ACNE in my life and what I have learned from it...

ACNE...

I felt this image was appropriate.

I am someone who has always had break outs...some times it wasn't too awful, just a couple...but other times it was like someone threw a pizza on my face. MORTIFYING. EMBARRASSING. PARALYZING.

Those are probably the main ways I personally felt while struggling with this "Pain-in-the-ass" chronic irritation of the skin.

I never understood why I had these flare-ups, and supposedly no-one else in my close family had this problem... also in school, most of the girls always seemed to be so perfect and that just made me feel even worse... Some of the kids would even ask "oh, what's that on your face?" when they OBVIOUSLY KNEW EXACTLY WHAT IT WAS....I would have loved to tell them off and say something like "Yes you little jerk, it IS A ZIT, but guess what...It will heal and go away! However you were born like THAT! HAHH!!" Of course I NEVER said those things, usually I would get all red and sad and mumble " I don't know". Has this happened to anyone else before?? Whatever.( Eventually I came to the conclusion , that they were insecure and tried to make me/you feel bad so they could feel a little better about themselves.)

As the years went by I honestly tried everything besides Accutane or any real strong meds or treatments at dermatological centers...

I tried all the generic brands such as Clean and Clear, L'Oreal, Garnier...etc. They all did the same thing... NOTHING. They did not make anything worse, but they did not make it better either. I did use my mothers Cetaphyl brand soap bar face wash... It was okay...but also didn't do too much...

Besides external products I did sometimes do a periodic treatment with Tetracycline... that defiantly would "calm" things down, but still I would have break outs.

With all this said, I have to be honest about another thing, which I am certain we all have done or still do... spend too much time in front of the mirror, provocating irritation, picking, squeezing, putting harsh agents on the skin...etc. I don't know why we sometimes do these things, I question myself about this to this day! I think it may be a control thing. I notice this usually happens when I am bored or under motivated and/or feeling crap about my appearance. Maybe, by thinking we are in control of how "clean" our skin is or how we can try ( but then

almost ALWAYS failing ) to control and "self heal" our irritations, it gives us a momentary sense of "I AM IN CONTROL"!! Which is great...only immediately after we realize we look as red as a tomato and our skin is even more irritated then before!.... Not to mention we end up paying for it for the next few days-week(s)!!

So, with all this going on in my then close to age 20 mind, I heard a lot about Pro-Active. At this time I was going to Aesthetics school and learning a lot about skin, and initially was getting a bit smarter about how to care for it...but lets be honest...when you are that young, a 100% healthy lifestyle is usually out of the question...your glad if you hit the 70% mark.

Anyhoo... I started Pro-Active and it finally did do the job! It is a GREAT product! I kept on using it for maybe 2 months, until I started to notice my skin got so dry and irritated again..I didn't understand what the hell was going on! WHY AGAIN???? ... Basicly what happened was my skin type changed from being more of S. Sicca to Alipic... To keep the story short...If you use Pro-Active make sure you change to different "maintenance" products, or else you will push your skin type too far and will end up with overly dried , sensitive and irritated skin with ....ACNE AGAIN! (What a tangled web we weave?!)

NOW In my mid twenties I can honestly say my skin has never been better, and it is because of the following :

• Evaluating what my skin is in need of
• Understanding that Acne/Irritation does and can occur from many external AND internal symptoms...NOT from "dirt" ...as many misleading commercials say, advertising their latest products...TOTAL 1000000000% BULL SH$T!!!
• Watching my intake of ANY and ALL medication
• Eating more natural foods and preparing my OWN meals... this way I know exactly what I am consuming
• Drink water
• Read ingredient lists on products and foods... make sure the first 3-5 ingredients listed are familiar,safe and are the ones advertised.
• MOISTURE
• Exfoliate every 10 days...no sooner!
• Stay away from harsh chemicals
• Cut down on time spent in front of the mirror, thus you will not "pick" as much

These are the key points!

It's ok to go and get extractions once in a while, but I would make a point of letting the person working on you to LEAVE ANYTHING IRRITATED OR NOT "READY" ALONE!

I myself have gone to do this maybe 2 times in my entire life.

Also a great tip in general..if it is red,painful,itchy,swollen,infected... it's best just to LEAVE IT ALONE! I once had read some one writing they put peroxide on their pimples/blemishes...and did not understand why it got worse and did not dry up.... SERIOUSLY? WOW! Just be happy you still have skin!!!

I had a period where I had overly exfoliated my face, because I thought I would be getting rid of dead skin cells and my skin would breath better...bad bad BAD IDEA!! I had contact eczema all over my face for about a month before the light bulb went off in my head that possibly, THIS is the problem!...I put some eczema cream on it and by morning 60% of the irritation went away and I was laughing at myself, about why it took me so long to figure this out! Oh well, we learn from mistakes, right?

Another cause of acne can be from medication... in my family for example, we have a history of migraines ... so if I would have it for 5-6 days in a row and had to work and function as a normal human being...I took pain killers...and it helped the pain... but would show up as acne on my face. So if you are someone who takes medication often, and suffers from acne...THAT is what is causing you irritation...not necessarily your skin type.

Not just for women, for men too, hormone imbalance also causes breakouts...this probably isn't new news to anyone... usually it show up on the chin, jawline and neck area.

For men if, they use steroids this can also cause acne....(body builders!!)

And of course STRESS!!!!!!!

There are other types and causes for Acne, but I just wanted to mention the ones which are more common.

Remember, we are all insecure about something...usually that other person will not even see or notice your flaws, because they are also so worried about you noticing theirs!

So the next post will be about what products I have used and recommend!!!

Sorry if some of you are bored maybe of all this writing with no photos or fun product reviews... I just think it's SUPER important to go over the basics first!

Skin Types 101

So there are 3 main skin types, with one having 2 subtypes.

To begin with let's start with NORMAL skin type.

This is considered to be the most ideal, though it is not PERFECT! There is no such thing as perfect skin folks!

Normal skin usually is described as having/being:

• well hydrated ( no wrinkles )
• dead skin cell exfoliation rate normal (no peeling what so ever)
• circulatory system functions normal ( no broken blood vessels )
• balanced secretion ( never shiny, but glowing..if that makes any sense )
• few blackheads/pores around nose area ( usually under folds )
• pigmentation levels are balanced ( no freckles or any other type of pigmentation marks)
• no scars, or any other type of secondary skin symptoms
• no irritation ( a.k.a. blemish/acne)
• no abnormal hair growth

If you have this type, you are lucky...all you need to do is keep up and watch for signs of unusual symptoms...then you need to start using some prevention products...SOME! You do not need to change all your elements or your every day skin care products, just maybe change or use some other product(s) on target areas.

Moving on , we can talk about ALIPIC skin type.

This skin type is missing the fatty/oily substances hence the name! This skin type occurs usually in older age groups ( normal production in the glands slow down ), or overly treated dry skin ( I have had this skin type after using Pro-Active over time! ).

Usually these tend to be the most sensitive and easily irritable skin types. The hydration levels are low as a result of not having a barrier of oil to hold in the water between tissue and cells.

Alipic skin description:

• dry
• tight pores
• red, irritable, allergic
• wrinkles
• peeling, flaky skin
• irritation blemishes can occur... think of eczema
• fallen
• broken blood vessels

Briefly these are the main "red flag" warning signs!

This skin type is a MAJOR pain and can be utterly devastating...Because it is so sensitive it is difficult to treat externally alone, thus your key treatment will be in internal consumption.

If you feel you have this skin type or experience signs of it..I suggest first of all trying to ONLY drink water and TONS of it! Ideally 3 liters, though we live in a busy world so this can be difficult, try to go for 2! Try to eat as much fruit and vegetables as well to make sure you get your kick of nutrients and vitamins. In order to boost oil levels, eat nuts (if you don't have allergies) and some oily fish as well.

Externally make sure you shop at the pharmacy and you will have to stay away from "commercial"/mid-low quality generic brands. (La Roche Posay is GREAT, Avene, Aderma...)

You will have to probably spend a bit more money, but trust me, it is worth it!

Do NOT Exfoliate, use scented or overly processed products with too many chemicals... Only buy products that are for "Dry, Very Dry, Sensitive, Irritable" skin...if it says "normal" or "combination" PUT IT DOWN.

Lastly, if symptoms last too long and your skin does not improve see a dermatologist immediately!

Last but not least SEBORRHEIC skin type.

This type has two sun types. Both have over production of oil in the glands, paired with other different symptoms generally having to do with the keratinization ( rate of new skin cells forming and dead ones exfoliating off ). The most common is the DRY version (Seborrhea Sicca) and the other, less common is the HYDRATED version (Seborrhea Oleosa).

Seborrhea Sicca description:

• Oily shine in the T-Zone area
• Blackheads and whiteheads on the entire face but mostly in T-Zone area
• Open pores whole face
• Tightness and dryness of skin
• Irritation ( Blemishes/Acne)
• Sandy and/or flaky peeling
• Broken blood vessels around nose and chin
• Skin color usually looks "dull"
• Wrinkles
• Can become easily irritated

If you believe this skin type is familiar to you, your best bet will to be products to combat irritation, peeling , hydration and secretion. Because this skin is in need of hydration I would opt for a gentle cleanser...either a milky one or a watery based one...nothing that is lathery...so no strong soaps or gels. In the past I have liked Lierac, Bioderma and Biotherm most.

You can however use a tonic to help treat secretion, if you feel your cleanser alone is just not 100% "strong" enough. The next step is one of the most vital! EXFOLIATION! There are many many product on the market... "every day exfoliator" and brushes and these rubbery things that have little tiny spike-like surfaces... I say...FORGET IT! All you need is a GREAT exfoliator that you use every 10 days. Best ones are alpha hydroxy acids and ones which have tiny tiny little "scrubbers"... Ideally , you will probably use the latter one... AHA-s are great but they can be dangerous to use at home, or expensive at the salon. My FAVE exfoliators are MAC MICROFINE and LIERAC SOIN EXFOLIANT LUMIERE VISAGE....They have the best price and product level ratio!

Exfoliation will help prevent irritation ( helps dead skin cells off ) by letting secretion escape the pore, not trapping it inside to become irritated.

Then you want to use some type of serum. Serums are usually water based, so you help your hydration level to increase ... not to mention those nasty irritations also occur because of your dryness... hence the problem of abnormal keratinisation...

Serums also come in a wide variety, treating specific symptoms.

After this, you will still want to use a hydrating day cream. I would opt for a lotion, because of it's light texture. I would stay away from anything containing salicylic acid or alcohol ( THEY WILL DRY! ).

For treating specific areas/ blemishes it is safe to use either/or:

Tea Tree Oil,

La Roche Posay's Effaclar A.I.,

Natural Aloe Vera...even from the leaf!! That's the best!!

If symptoms are abnormal and become worse over time see your dermatologist.

MOVING ON ( I know...FINALLY, right?...)

Seborrhea OLEOSA description:

• Oily shine on whole face
• Face/skin looks "full" (hydrated)
• Blackheads mostly in T-zone, white heads entire face
• Open pores on entire face
• Not too much irritation
• Brocken blood vessels
• "Dull" skin color

Basically you may have giggled reading "Face looks full"...but it does. This is because there is always a substantial amount of oil on the face , it acts as a barrier, keeping moisture locked in.

The pores are open thus there is less irritation...the sebum can escape the pores easily and because the hydration is more "normal", the dead skin cells peel off at a normal rate, not trapping sebum in the pore.

If you feel this is the type that is most familiar to you, you will need to regulate the secretion levels firstly then tackle secondary symptoms..such as blood vessels...

You can use some stronger face wash, something of a gel or soapy substance...VICHY is a great brand for this skin type... and many other more "generic" brands are ok to use too...

Use a toner, it will also help to regulate secretion levels.

You should use a serum or a light lotion for the day time... I have not myself experienced this skin type, but what i would do is carry a little spray bottle with toner in it and a little bottle of a light lotion in my bag...then during the day I can evaluate which one I need to use.

Keep using an exfoliator of corse!

As with the previous, if symptoms worsen, or do not subside contact your dermatologist.

What do you think? And what should the next post be about? Acne or My skin care rutine?

I will do both but I want each post to make sense with the previous one...and not have them all over the place. What do you think?

Skin 101...what you need to know to keep your skin healthy

This post is about skin. Before even going in to makeup, it is vital to have basic knowledge about the skin and it's function(s). Understanding this, it will help you tend to it, thus resulting in healthier skin and more self confidence for you! ( We all worry and scrutinize ourselves in front of the mirror, so don't even try to deny it! :))

First rule, your skin is one of your largest organs! It is there for purposes of protection,keeping temperatures, sensation and circulatory. Not to mention all the pores found on us do in fact breathe.

It protects us from organisms/micro-orgainsms in the outside world.

If you think about it, any physiological occurrences always show up on our skin. If you are ill you can become warm, sweaty, pale, red, irritable...etc.

If you cut yourself or get burned you feel it because of the receptors in the skin...if they weren't there..we probably wouldn't feel the hot stove, and only notice boils on our skin when we would catch a glance at it.

Not to mention it contains the circulatory system of blood, lymph and fluid balance.

Here is a quick illustration :

I am not going to go in to depth, but it just goes to show actually how intricate and complex the skin is.

In our lifetime, we experience different skin types. This is NORMAL!

As we become older, the functions of our skin slow down, just as any other organ... it's sad, but it is true. With that said, the same way you care for your internal well being, it is vital to do this for our external organ(s) as well...

The easiest ways to achieve this is 100% percent common sense! Healthy lifestyle! Drinking water, eating a well balanced diet, spending time in fresh air, working out so our glands can produce and get rid of toxins ( sauna ), restful sleeping patterns, monitoring smoke and alcohol consumption... (just try not to at least...), monitoring medication consumption and probably one of the MOST important steps...watching and evaluating what nourishments and care you need to apply externally!

Some of you may wonder why is it so important to have a balanced diet...why does that effect the skin? It's quite simple... a lot of it has to do with our liver. Our livers act as filters... the more healthy we eat the more vitamins and healthy stuff there will be left in the liver , for our body's then to absorb...the more "non-food"/processed/chemically and/or hormone treated CRAP stays in the liver , for our body's to then absorb ... generally it's not great for you, but the first place the signs of some internal unhealthy problems show up, WILL BE ON THE SKIN...face and/or body.

I myself do LOVE junk food and time to time indulge, BUT over the past year have been living the most healthiest life style yet...and THAT combined with the right skin care regiment has made a HUGE difference! ( FYI I have always had problems with breakouts...)

So to wrap things up for this post, use your common sense and treat your skin as you would treat your most precious possession. Care for it and be gentle. If you do this you CAN NOT GO WRONG!

Introduction

Hi everyone!

I decided to start a blog about skincare and makeup because lately, I have been spending a lot of time watching YouTube, and discovering more and more talented and creative people.

I enjoy watching them and have great appreciation towards them!

With that said, I do however find there is a shortage of actual videos AND blogs, talking about actual makeup looks and products that can be worn day by day without looking too "done up".

I myself find that when I shop for products, I tend to deviate away from overly colorful, shiny or glittery products (unless it is needed for work purposes) and go for more subtle, earthy shades in matt or velvety textures.

I do have many beautiful and vivid products in my kit (which I will be showing to you all and describing my thoughts about them), but generally I've noticed they haven't been used too much. Mainly because I spent a good portion of my career in Television, doing makeup for more serious/conservative shows like news casts and talk shows, where the hosts and hostesses have to look relatable and portray the general "vibe" of the topics they would speak about.

In Fashion shows and photo shoots the same rules apply, with different techniques, but none the less most magazines and print media target the general public, whom are more drawn to relatable appearances.

There are some great creative magazines and media sources which offer more colorful story boards, though these are usually more in demand to those working in (close) relation to the fashion and and beauty industry.

In this blog I want to make an effort to show you and talk to you about products that work, how they work and which ones can make you look and feel gorgeous without looking like you are going for "A LOOK". To me, even a smoky eye can look too overpowering...so I will try to show some alternatives...I don't think women over 25 necessarily feel like they can carry off so much dark eye makeup, EVEN THOUGH secretly we would love to have the same look as a model, walking the runway of a Versace show (.I just wrote that example, because the girls always look so feminine and sexy).

I am young and already feel like if I wear too much eye shadow, I am adding at least 5 more years to my age...at least..and end up wiping off my makeup after spending the time and effort applying it. Am I the only one who does this?

So I will also be showing for example my favorite EASY and flattering for ALL AGES makeup combos...which you can pick and choose the techniques you like.

Also I want to start doing some tutorials..but I think for now I am going to try and keep to the basics first. Products...was it worth it...how to use it....etc.

SKINCARE!

I will be writing about basic skin knowledge. Skin types to be exact and products I have used over the years... Besides being an aesthetician I have probably had EVERY type of skin in my life and used everything from Pro-Active to Clean and Clear and Clinique and La Roche Posay and Vichy and so on and so forth...

I will show you what my fave products are, how to combat skin "issues", and what chemicals you want to stay away from!

I will try my very best to keep up with posts, but bear with me...

Welcome and I hope you find this blog useful...if anyone has any specific questions, or ideas/topics they want me to write about, let me know!

Enjoy!

Alexa