The Buzz Words of Anti-Aging

There is some amazing technology coming down the pike in the way of Anti-Aging skincare. Even if you are still in your 20’s you would be very wise to start taking good care of your skin now so that it will take care of you later! The earlier you start using good clinical grade products the better. 

I am just going to list a couple of the best key ingredients that you will hopefully find in your skincare regimen. Consult with your skin care professional for their recommendations and products that they carry. Here are some ingredients you need to look for.

1.              Serums: Vitamin C, Vitamin A and Vitamin B are great antioxidants. Serums typically reduce wrinkles and fine lines. They eliminate redness and blotchiness. Decrease discoloration, puffiness, and dark baggy spots around eyes. Restores facial tone and firmness. Plus heals dry skin. 

2.              Acids: Glycolic, retinol, and lactic acids help to remove dead skin. They are exfoliating in nature. They are amazing when it comes to brightening and lightening the skin. The exfoliating natures of these products are very beneficial. I would suggest using them once a week or less depending on your skin type. (Consult your skin care professional for frequency of exfoliating).

3.              Hyaluronic: This popular acid replenishes lost moisture into the skin. It allows your facial serum (your A, C or B) to penetrate more deeply. Look for additional ingredients that include Idebenone. This will, in turn, encourage stimulation to new skin cell growth. 

4.              Peptides: Peptides can be found in many of your high-end skin care regimes. They are the new word in skincare. Peptides have become an essential ingredient in anti-aging skin care. Peptides are able to penetrate the epidermis, send signals to the cells, telling them how to function. A couple of the most effective ones to look for are SYN-AKE, copper,  palmitoyl, and Acetyl.

5.              Stem Cells: Plant stem cells that is, are the newest generations of skin care technology. This technology offers the protection from photo-damage and oxidative stress. They also benefit the skin by firming action to restore skin’s elasticity and contour. 

6.              Sunscreen: This product cannot be overstated. The number one ingredient in your sunscreen should be at least 18% zinc oxide. You should use sunscreen everyday, year round. On cloudy days up to 80% of the sun’s harmful UV rays can penetrate your skin. Snow, sand, and water increase the need, since they reflect the sun’s rays. 

There are so many cool, new, amazing products on the market for your skin this year, it is astounding! As I continue to delve more and more into the aesthetic world and learn everything I can about anti-aging products, I am constantly astonished by the results!!  I hope to bring my clients the top of the line and most innovative products to combat aging.  There is so much more than meets the eye to many of these products. More updates to follow...

See you next time, 

Michon :)

Bald is Beautiful!

One of my favorite holidays is St Patrick’s Day.  The reason why may surprise you though. I have had the honor over the last 5 years to participate in an amazing event called St. Baldricks. This organization raises money specifically for Childhood Cancer Research. Reno hosts one of the biggest events on record with the organization thanks to the tireless efforts of  board members, volunteers and staff of Northern Nevada Children’s Cancer Foundation. Last night the event brought in over $200K! It is very humbling and inspiring to be surround by so many people young and old, male and female that “Brave the Shave” on that evening. Each “shavee" has a story to tell about a friend or a family member that has passed or is still in the fight with Cancer and why they are shaving. I love being able to be a part of it by shaving the heads of these warriors. 

Team Kylee’s Wish was the hardest for me last night. Kylee was diagnosed at 6 years old and lost her fight with cancer when she was 8. This year her big sister Kehli-Anne decided to shave her head in remembrance. My friend Chandra is shaving Kehli-Anne and I am shaving her best friend Ashley here. The girls were crying, shaking and excited all at once. It was so moving to be a part of such a personal journey, as these girls braved the shave. They are my new heros and proof that bald is beautiful!  It is just remarkable to me how brave these women are. Both are attending their senior prom next week! I would never have been brave enough to do this in high school! Heck, I am not brave enough to do it now as a 48 year old woman! 

Brave women and men will be going to school and work on Monday morning wearing their badge of honor shining brightly atop their heads with an opportunity to raise awareness about childhood cancer. Meaningful discussions with hundreds if not thousands of people that had no idea how prevalent this epidemic is among our children will be educated. When I went searching for statistics on this subject I have to say I was more than a little surprised by many of them. Here are just a few of the ones I found:

• Cancer is the second leading cause of death in children younger than 15yrs (after accidents)
• About 1,310 children are expected to die from cancer in 2013
• 36 children a day are diagnosed with some form of cancer. 
• The incidence of invasive pediatric cancers is up 29% in the past 20 years. 
• Because of increased research and treatment advances more than 80% of children with cancer now survive 5 years or more. Overall this is a huge increase since the mid 70’s when the 5-year survival rate was less than 60%.

The St. Baldrick’s organization gives 82% of all the money raised to childhood cancer research. 16% goes to fundraising and an honorable 2% goes to management. That is a financial to be proud of! Anyone can organize an event and the events can be held anytime of year. In fact I have it from a good source, that they would like to spread the love throughout the year a little more. So if you are helping to organize an event or want to sponsor a fundraiser consider them! All you have to do is find a few crazy hairdressers that are clipper happy and set up shop! Before a fun run maybe, along with a sheep shearing contest, hmmmm what else could we pair this event with. Do you have an idea for a fundraiser or an organization that you are passionate about that you would like to share with us? Please leave a link in the comments below so we can check it out an learn about amazing things happening in your area. 

Thanks for stopping by my blog! See you next week! 

Michon :)

Sources:

 JGstats, children in cancer, national cancer institute

Daylight Savings & Beauty Sleep

The only part of this "Spring Forward" thing I like is that we are one step closer to summer and longer days! Yeah! :D
But the lack of sleep that most of us will be suffering this week, trying to catch up with that hour loss can take a toll on your looks. The fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty may not be too far off from the truth when it comes to some of the secrets of beauty. In a recent study done in Sweden, photographs of volunteers after eight hours of sleep and then again after being kept awake for 31 hours where shown to participants that rated them on how they looked. The sleep deprived participants were scored as less healthy looking and less attractive. Upon further research, I also found studies linked to weight gain and sleep depravation. So with all of us trying to get our internal clocks back into step, let’s talk about what you can do to get a more restful nights sleep.

1. Create a ritual. Best practice says we should create a routine to sooth ourselves into an comfort zone right before bed. Whether that includes and warm bath, a good book and nice shower some sleepy time tea or whatever it takes to help you wind-down, try to get in the habit of doing the same wind-down routine every night. 
2. Avoid these things. We all know these things but I can’t complete an article like this without including them. So here is the short list. Avoid, alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, spicy foods and exercise right before bed.
3. Stick to a schedule. Going to sleep at different times every night can confuse your brain and make it difficult to go to sleep when you want to. Try and hit the hay at the same time every night. Your body likes having a schedule and sticking to it. You will sleep more peacefully if you can manage this habit.
4. Include exercise. Exercise in any form will help you feel physically more tired allowing you to sleep more restfully. Now that it is staying light a good hour after dinner, consider taking a walk and burn off a few of those extra calories. It will help you crash when your head finally hits the pillow! 
5. Ditch the stress. The last thing you want to do before bed is read or look at the news, have a conflictive, discuss or think about the crap from work. Try to keep your mind clear of anything stressful before bed. Keep it light and uplifting. Keep your thoughts/prayers before bed on the side of gratitude. In other words count your blessings before you sleep. :)
6. Eliminate distractions from sleep. Electrical interference in your bedroom can disrupt your sleep. Charge your phones in a room other than your bedroom.  Also, animals can be very disruptive to a peaceful nights sleep. If there is any way you can possibly arrange it, allowing your animals to sleep in a kennel or in another room and it could help to get those extra Zzzz’s you are needing. 

Let’s try our best to keep the world a more beautiful place by getting our restful regime in place. 

Do you have a trick or tip that always helps you to get to sleep and stay to sleep? We would love to hear all about it. Please leave a note in the space below so we can all learn from your tip. Know a friend that needs to hear this message. Please feel free to share or forward this information to them. 

Thank you for stopping by my blog, 

Hope you have a fantastic week and make the most of your week. 

Take Care, 

Michon :)

Sources:

web-md, help-guide, Mayo clinic, Huffington Post Article, beauty sleep, green guide, science daily

The Red Carpet Facial

Remember watching the Oscars a few weeks ago and thinking how beautiful all of the movie stars looked? With their glowing flawless skin and perfect makeup?  They prep for these events like nothing else. And one the most sought after procedures is the microcurrent facial.  What is a microcurrent facial and how is it different? 

1.   It improves circulation.
2.  Boosts the natural production of collagen and elastin.
3.  Increases the production of amino acids and ATP, accelerating cell repair and renewal.
4. Improves muscle tone, providing lifted facial contours giving a youthful look. 
5.  Detoxifies and improves texture and clarity.
6.  Diminishes lines, wrinkles, and revitalizes skin with increased hydration. 

This technology is probably one of the best leading technologies in the industry of skincare for the 20th century. The current is a low level, completely painless, electrical current that mimics the body’s own electrical current. Unlike the galvanic facials of old with uncomfortable pulses, this current is barely noticeable.  Microcurrent increases the oxygen, blood supply, and the ATP to the skin, which is accomplished by use of metal probes or silver threaded gloves (my preferred method) for a facial massage, so to speak. There are several studies on the technology of microcurrent. This one speaks to the increase of the ATP and the oxygen to the skin and cells. This one gives examples of cutting edge technology involving healing of wounds because of the oxygen that microcurrent delivers to the site of a wound. This is also what it delivers to healthy skin, thus producing well fed skin cells, and smoother, finer, and better looking skin!
So now you know one of their many beauty secrets! And you can say you heard it here! Thanks for stopping by my blog. If you have any questions about microcurrent or any type of facial for that matter, please leave a question or comment in the space below! Have a great week! 
Michon :)



Sources: Jowl Lift, Red carpet, Wound initiative, Cheng report, Clareblend Inc