Category: Skin

I’ve been learning more and more through nurse practitioner school about sunscreen, skin, skincare and things you NEED to know about SPF. What do you think is the best anti-aging product available today? Shocker, it is sunscreen. In one study, participants who used sunscreen daily showed NO detectable increase in skin aging after 4.5 years. I mean I think we all know how important sunscreen is but I wanted to share certain brands I recommend and chat about why.

Physical vs Chemical Sunscreen

Physical sunscreen sits on top of the skin and blocks ultraviolet rays from penetrating. Physical sunscreens ( mineral sunscreens) are going to contain zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide as their active ingredients. This are my favorite type of sunscreen because it’s a physical barrier that doesn’t get absorbed into the blood steam, yet protects you from UVA and UVB rays.

Chemical Sunscreen works by absorbing and converting UV rays into heat before they can cause free radical damage. I am not a fan of chemical sunscreens because I literally don’t like having to put anything with ‘chemicals’ on my skin. You also have to apply chemical sunscreen 15-20 mins before going into the sun allowing it to activate… which is super time consuming.

New study from JAMA shows that after common chemical sunscreen ingredients (avobenzone, oxybenzone, octocrylene, and ecamsule) were applied to 75% of the body for 4 days, blood was collected from each participate for a week. Among the participants they found maximum plasma concentrations systemic of these chemicals over the 7 days. The are levels are high enough that it has now started a government safety investigation. This is is scary and should definitely raise some red flags when you are shopping for sunscreen. SO just remember just because there are bunch of things are packed into a product doesn’t make it beneficial or safe. BUT don’t be freaked out and stop using sunscreen all together we still need to be using it but just the right formula.

Favorite Tip From Beauty By Dr. Kay

My favorite plastic surgeon Dr. Kay Durairaj truly believes that that physical/mineral based sunscreens are better for pigmentation patients (aka dark spots or melasma) because it doesn’t generate as much heat as a chemical sunscreen. She wants you to avoid UV rays hitting the skin, penetrating the skin and then going through a chemical reaction generating heat, which she believes creates/flares pigmentation. She believes using a mineral sunscreen which deflects light and doesn’t even allow for pigmentation to be trigged is best for all pigmentation patients.

Ingredient Profile: Physical Sunscreen

Are the ingredients in our sunscreens truly safe? That has been a question asked for years. Right now, the FDA has only 17 active ingredients approved. Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are two of those safe and effective ingredients to use. When looking for a sunscreen the goal is to protect against both UVA and UVB rays.

Zinc oxide is your best protector again UV rays and is what you want to be looking for when picking a sunscreen. Zinc oxide is a physical protector because it scatters, reflects, and absorbs UVA & UVB rays. It works as soon as it is applied unlike chemical sunscreens and it’s not absorbed into the skin.

Titanium dioxide is also common in physical sunscreens and blocks ultraviolet-B and short-wave ultraviolet-A rays, however it is not as effective blocking long ultraviolet-A rays. Zinc oxide is the queen of UVA and other ray blocking which makes it super effective at fighting the sun’s rays.

• UVA rays: penetrate the skin, reaching beyond the thickest layer of skin the dermis. It is this type of UV radiation that can cause aging and wrinkles. Anything with Broad spectrum is protecting you from UVA rays
• UVB rays: UVB rays burn surface of your skin, because they are shorter rays that only reach the most superficial layers. UVB rays lead to lead to sunburns and eventually can cause skin cancer. The SPF tells you it is protecting you from UVB rays.

Favorite SPF Brands

SPF Formula & Concentration

There is a wide range of concentrations found in sunscreen formulas – from very little to the legal maximum.

Zinc Oxide: 5% minimum; 10-20% is ideal in a sunscreen. It’s really common to see 2-7% concentrations and 25% is the legal maximum in a sunscreen.  You may often see some zinc oxide based sunscreens will give you that super white ghost appearance after applying. That has to do with the nano particle size. Smaller particles like nanoparticles used in a sunscreen will appear less white when applied, and larger non- nano zinc oxide sunscreens will leave you with more of white ghost look. Some are concerned that there might be some health risks using nanoparticles because they could penetrate the skin. However, the USA is very relaxed when it comes to the whole nano- non-nano debate, so there are no regulation and I’m sure we will see more about this in the future.

Titanium Dioxide: 5% minimum; 25% is the legal maximum. It is often used in conjunction with Zinc oxide to help increase the SP factor.

Through all my research I’ve learned that if you have to pick between Zinc Oxide or Titanium Dioxide, you should always choose Zinc Oxide but even better high % of zinc oxide in combination with titanium dioxide to give you that higher SP factor and UVA and UVB protection.

Positively Posie Sunscreen Tips

• Sunscreen should be broad-spectrum – protecting against both UVA & UVB rays.
• Sunscreens can expire making them less effective
• Sunscreen should be at least SPF 30 – there is not a big difference in of UVB protection between a SPF 30 vs SPF 50+ (SPF 30 protects against 97% of UVB rays, while SPF50 protects against 98% of UVB rays), however the American Academy of Dermatology questions if there is better UVA protection in higher SPFs.
• Formula matters always look for a high % of zinc oxide in combination with titanium dioxide to give give me the most UV protection with a higher SP factor.
• Iron oxide and Antioxidants are two ingredients that when added to sunscreens can help reduce the amount of UVA radiation even more.

** please remember these are my thoughts and research, I am not your practitioner so please seek medical advice from your practitioner and ALL sources are linked for your viewing**

Eyelashes just like eyebrows play a huge role on the face, so how do you get a fuller look without eyelashes extensions. The the trendy eyelash lift (aka lash perm) might be your best option for fuller lashes. A semi-permanent lift and curl of extensions that keeps your natural lashes damage-free. Keratin Lash Lifts are supposedly way safer and less invasive way than using eyelash extensions. You get darker and curlier lashes that last up to 8-12 weeks.

The Process

The way the lash lift starts is: you lie down and pads are placed on the lower lashes to keep them out of the way. Then a silicon pad is placed on the top lashes, it is used almost like a curling iron. The shape of the rod helps give that super curled looked and helps to protect your eyes. At high brow beauty they use a keratin pigment infusion and the lashes are brushed with the mixture and left to marinate for a little bit. The whole process didn’t hurt but my eyes are super sensitive so I was a little uncomfortable for me.

The Results 

When we finished everything was peeled off and the results showed darker and lifted eyelashes. My immediate reaction was “eehhh I don’t see a big difference” I wasn’t blown away with the results. It’s not the same reaction I had after my first set of eyelash extensions: immediate selfie. Like I said I have sensitive eyes so the keratin formula definitely irritated my eyes and the surrounding skin. 

Is it Worth it?

 A typical lash lift is roughly $150 (depending on where you go) and it only last 8 weeks. If you have are looking for more fullness and length a eyelash lift isn’t for you, if you have straight lashes who are always needing to curl this is for you. Personally, the lash dried my lashes out gave them WAY to much curl. I am sticking with a good eyelash tint and eyelash serum to help give my dreamy full Kim K lashes. 

Lash Must Haves:

So this isn’t a new concept around here – I love self care + skin care & wellness.  I’m all about taking care of ourselves in a holistic manner, so when I heard celebrity esthetician Sadie Adams on the Balance Blonde podcast I was totally captivated by her. There is a magical quality about Sadie’s skincare approach, she is a scientist + healer.  So I’m thrilled to have her guest post today and share her knowledge about mircocurrent facials.

Sadie is a natural esthetician, self care & skincare guru. She studied anatomy, Ayurveda, and yoga therapy which led her to create Take Care. Located in L.A. and NYC, Take Care is a wellness collective of esthetician an, meditation and movement facilitators focused on continued education, self-care and balanced living.

Sadie is known for using microcurrent technology and meditative energy to deliver anti-aging facials that will give you that glow-y fabulous look we all want. If you haven’t heard of microcurrent technology, don’t worry I hadn’t either. It’s a subtle electrical current developed for the purpose of regenerating tissue and tissue function. But let me leave it to the expert Sadie Adams to explain the 5 Reasons why mircocurrent facials can change your skin and overall wellness.

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1. It increases ATP

By approximately 500 percent during the course of a treatment, flooding tissue with subcellular support and creating an environment that helps to clear stagnation and balance the fluids and membranes. This increases the cell membrane permeability and the health of the skin and tissue!

2. It works with, and stimulates the sub-circulatory channels, which run throughout the entire body.

Microcurent can balance and amplify the intelligence of vital junctures, where two or more tissues interface, as keys to subtle sub-circulatory systems.

Working with these systems offers immediate access the body as a whole. There are points on the surface of the body that can be used to detoxify tissue and as diagnostic tools, giving the practitioner insights about the client’s constitution and imbalance. Microcurrent can enhance the adaptogenic qualities of these points, stimulating the body’s biochemistry to produce exactly what one needs to strengthen (or pacify) and to heal – aligning body, mind and consciousness.

 3. Measurable increase in natural collagen and elastin production.

Ones age, health, and self-care strategies (including the frequency of microcurrent application -professional and/or home treatments) will influence the percentage of increase over a given time period. Some reports boast 10-15% in collagen production and even up to a 50% increase in elastin production in just a few weeks time.

4. Product penetration, circulation, reduced acne, acne scaring and fine lines.

Research shows the having a reserve of ATP encourages collagen and elastin formation which can soften and intergrade scar tissue and mitigate inflammation discoloration, pigmentation and fine lines. Having such a reserve triggers lymphatic drainage and over time dramatically clarifies fluids and increases blood circulation.

Microcurrent supports the tissues ability to process information, including nutrients, increasing the efficacy of topical products. There is also a specific application of microcrrent that is used to drive products into deeper layers of skin.

 5. Energy clearing and balancing tone

This delicate current is a simulation of the vibration of the human body. It galvanizes proprioception, helping the cells become aware of themselves and increasing the communication between the muscles, tendons, ligaments and bones.

As an energy worker, I find that augmenting a treatment with microcurrent enhances coherency in the various layers of tissues as well as the peripheral and central nervous system. I feel that there is a lot possible, in terms of supporting the processing of stagnant energy and perceived trauma, depending of the intention and participation of the client

And that my friends is what I call mixing science AND healing energy to prevent aging. I mean what I’ve learned over the years is we have to be proactive people with our skin & health.

We can’t be waiting until we are 50 to start working on our skin, we have to start now. Obviously, a mircocurrent facial is on my skin to- do list. Until then I will just be using my at home high frequency machine which is a little different but still fantastic. Gosh, you guys I’m a huge fan of facial tools I think that should be my next post, leave me a comment if you would want to see a post solely about KILLER facial tools?

Thank you Sadie Adams for sharing your beautiful work with us, I hope we all can try a microcurrent facial in the near future!

Hope you enjoy! x

Here is Sadie’s Instagram 

Here is My instagram