by theglamscientist | | Conditioning Body Butter Creme, dry skin, Envie Bath and Body |
I rarely toot my own horn on my blog. I like to take a different approach to advertising. But, the last blog I posted happens to be the perfect set up for me to rave about Envie (on-vee-ay).
Two key points I touched on in the “Dry, Itchy, Flaky Skin” post were:
1. Dry skin needs to be slathered in a very thick moisturizer while the skin is still moist to improve the performance of the moisturizer and to help the skin retain as much moisture as possible.
2. Dry skin is better served if it is massaged rather than scrubbed. Abrasive bath accessories and scrubbing action damage the very fragile, dry skin.
And now for the pitch:
The Envie Bath and Body Conditioning Body Butter Creme is a super thick moisturizer packed with vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids. It certainly passes the thick moisturizer test– Put some in the palm of your hand then turn it upside down… this thick creme won’t budge! Heavy duty moisturizing ingredients include shea butter, avocado oil, marajuca oil and pumpkin seed oil. It is highly emollient, yet non-greasy which means you can apply it right before you get dressed in the morning, or before you go to bed at night. The Envie Conditioning Body Butter Creme gets my seal of approval, but of course I’m biased. 😉 Visit our website to purchase a jar for yourself and a friend. http://envielabs.com
Massaging the skin helps to improve circulation and cell regeneration. Ultimately, it is a very gentle way to exfoliate and you already know how much I heart exfoliation. Envie will be selling handmade chenille bath mitts to add another touch of luxury to your bathing experience. The chenille fabric is soft, plush and luxurious and is perfect to buff your skin to perfection. These bath mitts will be available in limited quantities, so be on the lookout– you don’t want to miss this treat!
Thanks to the dry skin post, I have a few grand ideas for new products. I LOVE what I do! Here’s to the glam life!
by theglamscientist | | dry skin, xerosis |
So… I realized today that I hadn’t posted a blog in almost two months. That is totally unacceptable! I’m back with a vengeance. I thought it was an appropriate time to tackle the problem of dry skin. During the fall and winter months more people begin to experience the discomforts of dry skin. I’d like to discuss a few of the causes of dry skin and also some treatments. Let me warn you, some are unconventional and they go against a lot of what I’ve been doing to treat me own dry skin all these years, but they are all certainly worth a shot. After all, dry skin really sucks!
Unfortunately, some of us have a genetic predisposition for dry skin also known as xerosis. Others of us have dry skin as the result of external factors. Ideally, our skin is coated with a thin layer of natural lipids and fatty substances which are meant to help us retain moisture. Dry skin occurs when the sebaceous glands don’t produce enough oil to protect our skin or when the oils are stripped from our skin by external factors. Those external factors could be dry air, harsh winds, abrasive bathing accessories like bath poofs and loofa sponges, harsh soaps and hot water. Regardless of the cause, the treatment options are generally the same. The following are tips to help soothe and eliminate your dry skin.
1. Avoid hot water and long showers or baths. Hot water strips the natural oils from the skin. It is better to shower in lukewarm water and keep it short. Shower for just 3 minutes to prevent loss of moisture. If you can’t keep it short, make it long. After about 15 minutes your skin starts to retain moisture from the shower. You can tell your skin is absorbing the water by the appearance of your fingertips. If they are wrinkly, the water has made its way in.
2. Many of us really give ourselves a good scrub in the shower. I know I’m guilty of keeping a trusty bath poof hanging in the shower. I think they are great for exfoliation, but they may be causing more harm than good. Dry skin is much more sensitive than normal skin. A good comparison would be the difference between leaves in the spring and leaves in the fall. Spring leaves are smooth, pliable, flexible, not easily broken. Fall leaves, however, are brittle, dry, fragile and crumble easily. Dry skin is like fall leaves. So instead of scrubbing your dry skin, use a plush washcloth or another soft, luxurious bath accessory to massage your body. The soap does the cleaning, the massage will stimulate blood flow and oil production.
3. Avoid harsh soaps. We LOVE to see a good lather from our soap, body wash, or shower gel. Unfortunately, all those bubbles rinse away and take those precious natural oils with them. So, don’t overdo it with the soap products. Whether you see a good lather or not, the soap will do its job. Unsavory, but true: Soap is really only a daily necessity for the “hot spots”. The arms, legs and abdomen can really be well served by a good rinse daily–lather maybe once or twice a week. Have I done this? Yes and no. My son suffers from severe eczema. I use soap on him once a week. Every other day, he gets a quick soak in the tub. I think his skin thanks me for that. 🙂
4. Immediately following the shower PAT dry. DO NOT RUB YOUR SKIN DRY. You want to leave your skin hydrated to improve the performance of the moisturizer you choose. For dry skin, the thicker the moisturizer the better. You want to use a heavy, highly emollient moisturizer to replenish the skin and have long term effects. Bonus tip: Use a “barrier” to lock in moisture. Good barriers are oil based products that may also be considered ointments. A popular and effective barrier product is Aquafor. A less common, yet more effective barrier product is Crisco Vegetable Shortening. Yes, I am recommending cooking oil for your skin! That’s just another trick I picked up caring for my son’s skin. It does an excellent job of keeping the skin moisturized, soft and supple.
5. In the cold winter months, a little extra coverage could go a long way in protecting your skin from the elements. Of course you want to wear coats, hats, scarves, gloves etc. But, your legs could benefit from a little extra coverage too. Opt for those unsightly tall tube socks that men wear. They will keep your legs protected from the cold air which can creep up your pants legs. I personally love the tall socks. True, they’re ugly, but they are warm and they keep your legs from sweating in your knee boots. 😉
6. Changes in your diet could also have a positive impact on the condition of your skin. Drink plenty of water. Half your body weight in ounces is the recommended daily amount. So if you’re 100 lbs, you need to drink atleast 50 oz of water a day. Avoid alcohol and caffeine which cause the body to eliminate water. Eat foods that are rich in vitamins and essential fatty acids. That means plenty of colorful fruits and vegetables and fatty fish like salmon. Flax seed oil is also a great source of essential fatty acids.
Dry, flaky skin is not glamorous by any stretch of the imagination. Take care of your skin, it will thank you for it.
by theglamscientist | | Alexander McQueen, Faithful Booties, scent inspirations |
I have a thing for fashion… I love clothes, shoes, handbags and accessories. I do an awful lot of window shopping on the web planning my next purchase or daydreaming about the day when I can afford the item I want. This time the most coveted item was a pair of Alexander McQueen booties– Faithful Booties to be exact. Oh, how these shoes made my heart skip a beat! Finely crafted black leather, peep toe, zippers, buttons, skulls… in a word HOT!!!! So daydreaming of the day I could purchase a pair of $1155 shoes without guilt evolved into a scent inspiration. After all, cosmetics and fragrance development is my black card.
The Alexander McQueen Faithful Booties inspire a scent that is representative of every good girl’s inner bad girl. We all have one, whether we let her out or not. She’s the rebel, the girl that doesn’t want to play by the rules, wants to be sexy not just beautiful, would love to hang out all night and call off work in the morning. This scent is for her! I envision an intoxicating scent reminiscent of the smell of a new leather jacket and fresh tobacco. Crisp notes of cognac, lime and grapefruit add character to the scent. Of course there’s more to the fragrance, but I can’t give away ALL my secrets, right?!
More scent inspirations coming soon. 🙂
**Picture taken from http://alexandermcqueen.com
by theglamscientist | | Accutane, acne, side effects |
At the request of my dear twitter friend Justmiaiam, this post will cover the good, the bad and the ugly of accutane. Unfortunately its mostly bad and ugly… let’s dive in. Please note, I couldn’t possibly cover all the side effects of this drug, seriously its just that bad.
Accutane is one of 4 brand names for the acne drug generically known as isotretinoin. The remaining 3 brand names are Amnesteem, Claravis and Sotret. So what is it exactly? Accutane is a form of Vitamin A that works by minimizing the amount of natural oil produced by the skin. It is usually prescribed for severe nodular acne after other treatments have proven uneffective. However, a 2 year congressional study found that doctors have prescribed the drug to teens and women with only mild acne symptoms. Accutane is much too powerful for that.
The “bad” side effects:
Some users of Accutane have attributed hair loss (sometimes permanent)to the drug. Because this drug works by altering the oil production and cell regeneration it causes the hair and skin to become extremely dry and fragile which leads to thinning and loss. The hair loss can be anywhere including the eyebrows, eyelashes and scalp. Other users claim that the drug has caused severe back and joint pain that has persisted even after use of the drug has been discontinued. Other “bad” side effects include poor vision, sensitivity to light, dry mucous membranes (nose, lungs, bladder, anus) and depression which could of course lead to more serious problems like psychosis and suicidal thoughts.
Now for the “ugly”:
Accutane has been known to cause severe birth defects and miscarriage. This is more than just a notion. In fact, the warning is so strong that the FDA requires patients to be enrolled in iPledge a program that ensures individuals taking the drug are not pregnant and will not become pregnant while on the drug. The iPledge programs requires that patients must be on (2) forms of birth control and must receive regular pregnancy tests before, during and after treatment as any amount of Accutane (no matter how miniscule) can cause severe birth defects. Common birth defects are of baby’s ears, eyes, face, skull, brain and heart. So why does Accutane effect the reproductive system so severely? The drug contains parabens which demonstrate estrogenic activity, imbalances of human sexual hormones wreak havoc on the reproductive system. Other “ugly” side effects include stroke, seizures, low white blood count (susceptibility to fungal and bacterial infections)and liver damage… just to name a few.
The moral of the story is… while Accutane may prove effective in treating and clearing acne symptoms long term, the side effects are common and far too severe to risk.
by theglamscientist | | [non] comedogenic, acne, benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid |
Now that we’ve discussed factors that cause acne, we can explore the treatments. The two most common acne treatments are benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid.
Benzoyl peroxide works by killing the bacteria that causes acne. This bacteria (Propionibacteria acne)cannot live in an oxygen rich environment. The structure of benzoyl peroxide actually contains 4 Oxygen atoms per molecule (that’s a lot). In essence this ingredient floods the pores with oxygen thereby killing the acne causing bacteria. Benzoyl peroxide also works to keep the pores clear of dead skin cells. Thus, not only does it treat acne, but it helps to prevent future breakouts. This treatment is most effective on mild to moderate acne and can be used with other acne treatments. Because there is no real cure for acne, treatment must be ongoing to ensure clear skin. Benzoyl peroxide is overwhelmingly popular in part because there are no known side effects that come with prolonged use.
Benzoyl peroxide is available in many forms including liquid, cream and bar cleansers, toner, concentrated cream, shaving cream, gel etc. The general consensus is to start treatments in a concentration of 2.5% for at least three weeks and track the results. Benzoyl peroxide is available in stronger concentrations, however, they are a lot more irritating to the skin so the side effects may outweigh the benefits in some situations. The goal is to use the lowest and most effective concentration possible. It is important to note benzoyl peroxide is not to be used as a spot treatment. This ingredient is known to be drying, so it is important to use a good non-comedogenic (doesn’t clog pores) moisturizer. Also, peroxides are bleaching agents so avoid getting them in your hair, or on clothes and towels.
Unlike benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid does not treat acne bacteria. It is used to treat acne caused by clogged pores that appear in the form of white and blackheads. Salicylic acid is a beta hydroxy acid that sloughs away dead skin cells that could possibly clog the pores. It is able to penetrate the pores keeping them clear and preventing future breakouts.
Salicylic acid is available over the counter in lotion, cream, cleanser, toner, and pre-soaked application pads. Most treatment concentrations range from 0.5% to 2%. Proper use of salicylic acid as an acne treatment would be to start with either the application pads or lotion/cream to get acne under control. Once your skin has cleared it is safe to graduate to a once a week wash or scrub. The use of more than one form of the treatment is highly discouraged as salicylic acid can be very drying and irritating. Similar to benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid treatments must be ongoing to continue to see positive results. Possible side effects are stinging, burning and excessive dryness. As always be sure to use a good moisturizer.
In the next post of this series will discuss a few less common acne treatments, spot acne treatments and Accutane by request. Until then…
