Skin Care Tips

Wash with mild cleanser & warm water no more than 2x/day. Gently massage skin with circular motions. Don’t scrub. Over-washing can cause irritation, inflammation and dehydration. 

Don't squeeze. Pimples are caused by sebum, dirt and bacteria in a pore festering. Squeezing pimples can push infected material further into the skin, leading to more swelling and redness, and even scarring. Treat pimple with topical products from a reputable Esthetician and get regular facials with extractions from an Esthetician.

Don't touch with your hands or objects like telephones (do you know where your cellphone has been?). Touching the face can spread bacteria and other organisms causing inflammation and irritation.

Clean glasses (including sunglasses) often to keep oil and bacteria from clogging and infecting pores. This is especially true for those of you who put your sunglasses in your hair.

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Sun Damage? These May Be The Chemical Peels For You!

Tamara's - The Best Chemical Peels in Orange County!

Chemical peels can be tricky things. If the person giving the peel is not well trained, the result could be scarring. If the person receiving the peel does not follow OR does not receive instructions on what to do after the peel, those results could also be scarring. I am pleased to say that I have received many hours of hands-on training with the best in the business on every peel that I offer. Along with this training, I have been giving professional chemical peels for nearly 10 years. These types of peels makes it possible to safely gain the correct amount of exfoliation just for you.

If your skin is sensitive to hydroquinone (we'll test if you don't know) a hydroquinone -free chemical peel can work. On skin that needs to get rid of all the remnants of that youthful fun in the sun, I offer chemical peels containing hydroquinone. For resilient skin with lots of damage, wrinkling and unevenness- I have a peel for that as well

Hydroquinone-Free (Non-Resorcinol) Chemical Peel

This is the perfect chemical peel for sensitive skin types or those allergic to hydroquinone. This peel will help unclog pores, eliminate troublesome acne and rejuvenate the skin.

Chemical Peel with Hydroquinone (Non-Resorcinol)

A chemical peel with hydroquinone is often used to create an even skin tone  for those without a sensitivity to hydroquinone. This formula will help to correct melasma, sun damage and pigment discolorations of many kinds. It will inhibit active acne and correct post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (brown-spotting) that often results from acne. This treatment can also be used to treat the neck and chest for sun damage.

Chemical Peels with Hydroquinone and Resorcinol

This peel is the most potent version of exfoliating treatments and for use only on lighter skin types with no allergies to hydroquinone. It is a deeper peel that will provide more exfoliation for oilier, thicker, resilient skin types. It is for extremely sun damaged thickened skin and can also be used to treat hands and arms. It is also excellent for those with active/cystic acne and asphyxiated skin (dry on the surface, oily underneath).

Let's make an appointment where we'll customize a plan for your skin, including finding the perfect peel to meet your needs!

Can Stress Cause Acne?

Although stress does not directly cause acne, it can aggravate acneic conditions in those who are prone toward acne. Stress increases cortisol. And, long term stress keeps the cortisol levels elevated for long periods of time. Cortisol is a hormone released by the adrenal gland and it:

* Is a diuretic dehydrating the skin.
* Increases blood sugar.
* Weakens the the immune system.
* Creates inflammation of the skin and other organs.

Common causes of adult Acne are:

* Heredity
* Hormones
* Stress (see above)

In my practice, an acne facial consists of deep cleansing the skin, addressing the infection and inflammation and soothing the soul to calm your stress. It's more than just an acne facial.
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The Heart Remembers

Beating 100,000 times a day, this muscle pumps oxygen, food-derived nutrients, hormones and immune cells throughout every square inch of our bodies. By now, most of us know that a healthy diet (a controversial subject in itself), regular exercise, preventative dental care and plenty of fresh air support a healthy cardiovascular system; and that smoking, obesity, acidic blood, noise pollution, exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) and a sedentary lifestyle don’t.

• There is no time in utero that the heart starts to beat. The cells beat from the start. As the cells multiply to create the cardiovascular system, they take their cues on how to beat, at what rate, etc. from the mother’s heart. So, when did the mother’s heart begin to beat? If every cell was beating before it was a heart, then how could there be a single moment it became a heart? The heart (and arteries and veins attached), it turns out, is a circulation system with no beginning and no end. Perhaps that is why the Chinese refer to the heartbeat as the cosmic beat.
• The heart remembers. Modern medicine can now confirm that those early Egyptians were right. The heart has its own intelligence and remembers. Much has been written about transplant recipients receiving not only an organ, but the personality traits, temperament and memories of their donor.
• The Chinese pictograph for the word “busy” is composed of two characters: “heart” and “killing”. Hmm…
• That last one reminds me of a quote from Lily Tomlin that a friend shared today: “For fast-acting relief, try slowing down.”

Excerpted from Karen Ball

 

Best Facial Includes Wise Use of Skin Care Products

In the consultation with first time clients I emphasize that we are in this together. Their monthly visit with me will enhance and improve their skin on a professional level. However, for this process to be completely successful they have daily work to do at home with the quality products that I recommend. The initial purchase of the basics which would include a cleanser, toner, daytime moisturizer with SPF, a night cream, and a serum can run over $200 a big investment on top of the cost of a facial.

Here's how to get the most out of your products - wear nitrile or vinyl gloves. These gloves can be purchased inexpensively at most drug stores.

By wearing nitrile or vinyl gloves your products go on your face and neck where you want them and not on your hands. This technique can extend the life of your products by several weeks.

What Are Free Radicals and Antioxidants?

Antioxidants are chemicals that break down or neutralize the damaging effects of free radicals - chemicals produced as a byproduct of normal cellular metabolism. Under normal circumstances, there is a balance between the rate at which free radicals are produced and the rate at which they are eliminated by the action of antioxidants. Free radicals are destructive in that they cause oxidative damage to tissues - essentially causing tissues to rust like a piece of iron left outside in the weather. They damage proteins, fat and even our DNA. In fact, damage to our tissues by free radicals is thought to underlie the process of aging, a theory first described by Dr. Denham Harmon in his "free radical theory of aging" proposed in 1956. Indeed, Dr. Harmon laid the groundwork for the whole antioxidant industry when he demonstrated that free radicals are "quenched" by antioxidants.

*Note: excerpted from an article by David Perlmutter, MD, FACN, ABIHM Free Radicals: How They Speed the Aging Process originally published in The Huffington Post on January 25, 2011.

Leg or Foot Cramps? Here's Some Simple Do It Yourself Relief

Here are a couple remedies for foot or leg cramps:

For some leg/foot cramps the muscle needs to flex such as with night leg cramps. Keep a long scarf or cord at bedside. When the cramp occurs, lie on your back and bend the opposite leg, loop the scarf or cord around the arch of the foot that is cramping and slowly pull up with both hands flexing the foot and the whole leg. Hold for about 1/2 a minute and release. Do this a couple of times and the cramp normally vanishes.

On the top of the foot between the ankle bones you will find a little hollow. Press there.
If  the cramps are occurring often you may need to see a health professional.

Interested in more about Reflexology? Click here.

Manual Lymph Drainage (MLD)

Manual Lymph Drainage is a light touch massage therapy that assists the movement of fluids in the tissues. This light rhythmic massage stimulates the lymph vessels and nodes which are part of the endocrine system. This stimulation encourages the natural flow of the lymph fluid quickly decongesting the connective tissue.

Manual Lymph Drainage was developed in the 1930's by Dr. Emil Vodder in France. His technique is effective particularly for head congestion including allergies, nose and throat congestion as well as sinusitis. The Vodder method of Manual Lymph Drainage is a series of systematic and precise massage movements using a combination of practical experiences, anatomical knowledge and intuition. 

I have been trained in the Vodder method of Manual Lymph Drainage for many years. My clients' all rave about the relaxing treatment and the relief that they receive. 

Read more  about this and other holistic services.