Is There a Difference In Skin Care Products?

Very often I hear the question is there really a difference between skin care products sold in stores or by estheticians? You may have heard or read reports from beauty editors that there is no difference. I am here to set the record straight. YES, there is a difference! We begin by looking at what factors may determine the cost of a product.

Concentration of active ingredients such as vitamins/anti-oxidants, minerals, essential oils; production costs, advertising and packaging. Let's take a closer look. Drug store brands usually contain lower amounts of active ingredients and are primarily made up of water and fillers. That is how they keep the prices so low. Department store brands have a higher percentage of active ingredients, however, they spend a lot on packaging and advertising, which is passed on to the consumer. When you purchase products from a department store, salespeople with no skin care experience are making the recommendations. Do I need to spend $100 on a moisturizer to have it work, you may ask? The answer is NO. If a manufacturer is adding ingredients of the highest quality and the price of the cream is between $30 and $50, than what would justify another cream selling for $100? The $50 cream has the highest quality ingredients, right? It comes down to packaging, gimmicks, name recognition, and celebrity endorsements. The only exception is when you are purchasing serums, eye creams and specialty products. However, even these should never exceed $100.

In addition, you should always look for products that have no synthetic, toxic ingredients. A natural organic product that uses high quality ingredients should not have to carry a higher price tag than a high quality toxic product.

Professional skin care products contain the highest percentage of active ingredients that are available without a prescription. Therefore, these professional products will be able to treat the skin more effectively. More importantly, the products you purchase from your esthetician will be the correct products for your skin type. There is no guessing or chance of purchasing the wrong product.

Important Things you Should Know Before Going Out in the Sun

Summer officially starts in a couple of weeks but you already may be hitting the beach or the pool.  We hear over and over again how important sun protection is but many of us ignore the warnings.  If you are trying to prevent aging (and who of us isn't?) or more importantly

prevent skin cancer (which is on the rise)  than you must wear sunscreen. 

 

The latest scientific studies tell us that we need a broad spectrum sunscreen.  Most sunscreens in the market protect you from UVB rays.  UVB rays are only partially absorbed by the ozone.  These rays are responsible for causing harmful sunburns and are most dangerous between 10 am and 4 pm.  However, most of the rays that reach the earth are UVA rays.  The UVA rays are present sunrise to sunset and penetrate the skin much deeper. UVA rays can cause free radical damage causing the breakdown of collagen which leads to wrinkles, hyperpigmentation and aging skin.  UVA rays can penetrate through light clothing, cloud cover and untinted glass.   Both UVA and UVB can cause skin cancer.  SPF only protects against UVB.  The only safe ingredient to protect against both UVA and UV is zinc oxide.  According the Environmental Working Group many sunscreen products contain oxybenzone which is a hormone disrupter.  It is also an ingredient that many find causes rashes, breakouts and other skin problems.  The addition of green tea, which is rich in antioxidants is beneficial in fighting free radical damage.  Did you know that lip cancer is most common on the bottom lip where sun exposure is the most direct?  So it important to protect your lips as well.

The American Cancer Society advises putting sunscreen on 30 minutes before you go outside and repeat every two hours.  This is where most people make a mistake.  Applying once a day will not protect you all day.  And apply generously.

So please make sure you are wearing enough of the right protection. As they say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

June Flowers Herbs and Skin Care

As the old song goes "June is Busting Out all Over"  and it is with two of my favorite flowers/herbs for skin care.

CALENDULA

My all time favorite herb, Calendula (Calendula officinalis) is the Herb Society of America's herb of the month.  Calendula is used in skin care for it's anti-inflammatory properties. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center Calendula has high amounts of flavonoids, plant-based antioxidants that protect cells from being damaged by unstable molecules called free radicals. Calendula appears to fight inflammation, viruses, and bacteria. Also great for skin rashes.  It addition it improves hydration and may help firm the skin.  I make an oil infused with the Calendula Petals or an alcohol based tincture and then add one or both to most of my Renew Botanical skin care products.  In addition to the healing properties, the addition of the infused oil add a beautiful pale golden yellow color to my products.

ROSE

Aside from being considered one of the most beautiful flowers with a heavenly aroma, the rose has many therapeutic benefits for the skin.  Whether using the essential oils or rose water most skin types can benefit from the queen of the flowers.  The natural oils found in the rose help retain moisture.  I use rose oil in my blends for Renew Botanicals Hydrating Cream and the Hydrating and Rejuvenating Cream.  Even sensitive skin can benefit from rose oil and rose water due to the high sugar content which is very soothing.  Because of it high antibacterial properties it can be beneficial to some types of acne.  A spritz of rose water on the skin is also very refreshing.  Keep in in the fridge and use on a hot summer day. In addition to skin benefits, the scent of rose oil can be uplifting and is said to help those grieving.  For many it is a favorite in perfume blends but only the pure essential oil...many find synthetic rose fragrance overpowering and can give you a headache.  My favorite flower water is blending rose, rose geranium, chamomile and lemon balm. 

Keep in mind that the essential oil that is steamed distilled is referred to as Rose Otto and has a light fragrance.  The Rose Absolute which is solvent extracted and best used for perfumes has a deeper aroma and needs to be well diluted.

If you haven't I hope you try some products that use these wonderful plants.