Skincare Products + Skin Care Techniques

Skin Products & Devices

Skincare products & skin care techniques for skin problems. How to apply Retinol & Vitamin C. Anti-aging skincare. How to treat acne, brown spots, dry skin, wrinkles, Keratosis Pilaris. Skincare ingredient list. Skincare research. Skin care techniques, news, products, tutorials.

How to use anti-aging devices such as NuFace and Revive light therapy devices. Details on dermaplaning and cleansing devices. News of the latest skin care products.

CURRENT SKIN CARE OBSESSIONS: SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic with 15% L-Ascorbic Acid.

Serum Ceuticals Lumina Lightening Serum

August 6, 2016 · Leave a Comment

Serum Ceuticals Lumina Lightening Serum

This is a concentrated serum with no water or chemical preservatives. It is to lighten the skin, but it is NOT a whitening serum that bleaches the skin with the intent of being fairer-skinned. This is geared towards reversing hyperpigmentation due to sun damage and age spots without disrupting your natural skintone.

WHY USE A LIGHTENING SERUM ON AGING SKIN
I noticed as I got older, my skin got more brown spots, especially in areas that the sunlight would hit such as the top of my cheekbones, my forehead, and my nose. I got a few random brown spots – better known as age spots – as well. I noticed my skin was losing its’ rosy glow. While I generally associate wrinkles and sagging with aging, these are structural changes to the skin. But another sign of aging that is easier to remedy is the lackluster look skin often has as it ages, in part, due to duller skin and hyperpigmentation due to sun damage. These dark sun-damage spots often occur diffusely across areas one would instead wish to highlight – such as the top of the cheekbone. Having a splattering of dark spots in these areas It is almost like having contour where highlighter should be.

APPLICATION
It dispenses from the bottle a drop at a time, and not much is needed. It is an oily consistency. It can be applied directly to the skin or combined with other serums or creams. I apply it with my Glucan Cream made by the same company. The reason for this is that while it is not as powerful as a peel, it is a potent treatment, so pairing it with a moisturizer that soothes is helpful to avoid redness and irritation.

RESULTS
I was surprised how quickly my skin looked dewy, and how it did seem to tackle some uneven areas such as the skin on and around my nose. The darker spots on my upper cheekbones seem lighter. My skintone itself has not changed, only the dark hyperpigmented areas have begun to fade. It is not an overnight change, but I am happy so far with the results.

Skincare: Serum Ceuticals Lumina Lightening Serum

August 6, 2016 · Leave a Comment

Serum Ceuticals Lumina Lightening Serum

Azure Naturals Vitamin C Serum Benefits to Love

August 4, 2016 · Leave a Comment

REVIEW of Azure Naturals Vitamin C is a potent Vitamin C Serum.

Azure Naturals Vitamin C Serum

What is Azure Naturals Vitamin C is a potent Vitamin C Serum?

Azure Naturals Vitamin C is a potent Vitamin C Serum.

I have found it particularly useful in the treatment of deep hyperpigmentation that is beyond the surface layer of the skin such as older acne scars, age spots/brown spots, and sun damage.
It has also been helpful in treating fine lines on my forehead.

The Azure Naturals Vitamin C Serum Experience

CONSISTENCY
It is physically different from many Vitamin C serums in that it is more liquidy than gel-like in texture, there is a distinct citrus scent, and it is not a clear transparent like many serums.

While generally speaking, a Vitamin C serum has expired if it is not almost transparent and clear, in this case, the color is due to the other active ingredients and it being a “milk serum.” But these differences are a good thing because these active ingredients pack a punch in the anti-aging department.

What to look for when choosing a Vitamin C Serum

There are many Vitamin C serums on the market.

They are so popular because topical Vitamin C is so beneficial for the production of collagen in the skin.

As we age, we produce less collagen, which leads to brown spots, sagging, wrinkling, and duller skin. Vitamin C can also help acne and fade acne scars, as well as repair sun damage.

When I buy a Vitamin C serum, I tend to look at the supporting ingredients in that product to decide if that particular serum can help with my unique skin issues.

Some Vitamin C serums are best suited for sun damage repair, others for acne, scarring, and brown spots, and some for anti-aging. Some address multiple types of problems at once.

What are the Azure Naturals Vitamin C ACTIVE INGREDIENTS

The Azure Naturals Vitamin C Serum contains 22% Vitamin C, slightly higher than many of its’ competitor serums. It is also a milk serum, which allows it to penetrate deeper into the skin than gel-like serums. I have noticed this seems to help deeper hyperpigmentation issues such as some acne scarring as well as brown spots. This is great but also it has a bit of a sting to it if your skin is sensitive. Not too bad, just make sure to follow use with a moisturizer.

Other helpful ingredients

In addition to the Vitamin C, there is 11% Hyaluronic Acid, which can hold a tremendous amount of moisture which plumps the skin and makes the skin appear dewy and youthful on contact. It also can help active ingredients reach deeper layers of the skin. When a product pairs Vitamin C with Hyaluronic Acid, it is often a very effective.

A great ingredient to use with Vitamin C is 1% Ferulic Acid. It is an antioxidant found in fruit that brightens skin.

Sea Buckthorn in a Vitamin C Serum Benefits

Sea Buckthorn has become a popular anti-aging ingredient as it nourishes the skin, soothes sensitive skin conditions, and heals skin damage such as burns and abrasions. It encourages the skin to produce more collagen by treating aged skin as if it was wounded skin that needs to heal. It is the Sea Buckthorn in part that gives this Vitamin C its opaque color.

Arnica Flower helps to heal and soothe, especially bruising and inflammation. If your skin is sensitive, this helps one tolerate the use of the Vitamin C serum.
Tamanu Oil is unique in that it promotes the growth of new tissue. This is very useful when treating skin with acne scarring or pitting.
Evening Primrose Oil is an Omega-6 rich moisturizer suitable for those simultaneously suffering from adult acne and wrinkles.
Advanced Amino Complex spurs on the skin to use the Vitamin C to make more collagen.

CONCLUSION:
While many Vitamin C serums help a handful of skin problems, this serum covers many bases:

acne
scarring
wrinkles
collagen formation
anti-aging and new skin formation

Some ingredients make it harder for the most sensitive of skins to tolerate, but it delivers fast results. We recommend this serum for those with multiple skin issues and sensitive skin.

Where to Find this Vitamin C Serum

Find it at Amazon.com.

I received this product in exchange for testing and review purposes. If you have any questions about my experience with it, leave it in the comments section below, and I’ll do my best to answer it!

Le Edge Full Body Exfoliator: What to Know

August 3, 2016 · Leave a Comment

Le Edge Full Body Exfoliator

Summertime skin care requires lots of exfoliating to stay smooth. But those of us with sensitive skin on our face and body often find scrubs and loofahs too abrasive. So I was glad to find this Le Edge Full Body Exfoliator, which is a no-chemical, gentle means of exfoliation. It does not irritate the skin or micro-tear the skin. The problem I find with many exfoliating methods such as scrubs and creams is that they contain harsh grains that can do damage to the healthy skin in the process of removing dry, flaky or dead skin.

ABOUT THE Le Edge Full Body EXFOLIATOR

Shaped something like a small squeegee, it has a stainless steel dull “blade” that gently and hygienically lifts and removes dirt, debris, and dead skin cells without irritating the underlying skin. The stainless steel blade will not rust and is naturally bacteria free. It is dull and smooth, you cannot cut or scrape yourself with the blade, but you can over-do it if you are too aggressive. It is intended for use on both the body and the face.

This kind of tool is different from pumices or loofahs because it just removes the skin that is ready to exfoliate away without disrupting skin that is healthy and should not be removed prematurely. There are no chemicals or drying agents, just the ability to exfoliate without introducing bacteria into the area.

RESULTS

I was surprised that such light pressure at a 45-degree angle could remove so much dead skin from both the face and the body. It is important that the skin is wet, and it is best used in the shower after the skin has had a few minutes to absorb moisture, which allows for the best conditions to remove more dead skin. I do my face first, then rinse it off and use it on my body, periodically rinsing it off in the water stream, and I use it on my feet last.

EXFOLIATING THE FACE
On the face, it helped to remove dead skin, oil, sebum and even some blackheads, especially around the nose. It did not irritate or open the skin on some healing acne I have, but it did slough off the dead skin around the blemish. I was surprised to see how much dead skin exfoliates off of the nose, chin, and jawline, as well as my throat. I made sure to use gentle strokes on the face; it seems like the tool won’t accomplish much because the stainless steel blade is not sharp, but it does remove skin quickly.

AFTER CHEMICAL PEELS
A tell-tale sign that one is using chemical peels or Retinol is a very light layer of peeling on the face. Trying to remove this light peeling is tricky since too much scrubbing or exfoliating scrubs or creams can make the peeling seem even worse.

This Le Edge Exfoliator tool is especially useful if you use AHA peels, or you are on a Retinoid or Vitamin C serum program and have some very light peeling dry skin that you don’t wish to scrub off vigorously with a washcloth or sponge, but still need to remove it before applying any makeup. This Le Edge exfoliator removes this lightly peeling skin gently so that you don’t damage the skin but can still remove light peeling and apply makeup over it.

EXFOLIATING THE BODY
Before applying lotions or self-tanning creams, this gives a smooth, debris-free surface for makeup, tanning lotions or creams to adhere. It is not irritating like a loofah or pumice could be, so the skin will not be red and sensitive after use. I was impressed to see how much dead skin comes off the feet, as well as hard to reach areas such as knees, elbows, upper arms, and thighs. I often overlook these areas during my skin care routine, but the Le Edge Exfoliator makes quick work of keeping these areas smooth.

Le Edge Full Body Exfoliator

CONCLUSION

I was impressed to see how much dead skin this Le Edge tool removes without irritating the skin. This is ideal for when you need to do more than one task on your skin that might irritate your skin, such as shaving and exfoliation, exfoliation and applying self-tanner, or exfoliating and applying makeup afterward. Particularly useful for those who use retinol, acne creams, and do at-home chemical peels and experience some light peeling of the skin which needs to be removed with care.

Le Edge Full Body Exfoliator

Find it at http://www.le-edge.us

I received this product in exchange for testing and review purposes. If you have any questions about my experience with it, leave it in the comments section below, and Iâ€™ll do my best to answer it!