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.

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.