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 Albumin & Hyaluronic Acid Serum

April 14, 2016 · Leave a Comment

NO CHEMICAL PRESERVATIVES!
Serum Ceuticals is an innovative brand that makes a truly all natural product with no chemical preservatives by instead of chemicals they use a natural charge – in this case from Radish Root Ferment Filtrate – to keep perishable ingredients fresh. This product has Albumin, a product used in skincare to give the appearance of tighter, firmer skin and enhance collagen production. A nice feature is that it can be used on the eye area, including the eyelids, an area frequently ignored in anti-aging topical remedies. Addressing crepey skin around the eye with a tightening effect is pretty impressive.

THE INGREDIENTS
This serum contains several ingredients that serve both as a short term and long term fix for anti-aging concerns. For immediate appearance enhancement, it smooths and softens the appearance of skin with moisturizing ingredients like Hyaluronic Acid, and make the skin appear firmer and taut with Albumin that forms a layer on the skin and tightens it, which in tandem with the caffeine, makes skin appear firmer and tighter. For long-term anti-aging, Hyaluronic Acid helps Albumin get deeper into the skin to enhance collagen production.

MY EXPERIENCE
The first time I applied it, I didn’t read the directions and failed to shake the bottle before use. This is actually pretty important because while my skin looked taut and luminous upon application my skin also felt sort of uncomfortably tight and… I smelled like a soybean. The second time I read the directions and experienced neither of these problems. But on dry down, which does take a few minutes, skin looks amazingly youthful: dewy, plump and luminous in a natural way, not a fake shimmer or shiny glow. So remember to SHAKE IT before use.

I applied it directly then my moisturizer, but it is concentrated, so consider adding it into your moisturizer. I experienced no irritation or uncomfortable tightness, there is no bad smell or stickiness. I offered it to my Mom to try and while she has very sensitive skin, she reported no problems and really loved it. Her skin did look smoother and softer with a nice subtle glow after just a few uses.

What is especially interesting about this product is it is truly and all natural product yet it contains some powerful ingredients in the form of multiple peptides. Being able to use this kind of ingredients around the eye makes for a great treatment to address the appearance of thin and deep wrinkles, smile lines, and to address lax appearing skin.

I would recommend this product, especially for those with sensitive skin.

Serum Ceuticals Albumin & Hyaluronic Acid Serum

Recellergy Vitamin C Skincare Supplement: Anti-Aging From Within

April 11, 2016 · Leave a Comment

VITAMIN Câ€™s ROLE IN ANTI-AGING SKINCARE

Vitamin C is necessary for anti-aging because it is a vital component in the production of Collagen. Collagen supports skin and keeps it taut, firm and gives it a youthful appearance. Collagen also repairs muscles, the supporting structure behind of our skin that keeps skin from sagging. The more collagen the better when it comes to skin, but collagen production decreases starting as early as in our thirties. This is often the start of tiny crinkles and wrinkles, dark spots, adult acne and a loss of luster in the skin.

We generally cannot by our dietary intake alone get enough Vitamin C for our bodies to enhance this collagen production process, so supplemental Vitamin C works infinitely better at giving your skin a sustainable level of Vitamin C to make collagen. Topical serums treat surface layers of the skin, and are useful, but Collagen production at the deeper layers – that which are the building blocks for taut, lifted skin and a natural, youthful glow – that happens at the deep levels of the skin. These layers require cellular level nourishment via supplemental Vitamin C.

HOW TO GET VITAMIN C TO THE CELLULAR LEVEL FOR COLLAGEN PRODUCTION

Not just any old Vitamin C does the trick: a UK study shows a daily dose of 1000mg of Vitamin C delivered in a specific WAY is the most effective way of increasing skin firmness. Because regular Vitamin C as found in our diet and many supplements leaves our body quickly, it is not as available to the Collagen production areas of the skin. However, when the Vitamin C is delivered by liposomes, it can deliver nutritional contents directly to where they are needed – including the skin.

To that end, Recellergy by Livon, a brand sold exclusively in premier salons and spas, uses this liposome delivery technique to get the Vitamin C to the skin, where it is needed to make collagen. This results in stronger skin, which means fewer wrinkles and a firmer appearance to the skin, It is not an aesthetic “quick fix” like a serum or a cream for the surface layers of the epidermis â€“ (serums areÂ great but limited) – but it works in as few as four weeks to make skin firmer from the dermis, the supporting skin that when full of collagen, gives the look of youth.

Side benefit: according to a UK study, Recellergy users said they also had an increase in daily energy levels and well-being within weeks of taking Recellergy Vitamin C.

MY EXPERIENCE WITH RECELLERGY

VITAMIN C RECELLERGY VITAMIN C comes in small packets with two notches on the top sides. For use once or twice a day.

Cut straight across with scissors to open the packet, it is a gel-like liquid inside the packet.

vitamin c open

2. Add the contents of the packet to one to two ounces of cool or room temperature beverage – not a hot beverage such as tea and don’t use it as an additive in the blender for your smoothie – the reason is the liposome delivery system is not to melt or blend – it may even clump a bit and not melt in your drink. It will also not mix into water, as seen in the photos below, but it mostly blends into a juice, like the grapefruit juice seen in the pictures.

VitaminC1

vitamin c3

In Grapefruit Juice

3. Drink the mixture on an empty stomach if possible and wait about 15 minutes to eat. That is all there is to it!

TASTE: There is not really a taste to it, my grapefruit juice tasted slightly more tart than normal, but I wouldnâ€™t really notice a difference in taste.
TEXTURE: The packet says some may not dissolve in the beverage and this was true for me. The texture was basically unnoticeable, not gritty or sandy, not slimy. The portion of my beverage with the Recellergy Vitamin C that did not dissolve (as seen in one of the photos below of the almost empty glass) tasted normal but that swallow of the drink felt like a thicker juice more like a nectar, but it did not feel slimy or gritty in my mouth as if some foreign substance was in the drink. I didnâ€™t really noticed it and I have a thing about weird textures on food.

CONCLUSION: Topical Vitamin C serums are very useful in anti-aging, and should be used in a skin care regimen, but they can only do so much for the surface dermis layer of skin. Real anti-aging treatment comes from Vitamin C reaching the dermis, the deeper skin level. Recellergy Vitamin C with itsâ€™ unique system of Vitamin C delivery gets a high dose of Vitamin C to the skin where it is needed for collagen production. It is a great tool for looking naturally younger.

Read more about Recellergy’s amazing products atÂ http://www.recellergy.com/products/

vitamincboxblog

Smoothly Shea UnRefined Shea Butter: A Certified Premium Grade A Shea Butter

April 7, 2016 · Leave a Comment

Do you know what a lab Certified Grade A Shea Butter is? I didnt but once I learned, I threw away all but one of my existing Shea Butter products. From now on, I am not putting ANYTHING on my skin that isnt “Grade A” Shea Butter.

I don’t want any to use any Shea Butter that does not meet this high-grade standard once I understood what it means: a poor grade Shea is not just less effective, it could be moldy, rancid, or contaminated.

I found that out when doing research about Smoothly Shea UnRefined Shea Butter, which is a very high-quality unrefined Shea Butter suitable for use on skin, hair, and for homemade Shea Butter items such as lip balms and soaps. Unrefined Shea Butter has the important bioactive nutrients that refined Shea Butter lacks. If your Shea Butter experience has been just okay, consider a quality grade unrefined Shea.

The Shea refining process removes potential contaminants but also removes most of the bioactive and moisturizing agents of Shea Butter

I WAS RELUCTANT TO USE AN UNREFINED SHEA: HOW DO I KNOW IF IT IS ANY GOOD OR EVEN SAFE?

I was leery about using unrefined Shea Butter not knowing if it is fresh, pure or even safe, so I did research. There is no governmental requirement to test Shea Butter, so some poor quality Shea, even rancid Shea, is indeed available for sale. So how does one go about finding a trustworthy unrefined Shea Butter?

This article addresses two topics: How to find a safe, pure Unrefined Shea Butter and a product review of a Grade A Premium Shea: the Smoothly Shea Unrefined Shea Butter.

IMPORTANT TAKEAWAY: Independent Shea Butter Vendors can get their Unrefined Shea Butter tested and certified for quality, freshness, purity, potential contaminants and overall safety. Smoothly Shea brand voluntarily submits their Shea Butter batches for testing and sells that which is certified with Premium Grade A.

HOW TO KNOW IF YOU CAN TRUST AN UNREFINED SHEA BUTTER

How do you know if a Shea Butter is old, contaminated, moldy, or if it has gone rancid or worse? Researching unrefined Shea Butters leads to the Shea Institute, an organization that tests and grades unrefined Shea Butter.

Shea Institute gives independent Shea Butter vendors the ability to voluntarily test each batch and get a letter grade rating of the Shea quality based on these lab results. This means vendors can assure their customers that they sell only pure, fresh, quality unrefined Shea Butter free of preservatives and consumers can purchase pure unrefined Shea they trust that is a safe product. It is a WIN-WIN for independent vendors and consumers.

This is a big contrast to many commercial products with Shea Butter in it. Because if a Shea Butter has gone rancid, the Shea Institute will assign it a grade D but that Shea can still be sold and used in product manufacturing. Few Shea Butters earn a Grade A certification.

I have probably unknowingly bought some rancid Shea Butter products over the years, the rancidity masked by added fragrances such as lavender oil. One clue that a Shea Butter may be very old or even rancid if it causes acne breakouts, because an unrefined Grade A Shea actually TREATS acne. So I was impressed by what level of freshness and quality is entailed by qualifying to be aGrade A Shea Butter that from now on Grade A Shea Butter is the only kind I am going to buy.

WHAT EXACTLY IS INVOLVED IN UNREFINED SHEA BUTTER LAB TESTING?

According to the Shea Institute website, the analysis includes:

Physical Assessment of Shea
Chemical Assessment of Shea
Moisture Content
Toxin, Metal, and Containment Testing
Microbiological Analysis
Peroxide Values
Fatty Acid Profile
Rancidity Values
Shelf-Life Studies

This testing also includes testing for Lead, Mercury, Mold, Yeast, Products of rancidity, Coliform bacteria (Shigella, E.Coli, Salmonella, etc.) and unsanitary products.

This addressed my concerns of how do I know I am getting a quality unrefined Shea that is safe for use on skin and is both pure and fresh. I didn’t even think about before now that Shea Butter COULD contain some of those things. Yuck.

Smoothly Shea Unrefined Shea Butter is Certified Grade A and Certified Organic by the American Shea Butter Institute (ASBI).

ABOUT THE SMOOTHLY SHEA UNREFINED SHEA BUTTER

As a Certified Grade A Shea Butter, Smoothly Shea has not only passed freshness, purity and safety tests but surpasses levels testing for higher and better bioactive nutrients counts. With superior bioactive fraction counts, this leads to a more powerful Shea Butter to address issues like wrinkles, sunburns, scalp itchiness, acne, stretch marks, and insect bites. It can also be used as a shaving cream, for frost bite, and for cracked skin on the feet.

The protective barrier nature of Shea butter can be used for soothing chemotherapy burns. In this case, it is especially important to use an only a high grade, uncontaminated Shea. Other protective barrier uses include soothing psoriasis, dermatitis, and eczema.

Shea Butter also soothes sore joints and is useful to apply before exercising and useful for those with arthritis. Shea is also used to moisturize hair and treat scalp disorders and is recommended for hair loss due to scalp conditions.

MY EXPERIENCE WITH USING SMOOTHLY SHEA UNREFINED SHEA BUTTER

Only small amounts are needed to rub between the palms to melt it (like coconut oil) and apply. It smells slightly nutty. As seen in the video, it takes a bit longer than lotion to apply, but less time than commercial product butter I have gotten at the mall. The color of Premium Shea is different than I expected, a golden-ivory, and the feel is completely different, it is not a hard waxy feel that is difficult to rub onto the skin, it melts on contact and is soothing when applied.

MY SHEA TEST CASE: My feet are dry and cracked after a long hard winter, and it only took only a tiny amount to cover my feet AND hands. I have only used it a few times, but my dry cracked hands and feet look younger and feel much softer. It dries down to a non-greasy protective layer that you can feel and it visually leaves the skin appearing dewy but not fake-looking, just healthy. It lasted through several hand-washings during the day and my hands were still soft, which is unusual for me. There is a slightly remaining nutty scent that is a bit more fragrance than I tend to wear, but I think it would be acceptable for a scent-free office.

Want to see the testing results for yourself? Smoothly Shea will make their ASBI premium “Grade-A” certification lab testing reports findings available upon request.

THE PRODUCT SIZE

I expected unrefined Shea to come in some large, messy plastic tubs where the Shea seems to have a waxy, lumpy cream cheese type consistency because that is what I have seen available for sale. So at first, I was surprised at an 8-ounce jar for the price. While it is an unrefined butter, it is firm, dense, and solid. This is not whipped or combined with any other ingredients. There are no additives or fillers, it is just the Shea. This is better to me than the larger tubs since I have no means of removing the impurities that come in these larger unrefined Shea tubs, I am happy to find a product from a vendor that removes all the gunk for me and sells me only the pure product: it is like a refined unrefined Shea all the goodness of the bioactives in the unrefined with none of the unwanted risks.

CONCLUSION:

Most commercially available products from well-known brands such as LâOccitane and Sephora will use refined Shea. When I used these products, my skin and hair were softer but nothing special, not the fuss one hears about online about pure unrefined Shea Butter. And some Shea Butter products have given me acne and all my Shea Butters felt waxy after application, this one does not, it is soft and there no absolutely no waxy feel.

Even with daily use, This jar will last me a while, but I would not hesitate to re-order it and I only plan on buying Shea Butter that displays a Grade A certification from now on. It is a smaller container than some Shea Butters which come in a larger vat but Smoothly Shea is pure and a little bit goes a long way. I prefer knowing it is the safety of a regulated product with all the goodness and quality of a natural and pure Shea.

I am very pleased to have found this product and to know I should be selective in future my Shea purchases.

Tea Tuesday: Ayo French Press

April 5, 2016 · Leave a Comment

A French Press is designed for use with ground coffee, espresso, and tea. The brewing method of a French Press lends towards a smoother, richer cup of coffee because it is a slower gradual brew than when water is run over coffee grinds in a coffeemaker. It is also an easy method to do espresso at home without the expense and mess of coffeehouse-style brewers.

But what I like about this French Press is that does loose leaf teas very well, allowing the tea to open and unfurl and thus reveal the full flavor, especially so with delicate oolongs, whites, and even some monkey-picked green teas that brew quickly. If you enjoy loose leaf teas, you will really like having a way to brew that allows the flavor room to breathe and it is intriguing to watch the tea brewing process. I enjoy brewing in a French Press instead of a tea ball or tea bag because it allows the tea to release the best flavors, and the French Press keeps unwanted tea leaves out of your brewed cup.

ABOUT THIS FRENCH PRESS
The premise of a French press is it is a cylinder shaped beaker often of glass (in this case, this French Press is made with heat resistant and Borosilicate glass) and a plunger that attaches to the lid. The piston of a French Press plunger is generally some sort of mesh. This French press does one better by having a heavier weight colander type multi-layer screen strainer that allows water to flow through but does not allow the grounds or tea leaves to pass into the water.

The French Press is small so it is the perfect size cup that will stay warm until served. There are no flimsy pieces, it feels durable and strong and the design suits various decors.

The French press is well made and easy to clean when brewing tea. Finely milled coffee grounds can get into the air holes in the strainer and require a bit more attention to clean, but no more so than any other coffee brewing method.

Because this particular French Press is made with Borosilicate glass, it makes for both a very sturdy and durable container that can withstand fairly high heat and exposure to cold. What I particularly like is this type of glass lends towards the cylinder NOT absorbing the taste of previously brewed beverages, namely, you will not taste a residual espresso taste within a later brewed delicate white tea. I prefer this to some plastic brewers that retain the flavorings of other previously brewed teas. To me, this is a big selling point.

HOW TO BREW LOOSE LEAF TEA WITH THIS FRENCH PRESS
Remove the plunger and strainer component to add the tea underneath. Replace the plunger and strainer. Secure the lid and press the plunger down as far as it goes without touching the tea leaves. Add enough hot water for the first brewing only and replace the cap. Allow enough room for the tea leaves to unfurl by slowly raising the plunger up to about the halfway point. It is very pretty to watch the tea brew, even if it is a simple black or Earl Grey, and it is a functional piece that is sturdy despite being glass. After the appropriate brewing time (use a timer for very delicate brews to avoid a bitter taste), pour off all the tea. If a second brew is desired, use only new water to not diminish the taste due to over-brewing. This is different than when brewing coffee in a French Press as a longer brew time does not make the coffee bitter.

SELF-STIRRING COFFEE MUG/TRAVEL MUG
This particular French Press came with a free gift: a self-stirring coffee mug. This is useful for bullet-proof coffee recipes as it keeps it frothy and well blended. It is often recommended in bullet-proof coffee recipes that one keeps stirring the coffee so as to keep the mixture well-blended and avoid congealing of the coconut oil/butter ingredients. A self-stirring coffee mug is ideal for this purpose. Since it can also serve as a travel mug, the set makes it helpful to brew your own coffee blends at the office or before leaving for work to have custom coffee without the time it takes to brew a whole pot of coffee only to throw most of it away.

Durable, sleek and attractive, this French Press is ideal for making a personal serving (or two) of tea, coffee or espresso. Easy to use and to clean.

Ayo French Press