where i’ll be…

Although I’m going to be away from this space for a few days, I wanted to let those of you on Twitter that I’m a panelist for a Twitter Chat that is being sponsored by Dermalogica, and hosted by MomsLA. If you would like to be part of it, (there’s some great prizes from Dermalogica), check out the info here. You will have to RSVP to the event and be sure to use certain hashtags (this is a whole new vocabulary for me!) I’m a panelist and will be answering questions about skincare tomorrow night from 8:30-9:30. My twitter is @deborahjustine. I literally just got a twitter account last week at the urging of my husband. And what do you know, a few days later I was offered a pretty cool gig. Hope to see some of you on there!

sunscreen for kids

One of the most frequently asked questions from my clients is what sunscreen should they use on their kids. I always recommend a mineral sunscreen with zinc or titanium dioxide. There’s a few I like available, Blue Lizard, California Baby. But I just found my new favorite sunscreen for them. It is no secret what a fan of Vanicream we are in this house. I don’t use anything but this on my kids for lotion, face and body. And we recently started seeing a new dermatologist who introduced us to a sunscreen by VANICREAM! Yes, they make a mineral sunscreen! We have been using the sample tubes that we received at her office for about a week now, and I just placed my order on Amazon. I was able to find it for $12 a tube plus free shipping.

Giveaways

I’ve decided to centralize all my giveaways for Skin by Deborah through facebook. So if you aren’t a fan(I should say “liker”) yet, click here and become one (or be one?)! I do monthly giveaways on there, and this month is no exception. Click on over and see what I’m giving away. Just click the Like button and then follow the giveaway instructions to be entered. I have given away products in the past, and this month is something special. Don’t miss out!

Skin by Deborah News

I just created a Skin by Deborah facebook page where I will be able to update specials on there as well as occasionally do a giveaway. You can click here to get there and then click Like and then you will be eligible for any contests. Even for non local people, sometimes the contests will be for a retail product and not just a treatment. So head on over and show me some love, or like. I just posted new products that arrived this week, just in time for summer.

I appreciate the support that everyone has sent me through emails regarding the new updated website and the new product line. It means so much to hear from all of you and that you truly want the best for Skin by Deborah. My husband’s little seed of an idea two and a half years ago has sprouted into a wonderful business for me and something I take pride in and value greatly.

Facelift

No, not me. I don’t need one yet. But my Skin by Deborah website did get a little update recently, along with a fantastic May Special you can read about on the homepage. If you are on my e-mailing list then you already received the grand news about the special and the even more exciting news about the new line I am going to be carrying. Now I will be using and retailing not only Bioelements, but also 100% Pure. It is an organic, vegan, and gluten free line. I’ve been searching for over a year for a new line to introduce into the spa, and I have finally found the one. If you’d like to be added to my email list, please let me know by either commenting or just shooting me an email with your address, you can find my email on the Contact Me page here. Don’t worry, I only send out a handful of emails a year, usually with seasonal specials, or occasionally with dates I will be out of town for longer than one weekend.

I feel very very fortunate to have such supportive clients. Getting to do what I do, from my home, and getting paid for it is such a blessing. Most of my clients I have been seeing regularly since before Sawyer was even born, some since Gunnar was just a baby. So if you happen to be a client AND a reader of this blog, thank you. I am so excited what this next year will bring for us!

Skin Question- Sunscreens

I have been meaning to sit down and write this for weeks. I have a ton of clients with the same question and I know there’s a lot of readers out there who are wondering the same.

Are sunscreens safe? Do I need them?

A little background on sunscreens first. Simply put, there’s 2 types. Physical, and chemical. Physical sunscreens are those that contain titanium dioxide and/or zinc oxide, they physically block UV radiation. Chemical sunscreens act as filters and have chemicals in them to absorb UV radiation. Chemical sunscreens can contain zinc or titanium dioxide but overall they have a different active ingredient with a higher percentage.

Dermatologists recommend using a sunscreen with an SPF (sun protection factor) of 15 or higher for daily use.

Now, what’s all the issues with the lack of Vitamin D out there, and the dangerous chemicals put in sunscreens? Well, you’re going to have to weigh the pluses and minuses for yourself. Having a parent and a parent in law who have both had skin cancer I am a big proponent of sunscreen. Do I slather my children’s entire bodies with it everyday? No. Somedays do I forget to apply any at all? Yes. When we are going to be outside for longer than a 30 minute increment, do I apply sunscreen? Yes. Do I apply sunscreen to my face and neck every single day? YES. Do I do this because I am vain and I want to avoid pigmentation and wrinkles later in life? YES.

The controversy with sunscreens is in the chemical sunscreens. I personally do not use chemical sunscreens on my children. I choose to use mineral (physical) blocks solely on them. I do this because my kids don’t care. They don’t care if they have a white sheen on their face or it’s a little harder to rub in. The reason most women or men do not like physical sunscreens is because they are thicker. Because they are a bit thicker they can also clog your pores. This is where you have to decide for yourself what is important. For me, I have gone back and forth between the two types of sunscreens for years. I have read the reports about the chemicals in the sunscreens and have talked to numerous companies about it. This is what I have found from questioning them. When you look up for instance ‘harmful ingredients in sunscreens’, and it sends you to a page that tells you about how oxybenzone or another chemical is dangerous for pregnant women or that the ‘study has found …xyz’ they are not necessarily referring to a sunscreen with that ingredient being applied properly on your skin. They could be referring to a study where an animal was INGESTING the chemical and it had harmful effects. Well, of course. I could spray hair spray on my hair and it be perfectly fine, but if I INGEST the hair spray it may be another situation.

The reason I am making this clarification is because sunscreens are not allowed to penetrate the dermis. Therefore they cannot enter your bloodstream. This is by law from the FDA. Cosmetics, which are sunscreens, legally cannot have an ingredient where it can pass through the epidermis (top layer of the skin) and into the dermis (deeper layer of the skin). If a product in fact does penetrate the skin and can enter the bloodstream, then that is a drug. So if a sunscreen is doing that, then it cannot or should not be on the market and the FDA would make the company change the formula.

I have seen sunscreens be pulled off the market because of various reasons, sometimes it’s not a stable formula and they don’t get a consistent SPF, or the packaging alters the formula.

So what do I use on myself and my family?

Personally, I don’t think anything above an SPF of about 40-50 makes a difference. I am a big fan of reapplication. I do not use or own any of the aerosol sprays that deliver sunscreen. I stay away from the Banana Boats, and the Bull Frogs and all the cheap stuff on the shelves. I prefer brands like Blue Lizard, Neutrogena Pure and Free, California Baby, Burts Bees, when it comes to my kids. For myself, I am pretty picky. I don’t mind applying the kids’ sunscreens on my body, which I do all the time on vacation. But for my face I use professional products only. There is one brand I have tried and CVS carries it online, however it is not cheap at all. It’s a company called 100% Pure and they have a tinted sunscreen that I use on my face. I also use chemical sunscreens on my face by Bioelements, Dermalogica, SkinCeuticals, etc. It all depends on the season and my skin. But I must say, I never ever go on vacation, or to the beach without a sunhat. I am a firm believer in protecting my face and neck. I have no problem with my body’s vitamin D intake being from my feet and ankles.

I think the benefits of sunscreen far outweigh the risks and will continue to use sunscreen on my family. I also feed my family healthy foods rich in Vitamin D and think that unfortunately we have damaged our earth so much that the sun is harmful now. I hope that this may clarify some questions or reservations you may have about sun protection. All in all, be safe and healthy!

 

Skin Question- How Can I Get Rid of Blackheads?

We have all gotten them one time in our life or another. Everyone. They’re blackheads. As soon as a white head(closed blackhead) hits air, it becomes black, thus the term blackhead. Or more technically, comedone. Comedones are more common in the T-Zone area since we have more oil glands in that area.

There is truly only one way to remove a blackhead or comedone, and that is to extract it manually. That’s not to say that once you remove one that you won’t get another blackhead there again. Pores stretch. So the longer a blackhead sits in a pore the larger the pore becomes. And once it’s removed you still have that large pore that can easily become filled with dirt, dead skin cells, makeup residue, oil, etc. A way to try to avoid getting them, not completely since that’s virtually impossible, cleanse twice a day. Be sure you remove all makeup and buildup of dirt and sweat. Again, the need to exfoliate which keeps the pores nice and flushed out of all the yucky stuff. Another huge thing that helps with ridding the skin of blackheads is avoiding makeup altogether. Heavy powders and foundations sit on the skin and clog our pores. For occasional use, it’s okay, but on a daily basis I really recommend getting used to seeing yourself without all the facial makeup. I’m all for concealer under the eyes, and a little blush on the cheeks, but avoid the constant foundation and powder application. If you get yourself a nice tinted sunscreen you will feel like you have some coverage but not the caked on feel that foundation causes.

Some brands that make good tinted sunscreens in my opinion:

Dermalogica

100% Pure

Arcona

Happy skin everyone! If you have a question I have not featured yet on here, please send me an email and I will answer it in the coming weeks.

skin question- Why do I need Alpha Hydroxy acid products?

I haven’t done a skin question in a loooooooong time. So here we go. Good question for all skin types, all ages.

Why do we need to use products that contain alpha hydroxy acid in them? And what is alpha hydroxy acid?

Alpha hydroxy acid sums up all the different types of fruit acids. Whether it comes from sugar cane (glycolic), apple (malic), etc., they all are in the same category as alpha hydroxy acid. The different types of acids have different properties. Glycolic is the most common because it has the smallest molecule therefore can penetrate the skin best.

Now the question, why do we need them?

Well, ideally our skin exfoliates and sheds the dead skin cells every 28 days. That’s what it used to do when we were kids and our skin was gorgeous. But as we age our body does not keep up that process and it slows. So instead of shedding on it’s own every 28 days, it takes longer and longer the older we get. That’s where alpha hydroxy acids come into action. They exfoliate our skin and give it the boost that we need to get rid of the dead skin that accumulates on the surface of the skin. There are a ton of products out there claiming to have these acids in them. But making sure it’s in a product in itself is not good enough. All acids come in not only strengths (percentages), but have different pH levels. A lot of people are under the misconception that the higher the percentage the stronger the peel. Nope. You can have a very high percentage peel, but if the pH is not that different from your own skin, then it won’t have a dramatic effect. That’s why it’s great to occasionally get an alpha hydroxy peel done regularly during facials. We have at our disposal stronger products that can only be administered in a professional setting. Another bonus is they even out skin tone. They help with pigmentation from the sun, aging, etc. Overall it helps refresh and smooth out your skin. I recommend an alpha hydroxy peel regularly.

What’s regularly?

I mentioned earlier that our skin used to exfoliate on it’s own every 28 days, thus you often hear estheticians recommend to people with good skin a facial once a month. Problem or acneic skin should come more often than that until the breakouts are under control. And it’s bonus if you’re using an alpha hydroxy serum at home a few nights a week. Your skin will be able to absorb moisture much better if you exfoliate regularly at home. Otherwise it’s a waste to spend money on moisturizers if it’s going to just sit on the surface of your skin and not be able to penetrate because of a layer of dead skin blocking it’s way.

Summary of why I need them?

They take over the exfoliation that our body used to handle on it’s own when we were younger. It can help our moisturizers, and all our products from working the way they were intended instead of meeting a roadblock. Helps fight pigmentation, evens skin tone, and smoothes out the epidermis.

Hope this was helpful. If you have any other questions feel free to email me and I can help answer them through email or on the blog. Happy exfoliating!

What happens in Vegas. . . part 1

Before we get to the road trip. Can i just say that i am so sick of medical emergencies. Seriously, i think we have had MORE than our fair share for several years in the last few months. I’m not talking coughs and colds. It seems like we never get those anymore. The kids are pretty well almost all the time. And fortunately for me, I have noticed since I started regularly exercising that if the kids DO catch something, I skate on by unscathed. I’m talking about major things like ER visits, broken bones, eyeball issues, stuff like that. Saturday night Aaron and I settled in to watch a movie on Apple TV, we even opened a bottle of champagne, had our favorite snacks to dine on, kids asleep. About 5 minutes into the movie Aaron brought over some hot tea and he went back to the kitchen. I decide to pick up that mug of tea and rest it on my right thigh. Unfortunately maybe the champagne had my balance a little off, and instead I missed my right thigh and rested it on my inner right thigh thus spilling the entire mug of scalding hot tea all over my left thigh. I scream. I jump up, cannot even tell you what I did with the empty mug, ran a few feet into the dining room, still processing the pain and events that just happened, and then rip my sweatpants off. Aaron then realizes what has happened and ushers me into the bathroom. Without looking I get in the shower and after a few minutes I think I’ll be okay. Then I get out of the shower, and the pain begins. I stood in the hallway, crouched in a standing fetal position, writhing in pain.

I can honestly say that I have never felt that kind of fire. Next to natural childbirth with an almost 9 pound child, it was the most painful experience I’ve ever been through. And, unlike childbirth, where between the excruciating pain you have moments of calm and peace before the next wave hits, this never lets up. There is no less intense moments. The only thing that would dull it a smidge was ice packs. Which, when my brother in law came over he recommended against it. Thus, the tears and sobs until my sister couldn’t stand it anymore and put my ice packs back on my thigh. ahhhhhhh, thank you sister.

for about 7 hours i had to concentrate just to breath. forget about actually answering a question. i couldn’t comprehend, and the fact that i was in my panties sitting on my couch and not caring who walked through the door can tell you the pain level. Sometime around 3am I was dozing and realized that my  1am ice pack was now warm and my thigh was no longer on fire. Finally. I woke sometime after 9am and finally took the brave move to look at the damage. Not pretty. I think I am scarred for life. I have about a hamburger bun size burn that is mocha pink brown with the lower rim covered in blisters. And then about 2 inches above that I have about a half dollar size burn with a few blisters on that. It’s been wrapped and taped and fortunately no more pain. I just have to be super careful about keeping it clean and not touching the blisters.

I now can only imagine the pain real burn victims go through. And I understand why they have to be induced in comas because of the pain alone. Mine I’m sure was very minor compared to what people go through. And I’m sure I will have this scar from this point forward. But it could’ve been much worse. And I realize I’m dumb. I’m accident prone. And I need to use my brain more. There. I said it.

Now. Road trip.

first stop on any road trip . . . In n Out. It helped break up having to listen to my brother in law’s awful taste in music. Just think Color Me Bad followed by En Vogue. For 5 hours.

I knew if we didn’t stop here first thing, we never would. FINALLY we made it to the Vegas sign. Little dream of mine fulfilled. Check!

Yes, that would be Elvis in the background. Kind of steep however, one photo will cost you $10!

We stayed at Trump’s Hotel this time and was very impressed. No casino so less smoke and less weaving through slot machines and tables to get to where we want to go. Beautiful rooms.

Bouchon. Awesome French cuisine. For all those who may have received some text msg photos, it was from this place. And I had nothing to do with it.

The next day was the real reason we went to Vegas. It was the annual esthetician conference that my sister and I attend. It was great, everything we needed and then some.

Oh, and if you are in need of an awesome spray tan, call me. Don’t want to leave your house? No problem. I will hook you up with her. Her name is Jessica. I tried it out at the show myself and for someone who hasn’t seen the sun in 10 years except for underneath a huge hat and sun umbrella, well, I looked good! That really healthy glowy tan that I shake my head at as I walk by people since I know they just went to the tanning salon, yeah, that was what I looked like.

Skin Question- Large Pores, Combination Skin

Okay, Celina, sorry to take this long to answer your question from the last post.

What can minimize large pores?

This is something that clients ask me all the time. Usually large pores are accompanied by oily skin. So you will find larger pores around your nose area, cheeks, forehead. Large pores can happen because a number of reasons. Genetics, for one. Another cause for large pores that most people don’t think of is blackheads. The longer a blackhead sits in the pore, the larger it gets, thus stretching that pore. So regular facials are really important to keep your skin clean and get the extractions you need. Once a pore is stretched it is very very very hard to shrink it. In fact, I never tell people that their pores can shrink. They can appear smaller once the blackhead is extracted, but they will never close and be the small pores we wish they would become. If you keep up with regular facials and exfoliate regularly at home, that will help keep your skin refined and even. A few other causes for large pores are sun damage, smoking, makeup, hormones, skin dehydration.

Vitamin A is believed to be a great treater of large pores. It helps with cell turnover and unclogging of pores. Drink plenty of water to hydrate your skin. Get regular facials, usually every 4-6 weeks is ideal unless you have acne, then you probably need to make your appointments every 2-4 weeks. Wear sunscreen, cleanse twice daily, moisturize and exfoliate.

There you go. I think the next question will be about alpha hydroxy acids. Why do we need them? How often? And at what age should we start using them?