Back At It!

So after a long hiatus, I have taken a job as an esthetician at a wonderful salon & spa! While I will miss teaching, I'm excited for the new adventure. That also means I will have more time to update way more often! See, quite the plus! So stay tuned for some cool posts I'm working on but in the mean time if you have any skin questions--feel free to pick my brain! And if you are in the Dallas area, come see me! 

While you're at it you can like my Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/Monetskintreatments

Excited to get to reconnect with you all...much love!

I Love I.D.I. and they love us!

Recently I had the wonderful opportunity to attend not one but TWO lectures from Dr. Claudia Aguirre of Dermalogica! Dr. Claudia is a brilliant Neuroscientist, that works with Dermalogica and the International Dermal Institute, who travels the world giving lectures on the brain and skin connection. She effortlessly presents information to estheticians, medical professionals, and other beauty industry members about everything from hormones to nutrition.

Dermalogica is a line that I work with a lot, it's a great brand to teach to students because it's so custamizable. Not only that but understanding the basics can help the students with the other lines they encounter. I'm just in awe that this line stemmed from the International Dermal Institute. Love it or hate it, lemme gush a little on IDI...

  In the industry, there are so many advances and scientific shifts in the services that we offer and the products that we use. IDI has been a wonderful resource to continue my education and learn different therapies to bring to the classroom and treatment room. If you are an esthetician, check out the International Dermal Institute for classes, trainings, and guest speakers coming up! If you aren't a fan of Dermalogica then that's fine, they have training that is general and informative for skin altogether. Even if you aren't in the industry, this site has tons of articles that cover many of skin topics!

I'm excited to get to go the Dermalogica Symposium in September  in L.A.to listen to seminars and network! It's going to be my first out of state training and I couldn't ask for a better one to get to attend.

PS. Jane Wurwand is an AMAZING woman. Her philanthropy is inspiring and she's just a "girl-power" kinda lady that I adore. Her blog has some pretty wonderful tidbits as well.

That Girl Is Poison

Forgive me for the cheesy title but UNDERSTAND it was necessary. It's the song that popped into my mind when a fellow instructor was sharing her tales from the International Congress of Esthetics event in Arlington. She had gotten some information from a company that had snake venom as one of their active ingredients...


Wait for it...
NOT! Are you kidding? You can't put poisonous venom on you face!! But, they do have an ingredient that mimics snake venom, which temporarily "paralizes" the muscles. Since the muscle cannot move then this prevents fine lines and wrinkles from occuring/worsening. Sonya Dakar was the first skincare line said to utilize this science.The synthetic peptide we're highlighting is actually called "Syn-ake" which is a lab-created peptide that mimics the snake venom. Sounds great, right?
Peptides
So peptides (short chain of amino acids) are byproducts of a protein being broken down in the body. This is ideal for ingredients in skincare because it can be broken down even further by the body and absorbed by the bloodstream. Depending on the type of peptide will determine it's functions. For example, Acetyl Hexapeptide-3 (Argieline) which when,"topically applied, treats the same type of wrinkles as botulinum toxin " (coughBotoxcough). Sound familiar? Technology is so neat! There are tons of other types of peptides that are beneficial for the skin which might make for an interesting post later.

Bee Venom

Another venom getting notice is bee venom. This ingredient contains a peptide called melliten which has antinflammatory properties and can act as a pain reliever. Inflammation for an extended amount of time can cause free radicals in the body. Not only that, it stimulates blood circulation that in return causes the synthesis of elastin and collagen THUS causing the firming and plumping effect of the skin! Wahhhlaa!

As always, the concentration of these quality ingredients are important. Make sure to read your product's ingredients. The highest quantity of the ingredients are listed first...so if those trendy advertised ingredient is closer to the bottom then it means that it may not even be an active ingredient.
Would any of you try these types of products? Any other skincare lines do you know use these ingredients?
By the way...the song is still stuck in my head.

All Acids Aren't Your Friend

So as I was mentioning in the skincare regimen post,  the use of AHA's and BHA's ingredients as a part of the exfoliation process. As an instructor, I've been a witness to many courageous students (and their even more courageous partners) test out chemical peels...sometimes against my wishes and knowledge. Because of what I know and experience, I understand that different acids are going to benefit different skin types/conditions. Sometimes, it takes seeing to believe. I've seen scarring, I've seen hyperpigmentation (excess melanin which darkens the skin), and even hypopigmentation (lack of melanin which actually means loss of color) all because of choosing the wrong acid.  So there are a couple of things to think about when choosing an acid for a professional treatment and even for your take home recommendations.

Buzzworthy AHA's and BHA

The most common AHA's are glycolic and lactic and BHA is salicylic. These ingredients are very similar in that they are used to eat the protein or "glue" that holds skin cells together. They stimulate cell turnover/encourage cell reproduction, which means that they can kick start the production of elastin and collagen and "thicken" the skin. However, all three are going to be best utilized by different skin types and their challenges.

Glycolic is derived from sugar cane and in some instances, unripe grapes. It has the smallest molecule which allows it to penetrate the deepest. The benefit is that it can reach the damaged cells that deeper down in the layers. So this would be great for scars, stretchmarks, acneic/oily skin. The downside is that it is the least controllable. It's like the earring that falls in the couch cracks vs. the shoe that falls into the couch cracks. The earring will get deeper into the crevices because it can get past many layers. So glycolic penetrates deeper which could actually cause inflammation (which when experienced in extended amounts of time causes free radicals) and trauma to the skin. That being said, people that fall in the Type 5 of the Fitzpatrick Scale could be vulnerable to hyperpigmentation.

Lactic is also an AHA but has the largest molecule. So lactic is kind of like the shoe, only getting so far within the skin. So sensitive skin types and higher Fitzpatricks would be good candidates for this acid. Lactic also lightens and brightens the skin and binds moisture to the surface- dry, prematurely aging, and aging skin CHECK! Remember Cleopatra and her milk baths? Yeah, that's because lactic comes from sour milk products. So her skin stayed silky smooth and healthy!

Salicylic is a BHA and is oil-loving. It's also a component in aspirin. So if you have allergies or sensitivities to aspirin then that could cause a problem. Salicylic helps regulate oil production, neutralize bacteria, and treat acne in turn. Salicylic's molecule is larger than glycolic and smaller than lactic, putting it right in the middle!

The Fitzpatrick Scale

A lot of you might be wondering about this Fitzpatrick Scale I keep referring to. Well this is a way of measuring how UV rays affect your skin and your sensitivities.

If you are Level One on the Fitzpatrick Scale then your body doesn't respond as quickly with the production of melanin to protect your skin as quickly as a higher level. Level Five and up are more susceptible to hyperpigmentation because their body responds quicker and produces melanin for UV protection. Higher levels have a higher melanin count to create the pigment of their skin tone.

This graph shows the levels and the characteristics that describe the effects. Common Nationalities describe the possible geography of which clients are from or possibly their ancestry was from. It's been said that Fitzpatrick level can be influenced by your relatives and where they came from. This isn't to say that the darker the skin tone, the higher Fitzpatrick you are. You could be African American and still burn, it would be based on how your skin reacts when out in the sun. And you could be as pale as I am, but still be a Level Three because you tan quickly rather than burn! Just take the test here to see what level you are.

Back to peels...

Since higher Fitzpatricks are more prone to hyperpigmentation, glycolic acids at a high percentage could cause this to occur. The best candidates for these types of peels would be low Fitzpatricks, higher Fitzpatricks are going to have a better result with lactic. And since lower levels don't have as much protection it's going to be very very VERY important to use sun protection, especially if you are using products with AHA's in them.

Knowing your skin means smart decisions in skin care...so get to it!

Where To Start Your Smart Skin Decisions

Growing up I've always heard, "beauty is only skin deep..". 
A cliche we've all come to love and know. However, as a licensed esthetician I've grown to understand it's true meaning. To really appreciate beautiful skin is to chase after it like millions of us around the world are!

Maybe I need a little introduction- my name is Chelsea and I'm a licensed esthetician and esthetician instructor. So I assure you, this comes from a good place! Obviously my students have a ton of questions but I also have many clients who all wonder the same things...what will work for me? So this blog as stemmed from those pleas! So here we go...

Did you know that $53.7 billion have been spent by the U.S. alone in 2013 on COSMETICS? Cosmetics are defined as products "intended to be applied to the human body for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness, or altering the appearance without affecting the body's structure or functions." That's a lot of money being invested in our beauty wouldn't you say? The majority of that money stems from make-up which is used to enhance your beautiful features and conceal the less attractive...but the rest? The rest of that money is spent on those skin care products that fill that space under your bathroom sink. And why does it sit there out of sight? Because those products don't work for you or they don't live up to expectation. How do you know which products are for you?

Or what about that cool  skin treatment you just saw on that reality TV show about over-privledged sisters? Does it really work? In 2011, the spa industry's revenue was recorded at 13.4 billion dollars!  Not only is that money spent but what about the hours spent at the spa? Is it worth it? No worries, you have the internet...the answer to all your problems! Maybe. You can go on Youtube these days and find people doing chemical peels on themselves at home with no education whatsoever! For every successful one there is probably 5 botched "at home treatments". Is a chemical even the right treatment for you? So please, don't burn your face off!

As a professional, my ultimate goal is to educate everyone on not what's the trend but really the basics and foundation that you as a consumer need to know.  It's only then that you can come to a conclusion on what your skin care regimen should entail, what ingredient best suits your needs, what plan of action is going to help you with your skin care challenge. Not only am I here to tell you what you need but how your skin represents your internal health. With my background and knowledge I hope to answer some of your questions and infulence some of your smart skin decisions!

Looking forward to jumping right in!