DITCH THOSE DARK CIRCLES

We are often asked how to reduce the dark circles under our eyes, until now, my most common answer was “get more sleep”.  And after research this is still a true fact, but there are other causes.  The dark circles under the eyes are blood vessels that can be seen through the thinner skin in this area, and are mainly hereditary, but can also be caused by trauma from rubbing them too much especially if you have allergies such as Hayfever or Asthma.  Other causes are medications, anemia fatigue and age.

We can do a few things to help reduce the darkness:

1. Get more sleep & have a healthy diet.

2. Increase your iron if you are deficient

3. Have Ginseng as it improves the amount of oxygen flowing to the skin which reduces the tired look.

4. A concealor with a Peach or orange hue counter balances the blue coloring

5. Do not use your Foundation as this will only give a thick & unnatural finish.

6. Use a quality Eye cream, not your facial moisturiser, it is too thick for the delicate thin skin around the eye, and may cause Millia.

La Clinica’s Purifying Green Tea Eye Cream is perfect for this condition, it contains Vitamins A and E. Sodium Chrondoitin Sulfate, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Palmitoyl Tatrapeptide-1, Shea Butter, Aloe Vera, Botanical Extracts of Hawthorn, Horsetail, Green Tea & Ginkgo Biloba. And it is designed to reduce signs of puffiness, dark circles, and the appearance of wrinkles. Apply morning and night to tired looking skin around eyes. Purifies the area around eyes, moisturises and protects. It is also an anti-wrinkle formula.

Cosmetics VS Cosmeceuticals

We have been asked by several of our clients “What is the difference between the products you purchase over the counter at the supermarket, Myer and chemists?”  So it is out duty to dispel cosmetic counter myths and misconceptions. Most of us at some time have been the victim (myself included) of the amazing sales person who talks the talk and convinces us to purchase.  We take the product home only to discover that what we purchased is nothing more than a feel good factor and the bottle has cost more than the contents.

Cosmetic products are not designed to effect any long term change deep within the skin.  However, Cosmeceuticals contain active ingredients in high enough concentrations to create change by reaching the deeper dermal levels of the skin.  Put simple a Cosmeceutical is an active skin product which is stronger that a ‘passive’ cosmetic-grade skin care product but does not require a medical prescription to dispense.

Our La Clinica Cosmeceutical range is Halall approved and a number of them are also certified organic  products.  All of which, cause changes in the skin such as reducing fine lines, deeply hydrating the skin, reducing oil production for acne and can address sun damage and pigmentation. It is important to remove dead skin cells so our moisturizers can work effectively.  Over 90% of over the counter preparations coat that dead skin cell layer instead of removing it.  This creates the ‘cling wrap’ effect and prevents beneficial ingredients being absorbed into the skin and does not allow for the release of toxins.

The best anti ageing Cosmeceuticals recommended by most dermatologists and other skin care professionals is Vitamin A.  This Cosmeceutical has been clinically proven to reduce lines, sun damage and uneven skin tone.  Vitamin C in Cosmeceutical products helps reduce the signs of ageing, strengthens skin conditions to help repair and recover from damage and provides benefits for the sin to appear visibly younger. In the correct concentrations Glycolic Acid works in breaking down the glue like substance that holds dead skin cells on the skins surface. By sloughing these skin cells a fresher more efficient and hydrated cell is revealed on the skins surface. A softer and smoother look to the skin is achieved. In acne cases the shedding of dead skin cells allows the natural flow of oils/sebum in the skin without clogging. Green Tea helps rebalance and aims to restore the equilibrium and radiance to the skin.  It is especially beneficial to hormonally unbalanced.

An ideal source to find effective Cosmeceuticals are salons and clinics where staff are qualified to address common skin conditions as their training surpasses the sales person at the counter.  These products and skin care programs can be customized to treat individual skin concerns.  However, a serious concern will always  be referred to a dermatologist.  Down to the nitty gritty! What results can we expect? Realistic are expectations are that an effective product may take up to 6 months to exert its full effect as we are looking to reprogram and restore the skin for a more youthful state.  Therefore patience is its own reward!

The main difference between over the counter cosmetics and Cosmeceuticals is the concentration of the active ingredients.  Over the counter ingredients are often in such tiny concentrations they never reach target cells in the skin to create the change. The key is proper exfoliation and penetration!

We’ve just introduced a new mineral makeup range to Beauty Necessities Laser and Beauty Salon.

Hush Cosmetics Mineral Makeup is an Australian Mineral Make Up Company that is passionate about producing Safe Natural Make Up products.

Hush Cosmetics Mineral MakeupWhy use a potentially harmful product everyday when you can get these great Benefits from using Hush Mineral Cosmetics.

• Offers broad spectrum, UVA/UVB sunscreen
• Lightweight feel on the skin yet Natural and Powerful Coverage
• Safe Zinc Oxide Base. Zinc is a natural healer and anti inflammatory
• Helps calms and sooth irritated/allergic or acne skin
• Quick and easy to apply and blend
• Does not clog your pored and allows the skin to breathe to remove its own toxins
• You can exercise and swim with it on
• No artificial colors/fragrances or preservatives.

Our clients are loving the look and feel of this pure, professional mineral makeup. Follow the link to read more about our Hush Cosmetics Mineral Makeup range.

It is well known that drinking the recommended 8 glasses of water everyday will improve our body’s health. After all it is estimated our bodies are made up of 90% water.  So to ensure the body’s cells and systems are functioning to their maximum ability, we all strive to drink as much water as possible!  Although I’m sure most of us would prefer an orange juice or coke!

But to answer the question that drinking 8 glasses of water a day will keep our skin moisturized is a white lie told by many to make sure we are drinking enough water.  “Make sure you drink plenty of water and your skin will look good.” is a phrase I’m sure heard spoken by mothers and drummed into our heads.

But the truth is, the outermost layer of our skin (the part we see!) is composed of dead skin cells and therefore does not absorb any water.  So it doesn’t matter how much water we drink, this layer of the skin will not be affected as the moisture level of the skin is determined by external factors.  For example, hot or cold air, dry heat, extreme weather conditions and the number of oil producing glands we have.

So here it is… the secret to keeping well moisturized skin is a two-part process.

1. exfoliate your skin 2-3 times a week.  Removing the dead skin will avoid congestion build up, flakiness & dryness, thus revealing a fresh skin.
2. after exfoliating be sure to use a rich moisturizer while the skin is still damp.  This will help trap moisture on the skins surface by creating a barrier with a cream.

Now this doesn’t mean we don’t have to drink any water at all!

Keep our bodies healthy by drinking water and our skin moisturized by a good skin care regime of exfoliating and moisturizing!

As we all know, the skin is the largest organ on our body, but it is usually the most neglected or abused organ as well.

We go out and buy a $400 outfit or suit, which only lasts 2 seasons (if you’re lucky), and spend little or nothing on our skin which has to last our whole life.  We need to look after it and give it the time and care it deserves.

When we use inferior products and implements, we are not helping our skin, and I commonly get asked: why is my skin so dry?  It is usually because they are using the cheaply made loofas that don’t exfoliate the skin and products that claim to be moisturizers when they are clearly not.

To loofa your skin everyday is very important as your moisturizer can’t get through the thick exterior of dehydrated skin, which builds up when we don’t look after ourselves.  There are quite a few loofas on the market:

• The “natural fiber” loofas soften too much when they get wet, and only last about 6 weeks before they get too many germs growing in them.
• The “glove” type ones that have the 5 fingers, they are also too soft to be of any use.
• The “sponge” type ones are really a glorified face washer, they are worse than too soft.

A good loofa to use is one that has tiny loops on it, so it can pick up the ingrown hairs and excess skin that has not sloughed off. This helps to reveal a nice healthy skin and allows the moisturizer to get in and DO IT’S JOB.

To moisturize your skin is equally as important as using your good quality loofa.  If you don’t replace the lost moisture from your skin the dehydration will come straight back.  There are a few misconceptions as to what are moisturizers, and what are not:

• Vitamin E cream, can be used as a moisturizer, but should mainly be used to heal the skin as it has a calming and healing effect. It also helps with infection, so is great on open wounds and sores.
• Sorbolene is not a moisturizer; it is in many products as it carries the moisture molecules through the skin to be deposited where needed.  It is recommended by dermatologists for people who are allergic to skin preparations as it is fabulously harmless and won’t irritate even the most sensitive skin, and although it will create a film over the skin it will NOT moisturize it.
• Body Milks and lotions are great for people who have mild dehydration, but for most of us in the hot Australian summer these really are not enough.
• Moisturizers from the perfume companies are used to layer the perfume, not moisturize your skin, if you like you can apply them over your moisturizer to get the lovely fragrance gently wafting behind you.
• Body butters are usually the way to go.  They are thick enough to nourish and rehydrate the driest of skins.  We recommend La Clinica body butters, because they use the finest plant oils and waxes instead of paraffin oils.  They also contain key ingredients of essential oils and vitamins.

If you are still having trouble with exterior moisture levels, La Clinica also have a fantastic dry skin relief serum.

You can also help maintain your skin from the inside as well.

1. Drink plenty of water, at least 2 litres per day. This will also help clear blockages and congestion as well as the dehydration, and not only on the face, but the whole body.
2. Do not sit directly in front of heaters and do not have really hot showers as they literally suck the moisture from your skin.
3. Eat properly, your skin hair and nails are the last part of your body to get nutrition, so if you are not eating properly, your body sends the nourishment to the vital organs and your extremities miss out.

What to do now.

If you have a problem with excess dry skin, soak in the bath for a total of 1 ½ hours, while soaking, loofa every ½ hour for a total of 3 times.  When you get out of the bath apply a thick layer of body butter, wait 10 minutes, then another layer, wait 10 minutes and keep applying until the body butter stops soaking in.  You can do this once a month when the buildup gets too much.  This does not excuse you from loofering and moisturizing every day, if you want to maintain the nice healthy skin you have obtained then maintenance, maintenance, maintenance is the key.

If you want the best results for your skin then it’s critical to make sure that the type of skin you have is determined before any beauty treatment occurs.

Your skin will glow, look fresher and more youthful when the right facial treatment is prescribed for your skin type.

Here’s how you can determine the facial skin type you have.

COMBINATION

Skin usually has an oily t-zone. Skin usually presents with congestion and blemishes along jaw line, under cheek bones and on chin area. Skin may break out occasionally. Skin looks dull, sallow, lifeless and unbalanced. Combination skin type can be accompanied by an overall feeling of sluggishness, exhaustion and “burn-out”.

OILY / ACNE

Skin suffers from acne, large blackheads and excessive oiliness. Skin breaks out with pimples and blemishes on a regular basis. Oily/acne skin types can apply to all ages but is most common during adolescence.

MATURE / DRY

Skin is showing signs of ageing, loss of skin tone, premature wrinkles, dryness and dehydration. Skin may feel tight and lack translucence. Skin renewal and moisture levels start to drop from the age of 25, with the first visible signs around the outer eye area. Mature and dry skin needs specific treatments, extra nourishment and protection.

SENSITIVE

Skin is prone to redness, irritation, flakiness, inflammation and itchiness. Sensitive skin conditions include Rosacea, dermatitis, psoriasis and eczema. This sensitivity may be caused by an environmental factor or may be a genetic predisposition and can occur at any age.

PIGMENTED / SUN DAMAGED / SCARRED

Skin may have many fine lines, millia, blackheads, enlarged pores, acne pitting and uneven skin coloring. This skin type is a result of environmental damage (sun exposure), chemical damage (e.g. Medication resulting in photo-sensitivity), acne scarring, pigmentation and neglect.

MEN

Men’s skin may react to shaving by becoming red and sore, sometimes culminating in a spot like rash. Men’s skin can be further aggravated with an active life style and time spent outdoors. As a result, men’s skin can show signs of stress and premature lines and will be in need of extra protection and replenishment.

Next time you visit your beauty salon, make sure the consultant determines the best treatment for your particular skin type.