Great Skin...How to get it!

Questions from Subscribers and of course the Answers.

2005-11-22T14:19:00.000-05:00

Hello my fellow subscribers!

As many of you may know this is my final post as a senior here at UDEL! :(
In this post I wanted to adress some of the questions that some of my subscribers had. Before I do this I wanted to say thank you for subscribing to my blog and offering substantial comments because many of my post were to answer many of your questions! SO THANKS! Ok so as to not get all emotional I will discuss the questions and their answers.

1.) Q: Will the total concentrate help with pores?
A: As stated at www.clinique.com the total concentrate is a "next generation skin improver instantly revealing newer, brighter, livelier skin. Then keeps skin at its best: softer, smoother, more even-toned, visibly less lined." This product is not targeted directly to reducing the pore wall and making it appear smaller there are many other products that are for those specific needs.

2.) Q: Will the 15-minute facial be similar to a light microdermabrasion?
A: Yes, it will be, because of the exfoliating ingredients in the product as well as the application and removal process. I just used my test sample the other day and it made my skin feel smoother and appear brighter. Process includes: Apply all over the skin, (avoiding the eye area), let dry and gently rub the product off the skin. (When rubbing be sure to be gentle so you don't pull the skin too hard)

3.) Q: Great Self Tanner Products?
A: CLARINS skin care has this market completely! CLARINS is a french company that first started with body products and moved on to others, their sun care line is number 1 in the business. Their self tanners are also top notch. What makes theirs different? INGREDIENTS!!
For one of my more favorite self tanners at CLARINS which is Liquid Bronze (for face and chest area) the ingredients are as follows, taken from www.clarins.com

Ingredients :

• DHA/Erythrulose: Promotes a natural, even, long-lasting tanned appearance
This is the most important ingredient, this allows your tan be more natural, the product is similar to sugar and a banana....(use your imagination)...A banana has sugar in it right and when you leave it out in the air it turns brown...not ORANGE! That is how this ingredient works. It will turn you brown not ORANGE!
• Vitamin E: Delivers a double dose of anti-oxidant benefits
• Aloe Vera: Provides ultra-softening benefits while helping to keep skin beautifully balanced.- Aloe (Alleviates,Moisturises)

For the rest of your body I recommend using Liquid Bronze for Legs and yes you
can use this on your arms..I like these products over the other ones because
you can see what you are doing..which is extremely important for special days such as the one you were talking about...(Katie)...

Ok Ladies I hope that I have answered all of your questions throughly and I truly enjoyed sharing my interest with my fellow subscribers!!

Good Luck with the end of your semester EVERYONE!!! Especially the Graduating Seniors!!!

Men and their Skin

2005-11-21T00:07:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone!!

For this posting I wanted to focus on the men and their skin. Many of us may or may not know but men have thicker skin than we do so they must care for their skin differently.

Male skin perspires more and requires shaving. The biggest concern with men is "How do I get the closest shave!" Throughout this posting I will discuss what products that are for the male population that can help with shaving and cleansing of the skin.

To begin the most important skin care product a man can own is an exfoliator and shaving cream. An exfoliator is important for a man because it will help to loosen the dead skin and provide you with a closer shave. Along with shaving it is important to also cleanse, tone and moisturize the skin as well; just like women...the only difference is the preparation for shaving which I have tips for.

Tips for Shaving...(www.clinique.com)
1.) Exfoliate First (Face Scrub) smooth the skin
2.) Steam and Splash (splash the face with warm water because this will saturate the skin with moisture making it more pliable and easier to shave).
3.) Go against the Grain: ( Apply the cream shave or aloe gel against the grain of hair, this will lift the hair and ensure maximum coverage.
4.) Go with the Grain: (Shave in the direction the hair grows; this will prevent ingrown hairs, razor cuts and burns) Repeat for a closer shave
5.) Soothe and Protect: (Post-Shave Healer or soother, shave will last longer and fights blemishes.

Many men because of the changing of America and the invention of the term "Metrosexual" are now more inclined to take care of their skin and be more vocal about it. So because of that I hope that this post has taught you something new.

Relevant Websites:
www.clinique.com
List of Relevant Products:
New: Electric Shave Primer, Lip Balm SPF 15
Liquid Face Wash
M Gel-Lotion
M Protect SPF21
Maximum Hydrator
Oil Control
Post Shave Soother Anti-Blemish Formula
Post Shave Soother Beard Control Formula
www.clarins.com
Active Face Wash
Active Face Scurb
Shave Ease
Smooth Shave
Moisture Balm
Moisture Gel
Eye Serum and many more products
www.labseries.com

PS: Men also like to go to the SPA...according to www.about.com

2005-11-20T23:21:00.000-05:00

This is me!

DRY Skin

2005-11-17T01:04:00.000-05:00

DRY SKIN and why does it happen...why does it get worse in the winter...WHAT IS happening to my SKIN??? These are questions that I used to recieve while working at Clarins and Clinique. Well ladies there are many things that affect your skin and its ability to become drier than normal during the winter months.

So what is going on in the skin???

http://www.skin-md-elite.com/ (to see what is happening to your skin)

In order for your skin to be moisturized and healthy it needs to have an intact moisture barrier and it must be able to produce enough oil, in order to moisturize itself..Well in the winter months when the air is crisper and there is no humidity in the air your skin suffers..slightly for some and drastically for others. It affects your skin ability to produce its natural and so because of this some individuals are affected and have dry, chapped, and windburned skin.

So what can you do to fix or soothe the skin?
USE MOISTURIZER!! Use moisturizer that has soothing agents in it especially for the winter months because the winter can be very damaging for your skin. Soothing agents such as aloe vera, shea butter for your body, "teas"(white, red, black), and most importantly cortizone.*

*Cortizone is only to be used at a time when your skin, is badly windburned or has been affected severly by the harsh weather, also you only use it for the time period of healing your skin, once your skin has cleared itself of the problem, discontinue the use of the cortizone cream and begin using your previous moisturizer. The reason for this is because, coritzone is very hydrating and can also be damaging to the skin if used incorrectly.

The most important thing for you to remember for the upcoming winter months: MOISTURIZE!!
As well as incorporating these steps in your skin care regimen...
*Exfoliating
*Wearing an SPF 15 or higher
*Also making sure that your winter moisturizer is more moisturizing than your summer one....With these tips ladies you will be ready for the winter months and its many adventures!!

Red Face...Rosacea.

2005-11-15T18:58:00.000-05:00

Hello Everyone…Welcome back to Yolanda’s Spa…Today’s topic is Rosacea. I chose to do rosacea because it is a disease that is becoming more and more prominent and not too many women are familiar with the disease itself.

Rosacea is a disease that plagues about 14M women and not all of them know that they have it. Rosacea is often referred to as “adult acne” because at times it can resemble “acne”. Even though this is an incurable disease it can be treated if taken care of on a regular basis. Rosacea is classified as a disease that typically a patient will have redness, raised bumps and eye irritation around the eye and nose area. Rosacea often looks many different ways, photos are shown to show how different Rosacea can look:

Upon discovering that you may have Rosacea your next question is…what do I do now? As mentioned before Rosacea is a disease that can be treated and controlled if the proper steps are taken. Those steps include,
· Staying out of the sun for long periods of time.
· Wear Sun Protection, SPF15 or higher
· Remove stress from your life, because stress can lead to flare ups of rosacea
· Wash your face on a daily basis while being gentle in the affected areas.
· Also if simple treatments do not work…a visit to your dermatologists would be beneficial. Certain oral and/or topical antibiotics that can be used to help to treat rosacea.

Rosacea is not hereditary nor is it directly related to any other diseases…it is a disease that plagues many women that may or may not know that they are affected by the disease.

For more information please visit http://www.rosacea.org/

Clinique...New and Upcoming Products!!

2005-11-07T00:11:00.000-05:00

Clinique and what’s NEW and UPCOMING!!

As mentioned in my introductory blog I used to work for Clinique so therefore I know that there are LOTS of new products that are going to be launched within the next month or two and I wanted to let you know about them before they hit the stores!

To begin, let’s talk about some of the products that are being advertised!

1.) Colour Surge Butter Shine Lipstick! It’s finally here ladies! This is lipstick and lipgloss in one! It feels so good when it goes on..staying power of a lipstick but the look and feel of a gloss.
2.) Take the Day off Cleansing Balm; this is an unique balm that turns into an oil to remove the makeup from the skin. It is suitable for all skin types and it is non-acnegenic. (I personally have it and I like it, it really removed my makeup quickly and easily)

Now to products that have not been launched! The ones that know are those in the business…these are not even on the CLINIQUE WEBSITE!!

The products are:

1.) Turnaround 15-Minute Facial (sorry no pics, product too new)
a. Pearly blue, gel like facial treatment, promotes multiple levels of exfoliation, improving skin tone. Manually rubbed off for a unique experience. Clinique’s version of a light microdermabrasion.
2.) Turnaround Concentrate Skin Renewer
a. Very similar to the previous total turnaround although this one is a oil-free serum, while the other was an oil-free cream. It will offer the same benefits as before, but with better results and texture.

AND the Biggest Launch!

LIQUID SOAP! (sorry no pic, product too new)

Clinique has realized that all of its customers do not like that bar of SOAP! So they have redesigned and reformulated it into a LIQUID. This will not be available until January but I think that they will launch it earlier during the Christmas GWP at your local LORD AND TAYLOR.

The liquid soap will continue to be in the different formuals of extra mild, mild, and oily.

Hope everyone had a great time with taking a sneak peek at what is new and upcoming at Clinique!

Botox or not??

2005-10-24T10:31:00.000-04:00

Botox Cosmetics, Strivectin....many of my subscribers have been asking what my views are on this topic. I feel that anyone that would like to have Botox done and or use Strivectin in order to improve their fine lines and wrinkles..this is your own personal decision; although personally I wouldn't have these procedures done.WHY? Because of the possible side effects.

Botox has been proven to work as shown in the pictures above it does improve the look of fine lines and wrinkles. But HOW? (displayed in the pictures below)

BOTOX® Cosmetic is a purified protein produced by the Clostridium botulinum bacterium, which reduces the activity of the muscles that cause those frown lines between the brows to form over time. In the picture above it describes how Botox works and how it does improve the apperance of fine lines and wrinkles. So yes the product works but you still need to be wary of certain affects of the drug. In an article at CNN.com (Botox knockoff company set for trial) it talks about a new drug that is on the market that claims to give the same results of Botox but at a cheaper price. Many doctors used this drug even though when it arrived in their offices it stated "For Research purposes only. Not for Human Use." So what happened to the patients that recieved this drug knowingly and unknowingly, they suffered from mysterious paralysis. They have since recovered and the doctors have been made public.

Strivectin is also a drug that many of us may need to be wary of. Again

because of possible side effects such as allergy dermatitis. Which is

any type of allergic reaction to the facial skin. This can result from the

harsh ingredients in the product. Strivectin was originally made to

rid the skin of stretch marks and therefore was not made for the

delicate facial skin. Ingredients such as peppermint may not fair well on

many individuals skin as I have seen personally. (StriVectin SD) Therefore because individuals liked the results they recieved from Strivectin, the company has made one just for the eye area. But most importantly Does Strivectin work?

And ladies, yes it does work! Why? Because of one main ingredient pentapeptide. Pentapeptide is an ingredient that works at the base of a wrinkle and fills it in. This allows for the wrinkle to not be as noticeable as before, although there is a catch, you must continue using this product. Once you cease use, the wrinkles will appear more prominent once again.

Ladies I hope that this information has been informative as well as helpful. Until next time...

TTFN!

Premature Aging..Why and How does it happen??

2005-10-09T18:37:00.000-04:00

Hello fellow subscribers..hope your week went well...Today I wanted to focus on Premature Aging, and discuss what this is, why it happens and how it happens. I wanted to focus on this because as we go into the winter months many of us tend to ignore our skin and not take care of it as much as we should this time of year. Quality skincare is when you take care of your skin all year long. Winter time especially because of the harsh wind, extreme cold tempatures as well as the sun which is still very prominent during this time.

To begin I will discuss what premature aging is. PreMature aging is a process that your skin goes through over a period of time. The skin has become damaged over time because of the environment, stress, eating habits and the treatment it recieves from the use of skin care products or the lack of these products. As the skin ages it looses elasticity, and collagen also breaks down. Elastin is what gives the skin in our 20s that "snap" appeal and collagen is the tissue that keeps the skin firm. Throughout our day to day lives this collagen and elastin becomes damaged because of the environment and the sun. The skin has this "skin police" that protects it and us from the bad elements in the environment aka "free radicals" these "free radicals" will eventually break down collagen and elastin causing premature aging because as the skin becomes damaged from the environment the "skin police" cannot protect the skin.

As the picture displays the skin as we age becomes damaged and the collagen and elastin breaks down and wrinkles form. So what can we do in order to prevent premature aging? Honestly not too much! What you really want to focus on is: 1.) The Basics, 2.) SUNSCREEN all year round, 3.)Proper hydration at the right time 4.) Exfoliating the skin at least 2 or 3 times a week. While performing these tasks on a weekly basis will not keep the wrinkles away, it will slow down the process. I have included a link which is a simulation of how wrinkles form...http://www.wrinklescure.com/wrinkles.html

I hope that this has been helpful, I look forward to your comments and I will talk to you soon..

TTFN

YOLA'S SKIN CARE REGIMEN....

2005-10-03T18:03:00.000-04:00

So we meet again friends...one comment on the blog asked what I use a my skin care regimen...Well fellow subscribers I use CLINIQUE..(What a Surprise :)) My skin care regimen is as follows:

Day
3-Step
Eye Cream: Advanced Stop Signs....this contains an SPF15 which is great because it protects the eye area from the sun.
Booster Moisturizer: SuperDefense...contains SPF25, Echinachea(an antioxidant that protects the skin from the environment)

Night
3-Step
Eye Cream: All About Eyes...Aloe based eye cream that reduces puffiness and dark circles..how because of anti-inflammatory agents as well as ingredients that help to loosen the blood vessels underneath that cause the dark circles.
Total Turnaround: Cream based Exfoliator that evens out the skin by removing any dead skin cells. It is best to use this product at night because your skin renews it self 10 times faster at night while you are at rest.
Booster Moisturizer: Moisture Surge Extra, Aloe Based Moisturizer that instantly hydrates and soothes the skin.

What else can you do in order to take care of your skin???

Yes..drinking water does help to improve your skin...water can be consumed through regular drinking water, eating vegetables, fruits etc...
Eat right...good nutrition such as sufficient intake of vitamins A and C helps to maintain smooth, healthy skin.
Wear Sunscreen YEAR-Round!
Get Enough Sleep..It's Beauty Rest for a Reason..your body needs time to rejuvenate and renew itself.

Now that you are armed with this useful information you should visit your local department store so that you can learn more...I prefer department stores because you can ask the knowledgeable associates questions..(You can usually tell who is lying and who isn't).

Upcoming EVENTS :)

Company: Clinique
Place: Lord and Taylor, Christiana Mall
Event: Colour Q&A Makeover Event
Dates: October 20-29
Times: Must Make an Appointment
Phone: (302) 738-7600 ext.230

This is a Gift With Visit, with any purchase you will recieve a sample of the moisture surge extra as well as colour surge extra eye-shadow in crushed plum...(These are both great products).

If Clinique isn't for you please visit the other counters to see when there next event will be.

The Who's Who of the Skin Care Industry

2005-09-30T17:43:00.000-04:00

Hello Again...Well alot of the subscribers are asking about the skin care industry and if any of them are any different...well ladies and gents. There are some differences among the different skin care companies! Differences include the ingredients they use, the makers of the line, where the products come from as well as the sales person training etc...
For Instance,

Clarins the first skincare company that I worked for is a company that is based out of France. Jacques Courtin Clarins developed the line, it is a prestigious skin care line that focuses solely on plant extracts. Everything from the makeup to skin care to body care to sun the product is nothing but plant extracts. What is CLARINS known for SUN!! They have the best sun care..CLARINS is absoutely number 1 in sun care. They also rule the body care line...why? Because there products are extremely soothing and they really do work. For instance Clarins has this amazing oil that pregnant women can use to prevent them from getting stretch marks..and it really WORKS! There skin care is good too...but there are others out there...such as...

ESTEE LAUDER, this is a skin care conglomerate. Estee Lauder owns pratically all of the skin care lines out there. Just to name a few..they own Prescriptives, Clinique, Origins, AVEDA, Bobbi Brown, MAC, American Beauty. Now what differentiates this products from each other... well Prescriptives and Clinique are "doctor brands" these two companies were both developed by a dermatologists. Clinique..Dr. Norman Orientriech, Prescriptives...Dr. Karen Grossman. Estee Lauder was developed by Estee Lauders' uncle who is a chemist...she told him what she wanted the products to do and her uncle developed the products. Companies such as Origins and AVEDA are companies that environmental friendly and they are concerned with using natural ingredients in their products.

The skin care companies that are being sold today...are there any differences in them??? As mentioned previously some of the companies use different ingredients that may or may not be better than the others. Just remember when choosing a skin care line to use...ASK QUESTIONS! Ask the beauty consultant what is inside the products..she should know..Also do your own research online, research your concerns, to see what ingredients would be good to use.

And always remember the department store and drug store brands just may be owned by the same company..So really is there between the TWO???

THAT'S YOUR DECISION!! :)

PORES: WHY AND HOW?

2005-09-23T00:01:00.000-04:00

PORES: WHY AND HOW?
Pores, where do they come from, how can you treat them and lastly what type of makeup can you use to conceal them properly? These questions were asked by subscribers of the blog so I feel that I should address your concerns.

HOW DO THE PORES FORM?

Generally those of us who have oiler skin will have enlarged pores because of dirt and oil that gets trapped in the pores, causing them to appear larger and more visible. Also for the consumers that do not have oiler skin but more mature or "aged" skin the pore wall begins to weaken as we age allowing for less firmness and "tightness" of pores; so therefore the pores appear larger and more pronounced. Pores can also form because of environmental damage i.e. "the SUN", this is a major culprit to many skin care problems...why? Because the sun and the environment breaks down collagen and elastin in our skin, so pores appear larger on the skin.

HOW DO WE TREAT PORES?

Pores can be treated in a number of ways nowadays because of the advancing technology in the skincare industry. To begin as mentioned previously pores are trapped with dirt and oil, so because of this we must first begin with the basics, (cleansing toning and moisturizing) which should be followed by treatment products made specifically for enlarged pores.

Examples:-

Clinique: Pore Minimizing Products:

For Instant Gratification you can use the pore instant perfector, which will camouflage the look of the pores. (This is not a makeup). Also the T-Zone Shine Control, creates a matte finish allowing the pores to appear smaller.

For Repair of the Pores, use Pore Minimizing Refiner Lotion, which targets pore walls making the pores tighter and appear smaller; also there is a new treatment at Clinique called Thermal Active Skin Refiner, this product refines the skin by warming the skin as it cleanses and exfoliates at the same time.

There are an array of other products that can be used to treat pores and make them smaler, the main ingredient to look for is saliyclic acid or benzoyl peroxide, I prefer salicylic acid because it isn't as drying. What these ingredients will do is they will exfoliate the skin allowing it to rid itself of the dead and damaged skin.In order to conceal the pores as they are being repaired you can use makeup.

Foundation: Pore Minimizing Foundation with matte finishing powders to make the skin look flawless.Powder: Loose Powder, pores seem to disappearBlush: powder, no cream because the cream will settle in the pores, making them more prominent.

When using makeup, be sure to have a cleanser that will remove your makeup and a seperate cleanser to thoroughly cleanse the skin.Hopefully these tips about pores will help u and I hope that it was also informative.

Until next time....Bye Bye

Great Skin..The Basics.

2005-09-04T22:17:00.000-04:00

Great Skin is skin that looks and feel radiant, soft, smooth and beautiful. Great Skin is even in skin tone, flawless and free of any impurities, and if you have this type of skin...then you don't need help from this blog. :)

The Basis of Great Skin is to follow three simple steps:
1.) Cleanse
2.) Tone
3.) Moisturize

With most skin care companies the basis is to Cleanse, Tone and Moisturize, although they may differ in the ingredients and intensity of the products. So what will these three steps actually do to your skin?

Cleansing will loosen the dead skin and also the impurities in the skin, allowing them to be removed easily by...
Toning; which will exfoliate the skin, removing the dead skin cells and the bacteria on the skin, after this process the skin has lost some of its natural moisture so therefore you must repliensh this lost moisture by...
Moisturizing the skin...Balancing the skin of its oil and water.

Continuing to always cleanse, tone and moisturize your skin twice daily will allow your skin to control excess oil, remove dead skin (flakiness if skin is dry), and also keep your skin looking healthy.

According to Clinique, Healthy skin is skin that has an intact moisture barrier, good support structure, balanced water/oil ratio and even/consistent cellular turnover.

Again these are the basics to having great skin..continue to check in to see what other skin care concerns are out there and how to treat them!

Welcome to Yolanda's Spa

2005-09-01T14:20:00.000-04:00

How would you like to have healthy, radiant skin?

Do you have Oily skin? Do you have problems with acne and you don't know what to do to
remedy it? Do you ever wonder what the difference is between the many skin care companies? Or do you just wonder what you can do in order to have nice healthy radiant skin?

My name is Yolanda aka Yola, my blog will provide ways to help improve the apperance of your skin.

I recieved some of my training on how to properly take care of skin at the Barbizon School. While there I was able to teach students the three basic steps in taking care of your skin. After instructing at the Barbizon School; I worked for two cosmetic companies including Clarins (www.Clarins.com) and Clinique (www.Clinique.com). While working for these companies I went through intensive training and I was able to fully understand skin and how incredible it works. Throughout this blog I will discuss why the skin is oily, dry or why our skin may be oily and dry at the same time. I will also discuss many skin concerns such as acne, uneven skin tone and premature aging. If you have any additional information that you would like to add to the blog please do so. Stop by anytime to learn more about how to take care of your skin... Remember a simple daily routine will make all the difference in maintaining the apperance of healthy radiant skin...HAVE FUN! :)