What a great year it has been to be using a razor. I hope my blog entries have help teach you some helpful tips on shaving and your skin. Here’s a recap of some of the year’s highlights…
1) Shaving exfoliates, and can leave your skin sensitive. Make sure to moisturizer after you shave.
2) Shave a prepared beard. Soften your bristles with warm water. Try shaving after the shower.
3) Technique is key. Try light, short strokes in the direction of your hair growth.
4) Wash your face once or twice a day to remove excess dirt and oil. Over washing can cause problems for your skin!
5) Care for your razor and it will care for you. Make sure to clean and store your blades properly after each use.
6) Shave as frequently as you need to. Some people have denser beards, and others light ones. You may have sensitive skin or not be bothered by anything. Trial and error will help you figure out what works best for you.
7) Ingrown hairs and nicks in the skin happen to everyone. Just be prepared on how to deal with them. (Check out the old posts on these topics.)
Shaving is a life long activity. Knowing what to do and what not to do can help make the process easier and allow you to look the best you can!
Happy shaving!
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Monday, May 16, 2011
Sunscreen 101
Before you graduate from my blog, I will have to dispel some myths about sunscreens. If you follow the rules below, you will successfully be able to protect your skin this summer.
1) Make sure you protect yourself from both UVA and UVB.
An SPF rating refers only to protection against UVB. Regardless of your sunscreen’s SPF level, make sure to use a product that blocks UVA as well. Turn the bottle over and check out the ingredient list. Choose something that contains avobenzone, ecamsule, oxybenzone, titanium dioxide, or zinc oxide. UVA rays may be more harmful to the skin than UVB and causes premature skin aging and skin cancers.
2) The higher the SPF the better. Not really.
A sunscreen with an SPF of 30 will block 97% UVB light. A higher SPF value does not proportionally block more UVB light. The big jump really comes between lower SPF levels. A sunscreen with an SPF 45, 85, or even 100+ only block up to approximately 3% more UVB than the SPF 30 sunscreen.
3) How much is enough?
One of the biggest mistakes you can make is not applying enough sunscreen. The amount of protection they offer is based on how much you put on.
The average sized person need 1 ounce, a full shot glass amount, for the entire body. For your face, use a dollop the side of a nickel. A quarter size is enough for your chest and another for your back. Use another nickel for each arm, and two quarters for each leg.
If you apply less, you won’t get the sun protection you think you will be getting. Plus, make sure to reapply every two hours when you are sweating in the sun and after you get out the pool or ocean. Even waterproof sunscreens can come off in the water!
1) Make sure you protect yourself from both UVA and UVB.
An SPF rating refers only to protection against UVB. Regardless of your sunscreen’s SPF level, make sure to use a product that blocks UVA as well. Turn the bottle over and check out the ingredient list. Choose something that contains avobenzone, ecamsule, oxybenzone, titanium dioxide, or zinc oxide. UVA rays may be more harmful to the skin than UVB and causes premature skin aging and skin cancers.
2) The higher the SPF the better. Not really.
A sunscreen with an SPF of 30 will block 97% UVB light. A higher SPF value does not proportionally block more UVB light. The big jump really comes between lower SPF levels. A sunscreen with an SPF 45, 85, or even 100+ only block up to approximately 3% more UVB than the SPF 30 sunscreen.
3) How much is enough?
One of the biggest mistakes you can make is not applying enough sunscreen. The amount of protection they offer is based on how much you put on.
The average sized person need 1 ounce, a full shot glass amount, for the entire body. For your face, use a dollop the side of a nickel. A quarter size is enough for your chest and another for your back. Use another nickel for each arm, and two quarters for each leg.
If you apply less, you won’t get the sun protection you think you will be getting. Plus, make sure to reapply every two hours when you are sweating in the sun and after you get out the pool or ocean. Even waterproof sunscreens can come off in the water!
Shaving and the Sun
Protecting your skin from the sun is a task to be done all year round. Now that warmer weather is upon us, this is especially important.
When you shave, you can make your skin more sensitive to the sun than it normally would be. The razor exfoliates your skin and gets rid of dead surface skin cells. Without them, you can be more susceptible to ultraviolet light damage from the sun.
Moisturizing is always important after your shave, but during the spring and summer you may want to choose a moisturizer that will also protect you from the sun. A moisturizer with SPF 30 or higher is great for UVB rays. Use a product that also contains avobenzone, zinc, or titanium to make sure you protect yourself from UVA also.
Sunburns happen, and if they happen to you make sure you are prepared. Heavy moisturizers can help soothe the skin, as can aloe vera containing creams. Over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream can also reduce inflammation in the skin. For bad sunburns, also take an over-the-counter aspirin or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (like naproxen) to extinguish the fire in your skin.
Most importantly, avoid shaving a sunburned face. Sunburned skin is very sensitive and at risk for irritation from the razor. Take a shaving holiday for a day or two until the skin goes back to what is normally is like.
When you shave, you can make your skin more sensitive to the sun than it normally would be. The razor exfoliates your skin and gets rid of dead surface skin cells. Without them, you can be more susceptible to ultraviolet light damage from the sun.
Moisturizing is always important after your shave, but during the spring and summer you may want to choose a moisturizer that will also protect you from the sun. A moisturizer with SPF 30 or higher is great for UVB rays. Use a product that also contains avobenzone, zinc, or titanium to make sure you protect yourself from UVA also.
Sunburns happen, and if they happen to you make sure you are prepared. Heavy moisturizers can help soothe the skin, as can aloe vera containing creams. Over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream can also reduce inflammation in the skin. For bad sunburns, also take an over-the-counter aspirin or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (like naproxen) to extinguish the fire in your skin.
Most importantly, avoid shaving a sunburned face. Sunburned skin is very sensitive and at risk for irritation from the razor. Take a shaving holiday for a day or two until the skin goes back to what is normally is like.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Humidity is here. How does this affect your face?
Spring has arrived. While warm weather let’s us spend more time outside, we need to keep the humidity in the air and off of our faces. If you are not prepared your face can end up broken out and sunburned.
The basics of skin care don’t really change from one season to the next. You need to wash, moisturize, and exfoliate no matter what, but you may choose different types of products when it’s humid outside.
Washing
The oil produced by your skin may you feel like you need to wash your face more often. But beware, because over-washing can strip your skin of the oils it needs. This can paradoxically cause your skin to go into overdrive and make more oil. Try a face wash with salicylic acid to help remove excess dirt and oil. If you use it in the morning, you may be set until you wash again at night.
Moisturizing
Even though the air is less dry outside, you still may need to moisturize to keep your skin in check. If you normally use a cream, switch to a lotion. If lotions are your norm, try a moisturizing serum. Oil-free moisturizers contain dimethicone and are a great way to help reduce the oiliness during humid months.
Exfoliating
Dead cells build up on the surface of your skin all year long. Exfoliating can remove these cells and keep the skin looking fresh. During warmer months, make sure not to exfoliate sunburned skin. Avoid over-exfoliating because it can leave you irritated and dry. Your skin may compensate by making even more oil. Exfoliating once per week should do the trick.
Sun protection
Now more than ever, it’s important to protect your skin from UV rays. Choose a sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher. Look for ingredients like avobenzone, zinc or titanium for broad spectrum coverage. For daily use, a moisturizer with sunscreen will suffice. But if you are spending a day out in the sun, choose a dedicated sunscreen and don’t forget to reapply every 2 hours!
The basics of skin care don’t really change from one season to the next. You need to wash, moisturize, and exfoliate no matter what, but you may choose different types of products when it’s humid outside.
Washing
The oil produced by your skin may you feel like you need to wash your face more often. But beware, because over-washing can strip your skin of the oils it needs. This can paradoxically cause your skin to go into overdrive and make more oil. Try a face wash with salicylic acid to help remove excess dirt and oil. If you use it in the morning, you may be set until you wash again at night.
Moisturizing
Even though the air is less dry outside, you still may need to moisturize to keep your skin in check. If you normally use a cream, switch to a lotion. If lotions are your norm, try a moisturizing serum. Oil-free moisturizers contain dimethicone and are a great way to help reduce the oiliness during humid months.
Exfoliating
Dead cells build up on the surface of your skin all year long. Exfoliating can remove these cells and keep the skin looking fresh. During warmer months, make sure not to exfoliate sunburned skin. Avoid over-exfoliating because it can leave you irritated and dry. Your skin may compensate by making even more oil. Exfoliating once per week should do the trick.
Sun protection
Now more than ever, it’s important to protect your skin from UV rays. Choose a sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher. Look for ingredients like avobenzone, zinc or titanium for broad spectrum coverage. For daily use, a moisturizer with sunscreen will suffice. But if you are spending a day out in the sun, choose a dedicated sunscreen and don’t forget to reapply every 2 hours!
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
I shave every day, do I need to exfoliate too?
Our skin cells are constantly replacing themselves. It takes about 2 weeks for a baby skin cell to move from the bottom layer of the skin up to the top, where it is shed. When extra cells build up on the surface of the skin, it can give a dull and lusterless appearance. Exfoliating is the process of removing those dead cells, leaving the skin looking fresher.
In general, exfoliating once or twice a week is enough to keep your skin looking healthy. So if exfoliating a little is a good thing, is exfoliating a lot much better? No! Overexfoliating can actually be problematic. Removing too much from the surface can leave the skin unprotected from the environment. It can lead to become redness and irritation, and you could look a lot worse than you did originally.
You may not consider your daily shave as doing any more than trimming your beard, but shaving actually helps exfoliate the skin as well. Besides cutting hairs, your razor blades help remove those surface dead cells. So if you shave every day, do you need to exfoliate too? The answer is likely no. Shaving can leave your skin sensitive, and exfoliating on top of that can make matters worse.
So leave your scrubs and loofahs where they are, because your razor is all you need! However, don’t forget about them altogether. You can still put them to good use on areas you don’t shave, like your forehead and nose.
In general, exfoliating once or twice a week is enough to keep your skin looking healthy. So if exfoliating a little is a good thing, is exfoliating a lot much better? No! Overexfoliating can actually be problematic. Removing too much from the surface can leave the skin unprotected from the environment. It can lead to become redness and irritation, and you could look a lot worse than you did originally.
You may not consider your daily shave as doing any more than trimming your beard, but shaving actually helps exfoliate the skin as well. Besides cutting hairs, your razor blades help remove those surface dead cells. So if you shave every day, do you need to exfoliate too? The answer is likely no. Shaving can leave your skin sensitive, and exfoliating on top of that can make matters worse.
So leave your scrubs and loofahs where they are, because your razor is all you need! However, don’t forget about them altogether. You can still put them to good use on areas you don’t shave, like your forehead and nose.
Sweating and Smelling: Antiperspirants vs. Deodorants
Whether we like it or not, everybody sweats. Some people sweat on their palms or soles, others on their faces or chests. Most of us sweat under our arms and do what we can to avoid embarrassing wet marks on our clothes.
In general, our glands respond to physical and emotional stresses to produce sweat. The sweat itself does not smell, but when it reaches the surface of the skin, it interacts with bacteria. The bacteria break down the sweat, which leads to that bad body odor.
Antiperspirants work by forming tiny plugs within the sweat glands to physically prevent the sweat from reaching the skin. Deodorants, on the other hand, counteract odor. They do nothing to prevent perspiration. Deodorants either mask the body odor with fragrances or actually help kill the bacteria that cause it to begin with. Antiperspirants on the other hand, can both prevent wetness and decrease odor.
The active ingredient in most antiperspirants is aluminum salt. As the salt is transported into the sweat gland, the pH of the gland transforms the salt into a jelly like consistency that plugs up the gland. "Aluminum free" deodorants use natural stone crystal that can help prevent odor formation, but do not work well as antiperspirants. Even these "natural" deodorants do contain aluminum, although it is not the same form as the salt contained in formulated antiperspirants. "Maximum strength" or "clinical strength" antiperspirants have a higher percentage of the aluminum salt in them compared to other antiperspirants.
Antiperspirants work best when you put them on when you are sweating the least. For most people, this actually means putting on your antiperspirant at night before bed. You can apply it again in the morning for an added benefit.
If you are a big sweater, an antiperspirant is for you. If you don't sweat much and are more bothered by the odor under your arms, choose a deodorant.
In general, our glands respond to physical and emotional stresses to produce sweat. The sweat itself does not smell, but when it reaches the surface of the skin, it interacts with bacteria. The bacteria break down the sweat, which leads to that bad body odor.
Antiperspirants work by forming tiny plugs within the sweat glands to physically prevent the sweat from reaching the skin. Deodorants, on the other hand, counteract odor. They do nothing to prevent perspiration. Deodorants either mask the body odor with fragrances or actually help kill the bacteria that cause it to begin with. Antiperspirants on the other hand, can both prevent wetness and decrease odor.
The active ingredient in most antiperspirants is aluminum salt. As the salt is transported into the sweat gland, the pH of the gland transforms the salt into a jelly like consistency that plugs up the gland. "Aluminum free" deodorants use natural stone crystal that can help prevent odor formation, but do not work well as antiperspirants. Even these "natural" deodorants do contain aluminum, although it is not the same form as the salt contained in formulated antiperspirants. "Maximum strength" or "clinical strength" antiperspirants have a higher percentage of the aluminum salt in them compared to other antiperspirants.
Antiperspirants work best when you put them on when you are sweating the least. For most people, this actually means putting on your antiperspirant at night before bed. You can apply it again in the morning for an added benefit.
If you are a big sweater, an antiperspirant is for you. If you don't sweat much and are more bothered by the odor under your arms, choose a deodorant.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Washing your face versus your body….
When shopping for cleansers at the drug store, you will literally find hundreds of different options. Do you really need something different for your face than you’re your body? Here’s what you should know when making your choices.
True soaps often contain harsh detergents and an alkaline pH. These may work well to remove dirt and oil from your body, but can be irritate sensitive facial skin. They may contain additives such as fragrances and moisturizers. Fragrances mask the natural odor of the soap, which may be unpleasant. Moisturizers help soothe the skin as it is cleaned. Mild soaps are free of colors and fragrances, so they are less irritating to the skin.
Soap free cleansers are made up of synthetic detergents, known as syndets. Their pH is more acidic, similar to that of the skin. There are various different formulations of facial cleansers, and each may be bet suited towards a certain type of skin.
Your choice of cleanser depends on what type of skin you have.
-Normal skin: Cleansing bars are the most common type of cleanser and work best on patients who consider their skin “normal.” So what is normal skin? If you do not feel you are particularly oily, dry, or sensitive, you can consider yourself normal.
-Oily skin: If you are oily, the cleansing bars may not be enough, and a liquid cleanser might work best. They can remove excess sebum from the skin better than bars can.
-Dry / Sensitive skin: If you are extremely sensitive or dry skin, you might need a lipid-free cleanser, which do not contain any fats. These are used for patients who need only minimal cleansing, because they do not remove dirt and oil as well as other cleansers. They also can leave a moisturizing film on the skin after they are removed.
There are some other cleansers on the market designed to do specific jobs.
-Cleansing creams, often referred to as “cold creams,” wash and moisturize. They are most useful to remove heavy oils, like those contained in makeup. They also moisturize, but should not be left on the skin for long periods of time because they can cause irritation.
-The job of abrasive scrubs is to exfoliate dead cells from the surface of the skin while they clean. The granules in scrubs can cause redness and irritation, so you should avoid these if you have sensitive skin.
-Disposable cleansing cloths are designed to release a foaming cleanser when you get them wet. They cloth itself can exfoliate the skin, and added emollients moisturize the skin. There are various cloths on the market developed for different skin types.
True soaps often contain harsh detergents and an alkaline pH. These may work well to remove dirt and oil from your body, but can be irritate sensitive facial skin. They may contain additives such as fragrances and moisturizers. Fragrances mask the natural odor of the soap, which may be unpleasant. Moisturizers help soothe the skin as it is cleaned. Mild soaps are free of colors and fragrances, so they are less irritating to the skin.
Soap free cleansers are made up of synthetic detergents, known as syndets. Their pH is more acidic, similar to that of the skin. There are various different formulations of facial cleansers, and each may be bet suited towards a certain type of skin.
Your choice of cleanser depends on what type of skin you have.
-Normal skin: Cleansing bars are the most common type of cleanser and work best on patients who consider their skin “normal.” So what is normal skin? If you do not feel you are particularly oily, dry, or sensitive, you can consider yourself normal.
-Oily skin: If you are oily, the cleansing bars may not be enough, and a liquid cleanser might work best. They can remove excess sebum from the skin better than bars can.
-Dry / Sensitive skin: If you are extremely sensitive or dry skin, you might need a lipid-free cleanser, which do not contain any fats. These are used for patients who need only minimal cleansing, because they do not remove dirt and oil as well as other cleansers. They also can leave a moisturizing film on the skin after they are removed.
There are some other cleansers on the market designed to do specific jobs.
-Cleansing creams, often referred to as “cold creams,” wash and moisturize. They are most useful to remove heavy oils, like those contained in makeup. They also moisturize, but should not be left on the skin for long periods of time because they can cause irritation.
-The job of abrasive scrubs is to exfoliate dead cells from the surface of the skin while they clean. The granules in scrubs can cause redness and irritation, so you should avoid these if you have sensitive skin.
-Disposable cleansing cloths are designed to release a foaming cleanser when you get them wet. They cloth itself can exfoliate the skin, and added emollients moisturize the skin. There are various cloths on the market developed for different skin types.
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