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Category Archives: Skin Care

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.

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.