Another Aesthetician Helped with Timeless Skin

I recently purchased your book, Timeless Skin. I’ve only had it one day and I can’t put it down! You provide a wealth of information on the skin and its care. I purchased your book so that I could learn more about skin, how it works, what’s best for it, etc. In August I will be attending the Toni & Guy Academy in Carrollton, TX taking their esthetics course because I want to become a licensed aesthetician.

You don’t know how inspired I was when I picked up your book. I’m constantly searching for informative and accurate information on skin care. There are lots of books on the market but I hadn’t found one yet that was written by an aesthetician—until now. Your book is wonderful and I hope you have continued success!

Although I wrote both of my books with my clients in mind, I have heard from numerous aestheticians and students in aesthetics schools who have been helped with the information in Timeless Skin and Skin Care A to Z.

Hearing from these individuals is obviously gratifying, but it does remind me that not all skin care schools have a high standard of excellence nor graduates who really know about skin. As for my own schooling, at a now defunct school in Dallas, it was OK at best and insufficient at least. In other words—I didn’t get a great education in skin care school. If you feel your skin care school experience wasn’t top notch, you have the rest of your career to do self-study on those subjects you really want to learn.

As I’ve said in other articles, if you’re new to aesthetics you will get your best education by working on skin—at first dozens, then hundreds, and now for me with thousands of faces. It is in the facials you give that you will learn the most, especially when you have regular, monthly clients who come to you over time.

I studied a lot for years and years, and I still do quite a bit of research although not about the fundamentals of skin. Now of course I teach what I know through writing books and articles for my blogs, and still every day with my clients and the issues they come to see me with. Studying what you love (for me it was aromatherapy as well as anatomy, physiology, and of course nutrition) and applying what you learn—and continue to learn—is what will make you a proficient skin care specialist and educator.

For more information, see:

• Timeless Skin—The Introduction
• Essential oils don’t just smell good, they really help with problem skin! Including a nice mention about Timeless Skin (coming soon!)
• Thoughts from a client after reading Timeless Skin 

If you are an aesthetician or plan on becoming one, please visit my professional blog where you will find lots of information written just for you:

• Help for Aestheticians: Starting a business

The Forgotten Places: The Neck

Even though you (hopefully) are taking good care of the skin on your face, you may be neglecting your neck, something I consider a Forgotten Place. So if you aren’t already, you’ll want to start including your neck area in everything you do. That means The Basics 1-2-3 plus exfoliation and sunscreen. A clay mask isn’t necessary unless you have a lot of breakout on your neck.

Keep in mind that when you’re driving, your neck can (and does) receive a lot of sun exposure. The visors in most cars don’t have any kind of extension to shield the driver’s side (or passenger’s) from the sun. Tinted window glass may help prevent some UVB sunlight from penetrating, but not UVA; there isn’t a whole lot you can do except try to avoid long periods of exposure.

If you’re driving long distances, try wrapping a scarf around your neck to protect it from getting too much sun. Consider keeping a light cloth or towel in your car to drape over your shoulder and arm closest to the window. This can help keep your skin from burning while driving for extended periods of time.

When I know I’ll be in my car for a long drive, I’ll bring along a long-sleeved, white, cotton crew neck top. I don’t always put the top on, sometimes I just slip one sleeve over my left (sunny side while driving) arm. This really does help to keep that skin protected from the sun. At least more so than if I didn’t drape anything over that area.

For more information, see:

• The Basics 1-2-3 Program for proper skin care
• Let Bed Bath & Beyond save your skin!—for another idea on how to protect your neck (and face) while driving
• MYTH: You need to use a separate cream for your neck

Collagen Injections: the basics

What are collagen injections? 

This is a procedure where bovine collagen, taken from cowhide, is injected into the furrows of deep lines and wrinkles of the face. The most commonly injected areas are the nasolabial lines (laugh lines), fine lines around the lips and corners of the mouth, and the vertical lines between the eyebrows (worry lines).

The collagen acts like a filler to plump up the depression caused by a wrinkle, making the line (wrinkle) temporarily disappear. The actual procedure will cause redness in the injected area along with temporary bruising and a bit of swelling. These minor reactions will usually go away within the first 24 hours.

In all of the literature written about collagen injections, two main points are repeated. First, collagen injections are a quick and easy “fix.” This procedure will give you the fastest results with a minimum of complications. However, it also is a very short-lived fix, and you have to be reinjected frequently to continue the results.

The price of collagen varies from doctor to doctor, but the cost of one syringeful starts at around $500. Since you have to constantly repeat this procedure to maintain the benefits, collagen treatments can get quite costly. Three to nine months is the life span of collagen injected into the skin. It is reabsorbed at varying speeds, but as much as 30% is reabsorbed within the first three months after the injection.

In addition to the high cost, there is another problem—the potential for allergic reactions. Around 3% of the general public is allergic to bovine collagen. I’ve read that if you have an intolerance to beef and other bovine products, you will most likely have a reaction to cow collagen. Therefore, before having collagen injected for cosmetic purposes, you will always be tested for allergic reactions. Usually the collagen test is in the forearm, and sometimes it’s behind the hairline, on the scalp. A second, follow-up test is standard practice with many doctors—just in case you have a delayed reaction to the first test. This precaution is taken because experiencing an allergic reaction to collagen would be disastrous!

If you are allergic to cowhide collagen or you just don’t want the bovine experience, you can use your body’s own collagen, which is called autologous collagen. Surgery is required to obtain this type of collagen, usually from the upper thighs or buttocks. The potential problem is that if you continue to get regular treatments with autologous collagen, more of your collagen will need to be donated. This requires more surgery to transplant, then more injections into your wrinkles. In the long run, is it worth all the trouble?

Collagen injections should only be administered by a licensed doctor, usually a dermatologist or plastic surgeon. You want to make sure to find a doctor who does a lot of these injections. Accuracy is imperative for proper results.

For more information on “anti-aging” procedures, see:

• Trends & fads in skin care
• What are glycolic peels?
• Botox anyone? What is botox? Plus a client’s cautionary account

Echinacea to keep (or get) you well

Echinacea is one of the best-known herbs for stimulating the immune system. It is used to fight against colds, flu, and minor infections. The echinacea plant is a beautiful purple coneflower resembling a hot-pink sunflower and is indigenous to North America. Native Americans knew of echinacea’s powerful healing abilities and often used it to treat colds, flu, and other ailments. Echinacea is essential to have around at all times—at home, in your travel bag, and at the office.

Whenever you get sick, it’s a breakdown of your immune system on some level. So taking supplements to boost it back up will help keep you healthy. Echinacea increases the activity of the immune system.

According to the Herb Research Foundation, “Unlike a vaccine, which is active only against a specific disease, echinacea stimulates the overall activity of the cells responsible for fighting infections. Unlike antibiotics, which are directly lethal to bacteria, echinacea makes our own immune cells more efficient in attacking bacteria, viruses, and abnormal cells. Echinacea facilitates wound healing and speeds recovery from viruses.”

To help keep your body’s defenses strong against infection, it is important to take enough echinacea and to take it often. But also be aware that with long-term use, it appears echinacea will lose its effectiveness. Six to eight weeks seems like the maximum time period for continuous beneficial usage. Although it’s not effective to take it over long periods of time, the benefits of taking echinacea for a short time are numerous. The rule of thumb I follow is to take supplements only when needed. (There is no known toxicity to echinacea.)

I use a product from Futurebiotics that has echinacea as well as golden seal and garlic. (Golden seal and garlic are also immune system stimulants.) Individually these herbs can work wonders; together they pack a powerful punch to fight against infections.
*Since writing this, I have discovered this Futurebiotics supplement is hard to find or non-existent. However, the ingredients in this are available in many other supplements available online or in stores.

I generally keep this supplement in my home at all times of the year. If I have seen a client who was perhaps just coming down with something or just getting over a cold or some other contagious malady, I will take several Futurebiotics echinacea tablets right when I get home and then throughout that evening. I don’t encourage clients to come in sick, but if that does happen, I am armed with immune support and rarely if ever get sick.

Whatever you decide to take, I highly recommend having some kind of immune system stimulating/herbal supplement on hand for those times when you need an extra immune system boost.

For more healthful ideas if you’re not feeling well, see:

• Help for a winter (or any time) cold 
  
• Emergen-C—a little effervescence for your health
• Hot water and lemon to the rescue

Yonka’s PHYTO 58 PS and PNG—therapeutic night creams for both dry and normal to oily skin

PHYTO 58 PS and PHYTO 58 PNG are lovely rosemary hydrating creams from Yonka. “PS” stands for peaux sèches (French), which means for dry (skin) in English. “PNG” stands for peaux normales à grasses (French), which means for normal to oily in English.

As you may have read in other articles on this blog, rosemary is an excellent ingredient for many reasons. Namely, it helps stimulate blood circulation. It’s the oxygen and nutrients carried in the blood that feed and nourish skin cells. Along with better circulation, rosemary has a detoxifying effect as well. Due to its stimulating action, rosemary also helps to enliven the coloring of any skin. Translation: it helps make your skin look healthier—brighter, if you will.

From Yonka headquarters: Phyto 58 creams are deep, therapeutic nighttime balms that correct capillary fragility. Other benefits include tissue detoxification that results in improved firmness and tone, yellow and sallow tones are alleviated, and the 58 creams revive cellular function without a harsh, caustic action. The skin is deeply oxygenated, subtlety hydrated, destressed and well-rested with renewed clarity. Skin looks younger and plumped with a superb silky-smooth texture and radiance.

The emulsifying and texture agents of the Phyto 58 creams have been re-engineered by the Yonka laboratories in France improving the hydrating properties of these lovely rosemary creams.

Rosemary does have a somewhat strong aromatic, however I love it and most of my clients do too. But it definitely is not for everyone. If you haven’t given one of these rosemary creams a try, I highly recommend you do!

For those of you looking for an alternative to the now discontinued Phyto 54, one of the 58 creams (per your skin type) might be a good substitute. (Phyto 54 had 6% rosemary extract, FYI.)

Essential ingredients:

• Rosemary extract: 3% in 58PS; 7.5% in 58PNG—oxygenates and detoxifies, vasoconstrictor, drains excess fluid from tissues, firms, antiseptic
• Corn and soy bean oil—balances sebum
• Wheat germ oil—nourishes, favors cell renewal
• Vitamins E and F—protects against free radical damage, speeds-up cellular healing
• Glucolipids extracted from corn—non-comedogenic, allows a richer emulsion, improved hydrating properties
• Sweet Almond oil [PS version]—nourishes and protects, favors cell renewal
• Sunflower oil [PS version]—neutralizes free radical damage
• Vitamins A and E—regenerating, anti-free radicals
•  Yonka “Quintessence” (essential oils of thyme, lavender, cypress, geranium, and rosemary)—regenerating, energizing, detoxifying

Directions for use:

In the evening:

• After cleansing and spraying on Yonka Lotion toner
• Apply a pea-sized dollop of PHYTO 58 over face and neck
• Then use eye cream

For more information, see:

• Yonka’s Phyto 52—Rosemary cream for all skin types
• Essential Oils: a primer
• My review of Paula Begoun’s review of Yonka-Paris skin care products