Halloween Makeup Safety Tips

By Teresa Zawada, aesthetician at Windsor Dermatology 

It’s that time of year again...Halloween. For aestheticians such as myself, this day isn’t just about candy and trick-or-treating, it’s also about advising our patients how both they and their kids can safely use Halloween makeup. Parents often ask me about the “safety” of using Halloween paint or makeup, especially if they have young children who want to be painted green as goblins or yellow as Sponge Bob. So here are some quick tips to help:

Using makeup is one thing, but when paints are formulated to glow in the dark, congeal like blood, or shimmer and shine, chemistry is throwing its weight around in formulations. In recent years, many companies have come under scrutiny for including lead, nickel and chromium as ingredients, but not labeling them on the packaging. Keep in mind, “expensive does not equal quality,” however, there are exceptions when it comes to Halloween makeup.   

If you have the option of buying 10 colors for $3, or one color for $3, opt for the latter. Make your purchase, take it home and do a few tests for yourself. 

First, you want to check if the product or the company has had any recalls. Secondly, you may want to test a small inconspicuous area on your body with the paint a few days before you need to use it.

 
If you are prone to allergies or have had allergic reactions to cosmetics or costume jewelry in the past, you may want to have an anti-allergen like Benadryl on hand. If you’re using the product on small children, spot test them as well, but also look for wording on the package such as “FDA approved,” “non-toxic” and  “child toy safety” ratings. This will ensure the product went through rigorous tests and if the product should get into the nose, eyes or ingested, it is not toxic.

After all of that prep, you were thrilled with the outcome, you were the hit of the party, and now it’s time to take off all that gook. For adults, use a gentle cleanser, I do not recommend mixing cleansers with active ingredients, but rather, using a creamy gentle cleanser with a microfiber cloth. For children, nothing is gentler than the old fashioned baby wipe, and with less water run-off, it’s more easily controlled when wiping their delicate faces. Proper cleansing at the end of the night will ensure that your face makeup will not make a new home in your pores, and you will wake up looking like yourself again!  

Happy Halloween!

The ABCs of Cosmetic Products: Cutting Through the Clutter to Determine Your Skin’s Needs

By Teresa Zawada, Licensed Aesthetician

Flawless summer skin without layers of make-up seems like a myth, but armed with the right knowledge, you can be even and glowing all while feeling fresh and bare-faced.

Let’s take a mental walk through the beauty aisle.  All of our old friends are there…foundation, concealer, primer, serums and SPF. But lately there’s a new kid on the block that is causing a lot of buzz.  Known as BB cream, (Blemish Balm or Beauty Balm), it’s advertised as the product to replace all your other products. BB promises to act like a foundation all while giving you anti-inflammatory (for you acne sufferers), anti-aging (for everyone), and sun protection (again everyone) with a near weightless feel!  

Sounds too good to be true?  Well, taking a look at the history of BB, you’ll learn that even though it’s in its infancy here in the U.S., BB has been used for over two decades in East and South East Asia (hence the limited shades) for those very reasons, PLUS skin whitening, which was left out of our western formulations. Like many things that lose their meaning in translation, BB also loses valuable properties in some brands, NOT ALL, becoming nothing more than a tinted moisturizer or a perfect primer under a foundation.

Next door to BB, there you have CC cream!  Yes, strolling down the alphabet are the “Color Correcting” creams. The next generation of the BB cream, CCs are known to be lighter, have a wider range of shades, all while having better sun protection and many including light diffusers, brightening skin tone.  CCs are usually sufficient to wear alone, or for added coverage, applied on top of a foundation, rather than the BB, used as a primer.

If you really want to get crazy, just keep going down the alphabet to the…drum roll please…DD Cream!  Yes, with only one formulation on the market, the DD or “Dynamic Do-All,” has the same claims as their lettered counterparts. One main difference is the marketing. Here in the U.S., they’re advertised as “heavy duty body and foot creams” according to CosmeticsDesign.com, where as in the U.K., Julep, the manufacturer of the DD cream, markets it as an all-around facial cream.

So where does it end and what to do?  First of all, DO NOT go and dispose of all the cosmetic products in your arsenal!  First, determine your own skin’s needs. If you’re simply on the dryer side, with no visible correction needed, stick to a tinted moisturizer with SPF or the BB creams. 

Anyone with normal to oily skin with some visible correction needed should aim for the CC.  Any of the above would be convenient for a beach day (remember to reapply the creams for sufficient SPF), when running late, or on a humid summer day.  They’re especially convenient for the woman who doesn’t want an entire regimen. I find that with using the right all-in-one cream, at least you’re getting a little bit of everything in 5 seconds! For the woman who likes to layer products, it’s a great addition to a regimen, or again, it’s available for convenience.

Still unsure about this makeup alphabet stew? Schedule an appointment at WindsorDermatology and we’ll help you determine the right skin regimen for your needs.

Looking Your Best: Tips for Mothers of the Bride and Groom

By Teresa Zawada
Licensed Aesthetician

Mothers of the bride and groom also need to look their best. Though the risk of waking up to a blemish is low, mothers have their own stressors that can manifest on the skin. Not to outshine their daughters, here are a few tips on the road of radiance for any skin.

1. MOISTURIZE!  Ever notice how dry skin is chapped and crinkly? Same thing happens on the face. Majority of fine lines are dehydration. Using the correct AM and PM moisturizer will ensure a more taught supple look. 
2. 5 letters "B-O-T-O-X." Who wouldn’t want a smooth, wrinkle-free forehead or crow’s feet area? When done properly and in moderation, Botox can erase years off a face without a hardened look. Once again, follow the one week rule, if not more. Bruising can occur in some patients, and Botox takes at least a week to take full effect; One month prior is ideal. 
3. Glycolic peels. By “ungluing” the dead skin from each other, skin is instantly exfoliated revealing fresh, brighter skin. A series of 6, scheduled 2-4 weeks apart, helps boost collagen production and diminishes unwanted fine lines and wrinkles. Talk to your aesthetician about a proper treatment protocol for your skin type.
4. For a day-of plumping, skip the products containing collagen spheres. Instead, opt for micronized Hylauronic Acid such as Avene Retrinal HAF. Serving as double duty, the micronized HA with not only add temporary volume, but will also “super-moisturize” the skin.
5. Lastly, make up is a necessity. Local makeup artist Erin Root recommends “making sure to use as little foundation as possible. Make sure you get a foundation that’s professionally matched to your skin and only use as needed. Start in the T-Zone and feather the foundation out across the face. Moms’ skin also tends to be a bit drier, so they don’t need as much powder. They should also use a cream blush (try and play with it for a few weeks before the wedding to make sure you’re comfortable with it). Also, avoid heavy eyeliner. Try a thin line on top and use a powder shadow if you must as a liner underneath the eye. This keeps eyes a bit softer and most importantly, YOUNGER! Finally, after all your makeup is applied, set it with a finishing spray such as MAC’s Fix + Spray-just spritz on and viola!” This will ensure a dewy healthy glow on all of your photos!