Importance of Good Home Care

The Media is flooded with Beauty products and every magazine has the latest and greatest anti-aging product to make us look 20 years younger. 

But do you REALLY know what you're putting on your skin??

And just because XYZ magazine's beauty editor said that this great new ABC cream is awesome, does it really work for YOUR skin's specific needs??

Then we find ourselves at a department store beauty counter, Sephora or Ulta or even CVS just to pick up that amazing cream the beauty editor said would make your skin look and feel great.  

We leave with that product and a few others, because we just need to get rid of those wrinkles or acne or even out those sun-spots.

Suddenly, are skin is left with a feeling of dryness, the wrinkles may have diminished but we are now breaking out or our pores look bigger or the spots got darker, etc.

Whatever the reason or the problem, unfortunately, most of us are NOT fixing the problems we had to begin with, because we are using products that are WRONG for our skin.

I see it all the time with my clients.  Every new client that comes into my spa, gets a full-skin analysis and that includes them bringing in their current beauty products and we go through EVERYTHING they're using.

Honestly, almost every client I see is using something that is not only wrong for their skin, but they are damaging the skin and creating more harm or causing the aging process to worsen.


Here are 3 reasons WHY we end up using the Wrong products for our skin...

Reason #1: While reading our favorite magazine, the beauty editor told us that ABC cream is amazing and got rid of her wrinkles!

Beauty editors are just that, an Editor of a magazine who happens to work in the beauty area.  Manufacturers send boxes of products to them (for free) to try out and write about in their upcoming articles.

They know nothing about the science behind skin and rarely, if ever, mention what skin-type they are.

And they are just basing their information on the way the product feels on their skin, not on how the active ingredients are meant to target specific skin conditions.

Reason #2: We open up another magazine and see celebrities with flawless skin on the advertisement for our favorite beauty brand and attached is a coupon!

I can guarantee you that most celebrities do NOT use the OTC products they are PAID to promote.  Again, manufacturers spend millions of dollars on celebrity endorsements to sell their products.  

Unfortunately, the quality and amount of active ingredients are NOT high enough to make a difference.  Plus, they make such large quantities of products at once, they need more preservatives to keep the shelf-life longer because they can sit on the shelves in warehouses for 6months to 1year before even hitting the shelves in stores!

Reason #3: The information you're getting is NOT from a Trained Professional!

This is my biggest pet-peeve!!!

Estheticians spend between 400-1000 hours (depending on their state) getting educated in Skin.  We understand the basics of skin, the biology of how the skin functions and how products are absorbed or not.  

We also learn science and spend many hours learning products and the science behind ingredients and how to use the products to achieve results in the skin.

Most importantly, we are trained that your home care routine is the MOST important aspect of skin care, because YOU are in control of your skin everyday!  We only can do so much in the little time we spend with you each month.

We recommend products that are customized to your skin's needs.  Based on your current skin concerns, we can see what you're using or not using that needs to be added to your routine and truly care about seeing you happy and confident with the way you look and feel about your skin.

My biggest recommendation is to find a good Esthetician who is passionate about skin and understands and continues to educate herself (or himself) to be up to date on the latest information and beauty trends.

Call the spa and ask to speak to the Esthetician prior to booking your facial and bring in your beauty products so you both know what's being used on a daily basis.  A good Esthetician will fill in the spaces that need to be filled and add to your home routine so you can get the best results.

Lastly, by using the right products, you will actually SAVE money, because you won't be spending money on products that don't work and end up sitting on your shelf (collecting dust) or even thrown away because your skin reacted negatively or just isn't happy with that product.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me, I'm happy to take a look at your skin.  If you don't live in the Chicago area, I'm happy to look at your skin via Skype or FaceTime.

My website is a great resource to help guide you and get my contact information.

Toxic Ingredients in Beauty Products

Many of us are aware of reading food labels and purchasing certain produce because it's on the Dirty Dozen list.  We know that pesticides and GMO's are bad to consume, so we try hard to avoid them on a daily basis.

But did you know that there is a Dirty Dozen in beauty products too??

Certain ingredients that are commonly used in many beauty products are cheap to use and serve as either a great fragrance, smooth application or even as a preservative to keep the product from spoiling quickly.

When big box manufacturers produce beauty products, they dump all their ingredients in a vat and make HUGE batches at a time.  These products are filled with large amounts of fillers and preservatives because they sit on shelves in warehouses for months or even years before you purchase them from a store.

Worse yet, all they need is less than 0.1% of an active ingredient to state on the label that it will reduce wrinkles, minimize acne or even the skin tone.

When a product DOES work to reduce wrinkles, it's NOT the active ingredients working, it's the fact that your skin has had a reaction to the fillers and irritating ingredients and becomes inflammed, which causes the skin to swell or "plump" the skin which gives the appearance of diminished fine lines and wrinkles.

The problem is that this causes MORE aging to the skin and overtime creates unnecessary skin sensitivities that can be prevented.

Without further ado, I give you the Dirty Dozen in beauty products...

1) Sodium Lauryl or Laureth Sulfate (SLS)
Used in garage floor cleaners and engine degreasers, this ingredient is in 90% of our beauty products. SLS is what gives our products their ability to foam.  SLS can poses serious health threats and young eyes may not develop properly.  SLS may also damage the skin's immune system.

Found in baby washes, baby shampoo, antibacterial hand soap, shaving cream, shampoo & body washes.

2) Propylene, Butylene and Ethylene Glycol (Propylene Glycol is the most common)
Found in Antifreeze and used to de-ice planes.  Glycols acts as a surfactant (wetting agent & solvent) that penetrates the skin & weakens the protein & cell structures.  Glycols are strong enough to remove barnacles from boats and factory workers are required by the FDA to wear protective clothing when using & disposing of these ingredients. 

Found in baby wipes, diaper creams, baby lotion, facial cleansing cloths, facial cleansers, body washes, shampoo & toothpaste.

3) DEA (Diethanolamine), MEA (Monoethanolamine) & TEA (Triethanolamine)
Hormone-disrupting chemicals that can form cancer-causing nitrates.  These ingredients can potentially increase the risk of liver and kidney cancers which can be more prominent in children.

Found in body lotion, body washes, cleansers & shampoo.

4) Polyethylene Glycol
Carcinogenic petroleum-based ingredient that reduces the skin's natural moisture.  Polyethylene Glycol increases the appearance of aging and leaves you vulnerable to bacteria.

Found in baby wipes, diaper creams, baby lotion, cleansers, body washes & deodorant.

5) Sodium Hydroxide
This caustic Lye is the main ingredient in Drain-O.  May be fatal or cause permanent damage if swallowed - AVOID all contact with skin, eyes, mouth & clothing.  Olives are soaked in Sodium Hydroxide to give them their "black" color.

Found in toothpaste, baby lotions, hand & body creams.

6) Triclosan
Commonly used anti-microbial agent that accumulates in our bodies and has been linked to hormone disruption and the emergence of drug-resistant bacteria.  Triclosan is found in our sewage treatment plants, ground, surface and drinking water and CANNOT be completely removed during water treatment processes.

Found in antibacterial hand washes, soaps and toys.

7) DMDM and Urea
These formaldeyhde-releasing ingredients are KNOWN carcinogens.   These ingredients act as preservatives and can cause joint pain, skin reactions, allergies, depression, headaches, chest pain, ear infections, chronic fatigue, dizziness and loss of sleep.

Found in body washes, body lotion, antibacterial hand washes, cleansers and shampoo.

8) Parabens
Have the ability to cause estrogenic-effects in the body.  The problem is, the Dutch study that started the paraben scare, was a blind study and only showed that parabens were present in ALL breast cancer patients.   Parabens are a preservative and are seen as methyl-, ethyl, propyl-, and butyl-parabens.

Found in baby wipes, baby lotions, baby washes, antibacterial and hand soaps, facial wipes, body lotions and shampoo.

9) Alcohol, Isopropyl (SD-40)
Drying, irritating solvent that strips the skin of its natural moisture and immune barrier, making us vulnerable to bacteria and viruses.  Made from the same petroleum-derivative as shellac and antifreeze.  Alcohol promotes brown spots and premature aging.

Found in creams, lotions and deodorants.

10) Mineral Oil
Petroleum by-product that coats the skin, similar to plastic wrap, which clogs the pores.  Mineral oil interferes with the skin's ability to eliminate toxins, promotes acne and other skin disorders.  It also slows down skin function & cell development, which promotes aging.

Found in lotions and creams.

11) FD&C Color Pigments 
Synthetic coal tar that deposits toxins on the skin, causing skin irritations.  Absorption of certain colors can deplete oxygen in the body.

Found in makeup, shampoo, toothpaste, body washes, cleansers, baby products, wipes, hand washes, deodorant, lotions and creams.

12) Fragrance
Can contain one of 4,000 ingredients (which over 2,000 are toxic or carcinogenic).  Fragrances are NOT regulated by the FDA and a fragrance is a general word put on a food or beauty label.   Fragrances affect the Nervous System and can cause headaches, dizziness, allergic reactions, depression, nausea, vomiting, coughing, skin discoloration, hyperactivity and irritability.

Found in practically EVERYTHING!!!  Even non-fragrance products contain some form of fragrance!!!!!

Here's the bottom line, print this out and read labels when shopping for beauty products.  If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me, I'm happy to guide you to safer products for you and your family.