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Wake Up Morning Skin With A Massage

   Skin Care  Apr 19, 2023  Comments Off on Wake Up Morning Skin With A Massage
Wake Up Morning Skin With A Massage

In spring, when everything is new and fresh, consider revving up your morning skincare routine for a new, fresh look.

Add these morning moves to wake your skin up each morning.

Quick Morning Massage

Spending an extra five minutes or less by adding an invigorating face massage to morning skincare will really make a difference in how you and your skin feel each day.

Perform this massage with a light application of sweet almond oil, or during the cleansing part of your daily routine.

Morning Face Massage Perks

  • Improves circulation
  • Increases oxygen flow
  • Stimulates collagen production
  • Improves skin clarity
  • Evens out skin pigmentation
  • Improves lymphatic system drainage (removes toxins)
  • Reduces puffiness
  • Reduces under eye bags
  • Minimizes breakouts
  • Tones, firms skin
  • Relaxes skin and muscles
  • Reduces look of fine lines and wrinkles
  • Relieves pressure from sinus congestion and allergies

Morning Face Massage Steps

After practicing this massage for a couple of days, you’ll be able to do it quickly and easily every morning.

Use firm but gentle pressure to get the most from your massage.

Neck Pump

Starting with a light application of oil rubbed between your hands, take your index, middle and ring fingers from each hand and place them above your collarbone, where your neck and collarbone meet. Slowly pump up and down 40 times.

Ears

Place your fingers and top of palms flat under your ears and gently pull up and down slowly 5 times.

Back of Neck

Cup your hands, place your fingers on the back of your neck and pull down gently 10 times.

Chin

Place both hands on your chin and massage the area with your index, middle and ring fingers with gentle pressure in a circular motion for about one minute.

Mouth

Move fingers to corners of your mouth and massage in an outward circular motion for a count of 3. Move fingers to the area between your nose and top lip, massaging again in a circular motion for a count of 3.

Jaw Relaxer

With both hands in a fist, roll your knuckles over the muscles at the back of your jaw 3-5 times. This relieves tension and relaxes those tight jaw muscles.

Cheeks

Make an “O” with your mouth by wrapping your lips around your teeth. Place your fingers and top of palms flat and move in an upward stroke from your chin to your cheekbones. Repeat 5 times.

Eyes

Using the index, middle and ring fingers of both hands, massage gently directly under your eye area near the side of your nose. Next, place your index and middle fingers at the corner of your eyes near the cheekbone and massage this area using a gentle, upwards circular motion.

Forehead

Using the index fingers of both hands, move across the entire forehead quickly, forming small half circles across the entire forehead. Finish by massaging the area between your eyes gently yet firmly in a circular motion 3-5 times.

When complete, take a few deep cleansing breaths, breathing in from your nose and out from your mouth.

Wrap Up

Once you have this routine down, you’ll feel relaxed and ready to face whatever the day brings.

For even better results, schedule an appointment for professional facials and treatments with the skincare experts at Laura Skincare in Petaluma.

Does Sunscreen Go Bad?

   Skin Care  Apr 09, 2023  Comments Off on Does Sunscreen Go Bad?
Does Sunscreen Go Bad?

Now that spring is here, take inventory of your sunscreen to make sure you have enough for those sunnier days ahead.

If your sunscreen has been around for a while, you may not even think about checking the expiration date.

Here’s how to know whether to use last year’s batch or if your sunscreen has gone bad.

Slather on the Sunscreen

Whether it’s cloudy or sunny, you probably already know how important it is to use sunscreen every day. Sunscreen is the single most important health and beauty product in your home.

It protects you from the sun’s damaging UV rays, which easily pass through clouds to cause damage to the surface and deep layers of your skin. The UV rays cause free radical damage, premature aging, crepey skin and without it, seriously increases your risk of skin cancer.

Sunscreen Application

To avoid a bad burn and to protect skin as much as possible, use an SPF (skin protection factor) of 30 or higher. Choose a water-resistant broad-spectrum variety, free of toxic parabens.

The SPF number means that if used correctly, it will take 30 times longer for your skin to turn red, which signals a burn and potential skin damage, than it would without protection.

For the greatest protection, re-apply every two hours, more often if sweating or swimming.

Apply sunscreen at least 30 minutes ahead of heading out so it has time to penetrate into your skin.

For proper coverage, use the equivalent of about two tablespoons of sunscreen to cover all your exposed skin. Don’t forget your ears and tops of feet.

If you can, wear a hat for protection of your scalp.

Don’t forget lip protection by wearing a sunscreen-infused lip balm.

For your face, use a SPF 30 or higher sunscreen either under or over your foundation. This is true even if using a foundation containing sunscreen since foundation alone cannot provide adequate UV protection.

Start with about a nickel size amount of sunscreen and rub well into skin. If using a chemical sunscreen, apply your moisturizer and foundation over the sunscreen layer. If using a physical (mineral) sunscreen, it goes on last, after moisturizer and foundation.

Sunscreen Shelf Life

Surprisingly, according to FDA regulations, sunscreens have a considerably long shelf life of up to three years.

Normally, you wouldn’t use products that have been sitting in your home for three years. If it makes you feel better, toss the old bottle and get a fresh supply this spring.

To make things easier, write both the purchase and expiration dates on the bottle with a sharpie. It’s entirely up to you whether to toss after a year or keep until the expiration date.

Wrap Up

Since sunscreen is the most important skin-saving beauty product, it’s good to know it’s just as effective in three years as it was the day you opened the bottle.

For professional care of skin, look no further than Laura Skincare in Petaluma for facials, peels and the highest quality in skincare products and services.

Improve Skin with a Collagen Boost

   Skin Care  Mar 20, 2023  Comments Off on Improve Skin with a Collagen Boost
Improve Skin with a Collagen Boost

As we get older, we tend to look for ways to keep our skin and bodies in shape and looking as good on the outside as we feel on the inside.

One of the biggest things that diminishes with age (and in fact ages us) is our natural production of collagen.

Find out how you can replenish the collagen we lose with age.

What Collagen Does

Collagen is a vital protein made up of a group of amino acids produced by and spread throughout the body. Collagen, along with accompanying protein elastin, plays a key role in healthy skin, bones, and muscle tissue.

Collagen is a bit like a glue that keeps skin from sagging and wrinkles from forming, in addition to helping to keep muscle tissue strong.

The biggest plus of collagen is to improve and support healthy skin. The more collagen you have, the greater number of healthy cells you have working consistently to rejuvenate your skin.

In addition, collagen helps fight against UV damage which is the #1 cause of wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, and loss of elasticity in the skin.

Aside from keeping skin looking lifted and glowing, collagen provides many other benefits throughout the body including:

  • Reduces hair loss
  • Promotes stronger, healthy nails
  • Bone loss prevention
  • Muscle mass retention
  • Joint support
  • Regulates metabolism
  • Better sleep

The Effects of Collagen Loss

When collagen production decreases in the body, you may notice your body and looks changing. Here are some of the effects that may be due to collagen loss:

  • Dehydrated, thinning skin
  • Fine lines, wrinkles, sagging skin
  • Loss of fullness in face, hollows under eyes
  • Weight gain
  • Joint pain
  • Dull, flat, limp hair
  • Oral health issues

Replenishing Collagen

While you can help boost collagen production by eating more protein-rich meat and beans, along with green leafy vegetables, almonds, and bone broth, you can also take supplements to make up some of your collagen deficit.

Vitamins A, C and E are great choices for increasing levels of collagen in your system.

Collagen supplements also come in pill or powder form. A scoop or two of a powder collagen supplement added to coffee, tea or a smoothie is an excellent way to get more collagen with no added taste and very few calories.

Professional facials and massage along with high quality skincare routines that include hyaluronic acid and/or retinol are other ways to boost collagen production.

Wrap Up

One way to dramatically improve your skin is to boost production of collagen. The added effort of healthier diet choices, supplements, and UV protection will be rewarded with healthier, more youthful-looking skin.

For professional advice and to schedule a collagen-boosting facial or skin treatment, call the experts at Laura Skincare in Petaluma today.