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Summer Care for Acne Prone Skin

   Skin Care  Jun 19, 2023  Comments Off on Summer Care for Acne Prone Skin
Summer Care for Acne Prone Skin

It’s the time of year most all of us have been waiting for. The kickoff of summer brings a lot of social time with parties and cookouts with family and friends.

It’s also the time to break out the hot weather wardrobe and show off healthy sun kissed skin. Except for those summer acne breakouts.

Find out why those summer days and steamy temperatures can aggravate skin and trigger acne breakouts and what you can do to tame it.

Why Acne is Worse in Summer

As temperatures heat up, you’ll find yourself sweating more often. This causes an increase in your natural oil production which in turn clogs pores. The result? More oily skin and acne flareups.

Other aggravating factors include exposure to chlorine in pools, bug repellent ingredients, and touching your face with sweaty hands.

Simple Summer Skincare

The key to controlling acne breakouts this summer is an easy, smart skincare routine.

Clean Skin

Although you may be tempted to use astringents and cleaners to strip skin of excess oil, these products may dry out the skin and remove too much of your natural oil. This process over-dries skin which also causes breakouts.

The goal is to strive for a balance of clean skin without stripping too much of the natural oils.

Blackhead breakouts respond well to cleaning products containing salicylic acid, while benzoyl peroxide is the go-to for those common red, inflamed pimples.

A gentle cleanser used twice daily to remove the excess oil produced by sweat glands activated by increased heat and humidity should do the trick. If twice isn’t enough, consider adding up to a third gentle wash.

If oil is really a problem, add an astringent to your skincare routine. While astringents are used to sop up extra oil, remember that most of them contain some level of alcohol. Alcohol can make skin extra dry, which triggers breakouts.

Don’t use astringents excessively. An alternative is witch hazel, which does a nice job of keeping oil under control and while not drying out your skin.

A small spray bottle of witch hazel misted on your skin throughout the day helps control oil without stripping away too much.

It’s important to shower daily to remove all the sweat, oil and products from your body and face, especially after working out and whenever working up a strong sweat.

Moisturize

Although you may feel like moisturizing is counter-productive, it’s important to keep skin hydrated. The secret is to change to a lighter formula.

Choosing a lighter, less creamy moisturizer gives you much-needed hydration without the heavier, greasier feel.

Sunscreen

It goes without saying that when enjoying the heat and sun in upcoming summer months, you need to apply sunscreen every day.

A tinted sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 (higher SPF is even better) is an excellent choice. The added tint eliminates the need for foundation or layering make up on skin that’s prone to clogged pores and acne breakouts. Tinted sunscreen gives you sun protection and allows your skin to breathe.

Wrap Up

Enjoy the summer season this year with a simple yet effective cleansing and moisturizing skincare routine.

To kick off the season right, go in for effective acne-prone skin treatments with the professionals at Laura Skincare in downtown Petaluma.

Is Your Skin Dry or Dehydrated?

   Skin Care  Jun 09, 2023  Comments Off on Is Your Skin Dry or Dehydrated?
Is Your Skin Dry or Dehydrated?

If you become frustrated with constantly having to deal with your dry skin, maybe there’s more going on here. It’s possible you may be dealing with dehydrated skin, which is an entirely different issue.

How can you tell whether your skin is just dry or if you’re dealing with dehydrated skin?

Symptoms of Dry Skin

Symptoms of dry skin show up with white flakes, outbreaks of eczema or psoriasis, redness, irritation, and an overall scaly look to your skin.

Dry skin is caused by your skin lacking enough oil to keep it properly hydrated and moisturized on its own.

Symptoms of Dehydrated Skin

You may have dehydrated skin if you have dull, tired-looking skin. You may suffer with itchiness and are more susceptible to the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and losing elasticity in the skin. You may also notice dark circles under the sensitive area right below your eyes.

The cause of dehydration is due to a lack of water in the skin, even if you have combination or an oily skin type.

Treatments

While all skin needs to be hydrated and moisturized to stay healthy, dealing with dry vs. dehydrated skin requires different treatment methods.

Here are some tips for treating each skin issue.

Dry Skin Treatment

Too much hydration could make dry skin worse.

Hyaluronic acid works well for dry skin, followed up by a skin-loving oil such as sweet almond oil or other oil to lock in that hydration.

Ceramides are fabulous for treating dry skin because they help keep skin’s outer layer strong and help keep skin from losing too much moisture and protects from over-drying effects.

For combatting the effects of dry skin, try skincare products containing coconut, sweet almond, rosehip or jojoba oils, or shea butter.

Adding a humidifier in your living space helps keep air moist and helps combat the dry air that sucks moisture out of your skin.

Drink more water which is great for hydrating your skin.

Never skip moisturizing, especially overnight when skin renews and regenerates.

Dehydrated Skin Treatment

Too much moisturizing won’t do much to help dehydrated skin. For best results, use hydrating products first and lightly moisturize to seal and protect the moisture from escaping.

Hyaluronic acid works very well for dehydrated skin, followed up by a light moisturizer to seal in the hydrating effects. This acid plumps up and provides a lot of hydration for thirsty dehydrated skin.

Ceramides also work wonders for dehydrated skin because they protect and strengthen skin’s outer protective layer which helps seal in moisture and hydration.

For combatting the effects of dehydrated skin, try skincare products containing honey, aloe, citrus or lactic acids.

Drinking plenty of water and getting plenty of rest helps restore dehydrated skin.

Misting skin throughout the day makes your skin glow and helps keep it hydrated.

Wrap Up

Figuring out whether your skin is dry or dehydrated can help you make changes in your skincare routine that will make all the difference.

For an expert analysis, recommendations, and professional skin treatments, schedule an appointment with Laura Skincare in historic downtown Petaluma.

Benefits of Skin-loving Bone Broth

   Facial  May 19, 2023  Comments Off on Benefits of Skin-loving Bone Broth
Benefits of Skin-loving Bone Broth

Those who are interested in improving the look of their skin often ask what they can do at home to keep skin healthy, hydrated, and looking fabulous. In addition to a consistent skin care routine, one of the things that works really well is to drink some hot, healthy, and hearty bone broth.

Read on to discover some of the benefits bone broth brings to your skin.

The Background of Bone Broth

The history of bone broth goes back to ancient times. In many parts of the world, it was used for medicinal purposes treating ailments from joint pain to gastric disorders. It was prescribed to help ease pain from swelling and inflammation, such as that experienced with gout or arthritis.

Bone broth is not exactly the same as stock because it has to simmer much longer than stock. It can be simmered with vegetables, but usually is not. Bone broth is typically lower in sodium and because of the long cooking time, tends to have more nutrients than stock.

While stock tastes good, bone broth packs a very flavorful and satisfying punch preferred by the palate.

What Bone Broth Can Do for You

Here are some benefits of bone broth for the skin and overall health:

  • Hydrates dry, flaky skin
  • Calms inflammation to tame eczema, rosacea, and acne breakouts
  • Slows the onset of fine lines, wrinkles, and hair loss
  • Increases skin elasticity
  • Reduces dark undereye circles
  • Reduces the appearance of cellulite
  • Repairs brittle nails and hair
  • Improves quality of sleep
  • Reduces joint pain and inflammation

Serving Up Bone Broth

While you can make your own bone broth by simmering bones and connective tissues from animals for 12 or more hours depending on the recipe, you can easily find great organic varieties ready to go from the soup aisle at your local grocery or health food store.

It is keto and paleo friendly and contains between only 35-50 calories per one-cup serving, while doing a good job of filling you up.

It’s because of the extremely long time it takes to simmer that all the nutrients from the bone marrow and tissue permeate and enrich the broth. The nutrients found in bone broth include antioxidant-rich collagen, amino acids glycine and glutamine, minerals, gelatin, and vitamin A.

Based on your taste preference, two of the most popular flavors are chicken or beef bone broth, which are both highly flavorful and packed with lots of nutrients for your overall health and the health of your skin.

If you have a pre-existing medical condition, always check with your primary care doctor before making any changes, including adding bone broth to your diet.

Wrap Up

From the comforts of home, drinking bone broth can give your hair, nails, and skin that extra nutritional boost it needs for a youthful, healthy glow.

For professional treatment of chronic skin care concerns and issues, schedule an appointment with Laura Skincare in downtown Petaluma.