Skin Care Essentials

I now have two appointments available tomorrow, Saturday, July 20 at 11:45 and 1 o’clock. I will be booking the 1145 first so that I do not have a gap in my schedule. Please call or text at 720-299-1154 if you’d like to snag one of those appointments.

Happy Fourth of July! Be safe, and enjoy your family and friends friends.

So today’s national joke day, here’s the best I could find for aesthetics! 😂🤣

Happy Juneteenth!!

10. Get Enough Sleep
It's pretty common knowledge that getting enough sleep is important for overall health and mental well-being. But it is also extremely important for skin health. Not only does your skin just tend to look better after a good night's sleep — no dark circles or unusual redness — but people with sleep disruptions, such as untreated sleep apnea, have higher incidences of aggressive melanomas, a form of skin cancer. Additionally, there may be a link between poor sleep and inflammatory responses in the skin, which can worsen skin conditions.

So, prioritize your sleep. If your nighttime sleep is an issue, remember that summer can be a great time for napping.

9. Use Lip Balm
In summer even your lips need protection from the sun, so it's important to use a lip balm that contains SPF 30 or higher (typically containing titanium oxide or zinc oxide) if you plan to be out in the sun, and to apply it approximately every two hours.

If you have sensitive lips or are prone to chapped lips, you'll want to choose a lip balm that is nonirritating, meaning it does not contain one of the following ingredients:

Camphor
Eucalyptus
Flavoring, especially cinnamon, citrus, mint and peppermint
Fragrance
Lanolin
Menthol
Octinoxate or oxybenzone
Phenol (or phenyl)
Propyl gallate
Salicylic acid

8. Incorporate Antioxidants
Antioxidants may improve your skin's resistance to harmful UVA radiation from the sun. Increasing antioxidants in the diet may reduce "photoaging", which can lead to reduced elasticity, dry skin, wrinkling, hyper pigmentation and dilated small blood vessels. These substances include:

Vitamin C and E
Carotenoids like beta-carotene
Coenzyme Q10
Flavonoids
Phenols
Glutathione
Selenium and manganese

7. Avoid Touching Your Face
Many of us touch our faces without even realizing it: to rub tired eyes, scratch an itch or pick at pimples arising. Dermatologists recommend you avoid touching your face as much as possible unless it's with clean hands to apply products. Any dirt, germs or oil you have on your hands gets on your skin, and picking or squeezing pimples is just a good way to move those germs directly into the deeper layers of your skin.

6. Limit Hot Showers
Hot showers just feel good, no matter the time of year. If you still enjoy taking one during summer, you may want to reconsider: Hot water on the skin can cause dryness and strip your skin's natural oils. Instead, opt for warm water, shower with a closed door to increase humidity and immediately apply moisturizer to your skin after showering.

5. Stay Hydrated
We all know water is crucial to our bodies — the average adult body is around 60% water, after all. But your skin is comprised of about 64% water, so it's especially sensitive to dehydration.

It's easy to dehydrate in summer because both higher temperatures and increased outdoor activity can cause us to sweat more. Dehydration can give skin a duller, less elastic look, making pores and wrinkles appear bigger, according to a dermatologist. So making sure you drink enough water to stay hydrated is one easy way to keep your skin looking its best.

4. Use the Right Moisturizer
Summer may require a shift in your moisturizer, depending on the climate you live in and your skin type. In the dry months of winter, many people need to add moisturizer to their skin. However, in the warm summer months, you may need to pare back on moisturizer, exfoliate more and/or shift to a more lightweight moisturizer.

3. Wear a Hat
Even with a full head of hair, your scalp still needs protection from the sun. In a 2021 study of 359 patients with skin cancer, almost 90% of the cancerous tumors occurred on the head, particularly the face and scalp. Therefore, to protect your scalp as well as your face and ears, choose a wide-brimmed hat. Make sure it has a full-circumference brim for the widest amount of protection.

2. Wear Lightweight and Sun-Protective Clothing
There are several good reasons to choose lightweight and sun-protective clothing in the summer. If you find you are sensitive to sunscreen and can't comfortably wear it, you will want to choose clothing that can protect any exposed body parts. That means choosing your fabric carefully — you want to avoid anything with an open or loose weave, such as lace,and make sure things like tops of ears, feet and scalp are covered.

Sun-protective clothing
Dark clothing also provides a greater level of SPF protection than light colors. The American Academy of Dermatology explains that a long-sleeved denim shirt, for example, will offer an SPF of around 1,700 versus a white T-shirt, which offers only an SPF of about 7. Dry clothing is more protective than wet clothing, too. You can also purchase clothing designed with an ultraviolet protection factor (UPF)

With warm summer temperatures comes greater exposure to the sun and other elements, more time spent outdoors often hiking, biking, swimming and other activities that make you sweat more. Whether you have a robust skincare routine or just want to make sure your skin looks its best, the following summer skin care tips can help you maintain your healthy glow during the warmer months.

1. Wear Sunscreen
Sunscreen is perhaps one of the most important skincare habits you can adopt year-round — but especially in summer when people spend more time in the sun. Not only does sunscreen protect against the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays that can cause skin cancer, but it also protects against premature skin aging. Too much sun exposure can contribute to fine lines and wrinkles, as well as age spots. These spots are also known as melasma.

And you still need to wear sunscreen even on cloudy days — as much as 80% of those aggressive UV rays can still shine through.

Tips when wearing sunscreen
There are tons of sunscreen products on the market, and it can be confusing to know which kind to choose. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends using sunscreen that has broad-spectrum protection (protects against UVA and UVB rays) and SPF 30 or higher, which blocks 97% of the sun's UVB rays (no sunscreen can block 100% of UVB rays)

Happy Memorial Day 🇺🇸

Thank you so much for everyone who has served our country and is still serving our country. Thank you to their families who also sacrifice ♥️

Happy Mother’s Day to all my beautiful clients!

This is my favorite website for great protective gear. My husband has a hat, I have a hat, and a cute swim shawl.

https://www.uvskinz.com/

What will you do during Skin Cancer Awareness Month?
Now that you know the facts, what will you do this month to reduce your risk of developing skin cancer and to find skin cancer early when it’s highly treatable?

When you Practice Safe Sun, you can decrease your risk of developing skin cancer and early skin aging.

Developing a lifelong habit of checking your skin for skin cancer can help you find skin cancer early. To get started with skin exams, some people sign up for an AAD free skin cancer screening. Others schedule an appointment with a dermatologist for a skin cancer screening.

If you still have questions about how to find skin cancer early or reduce your risk of developing skin cancer, a board-certified dermatologist can help. No one knows your skin better. You can find a dermatologist in your area by going to Find a Dermatologist.

Sun protection can reduce your skin cancer risk.

Protecting your skin from the sun plays a key role in preventing skin cancer. However, a 2024 AAD survey found that more than 1 in 3 Americans (36%) said they had a sunburn in 2023. This is a significant increase over 2022.

The 2024 survey also revealed that Gen Z adults were less likely than adults in other generations to know key facts that can help them protect their skin from the sun. Here are key facts to know:

When you’re outdoors, protect your skin by seeking shade, wearing sun-protective clothing, and applying sunscreen that offers broad-spectrum protection, water resistance, and an SPF of 30 or higher. The AAD calls this Practicing Safe Sun.
Sun protection is important every day of the year. You can get sunburned on a cloudy day and during the winter.5
You need to reapply sunscreen every 2 hours when and after swimming or sweating. It’s a myth that higher SPF sunscreens can be applied less frequently.

May Is Skin Cancer Awareness Month!

With over 5 million cases diagnosed in the United States each year, skin cancer is America’s most common cancer. Fortunately, skin cancer is also one of the most preventable cancers.

Melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer. In 2024, it’s estimated that more than 200,340 melanomas will be diagnosed and about 8,290 people will die of melanoma.

That’s why the AAD encourages everyone to begin a lifelong habit of checking their skin by performing skin self-exams. Here’s why these exams are so important:

Caught early, melanoma is highly treatable.
Melanoma can develop anywhere on the skin, including skin that’s had plenty of sun exposure and skin that’s usually protected from the sun.
Melanoma can develop under or around a fingernail or toenail.
You can find melanoma early by examining your skin for the ABCDEs of melanoma and checking your nails.

Dermatologists encourage everyone to check their skin for signs of skin cancer. People of all skin tones develop skin cancer. By checking your skin, you can find signs early.

Increase Hydration, Decrease Wrinkles

The thin eye tissue is prone to TEWL, Trans Epidermal Water Loss, which leads to fine lines and wrinkles. Since hydration is so important you should start using an eye cream in your 20s. Those fine lines will turn into deep lines eventually so take care of your eyes!

Do you ever wake up with puffy eyes, dark circles and crepiness? Well let’s look at a couple things. Did you drink too much caffeine or alcohol the night before? A great rule of thumb is drink a glass of water or two with your latte or glass of wine.

Let’s make sure you’re taking care by using a day and night eye cream. My favorites are Under Eye and Neck Cream, Eye lift, Moisture Eye-Zyme Mask and of course Eye and Lip Serum. These will firm eye tissue, soften and moisturize, soften fine lines and wrinkles and strengthen thin skin for more resiliency.

Cleanse and Purify Your Skin

You will often hear me say cleansing is the most important step. Some of my young clients see a HUGE difference in just cleansing.

Cleansing removes makeup, excessive oil, dirt and bacteria from the skin. This simple step helps you have clearer skin for those struggling with acne, eliminating toxins and impurities.

Cleansing is not splashing water on your face line seen in advertisements. Take a pump or two of your cleanser, or a nickel size from your jar, emulsify it with water, and throughly cleanse skin for 2 minutes! For those with acne or thicker skin try dry cleansing. Dry cleansing is applying cleanser directly to skin, once you lose slip, add water to your fingertips to get it to lather. Work in into your skin for a few minutes. This will give you a deeper cleanse.

To remove cleanser, use a baby washcloth or 4x4 gauze to remove while damp. A baby washcloth is more gentle on the skin. This will give your skin the best cleanse, reduce bacteria and clogged pores!

Have you noticed your skin’s hydration changes as you move into your 40s and 50s and beyond? If we opt to ignore the skins need for more moisture we may accelerate the aging process and will certainly accentuate fine lines and wrinkles.

Starting off with have hyaluronic acid as an ingredient in your moisturizer helps. It helps plump, moisturize and prevents Trans Epidermal Water Loss (TEWL).

Grapeseed oil is another key ingredient. Naturally Rick in fatty acids, It assists in healing tissue and moisturizes fast!

Pure Grapeseed Elixir is perfect for those with drier skin.

Happy National Women’s Day! To all my lovely’s!

Happy Valentine’s Day, to all my beautiful clients! Enjoy your day with your loved ones.

Remembering today, celebrating today!

Happy Kwanza ❤️

Merry Christmas 🎁🎄
Have a wonderful day with family and friends!

Happy Hanukkah!