Skin Care Beach Bag Survival Guide

Heading down the shore can be stressful for your skin, especially if you’re prone to breaking out or burning, but thankfully, there are ways to protect yourself and look good while doing it!

We all know the basics of a beach bag:  towel, sunscreen, magazine, sunglasses, etc; yet this isn’t enough if we want to rock our beach bunny persona.  I’ll admit, I’m guilty of taking 1/3 of my bathroom with me, and if I had a bigger beach bag, I’d take more.  Hey, I like to be prepared…I also like to be the savior at the beach when one encounters a skin dilemma.  Everyone I go with knows I’m an aesthetician, so the question is always “Teresa, what do I do?”  Well let me tell you!

Scenario #1:  Sunscreen vs. Sunblock

Written by Teresa Zawada

Who knows the difference?  In my experience, not many.  We know baby sunscreen, sport lotions, oil vs. dry oil, even brand names, but when I ask my already sensitive skinned clients who tell me they can’t use sunscreens due to reactions, the answer I most commonly get is “I didn’t know there was a difference!”  There is…a big one!  Let’s picture our front doors, we have our screen door and we have our solid, nobody’s getting in door!  Sunscreens are just that, screens!  They absorb into your skin, let the rays flow through, and they’ll give you a bit of color without giving you the “I just took a trip to the sun” look.  They’re usually sufficient for most people without any problems, but if you have reactive skin…beware!  

Sunscreens are chemical protection, they can aggravate acne and rosacea, sometimes even your eyes.  Sunblocks, on the other hand, sit on top of the skin and give sun rays a solar punch.  You won’t get a lot of color, but you will be protected.  And if you have rosacea, go for a block with an antioxidant.  Avene’s new line of sunscreens/sunblocks gives you all that and more…protection, sun-stable antioxidant vitamin E, and thermal spring water to cool and calm the skin; it’s like a 3 in 1!  Plus, if you feel more comfortable on the beach without a naked face, their sunblocks come in two shades of compact foundation that covers blemishes, are water resistant, mineral based, and completely beach friendly!

Scenario #2:  I break out from beach days

Skin is fragile…sure, it’s one of our first lines of defense, but it still likes to be given attention.  After a day of sand, salt water, sweating, HOPEFULLY re-applying sunscreen, moments of dehydration, and meals dominated by boardwalk food (although tasty, but lacking in major nutrition), it’s no surprise that your skin might get a little mad at you!  My advice is to pack cleansing wipes; I like the baby variety.  Not only are they multi-purpose (for your bathroom breaks), but they are super gentle on the skin; they’re meant to clean a delicate bottom!  Makeup wipes are OK, but not the best.  My reason being is that they’re meant to remove makeup… the premise remains to still wash the face, and with fresh water scarce on the beach, you’re leaving behind residue and potential irritating ingredients from them, on your face.  

So, every 60-80 minutes, when you need to reapply sunscreen, don’t pack the leftover into your pores, grab a wipe, swipe your face, and viola....fresh palate for more protection!  As far as that boardwalk food goes, enjoy it, don’t stress, but also pack for yourself lots of water, and some fruits like strawberries, sunflower seeds, kiwis, and avocados for some extra vitamin C and B to naturally boost your skin’s healing abilities.

Scenario #3:  You didn’t listen, and you burned!

Avene Thermal Spring Water

Maybe you fell asleep in the sun, maybe you were playing in a paddle ball tournament and had no time to take care of your skin out of fear of leaving the zone.  Whatever the reason, sunburns happen, we’re only human.  Most of us see it (or feel it) after a shower, but sometimes you can SEE the burn as its happening.  First, run for cover.  If you don’t have an umbrella, it might be high time to call it a day.  Second, use what I frequently refer to as “miracle water in a can.”  Avene Thermal Spring Water spray is just that.  Imagine a pure water, never seeing the light of day, and constantly maintaining a temperature, that when you spray it on your skin, it almost immediately brings down the temperature of your flesh. 

Why has nobody told you about this water before?!  This is literally the #1 product in my “oh so well” packed bag that my family and friends ask for. The best part is, after you spray this water, and are lucky enough to be in front of a fan, you can feel the heat escaping with a burning/cooling icy-hot sensation.  Spray on the beach, spray at night, spray for the heck of it during the day if you want to feel refreshed! 

To further calm the skin, Avene has two at-home masks that I swear by, but the one you need right now is the Soothing Moisture Mask.  Containing the Thermal Spring Water, safflower oil for nourishing (don’t worry, this will NOT clog you), and glycols for hydration, this paraben-free formula offers instant relief for burns and redness.

A little extra:

So that covers your beach emergencies, and just as a little extra, I always recommend sample sizes of talc powders, for those unfortunate souls who are prone to chaffing, a mini-first aid kit to clean and protect any cuts from sharp shells or over-zealous seagulls, a visor or hat, lip balm with SPF, a pack of tissues, antibacterial wipes, floss, a leave in conditioner for when you get out of the water, preferably with an SPF to protect the scalp, a brush, and last but not least, a waterproof camera, because smartphones and water DO NOT mix!  With all this, you too can be the hero of the beach day!

And of course if you have any questions or want to pamper your skin schedule an appointment at 609-443-4500 and ask to schedule with Teresa today!

Best Procedures to Help Ensure Your Skin Looks Rejuvenated at Any Age

By Teresa Zawada 

At Windsor Dermatology, we offer a variety of in-office cosmetic procedures that help patients obtain healthy, youthful looking skin at any age. 

While there are many aesthetic skincare options available, we always inform and educate our patients about what options are the best for them. Once we understand our patients’ objectives, we develop a personal skincare treatment plan. In addition to our in-office services, we also can suggest at-home options that work to complement and maintain procedures done in our office.
 

So what are the benefits of our personalized treatments? Here is a sample: 

Microdermabrasion is one of the most popular and effective anti-aging skincare treatments that can help your skin appear younger and firmer looking. This non-invasive, safe and pain-free procedure is ideal for patients looking to treat or eliminate fine lines and wrinkles, age spots, stretch marks and discoloration.            

In addition, peels can help liven up the skins appearance, and are perfect for those with visible signs of aging, sun damage or scaring. We would recommend several types of peels to improve your skins tone and texture, while helping with acne breakouts, fine lines and wrinkles, oily complexions and facial redness and blotchiness.

A Salicylic Peel is a procedure that helps to refine, resurface and revise the skin. This peel is ideal for those suffering from acne, oily skin, rosacea or frequent whiteheads or blackheads.

A Glycolic Peel helps freshen and rejuvenate the skin by removing dead and damaged skin cells from the top layer of the skin.

A Phyto-Pumpkin Enzyme Peel is ideal for patients with sensitive or intolerant skin or rosacea.

A Deep-Cleansing Enzyme Peel is perfect for patients that are unable to tolerate stronger chemical peels due to sensitivity, easily irritated or allergy-prone skin. This peel is made from bromelain extract, which is derived from the pineapple plant.

As you can see, we have a wide variety of aesthetic treatment options to help rejuvenate your skin at any age. Make an appointment with me by August 29, 2014 to receive 10% off microdermabrasion and any of our peels.

Call Windsor Dermatology at 609-443-4500 or visit Windsor Dermatology to make an appointment or to learn more about our aesthetic procedures.

Scary Skin Stories for Your Friday the 13th

By Teresa Zawada

You don’t believe in superstition…so that mirror you just broke because you walked into your house with an open umbrella after the neighbor’s black cat ran past you has left no mark on your day—right? Especially not if your wedding day is approaching! 

 Despite the fact that I strongly recommend ALL brides to conclude every grooming ritual at least one week prior to their big day, some still feel that getting primed and prepped the day before their event is best. Although this may work on an ordinary occasion, the stress in dealing with a wedding can sensitize your skin without you even knowing it, which in turn, can lead to major complications.  

Let’s consider the following scary scenarios: 

Bleaching Burns

You’ve decided to bleach unsightly hairs on your upper lip and chin.  It felt OK, maybe a little more tingly than usual, but then three hours later, red blotches are starting to emerge.  It appears that you have tiny chemical burns, and the initial time following your bleaching session does not make things better.  What to do?  

A burn is a burn, no matter how you slice it. Skin is damaged and needs to heal. To accelerate this process, calm the area with cool water, better yet, cool coconut water.  Apply it as a compress until inflammation begins to subside. Next, apply Avene Cicalfate on top of the burnt areas.  Cicalfate is a fragrance, colorant, and preservative-free antibacterial/anti-fungal restorative cream, that, in my experience, has worked wonders for skin healing.  I use it after EVERY procedure I perform to assure an optimal environment for skin healing. The best part is it in not a steroid, and there’s no limit to how many times you can apply it!

P.S.  This same protocol can be used if you decided that waxing eyebrows should be put off as well, and along with the hair, some skin came off.  Keep the area moist with the coconut water and Cicalfate to assure less discoloration once the area is healed.

Blemish Blunders

You wake up in the morning, the sun is shining, and it’s a beautiful day!  You shuffle over to the mirror and the mother of all blemishes on your chin is making you feel more like the wicked witch than a wedding day princess!

Step 1:  Yell, scream, do what you have to vocally.

Step 2:  Relax…it’s there…screaming won’t help!

Step 3:  Don’t pick. Instead, you may end up with a weeping blemish that will turn crusty under makeup.

Step 4:  Assess the time. Hopefully you’ve gotten up with time to spare on your wedding day.

Step 5:  Call the dermatologist. You may be able to come in ASAP for a cortisone shot that will greatly reduce swelling within hours.  If you can get an appointment, the day is saved! If not, proceed to step six.

Step 6:  Make sure you stay hydrated so that your body can eliminate toxins. Then, reach for an OTC cortisone cream that can help reduce the size and redness of your new worst enemy.

Step 7:  Resist the urge to pick again, and let your makeup artist work her magic.

Puffy Princess

You had your rehearsal dinner at the hottest new Sushi restaurant, but after a night of salty sushi, soy sauce, and sake, your skin is dehydrated, while your eyes are retaining water, giving you that ever-so-sexy “puffy look.”

This remedy could be simpler than you thought.  Again, get hydrated! Remember that coconut water? Drink it this time! The electrolytes in coconut will replenish your body without the sugar and artificial ingredients of sports drinks. While sipping on one of nature’s miracles, take a cucumber and a potato, grate equal amounts of them, mix them together, and then place like a mask on your swollen peepers. Leave the mix on for about 15 minutes, and rinse. The caffeine and potato enzymes will help things along, and when done more frequently, can lighten dark under eye circles. You’re welcome!

So, hopefully, these few scenarios have convinced you to use your time more wisely and leave the day before the big day to deal with more pressing matters, like avoiding that cat, ladder or sidewalk crack!  Happy Friday the 13^th!

Dermatologist or Spa?

Today, many non-physicians are performing various cosmetic skin procedures in med-spas, shopping malls and walk-in clinics. While these locations may offer some convenience to consumers, the supervision of the person performing the procedure, as well as the training and equipment available to handle complications or medical emergencies, can jeopardize the health and appearance of the patient.

Choosing a dermatologist who has medical experience in skin conditions, not just cosmetic experience, is the answer.

Nobody knows your skin better than your dermatologist. At Windsor Dermatology, you'll receive the same types of cosmetic and rejuvenation procedures you would find at a med-spa, but from board-certified medical doctors with specialized training in the diagnosis and treatment of skin conditions. Plus, every procedure is an FDA-approved, established treatment and performed in a medical facility. 

The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery has warned consumers to be wary of med-spas claiming affiliations with “board-certified” doctors, because the certification could be in an unrelated field. The spa’s affiliated doctor may be board-certified—in gastroenterology. In other words, the spa is promoting their association with a doctor, while omitting the doctor’s irrelevant experience.

Even if your skin care need is purely aesthetic, Windsor Dermatology can provide any treatment a med-spa can—with greater expertise and the latest technologies. We work with you to develop the best treatment that is personalized to your specific skin condition, not a one-treatment-fits-all approach typical at a spa.

Let the healthy skin care providers at Windsor Dermatology help restore your skin to a healthier and younger-looking appearance. We offer a complete line of non-surgical cosmetic procedures and employ the latest techniques to leave your skin feeling and looking refreshed and rejuvenated.

Most of the cosmetic dermatology procedures we offer require only a minimum amount of time and involve little to no pain. Procedures typically only take a matter of minutes to administer, so you can visit our office for treatment over your lunch break and return to work with healthier, younger-looking skin.

Graduating to Healthier Skin: Do’s and Don’ts

By Teresa Zawada, Licensed Aesthetician

Ah, graduation…whether it’s High School or College, it’s a time of celebration…and why not?! No more oppressive rule of teachers or professors. For many, it’s a first taste freedom from parents or freedom to become (gasp) an adult!  But wait, being free and an adult means responsibility. Responsibility means accountability for oneself. What you do today will somehow find its way into tomorrow and either help you or hinder you. Seems like this calls for a plan.

Let’s take a quick look at Hollywood. Remember that certain double-initialed starlet, who has spent her nights drinking, and smoking, and her days in a courtroom, and how she has aged beyond her years? This is the poster child of my DON’T List.  It goes as follows:

DON’T smoke.  Smoking robs your skin of crucial oxygen.  Without the O2, your skin starts breaking down collagen and elastin.  Broken down collagen and elastin = dull prematurely crinkly skin.  Not to mention the vertical lip lines. Even if you quit smoking, they will pop up to remind you later in life of your not so glamorous youthful rebellion.

DON'T go into tanning beds. A deeper, clearer complexion, with whiter teeth and eyes, is only temporary. The long term effects include not only aging of the skin, but invasive cancers. Micrographic surgery can save your life if skin cancer is caught early, but many times, it’s left undiagnosed.

DON'T over-tweeze. Subconsciously, we assume the age of a person without even knowing. As a person ages, hair not only recedes in some places, but also overgrows in others.  Eyebrows, which can frame the face, when over-tweezed, fail to return as you get older and yen for a fuller shape.  The “thin” eyebrows can register as “thinning” eyebrows and cause others to believe that you are older than your chronological age.  It's best to have them professionally framed, starting at a young age, so that thoughts of permanent tattooing don't seduce your mind.

DON'T pick!!!!!!  Very important!  Picking is not only a habit, but can become an addiction. Some people even find it to be a stress relief. Aestheticians and derms, however, find it to be "post inflammatory hyperpigmentation."  If you're lucky enough to only have a few dark marks, then you went easy on your skin. Some people, however, find that picking has led to ice pick scars, pock marks, and also nail marks.  I see many clients who come in and tell me that they had acne as teenagers, and with one glance at their skin texture, I can tell if they were pickers or not.  Picking, not only makes bacteria more mobile, but also semi-permanently to permanently, it leaves an impression on your skin.  My advice:  leave it up to a professional. They know how to pick without leaving evidence.

DON'T overtone!!!! Yes, the slick feeling feels nice if you're oily, but, in the long run, stripped skin is like a table you bought at a flea market and tried to repair, but lost all of its luster.  Alcohol based products literally strip your skin of oils and essential barriers, leaving it prone to dehydration and infection; not to mention that taking off oil without replenishing will propel you to an endless cycle of oiliness and breakouts.

Back to Hollywood, let's now take a look at, yes a pale, but crease free award winning songstress/actress.  How does one who doesn’t have Hollywood’s secrets at their disposal achieve this look?  This takes me to my DO List:

 

DO drink water.  This is not a myth.  Just as your body requires oxygen, water is essential to replenish your cells.  Take a look at a potted plant. If you let it dry out, it will begin to look dull, the

leaves will crease, and flowers will shrivel. However, if you water it regularly, it will live up to its full potential.

DO eat your fruits and vegetables. As an infant, one of the first tastes we get of baby food are of the fruit and vegetable variety. Just as it nourished us then, it nourishes us now and delivers essential vitamins and nutrients that can act as antioxidants and fight off skin damaging pollutants and free radicals.

DO use a sunscreen. Any dermatologist will tell you this is key to young looking skin.  What most people don’t know is that most sunscreens only protect from the UVB rays, which are the burning rays. It’s the UVA rays that age the skin, but most ingredients don’t fight these rays. End result: a sunscreen-wearing beachgoer will spend extra hours soaking up the aging rays because they’re not getting burned by the sun. Make sure any sunscreen you are using is broad spectrum UVA/UVB or opt for the sunblock for complete protection.

DO exfoliate…in moderation. Young skin is usually exfoliates properly on its own. That’s the “youthful glow.” It’s when you get older and the exfoliation slows down that skin begins to look dull.  Look for a cleanser with a mild AHA, or glycolic acid, in it.  If scrubs are more your cup of tea, keep it to a maximum of 2-3 times per week.

DO use an eye cream.  Don’t run to the department store and buy the most expensive brand. An over- the-counter hydrating cream is all young eyes need.  Most people like to place their daily moisturizer around their eyes, and for many, that’s ok, but eye skin is the thinnest and most sensitive, so many face moisturizers can actually irritate that delicate skin.

DO wear sunglasses and/or hats.  Not only are they fashionable, but sunglasses prevent you from squinting and in return, less crow’s feet will develop. Hats will be your saving grace during outdoor activities ESPECIALLY if you forget the sunscreen!

DO find a dermatologist and aesthetician that you are comfortable with. Just like with any other specialist, such as your dentist, you want someone to develop a relationship with that will keep you abreast of new treatments and also specialize in any afflictions your skin may have.

Following these steps will nearly guarantee that people will not believe your age later in life!

Check out our aesthetician services to see how you can take your skincare a step further.