Category: Skin Care Essentials

The science and information behind the products, techniques, and tips that help you life the healthy skin lifestyle.

Facial Cleansing Essentials, Part 2: Cleansing Like a Pro

Part 1: The Basics Part 2: Cleansing Like A Pro Part 3: Resurfacing Transformation In the first part of our cleansing series, learned that a proper cleansing routine is essential to completely removing makeup, dirt build-up, excess oil, and environmental pollutants. In this second part of the Facial Cleansing Essential series, we are going to take a look at introducing controlled exfoliation into our cleansing routine to stimulate the skin's natural renewal process and open up pathways that allow skin care products to absorb and work better. Combining basic cleansing with controlled exfoliation is what we call "Cleansing Like a Pro." There are two types of exfoliation, chemical and physical. Whatever method used, exfoliation in moderation is key. Over-exfoliation whether through aggressive use of a washcloth or using facial scrubs containing rough particles, will result in painful and unsightly irritation, especially for acne-prone individuals. Physical Exfoliation: Scrubs Basic physical exfoliation at home typically is accomplished by incorporating into your cleansing routine a ...

The Power of Antioxidants

Nov1-1

Antioxidants are substances that prevent oxidation damage to cells. Some of the most well known antioxidants are vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, and Pycnogenol®.  The highest concentration of antioxidants in the body is contained in the epidermal layer of the skin, forming a protective barrier for the living dermal layer and the internal body. With age, the concentration of antioxidants in the skin declines considerably. Without the protective capacity of this layer, damage to the skin increases. Only about 1% of orally ingested antioxidants will arrive at the skin. Antioxidants applied topically can help restore an effective barrier and help reduce further damage. By maintaining an ideal level of antioxidants at the skin level, we can control free radical and oxidation damage. The action of antioxidants can reduce or partially neutralize the harmful power of free radicals (FR). The combination of antioxidants and sunscreen is a powerful and effective way ...

Teen Skin Care: Battling Blemishes and Beyond

By Tamar Nordenberg "Parents just don't get it." That's not the quibbling complaint of a pimply-faced kid, but the disappointed observation of Manhattan area dermatologist Bruce Katz, M.D., who for more than 18 years has helped hundreds of acne-plagued patients banish their blemishes. What's clear to Katz's teenage patients is also critical for their parents to understand, says the doctor: Acne is no trivial cosmetic problem to be waited out until the pimples disappear on their own, but a medical condition that, left untreated, can leave youngsters with unsightly scars that lead to emotional pain and social inhibition. "Acne should be taken very seriously," Katz says. "Because of the stage of life when it's most common — during puberty — breakouts can be very depressing for young people." Acne is by far the most common skin complaint among teenagers, affecting nearly all of those in the 12-to-17 age frame at least occasionally, according ...

Fact Friday: SGFs Explained

Oct25-1

Chances are, you have heard about our amazing SGF-4 products, but do you know what SGFs are and why they are so effective?SGF stands for Skin Growth Factor. These Growth Factors are skin cell proteins that are found naturally in the cells of the body when we are younger. In SGF-4 TechnologyTM, Skin Authority uses four natural skin proteins that target and reprogram the aging process of skin cells.  Basically, these proteins act as an instruction manual for damaged or aging cells and make the cells think that they are infant skin again. It replaces damaged skin DNA with fresh, new healthy skin cells.SGF-4 TechnologyTM uses medical research that began when human Growth Factors were used to help burn patients and were found to have amazing wound-healing strength. In 2001, studies were released citing that cosmetic creams incorporating various Growth Factors produced better results than Botox.Our trio of SGF products ...

Introducing the BeautyWorkout

Oct23-1

Now that we have been together in the BeautyWorkoutTM  Zone for a few weeks, you may be wondering what is this “BeautyWorkout” that is important enough to be the namesake of our blog. Like other successful, professionally guided personal improvement programs (think personal trainers, career coaching, nutritionists) Skin Authority brings together the goal setting, products, daily routines, and support needed to achieve and sustain a Healthy Skin Lifestyle. The three core elements of The BeautyWorkoutTM program are skin coaching, simple routines, and high performance products. Skin coaches are specially trained and certified professionals who eliminate the guesswork that is often associated with maintaining healthy skin. They listen to your needs, help set goals, recommend the best products, and hold your hand throughout the entire process. Skin Coaching is free and available in-person at select retail locations or virtually via phone, Skype, FaceTime, email, chat and other online tools. Simple daily skin care routines ...

Transformation Tuesday: Kerri Walsh Jennings

https://vimeo.com/74489471 Every two years, we start to pay avid attention to a set of elite athletes that will be representing our country in the Olympic Games. Conceptually, we know that years of blood, sweat, and tears have gone into their training, but often forget that it actually translates into many grueling hours every single day, affecting every element of their lives. Nutrition, physical fitness, mental wellbeing, and overall health are not only major aspects of becoming an Olympic-caliber athlete, but are also essential to a Healthy Skin Lifestyle.  And considering skin is your biggest organ, you better believe that taking care of your skin is absolutely essential to being at your best to compete. Regardless of whether the athletes are competing in the Summer or Winter Games, when training outdoors for such an extended period of time, they are at increased risks for skin issues. Add onto that the stress of the sport, ...

The Transformative Powers of Vitamin D

Oct15-1

Vitamin D has amazing transformative powers. For years, many people have looked to Vitamin C for both skin care and its immune system boosting capabilities, but Vitamin D is even more formidable in terms of immune health.  Many people commonly associate D with laying out in the sun, but we have partnered with the Dole Nutrition Institute and have found a new inside-out approach to Vitamin D sufficiency that does not include the risks of sun damage. When talking about beauty, most people automatically think of what you see on the surface.  While topically applying products to the surface is a vital step to a healthy glow, the layers of your skin that you can touch and feel are all dead, so we need to come at them from both the surface and below. With a topical application of Vitamin D, you can get an even, glowing skin tone and help improve ...

Fact Friday: What is Resurfacing?

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By Iris Mata, Skin Authority Skin Coach During a recent trip to England, I visited William Shakespeare’s hometown, Stratford-upon-Avon. His childhood home was built in the 1600s and had long housed a beautiful wood dining table that was restored for display. Like most fragile antique pieces, a sign was posted, “Please do not touch.” No real repairs were needed, but its surface was freckled with dings and dents, scrapes and scratches, all which added character and uniqueness. Its beauty emanated from its age. I can imagine the process of resurfacing that went into this fragile, yet enduring piece: a sensitive buffering, adding a layer of hydration to the exposed wood to soften the surface, and a protective coat of color and sealant. This idea of resurfacing isn’t to cover its age but by definition: to put a new surface on (something); to refinish or repair the surface of (something).* Similarly, we can ...

Fact Friday: Skin Care Systems

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If you wander down the aisles at your local beauty supply or drugstore, you are bound to see hundreds of different skin care products. You want to try many of them, mesmerized by the different benefits that the packaging claims. You think that if you purchase one product from each of the lines you are dying to try, you will get all the benefits from each of those pretty little bottles. You see that the back of the packaging recommends that the products work best if followed by a few other products from their line, but, as usual, you ignore it. Next time you purchase skin care products, instead of shrugging off the recommendation as a marketing gimmick, you should take the suggestion of a system more seriously. Why is a system important? When it comes to skin care, it is a common misconception that you can treat your face like you ...

Who is in Your Support System?

By Katie Hitchcock, Skin Authority Team There are so many times you pick up a magazine and it advises you to get a workout buddy. For the longest time I would ignore that advice for a variety of reasons. I didn’t want to be competitive with a friend over who could run further, lift heavier, or catch their breath faster. I didn’t want someone to force me to stick to a strict schedule if I wanted to mix it up. Honestly, I didn’t want that extra guilt if I wanted to skip a workout. Sound familiar? Flash forward a few months and now I have a workout buddy. I didn’t do it on purpose, but boy am I glad to have her there. It started as an accident: I invited her along to a spin class and the rest, as they say, is history. Now, she’s there when I consider skipping the ...