The Lantern Skin Studio | Murfreesboro, TN 37128

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Strawberries for Better Skin: A Little Berry with Big Benefits!

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Strawberries may be small, but don’t doubt their ability to provide great benefits to your skin.

Strawberries for Skin Health

Here in Tennessee, we’re getting closer and closer to strawberry season. This excites me for a number of reasons, not the least of which is homemade strawberry shortcake.  I love the taste of fresh strawberries, and I enjoy cooking, baking, and preparing jelly and jam with them. Nothing says “summer is on the way” to me more than those beautifully ripened red berries all piled up in a basket. But as an esthetician, I have some other reasons to be fond of strawberries. They truly are a natural bounty of antioxidants and nutrients that are especially useful for those who are interested in healthy skin.

Strawberries are rich in antioxidants. In fact, they’re so full of antioxidants that they rank as the 3rd best source of antioxidants per serving of all commonly consumed US foods! Wow! Now, what do antioxidants do for skin? The short answer is that they limit the production of free radicals, and free radicals are  the monstrous little molecules responsible for most all the damage to our bodies – including our skin. Yes, free radical damage is at the heart of fine lines, wrinkles, pigmentation problems, inflammation and redness, and the breakdown of our precious collagen and elastin fibers. Antioxidants, like those found in the Strawberry, effectively reduce the formation of free radicals and thereby slow down  the aging process – even in our skin.

Vitamin C, one of your skin’s most needed vitamins, is also found in Strawberries. As we often like to say in the beauty industry, “Vitamin C brightens, lightens, and tightens“. That is a big reduction in the real science behind Vitamin C, but I don’t want to bore you to tears with chat about physiology and cosmetic chemistry, so we’ll stick with that catch phrase. Vitamin C is directly involved in the production and health of all your important skin cells – again, think collagen and elastin. It is one of the top warriors against the signs of aging, and I am of the school of thought that says “No matter the age or the condition – women looking to improve their skin should be getting topical and nutritional Vitamin C.” When it comes to fresh strawberries, do note that the antioxidant and Vitamin C levels in freshly picked strawberries diminish quickly. So try to scarf down those berries in just a few days to get the fullest benefit of their nutrients.

 

Strawberries have a host of other skin and health benefits. In fact, I would never be able to list them all in a single blog post, but I would like to mention that they are also anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, immune boosting, and somewhat astringent. All of these factors  add up to give us one tiny little fruit that means big business when it comes to health (and healthy skin).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Strawberries can effectively:

  • Reduce breakouts and remove surface oil through astringent activity
  • Brighten complexion
  • Gently exfoliate the skin
  • Assist in slowing down  the visible signs of aging
  • Promote the building of new, healthy skin cells and collagen

Did you know?!

  • The average strawberry has over 200 seeds! By the way, those little seeds make a great addition to face scrubs.
  • The average American consumes 3.4 pounds of strawberries each year. With all the benefits we looked at above, we should try to beat that average this year for sure!

With all these details – what’s not to love? Strawberries – eat them, enjoy them, and your skin will love you for it!

 

Summer Skin Care Tips

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Summer Time Skin Care 

Check out these tips to learn how to keep your skin healthy, clarified, and vibrant all summer long.

 

  1. Don’t over-cleanse. Though you may be tempted to use aggressive cleansers through the summer when oil production increases and pores expand, there is no need to attack your skin with heavy hitting cleansers. Cleansing should be a gentle process. Eliminate excessive rubbing and scrubbing, and use only as much cleanser as you truly need to lift makeup and oil from the skin. When cleansing, always use “less cleanser, more water” – water creates slip and will enable you to cleanse thoroughly without wasting cleanser and stripping your skin. Cleansing properly will reduce surface debris while allowing the skin to stay hydrated and supple through the summer.

    Favorite cleansers for warm months: Lira Bio Enzyme Cleanser is great for normal and dry types. Osmosis Skin Care’s Purify is an excellent choice for normal to mildly oily skin, and Osmosis Skin Care’s Deep Clean or Lira’s ICE Sal cleanser are fabulous for oily and breakout prone skin.

  2. Don’t over exfoliate! Your skin is a protective layer that keeps much-needed hydration in and toxins and pollutants out. Constantly trying to strip away that layer of protective cells will prematurely age your skin more quickly than sun exposure! Exfoliation at home should be limited to once or twice weekly depending on skin type. Go for enzyme based exfoliants instead of aggressive rubs and scrubs. Enzymes gently munch away at dead surface cells and provide a more optimal (and skin friendly) exfoliation than harsh scrubs.

    Check out Osmosis Skin Care’s Polish exfoliator for a great at-home exfoliation treatment.

  3. Don’t skip professional treatments. We often think we don’t need as much care for our skin during the hot months, but regular professional treatments (of the right kind) are a huge help for maintaining great skin all summer long. Go for treatments that clarify and hydrate the skin without making your skin sun-sensitive. One of the best warm-weather skin care services is an UltraSonic facial. The ultrasonic technology does a beautiful job of deep cleansing and exfoliating the skin without disrupting the delicate lipid/water balance. Living cells are not disrupted, and nutrients can be pushed deeply into your skin creating maximum softness and plumpness. If you plan to have chemical peels or microdermabrasion during the summer, these should most always be extremely mild and light treatments. If you’re having more aggressive treatments in the summer, you should plan to stay indoors and not receive direct sunlight in the days following treatment. These services are best performed in the fall.

    Ultrasonic facials are a fantastic choice for a professional service that will deeply clarify and ultra-hydrate your skin during the summer months.

  4. Solar protection is important, but you don’t need to bathe in SPF. Despite all the scary warnings that the sun is evil, mankind was not designed to live in a cave. The fact is, we all need some Vitamin D. Where it gets tricky is that we have a melting pot of skin types in the USA and while some of us need very little direct sunlight (fair skin), and others needs considerably more to produce Vita-D (darker types). If you’re walking from your car to the grocery, or the grocery to the car – chances are, you’re better off to have no SPF protection and catch a few rays for Vitamin D. If you’re going to be out all day in the sun at the beach, the pool, the park, etc. of course, SPF is needed. The safest choices in solar protection are physical blocks like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. Steer clear of chemical sunscreens, although approved by the FDA, there is a lot of controversy surround chemical sunscreen agents that needs to be cleared up before I feel comfortable recommending them.

 

Summer is a great season to tweak your skin care regimen. Keeping your skin clarified while not stripping away precious lipids, choosing the right professional services, and making sun-wise decisions will all lead to a healthier, more vibrant complexion.

Stretch Your Dollars: Don’t Overuse Your Products!

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Use these simple tips to get the most out of your skin care purchases!

Skin Care Tips | Murfreesboro, TN

Ask any of my guests at The Lantern Skin Studio how I tell them to use their products, and they’ll tell you I’m very clear about using small amounts.

Quality skin care products sold in spas, salons, and doctor’s offices are generally of much higher quality and concentration, and more packed with active ingredients, than formulations you’ll find at the local discount store.

For this reason, you just don’t need to apply large amounts of the products to your skin.

 

Take a look at this handful of tips to learn how much you should be using of the most common types of skin care products.

Cleansers:
A quality foaming cleanser should require about a dime size amount to clean the skin. The key is to use wet hands to lather up the cleanser before applying it to the skin. Of course, if you’re wearing a lot of makeup you should cleanse twice – once to remove the excess makeup, and once to actually cleanse the skin. Creamy cleansers may require a bit more – think nickel size here.

Toners:
If you’re skin care routine includes a spray-on toner, one to two pumps should be enough. You’re looking for a very light mist, not wet, dripping skin.

Serums:
Concentrated serums are usually extremely thin in nature, and we tend to overuse these products to the extreme. Use very small amounts – something along the lines of 3-4 drops, or less than the size of a green pea if you have a somewhat thicker serum. Apply these with finger tips only. Using your entire hands to apply serums causes them to absorb into your fingers and palms.

Moisturizers:
Many of us over apply moisturizer. Except in extreme cases of dryness, most of us only need a light layer of moisturizer on the skin. The key is having the right moisturizer. If you’re very dry, you will obviously need a heavier moisturizer than someone like myself who tends to be more oily. But, you don’t necessarily need more of it. As with serums, use fingertips only to apply so your hands don’t soak up your investment. Dot your moisturizer over your forehead, cheeks, nose, chin, jaw line, and neck then slick it on and work it in from there. Start with less, you can always add a bit more if you feel like you need it.

Eye Creams:
When you apply your eye cream, you know you’re using too much if you have to spend a lot of time “working it in” or smearing it around and around trying to get it to sink in. Put a small dab on your ring finger, think half of a green pea (or even less), and then dot gently under and around both eyes – making that amount last for both eyes.  Gently pat this in, and if you feel like you need a tiny bit more, go ahead and add it. The key is start with less and add more if you feel necessary.

Exfoliants:
Scrubs – It doesn’t require a walnut size of an exfoliating scrub to do the trick. Scrubs should be used sparingly, generally about the size of a nickel should be all you use at any given time.
Exfoliants that you apply and allow to sit for a specified period of time should also be used with restraint. More isn’t better, only so much can penetrate the skin at any given moment. As always, use your fingertips to apply just enough to get a thin layer on the skin.

Masks:
We’ve all seen those photos where a woman is seen with a very opaque white mask and cucumbers over her eyes. This makes a great stereotypical spa photo, but it’s a complete waste of your product. There are a multitude of skin care masks, and with the exception of rubberizing masks that come off in a single sheet after they’ve set, you just don’t need to apply so much. Layer your mask on your skin in a thin, even layer – you should still be able to see the color of your skin with the mask applied. Another great option are single-use masks like MaskerAide brand masks.

 

Following these simple tips will maximize your investment in quality skin care products, and when you’re stretching your products properly, you can afford to buy quality skin care rather than toss money out the window on discount store brands that don’t pack near the punch of professional brands.

Less is more. As cliche as it sounds, it’s true! So use less, use your finger tips not your hands, and stretch your dollars!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Winterize Your Skin

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Winter is THE time of year for massive dehydration of the skin.

Follow these simple tips to help your skin stay radiant all winter long!

  • Foamy cleansers may strip your skin too much during the winter. Try switching to a creamy cleanser during winter. Creamy cleansers actually cleanse the skin beautifully but don’t strip precious moisture! If you’re on the oily side but feel that flaky skin and tightness, consider cleansing in  the morning with a light creamy cleanser and a foaming cleanser at night. My favorite creamy cleansers: Lira Clinical Mystiq Illuminating Cleanser and Circadia Amandola Milk Cleanser. These cleansers cleanse the skin wonderfully, but do not leave you tight or dry.
  • Use a nourishing toner. Humectants in serums and moisturizers may actually pull water from within your skin when humidity levels are low in the atmosphere (think – dry heat in the house, dry heat in the car, low humidity outdoors). Spritzing with a non-astringent, nourishing toner before applying serums and moisturizers can feed your products water that they can lock on to and hold that moisture to your skin rather than pulling it out. This little step can go a long way towards keeping your skin plumped up and more hydrated.
  • Warm (not hot) water. Hot water is a big factor in over-drying skin – especially during winter. Try to use warm water when you’re cleansing instead of piping hot!
  • Water Quality is Important! Here in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, we have extremely hard water and we tend to have very elevated levels of chlorine. Both hard water and chlorine are very drying to the skin. The very same heavy mineral content that causes your dishes to come out with the white mineral film on them, or your faucets to have limescale build-up is being splashed and sprayed on your skin every day. There is a definite link between the quality of the water you use and the health of your skin. A nice option is a shower filter that softens the water and removes chlorine. Both Sprite Shower Filters and Aquasana brand shower filters have versions that will both adjust the pH (soften the water) and remove chlorine and contaminants from your shower water.
  • Exfoliate gently. Too much aggressive exfoliation can dry out the skin, cause irritation, and prematurely age your skin. Gently exfoliate once or twice a week to keep the skin smooth, and go for exfoliants that also have hydrating properties. A Dew Puff is a great alternative to other forms of exfoliation and gives you a gentle polishing every day as you cleanse.
  • Increase Your Professional Spa Treatments. So many of us focus on skin care during the warm months, but the cool months can bring on a whole host of skin care woes. See your skin therapist for regular spa treatments during the winter months to focus on hydration and nourishment of the skin. Microdermabrasion and chemical peels both have a better result when the skin is nourished and hydrated beforehand. Additionally, the results of such treatments last longer when regular nourishing spa treatments are performed. Lastly, the nutrients that can be infused into your skin during a professional spa treatment combined with high levels of hydration can protect your collagen and elastin, plump fine lines, and serve to slow down the appearance of the aging process. Who wouldn’t want that!?