Which Facial for my Skin Type?

This is a question many of my clients always struggle with. I offer quite a lot of  facials from 5 different product houses, so yes, it can be a bit confusing.

I tried to streamline the process and hopefully it will be easier to choose a treatment in future.

How to choose a facial:

What is my concern about my skin?
Is it oiliness, dryness, breakouts or is it in need of a deep cleanse?

What is my skin type?

Normal skin: This is the ideal skin type and you should thank you stars, your mother, father and their forbearers for gifting you with these genes. It is fine and even textured, firm, supple and has a good balance of moisture and oil secretions. The skin looks clear, without any impurities or blemishes and slightly warm to the touch. Pale skins will be pink in colour, and darker skins will have a mauve hue.

Dry skin: This skin type is caused by too little oil secreted by the skin. It has a very fine texture with no visible pores and may have a thin, almost transparent look. It will often feel tight and slightly hot and is prone to early, very fine lines and expression wrinkles. It is often sensitive to cold and wind, air conditioning and needs lots and lost of moisture/ oil combination creams.


Oily Skin: This skin type is caused by too much oil secreted by the skin. The skin texture may look shiny and uneven, having large pores with black heads (comedones) or even pastules (inflamed spots). It is difficult too keep clean but also very important not to over clean and dry out the skin. The good news is that oily skin tends to age slower because the sebum (oil) naturally prevents water loss.

Combination skin: This type of skin has both oily and dry patches. The oily part usually forms a “T” zone across the forehead and down the nose and chin. There may be enlarged pores over the oily part but the rest of the face and neck will be dry or normal.

Mature skin: This, to me is not a skin type but a skin condition as we were not born with mature skin but this (as we all surely know) develops slowly over time as we grow older. I will
describe the ageing process in another blog post.

Sensitive/ allergic skin: There is still a bit of debate going an about the difference between these two. However, I have always been able to contribute this problem to the use of incorrect products and it always disappears when the client uses the correct home-care products! It is usually dry with fine pores and may have red patches over the cheeks and nose. It may react to heat, cold, pressure, irritation or nervous conditions. It often responds to an allergic stimulus.

What is my budget?
There is always a facial for every budget. It may not always be the best facial available but it will address all your concerns and leave your skin comfortable and soft.

Which product range should I choose from?
If you are already using one of the product house's home care products, say Vitaderm, it is best to stay with that range and use one of the facials that they offer.

If you are not using any of the product houses that I stock and cannot decide on this,  please discuss it with me and I will find the best one available for your budget and concerns.

Please follow the links provided to help you choose a facial just for you:
Description of facials on offer

Please feel free to contact me at 082 398 9817 or gerda@agbeautysalon.co.za for more information.

Related article; http://agbeautysalon.blogspot.co.za/2016/09/different-skin-types-different.html

Why do I need a toner in my beauty routine?

The beauty industry use different names for the same product; toners, clarifiers, fresheners, refiners, tonics and astringents.  No matter what it is called, it is a must-have in your daily beauty routine. All these names refer to the product that you use after you have cleansed your skin. 

Toner

A well formulated toner is extremely beneficial for your skin and will improve your skin condition with regular use. 

There are so many beneficial products that can be added into a toner, that it will be easier to list those that should NOT be there:
• SD alcohols, especially denatured alcohols, as it dries the skin out and cause white patches on the skin
• Volatile plant extracts- it can cause allergic reactions
• Ammonia-is a CORROSIVE CHEMICAL and can irritate and burn the skin and eyes, leading to permanent damage.
• Camphor- Large amounts of camphor, even applied only to the skin or inhaled, can be toxic. Do not consume camphor or use it on cuts or broken skin. It may produce allergic reactions in some people, advises Drugs.com.
• Petrochemical like mineral oil, since they tend to cause superficial hydration with long term use and occlude the pores
• Chemical colours and fragrances. Some perfumes contains synthetic estrogen that interferes with your normal hormones. 
• Harsh preservatives like diazolidinyl urea and imidazolidinyl urea. Both are antimicrobial preservatives and act as formaldehyde releasers.
• Skin drying sulphates- Sulphates are a salt of sulphuric acid they create a lather and help strip away oil.

A good toner should:

Help to remove the last traces of make-up:
Just in case you missed some during the cleansing, the toning step will remove the last traces of make –up.

Help to refine pores:
Ingredients like mastic resin extract and witch hazel help to reduce pore size!

Witch Hazel Flowers

Help to reduce inflammation and irritation: 
In the case of compromised skin it should soothe and heal. Ingredients such as cotton seed extract, Green tea extract, Chamomile and Aloe vera are ideal for this.  

Chamomile flowers

WESSON Therapeutics has an excellent product range specially formulated for sensitive/compromised/reactive skin!

Restore the pH balance of the skin.
Our skin pH is about 5.5. This is the optimum level as it means that the skin is neither too dry or oily and can better absorb any treatment products that are used afterwards.

Helps with hydration:
Some toners contain ingredients such as avocado, palmarosa and rose geranium extract which helps to restore hydration to the skin as this product is not washed off after application. 

Rose Geranium

Control the oil/water balance:
It is very important, even for oily skin, to have the correct oil/water balance in the skin. 
Many toners for oily and combination skin will do just that with ingredients such as Ylang-ylang and Juniper berry extract. 

Many clients are very sceptical about the use of toners, but I would rather skip the morning cleanser and only tone if I am in a hurry. I use bottles and bottles of the stuff in comparison to my cleanser usage. 

Once you have found the correct one for your soothe any irritations, increase the efficiency of the moisturisers, and improve your skin condition, you will probably never go without it again.

As with the cleansers you should use toners that are skin-type specific and preferable one that compliments your cleanser. In other words, if you use a cleanser from a range of products for dry skin types, the toner that is in this range will 9 out of 10 times be the one that is right for you. 

However, do not hesitate to use a sensitive range toner with a dry skin or a combination range toner with a normal skin. 

I found that if you use a cleanser for your skin type and a toner for your skin condition, you will be happy with the result.

Salon products that I can recommend:

Normal Skin:
Vitaderm: Conditioning Toner
TheraVine: Balancing Toner

Vitaderm Conditioning Toner

Dry skin:
Vitaderm: Conditioning Toner
TheraVine: HydraVine Toner

Oily /Acne Skin:
Vitaderm: Antiseptic Toner, Regulating Toner
Theravine: Balancing Toner

TheraVine™ Balancing Toner

Combination skin:
Vitaderm: Conditioning Toner
TheraVine: Balancing Toner or HydraVine Toner

Sensitive/ allergic skin:
Wesson Calming Facial Mist

Wesson Therapeutics for Sensitive Skn

Mature skin:
Vitaderm: Conditioning Toner
TheraVine: Balancing Toner or HydraVine Toner
Phytomer: Ogenage Toning Cleansing Emulsion
Essel: DNA Epinew Rejuvenating Spritzer

Phytomer Ogenage Toning Cleansing Emulsion

Please read our articles “The importance of cleansing your skin” and “What is in a good cleanser?” to further help you to correctly cleanse your skin.

If you need any further information on how to choose your home care products, please contact us at 082 398 9817 for an appointment or if you want to know more about the products that we stock in the salon, please visit our website @ http://www.agbeautysalon.co.za/

The importance of cleansing your skin

When cleansing you skin, you are removing any make-up, impurities, dead skin cells, sweat, and sebum that have accumulated during the day. Our skin is also a very easy-to-reach dumping ground for dust and other environmental pollutants.

Remove your make-up

If you forget to remove your make-up before going to sleep, it will be more difficult in the morning to remove that stubborn mascara and stay-on-forever lip colour.

 At night, the skin also secretes sebum and sweat and if you are in the habit of sharing your bed with your furry friends, you will probably have some pet hair and other scary stuff on your skin as well. Water alone will not successfully remove this.

Your daily cleansing and make-up removal routine need to start with good products which are suitable for your skin type and lifestyle.

Your skin should always feel clean, soft, and balanced (not too dry or too oily) after any cleansing routine.

The routine usually follows 3 basic steps: cleanse, tone and moisturise.

Please read our article “What is in a good cleanser?” for guidelines about choosing the correct cleanser for your skin.

How to get the best results from your cleansing routine.

Start with your eyes. Always use damp cotton wool, as some of them feels like abrasive pads on the skin when dry. Soak the cotton wool in the make-up remover and place over the eyelids. Wait 5 to 10 seconds for the make-up to softens, then gently stroke the eye lashes from base to tip to remove the mascara. Then, using clean cotton wool in need, stroke from the inside to the outside corner of the eye until all make-up has been removed.

Move on to the rest of your face. First wet your face slightly with tepid water. Place some of the cleanser in your hands and gently apply to your whole face and always include the front and back of your neck, as well as you décolleté area. . Work from the center of you face and with your fingertips perform small circular movements. Remove with water, damp cotton wool or a face cloth. Tone and moisturise.

No matter what products you use, or how you go about cleansing your skin, always be gentle, do not over cleanse, do not rub and scrub and you should reap the benefits by having a clear complexion and soft, glowing skin!

Some of my favourite cleansers:

Vitaderm Pre-Cleanse 150ml R 255

This popular Pre-Cleanse is essential for a deep pore-cleansing effect without leaving a taut feeling on the skin.

This water-soluble, oil-based gel is incredibly effective in dissolving all oil-soluble impurities on the skin. With the addition of water, this formulation turns into a milky cleanser and rinses away impurities.

It is suitable for all skin types and may be used prior to normal cleansing.

For oily skin types, it is recommended to use one of Vitaderm’s Gel Cleansers afterwards. For dry skin types, the Pre Cleanse may be used instead of the normal cleanser. This formulation is preservative free.

Vitaderm Gentle Eye Make-up Remover 50ml R 85

A mild formulation which gently removes eye make-up.

It contains no aromatic extracts and is therefore highly recommended for sensitive eyes and is ideal for contact lens wearers.

It contains Vitamin B5, which keeps hair healthy! It will not damage your false eye lashes either!

This product is ideal for the removal of water resistant and smudge proof make-up. It is not recommended to remove water-proof make-up. 

If you need any further information on how to choose your home care products, please contact us at 082 398 9817 or agb111@mweb.co.za for an appointment.

If you want to know more about the products that we stock in the salon, please visit our website @ http://www.agbeautysalon.co.za/

Different Skin Types, Different Treatments

At Beauty College, I was taught that skin types can be classified as normal, dry, oily, combination, mature and sensitive. Skin types are seen as intrinsic factors that we are born with and these cannot change during our life time. Skin conditions are classified as dehydrated, acne, allergic, seborrhoeic and oedematous. Skin conditions are seen as temporary problems that we experience at any given time due to factors such as environment, diet, stress, hormonal imbalances, etc.

We were also taught that when you analyse a client’s skin you need to hold up a mirror, point out and tell her absolutely everything that was wrong with her skin. Imagine me sitting there and showing her every spot, pimple, wrinkle, freckle, dry patch, red patch, oily patch and every other patch you can think of. I never do this in my salon, as I am quite sure that this would end up in disaster.

Various beauty products

In various training manuals and beauty books, that I bought and read since then to try and make sense of this varied and complex subject, the classification of skin types differ depending on the author’s believes, training and experience. According to Florence Barrett-Hill in her book “Advanced Skin Analysis” only three basic skin types exist: Permanent Diffused Redness, Lipid Dry and Lipid Oily. 

What I now rely on, in conjunction with my very long and detailed questionnaire, when analysing a client’s skin, is to ask her how she experiences her skin and what her concerns and expectations are. Listening to her and taking it all into consideration, is as important as all my skin analysing techniques and training.

Here are short descriptions of the different skin types as used in most salons and these are terms that the clients are most used to and familiar with:

Normal skin: This is the ideal skin type and you should thank you stars, your mother, father and their forbearers for gifting you with these genes. It is fine and even textured, firm, supple and has a good balance of moisture and oil secretions. The skin looks clear, without any impurities or blemishes and slightly warm to the touch. Pale skins will be pink in colour, and darker skins will have a mauve hue.

Vitaderm has an Introduction Kit for every skin type

Dry skin: This skin type is caused by too little oil secreted by the skin. It has a very fine texture with no visible pores and may have a thin, almost transparent look. It will often feel tight and slightly hot and is prone to early, very fine lines and expression wrinkles. It is often sensitive to cold and wind, air conditioning and needs lots and lost of moisture/ oil combination creams.

Oily Skin: This skin type is caused by too much oil secreted by the skin. The skin texture may look shiny and uneven, having large pores with black heads (comedones) or even pastules (inflamed spots). It is difficult too keep clean but also very important not to over clean and dry out the skin. The good news is that oily skin tends to age slower because the sebum (oil) naturally prevents water loss. 

Essel Range of Products. 

Please contact the salon for prices

Combination skin: This type of skin has both oily and dry patches. The oily part usually forms a “T” zone across the forehead and down the nose and chin. There may be enlarged pores over the oily part but the rest of the face and neck will be dry or normal.

Phytomer CityLife for environmental stressed skin.

Mature skin: This, to me is not a skin type but a skin condition as we were not born with mature skin but this (as we all surely know) develops slowly over time as we grow older. I will 
describe the ageing process in another blog post.

TheraVine™ Products

Sensitive/ allergic skin: There is still a bit of debate going an about the difference between these two. However, I have always been able to contribute this problem to the use of incorrect products and it always disappears when the client uses the correct home-care products! It is usually dry with fine pores and may have red patches over the cheeks and nose. It may react to heat, cold, pressure, irritation or nervous conditions. It often responds to an allergic stimulus.

The quick route to do-it-yourself analysis:

In his book “Facelift at your fingertips”, Pierre Jean Cousin, analysed skin as follows: 

• Clean your skin with warm water and cotton wool balls. 
• Dry lightly with a towel and wait 30 minutes. 
• Cover you face with one layer of paper tissue, press lightly and leave for about one minute. 
• Remove and examine it. 

Results:
Oily stains over most of the tissue: your skin type is oily
Oily patches at side of nose, around mouth and forehead: Your skin type is combination
Faint oily traces over most of the tissue: your skin type is normalNo oily traces: your skin type is dry

Although this is far simpler than we were taught, and my lecturers will surely miss a few heartbeats by me mentioning this, it is a good start for those who need to know their skin type and can’t be bothered with lengthy and sometimes costly salon skin analysis.

Please keep in mind that when you have a skin problem like acne, very sensitive, allergic or pigmented skin, rather consult a good beautician to guide you about the care and the correct take-home products that will treat the problem and keep your skin in excellent condition. 

Whatever you skin type and condition, please treat your skin gently and remember: no tanning allowed!

For a consultation contact me at gerda@ agbeautysalon.co.za, or for more information visit our website at http://www.agbeautysalon.co.za/ .

Thanks to the following authors for their hard work in writing the books that helped me to be a better skin analyst:
Florence Barrett-Hill, Advanced Skin Analysis, Virtual Beauty Corporation Ltd, 2004
Pierre Jean Cousin, Facelift at your fingertips, Quadrille Publishing Limited, 1999
Ann Hagman, Aesthetics for the Therapist, Stanley Thornes ( Publishers) Ltd 1991
William Arnould-Taylor, Physical Therapy, Stanley Thornes ( Publishers) Ltd 1997

Hyper-pigmentation, a 3-step treatment success

Autumn is the perfect time of year to give serious attention to hyper-pigmentation as the sun’s power is on the wane and the UV radiation weakens. The sunlight hours are also getting shorter and this all helps to make the treatment of all pigmentation problems so much easier.

All skin types are effected by hyper-pigmentation

Pigmentation is a pesky problem that normally has its origin in overexposure to the sun, hormonal imbalances or some medical conditions.  I am not going to go into all the medical reasons for pigmentation, but will concentrate on sun exposure and hormonal issues.

This is the short version of how our cells react to sun exposure:
Skin colour is determined by the amount, distribution and type of melanin.  Melanin is the dark pigment that one’s skin produces, in the melanocytes, that shows up as a “tan.”  The “tan” that so many of us desire, is a result of a chain reaction that occurs to protect our skin from the harmful UV damage by forming a protective layer over the chromosomes in the cell and therefor protects the cells’ DNA.

The longer version is a bit more, well longer, and involves explaining all the chemical processes, enzymes, proteins, amino acids, hormones and much more that are involved in the chain reactions that form pigmentation.

I always refer to a tan as a CRY-OUT for help from our skins to “please stop the damage and get out of the sun!”

How do we tackle this complex problem?
Before starting an anti-pigmentation treatment course, one has to accept that it will take time, patience, determination and above all an understanding that one’s skin does not react overnight to any treatment protocol, no matter which product range one uses.

The best way to treat hyper-pigmentation is a 3-Step approach that:
1. Treats and corrects most of the causes of pigmentation- removes and minimises visible pigmentation
2. Restores the damage to the skin-hydration and strethening the skin
3. Protect the skin from future damage-anti-oxidant care and UV Protection

“A time has come where a scientifically advanced, cosmeceutical skin care brand such as TheraVine™ produces innovative skin care products formulated to address skin concerns related to pigmentation while promoting luminous, even skin tone and effective controlling hyperpigmentation caused by the natural ageing process, sun damage, excessive UV exposure and hormonal imbalances”-Lisa Smith, creator and CEO of L.S.Enterprises.

The TheraVine™ MelanoVine™ range addresses hyperpigmentation by making use of 2 cutting edge melanosome inhibiting peptides, a combination of 5 active ingredients comprised of Advanced Hydrating Systems and Anti-Oxidant Phyto-Chemistry as well as the nano-encapsulation technology of a revolutionary bilayer liposome leaving the complexion brighter, younger and more uniform.

The TheraVine™ MelanoVine™ range consists of the following products:

MELANOVINE™ BRIGHTENING MILK CLEANSER          250ml R        331.00
MELANOVINE™ BRIGHTENING CONDITIONER                  250ml R        311.00
MELANOVINE™ SOLUTION+ CONCENTRATE                  30ml R        595.00
MELANOVINE™ BRIGHTENING C+ DAY PROTECTION  50ml R        564.00
MELANOVINE™ RECOVERY+ NIGHT TREATMENT          50ml R        585.00
MELANOVINE™ BRIGHTENING C+ DAILY MATTIFIER  50ml  R        574.00

MelanoVine™ Brightening C+ Daily Mattifier Treatment Cream

MELANOVINE PRO-BRILLIANCE BRIGHTENING FACIAL  30 min
Normally R500  Now only R350 until end of May 2016 

Combining advanced technology with the latest skin brightening research advances delivered a unique facial treatment using specialised skin care techniques to provide effective and visible brightening results.

Ideal for a dull, devitalised skin with discolouration concerns, this treatment is specifically aimed at diminishing uneven skin tone while also minimizing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Targeting hyperpigmentation at various levels with scientifically advanced actives and natural lightening plant extracts, this treatment will aid in a rehydrated complexion, leaving your skin
looking luminous and feeling radiant.
Prices correct as at 19.4.2016


For more information or to book a consultation, please call Gerda on 0823989817 or contact us agb111@mweb.co.za

TheraVine 20% off all Skin Care Selection Starter Packs/ Gift Packs

This month TheraVine ™ is offering the following products on a 20% disount!

http://www.agbeautysalon.co.za/beauty-products/theravine.html

TheraVine ™ COLLAGEN PRO-FIRMING SKIN CARE SELECTION  Was R  591  Now R472
This high-performance skin care selection includes 3 ground breaking products dealing with the concern of thinning, crepe like skin.  Technologically advanced active peptides and proteins penetrate and work deep within the skin targeting the different stages in the collagen cycle,  which thereby successfully strengthening the collagen matrix and retaining skin elasticity, leaving the skin looking firmer, smoother and the facial and eye contours more defined.
Collection consists of:
50ml UltraVine™ Rich Collagen Cream
15ml UltraVine™ Pro-Firming Serum
15ml Anti-Wrinkle Eye Serum
3ml VitaVine™ Booster Face Mask Sample

TheraVine ™  AGE-DEFYING SKIN CARE SELECTION   Was R 564 Now R451
A premium product selection trio which helps delivers the ultimate in promoting the skin’s natural regeneration processes, boosts cellular renewal and restores vitality and radiance.
TheraVine™’s breakthrough free radical protection technology with through active peptides that provides the perfect solution in to reducing the depth of fine lines and wrinkles and as  well as prevention of pre-mature ageing caused by photo damaged skin. resulting in pre-mature ageing.
The selection pack consists of:
50ml Anti-Winkle Night Cream
15ml Stimulating Pinotage Face Oil
15ml VitaVine™Anti-Wrinkle Skin Booster

3ml  Anti-Winkle Day Cream Sample

TheraVine ™ INTENSE MOISTURE SKIN CARE SELECTION  Was R 564 Now R451
An intensive rehydrating selection restoring youthful vitality to dry, dehydrated and devitalised skins.   Perfectly suited for skins that require a high level of moisture and comfort. Each product is perfectly formulated with the purest therapeutic blend of  essential oils and technologically advanced actives ensuring immediate deep and long-lasting hydration.  Each product is rapidly absorbed, creating a sense of immediate replenished comfort.
Collection consists of:
1 x 50ml Super Hydrating Day Cream
1 x 15ml Hydrating Pinotage Face Oil
1 x 15ml HydraVine™ Polyphenol Face Serum
3ml Moisturising Cream Mask Sample

TheraVine ™ Intelligent Repair Skin Care Selection Was R  624  Now R499
TheraVine™’s UltraVine™ Advanced range is based on sound research and next generation anti-oxidant technology for optimal anti-ageing benefits.  Infused with nature’s moat powerful extracts, each product works in synergy with the next, delivering a high performance regime dedicated to repair the damaging effect  of environmental assaults before it becomes visible. It will leave dry skin with intense comfort resulting in smoother, radiant, more elastic and substantially less visible line and wrinkles.
The selection consisit of:
30ml UltraVine™ Advance ROS Night Cream
30ml UltraVine™ Advance RCS Day Cream
15 ml UltraVine™ Advance RNS Concentrate
3ml VitaVine Booster Face Mask Sample

TheraVine ™ Introduction Skin Care Selection Was R  482  Now R 385  
A perfect introduction offering four essential skin care formulas which will balance, boost and beautify reinforcing your skin’s resistance to daily stress.   This versatile and convetient selection makes it the ideal travel companion.
The selection consists of:
100ml Cream Cleanser
100 Balancing Toner
30ml Pinotage Exfoliating Enzyme
30mlSuper Hydrating Day Cream

Vitaderm Hydrating Treatment Cream and Vitaderm Intensive Hydrating Serum -The Ultimate Hydrating Boost- with Hyaluronic Acid

Hyaluronic Acid is a complex sugar that is naturally found throughout our bodies.  It helps to transport nutrients to cell and removes toxins.  It facilitates water retention in the body tissue and can absorb more than 1000 times in weight in water.

Hyaluronic Acid is one of the most commonly used ingredients in skin care products.

There are two molecular weights used in skin care preparations:
-High molecular weight- its molecule is too large to penetrate into the dermis, but it is highly effective as it helps to draw moisture from the atmosphere and hold it on the surface of the skin
-Low molecular weight- it has an extremely small molecule which is able to penetrate deep into the dermis where it has been proven to help stimulate collagen synthesis and increase dermal hydration.

Hyaluronic Acid can help to increase your skin’s moisture content and the same time strengthen the outer layers of the skin. All skin types will benefit from hyaluronic acid; it is light enough for oily skin types and also gentle enough for those with sensitive skin. It hydrates and plumps the skin, therefor it will greatly benefit dry and ageing skin.

Hyaluronic acid is also safe to use while pregnant or breastfeeding.

This ingredient is available in the following Vitaderm Retail Products:

Vitaderm Hydrating Treatment Cream R 320, special price for Feb 2016 R 272
This top selling emulsion is light, yet extremely effective. Ideal as a day cream for dehydrated skin, yet equally effective as a night cream for young combination skin types.

Vitaderm Intensive Hydrating Serum R 338, special price for Feb 2016 R 288
This serum provides a cushion beneath your chosen treatment cream. The hyaluronic acid content traps water against the skin, leaving your skin feeling supple and fresh all day long .Equally popular with men, this product is the ideal after shave treatment to hydrate and protect the skin against moisture loss

It is also in the following Salon facial treatments:
Intensive Brightening Facial Treatment
Hydro-Intensive Facial Treatment

Travelling light for the Summer Holidays with Vitaderm's Travel Kits

Travel light and save space for more beach wear this holiday. Just add one of these travel size packs of your favourite Vitaderm skin care products and you are ready to go....

Oily/Acne Prone Kit

This skin care selection is suitable for Oily skin that is prone to breakouts and contains Purifying Gel Cleanser/Antiseptic toner/Pore Minimising Gel/Purifying Cream/Skin Renewal Gel.

Normal/Combination Kit

This kit is recommended for Young, Problem Free skin types, as an initial introduction to skin care program and contains Mild Gel Cleanser/Regulating Toner, Ultra-Light Moisture Cream/Hydrating Treatment Cream/Soothing Complex.

Dry/Dehydrated Kit

This skin care collection is suitable for Dry Skin that is prone to dehydration. It contains Gentle Cream Cleanser/Conditioning Toner/Hydrating Treatment Cream/Protective Cream/Hydrating Complex.

Dry/Alipidic Skin

This kit is recommended for Dry and Very Dry skin, lacking sebaceous activity and contains Nourishing Cream Cleanser/Conditioning Toner/Ceramide Treatment Cream/Vitamin Night Cream/Regenerating Complex.

Normal Retail Price:  R412  Special Retail Price:   R350

Hydration, a tight feeling situation

Hydrate your Skin!

Dehydrated skin is one of the most common skin complaints that I see and treat in the salon. This should not be confused with dry skin types, as this is a condition and not a skin type. 

Every skin type can have dehydration as a condition and can be aggravated by environmental factors, lifestyle choices (alcohol use, smoking, lack of sleep, insufficient fluid intake) as well as beauty products.

Dehydrated skin lacks water, usually within the body as well as on the outside. It feels tight and uncomfortable and soaks up any moisturiser in huge quantities and may still feel dry afterwards. It sometimes looks dull and lacklustre, feels itchy and often has dry, red patches. Loss of elasticity can also be a sign of dehydration.  Dehydration can cause the skin to look older, as fine lines will appear especially around the eyes, lips and on the forehead.

Treating dehydrated skin conditions start with trying to find out what caused in the first place. Most of the time the client changed her range of beauty product and her skin does not respond well to that. It can be easily rectified by looking at the ingredients in that new range and change the products accordingly.

Here are some of the most likely “problem” ingredients to watch out for (not all, the list is huge!)

• Petrochemicals-  paraffin, mineral oil, petroleum, petrolatum, Vaseline. 
• Chemical colours
• Specially denatured alcohols
• Harsh preservatives- Parabens – (methyl, propyl)
• Chemical frangrances
• Sodium lauryl sulfate benzoyl peroxide
• Salicylic acid
• Tea tree oil
• Topical acne medications (Rx treatments, such as Aczone, Retin-a, Retin-a Micro, Differin, and Tazorac)

·       

How to get it right
Your skin should feel comfortable and fresh after cleansing, not dry, tight and “squeaky” clean.  It should cleanse the skin without stripping it of its much-needed moisture.

 It is very possible that your skin developed a slight allergic reaction to the soap in your cleanser, so please check this first. Change it to a soap-free cleanser and see if this helps.

If you are using products that contain Alpha or Beta Hydroxy Acid  (salicylic acid), benzoyl peroxide or tea tree oil, stop using it until you have your skin has healed, then slowly introduce it again.

Get 7-8 hours of sleep per night. Your body needs sleep to heal and repair itself, so be kind to you skin and sleep a lot!
You may be interested in the following articles as well:

Fill-up and drink 4-6 glasses water every day, yes water not fizzy drinks and YES in winter too…..

Use moisturisers  formulated for dehydrated skin. It should contain one or more of the following ingredients:       

•  Hyaluronic acid-moisture boosting effect, can hold up to 1000 times its weight in water.
•  Allantion-soothing effect
•  Ceramides-mimics the skin’s acid mantle and “waterproofs” the skin
•  Phospholipids-decrease water loss from the skin

Stay out of the sun. I cannot repeat myself enough that the sun is bad for your complexion. It will dry your skin out even more and on top of that will cause premature aging and wrinkling. 

Avoid long, hot showers –too much of a good thing is not good either!

 If you are living a very hot, dry climate you may consider getting a warm mist humidifier and run it a couple of hours each night.

I can recommend the following products from Vitaderm that will help you on the way to hydrated, soft and comfortable skin:

4-6 glasses of water per day is a must.

Vitaderm Hydrating Treatment Cream   
It contains moisture-binding elements, alongside a blend of essential extracts, to increase skin hydration and suppleness, without a trace of oiliness. It contains increased concentrations of hyaluronic acid, both high molecular weight and low molecular weight, to help boost collagen production and increase superficial hydration. It is able to retain more than 1000 times in weight in moisture.
 

Vitaderm Intensive Hydrating Serum 

This creamy, gel-textured serum contains increased hyaluronic acid concentration.  It contains both high- and low- molecular weight hyaluronic acid to impart both deep hydration and superficial suppleness. Recommended for dehydrated skins that tend to be dry rather than oily.

Please contact us at agb111@mweb.co.za if you have any questions about your skin type or condition.