Archive | cosmetics

4 Summertime Tips to Give Your Skin Radiance

By Canoe Group on October 13, 2023 in cosmetics

Get your glow on.

Background of variety of suntan skincare product bottles close up

Summertime, with its sunshine and heat, can bring a natural radiance to the skin, but – and here’s the kicker – in doses, and with supplements. Drink Water! Hydration is the most simple but effective way to keep your skin — you guessed it — HYDRATED! Dehydration sneaks up on us in the form of a throbbing headache, a sore or dry throat, or chapped lips. But a lie-down, lozenge, or chapstick will only provide a temporary solution. What you really need is to rehydrate. Our bodies consist of over 70 percent water, and especially during the summer we can sweat through that like chump-change. Keep hydrated. Not with juice, soda, tea, or coffee, but water. Electrolyte water for hot summer days is even better to quickly replenish your body’s stores. Coconut water is great, too; it has the same pH level as your blood. You will notice a difference in the texture of your skin, and you’ll keep the glow going all summer long. Get Sun—Avoid Sunburn Get sun in doses. If you live in a climate with four seasons, you probably feel the mad dash to soak up as much sun as possible before the cool weather and changing leaves return. We get it. But if you’d like to avoid sun spot showing up on your face during the winter months when you turn pasty pale again, don’t overdo your sun exposure to the point of sunburn. If you like to sunbathe, shoot for just a couple of sessions of 15 minutes on your back and front, alternating. The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends using a broad spectrum (UVA/UVB) sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher every day. Before I hit the beach, I useElemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream SPF 30 on my face under my usual makeup for a quick and easy flawless look. Eat EnoughAt the start of this summer season, the warmth came so quickly, I forgot how much it can affect me. I was laying on the couch like a slug calling my partner; I thought I was maybe sick or that something was seriously wrong. I had no energy. And then my body started to acclimate and I realized that it was the heat making me feel like a limp noodle. Heat saps your energy. A long day in the sun and water can make anyone reinstate naps. So though you may be trying to carve out that flat stomach and bikini bod, eat! Your body needs energy. Light foods will help with the heavy feeling heat gives us. Vegetables & fruit, salads, and sushi. Fresh, small servings throughout the day should keep you more satiated and less prone to feeling sluggish. Plus, the regular nutrients will make your skin sing.Work Out in the AM When the sun isn’t as strong, and while your energy is fresh, a light morning workout starts your day off on the right foot. Literally, a good morning workout promotes healthy circulation of your blood, giving life to your skin, and helping you sweat out any bad toxins before you start your day. A nice shower afterward makes you refreshed!

Facial Masks: 5 Reasons to Use Them Regularly

By Canoe Group on August 25, 2023 in cosmetics, Masks

The epitome of sleepovers and slumber parties, but facial masks are more than just a reason to channel Jenna Rink while sliding Cheetos between our lips and binge-watching romantic comedies.

Like anything else when it comes to skincare, a facial mask product can do more harm than good, so discerning consumers beware. Faulty masks can cause breakouts, rashes, and irritated skin. But with the right mask, you won’t want to wait for the next pajama night in. And experts say you shouldn’t!1

Masks are powerfully concentrated and able to contain high levels of key ingredients because chemists need not concern themselves with the homogenization of a product that’s going to be rinsed off after a few minutes — or thrown away if you use a sheet mask. Sheet masks, like SK-II Facial Treatment Mask, are single-use masks individually sealed. These masks have extra potency and punch because they’re sealed and protected from the air, which can oxidize and weaken key ingredients. A great option for sensitive skin, SK-II masks are 100% cotton soaked in a blend of vitamins, amino acids, minerals, and organic acids. Use semi-daily for ultimate comfort and intense hydration that will make you forget it’s a weekday! Masks can also enhance the products in your existing regimen. In fact, you can actually achieve quicker and even better results if you choose a mask with treatment ingredients that work together with the products you already use. If you treat your acne with a salicylic acid cleanser in the morning and spot treatment with benzoyl peroxide at night let’s say, adding a sulfur-based mask will get you clearer skin quicker. Each ingredient tackles acne in a unique way. Combined, they work magic! Talk to a trusted dermatologist to find the right combination of masks and products for your goals. Masks help your skincare products absorb better. Using a mask that exfoliates and moisturizes will help keep your skin at peak hydration. This allows for anti-aging superstars like acids and retinoids to absorb better. Better yet, you’ll be able to use these ingredients more regularly because your skin will be able to tolerate them with less irritation. We recommend Obagi Professional-C Microdermabrasion Polish + Mask.Masks can be problem solvers, and bring balance back to your skin. We all experience those occasional periods when our skin goes haywire, especially during seasonal changes. Masks can be like a reset button for your skin. If your oil glands suddenly kick up production, a calming clay mask, like SkinCeuticals Clarifying Clay Masque, will dry out excess oil and give any breakouts a chance to heal. Revive dry, tired skin with a hydrating and nourishing mask, like Neova Pure Copper Mask. Quickly calm red, irritated skin with a cooling gel mask, like Peter Thomas Roth Cucumber Gel Mask. Masks can help you to relax, destress and recover. And isn’t thiswhat we love about them most? Relaxing with a mask for just ten minutes can lower blood pressure and cortisol levels. Include some deep breathing to increase relaxation and trigger the release of healing and anti-aging beta endorphins. Recover with Dermalogica MultiVitamin Power Recovery Masque.

But whether we take time to relax, or slap on a face mask for ten minutes while doing laundry, it’s all gravy. You will feel the benefits either way when you include masks in your regular regimen. Just make sure you give your household a fair warning before you get all Friday the 13th Jason on them.

Sources:

1Nilforoushzadeh, M. A., Amirkhani, M. A., Zarrintaj, P., Salehi Moghaddam, A., Mehrabi, T., Alavi, S., & Mollapour Sisakht, M. (2018). Skin care and rejuvenation by cosmeceutical facial mask. Journal of cosmetic dermatology, 17(5), 693–702. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocd.12730

Do You Exfoliate? Best Exfoliators For YOUR Skin Type

By Canoe Group on August 11, 2023 in cosmetics, skin care tools, skin science

There’s a fine line between smooth and rubbed raw. Millions get it wrong every day. Never fear, we’ve got your guidelines here.

Close up portrait of a merry young woman performing an exfoliation procedure with a facial sponge

We have exfoliating gloves, cleansers, and scrubs…but are they all created equal? Experts say, No. Exfoliating is the process of removing dead skin cells from the surface of your skin, a natural build-up that occurs as our skin tries to make way for new cells. But according to the American Academy of Dermatology Association, if you’re not sure about how to best exfoliate your skin, you could end up doing more harm than good. I developed my exfoliating habit in my late twenties, but I wish I’d known the right way to exfoliate my skin sooner. On and off attempts at exfoliating with everything from course sugar granules to lightly granulated glycolic acid acne cleansers left my skin drier, redder, and more sensitive than it already was. I would regularly wake up in the morning with mild burns, particularly around my t-zone and my eyes. Exfoliating can be a great defense against acne, as clearing away dead skin helps to keep pores clean. In my case, I irritated my skin so badly, my breakouts grew even worse. I rubbed my skin raw. For several years after that, I gave up on exfoliating altogether, opting for softer cloths to wash my face with non-abrasive cleansers. This helped to keep my skin from getting irritated but also left my skin feeling irregularly textured instead of smooth. The natural build-up of dead skin became frustrating especially when applying makeup. I like the hydrated dewy look, but my makeup looked crusty. Now, I opt for a gentle exfoliating cleanser with a soft exfoliating glove, but it took some trial and error, as well as a good chat with a skin specialist to find the right combo for me.Here are some tips we’ve put together at SkinMedix for you to choose the best exfoliator for your skin type.

Normal SkinGlycolic acid is one of the most effective exfoliators and is great for normal skin types. It can also be slightly irritating, so moisturize after to prevent inflammation. Look for moisturizers for sensitive skin with ceramides or green tea. Start off with a cleanser likeNeostrata Foaming Glycolic Wash and follow up with a soothing moisturizer, likeSkinMedica TNS Ceramide Treatment Cream.Oily or Combination SkinA scrub with microbeads or sugar once a week and a salicylic acid-infused cleanser every day sounds like sloughing overload, but scrubs, like SkinCeuticals Micro Exfoliating Scrub sweeps away dead cells so the salicylic acid can penetrate and clean clogged pores. For your “everyday cleanser”, we recommend Obagi CLENZIderm MD Daily Care Foaming Cleanser. Or, for occasional use, you can get the benefits of both in a single product with antioxidant-richiS Clinical Tri-Active Exfoliating Masque.Dry, Sensitive, or Very Fair SkinTry products that contain lactic acid, like Dermalogica Skin Resurfacing Cleanserand PCA Skin Body Therapy. Lactic acid is a relatively large molecule that can’t penetrate the skin as deeply as the other alpha hydroxy acids, which means it’s not as abrasive. Unfortunately, anything else may make your skin drier, redder, and more sensitive.If you aren’t sure which skin type you have or have any questions about exfoliating, make an appointment with your dermatologist. Never been? Find a board-certified dermatologist near you through the WebMD Care Portal.

The Best Face Moisturizer: Is There Such a Thing?

By Maura Lieberman on March 8, 2022 in beauty, cosmetics

First things first, what exactly makes a face moisturizer the absolute best face moisturizer? Maybe you’ve perused countless drugstores and makeup counters, browsing the plentiful amount of facial moisturizers that all claim to be the “very best” on the market. Some claim to provide better results, others claim to have acne-fighting antioxidants. How do you know which one to choose?

First, you need to determine what exactly a moisturizer is and what it does. A basic moisturizer adds hydration to your skin and retains it.

Well, which one is actually going to work well for your skin type and not someone else’s? It all starts with accessing your skin’s needs. Is your skin super-sensitive, or is your skin more prone to looking shiny once 3 o’clock hits?

Choosing a Facial Moisturizer Based on Your Skin Type

Dry

Without adding hydration to your dry skin, it’ll become flaky and itchy in no time! For dry skin, you’ll want to use a light moisturizer to include ingredients to deliver hydration all day and won’t cause you to break out or feel greasy.

For parched skin that just craves moisture, Perricone MD Nourishing Moisturizer is ideal for sensitive or dry skin. This lightweight formula provides a protective barrier over the most sensitive skin for the luxurious moisture your skin deserves.

Oily

If you have oily skin, you may be thinking that you shouldn’t moisturize because it’ll make your skin look even shinier. But no, you’ll still need to moisturize, just not as often as someone with dry or normal skin. In fact, if your skin is acne-prone and oily, and you’re applying drying products (such as a face wash and toner), your skin may actually start to produce more oil to balance it all out. If you use a light moisturizer, you can help keep skin in check.

You’ll want to keep your skin hydrated without drying it out, and using a product like Hyaluronic Marine Moisture Cushion by Dr. Dennis Gross to hydrate skin and control oil and shine. Making sure you choose a product labeled “noncomedogenic” or non-pore-clogging is essential. This oil-free, cushy moisturizer works to seal in time-released hydration as it helps firm and smooth skin’s appearance.

Combination Skin

Prone to oiliness on your forehead, nose, and chin, while the rest of your skin is more on the dry or normal side? That means you have combination skin. For combination skin, you’ll want to find a healthy balance of ingredients to complement your skin.

Using a light moisturizer and making sure you wash your face with a cleanser that won’t dry your skin out, like Murad Time Release Acne Cleanser, is all-important. This moisturizer cleanser controls the most oily parts of your skin for a matte, shine-free finish.

Acne-Prone Skin

With acne prone skin, you’ll want to use an oil-free product that won’t block your pores, otherwise known as a “non-comedogenic” product. A leading face moisturizer for acne-prone skin is Eminence Clear Skin Probiotic Moisturizer, which is extremely gentle on sensitive skin and doesn’t clog pores, making it a great choice for any sensitive or acne skin care routine.. Your skin will feel and look more radiant.

Sensitive Skin

If you have sensitive skin prone to redness and flare-ups, you’ll want a moisturizer that can help calm your skin. The ideal skin moisturizer should have soothing, natural ingredients for optimal skin health without any unnecessary irritants that many moisturizers may contain. Using a gently moisturizing product such as the NeoStrata Ultra Moisturizing Face Cream restores your skin by gently exfoliating and moisturizing it as it helps calm and strengthen the protective barrier of sensitive skin. Your skin is sensitive, so it deserves the utmost care.

Mature Skin

As you get older, your skin becomes more dry because your oil-producing glands are less active. You’ll want to keep your skin hydrated, so using an oil-based moisturizer, such as the Eminence Coconut Age Corrector Moisturizer, helps combat wrinkles and reverse the signs of aging. Filled with electrolytes, vitamin C, calcium, potassium, and phosphorous, this anti-aging moisturizer works to deeply moisturize the skin and help to correct any signs of aging.

Preventing aging skin starts with holding in moisture! Give your mature skin a little TLC.

All Skin Types

If you’re lucky enough to have a normal skin type, you can benefit from a light, water-based moisturizer to keep your skin satisfied. Many people think “normal skin” and assume that means a completely flawless face without a pore in sight, which is inaccurate. Normal skin just means your skin isn’t too oily or too dry and feels, well, normal. Just because you occasionally have oil on your nose and dry spots in the winter doesn’t mean you have oily or dry skin. Everyone’s skin changes in different climates and temperatures, but if your skin isn’t excessively dry, you don’t need to associate your skin type as being “dry.”

Cellex-C Sea Silk Oil-Free Moisturizer is oil-free and ideal for all skin types. With a non-greasy formula, the skin moisturizing effects of this moisturizer are immediate and become even more noticeable after 6-8 weeks.

Knowing Your Skin Helps You Find the Best Face Moisturizer

Your skin changes over time, so what once worked for you may not work for you now. Finding the right product for your skin may seem overwhelming and never-ending, but finding the best product with simple, natural ingredients to help moisturize your skin can bring you to a whole new level of luxury.

9 Brilliant Beauty Resolutions

By Skinmedix on December 27, 2012 in beauty, cosmetics

9 Brilliant Beauty Resolutions The New Year is almost here and it’s time to reflect on the changes we want to make in 2013. Just like you, the SkinMedix team has a slew of bad beauty habits we want to break starting January 1. With 2013 finally here, it’s prime time for some beauty resolutions!

1. Quit hoarding old make-up.
As cosmetics age, they become less effective, can harbor germs and bacteria, and, of course, go out of style. Commit to purging your bag every few months and cleaning your brushes and other applicators regularly.

2. Repeat your greatest hits.
You’ve got 608 pictures of yourself tagged on Facebook. It’s time to do some serious clicking and hunt for the photos in which you look the best. If you love the pics where your hair is tousled, make an effort to rock that look more often.

3. Clean your cell phone.
Ever notice that the right side of your jaw has a few more bumps than you’d expect? That could be from all the bacteria on your cell phone. If you have an iPhone or a touch screen, it’s best to pick up a cleaning kit from a store like Best Buy. For other phones, you can get away with using a tiny bit of rubbing alcohol on a tissue and gently wiping down your phone.

4. Don’t skip the SPF.
Even in the winter. And while we’re on this topic: if you skip the protection because you want to look like you hail from Brazil, you’ll look like you’re 15 years older later. P.S. – Schedule that skin cancer screening, too.

5. Try a “beauty dare” once a month.
It’s liberating and can help you revive your look, surprise your man, and unleash your inner beauty diva. Once every few weeks, be bold with some red lips or an elaborate hair piece or nail decals or…you get the point.

6. Upgrade your regimen.
Maybe you’ve been using the same moisturizer since you were 17. That’s cute and all, but now that you’re 27, you probably need a new formula. Not to mention some eye cream. Set aside some time to figure out what you should be doing at your age, and then put your plan into motion.

7. Put a cap on your bad habits.
We all have our vices. But that doesn’t make them okay, especially if you want to look your best. Smoking leads to wrinkles, heavy drinking can dehydrate your skin…don’t make us lecture you.

8. Stop picking.
Your cuticles. The mascara off your eyelashes. Your zits. Whatever it is you feel the itch to pick, keep your hands off it!

9. Get your beauty sleep.
Like you need to hear this? But still, it’s worth repeating since restless nights can wreak havoc on your health and appearance. Try an eye mask if you have trouble shutting the world out.

Spill the beans! Do you fall asleep with makeup on? Have you been biting your nails since sixth grade? Straighten your hair like you’re ironing a shirt? There are tons more great beauty resolutions you can make, from washing your face every night to laying off the thick eyeliner. Tell us your beauty must-do’s for 2013!

Scar Recovery

By Skinmedix on November 2, 2012 in beauty, cosmetics

Scar Recovery - SkinMedix.com On Halloween, many people were actively using makeup and prosthetics to get fake scars for a spooky appearance. Now, it’s the start of November and we want our skin to be scar-free and flawless! Scarring can be caused by burns, injuries, surgeries or even acne. The formation of a scar is natural to the healing process, and although a scar may never completely disappear, they can be minimized with the help of these proven products available at SkinMedix.com!

• SkinMedica Scar Recovery Gel – This therapeutic gel works to smooth and minimize the appearance of scarring commonly resulting from cosmetic, general and reconstructive surgeries, as well as C-sections and everyday cuts.

• Neocutis Bio Cream Bio Restorative Skin Cream with PSP – Nurtures, nourishes and refreshes stressed skin and helps promote recovery and skin restoration after cosmetic or dermatological procedures and surgeries.

• Kinerase Scar Healing Therapy – Ideal for old and new scars associated with cosmetic procedures, plastic surgery, general surgery, C-sectons, burns, or everyday cuts and scrapes.l creates a silicone barrier over the top of the scar to provide 24-hour treatment, as it that softens, flattens and smoothes scars. The silicone sheet reduces redness, hardness, elevation and pain often associated with old and new scars.

• Dermatix Ultra Advanced Scar Treatment – This highly effective treatment option that has be proven to diminish the appearance of scars as they appear on the surface of the skin. Able to reduce the appearance of keloid and hypertrophic scars, Dermatix Ultra is a multi-faceted treatment option that can fade your scars regardless of their source. With each use skin will be soothed as the healing process is accelerated and symptoms such as itching and discomfort begin to disappear. Dermatix Ultras cutting edge formulation is based on the power of silicone technology.

• iS Clinical Super Serum Advance Plus – Reduces the appearance of scar tissue, stretch marks, and uneven pigmentation. This new and improved formula is three times more effective than the original Super Serum, and is very effective at lightening hyperpigmentation and fading scars and stretch marks.

What is your favorite product to treat your scars?

7 Cold Weather Skin Myths

By Skinmedix on October 26, 2012 in beauty, Beauty News, cosmetics, fall/winter

7 Cold Weather Skin Myths - SkinMedix.com
Going crazy from all the misinformation and bogus advice about winter-proofing your face and body? Here, top skin experts from Marie Claire Magazine help us crack the cold-weather skin-care code.

1. MYTH: The thicker the cream, the better it hydrates.
TRUTH: “Concentrated doesn’t necessarily equal optimum hydration,” says Annet King, director of training and development for the International Dermal Institute. “An overdose of lipids can actually trap dead cells and leave skin looking duller.” King suggests layering serums under creams in order to boost moisture. Facialist Sonia Dakar agrees: “Serums are light, yet have super-concentrated ingredients — ideal for absorption.” Try iS Clinical Pro-Heal Serum Advance Plus.2. MYTH: Overcast skies mean you can cut back on sunscreen.
TRUTH: Hardly. As a depleting ozone has led to stronger UVB burning rays, SPF is now a year-round endeavor. And clouds do little to filter out wrinkle-accelerating UVA rays. Come cooler, drier weather, find a daily moisturizer with a broad-spectrum SPF 15 (or higher), like Murad Face Defense SPF 15 to hydrate and protect. “You can enhance your sun protection exponentially by using an antioxidant-rich serum underneath your moisturizer,” says Washington, D.C., dermatologist Dr. Cheryl Burgess.

3. MYTH: Oily skin can forgo moisturizer.
TRUTH: Dry, cold climates wear on all skin types — even oily. And without some added protection, barrier function (which keeps pollution and other damaging elements out and moisture in) gets compromised. If your skin is super-oily, you can get by with a gel-cream or lotion formula, like NeoStrata Lotion Plus. For true combination skin, use different moisturizers for different areas — a light formula for your T-zone and a richer one for cheeks that get dry, patchy spots.

4. MYTH: Exfoliating in winter exacerbates dry patches.
TRUTH: “The sloughing in fact causes a burst of cell renewal, so you’re helping new moisture-rich cells move to the surface,” says King. The key in winter is to moisturize thoroughly — occasionally with a hydrating mask, like SkinCeuticals Hydrating B5 Masque — as your skin barrier is weakened after exfoliating. Adds Dakar: “Enzyme-based exfoliants will deliver results in a more gentle way.”

5. MYTH: Loading up on lip balms prevents chapping.
TRUTH: Only if it’s the right balm. Some common ingredients can actually have an adverse effect. Mineral oil (petroleum jelly) creates an artificial film on your lips, signaling your skin to stop producing lipids, while funky flavors, perfumes, and colors can also dry out skin. King suggests seeking natural-oil-infused balms or those with shea and cocoa butter, like PCA Skin Peptide Lip Therapy. “To get rid of flaky patches, apply a little facial exfoliant to damp lips (a soft toothbrush also does the trick), scrub gently, then follow with balm,” she says. Wait till spring to resume use of lip plumpers and super-long-lasting formulas that dry out your pout.

6. MYTH: Your skin will benefit if you stay indoors as much as possible.
TRUTH: True, extreme cold temperatures do suck the moisture from your skin. But retreating indoors, where central heating is pumped to the max, can leave your derm equally parched. So enjoy the fresh air and winter sports, and then do what you can to add moisture to the air at home. A humidifier can help — especially at night, when, combined with a night cream, like Revaleskin Night Cream with CoffeeBerry, skin is more apt to drink in moisture. A humidifier can also defrizz staticky winter “hat hair.” Dakar recommends adding a teaspoon of tea-tree oil to the water tank to clean it every few days and prevent mold.

7. MYTH: Windburn gives your skin a natural, healthy, desirable glow.
TRUTH: Depends whether you consider broken capillaries in the cheeks “desirable” — which is what regular exposure to harsh wind can do. The worst-case scenario is that it leads to permanent redness (aka rosacea). “Sensitive skin is especially susceptible to windburn,” says King. “So before heading outdoors, load up on a protective-barrier moisturizer and cover up with a scarf. If you do get burned, calm and soothe with gentle cream cleansers and balm-like moisturizers until your skin calms down.” Needless to say, it’s better to get the fresh-off-the-slopes flush from a good blush, like Jane Iredale PurePressed Blush or In Touch Cream Blush —available in 12 shades!

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NEW ARRIVALS: Jane Iredale Simply Magical Fall Collection

By Skinmedix on October 22, 2012 in beauty, Beauty News, cosmetics, new arrival

From love potions and the magical hour of sunset to witches and warlock, fantasy and illusion are inspiring the fashion and beauty world this Fall!

You only have to look as far as your local bookstore to understand that women are captivated by subject matter that drives their imaginations and pushes boundaries. It’s fun to indulge in a bot of fantasy once in a while OOur simply magical collection opens the door to just this. So you can bewitch. beguile, and be fabulous this season. — Jane Iredale

The Simply Magical Collection – NEW at SkinMedix.com!

Venice Just Kissed Lip Plumper – For a gorgeous take on red lips, try the new Just Kissed Lip Plumper in Venice. This new color takes red to a deep mulled wine hue.

Montreal Just Kissed Lip Plumper – For a subtle, yet sultry red lip, look no further than the latest Just Kissed Lip Plumper in Montreal.

Sundown PurePressed Eye Shadow – Three stunning shades: a deep charcoal, a rich purple -grey and a shimmery beige make quite a bewitching palette.

Smokey Quartz Mystikol Powder Eyeliner and Highlighter – For eyes that sparkle try the new Mystikol in Smoky Quartz: the smoky grey eyeliner you’ve been asking for, with a complementary pale pink highlight on the other end.

Whisper PurePressed Blush – One of the most popular PurePressed Blush colors, Whisper, is best for those with warmer skin tones.

Barely Rose PurePressed Blush – One of the most popular PurePressed Blush colors, Barely Rose, is best for those with cooler skin tones.

Click here to shop the new Jane Iredale Simply Magical Collection and look fabulous this Fall! Comment below and tell us about your favorite Jane Iredale product!