My nose is raw, pass me some tissues…STOP IT

Getting sick is inevitable. Even if you live alone, under a rock, in the desert. Bacteria and viruses are just a part of life. Some are friendly and some…well lets just say we try not to invite them to dinner.

If you are prone to indulging in the sickness du jour, be mindful of how you care for yourself while you are recovering.

No no, this isn’t about what herbs or teas you should use to get better or boost your immune system (we can go there another time), its about how the care you DO choose may affect your SKIN.

Especially if you are ACNE prone.

I know, it sounds like a stretch, so hear me out.

In the event you are already sick (we hope not!), and reading this for fun, I will make it short so you can get back to sleeping and recovering. Coronavirus anyone?

The CDC recommends covering your nose and mouth with a tissue if you cough, this helps to slow the transmission of disease. Tissues are also terribly convenient to catch anything that happens to be escaping FROM your nose too…

However, if you are very acne prone, please opt for PLAIN TISSUES. Forget the fancy ones with lotion. The LOTION IS COMEDOGENIC. It can cause acne! See for yourself. The potentially offensive ingredients are highlighted.

Even the “cooling” tissues are problematic. Stearyl heptanoate and coconut oil are highly comedogenic!

Ingredients

Stearyl Heptanoate,Stearyl Alcohol,Polyethylene,Mineral Oil,Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil,Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract

Even the fancy patented “anti-viral” tissues can be an issue:

So if you can’t use the super soft tissues with lotion-y stuff on your tender honker, what IS a safe option to keep your nose from getting all cracked and raw?

Petrolatum. AKA Vaseline jelly. Not the fancy lotion, just the plain old jelly in a jar. Don’t substitute “non-petroleum” jelly either, that usually has shea butter or beeswax in it, which are also acne mongers.

Just swab a teeny schmear (is that word?) under your nose while you are actively using tissues, and you can really help mitigate that red crackly rash that comes with a typical cold. Just don’t use it forever.

Rescue Balm and CPR cream from Roccoco Botanicals are made for compromised skin like this, and are both acne safe. (in stock too!)

Jojoba oil, inchi oil, meadowfoam seed oil all work well too. However I suspect that unless you are a major skin care junkie, you probably don’t have any of those on hand.

If you ARE NOT acne prone, most unscented lotions will help, but we really recommend something like Bodyceuticals Calendula balm, or Color Up Therapeutics CBD balm. Amazing!

So if you are struggling with a cold, by all means take care of yourself with what you have on hand. Rest, drink lots of fluids, get some sleep, and use plain old tissues.

To learn more about what makes your skin act up and break out, make an appointment with us at Viriditas Beautiful Skin Therapies. Just please don’t come in if you are sick!!

Here’s a cute kitty to make you feel better. She’s resting too, like you should be 🙂

Photo by Scott Webb on Unsplash

ABCs of Skin Care ~ G is for Gullible

Ok, I admit this probably sounds like it has nothing to do with skin care, but hear me out.

Gullible: a person who is easily deceived, tricked, cheated or fooled. I might also add that a fool and his money are soon parted.

When it comes to skin care there are billions of dollars to be made preying on innocent and gullible people. Open up any fashion magazine or type #skincare in any search bar and thousands of hits will pop up. Much of the information you mine will be helpful and accurate, but just as much will be full of inaccuracies, fearmongering, or blatant BS.

I despise BS.

I don’t mean Back Stabbing or Blue Screen By Standers either. I am referring to male cow excrement, AKA flat out LIES.

Oh the lies…sometimes I feel the need to put on my wellies before I wade into the depths of sh** I read when it comes to skin care promises:

“You need a peel!”

“Eliminates wrinkles and dark spots”

“Cure your acne in just 3 days!”

“Banish pores forever!”

“This is the only product you will ever need!”

“All preservatives in skin care are toxic!”

UGH!!

Lets start with “You need a peel.” Umm, no you don’t. Don’t get me wrong, peels can be helpful for reducing lines and discoloration, and may give you an overall fresher appearance, but you don’t NEED a peel. In fact, if your skin is irritated, red or sensitive, a peel is probably the LAST thing you need. By nature, any kind of peel will exfoliate and increase water loss temporarily. We call this TEWL or trans epidermal water loss. TEWL is a big reason why people with sensitive reactive skin feel uncomfortable to begin with. Their skin literally can’t hold on to water. Peeling it make this WORSE not better.

“Eliminates wrinkles and dark spots” Well, you can reduce lines and wrinkles, or temporarily plump them and improve the appearance of wrinkles, but typically you can’t eliminate them. To be fair, there are more aggressive treatments that have a visible effect on lines such as nano-needling, micro needling and some forms of laser, but you still won’t eliminate them permanently. Just keep living and they WILL come back. I like to think of lines as battle scars for a life well lived 🙂

“Cure your acne in just 3 days” Oh hell no. You may be able to reduce the visible redness in 3 days, but you are NOT curing anything. Acne takes 3 months to develop, and I guarantee you won’t even be touching the 4 main causes of acne in just 3 days. This also apples to the practices that promise that one $500 “acne peel” is all you will need for perfectly clear skin. This is an egregious LIE. By the way, if you are struggling with acne, please give us a call at 401-632-4444.

“Banish pores forever!” Oh dear… look I understand that we live in the age of Photoshop and are surrounded by impeccable images of porcelain clear skin, but none of that is real or realistic. Pore sizes are genetic, and they may appear larger or smaller based on whether or not they are clean, your sun exposure, your age, your hormones and even if you are using comedogenic ingredients. Pores play a vital role in maintaining a healthy skin microbiome and keeping your skin lightly lubricated. Let me point out here that almost NO ONE is looking at your skin that closely anyway.

“This is the only product you will ever need!” Seriously? I don’t know about you, but my skin is completely different than it was when I was 16. I had ACNE, and I was obsessed with keeping my face from getting shiny. Now that I’m 52, I’m looking to add back that glow! The Oxy10 and Sea Breeze I used to use would be a nightmare for me now. Statements like these are designed to make you a customer for life, not to actually take care of your skin.

“All preservatives in skin care are toxic!” This one is also a good example of fear mongering. Let me just say that you are much better off having skin care with a tiny amount of preservative than smearing a mold and bacteria ridden cream all over your face. Preservatives are designed to inhibit the growth of microorganisms. That’s exactly how and why they work. If a product says preservative free, you really want to check the expiration date. I have seen skin care that is literally only good for 7 days after opening. To be fair, some preservatives are safer than others. That’s a whole other blog post.

A few other examples include the 20 year old blogger taking about her favorite coconut oil serum and how it makes her skin so beautiful and glowy. She’s glowy because SHE’S 20!!! It doesn’t have diddly squat to do with the serum she uses! Did I mention that she probably is being paid by the company to promote their products? Yea, paid promotion is a thing. Don’t get me started on coconut oil again…

I cringe inside when I see people buying all these “anti-aging” products, and then tanning or sunbathing. Well because the girl at the tanning booth “said” it was safe for their skin. Seriously! I once had a client who JUST had laser surgery to remove precancerous lesions and she came in all red from the tanning booth! The best ‘anti-aging’ product is SUNSCREEN!! Its not the only thing that will help, but it will definitely have the biggest impact overall. Please practice SAFE SUN.

One last one and I will get off my soap box.

People who sell an MLM skin care product telling you what to use on your skin. THESE PEOPLE KNOW NOTHING ABOUT SKIN!!! They are taught how to SELL you STUFF, and thats about it. Well, except how to recruit you to sell their stuff too. Do you have any idea how many clients I have seen over the years who sell those products? They are actually coming to Viriditas for their skin care products and advice, then they go out and claim to be skin care experts. For real.

The bottom line is there is no one cream, no one treatment or single routine that will make your skin “perfect”. There is no “perfect”! Skin is a wonderful record of all the smiles and tears, laughter and love that you have experienced in your life. Its not a sin to have wrinkles. Its also not a sin to be gullible. If you prefer to be told the truth about skin care, please come visit Viriditas Beautiful Skin! Its a no BS zone.

KITTIES!! Just because 🙂

Photo by Ramiz Dedaković on Unsplash

ABCs of Skin Care: F is for Fragrance

What is the FIRST thing you do when you open up a bottle of milk?

YOU SMELL IT.

Why? Because our reptilian brain knows that if it smells unpleasant, it will probably make us sick. Our reptilian brain AKA the Ancient Brain is directly connected to our limbic system. That face we make when we smell rotting food is usually followed by an attempt to get it away from us NOW! Self preservation at its finest.

SMELL is vital to our survival. We certainly don’t have the superior sniffers of Mans Best Friend, or the notable nostrils of other big predators, but our basic beaks are still up to snuff (see what I did there?).

Wait…so what does this have to do with skin care? As it turns out, our brains prefer things that smell ~good~ and big business is quite aware of that. We spend more money on things that smell like freshly baked cookies, a field of lavender or a Christmas morning. Most people aren’t going to plunk down their hard earned cash for a body cream that smells like sweaty gym clothes.

Problem is, skin care ingredients in the raw don’t always smell delightful. Many herbal base ingredients smell like, well, dirt. I personally like the smell of dirt, but I AM an herbalist at heart 🙂 Other raw materials just have weird smells, and some are just blah.

So skin care companies add fragrance. Fragrance makes people whip out their wallets and say “Take My Money!” These profitable nose friendly scents may be in the form of essential oils, but they are usually synthetic.

These synthetic compounds are proprietary, and because we have laws here in the USA that essentially protect profits and not people, companies don’t have to divulge whats IN these proprietary “fragrances”. Shhh, its a secret…

From the National Eczema Association:

Almost 20% of the general population is sensitized to at least one allergen and fragrance is one of the most frequently cited substances causing reactions. Fragrance sensitivity is now seen in 1-4% of the general population, and 8-15% of people with contact dermatitis. According the the Dermatology Times, fragrances are most likely to cause allergic contact dermatitis. They account for 30-45% of reactions in cosmetic products.

OK, so we know that fragrance can be irritating to the skin. The concern really comes when we start exploring what these fragrances are truly made of.

A single fragrance can have thousands of individual chemicals. They may contain a cocktail of irritants, solvents, allergens, carcinogens, plasticizers, fixatives.. heck they could contain UFO goo and we wouldn’t know. They don’t have to disclose that info. Cuz ya know, $$$$.

“Gee, your hair smells terrific”

“OOh Herbal Essences” are an orgasmic I mean organic experience…

“Always feel Just Showered Fresh…”

UGH.

Fragrance is fleeting. Or at least it should be. But that doesn’t make money, and it certainly won’t “make your hair smell terrific” so Big Business needs to make the smell last and last… with phthalates.

Phthalates are chemicals used as plasticizers, solvents, fixatives etc. They are found in pretty much everything, including many fragrances. They make the smell LAST.

From the US Library of Medicine:

Phthalates are used in many consumer products, including:

• Cosmetics and personal care products
• Plastic and vinyl toys
• Shower curtains
• Miniblinds and wallpaper
• Vinyl flooring
• Raincoats
• Food packaging and wraps 
• Detergents
• Adhesives
• Plastic pipes
• Medical equipment and devices (yes, in IV tubing that administers chemotherapy!!)
• Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastics

Oh and did I mention phthalates are endocrine disruptors and are carcinogens? Yeah, that. That’s a small problem. We can discuss that in another post.

To be clear, just because a product has “fragrance” or “parfum” doesn’t mean its toxic sludge. Many companies are now making phthalate free fragrance, or using natural fragrances. Its a great improvement!

However, if your skin care product smells like watermelon sangria, or tropical beaches, chances are it has synthetic fragrance. If you apply it in the morning and your significant other can smell it on you during a midnight tryst, it definitely has phthalates. If the smell disappears after an hour or so, its probably safe.

As a side note, if you are using plug ins, or room sprays, or fabric softener with “fresh burst technology”, you are saturating your home with questionable chemistry. Just saying.

Skip the fragrance, have happier skin and happier health.

If you need help finding effective skincare that’s fragrance free and/or phthalate free, come visit us at Viriditas Beautiful Skin Therapies in Providence RI. We would love to meet you!

Ooh and here;s a fragrance free kitten! Because CATS ❤

ABCs of Skin Care- E is for Extractions

Are you ready to admit your addiction to binging episodes of Dr Pimple Popper?

Do you spend hours in the mirror scouring every pore on your face for blackheads?

Is your favorite part of a professional facial when the esthetician cleans out your pores?

If you answered yes, you may have an extraction addiction.

Not that its the worst addiction to have really, HOWEVER if you are constantly digging deep into your skin looking for small treasures, this could be a problem.

All joking aside, some people actually do pick at their skin excessively and leave physical marks. These fingernail gouges are called excoriae, which can lead to secondary infections including staph, and often leave scars. This behavior is often associated with anxiety and body dysmorphic disorder. If you think this might apply to you, please reach out to your doctor for assistance.

Skin Extraction means the removal of impactions from the pores. This can be done in several ways, usually chemical or manual. This is best done by your well trained, experienced esthetician, or your dermatologist. They will typically use a softening enzyme or peel agent to start the process, and proceed with manual extractions. This usually means fingertips wrapped in cotton, or cotton tipped swabs. In some states or with a medical professional, a lancet may also be used. A professional can also use a galvanic current device with an alkaline solution to literally melt the impactions. Other effective devices include the Vortex Extractions of the Hydrafacial. This is much more effective and gentle than using a knock-off “suction” device.

Not everyone needs extractions. Not everyone needs extractions ~every~ facial.

Lets be clear if you DO need extractions. There is NO WAY that any one can possible clean out EVERY SINGLE PORE on your face at once. You have over 250 pores per square inch, so that would be a superhuman feat.

Often clients will come here to our skin care clinic, expecting to get their whole skin clear in one treatment. Umm, no. That clogging in the pores took time to build up, and it takes time to clear out too. Regular biweekly or monthly treatments will yield the best results.

Extractions cannot be done on skin that is very dehydrated, irritated, sunburned or inflamed. The skin must be hydrated, softened and properly prepared for effective extractions.

Although we don’t recommend at home bathroom “surgery”, we do understand the stress that comes when you wake up one morning with a huge red ZIT on the end of your nose that clearly was not there last night.

First, DON’T put a hot pack on it! Heat will just make it more red and inflamed. Don’t put toothpaste on it either, as that may temporarily “dry” it out, but will often make it worse in the long run. Besides, most commercial toothpastes contain sodium lauryl sulfate, which is highly comedogenic. Hellooo more pimples…

What you SHOULD NOT DO, is pick at your own (or someone else’s!) skin with your dirty fingernails or a safety pin. You should NOT squeeze , pinch or scratch a pimple till it “pops” and then wonder why its all bloody and scabbed the next day.

We DO recommend you apply ice for 1-2 minutes directly on the inflamed area. Keep moving the ice, this is vital! Holding ice directly to the skin in one place may result in permanent damage to the tissues AKA Frostbite.

You can then apply a topical spot treatment directly to the blemish, and then LEAVE IT ALONE. Trust me on this one. It’s extremely rare that clients do their own extractions and don’t make a mess of their skin.

Its best to make a call to your skin care professional to remove pimples or other impactions.

If you are in Rhode Island or Southeastern MA, you can call Viriditas Beautiful Skin Therapies 401-632-4444 for that exact kind of help.

Questions? Post them in the comments! We love to hear your thoughts.

And we really, really like cats.

Photo by Destiny Wiens on Unsplash

ABCs of Skin Care ~ D is for Digestion

You might be thinking I made a mistake writing about digestion and the skin, but its no mistake. Digestion, or how we intake, process, absorb and excrete food, plays an enormous role in healthy skin.

We quite literally ARE what we eat, and the result of what we eat shows up on our skin. The digestive process is a very complicated discussion, one that I am no expert on, so we won’t go there. The skin however, is another story.

Here’s the thing. You need to eat nutrients to build a healthy skin and body. Nutrients like essential fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and proteins are abundant in a whole foods diet. Notice that sugar, carbohydrates, artificial colors and flavors are not on that essential list.
START WITH REAL FOOD. Nuff said.

Once you have eaten something yummy like dark green leafies, salmon, blueberries, or pastured butter, your body needs to digest and absorb that nutrition. If you don’t digest well, you can’t access those nutrients. If you have increased intestinal permeability AKA Leaky Gut, you can’t absorb those nutrients either.

Several skin issues are associated with poor digestion:

• Acne~ leaky gut, constipation
• Rosacea~ SIBO, H. pylori infection
• Psoriasis~ autoimmune, leaky gut
• Eczema~ food sensitivities especially dairy, gluten

Unless you live off the grid or under a rock, you’ve probably heard the term “microbiome”. It refers to the collective population of microbes living in and on our body, skin included.

Basically, our bodies serve as mobile farms for 3-5 POUNDS of microbes. When this microbiome is normal and healthy, the rest of our body is normal and healthy. This includes our mood and our skin. (Yep, gut health appears to affect depression and anxiety too.)

It appears that certain gut flora play a BIG role in inflammation, which is known to be a major player in skin issues. Curiously, there is some recent research that indicates systemic inflammation may actually be COMING FROM the skin! In other words, taking good care of your skin will keep you from aging.

There is a ton of research underway on the microbiome now, so hopefully we will learn more in the next few years.

A few things you can do now to support your digestion AND your skin include:

Taking bitters like dandelion, yellow dock, or artichoke before meals. Among other things, bitters stimulate bile production, helping fat digestion. Dandelion IS A SUPERFOOD!!

Eat in a relaxed environment. Seriously! You’ve heard the phrase Fight or Flight? The opposite is Rest and Digest. You don’t actually digest your food unless you are in a relaxed state. Slow down and chew your food for Pete’s sake!

Drink bone broth. For real. Its way more than just chock full of collagen, which happens to be super trendy in skin care right now. Its also filled with easily digested amino acids that may help to repair a leaky gut. Clients have asked me for years what is the best food to eat for healthy skin. BONE BROTH. There, I said it again.

Eat an anti-inflammatory diet. Google it.

Eat healthy fats like avocado, fresh flax seeds, walnuts, coconut oil (eat it, don’t wear it), pastured butter and pastured meats. Just eat real food #jerf.

If you need help with your digestion, see your doctor. If you need help with your skin, see us at Viriditas Beautiful Skin Therapies in Providence, RI.

Aaaand here are more adorable kittens. Just because 🙂

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

ABCs of Skin Care ~ C is for Coconut Oil

Oh dear, don’t get me started. A little up front warning, there may be a bit of a rant coming…

Coconut oil is one of the darlings of the skin care world. If you believe everything you read on the internet, you would think the following is true:

Coconut oil cures acne!

It cured my dry skin!

It made me lose 20 pounds!

It cured my cancer!

Coconut oil brought my dog back from the dead! Here’s how I did it…

BULLSH*T

Now don’t get me wrong, I love coconut oil, for cooking. Its a healthy saturated fat, has a nice mild flavor, and I adore putting a dab in my roasted carrots, and its not bad in a bulletproof coffee either.

But it is NOT, I repeat NOT the most wonderful substance since sliced bread for your skin. Especially if you are acne prone.

See, all oils are made up of fatty acids. There are lots of different kinds of fatty acids like linoleic acid, alpha linoleic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid(EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), oleic, myristic, lauric etc.

To maintain a healthy barrier, which is job #1 for the skin, it must have a balance of 3 things:

• Cholesterol
• Ceramides
• Fatty Acids

Its complicated, but suffice it to say that if you have too much of one, or not enough of the others, the barrier breaks down and the skin can’t do its job. Chaos ensues in the form of redness, itching, irritation, stinging, dermatitis… you get the point.

Here’s the problem: Coconut oil is made up of ALL FATTY ACIDS. All vegetable oils are made of fatty acids.

Used alone, coconut oil can damage the skin barrier over time.

Pro tip: mature skin needs more cholesterol, but there isn’t any in coconut oil!

It gets worse.

Coconut oil is made up of 46-50% Lauric acid, and 17-19% Myristic acid.

Lauric acid is HUGELY comedogenic. It also has some pretty strong antimicrobial properties, which is why people use it for acne. Myristic acid is comedogenic as well. The catch is, it takes 3-6 months for a comedone (blackhead) to form. So sure, your red pimples may look better, but they will come back with a vengeance in 3-6 months. Trust me on this, as an Acne Specialist I’ve seen it happen soooo many times.

When people say that coconut oil “cleared” their acne, its possible that they didn’t actually have ACNE, they may have had a look alike such as rosacea or folliculitis. The lauric acid in coconut oil may have been helpful for them, because there is a strong microbial component to these issues.

It blows my mind that bloggers, Health Coaches, skin care professionals, and even doctors are still saying that coconut oil is great for the skin. It’s just not true. Its what I call Blogger BS.

Bottom line is don’t use coconut oil by itself to moisturize your skin, and most definitely DO NOT USE IT IF YOU ARE ACNE PRONE.

For more info or to get your very own skin care specialist, visit us at Viriditas Beautiful Skin Therapies in Providence RI or give us a call 401-632-4444.

Oh look! Another cute kitty 🙂

ABCs of Skin Care ~ B is for Blackheads

Did you just cringe when you read that? Or did you imagine Anthony Hopkins saying it in his most fiendish voice….”blackheads”…

Those annoying little dark specks that seem to fill our pores and drive us to distraction when we look in those big magnifying mirrors are technically known as comedones.

Photo by Humphrey Muleba on Unsplash

So are they really a problem? They can be. They can stay relatively small, or they can grow to unsightly size. Most of the time they are just a cosmetic inconvenience, but they can stretch the follicle, creating a permanent scar. They can also become a comfy home for the bacteria responsible for acne.

It takes 3-6 MONTHS for a comedone to form. You may notice a whole new crop sprout up seemingly overnight, but they’ve been brewing for months.

Comedones are primarily formed from:

• Skin Cells
• Oil
• Debris

Skin cells shed at a rate of 1-2 cell layers daily. If you have acne prone skin you may shed 5-7 layers daily. That’s a lot of skin cells collecting in those tiny pores.

Oil refers to the rich lipid complex that makes up sebum, your skin’s natural lubricant. It can also refer to the oils, butters and waxes that are found in your skin and hair care products.

Debris is the collective term for other “stuff” like bacteria, environmental pollutants, dirt, makeup and general yuck that lives on your skin.

When the debris and skin cells get stuck in the oil, they form a thick paste that can eventually harden. If the opening of the follicle (pore) is wide enough, the surface of this plug may oxidize or turn a dark color. Its a lot like how the cut surface of an apple turns brown.

If the opening of the follicle is very small or tight, this plug forms a closed comedone, AKA a “whitehead“. Many people refer to a papule or a pustule (actual pimples) as a whitehead, but now that you have read this blog, you are among the chosen few educated skin care connoisseurs that know the correct name. That’s because YOU are AWESOME.

There are a few lookalikes that may be mistaken for comedones. Most common are sebaceous filaments. These are often sprinkled liberally across the nose and forehead. Annoying as they are, they are NOT blackheads. They are actually like tiny wicks in the pore, and serve to help bring sebum to the surface.

Typically when you use a “pore strip” and peel it off to see all those “blackheads”, you’re really just seeing lots of sebaceous filaments. Those strips can be strangely satisfying, but they aren’t really removing blackheads. Sometimes moles and skin tags can be mistaken for comedones too.

If you really want to remove blackheads / comedones, see a professional esthetician. That’s something we specialize in. If you are in the Rhode Island area, come see us at Viriditas Beautiful Skin Therapies or call 401-632-4444 and get rid of those pesky blackheads today.

Oh, and here’s another cute cat pic. We just like cats 🙂

The ABCs of Skin Care ~ A is for Acne

Acne….dun dun dunnnnn (cue the scary music)… No one wants to wake up with a giant honking red ZIT on the end of their nose, but some of us are just blessed that way.

Oxford Dictionaries.com defines acne as
“the occurrence of inflamed or infected sebaceous glands in the skin; in particular, a condition characterized by red pimples on the face, prevalent chiefly among teenagers”

Unfortunately, acne can occur at any time of life. In fact, a large number of clients we see for acne are menopausal women, and young men in their 30s.

Acne is technically an inflammatory skin disease, and can be painful, itchy, swollen, and maddeningly difficult to heal. It tends to reoccur with some regularity, like an unwelcome house guest.

True acne will have comedones AKA blackheads, which may or not be visible. The classic pimple may be tiny or large and cystic. They may have a pustule or they may simply be a painful nodule.

Lets be clear though, just because you have a “pimple” doesn’t mean you have acne. There are several acne imposters, or look alike conditions including:

Rosacea

Folliculitis or Pseudofolliculitis

Staphylococcus infection / Boils

Keratosis Pilaris

Its important to rule out other conditions, so that your treatment protocols are the most effective.

Acne is driven by four main imbalances:

Inflammation – triggered by stress, diet, lifestyle, environmental aggressors,

Retention Hyperkeratosis– AKA “sticky skin” a condition where the skin cells don’t shed properly: they shed too fast, in large sheets.

Excess Oil – both the quantity and consistency of natural sebum will affect this, in addition to comedogenic ingredients found in skin care, hair care, makeup and other personal care products. Many comedogenic ingredients ALSO contribute to Retention Kyperkeratosis.

Bacteria– the C. acnes bacterium actually contributes to the oil production and the inflammation.

Each one of these is related and overlaps with the other, making for a challenging puzzle.

Acne CAN be controlled, but it does involve a commitment to yourself. Our skin is a reflection of our bodies health, and our health starts with our gut. the connection between the skin and gut is becoming clearer every day. So much research is being conducted on the gut microbiome, and its association with the skin microbiome. After all, its really the same surface, one is outside, one is inside.

If you have been struggling with your skin, there is hope! A Certified Acne Specialist can help you determine a home care routine that will address your specific challenges. If you are in Rhode Island, give us a call at 401-632-4444 or visit us at https://viriditas.skincaretherapy.net/home

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Here’s a cute cat picture too. Just because 🙂

Photo by Zakaria Zayane on Unsplash

11 Unusual (and outright weird!) Skin Care Treatments: do they really work?

Let’s talk about “weird“beauty treatments. As always, yes some work, others are just a whole lotta marketing hype.

I am a full time licensed Esthetician since 1997, and I own a small specialty skin care practice in Providence RI. So I can safely say I’ve seen it all… 

Here are some of the more notable ones:

1) Gold treatments: 

Colloidal gold sometimes called nano gold, has been shown to reduce wrinkle depth, increase circulation, and act as an anti inflammatory. It appears to most effective when formulated with peptides, as the gold enhances the penetration of them. 

Verdict on Gold: Do it!

Personal experience: love it! One of our most popular services involves a cocktail of 24k gold, peptides, amber, diamond peptides and hyaluronic acid. The results are immediate and quite visible.

2) Fish pedicures:

The idea is that your feet are submerged in a pool full of little fish who literally eat the dead skin right off your feet.

Does it work?

Yes.

Is it at all hygienic?

Hell no.

The risk for bacterial infection with this “procedure” should be enough for anyone to just say No.

In salons we are required by law to disinfect our tools between every client. All kinds of nasty things can be shared including bacteria, fungal infections, viruses. Anything that touches the skin needs to be sanitized before it can touch another client.

How exactly does one do this with a living creature? You can’t, at least not without killing it. Enough said.

Verdict on Fish pedicures: No. 

Personal experience: you couldn’t pay me to do that. Ewww.

3) Snake massage: (see fish pedicures)

Ugh. I personally love snakes, but they can be very smelly.

There is also a concern about the care and safety of the animal. In this scenario, they are being exploited, and subject to a rather cruel, forced stimulation.

Again there is the issue of sanitation.

Would the muscle stimulation of the snake moving on you be helpful? Sure, but unless that snake has a massage therapy license, it can’t possibly replace the Trained hands of a licensed therapist.

Verdict: Waste of money.

Personal experience: None, but I often use slow compressive massage movements during my facial treatments. Plus it doesn’t smell!

4) Snail facials:

This one is a bit trickier. The snail filtrate itself has been shown to be extremely beneficial to skin, as it increases hydration, and speeds healing. It  naturally contains glycolic acid, enzymes and growth factors. It has even been shown to be helpful for eliminating warts.

However, snail filtrate in skin care products is collected, filtered and formulated with preservatives, making it safe to use. It is often diluted because it is very expensive to collect, and the percentage of active matters.

Placing live snails directly on the skin again borders on cruelty, and there is no way to control for sanitation. Verdict: no to live snails. Big YES to snail filtrate in skincare products.

Personal experience: I love snail filtrate! It’s very slick feeling, and quite soothing for barrier impaired skin. It’s an ingredient in several age management products we carry.

5) “Slapping” facials:

You’ve probably seen videos of Estheticians or barbers vigorously slapping the faces of clients on their treatment chair. Some are so rough, it’s a wonder the client didn’t slap back! Is this actually beneficial? 

Well… the slapping does stimulate circulation, which improves oxygen flow, color, and nutrients to the cells. However, if you happen to be on the receiving end with a practitioner who is working out their stress on your face, you might not enjoy it so much. 

Slapping the skin isn’t really something new. The massage techniques of tapotement and percussion are tried and true and can be beneficial. However such aggression may actually induce a stress response in the receiver, leading to higher cortisol, which ultimately accelerates aging. 

Verdict: maybe, if you are into aggressive massage. 

Personal experience: I have enjoyed some percussive massage on larger muscle groups, particularly back and thighs. A much lighter touch on the face is ok, but I’m not ready to get slapped around!

6) Biting massage: 

Umm…  The human mouth is so full of bacteria that the risk of transferring disease is just way too high.

Frankly, as a professional, this “technique” is repulsive, and belongs more in the category of fetish than spa treatment.  Kneading muscles before a more soothing massage is a much more palatable experience. (see what I did there?)

Verdict: No. 

Personal experience: Ugh, really?? 

7) Chocolate in skin care:

Chocolate is loaded with antioxidants and minerals. It also naturally contains cannabinoids that stimulate our endocannabinoid system.

It’s high in magnesium, a necessary mineral which helps us to relax, sleep and assists in cardiovascular function. REAL cacao is also rich in cocoa butter, a lush emollient for the skin.

Claims that chocolate/cacao will also help in weight loss are usually based on the idea that caffeine and theobromine naturally found in cacao will assist that process are rampant, and they do have some positive effects.

In general, most chocolate body treatments are more a stimulation for the senses than for the weight loss. 

Verdict: yes, but don’t expect chocolate miracles.

Personal experience: we use chocolate in several treatments, particularly for its antioxidant effect and sensory appeal.

8) Lymphatic Drainage:

Generally using light, almost fluttery strokes across the skin, this is a proven modality to reduce inflammation, edema and redness in the skin.

Regular lymphatic drainage can help reduce the symptoms of rosacea, acne, sinus pain, headaches, etc.  Even though it may seem like nothing is really happening with MLD (manual lymphatic drainage) because it is so gentle, it really is extremely effective. 

Verdict: Definitely YES.

Personal experience: It’s wonderful! Very relaxing, gentle and effective, I’ve also had full body body MLD, and will definitely do it again.

We are super fortunate to have Polly Jiacovelli, a lymphatic specialist here in our building trained with the Dr Vodder method of MLD, the most respected and well researched in the world. Highly recommended!

9) Facial Gua Sha:

An eastern modality using smooth gemstones, polished bone or horn to “scrape” the contours of the face, this is actually quite effective at stimulating lymphatic movement, and reducing adhesions in the small muscles of the face.

Done too aggressively, it can bring up a rash that resembles a bruise. This is similar to the rash seen in cupping. 

Verdict: Yes, when performed with a gentle hand.

Personal experience: it’s lovely, when done properly can visibly define the contours of the face, especially under the eyes and jawline. Visible results are temporary, but have long term subtle benefits. We have been offering facial Gua Sha treatments for several years now.

10) Jade rollers:

These are all the rage on social media lately, with clients asking about them on a regular basis.

Yes, they are effective for penetrating products, stimulating circulation, cooling irritated skin and bringing about a healthy glow, but this is more from the by product of massage and lymphatic drainage. They are not miracle stones. That being said, lots of different stones have benefits for the skin. Don’t limit your self to just jade. Try rose quartz, aventurine, chrysoprase, amethyst…

Verdict: yes! They are easy and pleasant to use, but don’t expect a full facelift.

Personal experience: these are fun! Naturally cooling, they feel good on the skin. Because they are natural stone, they are prone to breakage.

Again, they are not a miracle, but we have been incorporating gemstones into our facial treatments for almost 20 years now. There are real benefits!

11) Dien Chan Zone Facial Reflexology

A technique from Italy based on Vietnamese facial needling, it uses a small blunt tool to stimulate reflexes on the face, inducing a state of deep relaxation and supports vitality. 

Totally painless, highly effective, and pleasant, this is a must try modality that delivers. 

Verdict: yes!

Personal experience: the first treatment I was very curious, and rather engaged in the technique. The second time I was in a deep state of relaxation within a few minutes. We do offer this treatment, and are some of the very first in the country (USA) to offer it. 

Great skin care looks at the whole person: mind, body, spirit and skin. If you are serious about your skin care, you are probably already coming to Viriditas Beautiful Skin Therapies. If you haven’t made an appointment yet, here is a convenient link to book yourself some high quality self- care. http://www.viriditas.skincaretherapy.net/

We look forward to helping your skin look and feel amazing!

Xox

Laurie

Dry Winter Skin? 13 Ways to Beat the Dry without Breaking the Bank

Snowflakes, skiing, hot chocolate, Netflix marathons…what’s not to like about winter? Well, maybe the dry, flaky, itchy skin…

Dry Skin doesn’t have enough oil. Oily skin has plenty of oil. Dehydrated skin however, doesn’t have enough water. This is why you can have very oily skin, but still feel quite dry in the winter: its dehydration.

Whatever skin you have, keeping it soft and hydrated in the cold weather months doesn’t need to come with a big price tag. Here are some basic skin treats you can do yourself at home:

Externally:
1) Indulge yourself in a lush bath of warm water and a can of full-fat coconut milk! The natural fat helps to gently soften and hydrate dry itchy winter skin. Keep it to about 20 minutes though, more than that and your warm soak may have a reverse effect. Caution! The tub will be slippery!
2) Any bath or shower ritual will be enhanced with a little dry brushing beforehand. Simply take a stiff bristled body brush, and brush your skin in upward motions toward your heart. Not only is this a great way to exfoliate dead, dry skin, it also moves lymph, which reduces swelling, puffiness, and supports overall health. Start on your feet and move upward, continuing until the skin is slightly pink.
3) Follow up that dry brushing with a little self-massage! Raid your kitchen for some sesame or sunflower oil. Let it all soak in before ( yes, before) you hop in the shower. Use a gentle cleanser, and try washing just the “stinky parts”. (Applying oil to the skin after a shower is lovely, however the oils will soak into the fibers of your clothing and towels, turning rancid over time.) Follow up with your favorite lotion. Try to avoid lotion with fragrance, as it’s a common irritant, frequently causing dryness and itching. Dry winter skin doesn’t need more of that!
4) For your face, indulge in a weekly mask of full fat yogurt, mashed banana, avocado or honey. A classic “honey pat” helps to gently exfoliate and hydrate. Simply take 1-2 teaspoons of liquid honey, and with your fingers, “pat” it all over your face. After a few minutes of patting it will become runny, then you can leave it to continue working for 10-15 minutes if desired. Rinse well and follow-up with your favorite moisturizer.
5) Be sure to moisturize BOTH your face and body! If the body skin is dry, your face definitely will be too. Don’t skip one or the other, they are all part of the same organ. Treat your skin well❤️
6) A few items I would NOT recommend: olive oil. As delicious and healthy as it is to eat, studies have shown that it damages the barrier of the skin over time: makes the skin dry and chapped.
7) Also, contrary to popular media, coconut oil is NOT the best choice for people with acne-prone skin.  I know, I specialize in Acne…sunflower oil is a much better choice, it contains a high proportion of linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid which studies have shown is deficient in acne and eczema prone skin. Coconut oil is fine for non-acne prone skin, but it doesn’t contain enough fatty acids for winter weather. It will absorb and disappear. Dry skin needs more. Shea, mango or cocoa butter is thicker and heavier, and rather inexpensive to obtain. Just warm it a little in your hands and apply. Again, not for acne!
8) Invest in a small bottle of organic pomegranate oil. A drop or two added to your regular moisturizer can give you the winterizing boost your skin needs. Again, sunflower or jojoba oils are good choices for acne -prone skin.

Internally:
9) Increase your intake of healthy fats: avocado, walnuts, grass-fed meats, pastured eggs, olive oil. These foods are required for healthy cellular membranes, and no matter how much lotion you put on the outside, if the inside is oil dry, you just can’t moisturize enough.
10) Drink enough water!! Healthy skin has a balance of oil and water, so someone who is very oily can often feel very dry in the winter: they are dehydrated! Drink up! A cup of hot tea both hydrates, and takes out the chill.

Environmental:
11) Use a humidifier. Dry, hot air from heating units will pull moisture right out of your skin by osmosis, so boost the relative humidity, and don’t blast the heat.
12) Wear a scarf and gloves! Keep your skin protected from the elements and reduce moisture loss by keeping it covered when you go outside.
13) Wear natural fibers like cotton, wool, bamboo and silk. These fabrics help prevent moisture loss, and preserve heat.

What are your go-to tips for keeping dry winter skin happy? Please share in the comments!

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