Defining Skincare

Skincare Products

Skincare includes products for the skin. This includes cleansers, exfoliants, moisturizers, acne treatments, anti-aging treatments, serums for specific skin concerns, as well as sunscreen. Find Skincare product recommendations for specific skin concerns and skincare products using organic ingredients.

Skin care includes ways to care for the skin, including facial skin, throat, decolletage, and body skin. Visit the Skin Care guide section of StyleChicks for more skin care how-to information.

Skin: Morganna’s Bellatox for Dry Dehydrated Skin

August 29, 2016 · Leave a Comment

My skin became seriously dry this week. Despite wearing adequate amount of sunscreen, the high UV index took a toll, and I have been so busy that I haven’t been properly hydrating. On top of that, I emptied out the last of my La Mer, which is usually what I use to save my face when it gets this dry.

So I am thrilled that I have Morganna’s Bellatox to use on my skin. As we all know, Parisian Girls do skincare right. Easy but effective. And that is precisely what Bellatox is.

Morganna’s Bellatox for Dry Dehydrated Skin

Despite the name, Bellatox doesn’t have botox, or any toxin, for that matter. It has natural ingredients that hydrate the skin and plump wrinkles, so they are far less visible.

Bellatox is unique because of four primary ingredients. These are Hydrolized Vegetable Protein, Spilanthol, Imperata Cylindrica, and Hyaluron. These four ingredients provide the following specific beauty benefits:

SMOOTHING & LIGHT DEFLECTING:

Hydrolized Vegetable Protein is what gives the skin an appearance of instant smoothness, especially on wrinkles and imperfections. It has a light deflecting property that makes light bounce off the surface of the wrinkle or imperfection, so the eye sees a smooth surface. It covers a multitude of beauty “sins” including enlarged pores, discoloration, wrinkles, crows feet and the tiny lines around the mouth; all these items seem less obvious upon application.

REDUCTION IN FUTURE WRINKLES AND CRINKLES:

Spilanthol is a safe, pre-emptive way to combat wrinkles. It does this with a topical anesthetic that relaxes the tension muscles that have the contractions that result in wrinkles. This is different from Botox injections that stop natural muscle movement. Spilanthol only impacts involuntary contraction muscle reactions, which is what causes wrinkling around the eyes, the “eleven lines” between the eyebrows, and frown lines.

DEEP MOISTURIZATION FOR 4 HOURS:

Imperata Cylindrica is a common weed in some areas of the world. In the beauty world, it is known for the ability to deliver deep moisture to the skin extendedly for four hours. This is part of why the skin appears so very dewy upon Bellatox application, but it is not greasy or sticky like some moisturizers.

PLUMPING, MOISTURIZING, AND ASSISTING ACTIVE INGREDIENT ABSORPTION: HYALURON

. Hyaluron is better known to many as Hyaluronic Acid, which is naturally occurring in the body but diminishes as we age. Hyaluron is an instant plumper: it plumps up wrinkles to that they appear smaller or non-existent. It also plumps the lips, giving a youthful, pouty, wrinkle-free look. Hyaluron plumps the skin by drawing moisture and holding it there: which makes it a perfect pairing for the moisture laden Imperata Cylindrica. Hyaluron can hold up to 50 times its’ weight in water, making your skin about as dewy as you can get. It is one of my favorite go-to ingredients in skincare. Hyaluron has another beauty benefit for long-term results that being the ability to draw active ingredients deeper into the skin, via the water molecules, than the ingredients could reach on their own. That means the moisture reaches a deeper layer of the skin, as well as the Spilanthol can pre-empt deeper appearing wrinkles.

RESULTS

After the first day I used it, my skin had a vibrant, dewy glow, like it was lit from within. Several people complimented me on how good my skin looked during the day. It has a serum consistency, and it isn’t sticky under sunscreen, Vitamin C serums, or makeup. I loved how evenly and smoothly my concealer, powder, blush and foundation applied over the velvety surface. Although after a few uses, when I wear the Bellatox, my skin does not need complete foundation coverage, so I often opt to skip foundation entirely except for on a few areas such as my dark undereye circles and an occasional blemish. I allow about 5 minutes before applying my makeup, but you could apply your makeup as soon as your sunscreen dries down over Bellatox.

Find this fantastic product at Morganna’s Alchemy.

I received this product in exchange for my unbiased review and received compensation for my time and effort. However, my experience with the product and the opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine.

Skincare: Serum Ceuticals Glycolic AHA 50% Acid Serum Peel

August 25, 2016 · Leave a Comment

Serum Ceuticals Glycolic AHA 50% Acid Serum Peel

Serum Ceuticals AHA 50% is a medical-grade Alpha Hydroxy Acid peel that improves the rate of cell renewal and whisks away old dead skin cells that both clog pores and causes the look of dull, older, uneven skin. Very useful for stubborn acne scars, enlarge pores, deeper wrinkles and brown age spots that have proven resistant to lower strength peels.

ABOUT SERUM CEUTICALS AHA
Serum Ceuticals products do not contain water, so it an especially concentrated serum. As a 50% grade AHA, this is too potent to apply directly, it must be diluted. Serum Ceuticals recommends using it in tandem with their Beta Glucan cream. If you don’t have the Beta Glucan cream, the AHA can be diluted for use by mixing it with an oil such as Jojoba Oil or Safflower Oil. Although I highly recommend the Beta Glucan for use post-peel or whenever skin could use an intensive moisturizing treat, and I found it particularly useful with this AHA peel. I applied some AHA to my hands, and in one spot, I accidentally had the peel product on with no cream, and I could feel the AHA sting. This is strong stuff! But when mixed with the cream, I don’t feel it sting at all, even on sensitive skin areas such as my throat, cheeks, or decolletage. The one issue with mixing it with the cream, though, is I can’t figure out what the ratio of cream to AHA serum is, I added about 6-7 drops to two black scoopers full of cream.

If diluting the AHA with oil, a 1 to 4 drop ratio may be best to start, and a 1 to 3 or 1 to 2 ratio for future treatments is a good balance. With the Beta Glucan cream, I was able to leave the AHA for the full 30 minutes, when I tried it with the oils, I could do about 20 without my skin becoming red.

USE & RESULTS
I have a patch of acne scarring from when I was a teen; it left now-faded brown marks that other AHA products have been unable to lighten. So I was pretty excited to try this AHA on that darkened patch, as well as some brown age spots that are very stubborn. The AHA did not remove them in one use, but the area looks much better. I like the results on my hands and throat as well. While I always wear sunscreen on my face, over time I neglected my throat and hands, so aging shows more in these areas, so I am glad to have a more potent AHA in my beauty arsenal.

I really liked how my throat looked – the horizontal wrinkles in the middle of my throat became much softer, and my skin tone is more even. The small wrinkles on my forehead and hands diminished from one use, although it requires regular use of the AHA to keep them that way.

The AHA does not sting when mixed well, and while it says it can be used daily, I am inclined to do it twice a week to start and reduce to once a week over time.

ABOUT SERUM CEUTICAL
If you are not familiar with the Serum Ceutical line, it is a good one. They do not use artificial chemicals or preservatives, so there are no additives that can contribute towards irritating the skin. Rather, Serum Ceuticals uses an innovative Vitamin charge to keep it fresh. When opening the bottle, you will notice a frizz the first time, similar to opening a carbonated drink. A similar process is used to Keep the bottle out of direct sunlight and keep the cap on tight when not in use.

CONCLUSION:
A powerful AHA to use on brown spots, scars, wrinkles, and dry skin. Must be combined with a cream or oil, but once it is, it does not burn or sting the skin, and skin is not raw or red after use. Since just a few drops are used at a time, this is a very cost effective way to do AHA peels at home.

Find this great peel at Amazon.

Skincare: InstaNatural Glycolic Facial Peel

August 18, 2016 · Leave a Comment

Glycolic Acid makes for one of my favorite peels; it whisks away dead, rough skin to reveal soft, even, younger skin. It exfoliates gently and efficiently. InstaNatural makes a non-stinging Glycolic Facial Peel that works in one minute or less.

InstaNaturals Glycolic Facial Peel

WHY USE GLYCOLIC PEELS
Even though they are a strong acid, Glycolic Peels are much gentler to the skin because it melts the “glue” that binds together older, dead skin with healthy skin, without harming the healthy skin or the fresh skin that is revealed underneath the older skin. This is much more gentle on skin, especially older skin because it does not scrub or pull on the skin the way scrubs and exfoliators tend to do. Because of this, Glycolic Acid Peels are particularly useful for skin that has begun to lose collagen. If you use Retinol Serums and Vitamin C serums, this is an excellent way to remove dead skin and accelerate dead cell turnover. Glycolic Acid addresses many skin concerns at once: adult acne, blackheads, wrinkles, age spots, uneven skin tone, flaky skin, and enlarged pores. It is not too drying for wrinkled skin, and it is not irritating to acne.

UNIQUE FEATURES
This works in under a minute and is paired with Hyaluronic Acid, Sunflower Oil, and Vitamin C to immediately nourish and treat the newly revealed skin.

APPLICATION
The peel is a clear, slightly heavier than a watery consistency, not as thick as a gel. It applies easily with the fingers, but because it is not a gooey gel, it swabs on evenly with a cotton pad, just like a toner. There is not a strong scent to it; it is neutral in the aroma. It quickly absorbs and does not feel sticky to the touch. I applied the peel to my face, neck, hands and decolletage. It did not burn, but towards the end of the minute I felt it on my skin, it felt warm, but my skin was not red, inflamed or uncomfortable.

When I read the instructions to apply it for one minute or less, I expected it to either not do very much or to burn quickly. Neither was the case. But make sure to read the directions, this is not the kind of Glycolic Peel that you leave on for 10-15 minutes. I tried using it for more than a minute or two a couple of times, but it is indeed too potent for leaving on the skin for longer than the directions indicate, so I stick with just using it for a minute, maybe two on less sensitive areas. However, it also does not leave skin raw or irritated; I could apply sunscreen and makeup afterward and go out in public without my skin looking like it had a sunburn, as can happen with some types of peels.

The peel washes off quickly and easily, and my skin was not irritated, which is a perk for using a Glycolic.

RESULTS
My skin was very soft and even, although I did not have visible amounts dead skin sloughing off except for some on my jawline. The next time I washed my face later that evening, there was more light exfoliation of dead skin. My skin looked very dewy and fresh. I have a new blemish that became drier and subsided after using the peel, and I have been using it to fade a few darker spots and a small acne scar. The blackheads on my nose diminished after one use. My hands felt soft, and my ragged cuticles and hangnails exfoliated off quickly. It did not irritate the delicate skin areas but left them soft. This seems gentle enough to use more than once a week, even if you use serums such as Vitamin C or Retinol.

WHERE TO BUY IT

Find InstaNatural Glycolic Facial PeelÂ at Amazon.

I received this product for free. 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!

Skincare: Skin Medica TNS Repair and Renew Kit

August 9, 2016 · 2 Comments

Skinmedica Repair and Renew Kit

Skin Medica is an outstanding skincare line. It is often found in dermatologists and plastic surgery offices for good reason. The line has a well-deserved reputation for supporting and retaining the results of skincare procedures and as overall sterling quality topical treatments.

We had the opportunity to try a number of the TNS line of Skin Medica products with the Skinmedica Repair and Renew Kit, an introductory overview of the Skin Medica range.

We used this line for two weeks to find out for ourselves why this brand is physician recommended. Several of these Skin Medica products are worthy of repeat purchase.

This post gives an overview of six Skin Medica TNS skin care products to treat and enhance your skin.

SKIN MEDICA AHA/BHA EXFOLIATING WASH

This Alpha Hydroxy Acid wash leaves my skin moist, dewy, smooth and glowing. An exfoliating wash that is gentle enough to use twice a day is a tough promise to keep. It would seem to either be too rough on the skin or not very effective. But this left my skin supple. This wash uses micro Jojoba beads – smaller than I have seen in other washes, which are gentle yet exfoliate away dead skin. The lather is minimal, and the real trick is to continue to gently massage the skin in small circles for about a minute even if the suds seem to have subsided. This appears to activate the AHA and Glycolic and lets them loosen dull, dry, and dead skin. Then I was surprised to see how much skin exfoliated, especially from my forehead, jawline, and nose. My skin had a lovely, youthful glow.

This also contains Salicylic Acid and provides some treatment for adult acne while not drying out the skin. I like the combination of gentle exfoliation with Salicylic to dry out blemishes and exfoliate away whiteheads and blackheads around my nose, including some of which purged while washing even the first time I used the wash. For long-term benefits, licorice and bilberry reduce hyperpigmentation.

It ‘s difficult to find a good exfoliating wash for aging skin. Aging skin tends not to exfoliate as well due in part to collagen loss, and rougher grains can tear at the healthy skin and irritate it. AHA’s are ideal for older skin as it essentially melts away dead skin instead of scrubbing it off. Skin is smooth without becoming red, irritated or damaged.Â Another reason aging skin does not exfoliate well is due to the use of anti-aging products that may irritate the skin and make it extra sensitive. These include Retinoids, Vitamin C serums, and chemical peels. The difficulty is, these products all result in some degree of peeling that requires exfoliation. So finding a useful wash such as the Skin Medica AHA/BHA Exfoliating Wash is ideal to work with these anti-aging serums keeps skin looking supple, bright and youthful, not dry and peeling.

Skin Medica TNS VITAMIN C & E COMPLEX
The Vitamin C is easy to apply and has a velvety finish, which is different from many serums that have a sticky finish that must dry down before makeup, moisturizer or sunscreen application. It does not leave any residue, and skin immediately appears smooth and moist. Many Vitamin C creams leave a visible film on the skin, this does not, it is suitable for wearing to an event you want your skin to look good.

Skin Medica DERMAL REPAIR CREAM
Deeply moisturizing cream that firms and repairs skin by providing several supportive ingredients to enhance the collagen production action of the Vitamin C. This results in firmness, wrinkle reduction, the fading of hyperpigmentation and the restoration of glowing skin. A small amount of cream goes a long way to improving the appearance of the skin.

Skin Medica TNS EYE REPAIR
A Brightening, creamy eye cream that does not irritate the sensitive eye area skin, just a small dab will soothe and treat both eye areas. Emollient but not slick, it dries down velvety, and makeup applies smoothly over it. Hyaluronic Acid instantly plumps wrinkles and assists active ingredients to sink deeper into the skin. Peptides stimulate Vitamin C to build supportive collagen to reduce wrinkles and sagging, as well as reduce hyperpigmentation.

Skin Medica TNS LIP PLUMP SYSTEM
The TNS Lip Plump System (2 pieces) is the boxed item with two silver pen-style product applicators. It is a two-part lip treatment system for plumper, more youthful lips. My lips could use some plumping and always seem dry, chapped and wrinkled. To use the Lip Plump System, first, apply the Lip Renewal then the Plumper. In a few minutes, lips are naturally plump without looking fake or swollen, and smooth.

APPLICATION:
The Lip Renewal (step 1) is a white cream consistency, and to effectively smooth, exfoliate and de-wrinkle the lips it just takes a small pea size amount of the product. Apply the Renewal cream sparingly and massage into lips thoroughly. The product does not sting, and the effect lasts for several hours. It is highly emollient without being sticky. It contains Hyaluronic Acid, one of my favorite moisturizers to instantly plump and smooth wrinkles. It also contains Ceramides to soften wrinkles, peeling skin on the lips and repair the skin.

TIP: When twisting the Lip Renewal applicator to get the product, be careful not to over-twist, one “turn” or “twist” of the base gives enough product to treat the lips.

After a few minutes, I apply the Plumper which is similar in consistency to a clear lip gloss (and can be used as such if desired). It takes about five minutes to see the full plumping effect. Lips are evenly plump and moist. Lipstick can go over or under the Plumper.

TIP: Going to an event? My tip is to apply the Lip Renewal about five minutes before you leave, then the Plumper on the way there, allow it to plump and smooth lips while you are in transit to the event, then apply your lipstick or gloss over the plumper just before entering the event. Both the Lip Renewal and the Plumper can be used multiple times a day, and the Plumper can be re-applied as needed over lip stains, lipsticks or glosses.Â The Skin Medica TNS Lip Plump System

CONCLUSION: A great deal to try several great products, I especially like the Skin Medica AHA/BHA Exfoliating Wash and the TNS Lip Plump System. A solid investment in supporting your skincare efforts, all the products in this set provide multi-tiered skin treatment.

WHERE TO BUY SKIN MEDICA

The Skin Medica line and the TNS range is available in several dermatologists and plastic surgeon offices, as well as Neiman Marcus and DermStore

Skincare: 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.

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