s ok for the technician to leave the room

There are different thoughts on this, but I firmly believe that your esthetician should be with you in the treatment room 100% of the time. Some of the products we use are aggressive. To leave when an acid or enzyme is on the skin is inexcusable in my book. Usually, estheticians leave because they are working on two clients in two separate rooms at one time. Places where this factory-mentality exists should be avoided in my opinion. Your skin is too important to be treated with split focus. When making an appointment, ask the receptionist if they book multiple facials for each esthetician per hour. Or, ask the esthetician before the treatment begins if he/she will be in the treatment room at all times. This is particularly important during body treatments, where there is a real possibility of overheating or becoming claustrophobic.

Extractions should hurt

No pain, no gain doesn’t apply to the world of skin care. Extractions may not be the most pleasant part of the facial, but they should not cause a great deal of pain. If the esthetician is using too much pressure, ask he/she to go easier on your skin. It is possible to have effective extractions without applying what feels like 5 tons of weight to your skin!

The oil used to massage my face will make me break out

I have personally heard this from nervous clients during the massage portion of the facial. I can absolutely understand where the concern comes from. We have been taught that oil is bad. Oil causes blemishes. Nothing is further from the truth. The oil that is produced in our skin (which is known as sebum) lubricates our skin and provides an additional protective layer against bacteria and particulate matter. Often times, we create our own oily skin issues by scrubbing so much away that our body responds by over-producing the sebum. It’s a vicious cycle. The oil that should be used on the face during a massage should be olive, grapeseed, jojoba, or apricot kernel. These oils are molecularly similar to our body’s own oils, so the skin readily accepts them in. Since breakouts don’t come from oil, the addition of these products to the skin serves to provide lubrication and deep moisturization.

Facials are for pampering, dermatologists are for results

Actually, for many minor and common skin ailments, seeing an esthetician can help immensely. Those with excessively dry or oily skin, acne and even rosacea have found that facials help keep their skin balanced and their trips to the doctor few and far between. Estheticians are uniquely qualified to work with the client on daily skin care regimens, teaching them to tend for their skin. Dermatologists sometimes see the condition and not how the skin as a whole needs to be treated. They are far too busy to instruct their patients on proper home care. Estheticians in no way take the place of a dermatologist. It is still ESSENTIAL for all people to see their dermatologist at least once a year for a skin cancer check and certainly if they have any sudden change in the skin that could represent disease.

I don’t REALLY need to discuss medications with my esthetician

I know it seems strange. Why should you tell an esthetician about your meds? Is it their business? Yep – it is. Many medications have side effects that affect the skin. Most commonly, medications result in drier, more sensitive skin. If your technician is unaware that you are on, say Accutane, then there is a good chance that the wrong products could be used on your skin and you won’t get the best results.

All medicines need to be addressed, although anti-biotics, birth control pills, acne medication, and anti-virals should be especially noted.

I hope that you found this useful and this helps you feel more confident when getting facials in the future. Remember: The only thing we have to fear is unbalanced skin itself!!

So can you be sure that your aesthetician has what it takes to help you achieve your skin care goals? There are three different questions you can, and should, ask prior to your facial service that, in my opinion, can help separate the masters from the disasters.

1) Will I break out after the facial?

Anyone who tells you that it is completely normal to break out after your facial treatment should be avoided. Breaking out is not a natural after-effect. It’s usually the result of careless extractions or improper product use. Occasionally, everyone (even I) make mistakes from time to time. Skin can behave in a manner that is unexpected. But it shouldn’t be the norm and it certainly shouldn’t be made to be the client’s post-facial expectation.

2) Can you recommend good products that I can get at the drugstore?

One of the biggest complaints people have about getting beauty services is the post-treatment push to buy products. You shouldn’t have to feel as though you are being stingy when you don’t want (or can’t afford) the myriad products being pushed. Any aesthetician worth his or her salt will be able to identify quality brands available at your area drugstore. Be wary of those aestheticians that can only speak knowledgably about the products that their spa carries.

3) How often should I get a facial?

This shouldn’t be a cut and dry answer. Getting a monthly facial does help your skin achieve its greatest appearance. That said, sometimes it’s not feasible for individuals to follow that regimen. Your aesthetician should be able to create a home care regimen and facial schedule for you that are flexible. Sure – the results might not be as great as a monthly facial, but combining quality home care with quarterly facials can definitely acheive visible results.

Aside from the above questions, there are certain clues to watch out for during the service. To me, the most horrifying thing that my clients tell me is that they have gone to other aestheticians that berate them for their skin imperfections. These aestheticians have told my clients that their skin is terrible; they ask what they’ve done to it to make it look the way that it does. People with skin imperfections already feel self-conscious. A licensed professional insulting them only serves to make them feel worse. If a licensed professional ever speaks that way to you, I urge you to get up and ask to speak to the salon and spa manager.

Before you think that a unfortunate facial can only be the fault of the aesthetician,  there are some very important items that are your responsibility during the facial process. It’s up to you, the client, to notify the aesthetician concerning your current at-home regimen, prescription medications that you are using, whether or not you are pregnant. These things can affect the decisions made by the aesthetician. If the practitioner is working under a false set of assumptions, your results will not be as great and the facial can, in some cases, have damaging results.

As a client, you should have high expectations. But you shouldn’t have unreasonable ones. Facials can make great differences to your skin, but the changes don’t happen after one facial and they cannot happen without you following a good at-home regimen. What you do to your skin daily has more of an effect on you than one facial can!

Getting a great facial service should be a wonderful experience and should result in tangible changes to your skin’s appearance. Acheiving your skin care goals is more a partnership with your aesthetician than it is a provider-client relationship. Keep up your end of the bargain and ensure that your aesthetician is keeping up theirs and the result will be nothing less than beautiful!