Hello. My Name is Susan, and I'm a Retinolic.

I’ve been using for almost 4 years. It started with a few dabs around my smile lines and quickly progressed to my forehead. Before I knew it, I was using every day, all over my face, and sometimes even on my neck. I saw results,what can I say? So I kept at it. I watched my fine lines disappear and my skin began to look younger. I wondered if it was an illusion. It wasn’t. I blame my esthetician really; she was such a pusher, I admit it, I caved…and it was all uphill from there…

Retinol in its basic form is Vitamin A, one of the most powerful antioxidants (free-radical scavengers), and the most beneficial vitamin for the preservation, rejuvenation, and reparation of the skin. When it is broken down into its smallest and most active form, Retinoic Acid's molecules are tiny enough to penetrate into the deepest layers of the skin, making it able to support and nudge the skin’s elastin and collagen to step into high gear. The result: smooth lines, diminished wrinkles, plump, firm skin, and a glowing complexion.

With more active skin cells, more can be accomplished (go inertia!). Increased cellular turnover leads to a stronger cell network (line prevention), deeper exfoliation and clearing out of the pores (diminished breakouts), and regeneration of collagen (that’s right, plumping up of wrinkles), and the effect is cumulative and visible. Of course Vitamin A is naturally occurring and can be found in many foods like greens, dairy, and fruit, and is beneficial to your whole body, but I’d prefer to ensure full facial coverage rather than rely on my body to dole it out especially to my smile lines.

So, that brings me back to my addiction: Retinol. My favorite one is Skin Medica’s Retinol Complex, and for sensitive skin, 302 Skincare’s Vitamin A Drops is my recommendation.

You don’t necessarily need a fancy skin care brand to absorb the benefits; almost every major skin care laboratory has infused retinol into one of more of its drug store brand products. Neutrogena’s Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle Intensive Serum or Olay® Total Effects® Targeted Wrinkle Repair, each with a less potent form of retinoic acid than their spa skincare line counterparts, are more accessible yet still viable options for the Retinol addict.

Now I leave you with the very question that pushed me down the slippery slope of wrinkle reduction forever: Do you want better skin?

A-men.

Accessor-eyes

They say your eyes are the windows to the soul…my eyebrow guru Eliza says, if that’s true, “then the eyebrows are the frames.” Eyebrow shaping has revived itself as the newest trend in the beauty industry. Sephora now carries over 100 eyebrow-grooming products, with more cosmetic lines adding their own versions each day. Is the industry just finding new ways to drain our wallets or are eyebrows really to be glamour-eyes-ed?

Media-dubbed “Queen of the Arch” Eliza Petrescu says, “The eyebrows are the only feature of your face that you can dramatically change without surgery.” She has a point (and it’s not just on the end of her perfectly sharpened tweezers). A round arch can make you look surprised, too dramatic of an arch can make you look severe; eyebrow customization seems like a logical answer, and luckily the spa industry has experts to help.

Suddenly your eyebrows are a work of art – with the price tag to go with it! Petrescu, along with other artists in the industry charge anywhere from $65 to $120, and while home maintenance is a must, the experts adv-eyes that initial shaping must be done by a professional, lest you over-pluck or under-shape.

A w-eyes man once said, “A picture’s frame captures all the beauty within its borders.” Shouldn’t yours?

Common Scents

For thousands of years, civilizations have used the healing properties of plants, herbs, and flowers to cure, nourish, and invigorate their bodies and minds. Aromatherapy via these essential oils is probably the most commonly used alternative healing remedy today; everything from soaps, shampoos, candles, even hand sanitizers boast healing scents to add value to their products.

Though a widely accepted form of healing, aromatherapy and essential oil use is still an alternative form of medicine, and not generally accepted by the medical community. However, recent medical research has proven that these naturally occurring scents and oils can act as true stimuli, producing a physical and psychosomatic response. Inhaling an essential oil forced traces of liquid into your lungs, and they, in turn, are absorbed into your bloodstream, providing the physical response by the body. Simultaneously, the inhalation stimulates the nerves in your nasal and sinus cavities, which then triggers your brain to react accordingly, promoting the emotional response.

Aromatherapists believe that mental ailments manifest themselves in physical maladies, and vice versa; how convenient that both mechanisms are addressed with a simple inhalation!

According to www.aromatherapy.com, aromatherapy benefits and the most common uses include stress and headache relief, sleep improvement, mood boosting, hormone regulation, muscle relaxation, immune system stimulation, and blood circulation. Certain oils such as tea tree have antiseptic, antimicrobial and antifungal effects as well, and are therefore likely to appear in skin care and cleaning products.

Certainly all the uses of essential oils and their scents have been documented, as the practice has survived over 5,000 years.

Click here for a quick guide of when to use what- one of my favorite sites! I'm sure you'll be delighted to see just how many common ailments can be alleviated through common scents will you waft.

Do you use aromatherapy in your daily life?

Fun in the Sun?

Like a Raisin in the Sun doesn't conjure up the best image, does it? Exposure to harmful UV rays has been shown to accelerate the skin's aging process, and even accentuate the breakdown of the skin's interconnected matrix, or, more commonly, give you wrinkles!

As I sit here in sunny Los Angeles this week watching my freckles darken, I'm forced to remember the importance of sunscreen. There was an article in the New York Times this past July about the misconceptions of sunscreen and the need to follow instructions much like you would a prescription medicine. This caught my interest, and after speaking with industry skin care experts, I also learned about the harmful effects of mixing chemicals beneath the surface of your skin.

The essence of skincare in today's world is that we are forever applying the latest products with the most high tech ingredients to effectively manage the skin's aging process. But what we often forget is that chemicals don't always get along, and when in mixed company can sometimes start trouble. The mixing of chemicals beneath the surface of the skin, and especially when the sun's heat is added to the equation, can actually lead to other skin problems and even damage the skin's cellular structure; sometimes applying sunscreen can be in vain (yes, pun intended).

So how can we cover all our bases? IS Clinical's approach to sunscreen is by far my favorite. They have determined a way to microencapsulate the sunscreen to create little spheres of sunscreen that sit on your skin's surface without ever penetrating your skin. This means that not only are you truly shielded by that protective barrier, anything that is on your skin underneath that shield (meaning your high tech-ingredient serums and moisturizers) will never come into contact with the metals and chemicals necessary to ensure full UV protection.

Now don't go throwing away all your spf products yet- they are still effective for the body and, in a pinch, will do for your face! Being proactive about skincare is always a great idea, so have your fun in the sun, but be mindful of the damage that could be done!

Will you apply liberally?

Put a Spring in Your Step!

This Thursday we officially welcome Spring!

Time to show off those tootsies in your strappy sandals and peep-toed pumps but first, time to get your winter feet a pedicure! Besides making your feet look more presentable, a pedicure has many health benefits, too, as most pampering spa therapies do! (we're so clever, we spa citizens).
Your feet feel pressure like no other body part does: a cumulative force of several hundred tons in just one day, according to http://www.footweb.com/ experts. Calluses, or an accumulation of dead skin, can cause an uneven distribution of pressure and can lead to all sorts of imbalances from a physiological perspective; an imbalance in your feet can manifest itself in your knees, your back, and therefore, your overall posture. That certainly puts the necessity of foot care in perspective, doesn't it?

Pedicures aren't just for pretty toes anymore! Licensed nail technicians know how to rid your feet of these horrid calluses and alleviate accumulated pressure from the feet using reflexology techniques. Reflexology can address your overall wellbeing; after all, the foot is a map of the body, and stimulation of certain points can actually send healing energy to your internal organs.

But let's not forget that sexy feet are always a good look! New nail polish collections for spring have already hit the salons, and they are hotter than ever! According to nail-therapist-to-the-stars, Zoe Miller, "your nails should be your easiest accessory; your polish color should reflect your personality and style, and that will enhance your overall appearance."

Two polished thumbs up to that, Zoe!!!


Will you put your foot down and make pedicures a priority this spring?

Getting Your Beauty Sleep

A recent study by the National Sleep Foundation reports that the average American gets 6 hours and 40 minutes of sleep per night (scarily, that is down from the 7+ hours reported last year!). We all know that we need sleep for mental clarity, immunity, and mood stabilization, but did you know that a good night's sleep also provides cellular detoxification and renewal of the skin?

Sleeping is actually the easiest way to look better! Knowing this, it will therefore come as no surprise that many orally administered medications prescribed by dermatologists for skin conditions such as acne and eczema contain small amounts of sedatives; looks like even modern medicine is forcing us to sleep more for enhanced beauty results.

Even if you don't have specific skin problems, puffy under-eyes and a pale complexion is never a good look, so why do we routinely deprive ourselves of this much-needed restoration?

An increased average workday is the top culprit, but other factors such as lifestyle, increased stress levels, and sleep disorders are also to blame. (This whole time I thought it was because Leno doesn't come on until 11:30!)

Ever-dedicated to encouraging all to reach full wellbeing potential, the spa world's answer to this imbalanced dilemma is The Sleep Spa, of course!! One of the top trends in the spa industry in 2008 is the prevalence of sleep programs in the spa environment, according to Spa Finder's CEO, Susie Ellis. That's right, the power nap has returned, and this time, it's trendy! (Just a little note here, the siesta midday break has been more of a staple than a trend in European and Latin countries; are we finally accepting that they may have been on to something this whole time?)

If you pay attention to your inner circadian rhythm, you'll find that there is a late afternoon lull, about 8 hours after you wake up, and that it is natural to want to sleep. So, instead of going for that 4pm coffee jolt, it's actually more natural and beneficial to take a 20-minute nap.

Yelo, a Manhattan-based sleeping haven, is on the cutting edge of this trend. They offer signature YeloCabs, ideal cubbies for optimized napping that can be booked in 20 or 40-minute increments. You can justify a midday visit to your boss by explaining that it's likely that your productivity will increase while your stress will decrease, but you can justify it to yourself by knowing that following your body's natural rhythms will likely keep your skin looking radiant and young.

Look for more dedicated sleep spas and designated sleeping areas and therapies to be incorporated into your local spa soon...sleeping never looked so good.

Will you be a true sleeping beauty?

Paraben There, Done That!

With all the controversy surrounding the use of the popular preservatives known as parabens in almost every mass produced beauty product, it seems that science has us working our worry lines. And maybe for good reason: it's been clinically proven that these chemicals mimic the hormone estrogen when absorbed through our skin, and it's been well documented that an increase of estrogen has been linked to an increased risk of breast cancer.

Parabens, still considered safe by the EPA, are not hidden in the ingredient list on products; the most common ones are methylparaben, propylparaben, and butylparaben, and most of the time, they are used in conjunction with each other (comforting, isn't it?).

The use of parabens is most common in moisturizers and makeup: topically applied products. Our skin is our largest organ and an increasingly popular means to administer medicine; just look at all the transdermally administered prescriptions that now exist in our pharmaceutical world (birth control patches are a great example), so you can see how worrisome it is when you realize the implications of absorbing these estrogen-mimicking chemicals directly into our skin!

The good news is that paraben-free products not only exist, they are slowly becoming commonplace in our spas, health stores, and food markets.

The concept of adding preservatives to products remains important, however, so that our product safety and shelf life expectations are still met. Choosing product lines that use grapefruit seed extract, lemon, essential oils, salt or sugar as natural preservatives should fill your preservative needs, and while these products tend to be pricier than their paraben alternatives, their quality will more than compensate.

I will forever suffer for fashion (Manolos, I will never forsake you!), but can we really afford to suffer for beauty?

Will you still buy your favorite products knowing the risks?