Chemical Peel Treatment

May 29, 2012
Skin Treatment
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I’ve always been big on exfoliating and believe it plays a major roll in the skin cell turnover rate. I try to exfoliate at least once a week to help my skin looking and feeling smooth and bright. There are many types of exfoliation methods and I’ve covered one here and here on my previous posts.  Another type of exfoliation that I feel is very quick and efficient is the glycolic acid peel. It actually sounds more harsh than the treatment itself.  When patients think of a chemical peel, they believe that their skin will “shed” and leave them looking raw and red, but it really does not do that. Glycolic acid is actually a very mild peel and is safer for the skin than most other acid peels.

Glycolic acid works by breaking down the top layers of the skin, encouraging the dead skin to slough off faster.  This treatment will then reveal smoother, brighter and firmer looking skin right after the treatment. Depending on a patient’s needs, it is recommended that the treatment is done once every month.  This treatment is for superficial flaws of the skin and is a good choice for those looking for a quick skin refresher that will help diminish minor scars, blemishes and fine lines.

Detailed information on how a chemical peel works.

The peel that I use is a glycolic acid peel which is a mild chemical peel with a 70% strength.  The face needs to be clean prior to the treatment and the solution is applied with a cotton gauze.  Usually a tingling and burning sensation will be felt while the solution is applied to the face.  Depending on the patients’ skin type, the solution sets for a couple minutes or less.  The longer the solution settles  the higher risk of the skin burning.  After the achieved time is reached, the solution is neutralized and rinsed thoroughly with water.  The skin may look a little pink and flushed and feel tight after the treatment. Cortisone can be applied to calm the reaction down and sunscreen is applied to protect it from the sun and recovery time is about one week.

This may seem like a simple peel, but it can be dangerous if people do this on their own and do not apply it correctly or use the correct solution.  A 70% solution may be too harsh for some people and a lower percentage may be needed initially.  I recommend going to a professional first and getting all the info prior to doing self treatments.

I like to alternate different types of exfoliation treatments on my skin depending on my laziness and time factor.  Any treatment is better than no treatment is what I think!  Hope this is good 411 for you all! Happy exfoliating!

-BeautyRN

Natural Makeup Remover

May 5, 2012
makeup, Random beauty facts, reviews, Skin Treatment
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I love makeup and have been experimenting with it since high school. But for as long as I can remember, I’ve used many types of products to remove makeup over the years and I’ve begun to realize how harsh I’ve been treating my skin! Products containing alcohol dry and irritate the thin skin around my eyes and can increase the potential for premature wrinkles. In addition, the toxic ingredients such as propylene, parabens and DEA that can harm and damage the skin and may cause cancer with long-term use.

After learning of these awful side-effects, I went into panic mode to search for a better alternative. I started with this eye makeup remover from Whole Foods, which I felt contained more natural and gentle ingredients.  I would include the product here, but I actually threw it out after I finished it.  It was a good makeup remover, but I felt it still dried out my skin a bit and didn’t take off the makeup so easily also it was about $8 a bottle.  After it ran out, I looked into some natural household ingredients that might work, and one of the most highly recommended was olive oil !

Brilliant! It’s a natural, healthy ingredient used for cooking, so why not use it on your skin? This beauty secret has many great health benefits, including being high in anti-oxidants and having anti-inflammatory properties. And best of all, it’s a cost-effective alternative to expensive products.

I normally get my bottle of Extra Vigin Olive Oil from the local  Trader Joe’s and store a small bottle in the bathroom. Before I wash my face at night, I pour a bit of olive oil onto a cotton ball and gently wipe away the eye makeup. It comes off really easily and makes the skin around my eyes moist and smooth. By far, this is the easiest, most convenient and cheapest makeup remover that I’ve purchased!

Hope you guys enjoy your olive oil – on your plate and on your face!

-BeautyRN

Nail Obsession

April 19, 2012
Random beauty facts, Uncategorized
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I’ve been on a nail polish craze lately…

Working with so many young patients, I constantly see all the new trends and hype of new colors and designs.  It’s truly inspiring and makes me want to paint my nails everyday! One small problem is that I probably wash my hands a hundred times a day, so the polish washes off quickly and I have very dry, unkempt cuticles.  It’s actually pretty embarrassing!

However, after stumbling upon steffels blog, I truly wanted to channel my inner nail art skills and put them to the test!  Here is a modified version of steffels Konad nail art designs.

Base is Chinchilly by Essie, top design is Linkin Park by OPI and floral design is from Konad Plate M71  It was such a fun design to wear! I love it!  Can’t wait for a new design this weekend inspired by a patient!

How do you guys like it?

-BeautyRN

Makeup Heaven

April 14, 2012
makeup, reviews, Uncategorized
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Okay! So I fell of the wagon a bit…actually a lot! Sorry for the MIA status guys!  I guess I slacked off from my birthday month.  Shame on me, but I recently got inspired again from my good friend Leah!  Thanks Leah!

I’d like to share some goodies that I’ve received recently.  I’m in makeup heaven and it feels great to have new colors to play with!

Haul #1: Dior, Givenchy

Besides face powder and foundation, I’ve actually never invested in high quality makeup because I never use enough to put value into them.  However, after getting a goodie bag from one of my favorite patient at work…I really have a new found appreciate for high end makeup now!  Dior addict in the making!  The pigments of the Dior and Givenchy eye shadows are A-mazing! It’s strong, long lasting and vibrant. It doesn’t dust off and fall so easily when applied.  My favorite is the Dior Addict Ultra-Gloss in pink flirt. It’s the perfect shade of pink and makes my lips look unbelievably shiny!  I’m a real sucker for packaging too.  The details on these makeup palettes and lip glosses are like miniature works of art!

Haul #2: L’oreal

As Ktown puts in, I’m “one lucky girl”!  He is always getting promotional goods from work and I get to reap the benefits of it.  This time it’s L’oreal’s line of skin care and makeup products.  I’m very curious as to whether the Youth Code serum works, it claims to help fade dark spots and reveal “luminous skin”. I’ll try it out and let you guys know! The voluminious false fiber lashes mascara was an extra bonus for me.  I would have never bought this type of mascara to try, but it claims to add extra fibers to your lashes giving the “fake lashes” effect.  I tried it, but it really didn’t do much for me. Maybe I’m not applying it correctly?!

Haul #3: Urban Decay, Estee Lauder

My new Urban Decay Naked Palette was a birthday gift and I absolutely love it!  It has all the nice neutral and dark colors that I wear daily.  I can really tell the difference when the pigments are a lot more saturated because it stays on longer and does not rub off so easily.  The Estee Lauder Silky Powder Blush in sweet nectar is also a gift.  It doesn’t hurt to have more blush in my collection.

I think I will hold off on any makeup shopping sprees for awhile!  So giddy with all my new makeup!

-BeautyRN

Sunblock Protection for Face and Body

March 6, 2012
Random beauty facts, reviews
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To follow up from my last post, the most important part of my skin care regimen has got to be sunblock! Even if you’re very low maintenance and slack a bit on your skin care habits, the one thing that I recommend slapping on your face every morning is sunblock!

Working in dermatology, I have seen one too many females come in (years after their sun worshipping days) with dry and cracked skin resembling charred alligator roadkill … not pretty. Besides, there is no point in spending time and $$$ on your skin when you won’t take the time to protect it and prevent it from further damage!

I used to be indiscriminate of sunblock, all were the same to me. However, this all changed when summer time or vacation time rolled around and I would start to break out. These break outs were tiny white comedone-like bumps all over my face, no amount of exfoliation would get rid of it! I then realized that the humidity, sweat and re-application of sunblock were the culprit for my clogged skin. This was a real beauty disaster that needed to be fixed STAT!

Through trial and error, I went through my fair share of sunblocks (luckily I work in derm, so that I have access to all these products) and finally narrowed it down to my top 3.

1. Elta MD UV clear SPF 46 – this one is my favorite, it goes on light and smooth, does not clog up my pores or turn my complexion white and pasty. It has 9% transparent zinc oxide, helping to provide a really light and clear tint. There is also niacinamide, a form of vitamin B3 that helps with acne and discoloration on the skin. This product is also non-comedogenic (does not clog pores), oil- free, paraben-free, sensitivity-free and fragrance-free. Ktown uses this one and really likes it too, even he can tell the difference between the quality of the    sunblock vs. others…it’s perfect!

2. Eucerin SPF 30- I love Eucerin because they make Aquaphor! They have their sunblock line that is non-comedogenic and fragrance free. It’s specified for face application, which is great, because body sunblock tends to be a bit thicker. The key to good sunblock for me is light application, which Eucerin provides very well. This has the white tint from the zinc oxide and titanium dioxide but rubs right into the skin for a clear, oil free look.

3. Neutrogena Healthy Defense SPF 50 with Helioplex – I use this one for my body. The benefit here is that it has Helioplex technology, which adds oxybenzone to the sunblock to help stablize the active ingredient avobenzone. Avobenzone is a highly effective ingredient that blocks UVA rays, but breaks down easily when exposed to sunlight so when helioplex technology is introduced, this provides greater efficacy in helping to block the sun’s harmful rays. Again, I can’t stress how much I hate thick oily sunblock, but this one goes on light and smooth.

If you have any other sunblock reccomendations, please share!

-BeautyRN

Retin A

February 26, 2012
Random beauty facts, reviews, Skin Treatment
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As I draw closer to the dreaded 3-0, I have become more attentive and strict about my skin care regimen. I’m trying to eradicate the few sun spots that I already have and prevent any new ones from appearing.  One of the best product that I diligently apply each night is Retin-A.

Retin-A is a chemically altered drug made from vitamin A.  It comes in a cream or gel form.  Retin-A has been clinically proven to help diminish fine lines, acne, white heads, black heads, age spots, freckles and promote collagen growth by increasing cell turnover rate.  Because of the many benefits of Retin-A, a lot of cosmeceutical companies have incorporated the ingredient into their skin care line.  You can find the ingredients listed as “retinol”, which is not as strong as prescription Retin-A.

One downside to Retin-A is that it dries out the skin, causing redness and peeling and some irritation in the beginning.  It’s a common side effect, but if you can tolerate this and hang on for a couple of weeks, your skin will start to improve and the side effects should calm.  It’s best to start the medication once or twice a week until your skin can tolerate more applications, then you’ll be able to use it each night.  Rule of thumb: always use a pea-sized amount for the full face.  If flaking occurs, make sure to moisturize the skin right after, then in the morning you can gently scrub the skin with a wet wash cloth to slough off some of the skin.


I have been using Retin-A for over two years now, and I’ve noticed my skin definitely a lot clearer with less breakouts and clogged pores and much smoother and softer.  I’m using the Retin-A micro, 0.1% which I get from my MD.  There are alot of imitations on the internet so be careful, in the U.S. it is prescribed by doctors.

I’d hate to know what my skin would look like without Retin-A!  I imagine a plethora of dark freckles and sunspots splattered across my cheeks, and plenty more fine lines! Who knows, I’m trying my best to not get to that point. Here’s some more information on the great benefits of —>Retin-A.

Try it and let me know of your success stories!

-BeautyRN

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