My Beauty Space : Product Reviews, Tips and Experiences

I had purchased a 60% acid peel a few weeks ago, by Skin Laboratories, who seems to be the biggest offering agent of at home, clinical strength acid peels for the face and decolletage area (if indicated).  I chose to purchase the one that blends both glycolic acid and lactic acid because I wanted some of the strength of the glycolic, but not all of it, and I wanted the lactic acid because it is good for people who have had acne for their scars, and it is a bit more gentle than the glycolic, although some think not as effective overall because it does not slough as much skin off.

The formula I bought is 25% glycolic and 35% lactic acid.  It is a small bottle, about 1 fluid ounce of product, but a little bit goes a long way and I expect to get at least 10 to fifteen peels out of this small bottle since only a thin layer is needed to do the job.  The indications in the directions are to put the product on, using a brush or perhaps some other instrument like a cotton ball.  I chose to use a makeup brush that I never used because it allowed me to more precisely target where it needed to go.

You are only supposed to leave these peels on for about 3 minutes and possibly less if you have particularly sensitive skin. Believe me, even three minutes can be a bit challenging at first because after you apply the peel , it does begin to burn a bit, and it even tingles and starts to itch a bit after it’s been on there for a minute.  The first time I had trouble leaving it on, but was determined to get the most out of it, although this was directly in conflict with the directions since you are supposed to rinse it off if you feel a lot of discomfort.  I don’t recommend what I did, but I was fine.

Before applying the peel, they also instruct you to first wash your face and also use a toner, I’m assuming to remove all surface gunk, oil and debris so the peel has maximum effect.  I did this and allowed my face to completely dry before brushing on the peel.  I am now on my third week of applying the glycolic and lactic acid peel, and I think it is lightening my age spots and scars slightly although I think it will take quite a few more to make a big difference.

I did happen to break out with two huge zits on my nose, and I think this was because my pores were clearing out from the lactic acid.  I’ve noticed that my nose blackheads have diminished greatly, as in I can’t really see them any more.  I will continue to use this for the amount of time indicated, which is 5 weeks on and one week off, and let you know about the results a little later.  So far, so good, and it’s only about $20 for the bottle, which is nothing compared to what an in office peel will cost you.

We’ve briefly discussed facial exercises and how they may be able to keep age at bay by helping to tone the underlying facial muscles that keep us looking young and sculpted, but I wanted to touch on it again after a comment from a woman who reviewed a glycolic acid peel I just purchased.  She said that she was in her later years and that she has kept her face looking younger and more wrinkle free by doing facial exercises. 

I think it’s fascinating that exercising your facial muscles can keep your face in shape, much like exercising the body keeps the body in tip top shape and prevents aging and certain illnesses and conditions that go with aging.  You can do so much with anti aging and wrinkle creams, and of course I advocate putting only the best products on your face to keep the overlying skin youthful, vibrant and toned, but what about the underlying structure that supports the firmness and lift of your face as you age?

It can definitely help with things like facial drooping (thanks to gravity), jowls, the development of that under the chin flap affectionately referred to as a “waddle” (thanks Ally McBeal for popularizing that one), and other sagging and drooping of the face and eyelids that contributes to that look of aging that we sometimes can’t even put our finger on.

Not only are there certain exercises that can help tone those facial muscles and prevent sagging, bagging and droopage, but there are even devices out there that claim to help tone the underlying muscles and top layer skin and dermis, which only require that you move them over your face, much like a hand help device. 

With the facial exercises, you just have to be careful to read reviews on the books you get, because some of them have been reported to create new wrinkles because they are so intense and held for so long that they create new opportunities for wrinkles.  If you think about it, that’s how wrinkles are created, they are areas of our face that repeatedly get scrunched, pulled and manipulated into the same position, and that is how these depressions and creases become permanent when our skin loses that youthful elasticity. 

I was just in one of my favorite discount stores, TJ Maxx, who I think has upped their factor of having more different brands and good prices again, after a few years of being ho-hum, and found that they again are carrying one of my favorite skin care lotions that seems to really do the trick to make my skin look younger.  It’s the Virtual Laser line, and the one I buy is the wrinkle eraser version, because they also have one that eliminates redness, which I do not have a problem with right now. 

The products are very reasonably priced, especially at TJ Maxx, where a bottle that is a decent size is just $7.99.  I’m not sure what exactly makes this product work, but I suspect it is some sort of light reflecting technology, because I notice a dewy luminescence right away when I apply it over my anti aging serum (which I also love, and never go without applying, even under makeup or under my regular moisturizer).

While it may all work by smoke and mirrors, and I’m not sure it has any truly therapeutic values to the lotion itself as far as imparting external nutrients and antioxidants to the facial skin, it really doesn’t matter if you’re applying the stuff that really gets the anti aging part of the job done, like the Revitol line of anti aging and wrinkle skin care products, underneath.  It still works the same, you just have to let your based lotion or serum sink in before you apply the Virtual Laser product. 

Enjoy - this is a short article that’s headed for publication soon on some article sites, it’s about the Fraxel and Titan lasers, both of which have demonstrated some pretty remarkable results for various reasons. 

We’re all looking for something that will help us age a bit more gracefully.  Some even go as far as getting a facelift, which we all know can backfire easily, many times looking unnatural and leaving you worse off than before, and actually making some people look “scary”, all in the name of getting rid of wrinkles and fighting aging.

The worst part is, surgery like this is not only painful and has a grueling recovery, but it’s also not reversible and can completely alter the way your face appears, making you look like, well - not you!

We’re lucky in this day and age though, because there are some excellent non surgical options that leave our bone structure and underlying facial tissues alone, leaving us looking like ourselves, just a younger version with tighter, more vibrant and youthful skin.  One such family of facial skin care treatments that can be performed in a professional facility, that gives beautiful results, are laser treatments.

The only problem is that they’ve evolved so much that many women and men get confused when looking for the type of laser procedures that will work best for their individual situation and skin care goals.

For example, do you have acne scarring, or is hyper pigmentation more your concern?  Are you looking for something to help smooth those crow’s feet and fine lines, or are you looking for something that will take away years of sun damage and restore the smooth texture of your skin?

Everyone has different skin care goals, and there are different types of laser treatments, none of them cheap unfortunately, but most of them very effective at targeting certain issues successfully, and many times with minimal downtime and risk.

So, let’s take a look at two of the most cutting edge and popular laser skincare treatments today, and talk about what they can do for your skin.

1.)Fraxel laser : This method is also called the fractional method, because the laser works on the skin to remove imperfections and sun damage, and restore a youthful even tone and brilliance, fraction by fraction of the skin.  This means because it works on such small areas at a time, it is able to “fine tune” each individual area, and perfect it before it moves onto the next targeted area.

This also is supposed to mean a very short recovery time and very little pain, however, I must caution that I’ve read discussion boards where women and men refute the claims that it is virtually pain free and say they did indeed experience discomfort during the process.  The cost of the fraxel laser method is pretty high, with a package of six treatments usually running a couple thousands dollars, depending on where you go to get them done.

2.)Titan laser skin improvement system : This one is very interesting indeed and is exciting because it uses a method that not only helps improve the skin’s surface dramatically, but it is also used to help regenerate collagen, and can even be used to soften and “fill in” nasal labial folds (the area on either side of the mouth, that runs from the edges of the nose to the mouth, these folds often get more pronounced with age).

The Titan laser is one of the deepest penetrating lasers, and that is how it claims it can help stimulate dramatic increases in collagen production and help to fill out lines and folds in the skin and make the face look “plump” again as it did when you were younger.  We do tend to lose facial fat as we age, which accounts for much of the aged look of the face, since the cheeks get more sunken, and this leads to an increased appearance of wrinkles as well.

The Titan is supposed to also help with acne scarring, and may be an especially good choice for acne scarring because of it’s “skin filling” abilities due to the increased collagen production, which would be ideal for filling in pitted acne scars and ice pick-type scars form acne lesions.

The incidence of skin cancer is increasing from what it used to be and it is also occurring at younger and younger ages.  Since skin cancer is easier to detect as it is on the surface when compared to other cancers, it is important to note what to look for when examining your skin.
Some of the signs of melanoma are as follows.   Look for changes in moles regularly and if you notice a change, see a dermatologist.  When examining any moles or growths, check for irregularity of the borders or any asymmetry.
Another sign of trouble could be present if the growth has varying colors such as tan, black, brown or red or has uneven coloring.  Also of signifigance when checking for signs of melanoma is the diameter of the mole.  If it is 6 mm. or greater, have it checked by a dermatologist.
When evaluating your risk factors for developing skin cancer, keep in mind that the genetic factor is signifigant.   Family history means you should be more vigilant and be checked more frequently for signs of melanoma.
The use of tanning beds definitely increases the chance of developing all kinds of skin cancer including melanoma.  While it is important to use sunscreen during sun exposure, it does not always make the chance of developing skin cancer a rarity.  The best protection is to cover up when in the sun as well as using sunscreen.  Also, limiting the amount of time spent in the sun is important.
Another misconception people have about skin cancer is thinking that time in the sun won’t increase the risk as long as they don’t burn.  The risk is determined by the accumulated effect of the ultraviolet light exposure.
People who have darker toned skin still need to use sunscreen when exposed to ultraviolet light.  You can get skin damage even on an overcast day from the UV rays that easily penetrate the cloud cover.   Outdoor sports enthusiasts that enjoy skiing should use sunscreen to prevent skin damage.  Areas that are not exposed to the sun can still develop skin cancers of all types, including melanoma.  So, check all of your body for signs of trouble including your torso and even the underarm areas.