Oil cleansing: how, why and what to look for

Many trends in beauty that seem to spring up from nowhere have deep roots if you do a bit of research.  Oil cleansing is a technique that has been used in many cultures for centuries and has been picking up a lot of steam lately with many skin care lines.  Read on to learn the basics of oil cleansing and how to find the best one for you.

How it works:
The concept behind oil cleansers is very simple; like attracts like.  Oil breaks down oil and helps to deep cleanse the skin without harsh stripping ingredients, added detergents or foam.  Massage oil cleanser onto DRY skin, concentrating on trouble spots.  Add warm water slowly until cleanser emulsifies, then rinse.  For a deep, clinical cleanse follow with a second cleanse using traditional cleanser.  Follow with appropriate hydration and serums.  Skin is deeply cleansed and hydrated for a clear, fresh, glowing complexion.  Sounds amazing right?  It can be if you choose the right oil for you.

What to watch out for:
All oils are not created equal for the task of oil cleansing.  Avoid coconut, flax seed, wheat germ, linseed and palm as they are high on the comedogenic scale and prone to clogging the skin.   Castor oil can be stripping so it should be limited for oily people and dry skin should avoid it completely.  Many cleansers sold as natural oil cleanser have silicone or mineral oil based ingredients.

What you want:
Look for oil cleansers containing these skin friendly, non clogging oils: pumpkin seed, borage, argan, almond, lemon, tomato, black cumin.  

Asian style roasted chicken thighs with garlic snap peas and fried rice

Homemade glaze makes chicken juicy and tender.  Paired with garlicky snap peas and fried rice (skip the rice if you have goals lol)




chicken thighs
chicken marinade:
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup orange juice
1 large clove elephant garlic (or 3 cloves regular garlic) minced
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon honey
Pour into a jar or shaker and shake until well mixed.
Pour over chicken thighs, reserving 1/4 cup and marinade for at least 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350
Bake chicken, skin side up, in a covered dish for an hour.  Remove cover, pour reserved marinade over thighs, crank oven up to 425 and cook 5 more minutes. Sprinkle with sesame seeds before serving.


Snap peas
1 pound snap peas
1 clove elephant garlic or 3 cloves regular garlic

2 small thinly sliced mild peppers (shishito or bell)

 heat up just a bit oil (grape seed or another high temp low flavor oil) add garlic to heated oil and add snap peas as soon as you smell the garlic.  Sauté 5 to 10 minutes depending on how tender you like them.  

Natural dog treats using pulp from juicing

In my life I have been very lucky to have become friends with some amazing chefs.  This recipe for dog treats is from my friend Josh Watts who I met when we both lived on catalina island and who now lives and works in one of the most beautiful parts of America, Minnesota's north woods.  Thanks Josh! 
4 cups pulp(mixed together so well combined), 
 1 1/2 cups flax seed, 
1 cup of water, 
1/3 cup carrot juice,
 3 tsp agave,
 2 tsp salt

combine ground flax and pulp in food processor until well combined

add carrot juice, agave, salt to mixture and while mixing pour water slowly like you are making a vinegarette until a thick paste forms. If you don't have a big enough processor then hand mix in big bowl.

if using a dehydrator, line the tray with plastic wrap and pour mixture on tray and spread evenly like frosting until 1/3 inch thick.   dehydrate 145 deg for 12 hours

if using oven use nonstick sheet pan or regular sheet pan with parchment and light grease spray or coconut oil rub.  our mixture onto pan and spread like frosting until 1/3 in thick. bake on lowest setting for 3 hours and then checking every hour after until crispy. 

Exfoliation... The 1st secret to glowing skin

WTF is exfoliation and why is everyone always telling me to do it?  

Exfoliation (removal of dead cells from the surface of the skin) is an essential part of skin care which many of us neglect. ALL skin types can benefit from exfoliation and the results you will see from adding exfoliation to your routine will be noticeable and fast. There are many improvements associated with a gentle, yet thorough sloughing of dead skin cells; here are just a few:

1) Improve texture and keep the skin soft and glowing

2) Helps to prevent the clogging of pores and therefore helps to reduce acne breakouts quickly and noticeably. The duration and scarring of acne lesions is also greatly reduced.

3) Keeps skin cell production at an optimal level.  As we agenour skin slows down the production of cells significantly. Exfoliation helps to stimulate cell production, keeping skin working efficiently and at its optimum levels.

4) Helps with skin discoloration (uneven tone) associated with sun damage, post inflammatory hyper pigmentation (pigmentation due to previous damage from acne or injury also known as PIH) and melasma (hormonal pigmentation)

5) Leads to visibly brighter skin

6) Stimulates collagen production and helps to keep fine lines and wrinkles in check.

7) Improves the penetration and subsequently the results of any serums, treatments or products used.

8) Reduces the appearance and occurrence of ingrown hairs from shaving or waxing.

In spa treatments: There are myriad types of exfoliation available in the treatment center to choose from, here is a rundown of some of the most commonly available. Peels can often cause flaking.  To lessen this and prepare the skin for optimal results use an at home exfoliant for 6 weeks with 10 days off before receiving a peel.

 

Microdermabrasion-DON'T TRY THIS ONE AT HOME!  Using a diamond tipped wand or crystals combined with suction, micro helps to remove the top layer of dead skin cells and smooths out fine lines and wrinkles.  Best results are acheived with a series of 3 or 5 and then follow ups every 6 months.  Results oriented and can be more abrasive and irritating.

Glycolic-a lipophilic (oil loving) acid with excellent brightening and clarifying properties. The downside to this acid is that it has a very small molecule which slips into the skin deeply which can make it more irritating. Works well for oily, thick skin because it brightens and dissolves oil and impactions.  Also great for fine lines and mature skin if used correctly.  Tends to have a light, stingly (bit of sting, bit of tingle) feeling that subsides quickly.

Salicylic acid-another lipophilic (oil loving) acid which clarifies sensitive, breakout skin. Although it can sometimes create flaky skin for a couple days it is an excellent treatment for more sensitive skin because it is effective yet gentle Tends to sting even though it is gentle.

Lactic Acid-excellent acid for dry skin as it helps to stimulate hydration in sensitive and mature skin. Also helps to brighten sun damage and acne scars. 

TCA- Trichloroacetic acid is a medium to deep penetration peel. This peel will help to brighten skin and help to smooth out medium depth wrinkles and lines in the skin. TCA can cause flaking for 3 to 10 days but the results are phenomenal. Great for ethnic, mature, sensitive skin.

ENZYMES-derived from natural ingredients from things such as pineapple,  papaya and pumpkin enzymes digest dead skin cells gently leaving behind glowing healthy skin.  Enzymes are a wonderful introduction to professional exfoliation as they are results oriented, customizable and gentle.

Combination therapy (or peels using a combination of acids or microderm with a peel) is the most effective type of exfoliation. You can get the results you want with lower concentrations of each acid which gives you the results you want with less irritation. Also you get the benefits of each type of acid so you are building results upon results.




Skin Secrets Recommends:

Keep in mind that the beauty industry is a billion dollar industry and there are literally thousands of exfoliants available to you.  Navigating these can be daunting but don't fret because here's a basic run down for you!  Most licensed estheticians are happy to offer free consultations and help you to find the right products for you based on your skin type, ethnicity, activity levels and sun exposure.  I don't recommend purchasing products from the drugstore or department stores because most of what you are paying for is marketing and the actual products tend to be full of fillers. Most spa worthy products are highly concentrated which means you need to use much less and in consequence the product will last much longer, making them just as cost effective.




Dry/Mature/Sensitive

Dry skin benefits immensely from gentle exfoliation. Once dry, flaky skin is removed moisturizers are able to slip right into the skin and nourish more deeply.   Mature skin NEEDS exfoliation as the skin slows down its cell production immensely as we age. Regular exfoliation helps to keep cell renewal and production at optimum rates.  Sensitive skin is strengthened with gentle exfoliation.

Oily 

Oily skin tends to experience congestion so regular exfoliation is a must.  Look for glycolic or salicylic acid in cleanser (speaking of cleansers, oil cleanser is a MUST try for oily skin.. see my OIL CLEANSER post).  Bi-weekly pumpkin or glycolic treatments keep skin glowing and help to regulate oil.   Be wary of over exfoliation, you don't ever want to feel squeaky clean and tight.  Your skin will actually produce MORE oil to compensate

Pumpkin.. its not just for thanksgiving!

The next time you have a skincare treatment, ask your therapist about a pumpkin peel.  Not only do the smell amazing but they benefit almost every skin type and tend to be a great introduction to the world of chemical exfoliation because they are both gentle and effective.

Benefits of the Pumpkin Peel:
Pumpkin peels are a powerful antioxidant keratolytic (a substance that promotes softening and dead skin cell removal in the epidermis) treatment. Its main source of nutrition, pumpkin, offers more than 100 beneficial components, including extremely high concentrations of natural Vitamins A, C and beta-carotene. The Pumpkin Peel has simultaneous actions: it exfoliates while introducing vitamins, enzymes and nutrients into the skin. There is no downtime and in fact; skin will be glowing and extremely healthy looking following the treatment.

Some of the key skin rejuvenating benefits of a pumpkin facial, include:

• Promotes healthy skin cell turnover
• Regulates oil production – it’s perfect for oily skin types!
• Repairs and restores damaged skin cells
• Tightens pores
• Leaves skin feeling fresh and rejuvenated
• Allows deeper product penetration so that masks, serums and moisturizers work more effectively after the peel.
• Protects skin from future damage by strengthening your outer layers and helping to stimulate new skin cell production.
• Makes extractions easier and more effective.  The oil-loving quality of pumpkin helps it to dissolve impactions well and makes manual extractions much easier.
• It is an excellent treatment for smokers as it stimulates circulation, promotes healing and provides vitamin nutrition

Try one of these great pumpkin-infused treatments to give your skin a boost and enhance your natural glow all year long!

Welcome

Welcome to my blog!  I hope you enjoy what I have to share with you and I would love to hear any feedback you may have.  If you are experiencing a specific skin care concern, please feel free to ask and I will try my very best to address it.  I want this to be a place where experts and novices alike can learn something and I hope that you all enjoy reading these blogs as much as I do writing them.

A little about me: I have been in the beauty industry for 11 years and an esthetician for 6.  I love to help people maintain gorgeous, healthy skin and seeing the results when people commit themselves to a regimen.  I also enjoy the personal part of my job; my clients have to feel comfortable with me because lets 'face' it (ok I admit, bad pun), I see many of them more up close than their friends and families.  I am happy to have developed friendships with my clients over the years and hope to maintain these connections for life.  I love to learn and education has always been a huge part of what I do as an esthetician.  I am excited to share all of the things I have learned throughout the years with all of you!