Sweet Holiday Treats…Good For Your Skin? Or Not?

Sweet treats left on desks and doorsteps may be kindly meant, and your mouth will likely thank you for indulging—but your face won’t.  It’s true the old notion that chocolate causes acne is more of a superstition than a scientific truth,   but it’s also true that high glycemic index foods in general (such as cookies and milk) do contribute to acne breakouts.

Diets high in refined carbohydrates seem to affect hormone levels which in turn increase oil production by sebaceous glands. And in addition to upping your breakout odds, the plethora of seasonal culinary pleasures like salty snacks and alcoholic drinks can also cause bloating and redness. So, take it easy on the treats and the vino, and your skin, not to mention your waistline, will show appreciation for your moderation.

Dry Itchy Skin? Dry Chapped Lips?

My lips are the first place to react to cold weather and the usual balms aren’t cutting it. Do you have a suggestion?

Popular lip balms will simply coat the lips and when it wears off, you’re back to where you started. Treating lips with ANTI-AGE Lip Renewing Serum nightly helps to restore definition and keeps lips looking naturally full and youthful. Used nightly, each mono-dose capsule helps lips retain natural moisturizing factors, smooths lip texture, reduces the appearance of lip wrinkles, and provides protective antioxidant benefits. The result is fuller, firmer, smoother, hydrated and more defined-looking lips.

For maintenance during the day use ESSENTIALS Lip Shield SPF 25. This hydrating lip balm soothes, softens and protects lips from the aging and burning effects of the sun with SHIELDrf, an exclusive complex of stabilized avobenzone and antioxidant/anti-inflammatory colorless carotenoids for effective UVA sunscreen protection. It also conditions lips with collagen-stimulating peptides to smooth lip texture, lipid molecules for long-term moisturization and dimethicone to protect the delicate moisture barrier. Vitamins A, C and E provide antioxidant protection, while shea butter, avocado and sunflower seed oil hydrate and moisturize.

 Why does my skin get drier in colder weather?

In the winter, we turn up the thermostat in our homes which removes humidity from the air and causes dehydration of our skin. We also wear more clothing, which can wick moisture from the surface of the skin. Dry skin is thinner, more fragile and has less of a protective barrier. Once the skin’s barrier is compromised, moisture loss continues and the skin is vulnerable to the entrance of irritants and infections, often leading to a red, itchy rash.

Take a warm (not hot bath) and apply ESSENTIALS Daily Body Moisturizer after patting the skin dry to tackle body moisturization in a whole new way. Featuring RF-Dcell technology, Daily Body Moisturizer prolongs the lifespan of healthy cells so skin is more resilient to the climate-induced stressors that cause skin to feel dry, tight and uncomfortable. RF-Dcell acts almost like “psychotherapy for skin,” calming frenzied cells down, normalizing the rate of cell maturation and in the end, making skin function more efficiently. The result: skin is able to retain moisture and remain comfortable when challenged by climate and other environmental aggressors.

For healthier, smoother, more hydrated skin, contact me before your skin stresses you out!

Putting On The Glitz

‘Tis the season for gloss and glitter … and breakouts and rashes. Go ahead and sparkle, but mind your makeup curfew. If late nights give way to lazy night skincare routines, the effects will catch up with you in the form of clogged pores, dull texture from dead skin cell buildup, and breakouts.

Also, glitters and shimmering shadows can be irritants, so if you use them infrequently you may find that adding a little extra dazzle for an evening out gets you more than you bargained for. You may end up with watery eyes, itchiness and redness. Our advice? Let your clothes and accessories do the glittering and let your natural beauty shine through.      -Derm RF