DIY Alpha Hydroxy Face Masque for Younger Skin

I had a few of my ladies ask me this past week what could be done about their aging skin. Sigh~I know you ladies read my blog. You should know the answer to this. 

Skin texture seemed to be their main concern. Some bumps and small lines forming. I cannot yell this loud enough!

ACIDS PEOPLE!

The famous Alpha Hydroxy and Beta Hydroxy acids. 

It's simple:

Alpha Hydroxy for texture, bumps and fine lines.

Beta Hydroxy for acne, pores and oily skin. 

I was watching the Rachel Ray show and she had a dermatologist on demonstrating DIY skin solutions that you can concoct right in your own kitchen. You know how much I love me a skin DIY from my kitchen! 

So here is a quick, little potion that you can whip up for a DIY Alpha Hydroxy Face Masque.

Combine:

• 2 Tablespoons Apple Juice
• 2 Tablespoons Milk
• 1 Egg White

Whip together until frothy then apply to your face with a flat foundation brush. Leave on for 15-20 minutes and rinse off with a soft wash cloth. This goes on very liquid-y and then you will feel it tighten up on your face. Your face will look very smooth and plastic-y while the masque is on and then very glow-y after you rinse it off. Apply 2 times a week for smooth, glowing, radiant skin.

Cracked bowl and all! There is nothing fancy going on here.

What makes this an Alpha Hydroxy Acid is the malic acid in the apple juice and the lactic acid in the milk. 

This recipe will make enough for like 3 or 4 people to use so invite your besties over for a girly spa day or maybe refrigerate until your next use. I'm not even sure if you can refrigerate and reuse but go for it, that's what I'm doing next time.

Speaking of DIY beauty routines, I am about half way through my olive oil/eyelash experiment. This is a very unscientific experiment. I have not measured my eyelashes, I wouldn't even know how to do that. This will be judged strictly by photo comparison and my honest opinion if my lashes grew or not. So far, they still look exactly the same. A heads up for anyone looking to try this, oil in your eye sucks!

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Dry Brushing

 

Besides telling all you pretty kitties about makeup products that I love, I also love to tell you about skin care, not only for your face but for your body as well. Not only do I like to share product information with you, I love to share tips and tricks that you can do in the privacy of your own home so you can get the most out of your skin. 

It is here that I will share with you the secret of

dry brushing!

This is one of the simplest things you can do for your skin.

Why should you do it? 

There are 3 major benefits to dry brushing your skin:

• Exfoliation-Removing dead skin from your body only results in 1 thing! Younger, smoother skin! Yay!
• Increases Blood Flow-You know what lack of blood circulation causes? Cellulite! You know what happens when you increase blood circulation? Buh Bye cellulite! (maybe not completely but it will reduce it)
• Stimulates the lymphatic system-This aides in overall health as it will help remove toxins from your system. 

So it's simple. The goal is to dry brush once a day. I will admit that I don't do this as much as I would like because I'm a muppet and sometimes remember while in the shower and my skin is already damp.You want to start with dry skin so the best time to do this is right before showering (or whenever you remember but your skin, and the brush, must be dry). Using a natural bristle brush, brush the skin upwards towards your heart. Brush in sections, for example, start with your calves, work your way up to your thighs, your booty, your belly-you get the picture. I have read that you only need to brush an area once or twice-I probably brush around 10 times then jump in the shower. Your skin has now been exfoliated, which means you're getting rid of the old skin cells and bringing on the newer and healthier ones. This is also the perfect time to add products with nutrients and antioxidants because exfoliation aids in the absorption of whatever products you will now apply. You can also add an anti-cellulite treatment for a double whammy against cellulite! 

Take that cellulite! 

If you are going to dry brush before showering, I would advise against any additional exfoliation in the shower. You don't want to irritate the skin!

Until next time,

it's smooth skin sailing!

~Jessica~

Retin A and Beautiful Skin

Oh hello there!
Time for our lesson on Retin A.

So Retin A is basically a topical form of vitamin A that helps the skin renew itself. It works by increasing skin cell turnover promoting the extrusion of the plugged material in the follicle. It also prevents the formation of new comedones. 

Retin A was introduced over 30 years ago to help people who suffered from acne. However there were some side effects. Besides clear skin, people were also reporting more youthful plump skin, even skin tone and disappearing wrinkles! Say whaaa? I think I hear butterflies and fairies singing...

Retin A is an exfoliate, which means it will gently dislodge dead skin cells, cleaning  pores and bringing pimples and blackheads to the surface to be obliterated forever (or until you stop using it). It also stimulates collagen, giving you that plump, healthy skin you had in your 20's. 

Prior to starting my Retin A regimen, I researched it and was a bit scared of what I found. So before you get all this beautiful, youthful skin back, you have to go through hell first. Apparently, you will have the worst skin of your life before you have the best skin of your life. You reportedly, have horrendous breakouts. If a pore is clogged, the only way for it to be cleared is for it to come out. Usually in the form of a pimple. In addition to the worst breakouts, you will also have dry, flaky, peeling, irritated skin. Sounds like a blast.

As someone who was going to be using Retin A for an adult (teenage) acne problem, this sounded terrifying. I asked my derm about this and she said I shouldn't have a problem with it and anyone who has these issues, goes in too fast and doesn't follow the rules.

So there are some rules with Retin A that need to be followed. 

First-You know how they suggest you apply your moisturizer to damp skin, such as right after you wash your face or get out of the shower?

YOU CANNOT DO THIS WITH RETIN A!

The suggestion is to wait 15-30 minutes after washing your face. I wait about 30-60 minutes after just to be safe. This rule is probably good to follow with any strong exfoliate such as AHA/BHA. 

Second-You MUST use sun protection. You should always use some form of sun protection, however it is an absolute must when using Retin A (or any exfoliate). Your skin is much more sensitive to the harsh rays of the sun. So slather it on! And use nothing less than a 30 SPF!

I decided to ease in and just dip my toe before jumping in. The first week I used it once ever 2 nights, then I started using it every other night for the next 3 weeks. Then I was using it 2 nights on/one night off. I did that for a month. Finally, 3 nights on/1 night off for 2 weeks and now I am using it every night except for Saturday night. Saturday night is my night off. I don't know why but it has always been that way. I just wash my face and crawl into bed. No products. I suspect it has something to do with drunken Saturday nights in my mid 20's. 

OK, back to the subject~

So 3 months in and so far I love it! I did not experience any of the dreaded breakouts or peeling skin (except for one little area on my nose). 

Any existing acne that I've had is clearing up and I have not had any active breakouts in weeks, which is like a lifetime when you suffer from it. I am really excited to see what my skin will look like 3-5 months from now since they say you won't see the full effects until 6-8 months. 

So for anyone suffering from acne or if you're just looking to give your aging skin a boost, I highly suggest trying Retin A. Remember, you need a prescription for this so get a good dermatologist.

Ease into it and please follow the rules. Also, be sure to invest in a really good moisturizer because you may need it if you start to peel. 

Until next time

~Jessica~