Old English Lufu means Love

Author: element lufu

  • Importance of Water for Your Skin and Lymphatic System

    Importance of Water for Your Skin and Lymphatic System

    In this post I am going to explain the lymphatic system pertaining to your skin and the effects of water hydration on your internal skin. I will also explain certain key ingredients found in water such as fluoride and why it is not so good for the physical body. I have some suggestions for your water and how to store it and  I will be recommending some products and brands for filtering your water systems and why it is so important to have clean water.  Note I have partnered with a great water filtration brand that filters fluoride and there will be some affiliate links in this post.

    Hydration

    Hydrate Hydrate Hydrate!!!  That is what we always hear but not everyone wants to drink 8 glasses of water a day.  Why?  Because we do not want to have to use the restroom how many times a day?  For me personally I have gotten my water consumption down to a science for my body meaning I know how much to drink and around what times I will be close to a restroom. Even if I have to work I will get my water consumption in because my physical health and skin are way more important than a job that may not want me using the restroom.  I always try to drink the most water for my day when I am at home or earlier in the day so I do not have to wake at night to go to the bathroom all night.  I also noticed a water bottle or glass that is around 24 ounces makes it easier to do your 64 ounces a day.  Its just 3 water bottles to consume a day. Suggested bottle with a filter built in https://clearlyfiltered.com/products/24oz-tritan-bottle?variant=2129349214297

    The Visuals

    As far as the lymphatic system and how water works as a filter for the body I will explain in a facial type of way.  When I am giving a facial to  someone a visual of lymph I always explain,  you know if you pop a pimple and you get the pus out and then there is a little bleeding and you can see a clear fluid?  That clear fluid is your lymph.  It acts as a filter for the whole body and is constantly flowing through the body getting out all the toxins.  Your lymph travels through your lymph nodes which you mainly can find anywhere in the body that bends or moves.  Examples would be your neck, armpits, elbows, wrist, hip or groin area, knees and ankles.  All the movement and motion of these parts of the body are helping stagnant lymph to move throughout the body.  (Hence why I stress exercise and especially stretching such as yoga or pilates to keep lymph moving.)  Drinking water also helps to get this lymph moving as well.

    Another visual for your lymph nourishing your skin from the inside out.  I have given different types of facials and my favorite machine facial is the Hydrafacial.  If you ever get a chance to experience a Hydrafacial I would strongly recommend it.  The Hydrafacial machine includes a lymphatic stimulation and also finishes with LED lights.  I am always explaining how lymph is flowing behind your skin and if you can imagine that clear fluid right behind the skin on your face and if you stimulate it your face will look more plump.  It is the same if you do a European facial with a manual massage.  Sometimes I would be asked, “what does the facial massage do?”  Essentially wake up the lymph fluid right behind the facial skin and give you a nice plump look while also draining any stagnant lymph down into your neck nodes and filtering throughout the body to release any toxins.  When you use an LED light designed for the face or skin it does the same thing as the light is penetrating a few layers deep and that lymph fluid is getting stimulated again.

    Now I’m going to give you another visual. This time lets visualize the pores on your skin.  The easiest way to explain it is to compare your skin to the tight cellulose sponge you would find in your kitchen.  What happens if you do not wash dishes and you do not use your sponge for a day?  The sponge will be dry and tight.  What happens immediately when you ad water to the sponge to wash the dishes?  The sponge will plump up and look like a real sponge again.  The same idea is with your skin when it is dehydrated and when you have water.  Also use this visual of the tight little pores or holes on the sponge to think of absorption.  If you rub a lotion on your body and it is full of chemicals?  All those chemicals are going into your skin and into your body within minutes.  Now if the product is not natural or full of filler than a lot of times the body cannot fully absorb unnatural ingredients and that cream can sit on your skin.  Imagine a sponge with soap goop on it that will not rinse off.  The texture and quality of the sponge ages fast.  I’m just trying to explain this visual so that you can see how important it is to realize that your skin literally absorbs everything that touches it.  (Even your clothing materials, which I’ll touch in another post)

     

    The Chemicals

    There are two things I wanted to touch on in this post.  First water with your skin externally and internally and how it affects your skin and second what chemicals are in water and the effect those chemicals have on the skin and hair. I think I covered the first part with my visuals so lets move on to the second part, the chemicals in the water.  I had already wrote about how water affects your skin and so many municipalities put chlorine and fluoride in water not to mention other chemicals.

    Lets first talk about absorption of these chemicals and how it can affect your skin.  There are two main chemicals put into the water system that are not good for the body.  The two main culprits are fluoride and chlorine.  Fluoride as we have been taught is supposed to strengthen your teeth. Maybe in your toothpaste as that is “supposed” to be medical grade but in the public water supply their using an untreated industrial waste product.  In a nutshell the history of how fluoride came into our water systems was back in the Industrial Revolution.  The cows around the factories were developing cancer.  A Belgium scientist discovered the cause was fluoride gases and phosphates which were a by product of fertilizer.  Once this was discovered said companies would be hit with a hefty bill to properly dispose of fluorosilicic acid.  They figured out how to reuse said by product into the water supply by claiming the fluoride strengthened teeth.  To be allowed they had to do independent studies to prove how good fluoride was for your teeth.  They did the studies on children’s teeth.  Meaning baby teeth that will eventually come out so explain how effective that study was?  That is my nutshell definition on the history of fluoridating the water supply.  If you want more info here is an article link https://origins.osu.edu/article/toxic-treatment-fluorides-transformation-industrial-waste-public-health-miracle

    Another chemical in the water supply that I’m not a fan of is chlorine.  Yes it is put into the water to remove diseases and bacteria but there is a more natural alternative that can be used called chloramine.  Chloramine is a combination of chlorine and ammonia and creates a more natural molecule used in the water distribution systems and is less likely to cause physical harm to the human body. Chlorine on the skin to me is so drying.  I have stopped going into chlorinated swimming pools as I can imagine all the pores of my skin absorbing these heavy amounts of chlorine and my skin is always so dry when I get out of the pool.  Its not worth it I would rather be in nature or a saltwater pool.

    Bathing

    Lets talk about bathing.  Can be a shower or a bath.  I have learned through the years because I have lived in some heavily chlorinated areas that a shower filter is necessary.  What happens if there are heavy amounts of chlorine in your water?  The main symptom you will see is that your skin is more ashen or dry and your hair will usually be more dry.  No amount of product or hydrating shampoo can help that hair. Take note when you shower and your using hot water that, vapor in the water contains the chemicals of chlorine and fluoride.  Both of the chemicals are strong enough for the body to cause asthma or chest and lung issues.  The best is a shower filter or if you have a filter system in your kitchen sink, I would recommend at least washing your hair and face in the kitchen sink to have filtered water for your hair and face.  Also I’m not sure on the ratio but I’ve read that 1 cup of bentonite clay in the bath tub can cut the harmful effects of chlorine that you would be soaking in. Here is a link from a company that sells good showerhead filters https://aquaspace.com/collections/shower

    So I hope that you are seeing the visual of water on the skin and hydration internally for your skin.  This is why it is so important the water you consume both internally and externally.  Remember your skin is your largest organ and it absorbs everything around you.  Just to give you some tips for clean water consumption:

    • Invest in a good water filtration system
    • Use a shower filter as much as possible
    • You want your water to be in glass (plastics cause chemicals in the water)
    • Try to consume up to 64 ounces of water a day

     

    Recommendations

    I am very happy to recommend this water filtration system as I have been using it personally and the taste of the water is great.  If you start with the water pitcher and the filter system you will need about 3 filters a year. https://clearlyfiltered.com/products/clean-water-pitcher-filter-3-pack?variant=8904616145 Three filters a year is $139.50 divided by 365 equals .38 cents a day.  In one month it is about $11.00 you will spend on your water consumption.

    If your interested in an under the sink filter system I will say with Clearly Filtered it is a very easy installation. https://clearlyfiltered.com/products/3-stage-under-the-sink-filter-unit?variant=7927127112 I have been a renter for many years and since you are able to install this yourself you can take it with you if you move to a new location.  It is highly worth it as the math breaks down to about $40 a month the first year and with a refill goes to $32.00 a month from then on.  This system last for about 12 months in most households.  The initial purchase is $495 for the first year and a refill from the second year is $396.00.  Again $495.00 divided by 365 is  $1.35 a day or $40.00 a month and this is used for your cooking water and you can wash your hair.  I will say this is designed solely for cold water but at least do a cold hair rinse with your conditioner at the end of washing.

    As I mentioned earlier Clearly Filtered also make a portable water bottle with a filter system in the bottle that filters out fluoride.  A great value if you just want to start there it averages about $.30 cents a day if you change the filter every 3 months.  Note that filter replacement will depend on your area and how many chemicals are in the water.  Also have not  included the initial price of the bottle or container in the breakdown.

    Conclusion

    I hope this post has given you some insight into the water systems and how their are some not so, human body friendly chemicals, lurking in our water supply systems.  Hopefully you  have a good visual of your skin and lymphatic system and have a better understanding of how these systems work for your body.  Bringing it all together I would say it is very important the water that we consume both on our skin and what we are drinking.  Not all filters are created the same.  Also if you are traveling you can pass an empty water bottle through security and then fill it up.  If you don’t have a water bottle I always suggest buying spring water or local water brands as much as possible as the filtered water from Big Brands are not always the cleanest for the body to consume.  If you have any questions or if you know of any water showerhead brands you love feel free to send me a message through the contact form or comment below.

  • Five Key Elements to Stay Young Looking (No Botox or Fillers) Naturally

    Five Key Elements to Stay Young Looking (No Botox or Fillers) Naturally

    This post will touch on what are the key factors to keeping your skin young looking for many years and what keeps your skin in its best shape naturally.  So many times when I am working or talking about being an esthetician a guy will ask me, “can men get facials too?”  I always respond of course they do its skin and we all have it male or female its best to take care of it. This post applies to both male and female skin and tips to taking care.

    Best Practices to Keep Skin Healthy

    A lot of times when I am giving a facial I’ll be asked what is the best product for your skin? That question for me personally the BEST product like a one all cure all doesn’t exist without the key components.   I always emphasize lifestyle choices first and skincare or the brand of skincare products is the last on the list.  (Not to brag but my tallow cream is a best product for the skin for a lot of reasons) however, i will save that breakdown for another post.  The 6 pillars for great looking skin are, hydration, diet, exercise, SLEEP and then products.  Allow me to touch on each one of these pillars a little more.

    Starting with HYDRATION cannot emphasize enough water water and more water. Our bodies are made up of water. We need it for our health and healthy movement of bowels.  If you don’t keep things moving internally it will eventually show on your skin externally.  You want to try and get 64 ounces of water consumption daily.  Water is so important for the skin to look its best.  The main two things that water can do for your skin is 1) it works with your lymphatic system and acts as a filter and cleans your body or system out.  If you are getting tiny little break outs but maybe don’t have a huge acne problem, just drinking 8 glasses of water a day will help that.  2)  Water helps give the skin a plumpness that is natural.  When you are dehydrated it will show in your skin.  To the naked eye no, but to a trained eye yes.  I can see when I am working on someone if the skin has a bounce back elasticity it means that there is enough water or hydration internally in your skin.  If for example you are dehydrated, internally your skin will be more tight and will be lacking an internal plumpness.  Just drinking enough water in a day can help keep you looking younger for years. One company I would like to recommend for their water filtration systems and water bottles to get your hydration in yes affiliated:

    https://clearlyfiltered.com/?cjdata=MXxOfDB8WXww&cjevent=e3d05118d0f711ef8320dca10a82b832

     

    The second pillar to good skin is DIET or what you consume daily.  I would highly recommend if your serious about your skincare to read your food labels.  There are a lot of foods out there that have added chemicals in them.  I have had a rule for years.  If I cannot understand what the word on the label is I probably do not want it in my body.  So snack foods and packaged foods just try and find the cleanest ingredient labels you can understand and it would probably be safe for your body and skin.  Also you can get a lot of nutrients for your skin based from your food.  I noticed when I do a collagen powder in my smoothies my skin looked more plump.  That is because your skin is filling out internally from the inside out.  Also protein is good for your skin. You can get protein from red meat, chicken, fish, eggs, dairy and nuts.  All of those foods when their in clean wholesome form can enrich your skin and give you the vitamins your body needs to thrive.  I would recommend all the meat is grass fed, the dairy for me I would do raw as there is way more nutrients in raw dairy and the eggs straight from a farm and try and make sure the nuts are clean or raw with no canola oil.

    One thing to note on dairy just to elaborate I am/was lactose intolerant.  I was researching something for my teeth and learned that raw dairy has all the vitamins your teeth need. Vitamin K and D3 are the two vitamins that if you drink pasteurized milk your missing those vitamins.  If I was to drink pasteurized milk I would have a reaction within hours of pain in my stomach followed by horrible gas two days later.  I tried un pasteurized milk as I learned that sometimes people think they are lactose intolerant but the body is actually reacting to the enzymes in the pasteurization process.  It was a game changer, I had no reaction to unpasteurized milk.  In fact it was more positive for my body as un pasteurized milk has pro-biotics to help your stomach so it was almost healing in a way when I first started drinking it.  I don’t go crazy and drink a full glass but I will add to my morning coffee and it is like a natural heavy cream.  Very good.  The milk will go bad quickly so you can freeze it.  I usually buy 1 gallon for a month it costs around $14 and break up into glass mason jars and freeze it and then just switch the jars into the refrigerator when its time for a new week. Also you can include the milk in your hydration glass count for the day because raw milk naturally hydrates you and  pasteurized milk no hydration included.  Your body knows when something is natural.  Sometimes people will ask me if raw milk is dangerous to consume?  Honestly our grandparents drank milk straight from the cow and they were very healthy so I think that we have been taught different as time has evolved and I’m down for the more natural way. Also if you don’t love milk raw yoghurt is the best.  Its like a heavy natural cream.  Look for it at a farm in your area or some grocery stores sell it depending on your location and if not yoghurt the next step is raw unpasteurized cheese.  This is much easier to find.  You do have to read your labels though. ( There is a swiss cheese that is unpasteurized and is sold in Walmart, Trader Joes and a lot of supermarkets.)

    Next pillar for your ultimate best skin is EXERCISE!!  I will give you 3 reasons the effects of exercise have on the skin.  The first being cardio or sweating.  When you sweat you remove toxins.  As your sweating your skin is doing what it is made to do and releases those toxins.  You will feel better and look better.  Sweating is working again with your filtration system but this time removing the unnecessary things that your body does not need.  If you are drinking water as you sweat, even better as that is enabling your purifying system to help clean things out.  If you are into any kind of stretching exercise whether it is yoga, pilates or even just a stretch program you are helping the elasticity both with your skin and also with your connective tissue.  The more flexible your connective tissue the younger you will look and feel.  Imagine the difference if you are living on this planet 70 years and you cannot touch your toes as compared to someone who can do a full backbend at the age of 70? My advice on that one is to always remain active and give movement to your life so that you don’t have the aches and pains when you are older. Exercise is also a form of release.  Sometimes we don’t realize it if we are going through something emotionally or we are angry that expression wears on your face.  Another factor with aging.  If you keep emotions bottled in it can age you.  Exercise can be a form of release and bring calm to your physical body.  Again when you feel good you look good so movement and stretching are a great natural anti aging secret that is actually free.

    Next pillar SLEEP! I cannot emphasize enough how much younger you look when you sleep and are well rested.  I highly recommend 8 hours a night if possible.  If you have a busy lifestyle or work a lot or have children at least shoot for a minimum of 5 hours.  Your body needs 5 hours a night minimum to help repair your vital organs such as your heart and brain.  If you sleep less than 5 it is very hard on the body.  If you cannot get 8 hours a night a lot of times what I do is have 1 morning a week I sleep in.  I schedule it. Sometimes with all my jobs I can get very busy and work 10 days straight.  I always prioritize sleep and will calculate a day to just sleep in.  I give myself permission to stay in bed as long as I want or at least until 12 pm.  I look forward to those days as I value my sleep and I love sleeping.  On the days that you sleep and look well rested it can take years off your face.

    Society has a negative stigma on sleeping and likes to associate it with lazy.  I don’t agree with that at all.  If I don’t get my sleep I do not function well.  Have you ever noticed if your tired and then your emotions get out of whack and everything goes wrong?  Honestly after nannying kids for years you can see what happens when kids are tired or need a nap?  They start crying and get cranky.  Well the same happens to adults and our bodies need sleep just as much as a childs body.  A little sleep hack I learned for people who cannot fall asleep.  For example I am not a napper.  I sleep night to morning like to feel refreshed and then move about all day.  But one thing I discovered if you put on headphones and use the Mega Hz music say for example 963 you can put yourself in a relaxed state and you sometimes can fall asleep like that but if not your body still gets into a restful space.  I’ve found the videos on Youtube link here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXCKVQiqXyE

    Finally we’ve come to the fifth and final pillar for amazing skin, the PRODUCTS you use.  I always say the products are the least important if you don’t do the other 4 pillars to give yourself great looking skin and a more youthful natural appearance.  Again when I am working in spas or for skincare lines people always would ask me what is the best product for your skin?  A lot of times I would feel obligated to sell the product or brand where I was working.  Honestly I stopped doing that over the years because what is more important to me is that ones skin is balanced and in the best condition that it can be in.  If you drink enough water, exercise, eat a healthy clean diet and sleep you should already be 50% more ahead on your skin game than buying all the expensive products but say not drinking water or sleeping.  You could spend the money but not sleeping isn’t going to make that eye cream work any better for you.  I have brands and particular products that I love for the face besides my own products and I will save that for another post.  The main products you want:

    • A balancing non stripping cleanser
    • Non alcohol non drying toner
    • A good exfoliant 2 nights a week
    • A balancing face cream and ad a serum if you prefer
    • Also do not forget the neck cream or to add cream to your neck and decollete or chest.  (First signs of aging besides hands)

    In conclusion as I said at the beginning these recommendations can apply to both men and women because we all have skin.  Everything here both men and women can do eat, exercise, sleep, drink water, use a cleanser and cream. Hopefully this has brought an awareness into your lifestyle and choices and if you incorporate these tips you can see a change in both your skin texture and your life. I you have any questions or tips to ad here please use the contact form to join the conversation.

  • How I Cleared Up My Psoriasis & Product Recommendations (to help heal skin) Part 3

    How I Cleared Up My Psoriasis & Product Recommendations (to help heal skin) Part 3

    In this post I am going to talk about the signs of psoriasis and what you can look for to know if you have psoriasis.  Also I will share my personal story of how I developed psoriasis to help you understand how one could develop psoriasis and not even know they have it. Finally I will give you some pointers on products you can use to help sooth the redness and eventually balance or heal the red patches.

    Definition: Psoriasis is a chronic skin condition characterized by thick, scaly, and often itchy patches on the skin.

    Common symptoms include:

    • Dry, thick, and raised patches
    • Red, scaly patches
    • Itching or soreness
    • Flaky patches
    • Patches of dry skin

    My Personal Story

    So here we are again years later in my life and now I have relocated 2 different times since I had my massive acne breakout.  My skin had gone back into balance and I was doing good.  I had lived in Buenos Aires for two years and the climate there was a little more dry than on the island of Maui.  So I had adjusted my products accordingly.  I point this out to help you realize that the climate you live in affects your skin. You want to be aware that sometimes you will need to change the type of skincare products you are using based on where you are. Especially your cleanser and your face cream.  Again some factors in your daily climate that affect your skin:

    • If your in a dry desert like climate very drying for the skin
    • If your in a cold climate and staying indoors with a heater on. ( Especially a gas heater is very drying for the skin)
    • If your in a hot climate and staying indoors with an air conditioning system, again very drying
    • If your in a tropical climate, a lot of humidity can add bacteria on your skin

    I relocated to Miami Beach and I was now back living in a very hot and tropical climate.  Everything was good as I prefer that type of climate but all of a sudden I was noticing red patches on my skin?  It was not making sense.  How could I have moved to a very heavy humid environment, more humidity than on Maui and my skin was getting dry patches?  This was not making sense?  So I started to use a gentle cleanser and was using the heaviest cream possible on my face.  If I could I would of slathered my face with shea butter.  Nothing was working though and nothing made sense?  So this went on for about 4 to 5 months.  The mystery of the red patches right below my eyes and on my cheek bones. Another pattern of  me changing products and brands constantly to see if anything would work better than the first heavy cream I had tried.

    What was  more perplexing and annoying is that I am an esthetician and this is my field and I cannot even get my own skin balanced or figure out what is going on with my skin.  So as the months went by and I was working part time at a restaurant one day it all came together.  I had probably been complaining to my manager that my skin was so dry in Miami and I couldn’t figure out why.  He made the comment that changed everything.  He said something like, “If your using the water on Miami Beach than anybody’s skin would be super dry as the water is so full of chlorine.”  I was like BINGO maybe that is it?  So I had to come up with a plan to test this new discovery.

    First I needed to stop washing my face with the tap water.  Now how was I to do that when I was wearing makeup?  I decided that my face needed a strong washing at night but in the morning how dirty was my face?  I had done a good cleaning the night before and now it was pretty much clean I just needed a light cleaning.  So I bought rosewater in a spray bottle and in the mornings I would use a cotton round and spray the cotton round with my rosewater and wipe across my face.  If the cotton was dirty I would use a new cotton round and wipe a second time.  Then I would continue with my morning routine of adding moisturizer and then makeup.  This became my new skincare routine.  After a few weeks, (remember it takes 28 days for anything to change on the skin)  I started to see the red patches disappear.  So the conclusion to all my problems was the chlorine in the water was stripping my face. Honestly this could happen to anyone, anywhere and so it is a story I wanted to share to point out that changing climates and environments can really affect your skin.

    Its All About The Water

    Also I point this out because it is good to be aware of what is in your water and what type of water you are using to wash your face.  I have never gone back to using water to wash my face in the mornings.  That was well over 10 years ago.  I have moved since then to different cities but using basically the (Toner Method) to wash my face in the morning is what has worked for me.  You really want to be aware of the water you use on your skin.

    Another thing to consider is travel.  I noticed after I had figured out what was going on with my skin if I traveled to a dry climate my little red patches would start to appear.  I would use my healing cream on them and they would instantly heal up.  Just flying on an airplane can cause your skin to be really dry.  Not to mention you want those 8 glasses or 64 ounces of water in a travel day that is hard to get consumed. By the time you land and if your using tap water to wash your face?  You could start to develop little dry red patches.

    Signs and Symptoms

    Some people do not even realize they may have psoriasis.  What you are looking for is fine little red patches on your face.  It almost always starts out under the eye right around the cheek bone and usually on the Left side of the face I have noticed.  If you walk around and think oh my skin is always red it may be that you are using to strong of a cleanser and then creating the patches and they are light but they exist. Or again the water in your area can be full of chlorine and hard chemicals that are hard on your delicate facial skin.  Like I said balancing the skin is a vicious cycle and you really have to be on top of things and aware of what can affect your skin.  There are different levels of psoriasis.  From just light small patches on the face that come seasonally to red almost raw skin.  Some people do not even realize that there are cures and creams for these red patches.  Some products I swear by that help through all this red and dry patches are listed below. (none of these are sponsored)

     

    Treatments

    Now having worked in the field and given many facials I can say that this brand that I worked with absolutely blew my mind when we did these specialty facials on either a sunburned skin or someone with severe redness.  If you ever want a special spa treatment I can recommend this brand, it is only found online or in spas. The brand is called Repechage and here is a link for the spa locater.  You will see the facial on the menu basically described as a Red Out facial or something along those lines.  Click this link here for a spa locator https://www.repechage.com/pages/locate-a-spa

    They also retail the skin care line for redness here:

    https://www.repechage.com/collections/skin-sensitivity-redness

    A great product line to use for redness and also if you want to treat yourself and have an expert in the field work with your red skin use the spa locater to find a location close to you or where you may be traveling to enjoy a relaxing service.

    This has been my experience with psoriasis and I wanted to share with you just in case you may have a similar situation going on with your skin.  Just to emphasize that yes your climate does affect the dryness of your skin.  Yes red little patches can be the beginning of psoriasis. Yes your cleanser that you start the day with can affect your skin (it can be to stripping).  Yes there are ointments and creams that you can be using to help heal your patches and dryness.  The most important factor here is that it is important to consider the water that you are using to wash your face with.  I will touch on water filters and what is best for our hair and skin on another post.

  • How I Cleared Up My Acne (Naturally No Medication) Part 2

    How I Cleared Up My Acne (Naturally No Medication) Part 2

     

    This post is a sequel to Part 1 about which cleanser is right for your skin type and why.  This post is my personal story on how I developed acne and how I was able to clear up my skin.

    How it Started

    I would like to say that genetically I have dry skin.  I did not realize this until I was around 18 years old.  I went to the department store to purchase a cleanser and the lady at the counter did me a favor and explained to me that my skin was a dry skin type.  I was convinced that I had oily skin because I had breakout.  Of course I was a teenager and my hormones were balancing and I had some black heads and small pimples but in reality I do have dry skin.  So luckily I purchased a milk cleanser and went about drinking 64 ounces of water a day as per recommendation and my skin became more clear. Again it goes back to the correct cleanser for your skin type to get your skin balanced.  Lesson learned.

    Fast forward a few years later and I relocated to the island of Maui.  Now I was living in a humid tropical environment.  My skin was still dry but I knew to switch up my moisturizer to something lighter due to the heat and humidity. I was living on the island for about a year and I decided to sign up and study at a trade school to become an esthetician.  I entered the program with beautiful clear skin.  Some of the students even complimented me on my skin saying how pretty it was.  This program was 1000 hours long and over the course of the months I slowly started developing break outs all over my face.  Imagine your in a skincare course and all of a sudden your developing acne everywhere.  It was extreme.  My friend in the course would stay after class and do extractions on me.  She, gained the practice of how to properly pop the blackheads and pimples and I, gained the idea of trying to clean up my face.  The reality is I learned the pain of having pimples (pustules) and black heads and watching them grow on my face. I gained the understanding of how it feel so see ones facial skin change in a negative way.

    Having acne is a very emotional thing.  It can affect your psychological state of mind because it is easy to become obsessed with the pimples and it feels like something beyond your control.  No one gets pimples and looks in the mirror and feels good at what they see.  Every morning you wake up and look in the mirror hoping nothing new develops on your face.  Meanwhile your purchasing and mixing skincare brands like crazy trying to find anything that will work.  On top of the fact that you want to extract and pop your pimples like crazy to get rid of them which is a lot of pain.  Pain for the swelling pustules growing under your skin, that alone hurts and then add the extractions.  Its a vicious negative cycle that has you mentally wondering if your skin will ever clear up.

    The Extreme

    One day after about 6 weeks of all these new pimples on my face I had had enough and I asked my friend if she could do a facial and do massive extractions on me to get as many pimples and blackheads popped as possible.  She agreed.  Now two things here, first of all when doing a facial we had to pick out the products being used.  She asked me what type of cleanser I wanted to use.  Of course my mind is thinking I have acne now so give me the oily skincare line.  Second thing here, we were taught in school doing extractions can cause trauma.  Technically your never supposed to perform extractions on someone for more than ten minutes.  Well we went for it and I told her to keep going and thirty minutes later I was a red puffy faced extracted mess.  I left that day feeling terrible.  I was so down because you look in the mirror and your horrified to see all the pimples and redness and swelling.  You feel like your never going to heal.  To be honest the extractions for 30 minutes was a little to much emotionally and I did cry a little.  But I was at a loss and feeling desperate.

    Incoming Workshop

    So now I am still in esthetician school studying and I had an opportunity to go to Oahu and attend a workshop with a certain very well know brand.  This seemed like a great educational learning opportunity.  So I went to the one day workshop to learn more about skincare.  There was a section of the workshop that focused on acne and there was to be a live demo on extractions.  I begged the presenter to let me be the model.  With all the breakouts on my face I would love a trained professional with experience to do extractions on me.  She agreed and I was now the demo face for this workshop on how to properly extract pimples and blackheads.  Personally I was just happy to be getting extractions again.  Remember when you feel like everyday your waking up with more breakout you just want the skin cleaned. Unfortunately because I was the model receiving the extractions I never was able to see watch how she demonstrated doing the extractions. However, after this workshop I was convinced to purchase this skincare line of oily skincare products to clear up my face.  I bought the whole thing.  Cleanser, toner, spot treatment and moisturizer.

    I had hope again.  But what happened?  Nothing.  I literally obsessed woke up every morning going straight to look into the mirror to see if my face had cleared up.  Checking to see if my spot treatment for those new pimples had worked.  Honestly I was seeing my skin look worse and I was getting hard bumps and my pimples were not coming to a head.  I was using spot treatment with salicylic acid and nothing was making sense.  (I found out later why this was)  Anyways here I had invested in this whole product line probably spending at least $70 dollars and my skin was not looking any better and if anything looked worse.  I felt defeated again.  On one hand I wanted to just give up and on the other hand I kept doing my research.  This had been going on for months at this point.  This vicious cycle of trying a skin care product with the hope of getting clear skin to seeing no changes.

    Light at the End of the Tunnel

    After feeling hopeless and not wanting to invest anymore money on products I was at a loss. I didn’t know what to do.  I literally felt horrible and just wanted clear skin.  I feel like the saying it is easier to gain weight than to loose it, well in this case it was easier to gain pimples and taking forever to get rid of them.  I was frustrated.  Then all of a sudden during my research I came upon a more holistic brand of skincare.   Their approach and concept for healing acne was homeopathic. Now at this point I was familiar with homeopathic as I had my own homeopathic doctor and I understood homeopathic remedies. The homeopathic method pertaining to skincare was way less invasive than what I had been using prior.  This line is very natural and uses flowers and plants from nature to heal the skin and I decided that was the way I wanted to go as far as skincare. As I was reading up on this it all made sense to me.  So I was down to give it a try. Ready to buy the whole skincare line but this brand offered a mini sampler kit. I think it was around $20 and I decided to try something new.  This way I could test what I needed without buying the whole line.

    The brand that I found was Dr. Hauschka. In simple terms their approach was way different to healing oily skin or break out.  Essentially they have the homeopathic concept that like cures like.  So if you have oily skin you put more oil on it and you will stop producing to much oil?  It made sense to me as you read in my Part 1 post its all about the acid mantle.  If your acid mantle is stripped then you are going to be producing more oil.  I was probably guilty of this when I kept buying oily skin cleansers but the base of my skin type was dry.  With this line the concept was using a cleanser that was almond meal based so you felt like you were cleaning your skin nice and deep but it was gentle enough to use everyday and then you would spray the toner on your face and in the morning you would use an oil based moisturizer and at night you would give your skin a break and cleanse, tone and let the skin breath with no other products on it.

    So here I am on the quest for clear skin with a new approach which is homeopathic with a brand that has more natural ingredients.  I’m all in and ready to try it.  Let me tell you within the first week I started seeing the difference.  I had hope again.  This homeopathic approach seemed like it was working.  Needless to say after 1 month my face cleared up and my skin went back to the beautiful clear skin that I naturally had. Another thing I want to point out here with skin is that everything has a 28 day cycle.  Your skin will renew itself in 28 days.  So whatever products you are using on day one if it is correct for you and your skin type and is balancing or healing you should see a change within 28 days. I was so grateful to find Dr. Hauschka and the clarifying day oil. Ill post link here (not sponsored) https://www.drhauschka.com/clarifying-day-oil/  It was such a good feeling to able to use the products properly and have everything clear up within 28 days.  I continued using this remedy for probably a month more and then I started to phase into the correct moisturizer for my skin type and a milk cleanser for the morning and the scrub at night time only.

    The way that I had discovered Dr. Hauschka is because I had been searching for natural skincare brands to work with.  That is how I originally found them and then saw their concept to treating acne and problem skin. At the time they were offering a special 5 day training in Esalen California by Monterey for licensed estheticians. I was about 2 months out of facial school and I was down for more training. I had to apply and be approved to go to this training.  It worked out and I was able to go and learn about all the flowers and herbs in the products and what each ingredient was designed to do for the skin.  Let me just say that this brand changed my whole trajectory on how I approach skincare. I have always, since finishing my esthetician course, chose the natural approach to skincare with organic and natural skincare brands.

    Conclusion

    If you take anything away from this post it would be that it is possible to balance your skin. I definitely went through it with my break out crisis and I completely understand how it feels to have acne and oily skin.   Skin by itself is a science and I will say it always starts with your cleanser and what is right for your skin type.  You need to check in with the acid mantle and make sure your not stripping your skin and that your using the right products for your environment.  In hindsight I figured out what I had done to cause the break outs and excessive oil.

    • 1) I took my esthetician program in the summer months on Maui.  So the weather was much hotter at the time and I was studying in a large warehouse that had no air conditioning.
    • 2) I was receiving daily facials to practice skincare and it was to much for my dry delicate skin.
    • 3) Add to it that we were using a steamer in no ac in a humid climate I was getting bacteria on my face like crazy.
    •  4) Then use the wrong cleanser that was stripping my skin.  Forget it my skin would not have healed.

    I share this personal story hoping that for anyone out there looking to clear acne or balance your skin you may be able to relate to some of the scenarios here to help you in your own skin.  A few years later when my life and environment changed I ended up developing borderline psoriasis and I had to figure out what was going on again and how to balance that.  Stay tuned for Part 3 on developing psoriasis and how I was able to get my skin back into balance. Please feel free to comment or contact for any questions on balancing skin.

  • What Your Acid Mantle is and How (Your Cleanser) Affects Your Skin Pt.1

    What Your Acid Mantle is and How (Your Cleanser) Affects Your Skin Pt.1

    Skincare 101

    We are going to take this post to the basic skincare 101 science of skin.  In this post I will try and breakdown and explain what the acid mantle is in understandable terms and also guide you on cleansers and why they are an important factor when considering your acid mantle and skin type

    The acid mantle is very important in determining your skin type and how to balance your skin. I searched the definition of acid mantle in Wikipedia and it was a little to scientific.  I checked back to the more understandable definition from the Milady’s study book and found this explanation.

    Definition: The acid mantle is a thin, slightly acidic film covering the entire surface of human skin, serving as a protective barrier against pathogens and reducing body odor.

    Composition: The acid mantle is composed of:

    1. Free amino acids and α-hydroxy acids (lactic acids) excreted from sweat
    2. Free fatty acids and amino acids from sebum
    3. Urocanic acid and pyroglutamic acid

    pH Range: The surface pH of the skin’s acid mantle typically ranges between 4.5 and 6.5, with an average assumption of 5.0 to 6.0. However, recent research suggests that healthy human skin naturally tends to return to acidity levels below 5.0 when left untouched by skincare products or water for extended periods, with an ideal pH value of 4.7 and some individuals showing levels as low as 4.3.

    How I break it down to a facial client

    Everyday from the time we all wake up our skin is starting to balance.  There can be a lot of environmental factors that affect the balance of your skin. I will mention those later. Now as you go about your day I always say between 12 and 3 pm we all start to develop a little sheen or shine on our face. This happens to everyone male or female. The amount of shine one produces varies by climate so there can be a little of a give and take.  That sheen on your skin is your acid mantle.  What that does is it is designed to protect you.  A natural protective barrier.  Now if you cleanse your face and your cleanser is to strong it will strip your skin and make it feel nice and tight.  So what happens?  As the day goes on your brain will realize “Oh they do not have their protective barrier let me produce more oil for them.”  Now you begin the vicious cycle of trying to balance skin and you can produce more black heads and pimples. This causes your to go into a fight mode of trying to protect you and in the meantime your producing more oil. If you naturally have dry skin and your using a strong cleanser this can cause your skin to become extra dry and then eczema or psoriasis can occur.

    That is why with any skincare routine one of the most important products is your cleanser.  If you are washing your face in the morning to start your day and after you cleanse, your face feels nice and tight.  That is an indicator that the cleanser you are using is too strong. So my rule number 1 with cleansers:  You never want your face to feel tight after you cleanse your skin.  Yes it could happen with an exfoliant but we normally do not want to exfoliate more than 2 nights a week.  Night time is better for exfoliation followed by a deeply hydrating moisturizer.

    Rule number 2 which can be the next step in your morning routine is no alcohol in your toner.  The alcohol can also be drying and stripping.  Remember when we are using a skincare regime we are looking for that balanced glow.

    If a product is to strong and strips your skin you will produce more oil throughout the day.  If the product is to heavy for your skin and the molecules of say an oil or cream are to heavy that too can cause breakout on the other end of the spectrum.

    Rule number 3 is the water you are using to cleanse your skin with.  Do you live in an old building with old rusty pipes?  Have you looked up the region of where you live and the main water supply and what they put into that water?  If the water is heavily chlorinated then you will be essentially washing your face with chlorine.  Another stripping agent.  (Not to mention when you shower you are breathing that in) A website you can use to check your local water supply: https://www.livescience.com/59935-tap-water-database.html

    Rule number 4 how is the weather or climate where you are?  What time of year is it?  In winter we use electric and gas heaters to heat living spaces and that can have a heavy drying effect on the skin.  If you are going outside and it is cold with a chill whipping breeze on your face, that wind can chap your skin as well and cause heavy dryness.  If you live in a tropical climate, is it with heavy air conditioning usage?  Air conditioning can cause the skin to run on the dry side. Tropical humidity can sometimes make you produce what feels like more oil and you can have a layer of dirt and sweat mixed and cause a breakout reaction. Climate is a very important factor to consider when you are searching for the correct cleanser for your skin.

    Conditions that can be caused by your acid mantle being stripped are:

    • acne
    • blackheads and breakouts
    • eczema
    • psoriasis
    • extreme dry skin

    Again these main skin conditions can all have a root cause of the cleanser that you start your day with.  Its not a formula for all because each individual has a story but in a round about way when it comes to balancing skin it starts with the cleanser and your acid mantle. Then you have the conditions of rosacea or psoriasis.  That (in my opinion) is also a cleanser that is to strong stripping your skin.  I will side note here a lot of times the redness can be caused by the climate.  Especially the Northeast winters.  You can see the rosey red cheeks on the fishermen and a lot of times people do not attribute this to the climate. (there is a natural homeopathic cream for this redness stay tuned for part 2 post.)

    Types of Cleansers

    When we go to the beauty store or any section of any store that sells skincare products it can be overwhelming to understand the different types of cleansers and what they do or how they work with the skin. Let me explain 5 common types of cleansers you’ll find and how each one can affect the skin.

    • Milk Cleanser
    • Foaming Cleanser
    • Gel
    • Oil Cleanser
    • Micellar
    • Bar Soap

    I’ll start with my personal favorite which I think is good for everyone and that is the milk cleanser.  Some brands might have a cream cleanser or call it that variation but essentially it will be a more creamy type of cleanser. This cleanser is more gentle on the skin and will not strip your skin.  Next we have the foaming cleanser.  The foaming cleanser is normally designed for more oily skin.  It gives the sensation of a deep clean because the foam scrubbing feels like your really getting in there and cleaning but these types of cleansers can be harsh for the skin so be careful.  If you are using a foaming cleanser and have noticed some breakout I would probably discontinue use.  Also refer back to the rule.  If you cleanse your skin in the morning does the cleanser make  your skin feel tight?  I wouldn’t recommend that type of cleanser for you.  I’m going to place the gel cleanser in the same category.  Gel and foaming cleansers are designed for more oily skin types so if you notice any tightness after a use or wash I’d say it would be a no for your skin.

    Now oil cleanser  is considered to have the heaviest of molecules of all the cleansers.  A little bit close to micellar on the spectrum but more so heavier than all the other cleansers.  To be honest I wouldn’t start my day with either of these cleansers.  If you had massive dry skin or maybe an older menopausal skin this may work for your skin type to start the day but other than that I would use this type of cleanser in the evening and with a wash cloth.  Also I would suggest here that Micellar is a great make up remover.  Both eyes and face.

    My final cleanser here is bar soap. I used to not be a fan of bar soap at all but now here I am with my own brand of bar soap. https://elementlufu.com/store/lavender-cleansing-bar/ When I switched to more clean beauty products I started really looking into the breakdown of soaps and ingredients and what is in everything.  The right bar soap can be very clean (such as mine) and be effective and non stripping. What I find appealing with my bar soap and any “clean beauty” soap is if you can understand the ingredients.  That has become the most important thing for me in my products is to clearly understand what I am using on my face.

     

    Conclusion

    All in all you just do not want your cleanser to be stripping your skin.  Remember stripping equals more oil production.  When you cleanse your skin you are not looking for that tight tight feeling.  That is an indicator that the cleanser is to harsh for your skin.  I know sometimes that it can be mental and someone might desire that tight feeling to think that their skin is really clean.  But we just need to let that go because in the long run it is not going to serve you well. If you want that, “I need to feel super clean feeling,” you can always follow up with a non alcoholic toner and see the results on a cotton round.

    To not make this info to overwhelming I’ve decided to break this post into a Part 1 a Part 2 and a Part 3 because there is so much detail into really balancing the skin.  Like I’ve mentioned before, me personally I have been on both spectrums of skin.  I was an acne model in facial school where they could use my face to demonstrate how to properly extract black heads and pimples and then I was borderline psoriasis when I had moved to a new city.  I want to explain how those two conditions happened to me so that if anyone else may be in similar situations they can learn for themselves how to get back into balance or just realize the climate their living in and how it can have a dominant factor on skin.  So I will explain in Part 2 how my acne skin condition happened to me and recommend various products that I personally used to get back into balance.

     

  • This is the Low down on brands recipe sharing and (ingredient lists)

    This is the Low down on brands recipe sharing and (ingredient lists)

    In this post I’m going to share with you a little bit of detail into products, ingredients, ingredient list and what to look for so you are getting your best bang for your buck when purchasing skincare products.

    What products do you use???…..

    When I am working and giving facials I will usually always after cleansing the skin ask the client, “what type of products are you using?”  Or I may say, “what type of cleanser do you use?”  The reason I am asking is because when you cleanse the skin you can feel the texture of the skin.  If it is really dry then that can be an indicator that the cleanser is stripping the natural oils or overly drying the skin.  Sometimes the skin is in great condition and feels really balanced so I am generally curious as to what the person is using on their skin.   Now comes the open conversation.  If they respond that they are using a big department store brand  I always try to explain in the nicest way possible that certain brands share recipes.

    Recipe Sharing

    For example.  I was dating a guy awhile back and he was actually into skincare.  He was from Europe and liked to take care of his skin to some extent.  One day we were out shopping and ended up at a high end retail store and we came across a very expensive European brand. Lets just say one bottle of cream retails for around $260.00. He was under the impression that due to the price and the fact the product line was produced in Europe it was one of the best skincare lines.  I informed him that the brand was sold to Estee Lauder and its not the same formulations anymore.

    This product (not saying exact brand to not get into trouble) was originally made in Germany.  It was formulated to work with sea ingredients and it was claimed that the original formula you could eat it directly from the bottle.  The creator wanted it organic and pure.  What started out as impressive ended up getting altered.  When the owner who created the skincare line passed away the family sold said pricey brand to Estee Lauder.  So now what happens to the product?  Reformulation. Even though Estee Lauder claims its the same formula I would have to say its pretty impossible. Why? First, I read the ingredient list and with certain preservatives in said formula you would not eat it out of the bottle. Second, I learned at the beginning of my career that the U.S. has more strict ingredient codes and certain products must contain certain approved preservatives.  It can be frustrating for manufacturers from other countries because they sometimes have to alter there formulas to get into the U.S. market.

    So you can see that if you start out with a great product and then the product gets sold, recipes can be altered. Unfortunately as a consumer unless your aware of the change over you wouldn’t know that a product line can be altered.  This post is to bring awareness to the consumer as to how important ingredients are in a product and that recipes can be altered from the original once a company is sold. This can happen with a lot with brands.  Not just in the skincare industry either.  I have seen this happen with alcohol and food too. If you are in love with any brand or any particular product just be aware if it has been sold anything can be reformulated.   If I know of brands that have been sold I let people know. Better to be an educated consumer and get the value you deserve for your dollar. Just for an idea there are 7 major companies that own a majority of our health and beauty products. Here is a list of the big “Umbrella” companies mainly running the beauty industry.

    182 Beauty Companies are owned by 7 Major Players

    And the players are….

    • L’Oreal
    • Estee Lauder Companies
    • Coty
    • Shiseido
    • Unilever
    • Proctor &Gamble
    • Johnson & Johnson

     

    Now consider all the beauty department stores and makeup stores.  With so many brands and so many options it can be a lot to consider when purchasing.  One opinion I have when I am shopping in certain beauty stores if there is a sales person helping me I expect them to know their brands.  Yes most ambassadors or brand representatives are trained on the product lines that they are hired to work with but are they a skincare specialist?  Meaning are they a licensed esthetician?  Do they do facials and work on peoples faces and touch skin on a regular basis? Do they really know how to balance skin?  If someone is selling you a product look at their skin as that would be a clear representation if they know what they are talking about.

    I always encourage you to read a label.  If your new to understanding ingredients you really want to learn ingredients and what they do.  I am a label reader for food products, hair products, skincare products anything that is going on my body or into my body I am going to read the label.  I will advise, because I have had this happen with brands,  both in my trainings and just browsing on my own that its best to go straight to the ingredient list.  You know on a label when they emphasize an ingredient and even explain what is does?  I ignore all that I want to know exactly what is in the bottle, from first ingredient to last ingredient.  If I am in a department store I will ask for the box if I can not find the ingredient list on the bottle.  Why?  You could promote and sell the best ingredients but they could be mixed in with the parabens and mineral oils and then all that descriptive talk would not matter.  Again saying this so that you will get the best value for what you are consuming.

    Clean Beauty

    I really got into clean beauty in the last few years.  It all started for me when I realized I had been obsessed with a Marc Jacobs brand lipstick.  I was OBSESSED with a certain color.  I wore it everyday on my lips.  It was the best color and formula for me.  A great color, lasted all day didn’t wear off and didn’t dry my lips.  If I say that I was using that particular lipstick brand for over 5 years and wearing that color everyday I wouldn’t be lying.  Then it happened.  The line discontinued the color. So I did what I always do.  I went crazy and tried to buy the color everywhere to have my stored up back stock.  Then I started to run out of my back stock. (Mind you I learned you can always find make up going out of circulation on the apps Poshmart or Mercari.)

    Now here I am going crazy for a lipstick color that is getting discontinued.  All of a sudden it hit me when I really started to think about it.  This lipstick stayed on my lips so good that I sometimes still had the color on my lips when I was going to bed.  I mean of course I used makeup remover but there would be almost like a stain on my lips and I said you know this product I have been using everyday for 5 years and its like it almost is staining and staying on my lips.  How can this be good?  It just clicked in my brain that not only does lipstick have chemicals in it you are essentially consuming those chemicals when you eat.  We all eat everyday and have products on our lips.  That was the moment for me that I decided I wanted to switch to clean beauty products and I didn’t want added chemicals in my products.

    From that point on I had to find a new lip product and I slowly wanted to clean out my skin and makeup supplies to be as non toxic as possible.  I even switched up my nail products.  I can honestly say I am really happy with the products I found.  I of course always go back to using my https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ website to check a score on a product.  I will say that I didn’t think I could find a product for my lips that I would love as much as the one I had been using but I actually did find a new lip product that I love even more.  I’m sure I love it more because I know that I am not using harmful ingredients and even if it doesn’t have massive staying power it is nice to reapply.

    https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/products/869370-Burts_Bees_Gloss_Lip_Crayon_Pacific_Coast/

    When I tell you I love this product for my lips I LOVE IT (not sponsored). It is from Burt’s Bees and I have used some of their products before but nothing for the lips. Its a lip crayon and it goes on so nicely and really good packaging and lasts a LONG time.  Its also very economical.  It received a score of 2 out of 10 on the Environmental Working Group website which is still considered the clean zone for beauty products.

    I’m going to list here some websites that I found for my makeup when I wanted to switch to clean beauty.  I know these brands and have used them and I have been very happy with the products I have used from these sites.

    Label Reading

    Of course I have to add my own products here because again I need to emphasize you want to clearly understand what is on the label or clearly understand the ingredient list.  I love my tallow cream and love how clean it is.

    https://elementlufu.com/store/lavender-and-lemongrassntallow-cream/

    If you scroll down and read the ingredient list there is just 5 ingredients all of which I would hope you can understand.

    1. Beef Tallow:  Majority of the product is made up of.  This ingredient is so nourishing for the skin and full of vitamins. (Really is the secret to anti aging).
    2. Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil:  Second ingredient so has a high concentrated level of oil to nourish and hydrate skin.
    3. Organic Jojoba oil: An oil close to your skins own level of ph so again great for a hydrated and balanced skin
    4. Organic Lemongrass essential oil:  Main properties to help naturally preserve product
    5. Organic Lavender essential oil:  Also to preserve product and give off healing properties.

    Again that is why I created this line with clean labels so you know exactly what is going on your skin and its effectiveness.

    Conclusion

    To sum up everything here I would say the most important take away is read your labels.  Really know the ingredient list and what is in the actual bottle you are about to purchase.  Take note that any company can reformulate, change recipes and be sold and thus change recipes. If your really in love with a brand you can always look up the history just to make sure the company has not been sold.  I have also done that with food brand.  I cannot stress enough to just read the ingredient label and know what is in the product. Also as a consumer you have the choice if you want to consume chemicals both in your food and in your beauty and body products.  I hope that this maybe gave you a little insight into making a choice for yourself and bringing awareness to how “Larger” companies can work.  If you have any questions feel free to comment or reach out on the contact form.

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