Author: maygonnicole

In many ways SIMPLE may not define these times, but the more time I am at home, the more I find myself behaving in ways that our parents or grandparents may have. I am  spending time taking walks with the kids or having long family dinners.  So I was thinking about how this applies to beauty regimes right now as well.

If you were one of the wise ones that while everyone else was stockpiling TP, you ran to the spa and stocked up on all of your treatment masks and exfoliants then I am SUPER impressed with your forethought!!!!  (Hopefully you also grabbed a few rolls and some food too. lol)

However, if you are like many people and it wasn’t at the top of your list but now are feeling pretty down in the dumps I have a few ways to brighten up your day.  I know all of my clients are going sans facial for the next few weeks (I MISS YOU ALL!!) So why not have some facial fun at home. Let’s go a little old school while everyone has the time to do it.   There are powerful ingredients in things you have at home that will get you through until you can see your Esty in a few weeks! I had a beautiful model who is currently home with school closures to model one of my masks!

Bananas are a huge source of moisture as well as help brighten the skin. These yellow power-houses  are even beneficial for acne prone skin types.  They even have some vitamin A!!!  Now I’m not saying that it’s time to toss your favorite retinol for a banana but it will help get you a little boost!!

Remember before you put on a mask you want to properly prep the skin. Be sure to cleanse the skin well. After a thorough cleanse you will want to exfoliate. Your fridge can also provide the sources for that as well:

Mix 2 Tbs of pumpkin puree with a Tbs of papaya and a bit of egg. Whip them together and apply to the skin. Leave it on for 5-10 minutes and then remove with a tepid cloth. You could be surprised with the tingle that the pumpkin can have.
(In the spirit of not wasting anything I hope you can also bake a nice pie! LOL)

Once you have exfoliated, apply your favorite banana mask mixture….

Normal skin: Just smash and apply! I find that whipping it with a fork works the best.

Sensitive skin:  Blend plain oats in a blender to make into a sandy like texture and  mix with about 3 inches of a banana

Oily skin: Mix 3 inches of banana with a pinch of lemon and a 1/2 teaspoon of honey. The lemon has an astringent quality and the honey is antibacterial to help slow acne production.

Being stuck at home doesn’t always have to be boring and just because it may only be you and your family at home or maybe even just you and the dog you still want to feel great about yourself. A little self-care goes a long way!!!!

Unless you’ve been living under a rock you are probably well acquainted with all of the precautions you need to take to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

However…

While washing your hands for 20 seconds or using hand sanitizer is great for your immunity,  it will rip the skin on your hands apart!

Make sure you are also carrying a shea butter hand cream. One of my favorites is Farmhouse Fresh. It comes in a variety of scents, including the ever popular “Whoopie Pie” that smells just like a yummy dessert!

                                                                  ~Available at Eden in a variety of  aromas for $15
If your local store is out of hand sanitizer and you weren’t able to hoard your own stash, you may want to make your own!

This recipe is even better than most commercial bottles because you can make it smell the way YOU want it to!

~2/3 Cup of rubbing alcohol 60% or or higher

~1/3 cup of aloe vera gel

~a dash of Vitamin E to help hydrate the skin

~Your own selection of essential oils to make it your own (just a few drops)
Simply mix the ingredients in a bowl and put in any bottle you choose. Change up the scents as you like.

Be the envy of all of your friends with your very own custom sanitizer!

I know everyone is sick of this weather for so many reasons, but is your itchy dry skin one of them? Are you moisturizing twice a day and STILL dry? There are several things that you could be doing to rid yourself of your dry skin:

~Exfoliate weekly 1-2x’s per week. Dead skin CANNOT be hydrated skin so why are you wasting your moisturizer on cells that can’t be saved? Purge the dead cells once or twice a week. An enzyme is a great, non-abrasive way to exfoliate the skin. I love Rhonda Allison’s Derma Peel.

~Avoid washing your face (or body) with hot water. Yes, it feels amazing but the itchy, dry results last much longer.

~Swap out your gel or foam based cleanser for a cream cleanser. If you have acne or oily skin this sounds CRAZY but switching out that cleanser even a few times a week can be beneficial. There are also some great cleansers on the market that can focus on both. Such as Jan Marini’s Bioglycolic cleanser. It is a cream base with glycolic acid that still helps with blemishes and anti-aging all at the same time.

~Keep a bottle of your body moisturizer near your shower. When you are done showering, pat dry your skin and apply your moisturizer while you are still damp. This way you are trapping the water molecules and not allowing it to leave when you dry off and the water that remains acts as a carrier to take the moisturizer deeper into the skin… WIN WIN.

~Use a serum to hydrate the face UNDER your moisturizer. This is not only a great opportunity to get moisture into your skin but also all of those goodies like Vitamin C, Retinol, and Antioxidants, (the list can go on and on).  Boost hydration with a Hyaluronic acid based serum. Hyaluronic acid is a very powerful hydrator. It carries 1,000 times its weight in water into the skin!

~Look at your moisturizers ingredient list…….here are some of my fav’s.

-Shea Butter

-Hyaluronic acid (love it so much I gotta say it twice)

-Essential Fatty Acids

-Grapeseed oil

As the beach days are being replaced by trips to the pumpkin patch and football games it is time to take inventory of what those beautiful summer rays have done to your skin.

Now, lets assume that you are already using my mandatory 30+ SPF all summer long like the A+ skin care skin care goddess that we all hope to be. The sun will still strip the hydration from your skin, and possibly  leave those beautiful “sun kissed” spots on your skin.  Now is the time to begin the rebuilding process and leave the “sun kissing” to our bronzers.

First thing first, you need to call your Esthetician and schedule a light peel or an enzymatic treatment to rid you of as many of the damaged cells as possible. Then you can take advantage of the shorter days and less sunlight by re-introducing a retinol based product into your regime.  Retinols are one of the most effective ingredients on the market for anti-aging.  Vitamin A based products will create a sun sensitivity in the skin and cause even more sun damage in the skin, not to mention the potential for a pretty nasty burn in even some of the most overcast days if you are not cautious. Many of my clients will take a hiatus from these products over the summer and pick it back up in the fall.  So now is the time to get that Retinol back in the rotation AND keep the SPF too!

There are so many retinols on the market…how do you choose the one that’s right for you??  Not all retinols are created equal. You want to look for a cosmeceutical level or higher to make a real difference. Those are found at spas, medspas and many dermatologists offices.  In todays market you can find retinols blended with ingredients like peptides, stem cells or other acids.  Your Esthetician or Dermatologist can help you decide what blends may be best for you depending on your sensitivity or needs.   Two of my favorites are Rhonda Allison’s Chronopeptide A and Rhonda Allison’s Synergy A. The later being a buffered version with stem cells for sensitive skin.

So it goes without saying that a 30+ SPF sunscreen is a requirement when using a retinol based product. My hands-down favorite daytime moisturizer is Jan Marini’s antioxidant protecting lotion. Not only does it have an SPF 33 but it also has the antioxidant support to help with the free radical damage that you have done over the summer. And did I mention it smells like pineapples?!

Now if you are looking for a product to lighten dark spots specifically, Hydroquinone is one of the most popular and efficient ingredients right now. Some may call them “bleaching” products but no actual bleaching occurs. Some other ingredients to look for can be Daisy flower extract, Azaleic acid or Vitamin C.  All are effective in the lightening arena. However, always keep in mind that whenever you are using a melanin suppressing ingredient you should never use it for any longer that 6-12 weeks. Then take a break. The skin can have a “bounce back” effect and create darker spots than you started with. I always tell my clients to write a stop date right on the bottle the first time they use it.

Now is the season to rebuild your skin, after everything you enjoyed over the summer  has created issues in your skin, yet before the cold winds and sub zero temps of the winter show their ugly heads creating an even more dry face! Call today to schedule your facial! 610-489-0800