Here's some information that you might find useful when caring for your skin.  

Sun exposure is the worst thing you can do to your skin!  I can't say this enough, and yes, that includes tanning beds too.  While we need sun to catalyze the body's vitamin D production, it only takes a few minutes of sun exposure daily- basically walking to your car while running errands or walking the dog. If you want skin that looks like an old leather purse, with raised brown spots, rough patches, deep wrinkles, crows feet, discoloration, crepiness around the eyes and throat, sagging and possibly skin cancer, then sunbathe to your hearts content.  I know a tan feels great and we think we look better but any tan, even a little color, is the beginning of sun damage.  I like some of the new low chemical and chemical free sunscreens on the market.  Due to the wonders of modern science, there's actually a transparent zinc oxide out there in some products.  Please protect your skin, it's the only one you get.  

Alpha Hydroxy Acids are excellent for aiding the treatment of sun damage but MUST be used responsibly.  Using an AHA product and then going into the sun is just as bad as sunbathing all day.  Don't do it.  You'll be doing more harm than good.  If you know you're going on vacation or have a weekend of yard work ahead of you, skip the AHAs for a few days before.  Otherwise, you'll risk a painful sunburn and even more sun damage than you started out trying to treat.  

Waxing is a great way to remove unwanted hair but there are a few times when it's not a good idea.  If you're on antibiotics, anti-inflammatory medication, accutane, using retin-A or any type of skin thinning product (AHAs included), your risk of irritation or skin lifting/peeling is magnified.  Always tell your waxer or avoid waxing altogether (the facial areas in particular) until the skin is healed and back to it's normal thickness.  Also, waxing just before or during the first couple of days of your period will be more painful and your skin will be more sensitive than any other time so keep that in mind when scheduling your appointment.  Hydration before waxing makes it hurt less so drink lots of water, slather on moisturizer and NO SUN in the few days before or after your waxing session. Since alcohol dehydrates you, don't get waxed after a night of drinking or you'll be in serious pain.

Makeup can make us look good and feel better about our appearance.  Most makeup made today is designed to be long wearing, sweat resistant and I've seen one advertised that's 'so good you can sleep in it'.  Well, that might be but DON'T!  Your skin goes to work while you sleep and a layer of makeup is like eating a huge steak before a footrace.  It will slow everything down.  Go to bed with clean, hydrated skin, free of makeup and sunscreen.  Your skin will love you for it and glow with appreciation.

Cigarettes/Alcohol are dehydrating to the skin and actually contribute directly to wrinkles around the mouth and eyes and age your skin dramatically.  Smoking depletes Vitamin C which helps stimulate collagen and firms the skin, and Vitamin A which promotes faster healing.  Smoking can lead to discoloration of the skin, a leathery appearance, slows healing after surgery or skin trauma and exposes skin to higher ratios of dangerous free radicals which can lead to skin and other cancers.  I believe smoking is public enemy number two, behind sun exposure, in regards to skin health.  Besides dehydration, excessive alcohol intake contributes to broken capillaries, puffy skin and a host of potential vitamin and mineral deficiencies that can effect your skin negatively.  If your health won't make you stop or cut back drinking and smoking, do it for vanity's sake.

Hydration is crucial to good overall health and beautiful skin.  The most effective hydration comes from drinking plenty of fresh, pure water, vegetable and fruit juice and herbal teas.  Caffeinated beverages like coffee, tea and soft drinks taste great and keep us sane some days but they can dehydrate you so be sure to balance out your caffeine intake with more wholesome beverages every day.

Monthly breakout is stressful when you're a teen but infuriating when you're an adult.  As a client once said to me' "How can I get zits and wrinkles at the same time?  It's not fair!"  Indeed.  Hormones can torment women off and on their whole lives and with exceptions of some acneic conditions, women have hormones to thank for breakouts, monthly breakouts in particular.  There are different ways to approach dealing with this problem.  Many women find relief after a month or two on birth control pills.  There are a few on the market now actually made to help with monthly breakout and advertised as such.  Depending on your age, your doctor may prescribe an oral hormone dose or a topical hormone cream to balance the condition.  A different approach that can be used instead of or in addition to the aforementioned solutions is a holistic diet.  I had good luck with clients who actually tried this and was impressed with their results.  Basically, it involves cutting foods and beverages containing hormones out of your diet altogether or at least the week before you're due to start your period.  These foods consist of beef, chicken, pork, cheese, milk and other dairy products where the animals were raised with hormone supplementation to get them to produce more or to market faster.  Large amounts of hormones are added to their feed and they pass that on to us when we consume the end products later.  Another option is to buy hormone free, free range meats and dairy products.  Even cutting back your consumption a little can make a noticeable improvement to your skin.

Antioxidants play a crucial role in maintaining healthy skin, repairing damaged skin and slowing down the visible signs of aging.  Antioxidants are naturally occurring and synthetically made chemicals that protect cells by neutralizing free radicals (unstable rogue molecules that attack healthy cells, converting them to free radicals, kind of like the zombies in the Night of the Living Dead movies).  Antioxidants also protect skin from external elements like sun and air pollution and even stress. You have probably heard of the most common antioxidants like Vitamins C & E. A diet rich in fruits and vegetable will give you a good start but with the hectic lifestyles that most people lead combined with a less than stellar diet, too much sun, alcohol, air and water pollution, we need all the help we can get.  That's where topical antioxidants come in to play.  Topical antioxidants can provide some protection against environmental damage, support healthy skin function and even repair sun damaged tissue.  Look for ingredients like white tea (it's even more potent than green tea), pomegranate, Vitamin E; extracts of licorice, tamarind, blueberries, raspberries and olives, among others found in most Ablutions Spa products, as a great source of topical antioxidants.  Also, don't forget to include the whole food versions in your diet.  Feeding your skin from the inside and outside is your best defense in the long term for healthy skin.

Do you have a question about your skin?  Please feel free to contact me.