Genevieve shares her wisdom with us as my guest blogger. Take it away Genevieve.....

DID YOUR MEMAW TELL YOU TO SLATHER ON THE NIGHT CREAM?

It's okay, mine told me the same thing. Many of us were told by the elder ladies in our lives that the path to a youthful appearance is greased with rich night moisturizers. Brands like Jergens, Pond's and Oil of Olay graced every lady's vanity and were part of a hallowed nightly ritual. Some even used Baby Oil! These were the moisturizers available at the time and the legend of the thick night moisturizer has been passed down through generations. So, let's assess this beauty regimen.....

While maintaining proper moisture balance is imperative for skin health, it's essential not to overdo it. During the night while you are getting your beauty sleep (very important for a glowing complexion!) your skin is going through many important metabolic processes. Just like the rest of your body, the skin is taking stock of what is needed and what should be eliminated. Remember, the skin is an elimination organ. An oil based cream can interfere with these vital tasks. Over time the skin becomes a bit confused and doesn't know how to regulate it's own sebum production. You end up with an excessively dry or an excessively oily condition. It may seem strange to think of your skin as "knowing" how to do things, but the human body "knows" how to do amazing things without our conscious knowledge.

So, what's the solution? Well.... first, pay attention to what your skin is saying it needs. After evening cleansing, try skipping your usual night cream. How does your skin feel? If it feels tight and dry, it's possible that your cleanser is stripping away your own natural moisture. Many of my clients want to feel that "squeaky clean" sensation after cleansing, but that is a sure sign that you've washed away your protective acid mantle! Your acid mantle is the protective barrier that helps to hold moisture in as well as provide a shield from sun and wind. You need it! Try using a gentle, non-foaming cleanser to remove dirt and makeup. Follow with a light NON drying toner and a little dab of eye cream. Give it a week or so, and your skin should respond by providing the sebum necessary to eliminate that dry sensation. If , after all of this you still feel tight and dry, a light gel moisturizer can be used. I really like the Jurlique Herbal Recovery Gel and the Inventive Organics Active Hydrobalance. Both of these provide light, non-oily moisture. You may also find in your experiment that your skin doesn't feel dry at all. In which case you don't need any extra moisture. You already have it! You may also feel that your skin is more even during the day as well. Without too much interference , this skin will often balance itself.

It's okay to switch things up with seasonal or hormonal changes too. Using clay as a spot treatment on a blemish overnight is great. You may not need to use the same products all
year 'round. Listen to your skin and adjust accordingly. Hit the hay with clean skin and let it BREATHE! Your face will thank you in the mornin' !

Favorite evening cleansers:

• Jurlique Soothing Cleansing Lotion
• Dr. Hauschka Cleansing Milk
• Skinceuticals Gentle Cleanser
  

Genevieve Enyart-Faulkner is a certified Dr. Hauschka Esthetican and is my colleague at Sabia. Come and check out her amazing holistic treaments!

sunscreen

A sunscreen does exactly as it's name tells us. Kind of like your front porch screen and how it keeps some of the light out . Buggies too, well, some... sunscreens work in a similar way. They won't protect us from all of the sun's rays, but is our first line of defense.
To really get the gyst of the screen, one must understand what we're protecting ourselves from. The UV rays!

UVB UVA-long UVA-short UVC QVC, blah blah blog!
Here's the long and short of it, hee hee,
Ultra violet light is radiation that travels down to Earth from outer space. It travels like a wave. Some UV rays travel faster than others. As they move towards the Earth's surface they eventually fizzle out. Except for the really fast ones. They keep going, all the way down to the deepest layers of our precious skin ! Bad bad...

UVC rays travel the slowest. We're never even exposed to those because the ozone layer stops them from coming down to us. Well, except for folks living under an ozone hole, but that's another story!
UVB are the "burning rays". They aren't strong enough to penetrate glass. Most suncreens will protect you from UVB only.
UVA are the strongest. These are called the "aging" rays. They can move through glass. They damage our collagen and contribute to skin cancer. This is why it's imperative to wear a sunscreen even if you "never" go out in the sun. Think about your morning commute to work or school. Then think about your ride home. That can be up to 2 hours for some people.

So... how do you protect yourself? With so many products on the market it can be very confusing. Do you find yourself looking through every sunscreen at the grocery store, searching for the perfect SPF, settling on the highest number? Seems like we should use the SPF 75 . We want the most protection, right? Ok, so gimme the SPF 487!
It doesn't work like that.

Do you know what SPF really means? Surprisingly, a lot of us don't. Most of us know that it stands for "sun protection factor", but what does that mean?

SPF is specific for individual peeps.
Go outside and press your finger on your skin. Continue doing this until you see a change in the skin tone. For a fair person, it can take 2-3 minutes. A person with a little more color, it can take 5-10 minutes to see a change.
To make it easy for the math, let's say it takes 10 minutes for me to see a change in my skin. If I have an SPF 30, it will protect me 30 x 10 minutes. That's a 100 minutes. Little over an hour and a half. So I'll need to reapply my sunscreen after that.
I hear a lot of talk about how some ingredients give out after a while. And how you have to use a golf ball sized amount to actually get the true SPF. There are tons of research studies to choose from. I've looked at a bunch. I encourage you, my devoted reader to google it up and look for yourself if you are so inclined.
Go for the brand that is most reputable. I tend to stay away from the grocery store stuff except for Bull Frog. I get the zinc based one for my son. Sometimes I use the Skin C. Physical SPF 30 on him. That's what I use on myself. But I can't bring myself to send him off to summer day camp with a $35 tube of sunscreen. Chances are I won't see it again. So there ya go....mamas, can ya hear me??? Baby boy has the $8.99 Walgreens special. Oh, but I do smear my Skin C. Phloretin CF Vitamin C serum on him before he leaves the house!

So, how so we protect ourselves?
Look at the ingredients. I'm gonna break it down for y'all and make it real simple.

Chemical vs. Physical:
Chemical sunscreens use ingredients like Avobenzone aka Parsol 1789, which BTW, was the first chemical sunscreen to hit the market.
Some other common chemicals are:
Octisalate, Octinoxaate, PABA, Octibenzone, and the latest , greatest craze: Mexoryl.
These ingredients absorb UV light. Some are able to absorb UVA, but most absorb only UVB. They can also be irritating to your skin. Have you ever applied sunscreen and felt like your face was going to burn off? I have. Ouch!!!
If you or someone you love has experienced this, I suggest to go the physical route.
Good ole zinc oxide. Titanium works too. Essentially, minerals. They act like a deflector, the rays bouncing off. Minerals are nonreactive on the skin and seldom cause irritation. Physical sunblocks protect against UVA.
In the 80's, the surf punks were protecting themselves to the max and looking hip as well!

As I stated above, I love the Skinceuticals. They have a patent on micronized zinc, allowing you to have the full protection without the white face.
At Sabia, we also carry Dr. Hauschka, Keihl's, and Jurlique.
I have found that skin type, acctivity and budget are all determining factors in choosing a sunscreen. Try different ones out. See which one meets YOUR needs.
Here are a few suggestions:

OILY SKIN: Active UV Defense from Skin C. - This one uses the latest, greatest technology.
Come in to see me and I'll explain it to you.
Ultimate UV Defense from Skin C.- Has a higher level of zinc to give a more
"matte" feel.
Jurlique Sun Lotion - Light weight, nonclogging.

Keihl's - They make a variety of sun lotions that are lightweight and easy on the pocketbook.

SENSITIVE: Physical SPf 30- Skin C. or DR. Hauschka

SPORTY: Skin C. Sport or Keihl's

AGE CONSCIOUS: Daily SPF 20 - Skin C. It has a nice moisturizing feel for dry skin.

There you have it. If you are still reading this, I thank you for your patience. It's a lot of information. In my Esthetics class, we would discuss this for a whole week. Nevertheless, I feel like this info will supply you guys with some important tools to help you make an informed decision about how to protect yourself and your family from those increasingly damaging rays of the sun.

I'll see you at Sabia....

Eye creams

Many of my clients ask about eye creams. Seems like everyone feels like they should be using some kind of eye cream but unsure about which kind to use. Hopefully this will answer some questions for y'all.
First of all, we have been taught to be very, very gentle around the eyes. Only pat with your 3rd finger and NEVER ever rub the area. Contrary to popular belief, we NEED to massage the eye area! Yes, you can! and not be afraid to create more wrinkles. The lack of circulation will cause toxins to pool and decrease oxygen levels. Let your blood do the work. Remember, the blood provides oxygen to feed tissues and carries away waste products. If you are using an eye friendly cleanser(not glycolic or salicylic ), wash your eye area thoroughly. Massage and move that pooled up fluid out of there. Don't tug or pull at the skin but massage. By massaging we also increase tone in the muscles. This is a good thing. By incorporating this step into your cleansing regimen, you will see a big difference.

Which eye cream to use? Here's the breakdown:

Dark circles, puffiness: use a serum or a cream that has anti inflammatory ingredients.
I like Skinceuticals eye cream. Use it in the morning. It will help to move the fluid away from the area to reduce the appearance of dark circles. Drink lots of water. According to Chinese Medicine, the eyes correspond to the kidneys. I'm not saying you have a kidney disease but when we are dehydrated the kidneys work harder so drink your water. Some folks have thin skin or deep set eyes. In this case, you will have a harder time reducing the darkness.
Jurlique just came out with a new eye cream with eyebright and arnica. Both help with circulation.

Fine lines: When there is a buildup of dead skin, ridges can start to form making our creases deeper. By exfoliating we soften the appearance of these little ridges. Remember that exfoliation allows the skin to accept moisture and stimulates cell growth. Inventive Organics dermabrasion scrub helps. It also has all the MSM to reduce inflammation. For a chemical exfoliation I like Skinceuticals eye renewal gel. It has a 5% AHA to gently soften the cellular buildup. Use it at night.

Deep lines, wrinkles: Oil is our friend. It lubricates the skin. It's our built in moisturizer. If we are lacking oil, we need to use more emollient products. Dr. Hauschka's eye balm is soothing and really seals in the moisture. If you already have oily skin you may find that these products can clog your pores. Use these eye creams or "balms" if you are "oil dry".

Speaking of moisture, try massaging a hydrating toner like Inventive Organics Elemental Mineral Splash or Rosewater around the eye area before an eye cream. You'll see a big difference in how your eye cream works.

Hope this info helps. Have an awesome weekend and remember to wear your sunscreen!!!!

helpin' people out

My first client today walked in with a big smile on her face. I noticed that her moderate to severe acne was going away. Yahoo! The blemishes I treated in our last session ( 2 weeks ago) were fading and her skin was starting to heal...dramatically. She's been using a cleanser with salicylic acid to kill bacteria and break down the oil, a "cocktail" of volcanic ash mud, zinc creme and a mineral rich tonic. The key ingredient to the cocktail is MSM. It's organic sulfur. Folks with joint problems take it internally because it has serious anti inflammatory benefits. Topically, it is a miracle. I have seen more results with MSM for a variety of skin conditions than any other ingredient. That's why I use it on just about everybody. See the link for more details...
Another client - peaches and cream. Look closely and you see those sweet little rosy cheeks. Guess what... inflammation. So I mix up my little cocktail again. Instant gratification! Redness gone. She was feeling dry but had an oily t-zone. When clients come to me with this challenge, my first question is, "how are you exfoliating?" If the answer is, "HUH?" I have to pull out
the scrub. Exfoliation is key in moisture retention. How can your skin accept any moisture if
it has a buildup of cellular debris? It can't. My favorite scrub is made of dead sea salts, MSM
(of course) and a variety of trace minerals infused with lightweight oils. Scrub off the dead cells then emulsify with water to create a mineral rich emulsion that pushes nutrients into the skin. I follow with a thorough washing. I get the blood moving, allowing it to do it's job: deliver oxygen to the tissues and carry away toxins. Feels so fresh. Now, your skin can accept moisture. But you don't have to use a traditional moisturizer to achieve this. Try using a hydrating water or a "hydrosol". Push the moisture into your skin. Spraying feels nice and all but I like to massage that yumminess in. Yeah... If someone is "oil dry", (if they don't produce enough oil), then we add some moisturizer but really a cream or lotion should be used to seal the moisture in. If you have an oily t-zone, you probably have enough oil. Exfoliate. It will help.
Another scenerio- I have a client who has been using the new vitamin c serum(Phloretin CF) for about a month. She has seen awesome results with a decrease in capillary damage and overall smoothness. However, she was out at the lake all weekend and came home with a whole bunch of redness and clogged pores. She was being a good girl , using her most intense zinc oxide sunscreen and staying in the shade. I came to the conclusion that the heat aggravated the capillaries and the heavy sunscreen clogged up her pores. The remedy: Oatmeal. I massaged an oatmeal mask into her skin infused with, you guessed it... MSM and watched as the redness disappeared. I cleaned out every pore and sent her home with my favorite waterproof sunscreen from Skinceuticals. It has the zinc but it's micronized so it's not so heavy. Still, it's important to deep cleanse after wearing a waterproof product. Mondays are great for deep cleansing facials after being in the elements all weekend!. Hint Hint...
All in all, it was a very productive day. Cleaned some pores out, massaged some stress away and came home with the satisfaction of knowing that I helped some folks out. I love my job. Thanks to my loyal clients.
Fave products of the day:
Skinceuticals Clarifying Cleanser
Skinceuticals Phloretin CF
Inventive Organics Elemental Mineral Splash
Inventive Organics Volcanic Ash
Inventive Organics Citrus Dermabrasion Scrub
Inventive Organics Soothing Oat Mask

Welcome!

Hello! You have entered the world of skincare through the eyes of me, Pam Crawford. You can call me Pammy Jane if ya like. I'm a skin care therapist at Sabia Apothecary and Spa right here in Austin Texas and I am here to find solutions to your common , and not so common, skin care concerns. You will read about the challenges I face on a day to day basis and how I treat them. A lot of my clients have similar issues. My goal is to shed some light on questions y'all may have and how to trouble shoot your own issues.
Skin care is my passion. I've been studying and working in the field for 20 years now. Throughout these years, I have come to understand that there is no definite answer to any of the issues we face with our skin. I have also seen some stuff that really works including lifestyle and dietary issues. I'm not a nutritionist so I'll make that disclaimer now and just refer to some books I've read and refer you to an awesome expert in that field.
Oh yeah, you may also see some run on sentences. I'll hire an editor later. For now, I'm anxious to get started with this project! Here we go......