Donna Queen
The Worst Cities for Healthy Skin
A recent TotalBeauty.com-conducted study sought out the worst cities in the United States — for your skin. Findings were based on several factors including smoking rates, climate and pollution, to name a few. (And you thought it all came down to genes and Botox.) Did your city make the list? Here’s hoping a move isn’t in order.
#13 Portland Maine: This city has a penchant for tanning beds, which explains why its skin cancer rates are so high. You know how dangerous the sun’s rays are, but did you know the UVA rays in a tanning bed are two to three times stronger? Hey, folks in Portland, Maine, meet the spray tan.
#12 Tacoma, Washington: This city, largely populated with blue collar workers and military servicemen and women, grabbed a spot on the list for its stress levels. When your life has tension, your body recognizes it and answers with stress hormones, like cortisol. Cortisol is a green light for oil production, which leads to blemishes. Put. The Blackberry. Down.
#11 Macon, Georgia: The state may be known for its peaches, but there’s nothing peachy keen for your skin with 88 percent average humidity. All that moisture in the air leads to more sebum in the sebaceous glands, which increases your chances of acne. ZO Skin Health’s creator, Zein Obagi MD, recommends cleansing skin one full minute to rid of sebum, but Macon residents might want to go longer.
Your city didn’t make the list? Don’t say “Phew!” just yet. We’ll share 9 more cities with you over the next week. Which city needs to substitute its nicotine addiction for an SPF addiction, making it #10 on the list? Find out right here!
Donna Queen
There’s No Such Thing As Lucky Skin. Not Even Today.
On this St. Patrick’s Day — also known as the luckiest day of the year — we’d like to pose a question Clint Eastwood-style: When it comes to skincare, do you feel lucky? Huh, do ya?
Is your skin in such top-notch condition that you think about removing your makeup at night and then decide that you’re too tired–your skin will be just fine tomorrow? Well, we hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you’re not that lucky. Not even today.
True, you can get away with it — for a time. But if you skip the ritual of cleansing your face before bed every night, you’re basically rolling out the red carpet for blemishes.
“Even if you don’t have oily skin, if you don’t scrub makeup and dirt off your face then they clog up your pores–leading to blackheads, whiteheads and acne. Sebum is the enemy of healthy skin–and we all have it. You can get rid of the surface dirt quickly, but it takes time to break down the sebum. Twice a day, morning and night, you need to cleanse for at least one minute,” says Dr. Obagi.
Have a Happy St. Patrick’s Day. After the green beer and Irish kissing is said and done, don’t push your luck; spend one minute cleansing your face.
ZO Skin Health
Facials for Acne
Sometimes, despite your best intentions, at-home care for acne just isn’t enough. Sometimes you need the advice and treatments of an aesthetician or a dermatologist. A facial may be a good idea, but make sure that you’re getting the right kind of facial. Some acne facials can actually make it worse! Here’s what to look for–and what to look out for.
* A good acne facial requires four steps– cleansing, exfoliation, extractions, and sunscreen. The exfoliation can be mechanical ( a good scrub, like ZO’s Exfoliating Polish) or a device such as a crystal-free microdermabrasion. Particle-based microdermabrasion (like aluminum oxide) can inflame acne, nick the skin, spread bacteria and cause contamination.
* Crystal-free microdermabrasion is an effective treatment to rejuvenate skin, shrink pores, and most importantly, stimulate the regeneration of healthy skin cells (via the removal of dead skin cells). Here’s how it works: the dead or damaged top layer of the skin is gently exfoliated, while the dead skin cells are vacuumed away in a sterile, controlled environment. This procedures not only improves extractions, it makes the whole process much easier to tolerate, and less painful. The DiamondTome®, Hydra-Facial®, and DiamondPeel are a few of the devices that utilize a diamond tip wand and avoid particles.
* Steam is relaxing and makes extractions easier, but it’s horrible for your skin, especially if you have acne or rosacea. Because of the fact that steam enlarges the glands, it can actually cause acne.
* Either the Blue LED light or Red LED light can be very valuable. Blue wavelengths are very effective in killing the p-acnes bacteria, the major source of acne. You should see a noticeable reduction in acne lesions 2-3 days after treatment. The wavelength is critical to success. Devices that are purchased over-the-counter are not going to penetrate as deep as devices used by your aesthetician or dermatologist. Red lights reduce inflammation but should be used in conjunction with blue wavelengths.
* Tea-tree masks help tighten pores, reduce oiliness and can be a good addition to an acne facial.
Successful treatment for acne however, starts off at home. Be sure to use a cleanser designed for oily skin, cleanse for at least one minute, use an exfoliating polish, and an anti-bacterial topical. Occasional facials are not a good substitute for proper at-home daily care.
ZO Skin Health
Care for Acne and Oily Prone Skin
First, let me straighten out a misconception. Adult acne is no different from juvenile acne; and it should be treated the same way.
Acne may be attributed to genetics or hormonal imbalance. Contributing factors, or acne triggers, include lifestyle choices, such as diet, sleep pattern, hygiene, or stress. When skin does not exfoliate as it should, dead cells build up on the skin surface and inside the pore. Dead cells mix with trapped oil and pores become clogged, resulting in blackheads and whiteheads. Some forms of acne require medical supportive treatment, such as oral medication or procedures. Recommendations for acne skin care are based upon the severity of acne, presence of discoloration, age of patient, and probability of scarring with acne.
Here are a few rules and tips for acne-prone skin:Cleansing. Skin should be cleansed AM and PM with a suitable cleanser that removes sebum and thoroughly cleanses skin, without stripping the skin. Hot water should be avoided, as it dries the skin and increases oil gland activity. Skin should be washed for one full minute, as it takes this long to reduce surface sebum and remove dirt and debris. A toner or astrigent should follow washing AM and PM to restore the pH and reduce surface bacteria. I recommend the ZO Skin Health Exfoliating Cleanser for oily and acne-prone skin.
Unclog the pores. A build up of dead cells, oil and debris results in clogged pores. When oil and debris mix with bacteria inside the clogged pore, the pore can become inflamed and result in papules (small bumps) or cysts. It’s important to keep your pores open, allowing oil and dead cells to exit the pore naturally. Exfoliation is one way to keep the pores clean and skin smooth and can be achieved by use of a scrub, one time daily, AM or PM. To be effective, a scrub should not be too gentle, or too harsh. Harsh scrubs may result in microtears on the skin surface, allowing bacteria to enter, creating further problems. Magnesium crystals, such as those found in Exfoliating Polish by ZO Skin Health, are perfect for exfoliating the skin, as they are round, so they do not tear the skin, yet they do the job in clearing off dead skin cells and removing surface debris.
Oil-producing glands tend to be more prominent in the t-zone (around the nose, forehead and chin), so oily skin is more problematic there. ZO Skin Health TE pads are soaked in salicylic acid and glycolic acid to exfoliate the skin cells and reduce oiliness. It’s the combination of these two—a mechanical exfoliant and a chemical one—that work together to control oiliness and breakouts. Generally, having one without the other just isn’t enough for acne prone individuals.
Have a Facial. Tea tree oil is well known for it’s anti-fungal, anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties. Apply a tea tree mask once or twice a week to help control acne break-outs. Additionally, you can use this mask to spot treat pimples, leaving the mask on overnight. If you wish, ask a good and trusted aesthetician for an acne mask.
Manage your Diet. Rumor has it that chocolate causes acne, but there has never been any proof of that. There is general agreement, however, that fatty, oily foods, and diets high in refined sugar and carbohydrates can trigger acne flare-ups. Salty, iodized, or spicy foods can also be a problem for some people. Water is essential to good health and necessary to keep the skin hydrated and looking its best. Drinking plenty of water helps to flush out toxins from the body.
Be careful with Cosmetics. Beware of the term “oil-free”. Many manufacturers use synthetic oils, rather than natural oils (like animal, vegetable or mineral oil), because these oils technically can be called “oil-free”. But the synthetic oils can still cause or aggravate acne. Frequently acne caused by cosmetics will appear as whiteheads over the cheeks, forehead and chin. Mineral make-up is generally recommended, as it contains natural ingredients that do not cause irritation or harm the skin.
Moisturizers. Similar to cosmetics, some moisturizers will provoke acne and therefore are not recommended for acne-prone skin. Moisturizers result in a build-up of dead cells, decreased cellular exfoliation, and damage to the skin. Moisturizers are only recommended under certain circumstances and then only a functional moisturizer (one with active ingredients that stimulate cellular activity) is recommended, like Ommerse Daily Renewal or Ommerse Overnight Recovery, from ZO Skin Health.
De-stress. When you are stressed, stress hormones become imbalanced and a variety of health problems may occur. You may not be able to avoid stress, but you can manage it with exercise, meditation, and personal down-time.
If acne problems persist, it’s important to get medical treatment, because acne can cause scars. See a dermatologist for a recommendation, treatment and/or prescription.
