How To Minimize Damage To The Skin Around Your Eyes

Your eyes tell a lot about you.  They can immediately tell if you are tired, if you got enough sleep the night before, if you're happy, or if you're sad. Your eyes can either add or detract from your physical beauty.

The portion of skin around your eyes is one of the most delicate portions of your skin as it is much thinner and has very few oil glands.  Thus the skin under your eyes and over your eyelids depend on the additional loving care that you must provide. The following are actions you should avoid when caring for the skin under and around your eyes:

• Do not tug or pull the delicate skin under your eyes
• Avoid rubbing or wiping your eyes harshly and pat gently instead
• If you wear mascara, use an oil-free eye makeup remover to remove your mascara instead of a product that you need to wipe with much pressure.
• When applying a concealer to cover dark circles under your eyes or on the eyelid, do not tug on the skin; instead stipple using a small brush then blending with your ring finger or just use your ring finger to stipple on and blend the product.

What are some ways to counteract the natural aging process that becomes evident in the skin under your eyes and above your eyelid?  I'll cover those in my next post.

Can Positive Affirmations Really Work To Make You Feel and Look Better?

Many people scoff at positive affirmations and hold to the theory that they do not work.  Do they really work?  What are affirmations?

Affirmations are basically a form of self-talk.  Look at this realistically.  Every day, several time each day we talk to ourselves, and no not because we're crazy.  Unfortunately, most of it is negative.  Don't think so?  Let's look at these two scenes:

1) You get in your car in your driveway and you suddenly remember that you left your cell phone in the house, but it's important to have it with you. You immediately start berating yourself on being forgetful and may call yourself harsh names for not placing the phone by your keys as you usually do.
2)  You just got back from the supermarket and as you walk in the door you remember that you forgot to buy the main ingredient for the dessert you wanted to make for dinner.  You could begin to call yourself stupid, you never can remember anything, and quite a bit of negative self-talk.

This type of talk is not up-building,  does not make you feel good, and does nothing for your self-image.

Positive affirmations, on the other hand, affirm the best in you and focus on your good qualities.  They encourage you to improve in areas in which you're having a challenge.  "I'm getting better at remembering things," "Everyday I learn from my mistakes and avoid repeating them."  These are examples of positive affirmations as they help you to see yourself as you would like to be and the goal you are reaching for.

Author, Julia Cameron, notes that "Affirmations are positive statements about positive beliefs.  They help achieve a sense of safety and hope.  If we can become one-tenth as good at positive self-talk as we are at negative self-talk, we will notice an enormous change."

What can you affirm about yourself today so you will feel better on the inside and look better on the outside?

How You Look On The Outside Is Affected By How You Feel On The Inside

How you look on the outside is often a reflection of how you feel on the inside.  It is evident in your facial expression, your posture, and your body language in general.

It's often said that beauty comes from within, and while this most often refers to the good, personal qualities of a person that are evident in their personality, it is also true that how you feel on the inside affects the way you look on the outside.

If you are happy and confident, it will show in your smile and the way you walk with long, firm strides as if you know exactly where you're going and how to get there. On the other hand, if you are insecure and lack confidence, it will be evident in sadness in your eyes or a downcast expression, as well as uncertainty in your voice.  Rounded shoulders and a slump to your posture are always ways to detect the negative things that are going on inside.

Regardless of the negative things that are happening in your life, with conscious effort you can apply certain strategies to stimulate and or restore your energy and positive qualities so that the beauty within can shine through.  In my next post we will consider some suggestions that may help.

Women of All Skin Color Need to Protect Their Skin From Sun Damage

Recently I recommended the use of a moisturizer with sunscreen to one of my skin care customers, who is an African American, and she responded that she did not like products with sunscreen as she felt they caused a darkening of her skin tone.

In my over 10 years of providing skin care I've found that many people of different races have an aversion to sunscreen  for various reasons.  Some of my Caucasian customers do not like sunscreen, especially on their face, because they say it makes them feel oily, while others say they do not like the 'sticky' feel.

Regardless of the reason, real of imagined, it is important to wear sunscreen with a minimum SPF of 15, as it helps to protect your skin from the damaging UVA rays that contributes to early aging of the skin, and UVB rays that burn the outer layer of the skin.

As a dark complexioned woman myself, I am very concerned about many women of color who resist using sunscreen because they feel they do not need it.  This is in line with the results of a recent study which revealed that 63% of African Americans never use sunscreen.

Keep in mind that while melanoma, which is a dangerous form of skin cancer, is more common among Caucasians, there are studies which show that the survival rate for African Americans is lower, perhaps because of the timing of the diagnosis.  It would appear that by the time it's diagnosed, it is too late.

It's obviously going to be a very hot summer.  Everyone should make sure to apply sunscreen liberally and repeat every two hours, especially when outdoors.

What is your opinion on the value of sunscreen?  Please share your thoughts.

How to Identify Organic or Natural Skin Care?

The popularity of organic skin care products has increased in recent times as people become more conscious of 'going green' and demanding more 'natural' products.  This demand has given rise to the appearance in the skin care industry of many products that include "organic" or "natural skin care" on the label.  Many consumers believe that if a skin care product is labeled "organic skin care" or "natural skin care" no chemicals are used in the processing and or manufacture of the final product.  Is this really the case?

The person who is interested in organic skin care products is quite possibly someone who is interested in purchasing organic foods; so he or she is concerned about what goes into the body as well as what goes on the body.  It follows that if you are that person you would read food labels carefully and try to identify what the ingredients are.  The same is true about reading the labels on skin care products that are marketed as organic skin care.  If they contain a number of non-organic ingredients, then just how much healthier are they?  Will they meet your requirements? You may be surprised that if you compare some regular skin care products with some products that claim to be organic, they contain many of the same non-organic ingredients.  It makes sense to be a wise and discerning consumer.

If you choose to use only natural or organic skin care products, do your own research on any and all of the products that you are considering buying.  The internet provides a wealth of information, but even there caution has to be exercised to make sure that you are reading authentic information.  There are excellent skin care products available that do not claim to be organic or natural; however, if this is your choice, make sure that you get the products you truly desire.  Keep in mind also, that there are websites and books that offer recipes to make your own natural organic or skin care product.

Glossary of Common Skin Care and Beauty Terms

With the large volume of skin care and beauty products available on the market, it can be challenging and confusing to understand the various skin care and beauty terms we read on product labels, in magazines, or on the internet. Below are some common skin care and beauty terms and their meaning:

acne: a skin condition consisting of blemishes caused by blackheads, whiteheads, pimples or cysts. This is most likely the result of a buildup of bacteria and oils, as well as keratin proteins in some hair follicles.
antioxidants: defenders against free radicals
collagen: fibrous protein in the dermis (the2nd layer of the skin), that gives the skin its firmness and contributes to the strength of the skin. It causes the skin to be more resilient.
comedogenic: substance that clogs the pores and causes blackheads, whiteheads or other blemishes
dermis: the layer of cells under the epidermis
elastin: a protein found in skin which allows the skin to stretch and return to its original shape
emollient: a product or an ingredient in a product that locks in the moisture that is already in the skin. It helps to slow down the rate of evaporation and makes the skin feel softer
epidermis: the top or outer layer of the skin that sheds and regrows cells constantly thereby regenerating itself. The top layer of dead skin cells is pushed out of the way by living cells that push themselves to the surface of the skin
exfoliant: an ingredient or product that is used to remove dead skin cells from the surface of the skin. An example is a skin care scrub.
free radicals: molecules that are the result of chemical reactions in the body, which affect skin elasticity and firmness
hydrate: restoring the normal level of moisture to the skin
hypoallergenic cosmetics: this describes products that do not contain allergy-causing substances, like fragrance.
melanin: the dark brown or black pigment that helps give skin its color
non-comedogenic: indicates a product that has been shown through clinical studies and tests not to clog pores
pH: a measurement of acidity or alkalinity. A product that is pH balanced is compatible with the skin's own natural pH level and does not contain high/alkaline or low/acidic pH products.
rosacea: a chronic and often progressive skin disease that usually produces redness and acne-like lesions over the nose and cheekbones.
sebum: the natural oil substance that is the skin's natural moisturizer produced by the sebaceous glands.

I hope this list will assist you in understanding some common skin care terms. If there are others you'd like to see covered, please click below and leave your question or comment.

Tips for Oily Skin Care

Oily skin is caused by the sebaceous glands producing too much oil and as a result your skin may frequently appear shiny. Some persons who have extremely oily skin may experience a greasy or sticky feeling for several hours after cleansing.

Characteristics of oily skin
- Large pores
- More prone to breakouts
- Clogged pores and blemishes

Advantages of oily skin (Yes, there are advantages)
- Signs of aging, including fine lines and wrinkles, take longer to appear
- The large percentage of oil on the skin's surface helps the upper layer retain water, therefore protecting the skin from dryness caused by the environment.

Cleansing - Step 1 in oily skin care
Avoid harsh soaps which destroy the natural pH balance in your skin. Use a beauty bar or a lathering gel two times per day to effectively clear away impurities from your pores and remove oily buildup. Wash with tepid or warm, not hot, water.

Masking - an essential oily skin care step
Masks provide an extra deep cleansing and will help to absorb excess oils; remove dead skin cells; and refine the texture of your skin. Masks also help to minimize the appearance of large pores.

Toner/Freshner - the extra cleansing step
This is an important step, especially after applying a mask as it acts like an extra rinse cycle to remove any residue left by the mask. It also improves the appearance of your skin.

Moisturizer - Hydration!
Many women feel, as I did several years ago, that if you have oily skin you do not need a moisturizer. This is incorrect! The key is to identify the type of moisturizer suitable for oily skin care. The correct moisturizer should provide hydration where needed, and condition dry areas, if any. This should be applied two times per day after cleansing.

For oil control during the day, keep a pack of beauty blotters (blotting sheets) on hand to blot off the shine but keep your makeup in place leaving your face shine-free.