Skin care's #1 over-achiever, Vitamin A... Your Guide To Retinoids.

No ingredient has had a bigger impact on skincare than retinoids, and perhaps none has created more confusion. Retin-A, retinoids, retinol. Are they all the same thing? Are they different? Why so many names? It all begins with Vitamin A. And it’s pretty important to understand the difference especially when you’re talking with your esthetician.

So what are the differences between all the ‘retin’ names that sound the same?

The word ‘retinoid’ is a collective term. It describes the whole family of vitamin A derivatives. The end goal of all retinoids is to be converted into retinoic acid. All cosmetic retinoids, like retinol, retinaldehyde, retinol esters, etc, need to go through conversions within the skin to become retinoic acid. The closer a form of retinoid is to retinoic acid, the faster and better it works, but also more irritating it can be. Retinaldehyde is the closet to retinoid acid with only needing one conversion in the skin. Next, you have retinol needing two conversions to reach retinoid acid, and trailing behind would be your esters, proprionates, etc (in no particular order) needing at least or more conversions in the skin to be converted into retinoid acid.

What are cosmetic retinoids and drug retinoids?

A cosmetic retinoid would be found in your regular skincare that you’d get from a drugstore or even your esthetician. Types of these would be retinol, found no higher than 1% in a leave on product, retinaldehyde, granactive retinoid, retinol proprionate, retinyl palmitate, just to name a few. All of these require different types of conversion steps to get to retinoic acid, with each conversion lowering the active amount of retinoic acid. For example, your retinol product is at 1%, but by the time it converts to retinoic acid you might only have .05% retinoic acid.

Which brings me to the retinoid drugs, simple terms a cosmetic drug is a drug applied to the skin that is approved by the FDA to treat a certain skin condition. Drug retinoids don’t need to go through any conversions to reach retinoic acid. It’s already in that final stage when it comes out the tube. Some retinoids, like Retin-A, are prescribed by a doctor or dermatologist. Other retinoids, like Differin gel (adapalene, more on this below), are still labeled as drugs but can be bought OTC and don’t need a prescription.

What is Retin-A, Differin, and Tazorac?

These are all brand names of a particular retinoid ingredient. Retin-A is a brand name for the dermatologist prescribed ingredient, tretinoin, a natural version of a retinoid. Tretinoin does not need to go through any conversions. Differin is the brand name for the OTC ingredient, adapalene. Unlike other types of retinoids, like retinol and tretinoin, adapalene is synthetically created to treat acne and is the only OTC FDA approved retinoid to treat acne. (Another FDA approved acne fighting ingredient that’s not a retinoid is salicylic acid.) Adapalene also, much like tretinoin, does not need to go through any conversions in the skin. Tazorac is a brand name of the retinoid ingredient, tazarotene. This cream is prescribed by a doctor and used to treat acne and psoriasis.

What are the comparisons of strength between all of them?

The prescription strengths would be ones that work the quickest and are most effective, but can often be the most irritating if not used correctly. Retinaldehyde only takes one conversion to get to retinoic acid. Hydroxypinacolone retinoate (Granactive retinoid) is a retinoic acid ester. So its related to retinoic acid but, as Caroline Hirons describes, it’s its cousin. But given the choice, she would choose a retinaldehyde over a granactive product. Either way, both of these are the closest you’re going to get to retinoic acid without a prescription. Next strongest, with two conversions, is retinol. The highest % retinol can be in a leave on product is 1%. Coming in as the slowest ingredients to convert to retinoic acid are the retinol esters. These take at least 3 conversions and are called retinol propionate and retinyl palmitate.

Retinoic acid > retinaldehyde > retinol > retinol esters

Tretinoin v. Isotretinoin?

So by now hopefully you know what tretinoin is. It’s a topical prescription retinoid, but what is isotretinoin? Isotretinoin is a vitamin A drug taken orally commonly known as Accutane and is used to treat severe or stubborn cases of acne.

Claims Substantiation

Dermatologist tested

Generally, ethical companies mean that the product was tested under the supervision of a dermatologist. If someone wants to report something wrong with the product, that doctor's signature will be on the product. If something were to happen he/she would be held accountable. This generally is something to trust, but not always. 

Fragrance-Free & Unscented

These terms are commonly used synonymously but actually mean two separate things. 

Fragrance- free - This means there is no fragrance added in the product.  Many cosmetic manufacturers do not use fragrance to reduce the chance of an allergic reaction. This doesn’t mean the product won’t have a smell, it will just be the odor naturally from the ingredients used. 

Unscented - this product doesn’t have a smell.  However, this doesn’t mean that masking agents weren’t added to cover up the natural scent of the product. 

In summary, fragrance free has no added fragrances, and unscented has no scent. 

Hypoallergenic 

There are no Federal standards or definitions for a product to be labeled as hypoallergenic. As a whole, in the cosmetic industry, hypoallergenic means that these products are less likely to have the result of an allergic reaction. However, hypoallergenic does not mean nonallergenic, no product can actually guarantee never to produce an allergic reaction. 

Can some cosmetic products be less likely to produce adverse reactions? By and large, the basic ingredients in ‘hypoallergenic’ cosmetics are the same as used in most other cosmetics. Typically, you might see fragrance or essential oils eliminated as these are common skin irritants. 

Non- Comedogenic

Noncomedogenic refers to products that are not pore clogging and do not have ingredients that are susceptible to developing comedonal acne. Fats and emollients are the main agents that can cause breakouts. Unfortunately, like ‘hypoallergenic’, this labeling claim is not regulated by the FDA. Some companies can make this claim freely without going through proper testing.

Oil Free

Depending on how this term is defined determines what is actually ‘free’ from the product. Oil free is often sought out for people afraid of getting pimples. Oil free does not mean it will or won’t cause acne. Oil should not be an ingredient feared by consumers. I have heard of clients using oil free moisturizers in fear of getting acne but in fact really need some oil based moisturizers for their dry skin.

Natural

Strictly speaking, ‘natural’ should mean that ingredients are sourced from nature, usually plant based, and have been purified to some extent. The term natural in cosmetics can be misleading since everything from nature is natural. This term poses some questions. How natural is ‘natural’? And how many times can an ingredient be purified or processed to deem it ‘unnatural’?  There is no set amount of times a material can be purified and still be natural. What manufacturers can do is state what percentage of the product is natural. There are no regulatory guidelines for this term so products labeled ‘natural’ could vary drastically and you should examine this manufacturer's claim with skepticism.  Also keep in mind that products with this label are not necessarily vegan products. Choosing natural products is more just a lifestyle choice and shouldn’t have anything to do with if it’s better for your skin or not. 

Synthetic Ingredients 

Synthetic ingredients are ingredients that have started in nature but have been purified or processed/altered a number of times and/or an ingredient that was made in a lab. Chemists can create an ingredient identical to its natural counterpart with less irritancy and implement more cost effective and sustainable strategies. Natural vs. synthetic, what’s better?  When formulating, a natural ingredients actives can be inconsistent by change in rainfall, sun exposure, and other environmental factors. Using synthetic ingredients is a way to remove impurities or unnecessary chemical counterparts of the ingredient making it more concentrated, sustainable, quality controlled, and yielding more effective products.

Organic

Yay! A claim that actually has some regulations. For a cosmetic product to have the USDA Organic seal, 95% of its ingredients must be organic. The NOP standards can be labeled as “100% organic”, “organic”, or “made with organic ingredients”. Organic cosmetics are made with certified organically grown ingredients, no GMOs, select preservatives, no radioactive radiation for disinfection, and no synthetic dyes or fragrances. However, even these guidelines can be manipulated and misinterpreted by consumers. For example, the product may have 20% of vegetal material, and 80% of that may be organic. The label and advertising can be written that a consumer can interpret that 80% of the total product is organic, when in truth only 16% (80% of the 20%) of the total formulation is. 

Cruelty Free

Cruelty-free means that there were no animals used in the testing of this product. This also includes third party testing or anybody individual ingredients. The most frequently used organizations are PETA and Leaping Bunny. 

Preservative-Free

Primarily indicating that conventional methods of preservation like using methylparaben or imidazolidinyl urea have not been used. Alternatives to traditional preservatives are salicylic acid, fragrances and essential oils, alcohols, glycols, and some AHAs, can kill microorganisms. Is a product really preservative free? Yes and no. If it contains water, doubtful unless it’s stored in a fridge and has a few month shelf life.  If it’s anhydrous (no water), yes, certain products can be developed with silicone technology and require no preservation system. The only benefit of a preservative free product is if a consumer is allergic to one of the main types of preservatives. 

Chemical Free

No such thing. Periodt.  

Alcohol Free

This claim refers to products that do not contain ethyl alcohol, specifically SD alcohol. Alcohol is a solvent that removes dirt and oil from skin and can change the water solubility of skin for a brief period thereby allowing more water- soluble ingredients to penetrate. Alcohol is feared by consumers because it can dry out the skin. This is not always the case and products formulated with some type of ethyl alcohol can help penetrate beneficial ingredients. Keep in mind there are other forms of alcohol used in formulations, like cetyl, stearyl, and cetearyl alcohols. These are fatty alcohols and their effects on the skin are quite different from ethyl alcohol. 

Acids in skin care

Alpha Hydroxy Acids

In the history of cosmetics, no other ingredient has had the impact of alpha hydroxy acids, AHA’s. Most AHA’s are present in fruits and vegetables but AHAs used in cosmetics are typically made in a lab.
AHAs have a lot of benefits when it comes to skin care. Helping skin conditions like oily, acne prone, sun damaged, dryness, and even hyperpigmentation. Some of the most popular of AHAs in skin care lactic acid, mandelic acid, and glycolic acid. Glycolic acid is molecularly the smallest acid of the AHAs. Because of its small size, it can penetrate more readily between cells.

AHAs are water soluble and work by loosening the bond between dead corneum cells by dissolving the part that connects the cells to each other. This affects the skin in ways like:

  1. smoothing the surface of dry, sun damaged, or aging skin, improving roughness and making wrinkles appear less deep.

  2. stimulating cell renewal, bringing younger and fresher cells to the surface more quickly. It also improves barrier function and therefore improves the hydration of the skin. Adequately hydrated skin helps all skin functions work more efficiently.

  3. helping loosen clogged pores by removing the dead skin buildup from comedones and other acne lesions. Consistent use of AHAs keeps dead skin from building up inside the follicle to prevent future breakouts.

  4. removing hyperpigmented cells helping to even out blotchy toned skin.

  5. using AHAs on the body to help improve moisture in dry and cold weather.

  6. improving barrier function of the epidermis and collagen content of the dermis.

Beta Hydroxy Acid

There’s really only one widely used BHA and that’s salicylic acid. Being a beta hydroxy, this differs in that it is oil soluble and works deeper into the pore. Salicylic acid is one of the few cosmetic ingredients that is FDA approved as an OTC ingredient. This also gets rid of dead skin buildup but does so deeper in the follicle compared to surface level like the AHAs. Salicylic also has these properties:

  • mild antibacterial

  • soothing and anti-inflammatory

  • treating mild forms of acne

  • good for rosacea

Questions to ask yourself

When trying to incorporate acids in your skincare you should ask yourself these questions:

  • Which acid should I be using?

  • Should I be using more than one type?

  • How often should I be using it?

  • What percentage should I be using?

  • Should it come in a cleanser, toner, serum?

Theres a lot of questions to be asked. If you are unsure or want to know if what you are using is right for your skin type, visit your local esthetician.

LED Light Therapy, From My Treatment Room To Your Couch

Some of you may have already experienced the benefits of LED light therapy in my treatment room, but I’m going to break it down in a little more detail for you to get you excited because I now offer LED light therapy for you to purchase and use at home. Quick breakdown on what LED is and does:

  • LED light therapy is the process of using light wavelengths on the skin tissue for therapeutic benefits. Light therapy was first used by NASA and eventually found its way into the beauty and wellness industry. Typically blue light (465nm), red light (640nm), and infrared light (880nm, invisible) are the most common wavelengths used. To give a reference, a human hair is about 80,000- 100,000nm thick. Different wavelengths penetrate at different layers of the skin and provide energy to that specific skin layer. Similar to the way that plants use chlorophyll to convert sunlight to energy, LED wavelengths can trigger a natural stimulus effect in human cells that transform light photons into ATP (the form of energy that cells use) enhancing the cells performance.

Celluma panel for my clients

Celluma panel for my clients

In the treatment room I use the Celluma LED panel on clients with acne or aging concerns (the blue or red setting) and sometimes will lay the panel over clients hands using the pain setting (infrared) to help alleviate arthritic pain in hands and wrists. *Note that I do not charge extra to add LED to any facial treatment.* I have had very great success incorporating the LED panel to clients on my Acne program. You can see results immediately after use on some clients. However, when it comes to the red setting (the setting specific for wrinkles) you don’t notice results right away and instead need multiple LED treatments over a 2 month span to see results. I saw this as an issue seeing as clients would only come in once maybe twice a month so I wanted to offer a way for clients to get their LED treatments at home, on their own time, so results can actually be seen. Given the times we are in now, staying home is the new normal and at home LED treatments is a way to get professional light therapy while catching up on your fave Netflix show.

Me using my LightStim for Wrinkles

Me using my LightStim for Wrinkles

How to lessen acne and wrinkles at home


LightStim offers professional strength LED devices for home use. The hand-held lights I offer are the LightStim for Acne and LightStim for Wrinkles. There is no maintenance or battery or light replacing needed ever. The lights will last about 100,000 hours which if you did the math, is a very long time. If you are extra sensitive to products and feel that everything irritates or breaks you out (I recommend you see a professional first before you limit yourself to products), using an LED device might be just what you need.

If you are acne prone and are wanting a LightStim to help with acne I recommend getting the LightStim for Acne. With acne you can notice results rather quickly. I have seen instant reduction of redness around inflamed pimples using the LED panel on my clients in the treatment room. If you’re wanting to use the LightStim for Wrinkles it is very important to use the device regularly for at least 2 months. I would say 5 days a week for 8 weeks. Wrinkles are more stubborn and are deeper down in the skin so it will take time to see results. Not sure if you can stick to the consistency of using it every day? Instead of using it over your entire face, try using it only on the areas you’re noticing wrinkles. Ie crows feet, forehead, 11 lines, smile lines, wherever you have wrinkles. Same goes goes for acne; you can focus on your problem areas like your chin and jawline where a lot of people tend to notice hormonal breakouts. Each area takes 3 minutes, and then a beep will go off and you can move to the next area. To do your full face it will take about 30 minutes, so 10 areas. If you’re in a hurry or want to only spend 10 minutes using it, try using it on just your focus areas and on days when you’re not rushed, do your full face. You might find it handy to keep your LightStim plugged in where you would use it most. Maybe by the couch and use it while watching TV. Plug it in by your bed and use in the morning or evening when you’re browsing on your phone, where you enjoy your morning coffee, etc. The LightStim for Acne uses red and blue light with a total of 36 LEDs, retails for $169 , and comes with a nice little carry bag. LightStim for Wrinkles is an inch bigger in diameter with 72 LEDs of amber, light red, dark red, and infrared, retails for $249, and comes with a PhotoSerum and carry bag. You can shop LightStim here on my online store.

Types of acne

Non inflamed Acne

Closed comedone aka whitehead

Closed comedone aka whitehead

There are two types of non inflamed acne, open and closed comedones. Commonly known as blackheads and whiteheads respectively.
Whiteheads are closed comedones and are formed from a microcomedone inside the pore. They are skin colored and do not have any type of redness or pus filed tip. The reason these are called closed is because the pore opening is closed (or very tiny) to the outside air. Underneath the skin is a follicle filled with dead skin cells, oils, and other debris. This type of acne is also called maturation arrest acne. Meaning it has not matured or developed into an open comedone. Unfortunately, this type of acne is one of the hardest to treat and a lot of times needs extractions to get the lesion to go away. When you extract these you’ll see white debris squirt out like a little worm.

Open comedone aka blackhead

Open comedone aka blackhead

Open comedones! These are your blackheads and can be identified by them being dark in color and if you look close up, have a mini volcano type opening. The reason they turn black is beside the debris inside the follicle is exposed to air and thus creating a change in color from oxidation. When you extract these, they come out in one hard piece. IMPORTANT to take note that the pores on your nose are most likely NOT blackheads. Pores on your nose tend to be more prominent because those pores tend to produce more oil than other parts of your face and you’re just noticing a larger sized pore not a blackhead.

For some people, this is the only type of acne they will get. For others, they can get inflamed acne as well.


Inflamed Acne

Papule

Papule

As sebum accumulates, inflammation can develop around the pore. It is here that acne starts to differ. Inflammation is also an inherited tendency. Sebum is the food source for the acne causing bacteria called c. acnes. So an abundance of sebum is a feeding ground for acne bacteria. With all this buildup of skin cells, sebum, and c.acnes, it’s putting pressure on the follicle walls that eventually could erupt and leak to surrounding skin causing an infection and leading to inflammation. This erupted follicle is what is commonly called a pimple, or inflammatory papule, that just looks like a red bump, no white tip.

Pustule

Pustule

A pustule is different from a papule in that this lesion contains white blood cells. PUS! When your immune systems starts fighting off the infection, white blood cells accumulate in the follicle making a white tip that you can’t resist to pop. I would not advise you to extract any type of pimple except for this kind but you would have to do in a sanitary manner and resist your urge to pick at it later.

Nodule

Nodule

A nodule is less common and often in more moderate to severe type of acne. Nodules are dome shaped and go deeper into the dermis and are more likely to cause atrophic scarring from it deteriorating your dermis layer.

Cyst

Cyst

A cyst is a group of pustules that are so close together they create one big lesion. It’s similar to a nodule but contains pus. Scarring is common with cysts as well and can be very painful.

The Face Reality products I use here at HD Esthetics can have your acne under control in about 3-4 months depending on acne type. By combining customized homecare for you along with regular in office treatments such as peels and LED, your skin can begin clearing. To learn more about my acne program click here.

Life cycle of acne

Not every blemish has the exact same life cycle. They can differ in size, look, and severity. Some come to the surface, some get red and inflamed, and some come to a white head ready to pop. What’s more, every type of acne requires a certain type of home care and it’s important to know what type of acne you have, sometimes a variety, before you start to treat. For most people, acne is caused by genetics. It’s an inherited condition of the pores. When someone is acne prone, their pores shed 5x the amount of skin cells compared to a normal pore. This extra shedding of dead skin cells is called retention hyperkeratosis, and the pore can not keep up with expelling the extra dead skin causing a buildup. This buildup inside the pore is called a microcomedone, the beginning of all acne and invisible to the naked eye. Once the microcomedone is formed and creates a blockage, your natural sebum can not secret from the follicle as easily as it could before. So now you are accumulating sebum in the pore as well as dead skin.

A comedone is a mixture of dead cells and solidified sebum that develops from a microcomedone. Comedones can be large enough to be seen on the skin unlike microcomedones. There are two main types of comedones: open and closed, and collectively are known as non inflammatory acne lesions. Meaning they are not red or inflamed and their follicle walls have not ruptured. The other type of acne is known as inflammatory acne. Inflammation causes swelling, redness, and pressure and leads to the follicle walls eventually rupturing. Once the walls of the follicle rupture, the debris inside the pore, like c. acnes bacteria, dead skin cells, and other biochemical factors, are released into the dermis. White blood cells come to the rescue and try to dissolve the debris. This is what creates a pus filled lesion, the pimples you can’t resist to pop. Unfortunately, this dissolving of debris can lead to breakdown of collagen and possibly lead to a formation of an acne scar.

Scars form from the skin trying to heal itself from inflammation and infection. Just like the many variations of acne, there are variations of acne scarring. True acne scarring, the kind that breaks down your dermal tissue, is called atrophic scarring. You might know these as ‘ice pick’ or ‘boxcar’ scars by their distinguishable indent they leave on the skin after a blemish. The other common acne scars aren’t truly an acne scar, but most refer to them as one. Post inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) are smooth the the touch but are brown in color. PIH is the overproduction of melanin triggered by the response of inflammation in acne. PIH can also appear after a cut, burn, or other injuries to the skin. The other type is called PIE, post inflammatory erythema. Also caused by inflammation and injury but shows up as a pink to red spot from the damaged capillaries of the acne lesion. This is what you commonly will see after a pimple from picking at it.

So there you have it, a condensed but somewhat detailed explanation of the acne life cycle. As you can see, there is a lot of information when it comes to acne and how to treat it. Be wise, do your research, or leave it up to a professional for help. Acne can not be cured only managed. With the right products and routine, you could see your skin clearing up within a month.

Pore Clogging Ingredients

Here is a list of pore clogging ingredients. These are listed on a scale of 0-5 with 5 being the most comedogenic (pore clogging). This list is from the Face Reality website. There are a lot of lists out there that vary with ingredients. I think most lists only those that rate a 3 or higher, but some lists might list ones with a lower rating. It’s also good to keep in mind that formulation, and location on ingredient deck can play a part too. If a pore clogging ingredient is listed on the ingredient deck but way down at the bottom, you might be okay and in better standing than if it was listed closer to the beginning. There’s really no fool proof way to know if an ingredient will clog your pores. Some ingredients with high ratings might, while others will not. So here is a list of some pore cloggers that you should be aware of in your skin care, makeup, or even hair and body products:

  • Acetylated Lanolin

  • Acetylated Lanolin Alcohol

  • Algae Extract

  • Algin

  • Butyl Stearate

  • Carrageenan

  • Cetyl Acetate

  • Cetearyl Alcohol + Ceteareth 20

  • Chondrus Crispus (aka Irish Moss or Carageenan Moss)

  • Chlorella

  • Coal Tar

  • Cocoa Butter

  • Coconut Alkanes

  • Coconut Butter

  • Coconut Oil

  • Colloidal Sulfur

  • Cotton Awws Oil

  • Cotton Seed Oil

  • D & C Red # 17

  • D & C Red # 21

  • D & C Red # 3

  • D & C Red # 30

  • D & C Red # 36

  • Decyl Oleate

  • Dioctyl Succinate

  • Disodium Monooleamido PEG 2- Sulfosuccinate

  • Ethoxylated Lanolin

  • Ethylhexyl Palmitate

  • Glyceryl Stearate SE

  • Glyceryl-3 Diisostearate

  • Hexadecyl Alcohol

  • Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil

  • Isocetyl Alcohol

  • Isocetyl Stearate

  • Isodecyl Oleate

  • Isopropyl Isostearate

  • Isopropyl Linolate

  • Isopropyl Myristate

  • Isopropyl Palmitate

  • Isostearyl Isostearate

  • Isostearyl Neopentanoate

  • Kelp

  • Laminaria Digitata Extract

  • Laminaria Saccharina Extract (Laminaria Saccharine)

  • Laureth-23

  • Laureth-4

  • Lauric Acid

  • Mink Oil

  • Myristic Acid

  • Myristyl Lactate

  • Myristyl Myristate

  • Octyl Palmitate

  • Octyl Stearate

  • Oleth-3

  • Oleyl Alcohol

  • PEG 16 Lanolin

  • PEG 200 Dilaurate

  • PEG 8 Stearate

  • PG Monostearate

  • PPG 2 Myristyl Propionate

  • Plankton

  • Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate

  • Potassium Chloride

  • Propylene Glycol Monostearate

  • Red Algae

  • Seaweed

  • Shark Liver Oil (Squalene)

  • Shea Butter

  • Sodium Laureth Sulfate

  • Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

  • Solulan 16

  • Sorbitan Oleate

  • Soybean Oil

  • Spirulina

  • Steareth 10

  • Stearic Acid Tea

  • Stearyl Heptanoate

  • Sulfated Castor Oil

  • Sulfated Jojoba Oil

  • Wheat Germ Glyceride

  • Wheat Germ Oil

  • Xylene

© 2012-2019 Face Reality Acne Clinic

Part of Dr. Fulton’s scientific study.

Part of Dr. Fulton’s scientific study.

Below is a link I got from a study from Dr. Fulton done in 1989. For those of you that aren’t skin nerds, Dr. Fulton and his work is like a staple when it comes to skincare particularly his work with Vitamin A and acne. This is scientific journal if you care to give it a browse. I would recommend scrolling down to where you see the lists of ingredients. I want to point out a few things and that’s some ingredients you might have heard as pore clogging but in fact are not. Mineral oil on this list has a rating of 0-2. Often times mineral oil is thought to be very bad for the skin. When in fact it’s a very good moisturizing ingredient. In this case, they do not give a reason for the range of 0-2. Another ingredient I want to point out that may be known as pore clogging is dimethicone or silicones in general. Dimethicone has a rating of 1 and is a very good skin protectant.

This list also rates the ingredients irritancy rating as well as comedogenity. This might be a little too in depth for someone to care this much but this list is actually pretty easy to read. If you are interested in getting a more detailed look at ingredients I recommend checking this out. But I highlighted my favorite points in the above paragraph.

Link>>> Dr Fultons Comedogenicity and Irritancy in Commonly Used Skincare Ingredients

I hope I didn’t overwhelm anyone but one way you can avoid having to check products is to purchase products that you trust are made for acne prone skin. Like Face Reality. They formulate all their products without any pore cloggers so you don’t have to worry about this being an issue.

-Haley Durbin

Acne Specialist

Benefits Of A Cold Roller

Intrigued by the cold rolling trend? It may seem strange at first, but once you find out all the uses for it, you won’t want to stop. Everyone can benefit from a cold roller no matter what type of skin you have.

Have you ever used a jade roller? This is like a bigger, better version of that. Keep it in your fridge and use it whenever you find necessary. Once you are using it and notice it isn’t as cold, wait a few minutes, let it get cold again and resume cold rolling. It gets cold again after a short pause. Leave it in your freezer for ultimate coldness that will last a long time.

IMG_5054.jpeg

What are the benefits?

Did you ever think hey I wish I had a cold metal rolling pin? Well, me either. But, it does come in handy once you know all the ways you could use it. I like using my cold roller in the morning after I washed my face. It’s quite cold, and cold helps with reducing inflammation and puffiness. Inflammation is one of the biggest contributors to premature aging, rosacea, acne, seborrheic dermatitis, and psoriasis. Puffiness is a huge concern with a lot of clients, especially early in the morning around the eyes. This can also be beneficial for people with acne. Inflammation causing swelling, redness, pressure, and can lead to a big pimple. Roll the cold roller over the red pimple and it can reduce the size and redness.

It’s a rolly tool, so it can also act as a massage tool but a cold one. Sunburn? Roll this all over your aloe vera covered burn and feel instantly soothed. Sore neck? Roll it up and down your neck muscles or have someone do it for you. Sweaty from a workout or just over heated? Cool down with a cold roller.

  • calms inflammation

  • reduce swelling and puffiness

  • massage tool

  • soothes after waxing or razor burn

Do I have to clean it?

Once you’re done using it, rinse it off, and put it back in the fridge or freezer. Every few uses, depending on where on the body you use it, clean with soap and wipe it down with isopropyl alcohol. Since this can be used anywhere on the body if you use it on a not clean part of your skin I would give it a good wipe with alcohol. If you use it on your face after you cleanse it, your skin is already clean and doesn’t need much more than a quick rinse in the sink.

How do I get one?

At my shop or on my online store.

Should You Switch Up Your Skin Routine?

I recently posted a pic of the skin care products I used that evening and I received a DM asking if I switch up my routine often. To which I responded, “That’s a good question”.

Let me elaborate here. I do keep it pretty simple when I clean my face and do my AM and PM routines. They are not always the same and it really does depend on how my skin is that day. Also, certain products aren’t supposed to be used every day and used only a few times a week.

AM Routine

Cleanse> serum> moisturize> protect

Antioxidant and peptide serums

Antioxidant and peptide serums

For my AM routine I cleanse with a gentle cleanser, serum, moisturize, and SPF. I rarely change up my cleanser and stick to a gentle non acid cleanse for the AM because all you need is a quick cleanse from the products you used the night before. The serum I choose to use is always a vitamin C one, as you see pictured, because vitamin C is best used during day time. You can incorporate other serums to your AM routine as well like a hydration serum but like I said previously, I like to keep it simple and quick and my skin type allows this. Instead of using a hydrating serum I choose to use a hydration toner. Toners are liquid and can be put on with a cotton round or a spray. The one I use is the Cucumber Hydration Toner because it sprays on, which makes it quick, and it helps my serum go on evenly. Oh yeah, toner, then serum. But make sure the toner has dried just a bit and then a few pumps of serum on damp skin. So I get some antioxidant protection from the vitamin C serum and hydration from the toner.

I recently started to use this eye serum as well, I didn’t use it before because the pump would waste too much product but since the company is so great they fixed the pump and now it dispenses a perfect eye sized amount.

Okay, so we’ve reached the moisturizer. I use the same moisturizer for AM and PM. This could be different for others and their type of skin but this works for me. A lot of people also have different moisturizers because their AM moisturizers contain SPF. SPF in moisturizers is good BUT I do recommend you still use a SPF only product on face. Which is why I choose to have just one moisturizer and then use SPF over it in the morning. One might also like a different moisturizer during the day because it works better with their makeup. Once all that dries, the last and most important step is SPF. Periodt.

PM Routine

Cleanse> exfoliate> moisturize.

Unlike my AM routine, I like to change up my PM routine. I do this because I change the types of exfoliation I use. When it comes to exfoliation, how often you do it can vary on a couple of things. Skin type, and level of exfoliation.

Gentle cleanser and exfoliating cleanser

Gentle cleanser and exfoliating cleanser

*Before I proceed I would like to mention that I have a perioral dermatitis. Which in short is a type of dermatitis that shows up around the nose and mouth usually due to over exfoliation and/or use of oils. There really is no known cause of this but with trial and error I have come to find out mine shows up when I over exfoliate and use heavy oils on my face. So with that being said, I take it easy on exfoliating and oilier type products.

Types Of Exfoliation

Exfoliation acids can be used in almost every skin care product. All of the following can be formulated to have exfoliation properties.

  • Cleansers

  • Toners

  • Serums

  • Lotions

  • Masks

  • Brushes

Levels of exfoliation I use are serum, toner, and toner pads.

Levels of exfoliation I use are serum, toner, and toner pads.

If I wear makeup that day I will do a double cleanse. Sometimes twice with the same Quiet Wash gentle cleanser or sometimes once with Quiet Wash and once with an exfoliating cleanser like the Glycolic Wash from Skin Script. This cleanser is also a form of exfoliation. Then, depending on how my skin is that day and how bad my perioral dermatitis is, depends on what type of exfoliation I use after I cleanse. I have three options to use right now. The mild form of exfoliation is the beta-carotene serum. A step up from that is an AHA toner, and followed by the strongest form which is the glycolic and retinol pads. You see, I have exfoliation available to me as a serum, as a toner, and as pads (which is essentially a toner soaked textured cotton round) I go back and forth with what I use and how often I use these. Always end with a moisturizer and eye cream. Eye gels. Cold roll. You can add on whatever feels right that night. Laying in bed with some eye gel pads on is a great way to start a nice slumber.

So can I switch up my routine?

Okay, answering the title question of should you switch up your skin routine?

-Sure! But I would always try a product and use it for a while to make sure you like it. I am able to switch my products because I know I like them and I know they work for me and my skin.
If you are on my Face Reality acne program however, there is already a set homecare routine to follow but that still allows switching. Sometimes you can use the hydrabalance gel in the morning AND the evening if you’re feeling a little dry . You will also eventually increase the amount of days you use your serum too. You might also be introduced to a new serum depending on the type of acne you have.

It all spends on the type of skin you have and how many steps you’re willing to give yourself in the morning and evening .

xoxo

HD


Non-Product Ways To Take Care Of Your Skin

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Developing a good and habitual skin care routine isn’t something everyone does. I understand everyone is at different stages of caring for their skin and using products daily isn’t on everyone’s agenda. I can’t even fathom how many skin care products are out there and the beauty industry is always encouraging you to buy, buy, buy. So I have thought of other ways that anyone can do to take care of their skin without having to use actual skin care products.

Also want to note I definitely encourage the daily use of skin care products and solely listing these suggestions as an ‘in addition to’ manner.

Wear Sunglasses

Seems easy enough. Sunglasses will reduce the amount that you squint your eyes reducing premature wrinkles between your brows and crows feet area. They also limit (not eliminate) some of the UV exposure around the eye area. The skin around the eye area is very delicate and susceptible to UV damage so wear sunglasses that cover the entire eye area that provide 100% UV protection to get the best benefits. Remember, the sun hits your face from all angles and sunglasses really only protect from UV from head on, so other means of UV protection might be necessary. Like my next suggestion…

Wear A Hat

The bigger the better. But a simple baseball cap will do. Baseball caps are good at protecting the top of head, forehead, eye area, and reducing your need to squint. Wide brim hats have 360° protection of the face, ears, and back of neck.

Seek Shade

Under a tree, under a canopy, in a shadow. If you don’t need to be in direct sun, don’t be. Sitting in the sun and enjoying the heat from the ray can be very relaxing and done guilt free with proper SPF protection and wearing a hat. But since this article is about using NO products, moving and sitting under shade is a win win.

Be Mindful of Your Diet

What you put into your body can affect the condition of your skin. Some peoples skin are more likely to resist the effects that diet plays but for some people diet and gut health can affect their skin daily. A general guide to diet and skin health would be avoid high androgen foods like soy and avoid excess sugars. Dairy and soy can play a big role in acne while sugar can end up breaking down the dermis and causing glycation.

Use Warm Water

When washing your face or taking a shower do not use hot water! Using lukewarm warm water for face washing reduces redness and prevents drying out the skin further. While taking showers, put the water temp at a comfortable level and avoid consistently running the water over your face. Hot water can remove too much of the natural oils on your skin causing a loss in moisture.

Wash Pillowcases

You lay on your pillowcase every night. That means every night it is collecting dead skin, oil, and debris from your hair. Your hair holds more dirt than your body and you are laying and rubbing your face on it every night. I recommend switching the sides of the pillowcase you lay on every other night and then throw it in the wash. Maybe pick up and extra pillowcase so you can switch them out easier.

Tint Your Car Windows

Clear autoglass blocks a lot of UVB radiation and some UVA radiation. Adding professional tint to your car windows offers a higher percentage of protection for both UVA and UVB rays. Not to mention the added benefits of less heat and the sexy aesthetic that window tint gives to any car.

Use Clean Makeup Brushes

If you notice you have a collection of tiny bumps along your cheek bone those might be closed and open comedones from dirty makeup brushes. You should be putting your makeup on clean skin anyway but overtime your makeup brushes can accumulate dead skin cells and oil allowing a cozy home for bacteria to grow. With the tapping motion you do with your brushes, you want to make sure the bristles are clean from buildup before applying. Clean brushes also apply your makeup better and smoother.

Do you have any other non product ways to keep healthy skin?? I want to know what they are!

My [FAVE] IG beauty accounts

I spend tons of time on IG (guilty) scouring everything beauty related. I put together a collection of my favorite estheticians, chemists, and skin gurus that I trust. I like these accounts because they all resonate my personal and professional opinions and understandings of the beauty industry. If you are at all interested in skincare or the skincare industry (like if you’re a fellow esty or skin care lover) I def recommend you give these ladies a follow and let me know if you learn anything new. Which you will. I’m sure of it.

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First up is @labmuffinbeautyscience. With a chemistry PhD, she is bound to throw down some relevant and pertinent beauty info. Her Instagram is just a pathway to her content filled blog and easy to watch YouTube videos. She tries out product and gives her professional and educated opinions. She also talks about specific ingredients and busts common beauty myths. I have searched her blog articles for just about everything. My favorite ones are about SPF’s and the how the term ‘natural’ is overused by marketers and not even regulated.

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Next up is @chemist.confessions. Their bio pretty much explains why I love them. They are a skincare chemist duo that are tired of the beauty industry BS and talk actual science behind skincare. Known for their #decodethatIL (ingredient list) they go through beauty products ingredient list to see if their claims match up to the product formulation. Let me just say, I am astounded by how the beauty industry markets itself to us consumers. You can never trust a label except the ingredient label.

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Licensed esthetician, product developer, and beauty writer, @babeandbeauty answers about any beauty question I have ever had. She even answers questions I didn’t know I had! While covering almost every corner of beauty, more specifically skin care, she answers questions about daily product usage, provides easy to understand graphics and gives a non biased educated opinion covering tons of topics. She posts beauty tips and breaks down widely used ingredients in skincare and explains that you shouldn’t be afraid just because something is synthetic.

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I discovered @withseethru when it was formerly known as Skinno because they had the EXACT aesthetic vibe that I was going for and I loved looking at their content pictures. (Comeback old content pictures 😭😭). Through their re-branding, they have upgraded their website and their skincare mission. They are very passionate about ingredient transparency and have THE BEST skin care memes that I wish everyone would read and get a good chuckle out of.

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@lwskincare, Lori Ward is a business woman and esthetician. While some of her content is relatable to like minded business women, she gives a lot of valuable skin information and is very good at showing treatments and a BTS aspect of the spa world. Every Friday she does a ‘Skin University’ and answers a lot of followers questions. The best part about Lori’s story is she only became licensed a few short years ago. She is very good at giving information and that is why I pass this baton to her if you are looking for a detailed behind the scenes look into the spa world and she is very great at educating her followers about skincare.

What To Do With Your Skin Routine When You Turn 30.


At Don Halls Factory chugging my specialty drink because what else do you do when people sing Happy Birthday to you?

At Don Halls Factory chugging my specialty drink because what else do you do when people sing Happy Birthday to you?

I have hit the 30 mark and let me tell you it isn’t anything spectacular. Yet!! I am being very optimistic. I can’t party like it’s 2012 anymore but I already knew that. I’d like to think I’ve been adulting since I moved out of my parents house when I was 19 and made my own car payments. A lot has changed since then and a lot is still the same. Like the fact that I repeatedly hit snooze until the last possible minute. That is the same in 2019 as it was in 2009. But positive changes I have made for the better like buying and cooking with vegetables, drinking more water, no more tanning bed, and regularly washing my face AM and PM.

First, a quick tidbit, when you’re getting up in your 30’s your skin cell turnover slows down a small percentage every year. Your collagen and elastin break down faster and your hormones can be a little crazy with pregnancy or birth control. Ugh, it’s true and it sucks but even if you have perfect skin when a teenager it is possible to develop acne when you’re older (most likely a hormonal issue). You might be noticing more dark spots, more fine lines, and that your skin is getting drier. Prevention is 🔑 to healthy skin aging. 

So here are things almost 30 and my fellow 30 somethings should start doing with their skin if they already aren’t! 

Wash That Face

Seems like a no brainer but it is hard to get in the habit of face washing AM and PM when you’re not in the routine yet. But let me tell you it’s so so nice to go to bed with a clean fresh face and wake up not worrying about mascara smeared everywhere. Not only that but your skin products do their best work when you sleep. During the day your skin is exposed to outside pollutants that collect on your face as well as makeup and built up dead skin and oil. If you use a face wipe to clean your face you’re not getting a complete cleanse so I suggest using a wipe as a first step to remove makeup and your second cleanse with a cleanser. At night you need to cleanse or double cleanse if you wear makeup that day, put on a good serum, moisturizer, and SPF (obvi only SPF if it’s daytime).

Once you get into the habit of cleansing and removing your makeup at night and cleansing in the morning you’ll be wishing you started it sooner. Cleanse with cool water and use a soft clean cloth to pat dry or I use a cool wet washcloth to wipe the cleanser off my face so that I’m left with damp skin when I apply my serums. Another way to wash your face is by using a facial brush. Read about the facial brush at my shop>> here. Any of these ways work fine just make sure to use cool water and be gentle on your lovely skin! My favorite everyday cleanser that I use and that I have at the shop is this cleanser>> here.

Stop Tanning

Also sounds like a no brainer. I’ll be the first to say I look better with some nice color.  But spray tans have come a long way since the infamous orange color they are notoriously known for. UV damage is the number one cause of melanoma and routinely tanning or even ‘getting a base tan’ should be checked off your to do list. Getting a base tan before a vacation is simply that. You’re getting a double tan, double UV exposure, and you’re not protecting your skin. You’re just extending the UV exposure. If you want color for your vacation or special event I suggest getting a spray tan. Schedule your spray tan>> here. For more information about sun and skin health follow @calltimeonmelanoma on Instagram.

Use The Right Ingredients

When turning 30 look for these key ingredients: 

Hyaluronic Acid

HA is perfect for any age but you definitely want to make sure it is in your routine by 30. HA holds up to 1000x it’s weight in water. Meaning, it’s a great hydrator. Well hydrated skin means a healthier skin barrier. I recommend this ingredient in a serum or moisturizer product and you might also see it listed as sodium hyaluronate. Want to know the HA serum I have in my shop?, click >>here.

Vitamin C

Your skins miracle worker. You’ll often see vitamin C listed on an ingredient list as ‘ascorbyl’ or ‘ascorbic’ and words before and/or after it. A popular vitamin C ingredient is L-Ascorbic Acid and is a potent antioxidant by fighting free radicals. Vitiamin C is also great for strengthening and synthesizing collagen and elastin and can help diminish hyperpigmentation by being a tyrosinase inhibitor (basically it stops the receptor site that produces overactive production of melanin).  Vitamin C is a tricky ingredient because it is actually very unstable and you need to make sure you are getting a well formulated product as it does not last long before the strength of it starts to diminish. Recommend vitamin C use in the morning to help with UV protection as well. Read the ingredients of the vitamin C serum I have in my shop>> here.

Vitamin A

Anytime I mention vitamin A I am usually referring to the family of vitamin A. Retinoids or a form of retinoids like retinol and retinadehyde (a more gentle but more active form of retinol) are extremely beneficial when successfully converted into retinoic acid in the skin. You can find vitamin A in prescription creams or pills like Retin-A or Accutane or in OTC products like Differin gel. Anyway, I could and will write an entire blog about the vitamin A family but not right now. Right now I’m just writing to tell you that it’s one of the most beneficial skin care ingredients for healthy aging and an ingredient perfect for the newly 30 year olds. All retinoids stimulate collagen production, accelerate cell turnover, and mitigate photo damage. However, retinol is know to be quite irritating so….that is why I recommend using it’s cousin, retinaldehyde. Retinaldehyde is less irritating because it only takes one step to get to retinoic acid (the active part of vitamin A) whereas retinol takes two steps. Find out the benefits of the retinaldehyde serum I have in my shop>> here *Only use a retinoid product if you use SPF* 

SPF

This could have fit in the right ingredient list but I am putting SPF in its own category because it is that special and important. The best preventative skin care product is SPF (and it is often way cheaper than active serums). SPF 101, there are two types of sunscreen, chemical and physical. Both do their job but I recommend a physical sunscreen, also called mineral sunscreen. You can spot the mineral sunscreens by the ingredient names zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. Chemical SPF ingredients would be oxybenzone, avobenzone, or octinoxate. Both types of SPF work to protect your skin from UV exposure but chemical sunscreens are known to be more irritating than mineral ones but both types of SPFs have pros and cons so pick the best SPF that lines up with your skin and your values and go with it. Always pick a sunscreen that is broad spectrum. This means it protects the skin from both UVA (aging rays) and UVB (burning rays).

Thanks for reading and if you have any questions, you can email me at hello@hdestheticshop.com

  

Introducing the TAMBA Sonic Facial Brush

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I have been wanting to be able to provide you guys with some facial brushes. Well, I can now finally deliver, and in 4 different colors even. *cheesy grin*  A few years ago when I was still a young esty (esthetician) I purchased a rotating cleansing brush from Vanity Planet for a pretty good price compared to other brushes on the market with prices ranging from $100-$300. So I started using this brush and one day I woke up with a huge burn mark on my cheek! Like a rug burn, but from my brush I used. So it was at that point in my esthetic career I learned that maybe facial brushes weren’t all that great for skin (at least not mine) and wrote them off for the time being. Afterall, there are many ways to exfoliate without using facial brushes. Fast forward a few years and a lot more esty knowledge, facial brushes are quite beneficial and some can be great, you just have to use the right ones! FYI I still have the old brush but it is now used for cleaning bathtubs.

So that brings me to the TAMBA Sonic Facial Brush. Unlike other vibrating sonic brushes, the Tamba fits into the palm of my hand and is made of silicon knobs (aka micro baby fingers). So it’s easy to clean and doesn’t allow bacteria to grow on it. On one side of the Tamba brush, the silicon knobs are bigger and can be used on your T-zone. Another reason this silicon brush is great is you don’t need to buy replacement pieces and one charge can last up to 6 months. It has 10 different levels of speed with the highest oscillating up to 8400 times per minute. So it can be used on pretty much any skin type ranging from anceic/sensitive to mature/resilient skin by changing the speed/vibration levels. This wonderful, can be used everyday tool, retails at $59, which lets be honest is another good reason to love this sonic brush. You can pick yours up at the shop and chose between a variety of colors like black, blue, light pink, and fuchsia.

What To Expect From A Facial And Beyond

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 Who can benefit from a facial?

No matter how sensitive or hard to treat your skin is, you can still benefit from a facial because facials are customized to individuals. If you have sensitive skin, I will use gentle cleansers, mild exfoliants, and hydrating masks. If your goal is to clear up acne, we can discuss a plan for your treatments, home care, and even diet.  Be sure to communicate clearly with me on what you are expecting from your facial treatments so we can do our best to get the results you want. 

How should I prepare for a facial?

Come to your facial appointment early so you have time to fill out paperwork and be as relaxed as possible. You can come to the facial with or without makeup. Washing your makeup off prior is not necessary and if washed recently before your facial can actually give a false skin analysis result. Wearing too much makeup (is totally fine but maybe not on the day of a facial) because I don’t want to spend extra time removing makeup when you only have a limited number of minutes in a facial. Coming in with a face that hasn’t been washed recently with light to no makeup is great. Be prepared to fill out paperwork. Some questions I ask is about your current home care. So make sure you have an idea of what you are using and the brand name of it.

What can I expect during my facial?

Cleansing, skin analysis, before and after pictures, exfoliation, massage, extractions, use of modalities, and application of products targeted for your skin type can all be used in a facial given the amount of time you have scheduled. During the facial I might ask questions about your health, any medications you’re taking, and what products you currently use. 

What about home care?

When you leave my shop after a facial, your skin will most likely be glowing, fresh, and well hydrated. However, depending on what was done and used in the facial could make your skin experience some redness or tenderness in the areas that were worked on. I will have products available for you that I recommend based on your skin and what we talked about to take home and start or add to your current skin care regimen. 

If you have any questions regarding facials contact me, Haley at hello@hdestheticshop.com.