Benefits of Exfoliating Your Skin

In some way or another we have all used an exfoliating skin product on our face. It gives a, smoother to the touch feeling and can also erase signs of aging. In it's most natural state, it would be oatmeal...in it's most serious state, it would be a Manual Microdermabrasion treatment with Bioelements. You've most likely used some type of scrub and that's pretty much what you are doing...exfoliating the old skin off.

The benefits to this are simple: as you remove those cells, you are also sending a message to make even more new cells. Thus helping to turn back time. Studies have shown that continual exfoliating of your body's skin can help prevent basal and other yuck cells from hanging around.

SO EXFOLIATE PEOPLE!

Last week we discussing not just how to prevent sun damage but also looking into the future for the sun worshipping we did earlier in life. Well you know the saying..."what's good for the skin is good for the skin." So, as we discussed the seriousness of staying on top of a future of potential skin cancers etc, we determined the solution is to start getting regular body scrub treatments.

Imagine a light massage technique that uses soft scrubs instead of oils, lightly massaged into your skin and then wiped away for a smooth and soft body! Not to mention you are turning over those cells while getting some much needed R&R.

SO EXFOLIATE PEOPLE!

Diverted Beauty Products

Looking for a bargain on your favorite beauty products? "Buyer Beware" is an important warning while shopping for those bargains. Let's start with what "salon only" means when it comes to beauty products: the product is meant to only be sold in a salon or spa. Why? So that you can have a professional recommend the right one for you as well as making sure you are getting a safe product. The latter will make sense as you read on.

WHAT ARE DIVERTED PRODUCTS?
They are products that are sold in “unauthorized” places. For example, all genuine Redken products are sold exclusively in salons. But you might see a few bottles in your local supermarket, drugstore, online or at a discounter. Salon professional products you find outside of a salon are considered to be “diverted.” They are obtained through illegal means, however the retailer is not held liable.

WHY DIVERSION IS BAD?
Diverted products could be a health hazard. They are often held in warehouses that are not climate controlled, thus causing the product to cook up bacteria; they are often counterfeit or diluted formulas; or old, expired formulas that may not be safe to use. Irritation or even infection can result from the use of diverted products. It’s also illegal to divert products.

AND they cost more...they are playing on the consumers mindset that if it's at this store or that discounter, it's cheaper. I have been checking prices and they are even more expensive.

I have had several clients who have recently been "taken" by products they found online, and what they thought was a bargain was not, and in these cases they're hair and skin suffered for it along with their wallet.

Dry Hair?

With the summer heat and humidity at full speed these days, your hair may be feeling it in either one of two ways. No worries though as both can be taken care of. First step is to determine just what is going on...for you the hair simply feels dry, and what has been prescribed, and in most cases over prescribed is to slather it with moisture based hair care products.

When your hair feels dry when it's wet, but normal when it's dry, has to be treated differently. Believe it or not there are instances where using moisture can make the hair feel worse...how? To much moisture in the hair can cause the hair to tangle easier and make it much harder to comb through because it gives the hair too much elasticity. Then combine that with the normal summer "wear and tear" and you have that feeling of dry hair. And by the way, for people with finer hair texture, too much moisture will cause the hair to be flat and dull...

I have to say that one of the biggest reasons I have used and recommended Redken all these years is because they are the science behind hair itself. For the above mentioned dry feeling your best product of choice is Redken's Deep Fuel. The deep conditioning benefits can eliminate the dry feeling and help to restructure the hair's surface....resulting in more manageable hair that will hold it's style and better block the humidity from attacking it.

Another way the hair feels and becomes dry stems from the use of blowdryers and irons. This type of dryness makes the hair feel dry to the touch after it's dry. This type of mechanical heat can dry out hair and this is when you need a moisture based product to get some relief.

Depending on the texture of your hair, and how it became "feeling dry" will determine the right prescription for your hair type, all while maintaining the fullness or volume that we all desire. There is a science behind it all, and that is where your educated professional hairdresser comes into the picture...

Putting the Jane Iredale Purepressed to work!

My beautiful sister Margaret is putting the Purepressed Powder Foundation to the test while training for her Bicycle Racing Team that is touring the country. She is accompanied by her handsome husband Dave, who is also on a Bicycle Racing team and they are doing quite well. Here is her blog: http://29ercrew.com/author/mkelnberger/

Margaret had commented on an earlier post regarding sun protection. At her last visit we had our consultation to determine if she was looking for strictly SPF out of the minerals, or if she wanted to balance her skin tone as well. So I suggested the Purepressed Powder as it has an SPF of 20 and can also balance out her complexion and skin tone.

She was instantly happy with the ease of putting it on with just the Handi brush and how it felt like nothing was there when we were done! You can always see an instant difference when you use the Jane Iredale Mineral Make Up and then once the minerals are "set" on the skin you see a flawless finish and the high water resistance goes into action.

Margaret reports that all the above was found true with her application prior to her almost daily 14 mile training run...or ride in the case! What she also noticed was when she started to perspire, nothing ran in her eyes to sting them...which is what has happened from using the lotion sunscreens. Thanks to Jane Iredale Mineral Cosmetics for providing us with a beautiful way to achieve sun protection that stays put!

Ladies if you are a sports enthusiast like Margaret call me to set up an appointment for a complimentary make up consultation! 301-870-3922

Summer and Oily Skin

For those of us who have oily skin, summer's heat and humidity can make our face feel as if it is melting off...we can't wait to wash our face and sometimes we need to wash it twice, just to feel clean and dry...how can we battle it? I say we in this post as I too have oily skin and fight this feeling as well.

Our first line of attack is to make sure that we cleanse and hydrate our skin twice a day. The oilier the skin the more we hydrate and the dryer the skin, the more we moisturize. Obviously we want to wash our face at night to rid our skin of the day's "dirt", and just as important we need repeat the process at night. That is when our skin does most if not all of it's repair work.

When dealing with oily skin it's all about the signals that are sent to the oil glands. If you use a cleanser that is to astringent or strong, you are telling the glands to over produce...and the same goes if you don't use any type of hydration or moisturizer to follow the cleanser.

My favorite cleanser for oily skin is the Bioelements Decongestant Cleanser, it's a gel and gives a wonderful clean feeling without drying your skin out. Depending on the level of oiliness, ( how soon does your face get shiny and where does it get shiny) there are several options for hydrating and moisturizing in your daily regimen.

Normal to oily skin - Absolute Moisture

Moderate oily skin- Hydration Gel

Over all oily skin - Pom Mist Spray

To combat oiliness through out the day I use and recommend one of several products designed just for oily skin in the Jane Iredale Mineral Make Up line. Your first line of attack is to use Absence 1 or Absence 2 before putting your foundation on, it controls over active oil glands and can even be used alone. Absence has an SPF of 15 so it's great poolside!

For a foundations, use the PurePressed Base versus a liquid one, it gives a nice matte finish and finish with PureMatte or Amazing Matte Powder and then throw the Brush-Me Matte into your purse for help through out the day to help cut oil and shine.

The best thing about using the finishing powders is that you can use them through out the day without worry that they will "cake" up on your face...there is NO talc powder in the Jane line, and it's talc powder that screws things up!

Stay cool and shine free!

Humidity...Friend or Foe?

Hello and Happy June! Wishing my Mom a huge Happy Birthday today!

Last week I had the good fortune to spend some time with my sister, for her birthday, in beautiful northern California, as well as a bit of heaven in Lake Tahoe NV! It was a wonderful trip!

What Your Beauty Pro discovered was that humidity is most definitely a much needed friend!!! Yes, you read that right! For as long as I can remember we complained of humidity because of the effects it had on women with fine to medium texture hair as well as those curly or wavy headed vixens.

Humidity gives us volume, structure and shape no matter the style...I would have to say that I struggled with my hair while in the mountains with zero humidity, I could have used a gel styling aide to give me some oomph...however when in San Francisco with my hair in it's naturally curly state, it behaved great...foggy humidity there...and I "styled" my hair by using my favorite leave in conditioner, Trauma Treatment and let it air dry in both places.

It didn't really add up for me until after being back home for a few days...to high humidity day one, and then no humidity day two, then back to it on day three...good grief this weather is crazy! Beautiful, but crazy!

It's my friend now and can be yours too, as along as we can control the "frizz" that comes along with it...Your Beauty Pro has what you need to enjoy the volume your new friend gives without the "frizz!" Eufora's Formation Foam gives you that, along with extra volume...and feels great when you put it on...use it as volumizer with your blowdryer or use it alone to envelope your curl in definition.

When we don't have humidity then we need a gel to gives us the hold factor...I like Redken's Blown Away for a stronger hold and Eufora's Sculpture for a lighter hold. Which one will depend on your texture and the silhouette of your style.

Is humidity your friend or foe? If you feel it's your foe then let's chat about it!

You Curly Headed Vixens!

Thanks to Janet for posting the comment to "Ponytails"! (click on the link to the right to catch up) so what about putting up wavy or curly hair? Try different types of ponytail holders and select some in a variety of sizes...

the longer and or thicker the hair, the larger the holder should be...you will get more flexibility when pulling your hair through it...you can make a "unkempt" looking texture by not bringing all of it each time you do take it through...

For shorter lengths try some clips...longer ones can get more of your hair up versus deeper ones and they have some really cute ones too!

Have a Happy and Peaceful Memorial Day!

Shampoo Before Color???

Maybe! Back in the day professional color was applied without shampooing, in fact the motto was: the dirtier the hair the better. At that time, the natural oils from the hair and scalp were needed to help the condition of the hair. Is that the case now? Nope!

The chemistry and technology found in today's pro color, conditions and protects the hair during the process. Does Your Beauty Pro shampoo before a color service? Sometimes! It all depends on a few factors that are important to the over all service.

• Did you figure, "why bother" since I am going in anyway? (no worries, that would be my choice!)
• Are you covering gray hair?
• When was the last time you shampooed and what styling products were used?
• Does your scalp get oily the following day?
• What techniques are being used that need pre-treatment?

In some cases I want to design the cut first and marry the color with it...so we shampoo, cut then color. Knowing all the pieces to the color process helps determine the best possible scenario resulting in beautiful, long lasting hair color.

I love, love, love Redken Hair Color because I have all the tools needed! As a Certified Redken Hair Colorist I follow the principles of hair color to achieve the best! If your hair color service depends on a pre-shampoo, no worries it will done!

Egg White Facial Anyone?

I caught a snippet of some one suggesting the use of homemade, meaning from the fridge ingredients for various "at home" treatments...facial treatments, hair treatments, body treatments...what an abundance of ways to clean out your cabinets and fridge!

As I was reading these ideas, I said out loud, "REALLY?"...and it reminded me of the SNL skit in their "Weekend Update" segment titled, "REALLY?". (hilarious with Amy Poehler and Seth Meyers, and even though I laughed hysterically, they had some valid points!)

"Really? I mean, come on, really?"Covering my face with mayonnaise will reduce the signs of aging? How long do I have to sit with it on? "Really...what if I have a power surge, will it fry me? Can I make a sandwich with it after it slides off my face and onto some bread?"

All laughter aside...let's talk about the skin care aspect of home made...it's pointless...not only will you risk a breakout with any homemade treatment, the ingredients are not absorbed into the skin. Nor do they stick around, a.k.a. bind to the skin for long term benefits.

The same goes for home hair treatments except the ingredients just sit on the cuticle. That will just cause a greasy mess... it's hard to get out of the hair...it results in flat hair and if you see any benefit, that will dissappear with the first shampoo.

When I, Your Beauty Pro, chooses the professional products to use, it has to at best meet those two criteria: any collateral damage...break outs etc? What's the long term effect...does it replace or repair the issue?

It goes without saying that for the latest technology in skin care, I choose BIOELEMENTS for radiant skin at any age. For shiny, healthy hair and hair color I choose REDKEN. Along with a personal prescription for hair and skin, I have found that JANE IREDALE Mineral Make Up meets those same criteria! Some of the products have skin care ingredients in them, like the Liquid Minerals.

I would love to hear what you've tried from the fridge! Post your comments below!

Boomers Who Want to Bloom

Yesterday was a great day at the salon! Not only did I have my daughter Sarah working with us, I also had a "marketing session" with one of my dear clients, Audrey! I was telling her about the Jane Iredale class, (see previous post) and how they used the term "experienced skin" to describe middle aged women and older.

Well, your beauty pro doesn't like the sound of "experienced skin" and put that question to Audrey...right off the bat she said "well it really covers all of us baby boomers" so we threw around a few sentences, "Blooming Boomers" Booming Blooms" and came up with "Boomers Who Want To Bloom"!

Who are Boomers who want to bloom? Women who want to look their best...sure we all want to look young...to a degree...however most of us just want to look re-freshed vs. tired...radiant vs. sallow...glowing vs. dull. Between getting the right facial and using special techniques in make up I can help you all "Bloom".

I LOVE IT! Thanks so much Audrey for your marketing expertise! Carrie will be proud of you!

Pollen and Eye Makeup

This spring season, it seems that the pollen is attacking our eyes more than ever...they are a bit itchy and watery and the symptoms are off and on through out the day. However that does not have to stop us from looking fabulous when leaving the house...just change your application some to prevent irratition when applying your eye make up. It is also important during the pollen season to be more diligent in keeping your make up safe and free from contamination. Here are a few hot tips to help you through...
Keep your mascara fresh (3 months max) and away from the area below the lash line (inside of the lid)...if you do end up getting some make up there, clean it up...don't think it will dissappear on it's own...use a q-tip that has been dampened with water, twist the cotton tip with your fingers and use it gently wipe off the excess...this technique takes care of any cotton fly aways when wet
Sharpen your eyeliner pencils before and after every use, pollen floats around pretty easily and can settle on any exposed eye make...
If there is a large gap of time between your washing your face and then applying your make up, use a tissue or cotton ball, dampened with water to wipe each eye from inside corner to out, and repeat with new tissue for the other eye...
For severe attacks, you may want to invest in some disposable make up wands so that you don't cross contaminate...

Jane Mineral Make Up Class

On Monday I drove down to Richmond to take a workshop on Bridal and Special Occasion make up applications. As with any Jane Iredale class I learned more than just how to apply make up...I always learn hot tips and tricks on using the different pieces for something other than what's intended.
The Master Make Up Artist, Trish Campbell demonstrated how to give the eye an instant lift, using make up to highlight and lowlight...which is very exciting...it's the same principle in haircolor...light brings attention to, and dark takes attention away...We used one another as models which gave us some real hands on experience for all different ages and skin types.
The other benefit of attending these classes is it gives me a chance to get my hands into new products! I like to check it out first....what's it do? who's it for? how's it work? Then bring it to you. Such was the case for a new product called "Dream Tint" a tinted moisturizer for a slight coverage but more importantly it an SPF 15 sun protection!

Sunscreen Choices

Sunscreen Options
With spring finally here, we will start to find ourselves outside more and more. So as we look to the sunshine for some much needed Vitamin D and just plain happiness, we need to be more diligent in wearing sunscreen. There are two distinct and mindless ways you can get that protection by doing one of two things that you pretty much do everyday.
The first one is to use a moisturizer that contains a sunscreen, and can offer protection for part of the day before it loses it's strength as it is absorbed into the skin. No worries if you continue to re-apply through out your time in the sun. This is a great way to get "mindless" protection if you don't wear make up at all. Be wary of products found over the counter though as most of them have pore clogging ingredients such as mineral oil or even talc powder even if they are for the face.
The second one is a physcial one, using the Jane mineral make up and which offers all day protection of a SPF 20. Why? The difference is that the first one is a chemical protection and the other is a physical one. A physical sunscreen like the Jane contains zinc oxide and titanium dioxide that basically gives you a barrier of protection and is not absorbed into the skin.
I put the Jane Powders to the test myself a few years ago and was amazed at how well it stayed intact after diving in and swimming for several hours. In fact one of my daughters friends asked what I was wearing because it stayed on so well! So the next time your invited to a pool party, wear your Jane and if someone questions or "snickers" that your wearing it, just tell them the truth! It's for sun protection!

Pony Tails

Are you "styling" with your ponytail, or is your ponytail "styling you? This question goes out to those of you whose hair is long enough to get into a ponytail, or to those of you who knows someone that does. Pass this blog along would you? Don't just throw it up in a ponytail and leave it at that...put some s-factor in it...you know... sassiness, snap, sexiness, sleekness. The trend for the spring season is to wear you ponytail off to the side, close to if not right behind the ear. That in of itself is styling your ponytail!
Just find yourself some ponytail holders (that aren't just a convenient rubber band) and that are made for hair. The longer and/or thicker your hair, the thicker it should be. For some sassiness, pull it back leaving the ends out to have some play. Leave them alone for some softness or add some styling paste like Redken's Rewind or Eufora's Fixation for a bit more drama. A sleek look can be done by using a Redken's Blown Away Gel to smooth your hair back and put a side part in. Remember to work with your face shape when putting the part in. The longer your face, the further off to the side and vice versa. Finish the look with a flat iron to get it stick straight for added snap, or a curling iron to turn just the end a bit. You can also use a simple ponytail holder and wrap your hair around it to hide it, and voila, a beautiful style for your ponytail!
If your hair it just a bit too short for ponytails, don't forget the variety of clips that are out there! Who remembers the banana clips??? LOL...although we can laugh about them now, they were very effective. If you would like some more inspiring ideas, start looking at runway footage from the current season and you will see the many different ways you can add "style", it's much simpler than you think!
Tootles,

Beyond Skin Deep

The benefits of a regular facial goes beyond "skin deep" beauty. It's not just getting a deep pore cleansing treatment, it's also about the regular massage of facial muscles. Having a facial that includes a 6-8 minute massage helps keep the muscle in tone, thus reducing the aging effect of sagging. Just like the muscle tone through out the body, either we use it or lose it! So when you are washing your face twice a day...yes ladies, twice a day for optimum skin beauty...take the time to not just cleanse, but to massage in upward motion as well.

I am asked all the time, how often should you have a facial? Minimally once every three months if we are not working on specific issues and if your taking the time mentioned above, and once every two to three weeks when working on corrective issues, such as anti-aging or acne. Sometimes it's a specific series that requires once a week or two weeks, such as our most popular series, "Manual Microdermabrasion Anti-Aging Treatment".

So re-think the importance of regular facials my friends, it's more than just some "pamper me" time!
Beautiful Wishes!
Your Beauty Pro, JoAnn