Lavender—an amazing healing remedy for burns (and blemishes, too!)

Lavender is probably the most popular and widely recognized of all the essential oils. Lavender has numerous healing abilities. Probably the best-known is the effect of this essential oil on burns. Lavender is even used in burn units in some hospitals in France. I know if I had a severe burn, I would want essential oil of lavender as at least one of the healing tools used.

My friend Elizabeth called and said she had splashed hot oil on her face while cooking the night before. Although the spots were fairly small where the oil had met her skin, they we re starting to blister and were red. She had Neosporin (an antibiotic cream) in her medicine cabinet and used that until we talked the next day. I recommended she go to her health food store and purchase a bottle of pure essential oil of lavender.

Lavender oil (aka lavender essential oil or essential oil of lavender) has excellent properties that help to alleviate the pain of a burn, and it also has a tremendous ability to help start the healing process for the damaged cells. And as with almost all essential oils, lavender also has antibiotic properties.



I instructed Elizabeth to simply apply the lavender oil to the affected areas as often as she could, and no doubt it would help her skin to heal as well as soothe the pain, which it did. Elizabeth called a few days later and said all signs of the oil burns on her skin were gone. She agreed that everyone should have lavender oil in their first-aid kit.

Whether oil has splashed on your face or your arm or if you burned your finger or hand getting something out of a hot oven, try lavender to take the burn out and heal your skin.

I always travel with a small bottle of lavender. As mentioned, lavender oil has natural antibiotic as well as antiseptic abilities. It is a mood enhancer, helping to calm you down during times of stress. It can even help you sleep if you put a few drops on a cloth or a pillowcase. But my number one (personal) reason for using this amazing essential oil is for its excellent healing ability on topical skin burns. Lavender is truly an important product to have in your medicine cabinet or travel kit.

For more information about lavender, see:

• Lavender: A Medicine Cabinet Must!—updated
• The healing power of essential oils — lavender to the rescue!
• SUNBURN RELIEF COCKTAIL: Important TIPS & help for healing a sunburn—updated

Carolyn Ash—an interview

What is the Carolyn Ash Skin Care approach to healthy skin?

Getting regular facials and using high-quality products at home are vital to achieving and maintaining clear, vibrant skin. But I believe you must also care for your skin from the inside out to bring about the best results. Understanding the correlation between internal, balanced health and external beauty is what my work is all about. I’m interested in long-term, obtainable results that help my clients achieve healthy skin—for a lifetime.

Do you offer skin care consultations?

Generally I don’t have anyone come in just for a consultation. I always encourage first timers to come in for a facial treatment. That way I can have at least an hour with their skin and that same amount of time to discuss my ideas on how best to take care of it. With that said, a thorough analysis of the skin is one of the first steps in my facial. Samples are provided at the end of the treatment for new clients to take home and learn about how the [Yonka] products can benefit their skin—without any high-pressure sales pitch. By getting the facial that includes a detailed consultation, you can see how the products and the information you receive in the facial will help you achieve the results you are looking for.

Do you see both women and men for skin care?

Absolutely! There has been this long-standing mythology that says facials are for women only. I actually think when the TV show Queer Eye for the Straight Guy came out in 2003, it helped to clear up that misconception a bit. However, you don’t have to be a “metrosexual” to enjoy the benefits of a facial. Skin is skin, no matter which gender is wearing it. I always appreciate hearing about men getting facials. It says they understand the importance of skin care maintenance, and these men don’t buy into the myth that facials are just for women. [Regarding the male/female subject, I tend to use “she” and “her” to avoid the awkward “he/she” or “him/her.”]

When should someone begin thinking about a specific skin care routine? Is it best to wait until you see a need for it?

I like to say it’s never too late or too early to start taking care of your skin. Obviously, until you are in your teens (going through puberty), there really isn’t a need to be concerned about your skin. But a teen with problem skin up to an adult with or without problems who wants to get into a routine, yes—it’s a good idea to start a program, which ideally includes regular facials. On the other hand, if you are 30, 40, 50 or even older and have never really taken care of your skin and want to start, it’s not too late! It comes down to priorities. We do in life what is highest on our priority list. Once skin care gets on someone’s list, that’s when I start seeing that client.

Do you think there is anything lacking in the world of skin care today or something that you would like to see happen?

Well, you’ve just touched on one of my soapboxes! I am and always have been a firm believer that we spend too much time on the outside and not enough time on the inside. Let me explain. I may have a client who comes in troubled about some aspect of her skin. It’s not young-looking enough, she may truly be battling severe problems like acne or something else. But many times this person’s lifestyle does not support that which she is seeking. She is trying to fix the outside, the skin, rather than assisting that process by going within. This entails looking at the diet with a lot of scrutiny. It also means fessing up to excesses like sun, sugar, alcohol, and stress.

You can change the outside, but without enhancing that change by strengthening the inside—your internal health—I think it is a waste of time (and money). I advocate doing what you can to feel better about yourself. But please don’t neglect your physical health. Without that, the outside doesn’t matter. I don’t think the skin care industry talks about that enough. It seems to be more interested in proliferating the idea of quick fixes and miracles as a way to healthy skin. I guess I just have a different opinion on how to get there.

What types of results are your clients seeing with your facials?

Most everyone who comes in leaves with healthier skin, skin that reflects light and look clear and bright. Many women find less of a need or a total elimination of foundation especially if they are coming in regularly. I think everyone leaves with a sense of well being about their faces.

The other day a new client came back to get some products. She said that several people in her life had been complimenting her skin—how good it looks. She was ecstatic! She told me that had never happened before and it really made her feel good. This was just a woman who began getting facials and using good products. She didn’t get surgery and didn’t need to change anything dramatically to get the results she wanted: good skin that shows! That is a consistent result from my facials.

Another benefit, not really a result, is education. This above everything else is what I do best. If you want to know about skin care and how to get your skin looking great, my salon is a great place for that. I have been honing my skills since being licensed in skin care in 1985—over 30 years! I don’t have a big salon nor do I do anything other than facials (not even waxing), but this is what works—for me. And my client is the person who is looking to simplify his or her skin care routine and still come out with great skin.

For more information, see:

• My Books
• Axioms for Life
• 10 Reasons to Publish a Book in Your Field—This is an article I wrote after a request from my book printer.

Sunscreens protect my skin from all sun damage—True or False?

FALSE! Unfortunately, we have succumb to the notion that creams with SPF are totally protecting our skin from the sun’s damaging effects. That would be nice, but unfortunately sunscreen can only do so much to protect your skin from sun damage. And—it is important to use daily!

SPF stands for is Sun Protection Factor. This is a numeric system set up to alert us as to how long it will take for our skin to burn in the sun while using the product. An SPF 15, for instance, says that by using the product you should be able to stay out in the sun for 15 times longer than if you didn’t have it on—and not burn.

Can you start to see how SPF and sunscreens in general are not going to give you an umbrella of protection? They are only truly set up to keep your skin from burning. You can and may still tan while wearing sunscreen. You will also still receive the damaging UVA and UVB rays from the sun—but your skin shouldn’t burn with the sun protection product on.

Obviously there is great benefit to wearing sunscreen. I recommend wearing it daily. If this is not you, please at least wear a sunscreen when you will be outside and exposed. Again, don’t feel falsely protected when wearing a cream on your face—whether it is an SPF 15 or 50.

For more information, see:

• The Truth About SPF
• A Small Sunscreen Lecture
• Questions about SPF numbers and sun protection

Restylane—what is it and what does it do?

I'm not a fan of before and after photos, these included

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restylane

Restylane® is an injectable (wrinkle) filler that received FDA approval at the end of 2003. It is made from hyaluronic acid; hyaluronic acid is an amino acid (a protein) found naturally in our own skin. It is suggested that Restylane is going to take over for collagen as the number one choice for plumping up depressions in the skin, aka wrinkles. Unlike collagen, which has an animal origin, hyaluronic acid is made in the chemistry lab, alleviating the possibility of allergic reaction like with animal-derived collagen.

The results of a single injection can last anywhere from six months to even an entire year. Prices will vary according to whom you go to and what they are charging, but the basic cost per syringe is around $500. Collagen, on the other hand, costs about the same but only lasts half as long.

As far as I am concerned, the jury is still out on this latest and greatest “miracle” to remove the life and lines that are on your face. I’m in my 50s and am resistant to changing what is now the progression of my own aging process. I suppose it's the scientist in me that wants to see how I will age—naturally; I want to see how the lines show up and increase, how gray my hair will get, and what I will look like—untouched—at 60, 70, and even 80 years of age.

Perhaps at some point I will partake in some of the anti-aging products and procedures that I am currently saying no to. I give myself the leeway to change my mind, knowing that I might just keep traveling on the very same path I am on now. Time will tell.

For more information, see:

• Trends & fads in skin care
• Collagen Injections: the basics
• AGING Gracefully: all links so far

Men’s skin care advice: Q & A

What skin care advice do you have for a man?

This question comes from many different men I have spoken with about skin care. My short answer (and this is specifically directed to men) is: use products! Classically, men are not huge consumers of skin care products. That of course is changing, but by and large, men are not as educated in matters of the skin as many women are.

The Basics (cleansing, toning, and moisturizing) would be about all I would ask a man to do for his skin. If he is truly looking to do more—great! The Extras (exfoliating and using a clay mask) would be excellent additions to anyone’s skin care program, male or female. Most men just don’t use any or many products on their skin, so I like to start them off slowly and see how it goes. Usually once they see a positive difference in their skin, they are more willing to do a few extras to further help the health of their skin.

I would like some recommendations for men. My brother has some problem areas, and I would like to pass along some information to help him. What exactly should a man with problem skin do?

Recommendation #1: Don't pick!

The recommendations for a man with problem skin are really no different than for a woman. The main difference in this equation is men are generally not accustomed to doing much with their skin. So for a man to treat his problem skin may mean using products when in the past he didn’t use any. I think you have to take this into consideration when making suggestions. To recommend a lot of products to someone—especially a man—who isn’t using anything is probably a mistake. It’s just too much, and the routine is doomed to failure.

As mentioned before, The Basics would be beneficial for any skin, especially if there are problems with breakout. You want non-alkaline skin care products, which includes your cleanser. Aveeno bar soap or Cetaphil liquid cleanser are both easy to find and are pH balanced.

A spray-on toner that has essential oils in it would be good to use following shaving and dabbing pure essential oils neat (straight) on the blemishes would make an excellent spot treatment for breakouts. Remember, breakout needs antibacterial products to help quell the growth and proliferation of bacteria. Without treating the blemishes, they will just take their own sweet time going away. I don’t recommend oxy-type products, as they are usually too harsh and drying; essential oils are my personal products of choice.

Shaving may open up blemishes that are trying to go away, prolonging the healing process. If you are trying to clear up broken out skin, if possible try not to shave for a few days. Obviously this may not be something you can do, but by not shaving and treating the spots with essential oils, you are giving your skin the time it needs to heal. When you do shave, be very careful to avoid opening the blemishes up. I understand this is not an easy task. Try shaving with the hair growth in order to avoid too close of a shave and possibly nicking the blemishes.

Finally, using some sort of treatment cream (moisturizer) would be good. Many men are not accustomed to using creams on their faces. And some men might not like the way a moisturizer feels on their skin. However, if you want optimum resources for treating your problem skin, find a good lightweight cream specifically meant for problem skin. Use this day and night along with cleansing and toning. Hopefully this all will help you to have clear, problem-free skin.

I love the spray bottle idea for my toner (my husband likes it too!). My husband’s skin is doing better than ever. I’ve got him into a daily and nightly skin regimen, and he hardly breaks out anymore. He used to have frequent breakouts, which runs in his family.

Attention men: If you just give your skin The Basics, it can and will make a difference! The total time spent on those three steps is less than two minutes. Surely you have a few short minutes in the morning and before you go to bed to take care of your skin.

For more information, see:

• The Basics 1-2-3 Program for proper skin care
• Help for Breakouts
• TONERS 101: WHAT is a toner and WHY use one? Also HOW & WHEN to use a toner?

If you take care of your skin, your abs will look like this!