Is Your Skin Overexposed?

8 Summer skin care tips about sun, exfoliation and hydration!

*Since the heat is on I decided to bring this newsletter back. Extreme heat means less clothing, less clothing means more skin overexposed.

During the long days of summer, when the sun’s rays are the most intense, exposed skin is more susceptible to the effects of photoaging, or the premature aging of skin cells caused by ultraviolet (UV) light.

In fact, as much as 90% of the visible signs of aging on your skin are a result of sun or UV exposure. - Manhattan Dermatology, New York

Skin Care Tip 1:

"Pay attention to the clock to stay protected.

Part of the appeal of summer is having fun in the sun. But the sun’s rays are at their most intense between 10am and 4pm. By paying attention to the clock while you’re out in the park or playing on the beach, you’re better be able to protect your skin this summer.

You don’t have to run inside when the clock strikes 10am, but you should take steps to avoid sunburn and sun damage. If your shadow is shorter than you are, it’s a good idea to take precautions.

Skin Care Tip 2:

Here are some ways to protect your skin during peak sun hours:

Seek shade like umbrellas, trees, or other sunshades.
Wear a wide-brimmed hat to keep the delicate skin of your face out of the sun.
Choose sunglasses with UVA and UVB protection to stop sun damage around your eyes.
Cover up with loose, light-colored clothing.
Schedule extended outdoor activities outside of peak hours.
You can still have a great time outside in the summer sun as long as you make sunscreen part of your skin care routine and pay attention to the peak sun hours.

Your skin will thank you for taking precautions this summer to prevent premature aging and skin cancer." - Manhattan’s Murray Hill, New York

Skin Care Tip 3:

Try to avoid constant sun exposure and definitely tanning beds. These may also lead to early signs of aging.

Remember, natural sunscreen, hats, sun clothing and umbrellas are vital to protect you and your loved ones from overexposure from the sun.

*Maybe try a non-toxic self-tanning lotion instead. Improvements in these self-tanners has helped to give self-tanning products a more natural, streak-free look. Before applying the lotion, spray or mousse to your entire body, apply it to a small test area just to make sure there is no irritation.

*The Wen Bella Spirit Self Tanning Bronzing Mist gives a beautiful faux tan.

Skin Care Tip 4:

Always use some type of natural exfoliating product (I don't recommend loofas), which will help to remove old, waxy skin cells plus other debris and particles from your skin. Exfoliating will expose the healthy cells and rid your body from the old ones.

*Dry brushing daily if possible, plus a natural enzyme peel a couple times a week will work wonders!

Skin Care Tip 5:

If your lips tend to become chapped in the winter months or wind burnt at other times, using lip balm or lipstick will help to protect the lips from nature’s worst.

* I actually use the Dr. Lucy 2-in-1 Hydrating Serum on my lips before applying my lipstick or lip balm! I like the added layer of protection.

Skin Care Tip 6:

Dry or cracked skin can be very unbearable, not to mention the discomfort. Use plenty of natural moisturizing body lotions and body oils in order to replenish and lock in the skin's natural moisture. The environment can be very hard on your skin so be aware.

*After your bath or shower apply lotions and oils while your skin is still damp to lock in all that super moisture and hydration.

Skin Care Tip 7:

Do not use products that irritate your skin in any way. The harsh ingredients in soaps and other foaming products strip your skin of its natural oils. This goes for body lotions with "fragrance" and other toxic chemicals.

*The hot sun mixed with toxic chemical ingredients and "fragrance" from your skin care products can cause dangerous reactions to your skin!

Skin Care Tip 8:

Pretend you have sensitive skin even if you don't. This way you are more prone to baby your beautiful epidermis!

Are You Happy With Your Skin Care Results?

Here are some tips just for you!

As we age, skin regeneration slows drastically. What once was a 6-week cycle of skin cell regeneration can easily turn into 12 weeks and longer and that's with being consistent.

When it comes to skin care products and devices, it’s all about safety, consistency and keeping up a regular routine.

Most of the changes that take place in the skin when we are using skincare products and skin care devices are very subtle. That is why it's so important to track your progress with photos. This is a great way to see those improvements!

Once a week is a good timeframe. These photos are for your eyes only so don't worry about what they look like!

We live minute by minute with ourselves, looking in the mirror and not always seeing our beautiful face in a good way, so tracking by writing down or marking on the calendar our skin care accomplishments will give us hope and some satisfaction about our progress.

True Story...

When I was treating clients as a micro current technician, we would take a before and after photo to track the clients progress. You would be surprised how many clients would say that they aren't sure if they are seeing much of an improvement in their appearance after using and finishing the micro current sessions. That is until we took the after photo, then they were absolutely amazed with their results!

I remember one client that came in for micro current treatments because her husband let her know (a lot) that he was tired of looking at her "old face". Boy did I have to bite my tongue off when I heard this! Anyway, we did the before and after photos as usual, then she brought her split screen photo copy back to her husband to show him her results, needless to say HE was very happy. But you know what I was impressed with? This client told me she was happy with herself either way!

How long will it take to see new changes in my skin?

This will vary with age, lifestyle, diet choices, skin care products and devices.

I obviously will always recommend to you the Dr. Lucy products because they are fresh, natural, potent, toxic free, safe, tested, tried and true for you and your skin!

I will also recommend to you a couple of "Boot Camp" skin care devices that I use and know work amazingly well. Plus they are safe for you to use. See devices at end of this article.

Some of those subtle changes you can track when using your skin care products and devices...

Many see small changes in fine lines first.

Skins texture and or flakiness is starting to improve.

Skin tone improvement.

Skin around the eyes look more lifted.

Irritation and inflammation calmed.

Less puffiness under eyes.

Skin appears a bit brighter.

The jaw line might start to look a bit more defined.

Here are some "middle of the road" time line averages for your skin improvements...

Cleansers: Immediately to one month
I will always and forever recommend a crème cleanser like Dr. Lucy's Gentle Crème Cleanser. Right after cleansing your skin should feel soft and smooth; not dry, greasy, or tight. Keeping your skin balanced and not stripped of important and essential skin oils is key to beautiful skin!

Toners: 1-2 weeks
Toners like Dr. Lucy's Balance and Refresh with added benefits like added hydration and nourishing nutrients.

Retinol: 4-6 weeks
I personally do not recommend pharmaceutical retinol's. In the long these retinol's actually "thin out" your skin. The goal is to thicken our skin through time, not to thin it out.

I prefer recommending the natural route like our Revitalizing Face Oil with natural retinoids.

Serums: 6-8 weeks
My preference is to use a gel serum like the Dr. Lucy 2-in-1 Hydrating Serum. Why? Gel has a lighter weight consistency with smaller molecules for deeper penetration. Gels also do not have added humectants like cream serums, which have a tendency to sit on top and the skin and weigh down the thin tissue around the eye area. Just say YES to nutrient dense, lightweight gel serums!

No eye creams: 4-8 weeks
Same as the 2-in-1 Hydrating Serum definition above. Creams just have too many humectants and not enough penetration.

Face moisturizers: 1-2 weeks
Consistently using a nutrient dense face moisturizer like Dr. Lucy's Ultra Moisturizer morning and evening is the key to seeing softer, plumper more hydrated skin quickly.

Hydrating masques:
Immediate results. Hydrating, nutrient dense masques with Atlantic sea kelp like Dr. Lucy's Luscious Rose Equalizer Hydrating Masque will deeply nourish your skin, leaving it soft, smooth, cleansed, hydrated, calm and balanced.

Face oils are a must!:
Strengthening the skin barrier is a must!: Face oils contain essential fatty acids that help strengthen the skin's natural barrier. They help to lock in moisture, reduce inflammation, can slow down the appearance of aging and fade fine lines and wrinkles. and the list goes on!

So what is your plan?

It's easy math. Anything worth having means we have to be consistent. This includes your skin care products and devises also, so that you will reap mega skin care benefits!

What Is Your Skin Barrier?

And is it healthy?

You might be saying to yourself, what is my skin barrier and what does it do for me? In simple terms, your skin barrier is a watertight seal that keeps the outermost layers of your skin and cells smoothly together. If this outer layer of skin gets damaged, it can look and feel dry, rough, irritated and dull.

“When the skin barrier is intact, you can maintain adequate skin hydration, antioxidant benefits, and immune protection from the environment. Think of your outer skin layer like a brick wall, where the skin cells are the bricks and natural lipids are the mortar,” says Dr. Zeichner a NY based dermatologist.

Here are some causes for skin barrier damage...

1. Alkaline detergents or soaps.

2. Over-washing or over-exfoliating your skin.

3. Too much sun exposure.

4. Psychological distress. "Studies show that both acute and chronic stress can exert negative effects on overall skin wellness, as well as exacerbate a number of skin conditions, including psoriasis, eczema, acne, and hair loss". Harvard Health Medical School, Neera Nathan, MD, MSHS, Contributor

How to start repairing your damaged skin barrier!

Dutch philosopher, Desiderius Erasmus from the 1500's said, 'prevention is better than the cure'. With a name like that, he must be right!

1. Repairing ingredients such as fatty acids, cholesterol, ceramides and hyaluronic acid are essential! As always, Dr. Lucy has you covered...literally!

2. Stay away from scrubs, they are just too abrasive and can harm your skin's protective barrier. A gentle, leave on/wash off, fruit enzyme peel is a perfect option.

3. Lukewarm water is the best, not too cold, not too hot. I think Goldilocks would agree. ;)

4. A mild, natural, crème cleanser like Dr. Lucy's Gentle Crème Cleanser will help to keep your skin barrier healthy and balanced.

5. Use a natural sunscreen that is rich in antioxidants and has an SPF of 30 or greater.

"The skin barrier is important to human life. Physically, it protects from external threats such as infectious agents, chemicals, systemic toxicity and allergens. Internally, the skin helps to maintain homeostasis and protects from enhanced loss of water from the body". -National Library of Medicine, Indian J Res. Jan 2018

This is the perfect time of year to up your game with taking care of your skin's barrier!

With Love and Blessings!
Rebecca

Can Hyaluronic Acid Really Bind 1000 Times It's Weight In Water?!...

"Why's Hyaluronic Acid so magical? For starters, HA can bind up to 1000 times its weight in water! In other words, it functions as a humectant and holds water molecules onto the surface of your skin to keep it nice and hydrated." -Healthline.com

I'm kind of a natural science nerd in a way. I am fascinated with why and how something works, especially if it has to do with the skin and body!

So Let's jump in and let me try to breakdown how skin ages, the problem with the loss of Hyaluronic Acid (HA) and what YOU can do to help slow down this process forever!_

Here Comes My Science Nerd Talk!

Hold On and Hang in There! I Think You Will Understand Where I Am Going With This!...

What is Aging Skin?
Skin aging has two different biological processes. The first is intrinsic (natural) or innate aging. This process is going to happen to our bodies whether we like it or not and is unpreventable.

The intrinsic process affects all internal organs just the same as your great, big external organ which is the skin.

Intrinsic (internal) skin aging is influenced by hormonal changes that occur with age, such as the gradual decreased production of sex hormones (androgen) from the mid-twenties and diminishing estrogens and progesterone associated with menopause. This deficiency in estrogens and androgens results in collagen degradation, dryness, loss of elasticity, epidermal atrophy and wrinkling of the skin-(Dermato Endocrinology, US National Library of Medicine, July 2012).

The second is extrinsic aging. This process happens when you are exposed to external factors, such as ultraviolet (UV) rays or irradiation, environmental chemicals, etc. This is also known as the dreaded "photoaging" process.

What is "Photoaging"?
This is damage to the skin from the sun. It has many names such as photodamage, solar damage, or sun damage.

Which Brings Us to Why You Need Hyaluronic Acid or HA On Your Skin Everyday!...

"In the dermis, HA is responsible for regulating water balance and maintaining the cell structure by utilizing its high water retention and viscosity. These facts suggest that HA is an important substance that maintains a healthy skin. The structure of hyaluronan."- Biomedcentral, Jul 11, 2014

Ok So Wait, What About My Collagen?...

Hyaluronic Acid and collagen are interrelated and cross-linked together.

Loss of moisture (HA) in the skin means loss of collagen. Which also brings about dehydration, atrophy and loss of elasticity which characterizes aged skin.

"Hyaluronic acid is a sugar molecule that occurs naturally in the skin, [and] it helps to bind water to collagen, trapping it in the skin so that skin can appear plumper, dewier, and more hydrated." Explains board-certified dermatologist Tsippora Shainhouse.

"Hyaluronic acid helps skin stretch, flex and reduces skin wrinkles and lines. Hyaluronic acid is also proven to help wounds heal faster and can reduce scarring." -Clevelandclinc.org May 4, 2022

"The marketing for collagen products claims they can improve skin elasticity, reduce visible wrinkles, and increase blood flow to the skin. "Collagen is what keeps our skin from sagging, giving us that plump, youthful look." cedars-sinai.org Jan 15, 2020

So as you can see, HA is a really BIG deal for your beautiful skin journey!

Botanical Hyaluronic Acid vs. Lab-Created Bioidentical Hyaluronic Acid...

Botanical Hyaluronic Acid is usually created by bio-fermentation in a lab rather than harvesting from rooster combs or originally cow eyeballs in the 1940's.

Generally in skincare, when you see hyaluronic acid, it means sodium hyaluronate that was LAB-created to be bioidentical (synthetic) to the botanical hyaluronic acid found in nature.

Bottom Line? Botanical HA YES! Lab-Created HA NO!

The Botanical Hyaluronic Acid that is used in our/your Dr. Lucy products, is the safest most natural and effective Hyaluronic Acid on the market today! Natural, safe, effective and toxic free now that's a win, win!!

To You and Your Beautiful Skin!
Rebecca

P.S. We would love to have you share your Bonjour French Friday with your friends and loved ones on the benefits of botanical hyaluronic acid! Sharing is caring! :) Merci!

Can Air Pollution Damage My Skin?!

Scientists have discovered chronic daily exposure to pollution has a dramatic affect on your skin's appearance and health by breaking down the collagen and elastin. This in turn causes sagging, wrinkles and other skin conditions.

What does pollution actually do to my skin?

ALL forms of pollution throw the skin’s microbiome out of balance by significantly disrupting its barrier, breaking it down and causing free-radical damage.

“Pollution creates the free radicals in skin that prematurely chew up collagen and elastin,” says Rebecca Kazin, MD, an associate director at the Washington Institute of Dermatological Laser Surgery in Chevy Chase, Maryland.

The five types of air pollution that pose the biggest risk to your skin’s appearance include:

1.Automobile and truck exhaust

2.Cigarette smoke

3.Manufacturing by-products (such as phthalates from plastics)

4.Small particulate matter (including many volatile organic compounds in the form of aerosols)

5.Smog (especially the ground-level ozone it generates)

Here is a list of problems pollution can actually cause to the skin!

1.Brown spots

2.Uneven, dull skin tone

3.Breakdown of skin’s supportive elements (wrinkles)

4.Enlarged pores

5.Sensitive, redness-prone skin

6.Uncomfortably dry, itchy skin

How can I prevent pollution from damaging my skin?!

Eat fresh, organic foods and oils on the inside.
Fresh, natural skin care products like Dr. Lucy's on the outside to nourish, protect and seal your skin from the small particles of pollution.

To You and Your Beautiful Skin!
Rebecca

True Story!

The other day someone said to me, “I don’t like French skincare”. When I asked, “why don’t you like French skincare?” They said they had never tried it and weren’t sure. This immediately gave me a flash back to when my kids were little and I was introducing a new vegetable into their world. They would usually start out by saying, “I don’t like that”, and I would say, “just try one bite, this tastes really good and you just might like it!”

Moral of the story?

Most people agree, a fresh, natural and botanical skin care routine is preferred over a rancid, chemical skin care routine. Just saying.

The French philosophy on beauty is simply to make looking great and aging well a part of your daily life…naturally!

Take your skin to a #higherlevel of beautiful!

❣️ Each product is nutrient dense and made to calm, balance and hydrate your skin allowing it to become stress free. NOW you can have beautiful, dewy, glowing skin naturally!