Skin care: 5 tips for healthy skin

Good skin care — including sun protection and gentle cleansing — can keep your skin healthy and glowing.

Don't have time for intensive skin care? You can still pamper yourself by acing the basics. Good skin care and healthy lifestyle choices can help delay natural aging and prevent various skin problems. Get started with these five no-nonsense tips.

1. Protect yourself from the sun

One of the most important ways to take care of your skin is to protect it from the sun. A lifetime of sun exposure can cause wrinkles, age spots and other skin problems — as well as increase the risk of skin cancer.

For the most complete sun protection:

• Use sunscreen. Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15. Apply sunscreen generously, and reapply every two hours — or more often if you're swimming or perspiring.
• Seek shade. Avoid the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when the sun's rays are strongest.
• Wear protective clothing. Cover your skin with tightly woven long-sleeved shirts, long pants and wide-brimmed hats. Also consider laundry additives, which give clothing an additional layer of ultraviolet protection for a certain number of washings, or special sun-protective clothing — which is specifically designed to block ultraviolet rays.

2. Don't smoke

Smoking makes your skin look older and contributes to wrinkles. Smoking narrows the tiny blood vessels in the outermost layers of skin, which decreases blood flow and makes skin paler. This also depletes the skin of oxygen and nutrients that are important to skin health.

Smoking also damages collagen and elastin — the fibers that give your skin strength and elasticity. In addition, the repetitive facial expressions you make when smoking — such as pursing your lips when inhaling and squinting your eyes to keep out smoke — can contribute to wrinkles.

In addition, smoking increases your risk of squamous cell skin cancer. If you smoke, the best way to protect your skin is to quit. Ask your doctor for tips or treatments to help you stop smoking.

3. Treat your skin gently

Daily cleansing and shaving can take a toll on your skin. To keep it gentle:

• Limit bath time. Hot water and long showers or baths remove oils from your skin. Limit your bath or shower time, and use warm — rather than hot — water.
• Avoid strong soaps. Strong soaps and detergents can strip oil from your skin. Instead, choose mild cleansers.
• Shave carefully. To protect and lubricate your skin, apply shaving cream, lotion or gel before shaving. For the closest shave, use a clean, sharp razor. Shave in the direction the hair grows, not against it.
• Pat dry. After washing or bathing, gently pat or blot your skin dry with a towel so that some moisture remains on your skin.
• Moisturize dry skin. If your skin is dry, use a moisturizer that fits your skin type. For daily use, consider a moisturizer that contains SPF.

4. Eat a healthy diet

A healthy diet can help you look and feel your best. Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins. The association between diet and acne isn't clear — but some research suggests that a diet rich in fish oil or fish oil supplements and low in unhealthy fats and processed or refined carbohydrates might promote younger looking skin. Drinking plenty of water helps keep your skin hydrated.

5. Manage stress

Uncontrolled stress can make your skin more sensitive and trigger acne breakouts and other skin problems. To encourage healthy skin — and a healthy state of mind — take steps to manage your stress. Get enough sleep, set reasonable limits, scale back your to-do list and make time to do the things you enjoy. The results might be more dramatic than you expect.

Why to always remove make-up before bed

As a woman I can definitely say that one of the most annoying things to do is having to remove my makeup before bed. You get home exhausted, ready to lay in bed and then that sad moment  of "Omg I still have makeup on" hits you. ALWAYS remove your make up before bed girls or you'll suffer the consequences I will state below!

1. You WILL break out

If you don't cleanse your face, dirt and dead skin cells are not removed and will stay overnight. They stay on the skin, clogging pores and leading to chronic inflammation in the form of pimples.

2. You'll probably look like a zombie the next morning/ or hideous crows feet!

If you've ever woken up in the morning, looked in the mirror, and wished your skin looked brighter, you not removing your makeup the night before you hit bed is most likely the problem. Oils and dead skin cells on the outermost layers of the skin are matted up against the pillow all night, and natural turnover of this dull epidermal layer is diminished. Regular cleansing and exfoliation are necessary to revealing healthy new skin cells and allowing the natural repair processes of the skin to occur and it could cause crows feet!

3. Your skin will look older — and you'll have more wrinkles.

Dirt and makeup trapped against your skin cause environmentally-induced oxidative damage. This leads to a breakdown of the skin barrier and prematurely ages your face.

4. If you have acne, it'll probably might make it worse.

While cleansing is an important step in anyone's beauty regimen, it's especially key for those who have temperamental skin. For those with oily skin, like acne patients, sleeping in makeup could worsen their skin conditions.

5. You could put yourself at risk for an infection.

While you sleeping in your makeup may not cause an infection,  if you already have an active skin issues, such as an inflamed acne pimple, it's possible that an infection can occur because your skin barrier is compromised. 

6. You could develop a rash.

Makeup often contains irritants like dyes and perfumes that, when left on the skin for long periods of time, can cause inflammation especially for those who have sensitive skin.

With 15 + years of experience, this skincare tip is one I mention to my clients often! 

Silk Pillowcases help skin & hair. This is quite the investment, but if you truly want to see your skin improve, it is worth the money! Silk pillowcases are great for skin and hair health. Cotton can sometimes irritate the face, especially if you are a stomach sleeper, Silk pillowcases are smooth and make sleeping more comfortable, but more importantly, make your skin and hair healthy! #skincare #haircare

How to treat Back acne?

Your face isn't the only place that acne can develop, it can actually develop in any part of the body that has oil-secureting glands or hair follicles, including back, chest and shoulders. Back acne most commonly referred to as "bacne" can be very troublesome.

While 92 percent of people suffer from facial acne, the 62 percent has back acne and even chest acne.
Having acne on your back and chest is a sign that your acne is more likely to be severe.
Your back, like your face, has numerous sebaceous glands that secrete sebum, an oily substance. Sebum, along with dead skin cells and bacteria, can build up in the hair follicles on your back and clog them. A clogged follicle eventually breaks down and forms an acne lesion.

Types of Back Acne

The types of acne lesions that can occur on your back include:

• Whiteheads. Whiteheads, also referred to as closed comedones, develop when a plugged follicle stays closed and underneath your skin, forming a white bump.
• Blackheads. When a plugged follicle is located on the surface of your skin and is open, it forms a blackhead, also referred to as an open comedone. The black-tip appearance of blackheads is due to a reaction between sebum and the air, not because dirt has filled your follicle.
• Papules. Acne lesions that appear as small pink bumps on your skin and are sometimes tender are called papules.
• Pustules. Also called a pimple, a pustule is a white or yellow pus-filled papule with a reddened base.
• Nodules. When an acne lesion develops deep below the surface of your skin, it can harden and form a large, painful nodule.
• Cysts. Cysts are larger, pus-filled acne lesions that are very painful and can scar the skin.

How can it be Prevented or Treated? 

Although you can't control if you get back acne,  because the main factors are out of your control. You can reduce the chances of developing future back acne lesions by:

• Avoiding certain medications. Some drugs, including androgens (male hormones) and lithium, are known to increase your chances of developing acne. If you are taking any of these medications, talk with your doctor about possible alternative treatments.
• Limiting your use of oil-based skin care products. Try not to use moisturizers, cosmetics, sunscreens, and any other oily products on your back, because they can lead to back acne flare-ups. Also, look for products labeled non-comedogenic, meaning that they don’t promote blackheads.
• Eliminating pressure on your back. If you carry a backpack or wear sports equipment, like shoulder pads, that places pressure on your back, try not wearing it for a while or, alternatively, wear a clean cotton T-shirt under it. Prolonged pressure and friction from these objects on your back can trigger certain types of back acne breakouts, called acne mechanica.

Health and Beauty tips

Liz Skincare 

2200 SW 16 ST Suite 224 Miami, FL 33145

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I hope you’ve found some of my tips helpful!

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The Truth About Blemishes and Some Tips

True fact: Acne loves to invade everyone’s skin, regardless of the color. Unfortunately, this could be more problematic if you have darker skin. African-American women haveenough melanin that makes theirskin more resistant to aging. This means you have better protection against the sun. This makes you look younger than your fair-skinned girlfriends when you all turn 50.

Before you shout with joy, you should know that melanin will not protect you against dark spots and scars brought out by acne. You might say that it is easier to hide these blemishes, since you have darker skin. Apparently not.

Surprisingly, black skin is more prone to hyperpigmentation, or the darkening of the skin, and hypo pigmentation or the loss of skin color. The buildup of dead skin cells is also more noticeable on dark skin since the dead ones are grayer and paler than the healthy ones.

Still, this doesn’t mean there is nothing you can do about spots and scars. It may take some time before you see noticeable results, but it won’t hurt if you follow these 10 tips.

Know The Difference Between Scars And Spots

These two share a common denominator: they don’t look good on your face. However, acne scars and acne spots are two different things.

Acne spots are most likely called post inflammatory hyperpigmentation. This happens when your skin makes more melanin in response to an injury, which in this case is the acne.

Choose The Right Facial Products

Your facial products including facial wash and cream play a major role in the health of your skin, specifically your face. Therefore, make sure to choose a product that suits your skin type and at the same time, addresses your acne condition.

Always Wear Sunscreen

Keep this in mind: Sunscreen is a must. In fact, it should be part of your skincare routine because you need adequate protection against the sun’s harmful UV rays.

The UV rays from the sun excite your melanin-producing cells, which could worsen discoloration issues. The sun’s harmful rays won’t help either, just in case you want to avoid scars on your face.

Health and Beauty tips

Liz Skincare 

2200 SW 16 ST Suite 224 Miami, FL 33145

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I hope you’ve found some of my tips helpful!

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Back Breakouts

What causes it? 

  Back Breakouts and what causes them? Your body produces an oil called sebum. It’s made in the glands connected to your hair follicles. Sebum moves up the hair follicles to add moisture to your skin and hair. 
   Pimples form when extra sebum and dead skin cells build up. This buildup blocks skin pores and bacteria. When the hair follicle wall swells out, it forms a whitehead pimple. When the clogged pore gets exposed to air, blackhead pimples form.

Some common causes of acne are: 

• Genetics: Trouble with acne can run in your family.
• Medications: Acne can develop as a side effect of some medicines like certain antidepressants.
• Sweat: Sweat, especially if it’s trapped under tight clothing, can make acne worse.
• Stress: Stress isn’t a direct cause of acne, but it could be a contributing factor.
• Diet: Some research shows that foods you eat could be linked to acne. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, there is some evidence that certain carbohydrates (e.g. white bread, potato chips) known to increase your blood sugar levels can also contribute to acne. For some, dairy products might also be a trigger. However, restricting foods has not been proven to be effective in actually treating acne.

Treatments for acne:

•  Shower after a workout: Letting the sweat and dirt sit on your skin after a workout can be a big contributor to back acne. Shower as soon as you can after a workout. You should also wash those sweaty workout clothes between sweat sessions.
• Exfoliate: Use a gentle exfoliating scrub with ingredients such as salicylic acid to remove extra dirt and oils from your skin. This can help reduce the amount of dead skin that could clog pores. 
•  Wear loose-fitting clothing: Your workout habits can irritate back acne. For example, tight clothing can trap dirt and sweat and rub it into your pores. Working out with no shirt against a sweaty gym machine or on a dirty floor, can also cause problems.
•  Try tea tree oil:Tea tree oil is made from the leaves of a tree in Australia. It’s been used by Australians for years to treat a variety of skin issues. Today, you can find many lotions, cleansers, and creams using the ingredient.
•  Keep hair off your back: Long hair may be adding oil and dirt to the skin on your back, causing acne outbreaks. Wash your hair regularly, and put it in a bun or ponytail during sweat sessions. Also, don’t allow conditioner or shampoo to run down your back. Ingredients in these products can contribute to clogged pores.
• Choose sunscreen carefully: Protecting your skin from damaging sun is important, especially if you’re exposing your bare back. But greasy sunscreen can also contribute to clogging pores. Make sure to choose products that are oil-free and light on the skin.
• Eat healthy: Ever heard the expression “you are what you eat?” An unhealthy diet can affect our bodies in a variety of ways. If you’re prone to acne, certain foods could be triggers. Research shows that foods high on the glycemic index (GI), meaning they cause your blood sugar to rise quickly, may make acne worse. These foods include white breads, white pasta and rice, and white potatoes. It’s a good policy to practice eating a healthy, balanced diet with lots of:

• vegetables
• fruits
• lean protein
• whole grains

Health and Beauty tips

Liz Skincare 

2200 SW 16 ST Suite 224 Miami, FL 33145

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Cystic Acne

When you’re a teenager, it’s not unusual to have a pimple or two. But if you have large, red, and painful breakouts deep in your skin, it could mean you’ve developed something called cystic acne.These breakouts can be treated. Don’t try to wait them out. Cystic Acne can linger for years. It can affect large areas of your skin and leave permanent scars. A dermatologist can help you with a treatment plan. 

What Is It?

You get a pimple when a pore in your skin gets clogged, usually with dead skin cells. Sometimes bacteria get trapped inside the pore, too, causing the area to become red and swollen.Cystic acne happens when this infection goes deep into your skin, creating a red, tender bump that's full of pus. It may hurt or itch. If a cyst bursts, the infection can spread, causing more breakouts.

Who Gets It? And Where?

You’re most likely to develop cystic acne in your teens  or early 20s. But it can strike someone as young as 8 or as old as 50. Your face, chest, back, upper arms, or shoulders can be affected. Severe cystic acne is more common in men, but women get it, too. Women often have cysts on the lower half of the face.

What Causes It?

No one is sure of the exact cause, but hormones called androgens play a part. When you’re a teenager, androgens increase. This leads to changes in your skin that can result in clogged pores and acne. In women, hormone changes can be brought on by menstrual cycles, pregnancy, menopause or a condition called polycystic ovary syndrome. 

How Is It Treated?

• Oral antibiotics help control bacteria and lower inflammation. Sometimes your acne may not respond to antibiotics, though. Or you may find they don’t work as well after a few years.
• Birth-control pills help some women by regulating their hormones.
• Prescription-strength creams, lotions, or gels with retinoid, a form of vitamin A, can help unplug your pores and help antibiotics do their job.
• Spironolactone is a medication that helps you get rid of unneeded water, but also is effective for cystic acne in women.

More Advice

Don’t touch cysts or pick at these blemishes. You may push the infection deeper and make it spread.

Try to relax. Stress can cause your body to release more hormones, which can make acne worse.

Follow a healthy lifestyle. Get plenty of sleep and exercise. Some research suggests that a low-glycemic diet, which limits sugar, can help symptoms.

Health and Beauty tips

Liz Skincare 

2200 SW 16 ST Suite 224 Miami, FL 33145

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I hope you’ve found some of my tips helpful!

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Skincare for Teens.. Tips and Treatments

Got acne? Then you know there's no shortage of tips or products out there to help you control it. But sometimes they backfire and make your skin worse. The trick to is to learn what type of skin you have, the best way to clean it, and how to choose products that won't trigger a breakout.

The four main types are normal, dry, oily, and combination:

• Normal Skin Care

    Normal skin has an even, smooth skin tone; soft texture; and no visible blemishes, red spots, or flaky patches. Pores are barely visible, and the skin surface is neither greasy nor dry. Normal skin has few imperfections because of the balanced amount of water and oil and good blood circulation. If your skin is normal, wash your face two to three times each day, with mild cleanser or plain soap and water, to remove dirt and sweat.

• Dry Skin Care

      Dry skin is dull, rough, scaly, and itchy, with almost invisible pores. Dry skin is usually caused by an abnormal shedding of cells from the skin's outer layer. In normal situations, lubrication from the body's natural oils helps to prevent water loss from the skin.
 If you have dry skin, wash your face daily with a mild cleanser. This will help prevent your skin from becoming drier. Moisturize with a non-perfumed, non-alcohol-containing lotion after washing. Also, limit very hot showers, high temperatures, and low humidity, which rob your skin of moisture. Even using soap and excessive washing or scrubbing of the skin increases dryness. Many teens have drier skin during the winter months, when humidity is low and heaters force hot, dry air into enclosed rooms. 

• Oily Skin Care

      Oily skin is acne-prone skin with open pores, a shiny complexion, blackheads, and pimples. Because hormones affect oil production, anything that affects your hormone levels may influence your skin. Some experts believe that stress, such as from exams or not getting enough sleep, may trigger outbreaks of acne. 

Many teens know that acne in itself creates added stress!  To keep oily skin clean, wash your face a three times a day with plain soap and water. If you need to cleanse your face at school, use an over-the-counter cleansing pad that helps dissolve oil and removes excess dirt from the skin surface. If you have pimples, never pop or squeeze them, which can spread the inflammation, worsen acne, and even cause scarring. Use cosmetics and other facial products that are "noncomedogenic," meaning they do not clog pores. Keep your hair off your face, and wash your hair daily to reduce oil.

• Normal/Combination Skin Care

With normal/combination skin, you might have an oily "T-Zone" (forehead, nose, and chin) and dry skin elsewhere. The pores on your face are large, and the skin tends to have blackheads.

 Normal/combination skin can be either overly dry or excessively oily, while cheeks may appear rough. Depending on the time of year, the oiliness and dryness can change, too. The skin is usually drier when the weather is cold. 

If you have normal/combination skin, wash your face two or three times a day with plain soap and water to remove the excess oil. Moisturize dry areas, but not oily areas.

4 Simple Steps to Healthy Skin.

• Cleanse

It's important to cleanse your skin daily to remove dirt, oil, and dead skin flakes. Washing your skin also rids the skin of excess oil, which can prevent acne. If you have oily or normal/combination skin, use a daily cleanser that contains salicylic acid; Salicylic acid is an anti-inflammatory agent and helps to remove dead skin cells. It controls oil production and increases hydration.

• Hydrate/Moisturize

When you hydrate your skin, you simply add water, such as when washing your face or taking a bath. To moisturize your skin, you add water, oil, or both.

For most skin types, you should moisturize skin morning and evening, using a moisturizer that does not aggravate a skin problem. 

• Treat

Many teens need to treat skin conditions such as acne, which occurs when pores on the surface of skin become clogged. This happens when oil glands produce too much oil, and pores get blocked with dirt, bacteria, and debris. Sometimes, moisturizers and greasy cosmetics contribute to the development of acne. Oils or dyes in hair products can worsen acne by blocking pores.  While soaps and astringents remove oil from the skin, they don't alter the oil production. Scrubbing the skin sometimes causes irritation, which triggers acne instead of resolving it. 

• Protect

After cleansing your skin, protect it daily from the sun and other environmental factors. Use a moisturizing sunscreen with zinc oxide (at least 7%) and a SPF 30 for UVA and UVB coverage year-round. Wearing sunscreen with protective clothing, such as long-sleeved shirts, pants and wide-brimmed hats, while avoiding the sun's peak ultraviolet rays (from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.), may provide some protection against premature aging and skin cancer.

Health and Beauty tips

LizSkincare

2200 SW 16 ST Suite 224 Miami, FL 33145

Please “like” & share! Thank you!

I hope you’ve found some of my tips helpful!

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