Demystifying the Myths of Tanning and Sunscreen

According to the American Cancer Society, "cancer of the skin is the most common of cancers accounting for at least half of all cancers".

I'm sure you've all heard by now that tanning isn't the greatest thing you can do for your skin. And by "tanning" I mean regularly using a tanning bed or laying out to "get some sun" - which means you either want and will get a tan or will burn trying. All of this without sunscreen. The purpose of this entry is not to lecture you. I'm attempting to give you enough information to help you make informed decisions. I rarely read a magazine article that gives me the complete who, what, where, why, and how. As a skincare professional, these issues are important to me, and I address them with my clients. And I care. I only want the best for your skin and your health. So over a series of entries, I'm gonna lay it all out for you.

First - a little background on your skin:

Skin is the largest organ in your body and has many functions. Skin protects and covers your internal organs, serves as a barrier to germs, prevents the loss of water and other fluids and helps control body temperature. Your skin is complex little layers that are affected (as well as the rest of your body) by everything you do - how hydrated you are, whether you smoke, have a bad or good diet, how much sleep you get. Personally, I find how our bodies work amazing (when I really sit down and think about it) and so is your skin. We should take care of it.

To make my points (and not bore you completely), I'm going to mention specific things found in these layers for discussion later.

Your skin is made up of 3 layers:
--Epidermis
--Dermis
--Subcutaneous


Epidermis -the top layer - the protective layer - and very thin. Melanocytes are found in the epidermis. Melanocytes make the skin tan or burn in response to UV rays. They protect the deeper layers of skin from damage. Excessive exposure can eventually destroy them. Melanocytes are the cells that turn into melanoma. Would also like to note that the stratus germinativum aka the basal layer and where melanocytes are located is the bottom layer of the epidermis. When a cancer advances, it generally spreads through this barrier.

Dermis - Thicker than the epidermis, nourishes the epidermis. It is the skin's main support system containing sweat and oil glands, hair follicles and is rich in capillaries and blood vessels. Fibroblast cells produce collagen, giving the skin strength and structure, and elastin, which gives the skin stretch and elasticity to prevent sagging.

Subcutaneous- The bottom layer composed mostly of adipose (fatty) tissue. Acts as the body's shock absorber and insulator.

Next: UVA, UVB, and UVC rays

UVC - are the shortest rays, beyond the ozone and have little effect on the exposure skin receives. I've been a part of discussions of whether depletion of the ozone will change this. I think that remains to be seen and have done any research on the matter. UVA and UVB are bigger dogs to tackle.

UVB - the rays we are exposed to most frequently aka "the burning rays". These rays penetrate the lower layers of the epidermis and stimulate melanin production. UVB rays are one thousand times more powerful than UVA and cause sunburn.

UVA - the longest ray most frequently used in tanning beds. They take longer and require a larger amount to burn. BUT UVA rays penetrate beyond the epidermis to the dermis and destroy valuable protein substances - collagen and elastin.

Lessons to learn: Here's a couple...
First, realize that collagen and elastin are our friends. Your body does not produce these little guys at the same rate forever.
Second, overexposure to UVA and UVB is not good. It can destroy the melanocytes that are there to protect the other layers of your skin. UVA damage goes deeper yet is often turned up to a higher level in tanning beds to allow you to tan without the burn. Melanin production is stimulated without the high levels of UVB giving you a burn.

An article I read on the American Cancer Society website states that "tanning beds pose a greater cancer risk than previously believed". They have been "elevated to the highest cancer risk category - carcinogenic to humans - by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, the World Health Organization that developed the widely used system for classifying carcinogens". "Current research shows tanning bed use raises the risk of melanoma of the skin by 75% when use starts before the age of 30". Obviously this is a cause for some concern when so many young women and men tan on a regular basis.

This subject raises many arguments and questions. Usually Vitamin D synthesis comes up. I have personally seen a billboard for a tanning business with something about Vitamin D on it. Vitamin D is synthesized by UVB rays. A lot of tanning beds use higher levels of UVA so that kinda doesn't make sense for them to advertise that way. You can also find Vitamin D in food (imagine that) like seafood - cod liver oil, salmon, mackerel, tuna. Ok - not completely appealing to all. Vitamin D can be found in fortified foods like milk, some yogurts and some cereals and juices. Supplements are reliable and safe. You can get what you need from supplements - look for D3 form aka cholecalciferol. It seems there is a slight disagreement on what should be the Adequate Intake, but for now it's 200 IU for under 50, 400 for 50-70yrs, 600 for 70yrs +. Or ask your doctor.

Something else people usually bring up is: "Well, I'm not going to stay out of the sun." I'm not telling you to. No one is. I'd recommend avoiding tanning beds and playing it safe in the sun.

Just remember this: skin damage, premature aging, dry, leathery, peeling, itching, wrinkling, sagging and permanent discoloration - all things that can happen from overexposure to UV light whether it's from the sun or a tanning bed. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

And this is definetly not the end of the discussion. Some future subjects: skin cancer, sun safety tips, sunscreen, getting a tan (w/o the damage).


Anything you want to see added to that list?



Thanks for reading! Happy Friday!



Abby O.



www.americancancersociety.com

All About Lashes

There are many different things women will do in the name of beauty - we get our hair done, powder our noses, sometimes we sit still long enough to get a facial so our friendly esthetician can study our skin and tell us what to use. Sometimes we follow those directions. We might even let that same nice lady rip the hair off of various areas of our bodies.

Recently I've received several requests for services that involve eyelashes. Lashes are getting plenty of attention these days thanks to new TV ads promoting a lash growth product. These little protective hairs are rarely overlooked. As eyebrows frame the face, lashes frame the windows to our souls. Enhancing lashes makes the eye more noticeable. Some mornings, mascara helps me look more awake but also completes my look - however simple or involved it might be that day.

Aside from mascara, there are several services you can have done to enhance eyelashes.

Lash Tinting: Tinting is dyeing eyelashes a color - always black - unless someone absolutely does not want black. There are other colors. Basically, you lay back, close your eyes and when you open them, your lashes will be beautifully black. This is great for lighter colored lashes and to fill them out at the tips. Top and lower lashes are included in the procedure. Lasts around 5 weeks; procedure takes about 30 min.

Lash Perms: Perming lashes is exactly how it sounds. Your lashes will stay curled for 1 1/2 to 2 months. A sticky round "rod" (more like a skinny, long, round piece of cotton with adhesive on the outside) is place above the top lash line on your eyelid. The lashes are rolled up onto the rod to stay in place and curl them. Perm lotion is applied - we wait. Once the perm lotion is removed, setting lotion is applied - and again, we wait. Setting lotion is removed, nourishing lotion is applied. The rod is removed and your lashes are beautifully curled. There are different sizes of rods for shorter or longer lashes. Procedure takes about 1 hour. (sorry no pictures yet)

Lash Extensions: I use NovaLash Extensions. They are individual, synthetic lashes that are glued onto your individual lashes (allowing your lashes to shed as they wish). The result is natural looking, longer lashes. With many different lengths and curly lashes (slightly more curled than the regular lashes), you can get a glam look or a "I have lashes!" look. NovaLash products are American made to higher standards in order to ensure that we are using the safest, best product. They last 4-8 weeks. Will look great on anyone, especially brides, athletes, water sport/lake/pool lovers, those with short lashes, those wanting to forget about mascara. Learn more about them at www.novalash.com. NovaLash has also come out with some exciting new products like Lash Liner, a skinny little liner pencil designed to deposit color in between your lashes to make them look thicker, and Lash Doctor, a lash growth product.

Lash Growth Products: For the last couple of years (that I know of), lash growth products have been gaining momentum. There are a couple of staples in the industry and more than a few copies. All of these products are designed to make your lashes appear (using the word appear because of FDA regulations) longer. You do have to keep using them to get the results. Some of them have slightly undesirable side effects. I've heard of a few brands recently (NovaLash being one) that are more natural, claiming not so many undesirable side effects.

Mascara: Mascara use goes all the way back to the Ancient Egyptians. It was worn to ward off evil spirits and bad energy. The first packaged cosmetic mascara was created in 1917 by Eugene Rimmel, founder of Maybelline Cosmetics. Mascara comes in many different formulas, colors, with skinny or round fluffy brushes to create a variety of looks for whatever kind of lashes you have or don't have. There are also primers. I use Jane Iredale's PureLash Extender and Conditioner. It has algae extract that conditions and protects lashes. And then I use JI Longest Lash Thickening and Lengthing Mascara in Black Ice. I love that it comes in a squeezable tube so I can get all the mascara out of it.

Application Tips! When using a primer, apply the primer starting at the base of your lashes and rocking the wand slightly side to side to coat your lashes. While the primer is still wet (you don't want it to dry!), apply mascara starting at the base and moving the wand up to the tips. Fewer, slower, complete strokes will get you better results than fast, short strokes.

Tools: Mechanical Curlers vs. Heated Curlers - I prefer the heated. It's easier to use, easier on your lashes and portable as well. If you need help finding one, just let me know. You can use the heated curler after you apply mascara, too, which should not be done with a mechanical curler. Sorry, mechanical curler - only for emergencies. :(

Of course, if you have your lashes permed, you don't need a curler. :)

A little note on other fake lashes: Strip lashes (can be found anywhere) are good for a day, easy to apply - especially when cut into 2 or 3 sections. There are many fantastically fun lashes out there to experiment with. Cluster lashes are a little group of lashes knotted together at the bottom. Good for a day or two. Continual use of these lashes is not recommended. They are usually stuck to more than one of your natural lashes at a time which can cause problems when your lashes are trying to fall out. Plus the quality of the glue that is sold to apply these lashes with is (in my personal opinion!) of a questionable nature. Smells like acetone. I can help you apply any kind of fake lashes you want. Strip and cluster lashes are great for temporary use - so for special occasions or a fun look.

Did I forget anything? Amazing all the different things we can do to our lashes, isn't it?

I hope this has "opened your eyes" to all the services/products available for your lashes. I get excited to see the results of the services on each person. It's always different and always fabulous. And I hope they spend copious amounts of time looking in the mirror and batting their eyelashes at themselves.

If you have any questions about any service mentioned, please let me know.

Thanks for reading and Happy Weekend!

Abby O.

Still to come: Demystifying the myths of tanning and sunscreen.

Lip Gloss - Pure Girlish Fun in a Tube

Lip Gloss is fun. It can be shiny, shimmery, sweet, colored, uncolored, flavored, sticky, not so sticky, very sticky and can drive men nuts. According to the song titled "Lip Gloss" by Lil Mama: "my lipgloss be poppin, my lipgloss be cool and all the boys be jockin and chasing me after school". I've only gotten complaints from my hubby about its stickiness when he kisses me. Goes both ways I suppose. By the way, I watched about a minute of Lil Mama's "Lip Gloss" video on YouTube then watched a knockoff version by Lil Brittany. Lil Brittany's version is quite funny (much better) and worth a look if you have the extra time. Reminds us not to take ourselves too seriously.

And I find that lip gloss helps in that aspect. It's the not so formal, more undone sister to lipstick. Gloss gives a shine to the lips that makes them appear fuller and is easy to wear. There are many kinds of lip gloss available and different ways to apply it - the little sponge applicator in the tube, a brush, or with your fingers out of a jar. The first commercially available lip gloss was Max Factor's (inventor of many things makeup) X-Rated in 1932 and was sold until 2003 when it was retired. It's safe to say that every makeup line available now offers some type of lip gloss.

Because of that fact, the task of finding your perfect/favorite one might seem daunting. But really this is the fun part. Find the nearest department store (or come see me) that allows you to try out makeup before buying and take advantage. Try different types - plumping, super glossy, shimmery - there's an endless selection. Plumpers are nice if they aren't too tingly and help those with thinner lips. The effects of plumpers are temporary like so many things in the beauty world but the great thing about lip gloss - you can just reapply ;)

Lip gloss is actually pretty versatile as well. You can wear it alone, under or on top of lipstick, over a lip pencil, wear one color lipstick or lip pencil and a gloss in another color to create a different color and look. Gloss can change with your mood.

In a small, informal survey some gloss faves are Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment ("smells wonderful, no goop, contains SPF and just the right amount of gloss"), Cherry SoftLips ("tastes good, smells good, feels soft and when it melts, makes my purse smell good"), Jane Iredale Pure Gloss ("so many colors to love and choose from") and a couple votes for the old standby - Cherry Chapstick.
Fresh is a great product with good ingredients. SoftLips, kudos to them, now has a 95% USDA certified organic lip product and Jane Iredale (a favorite of mine as well) is a natural product that plumps without chemicals and isn't too tingly. When I looked up these different brands on the Internet, I was pleased to see the ingredients were easy to find. Very helpful in this day and age.
A little more on Jane Iredale Pure Gloss...I do use this mineral makeup line personally and professionally so, yes, I know a lot about it. Their glosses have a base of organic vegetable oils with a tingly mint and ginger flavor that plumps without chemicals. They contain coconut oil and palm oil - natural emollients and moisturizers and soybean oil - a natural moisturizer and antioxidant. Some of my favorite colors are Cotton Candy, Candied Rose and Cosmo. The website is chock full of info on all the products which is refreshing. They also offer plumpers that have a soft sheen and subtle color.

Many glosses and balms contain petroleum which interferes with the skin's natural moisturizing factor and causes lips to dry and chap. Which is why we apply them so much more often than we need to. Finding petroleum free lip products means less reapplying. A fantastic balm is Jane Iredale's Lip Drink - SPF 14, in a base of macadamia nut oil with edible zinc oxide for sun protection, antioxidants Green Tea extract and vitamins E and C, and a great lemon and orange oil smell and flavor. Lip Drink is one of my favorite, absolutely must carry with me products. And it's colorless- great for women and men.

Any way you like it - or don't - lip gloss is a simple way to express yourself or a simple way to moisturize and treat your lips. And it's okay to blow yourself a little shiny kiss in the mirror after applying :)


Coming up: Demystifying the myths of tanning and sunscreen.

Questions, Comments and Requests are always welcome!

Thanks for reading,
Abby O.