Rose Water for your skin

Rosewater 6oz liquid by Caswell-Massey

Rose Water is becoming more popular in skincare especially for dry or sensitive skin types.  Rose water is a wonderful astringent and smells delicious! Due to its nourishing properties rose water hydrates skin and can help treat acne prone skin.  Eva Mendes is a fan of Caswell-Massey Floral Rose Water-only $18! Rose water can also be used as a fragrance so next time you are in your local pharmacy/apothecary look for rose water and drop a little into your lotion to!

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This review will blow your mind to what’s possible when it comes to cosmetic revolution!

Imagine cosmetics made with hemp seed oil!

I’m a huge fan of hemp seeds and hemp seed oil for my own consumption, but I would have imagined that you could add hemp seed oil to cosmetics.

That’s exactly what Verde Cosmetics is all about. It’s no surprise that as Canadians, we’d produce a line of cosmetics made of hemp since Canada is the top producer of hemp!

And just in case you were wondering, hemp is not marijuana. Hemp and marijuana are very different varieties from the same plant species Cannabis Sativa. The major difference between the two varieties is in the level of THC, the psychoactive ingredient found at levels between 5-20% in marijuana while at trace levels of 0.00030% in hemp (maximum allowable limit).

Over the last few months I’ve been testing a number of these products and my reviewers have as well and we’ve all been blown away by these products! I’ll admit this review is a long time in the making, but you’ll be so happy we took our time to test out the product.

Verde Cosmetics is a Canadian line of cosmetics make with the richness of hemp seed oil.

They have a full range of products from shampoos, to skin cream, to anti-aging cream, to body cream to shower gel!

Verde Cosmetics even has a décolleté cream and I cannot tell you how much I LOVE their body butter!

Ladies, they even have a few hair care products for men!

I was curious to understand why they used hemp seed oil in their products and the reasoning is quite interesting:

Hemp Seed Oil is perfectly suited for hair and skin care. Its nutritional value, combined with its moisturizing and replenishing EFA’s, make it one of the best vegetable body care foundations. Hemp seed oil’s EFA complement includes polyunsaturated fatty acids, omega-3, omega-6, omega-9, linoleic acid, and gamma linoleic acids (GLA’s). Although they are very effective in skin care maintenance, GLA’s are rarely found in natural oils. Hemp is an excellent source of GLA’s.

Hemp Seed Oil is also one of the few sources of gammalinolenic acid (GLA), an essential fatty acid (EFA) that resembles sebum, the natural lubricant in skin and hair. For this reason, the personal hygiene products made with Hemp Seed Oil enhance the skin’s softness and smoothness and help blend hair its natural sheen and body.

I think the most common feedback all of us had about the entire Verde Cosmetics line is the fact that it hydrates without ever feeling greasy and that’s such a welcoming combination.

I’d encourage you to read some of the testimonials because a number of them come from registered massage therapists and it’s interesting to see their feedback!

=> You’ll find more information on the Verde Cosmetics line on their web site: Verde Cosmetics

Robin Ryan, author of “Over 40 & You’re Hired!” conducted all sorts of research for the book and discovered that, in essence, employers prefer to hire people under 40.

Employers perceive younger workers to be more adept at using technology, willing to work for less money, more eager, and more adaptable.

Not to fear — a host of anti-aging products on the market can help you reduce fine lines and wrinkles and gain the competitive edge by looking younger.

How do you know which one is right for you?

>>> What’s in Anti-Aging Skin Care Products?

Anti-aging creams, gels and serums fall into several categories based on what they accomplish. Let’s look at a few categories of anti-aging skin care products.

Wrinkle Relaxants – Wrinkle relaxants, like Botorelax are mild muscle relaxants which reduce the appearance of lines. These provide good temporary results, but expect your skin to return to its normal state as soon as you stop using them.

Antioxidant creams – Antioxidants fight the creation of free radicals, which rapidly age your skin. Creams like Youthful Essentials Anti Wrinkle Serum use alpha lipoic acid and other antioxidants to rejuvenate your skin and extend cell life, to improve the appearance of your skin and slowing down the signs of aging. Retinol-A, common in many anti-aging skin care products, is one of the most powerful antioxidants you can buy without a prescription.

Deep hydrating anti-aging products – Hydrating creams, gels and face masks work to restore the hydration in your skin for a plumping effect, which reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Well-hydrated skin also has a more healthy glow. Products like the Academie Fresh Re-hydrating gel mask work while you sleep, so you can wake up looking great.

When You Buy an Anti-Aging Skin Product…

* Make sure the product you pick is designed for your skin type (i.e., oily, dry, combination)

* Read the ingredient list to make sure you are not allergic to any of the ingredients — even if the product is all-natural and/or organic!

* Do a test on a small area of skin and wait 24 hours to make sure you don’t have a reaction

* Follow manufacturer’s instructions for application

* Apply sunscreen if you are going to be outdoors and the product you use does not contain SPF. Protecting your skin from the sun is key to minimizing the signs of aging.

* Check with online Anti-Aging Product Reviews to see what others have to say.

Here are two videos on acne products that I’ve been using and that are working at diminishing my scars.

If you’ve been looking for new skincare products to help you deal with either adult acne or hyperpigmentation … you’ll want to check out these videos:

1) Biophora acne skincare glycolic review

2) Alyria skin resurfacing cream review

By our Editorial Assistant Colleen

The New Year comes with more youthful looking eyes?

That’s certainly what Lancôme wants with their launch of their Génifique Eye Cream coming out in the New Year.

What you should probably look out for first is the Génifique Eye Youth Activating Eye Concentrate because it might be the first one coming out from their collection.

This is going to be an exciting product because it’s supposed to target those proteins that produce a younger-looking skin and it will help slow down the aging process to your skin at the same time.

They’ve also got a night eye cream and masculine skincare products in the works to come out after the concentrate. All the products in the Génifique Eye collection will work its magic within 7 days.

For those of you who worry about eye bags, this might be a product worth looking into because they claim after 28 days of using their products some of your bags or dark circles will shrink.

The first of collection, the Activating Eye Concentrate might be a good New Year’s present but not the cheapest one. It’ll be $80 CAD at Lancôme for the 15ml jar.

© All copyrights reserved to http://www.mybeautymatch.com in all countries.

>>>> If you’re viewing this beauty tip as part of an aggregated content stream from different sites, or as a re-blogged post, please check out the content on the original Web site at www.myBeautyMatch.com

When I first got struck with acne at eighteen I thought I could chuck a few antibiotics down and I’d be magically cured for life. Then when it came back when I was 21 I thought the birth control pill would be the next miracle cure.

That was until I hit 27 and my acne went quickly from mild to severe over a period of just a couple of months. For the first time in my life I experienced deep cysts along my jawline which were quite painful and stuck around for weeks.

Being 27 and newly single, I started to freak out so much about my skin. I figured I was too ugly to date and spent all my spare time in front of the Internet researching my next miracle cure. Antibiotics weren’t working anymore, the birth control pill didn’t sit well with me, I took Roaccutane for a whole six days before I couldn’t handle the side effects, and I’m not even going to go into how many topicals I tried.

>>>> You can find more details here: The Clearest Skin Ever

My skin got progressively worse and my panic and anxiety about my skin got progressively worse too. I began to spend a lot time in front of the mirror picking at it and trying to make it go away faster. I never left the house without makeup and started to dread seeing my friends and meeting new people.

I went through this horror for about a year. That was a year of feeling really terrible about my appearance. It wasn’t until I finally starting learning about why I was getting my acne in the first place that I developed a true understanding of how to fix it.

I learned that the conventional medicine treatments I was using in the past were just “bandaid treatments” and indirectly making the problem worse over time. Acne is just physical and emotional toxins trying to come out of the body, so by using medications and topicals that “cured” it at the surface level, I was just driving these toxins deeper into my body.

Over time I started to see the value of approaching my treatment at a holistic level. I could see how there were many different areas that I needed to combine to make a full recovery from my condition for life.

>>>> You can find more details here: The Clearest Skin Ever

I now truly believe that it’s incredibly difficult to cure acne at just one level. To realistically clear the skin you need to work with the body holistically, which means possibly changing your diet, working on mindset and emotions, reducing stress, exercising, taking supplements, no skin picking, building up your self confidence, and most importantly – using better skin care products.

Since I cleared my skin I’ve spent the last couple of years teaching people how to do the same using my system. It’s got to the point now where I receive beautiful emails from people every day thanking me for clearing their skin and how they’ve been overcome with this new level of happiness and confidence. THAT makes my job so worthwhile.

The Clearest Skin Ever
>>>> You can find more details here: The Clearest Skin Ever
I’ve now released a brand new holistic coaching program which is going to be run as an intensive acne treatment course. This is the first time anything like this has been on the Internet so I’m incredibly excited about working closely with a select group of people.

What you get in the program

- Two coaching videos emailed to your inbox each week. These videos will be up to 30 minutes each in length
- Weekly or bi-weekly interactive teleconferences with me, and other health experts including a naturopath and holistic counsellor
- A large list of skin safe recipes – foods that you can prepare without worrying about a breakout

>>>> You can find more details here: The Clearest Skin Ever
- An exclusive forum where we’ll work on your skin together. I’m no longer going to be working in any of my other forums – my soul purpose will be working inside this forum and helping you
- Audio interviews with several people who have already cleared their skin holistically and HOW they did it
- Audio and video interviews with health and skin care experts
- Home spa skin care recipes
- And much more …

You’re going to leave the program with beautiful skin and a heightened sense of confidence, happiness and self esteem. I will absolute not accept it any other way!

–> You can check out the program here

Each step is a video and these videos are exclusive to you so you
won’t find them on YouTube or anywhere else.

AND it won’t cost you anything

Over a thousand acne suffers have already signed up so there’s a
little community going in there which is just wonderful.

How To Get Access To The 10 Free Videos

To get access to the free videos (and start clearing your skin
TODAY) go to this page-

>>> You can access the program here: Clear your acne!

My video review will explain why I feel this way!

***If you like this video, please rate it!***

>>>> Here are some other reviews on Biophora skincare:

1) Review: Biophora Skincare to help control adult acne breakouts

2) I’ve started doing lactic peels to get rid of my acne scars

ctrl_acne

Since adult acne is my #1 skincare concern and the idea of drying out my skin with topical products that might give place to wrinkles are not all that interesting to me, I’m always on the hunt for anything that can help control my acne without remove all the natural oils from my skin.

I had documented my reasons for taking Genuine Health’s Perfect Skin because I refused to take antibiotics to control the acne, but still needed to find relief.

As far as I know, all acne products that are effective contain a large amount of chemical products that are controversial, so when the CTRL Acne line didn’t contains chemicals like parabens, I was all ears! Did you know that the average women absorb 2.27 kilograms/5 lbs of chemicals every year from using personal skincare products! Yikes, that’s a lot. It’s impossible to eliminate these chemicals from your daily life unless you go 100% organic and natural with your beauty regime, but a) it’s not feasible for all women and b) some women will NOT give up their favourite skincare lines that easily!

My philosophy is to try to find chemical-free products that **work** as much as I can (truth be told … not all of them will work for you so you’ll have to do a lot of testing).

So when I found out that CTRL Acne was paraben-free, I needed to know if it works. I’ve received the product, but won’t try it until I get the green light from my cosmetic doctor because

You read this correctly, CTRL Acne IS paraben-free and it was specially designed for him and for her so that people get the best treatment for their skin (they have gender-specific lines because men and women have different skins and need to take that into consideration when dealing with acne … a man’s skin is generally 25-30% thicker than a woman’s), and it’s only a two-step system that’s just as effective as the other three or more step systems out there.

CTRL^TM for Her is uniquely formulated with 5α Phyto-Technology, to reduce oil and sebum production in the skin, alleviating acne at its root.

A series of prebiotic complexes kill P acne bacteria on the skin without damaging other important skin balancing bacteria.

Salicylic acid clears away dead skin cells and lipid-rich ceramides reduce blemishes and redness.

I just started chemical peels (there is no other way for me) to get rid of my dark acne scars spots so I can actually show my arms this summer (last summer I purposely didn’t wear any short sleeves because the acne scars on my right hand were too embarrassing to me, but I’m confident this summer, my shoulders, face, and chest will be acne-scar-free!).

I will surely testing this product and I will put my review of the CTRL Acne on the site!

I’ve waited for this day for so long and when I woke up on April 2nd I could barely contain my excitement because I was finally going to see a cosmetic doctor for my acne scars!

If you’ve been following my daily beauty banters than you know that I hate having to deal with acne as an adult, considering I had it as a teenager, and I hate the sight of my acne scars even more.

When you are a dark skin beauty, acne scars leave dark spots on your skin … in my case, I have them on my cheeks, jaw line, chest, shoulders and a bit on the top of   my back. It got so bad that last summer I refused to show my arms and covered them because I was convinced the world could only see that.

I knew off the bat that fraxel laser was not even a consideration because darker skin beauties cannot undergo this type of procedure. That said, I had consulted Dr. Diane Wong (Glow Medi Spa) about six months ago and she had recommended a peel. I took time to control my acne thanks to Genuine Health’s Perfect Skin before considering the peel.

I had consulted other cosmetic doctors and some tried to convince me that laser was safe for my skin tone or that hydroquinone was the way to go. The problem with those doctors is that they don’t know that I’m a beauty editor and that I spend my life reading about this stuff and from firsthand experience I knew that laser burns my skin. I also have read enough information on hydroquinone to know that if it’s banned in Europe (because of cancer scares) there is no way in hell I’m applying it on my skin as a daily treatment for my hyperpigmentation. Now when it comes to hydroquinone, I should clarify that it’s okay to use it under a doctor’s supervision if it’s for a short period of time, but under no circumstances should you be using this stuff daily for the rest of your life.

My aesthetician was Veronica. She’s from Eastern Europe (I still have not asked from where, but will) and I was quite excited because when it comes to skin treatments Eastern European and Russian women have been indulging in those types of anti-aging techniques for centuries so I knew I was in good hands.

After assessing my skin Veronica declared the following beauty bomb:

“No matter what anyone tells you, your type of skin should never be subject to chemical peels because they are too strong. We will do a lactic acid peel, because it’s safer, but we will not do a chemical peel.”

It has to do with the size of the molecules that penetrate in the skin and to be honest I barely passed chemistry in high school so most of this went well over my head, but I did understand “danger-danger” loud and clear. I did mention to Veronica that I had had a fruit enzyme peel in the past and she said that was fine.

I was equally proud to let her know that I had learned from my initial meeting with Dr. Wong and had (sadly) given up my Guerlain facials because they weren’t the best for my skin type. Anna at Guerlain is the most amazing facial expert I’ve ever met and I don’t recall breaking out after those facials, but what’s the point of spending all this money if I’m doing things that are counterproductive.   Veronica explained that extractions were the devil for my type of skin because they give way to SCARS!!!

Another thing that I learned with much sadness is that I will not receive any lactic peels on my shoulders because it would be a waste of my money. After a quick pow-wow session with Veronica, Brigit (a seasoned skin expert) and Dr. Wong it was determined that I needed to get on a plan created by Alyria to help me fade those scars and I could only expect to see maybe 40% improvement. I almost cried at that news, but calmed myself down and decided to trust these qualified women and that maybe 40% improvement from where I’m at now would be good and I could show off my arms again. I mean after all, I’m spending all this time working out by following Madonna as an inspiration to get her arms so if I can show them off with fewer scars … that’s a win, right?

I’ll document my progress!

Veronica informed me that I needed to come in for a lactic acid peel on a monthly base for better results. On the bright side, that might be one of my only major skincare expenses since after seeing my face without a trace of makeup she thought I was in my mid-20s (bless her heart)!!!

Veronica put me on a scar fading and acne controlling regime. I’ve not yet started using these products, but I thought I’d list them below and I can report on my progressions.

I should preface by saying a few of these lines are Canadian and MUST be supervised by a medical doctor, but I’m sure that you can find a line that is equally effective if you live in the US or Europe or anywhere else in the world. That said, you can also ask your own medical doctor to order these products so you can try them.

1) Acne control skincare plan:

Dr. Wong, Brigit and Veronica chose Biophora (this is a cosmeceutical line) for my skin. I had not heard of the brand and you most likely will be in the same boat than I was because only cosmetic doctors can sell this line (this stuff really works because of active ingredients and your doctor will need to make sure you know how to use them).

So here are the products I’ll be using:

=> Biophora Bioactive Cleanser

=> Biophora Antibacterial veil (for the night)

=> Biophora AHA Active Gel 15% (for the night), after I’m done with that formula Veronica will down grade me to the Biophora Bioactive Gel 8%

=> Biophora Bioactive Solution 3% (for the night)

=> Biophora Light Hydration (this hydrates and firms!)

You’ll find out more about Biophora here: Biophora Skincare

2) SPF Protection: OMG – Elta MD Physical (the Physical is the one I’ll be using … I’m pointing this out because they have several formulas) had a SPF that is oil-free AND chemical-free!!! I cannot believe that I can finally use SPF and not breakout. Now you should know that this SPF is a bit pricey $40 USD/$50 CAD, but think about it – NO CHEMICALS AND NO BREAK OUTS!

This is a US brand that is sold in Canada as well. You can find out more here: Elta MD

3) Scar fading skincare plan to fade my acne scars on my body: For my body it’s Alyria all the way and I’ve been warned that the results will be so phenomenal that it will knock my socks off. I cannot wait to be surprised.

Here’s what I’ll be using to help fade my body acne scars:

=> Alyria Resurfacing Body Care

=> Alyria Exfoliating Cream Level 3

You’ll find out more about Alyria products here: Alyria skincare

Don’t forget to read about Norah’s experience with fraxel laser:

Have you considered laser resurfacing to get rid of your severe acne scars?

What you need to know about using fraxel laser to remove your acne scars

derma_md_pigmentation_dark_spots

d-zit_treatment_gel_acne

I featured the acne control skincare line D-Zit a few months ago. If you remember, I got some great results from this line. Since trying the D-Zit acne system trial kit, I’ve discovered a few other products from Derma MD (they produce the D-Zit line) that help with inflammation (which is a by-product of having acne prone skin) and a product to help reduce the hyperpigmentation (aka dark spots left behind by your pimples).

You can read my original review here: Now you can control acne breakouts thanks to D-Zit: Acne System Trial Kit

This time around, I tried D-Zit’s key products along with two products from the Derma MD line for about 60 days (my test fell right in the middle of the holiday season when stress is at its high point and pimples are a fact of life).

Neither the D-Zit nor Derma MD products will deliver instant results. You’ll notice the results over time if you stick to this routine.

Oh, I should mention that during the time I was using the D-Zit and Derma MD products, I continued using Genuine Health’s Healthy Skin and Perfect Skin products because they have a different purpose. While D-Zit and Derma MD products help deal with my topical issues that are visible to the world, Genuine Health’s Healthy Skin and Perfect Skin products help balance out my hormones and provide my body with what’s missing to better control future acne breakouts

I’ll keep this simple by first listing my daily routine and then I’ll introduce the products I used!

My D-Zit and Derma MD daily routine for 60-days:

Acne control morning routine:

1) D-Zit Wasabi Cleanser (this product removes surface oil, bacteria and debris).

2) D-Zit Blemish Away spray (this is a spray designed to hydrate and soothe congested skin. The niacinamide in the product also helps reduce the “p” bacteria, which is responsible for acne breakouts).

3) Derma MD AstaXanthin Concentrate (this product helps inflammation and it’s an antioxidant with ingredients such as AstaXanthin, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-3, Retinol, Copper Tripeptide-1, Stable Vitamin C).

4) My daily moisturizer

Note: During the time I was testing this acne control routine, I was using a light moisturizer from NUDE Skincare, but you can also use the D-Zit Oil Free Moisturizer with SPF 41 to complement this routine.

Acne control evening routine:

1) D-Zit Wasabi Cleanser

D-Zit Blemish Away spray

3) Derma MD Pigmentation-25 Lightening Serum (this products helps reduce and fade away dark spots thanks to ingredients like Kojic Acid (8%), L- Arbutin (6%), Magnesium, Songyi Mushroom Extract, Lumiskin ^TM, Melanostatine ® 5).

4) D-Zit Treatment gel (this product exfoliates the skin and reduces the appearance of scarring. The product also contains niacinamide and wasabi which help control the “p” bacteria).

>>>> Did I get good results?

As I’ve said earlier in this post, you should not expect to wake up the next morning with acne-free skin … that would simply be delusional.

The D-Zit and Derma MD line take time to work, but they do work (at least they worked for me).

What I really liked was that I didn’t break out as much and when I did, I found that the D-Zit Blemish Away spray, Derma MD AstaXanthin Concentrate and the D-Zit Treatment gel where amazing at calming my skin.

As I’ve said in initial review, the fact that Derma MD has created an ENTIRE program for acne-prone skin, it removes the guesswork. And because you’re not mixing products that “might” work together, you are getting better results because Derma MD has spent time and money testing their products and they know which work best together.

I know everyone is pinching pennies these days and I think that finding a complete system that delivers is even more important today than ever before because you don’t want to through your hard-earned money at products that deliver mediocre results.

Here’s another think I liked about the Derma MD product lines, it’s the fact that they did NOT dry out my skin. I tried these products in the dead of winter when it was -30 Celsius outside with the windshield factor and I have to tell you that I was worried about using acne control products that might dry out my skin. I’m pleased to report that Derma MD products are effective without leaving your skin feeling like sand paper.

Would I buy it? Yup, I would!

OVERALL REVIEW: I still think they are very good products.

4-star16

How much will this acne busting system cost you?

1) D-Zit Wasabi Cleanser: $26.40 CAD/$18.00 US for the 120 ml/4 oz and $43.20 CAD/$34.00 US 240 ml/ 8 oz

2) D-Zit Blemish Away spray: $33.60 CAD/$22.95 US for the 120 ml/4 oz

3) Derma MD AstaXanthin Concentrate: $133.40 CAD/ $100 US for the 120 ml/ 4 oz

4) Derma MD Pigmentation-25 Lightening Serum: $84.95 CAD/$69.95 US 30 ml/1 oz

5) D-Zit Treatment gel: $72.00 CAD/$49.95 US for the 30 ml/1 oz

I know these prices are higher than a number of other products on the market, but this system is effective and you don’t need to use a huge amount of product because a little goes a very long way!

If you’d like to get the D-Zit Acne System Kit, you’ll find it at a number of spas across the country in Canada. If you’re not able to locate a spa that carries the product in your area, you can contact the Canadian distributor. American readers can contact the manufacturer for points of sale and American distributors. You’ll find all of the details below:

In Canada they can contact me to find a spa/salon that carries the product near them OR they can order direct from me.

Nature & Lifestyle Products Canada Inc.

1-866-262-3223 (in Edmonton)

Dgreenough (at) connect.ab.ca

If you live in the U.S., you can contact the manufacturer directly

MS Skintechnical

2501 West Behrend Drive Suite 1 & 3

Phoenix, Arizona

85027

United States

(866) 940-7546

You can visit their web site here: MS Skintechnical

You can read more about Genuine Health’s products here:

YES! I’m on my way to curing my adult acne thanks to Genuine Health products!

Why you NEED to know about Healthy Skin from Genuine Health!

fraxel_laser_acne_scars

I don’t have the type of scaring that Norah has because mine are all at the surface, but because my scars are dark, I have to say that they really bother me. It was so bad this past summer, that it affected the way I dressed because I wasn’t willing to expose my shoulders which were covered with dark hyperpigmentation spots.

I can surely sympathize with Norah and her quest for perfect skin and relief from acne scars.

If you didn’t have a chance to catch Norah’s first post, I’d recommend that you start reading that post first: Have you considered laser resurfacing to get rid of your severe acne scars?

Story submitted by reader Norah R.

New year, new me! Or, at least, that’s the idea.

After my first Fraxel treatment in November, 2008, I can’t honestly say I was looking forward to the next one. It’s painful! And for someone with a low pain threshold like me, the pain was almost unbearable the first time around … how would I react with a higher setting on the laser, as the technician mentioned the last time?

The night before my treatment, I was so nervous about the pain, I couldn’t sleep. I woke up almost every hour on the hour, until it was 6.30 am and time to get up for real.

I booked a morning appointment this time. There is one key benefit to a morning appointment — for Fraxel, your skin has to be make-up free and as clean as possible before the treatment begins. My first appointment was in the afternoon, and I felt the tiny sink, rough paper towels and Cetaphyl cleanser at the hospital didn’t really get all my make-up off that I had been wearing all day.  The benefit of an early-morning appointment is that you can go straight from your home after a pore-opening hot shower and not have to bother with make-up in the first place … your skin is already clean and ready to go. So I would recommend that!

Unfortunately, even though my skin was clean, it wasn’t really cooperating with me. Holiday stress led to a minor breakout on my chin — two or three pimples I had hoped to get rid of before my treatment began (the procedure doesn’t work well unless the skin is blemish-free) but, of course, they didn’t go away. (I wondered if maybe the heat and power of the Fraxel laser might blast them into oblivion, but unfortunately not.)

I showed up at the hospital by 8.30 a.m., my appointment time, only to be told the technician didn’t come in until 9 a.m.  In the interests of saving time, the receptionist put the numbing gel on my face straight away — it has to ‘set’ for an hour to truly numb your skin — and I waited for the technician to arrive.  I was also given a prescription for Percocet this time around, as the Tylenol 3s from the previous appointment didn’t really take the edge off the pain.  Except, the hospital pharmacy didn’t open until 9 a.m. either, so I wasn’t able to fill the prescription until then. I didn’t actually take the Percocet (just one, to start) until 9.15 a.m., and I was supposed to have the procedure at 9.30 a.m. Fifteen minutes is not very much time for a drug to kick in, even one as strong as this. I asked the technician (who had arrived at work now) if we could wait a little bit longer to see if the Percocet would take effect.

We wound up doing the procedure at about 9.50 a.m. My face was fully frozen by that point and the drug was starting to take effect, so I had hoped we would be good to go. I have never taken Percocet before — I didn’t like the way it made me feel, like my limbs were made of lead. Everything felt heavy and my brain felt slow, but I was still able to chat and fully converse with the technician throughout the procedure. I was hoping the Percocet would knock me out (especially as I hadn’t had much sleep) but the pain from the laser was so intense that there was no way I could sleep through it.

Last time, the setting for the laser was apparently at number 6. This time, the technician upped it to 7. Not a tremendous increase, and to be honest, it didn’t hurt any more than it did the last time (which is to say, it hurt A LOT). When you’re dealing with that kind of pain, incremental increases are negligible!  Again, the procedure lasted about 25 minutes. The first pass-through, where the laser was moved over my skin in vertical movements was extremely uncomfortable, but I could get through it.  The second pass-through, where the laser was moved over my skin in horizontal movements was unbearable. I had to ask the technician to stop twice throughout the procedure so I could take a mini-break (but at least I didn’t tear up this time).  All the time, I was supposed to hold this cooling air pipe and aim it on the skin that was being lasered, but my eyes were closed and protected by pads and goggles, so I couldn’t actually see the path of the laser to follow it with the air pipe, I had to just go by where I felt it, and my reaction/response was delayed because of the Percocet.  Finally, the technician took pity on me and held the air pipe herself to cool my face down as we were going along.

The procedure took exactly half an hour, and by 10.30 a.m., I was in the back of a private car service, being taken back to my house, with ice packs to cool my face down. Once I got home, an hour later, the Percocet really kicked in (but by this point, I wasn’t feeling any pain — the pain for me was only during the procedure, not afterwards) and I fell asleep for nearly 3 hours.

Like last time, the next day was worse than the actual day of the procedure. My face swelled up like a tomato — I didn’t even recognize myself in the mirror. But it’s three days later now and the swelling is almost gone, just the redness remains. My skin is starting to crust and flake, and I’m trying to resist the urge to scrub the flakes off (that might expose me to infection) and just use Cetaphyl moisturiser on the affected areas.

Did I notice a difference after the first treatment?

No, not really. But then, I see my face every day and I suppose it’s harder for me to see the changes. I’ve only told three girlfriends about the procedure, and all three of them swear they can see some changes on my face, but I’m not convinced yet. Still, I know there are three more treatments to go, and the changes happen very gradually, beneath the surface of your skin. I just have to be patient — not one of my stronger points, I’m afraid!

My results one week later:

All the swelling has gone now, and I think I can notice some improvement in the scars on my cheeks. They’re still there, just maybe not as pronounced as before … or maybe this is wishful thinking on my part — it’s so hard to tell when you see your own face 24/7/365!

>>>> If any other Beauty Match readers have any great beauty experiences to share with us or even before and after photos of great accomplishments, don’t hesitate to email me with your idea, and I can write a post on your behalf and share your outcomes with our other readers.

I think it makes such a huge difference when you realize that you’re not alone and that other people are also dealing with some of the same beauty or aging issues than you!

>>>> Don’t forget to leave a comment below if you too have undergone any laser resurfacing treatments.

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>>>> If you liked this article, please share it on del.icio.us, StumbleUpon or DIGG. I’d appreciate it.

Photo by Bitterjug

healthy_skin_genuine_health

Not long ago, I started replacing my regular Greens+ with the Healthy Skin. With Genuine Health’s Healthy Skin you get your daily dosage of Greens+, but you also get the added benefits of all-natural supplements that restore, improve and protect your skin!

Healthy Skin was developed by Dr. Alan Logan, who is the author of The Clear Skin Diet, and Sam Graci, who formulated Greens+. Along with Dr. Logan and Graci, a number of world-class dermatologists were also part of the team.

The list of advantage of taking Healthy Skin is long:

* It will improve the hydration of your skin.

* It will increase the blood flow to the skin for added radiance.

* It will help with skin firmness and collagen production.

* It will help you fight free radical damage (aka oxidative stress).

* It will help reduce typical symptoms associated with acne and psoriasis.

* It will help reduce fine lines and wrinkles.

* It will help reduce scaling, dry and rough skin.

* The addition of the Greens+ will help improve your energy levels!

There are four important ingredients in Healthy Skin that helps you age well AND control your acne:

1) Cocoa seed extract: Cocoa seed extract contains the highest concentration of antioxidants (polyphenols) available! They contain more antioxidants than green tea, blueberries AND pomegranate juice.

2) Hydrolyzed collagen: Fish collagen is rich in proteins that are structurally similar to those found in the collagen and elastin of the deeper layer of the skin. Hydrolyzed collagen will help with the skin’s hydration, elasticity dullness and it will also help with wrinkles AND dark circles under the eyes!

3) Vitamins such as B2, C and E, zinc, lycopene and selenium: This power concoction of vitamins will help with overall skin health.

4) Greens+: Greens+ provides your body with the required phytonutirients and detoxification properties.

Healthy Skin is quite easy to take. I simple add 2/3 water and 1/3 orange juice, shake and drink. Oh, did I mention that the flavor is chocolate/raspberry?

You’ll find more details on Healthy Skin on Genuine Health’s Web site.

You can find Health Skin at pretty much any natural health food store and it retails for $59.99 for 469g. You should keep an eye out for store specials. I’ve seen the Healthy Skin as low as $51.99!

perfect_skin_genuine_health

Not a word of a lie … I’ve finally found a way of controlling my acne and I can barely believe the results!!!

Now that my face is looking much clearer, smoother and I’m noticing that my dark pigments are starting to slowly fade, I’m hitting myself upside the head for not having tried Perfect Skin and Healthy Skin from Genuine Health earlier. I could have saved myself months of bad breakouts and the nasty dark pigmentation spots that follow.

I had seen the products at my favourite natural health food store, but I thought to myself this is “WAY too good to be true”.

A few months ago, I had alluded to the fact that I had started using Perfect Skin from Genuine Health … you can still read the original post here: I’m testing Perfect Skin from Genuine Health to control my acne.

I’ve tried so many products in the past to help me deal with my adult acne that have not given me great results that I was really careful with the Perfect Skin (these are the daily capsules) from Genuine Health because I didn’t want to get my hopes up.

I’ve been taking the daily capsules twice a day and I’ve started my third month. I also take a daily scoop of the Healthy Skin with Greens+ and the results are outstanding.

So when did I figure out that Perfect Skin from Genuine Health was helping me control my acne?

1) The first change I noticed a few months ago was the fact that I was not breaking out as much during “that time of the month”. I first thought that maybe I had started taking better control of my stress levels and that maybe my work days where getting shorter and I quickly snapped out of that fantasy and remembered that I was still working way too long and running around from one appointment to another … so the product had to be working somewhat.

2) The second thing I noticed was the fact that when I did break out and had a pimple, it healed much faster than before and the pigmentation was not nearly as dark as it had been in the past.

3) The third thing that let me know that I was on my way to controlling my acne was when I applied makeup to go out not long ago and noticed that I did NOT have to apply as much concealer to try to hide the dark spots. Once I had finished applying my foundation, my face looked much better than it had in the past because I really didn’t need to put on as much makeup and my entire face looked so much more open and much brighter.

4) The fourth thing I noticed was that the acne on my shoulders and chest was not flaring up anymore. YES, you read correctly, I haven’t have ANY flare ups on my chest and shoulders in a few months now and I could not be happier.

I’m quite confident that in another three months (so six months of treatments in total), my skin will have improved by one thousand per cent! By next year (so one full year of treatment) I most likely won’t even remember that I have been fighting acne since I was 13!

So how much do these products cost?

Healthy Skin retails for $52.99 CAD and Perfect Skin retails for $24.99 CAD for 60 softgel capsules

Would I buy it? Yes, definitely!  I’m so pleased with Perfect Skin and Healthy Skin from Genuine Health that I’m happy to take it for the rest of my life!

Would I replace my current acne products? Yes and no. Perfect Skin and Healthy Skin from Genuine Health works from the inside out and I had never attacked my acne from the inside so in essence, Perfect Skin and Healthy Skin from Genuine Health is not replacing any topical products I might use to clear up my pores, this is a totally NEW addition to my acne control regime!

OVERALL REVIEW:

5-star5

Here’s a photo of my face before I started using Perfect Skin from Genuine (you can see the dark spots on the cheeks and on the upper part of my chest. For the record, I’m not wearing any makeup).

dark_spots

You can see the dark spots on my left cheek and on my chest and I’m hoping Genuine Health’s Acne supplements will help me.

I’m so grateful to reader Norah that she will gracefully recount her first of many laser resurfacing treatments to deal with scars left behind on her face from teenage acne.

Norah will be documenting her many treatments, but this is the first account of her road to having a face that is free of any scars!

Story submitted by reader Norah R.

I got to the hospital in Toronto at 2 p.m. prompt for my first Fraxel (Laser Skin Resurfacing) treatment. On account of mild to moderate acne scarring, I had been waiting to do this for over a decade, and now that the actual day of treatment was here, after all this time, I found myself equal parts anxious, excited and afraid.

I was taken into a little room, and told to wash all my make-up off so my face was squeaky clean. The technician (the procedure is not done by a doctor) applied a thick, clear gel to my face. It’s similar to EMLA, a topical analgesic that numbs your skin when you have a needle, and its purpose is to help numb your face so the laser doesn’t hurt so much. I also took 2 Tylenol 3s with Codeine at this time, along with a Valtrex (Yes, I know — Valtrex?!) If you’re like me, the first thing you think of when you think of Valtrex is sexually-transmitted diseases! But I am prone to cold sores (the herpes simplex virus), and you can’t have a cold sore when undergoing Fraxel, so I was put on a five-day prescription of Valtrex to ward off any potential outbreak. I was mortified picking it up at the drug store, lest the pharmacist think I had herpes!).

After taking the meds, I had an hour to just sit and wait for the gel and Tylenol to take effect. I read my book and tried not to get nervous (I was … I have an incredibly low pain threshhold, and all the research I’d read online said that Fraxel was quite painful). At exactly 3 p.m., I washed the gel off my face and lay down on the examination table.  The technician applied little goggles to my eyes, so I wouldn’t be blinded by the laser.  Then she applied another cream, called a ‘tracking’ cream, all over my face — I assumed it was so she could “track” where the laser had gone and what areas it covered, so nothing got missed.  She gave me what looked like a vacuum cleaner hose, except instead of sucking in dirt, it blew out icy cold air, and told me to hold that in my hands and manoeuvre it along my face in tandem with where the laser was moving, to cool down my skin as the laser touched it.

And then the torture began.

As I mentioned, I have a very, VERY low pain threshold. But somehow, I have a tattoo. I have my ears pierced. I’ve had blood tests and needles. But none of those experiences prepared me for the unique and exquisite pain that is laser skin resurfacing.

The technician started on my right jawbone and did a series of vertical, one-way movements with the laser up towards my cheekbone. The only way I can describe it is to say the sensation is like a razor blade being dragged across your skin. Then she did my chin (I had to bite my lower lip to stretch the skin on my chin taut), then below my nose (again, I had to bite my upper lip to stretch the skin there taut), then my actual nose, my left jawbone and finally my forehead. I didn’t count, but I would say there were about 50 to 75 repetitions.  But somehow, I got through them all! It actually started off not too bad, even for a big baby like me, but by the time she finished on my left temple, it was starting to hurt (she said the left side always hurts more than the right for some reason), even with me blasting away with the vacuum cleaner of cold air.

The worst part was that the Tylenol 3s did not kick in. They did nothing. Not. A. Thing. And I even took two. Now, this well may be because I occasionally suffer from really bad headaches, and I normally take up to four or sometimes five extra-strength Tylenol at a time to cope with them. Perhaps my system has built up immunity to Tylenol? Although, extra-strength Tylenol and Tylenol 3 have very different drugs in them, and I had never taken Tylenol 3 before — not even when I had my wisdom teeth out. This is something I’ll ask my dermatologist about before my next Fraxel procedure.

I thought we were finished, and I was so proud of myself for getting through it, but then the technician told me the bad news: we were only halfway through. Now, instead of doing vertical, one-way movements, she was going to repeat the entire process but do *horizontal* one-way movements.  By this point, the temperature of my face had gotten quite hot (the laser is white-hot) and the pain went from bad to worse to practically excruciating by the time she was doing the left side of my face. In fact, my arms and hands were shaking so badly from the pain, I could no longer hold the vacuum hose and she had to hold it for me.

When it was all over — 25 minutes in total for the whole thing, beginning to end — I had to wash off the tracking gel. When I looked in the mirror, I didn’t recognise myself. My face looked like a tomato. Totally swollen, particularly around my cheekbones (my eyes looked shrunken in my head), and red-hot in both colour and to the touch.

I was given two ice packs that I applied to my face to try and numb/cool the swelling. After 3 hours, my face was still red, still swollen (though not as bad) and still tender. It itched a little bit, but not much. It felt and looked like a really bad sunburn, but the pain went away after a few hours and I even went out to the movies that night. I went to bed that night thinking it looked bad but, not *awful* and that I probably wouldn’t even need to take the three to five days to work from home, as my dermatologist strongly recommended.

When I woke up the next morning, I had a completely different reaction. I tried to sleep “sitting up”, as the after-care pamphlet suggested, but during the course of the night I tossed and turned and woke up in my usual position, on my back. Looking in the mirror, I was horrified — my entire face had swelled up again, and my eyes were almost swollen shut. They looked like black eyes, but without the purple discolouration. I couldn’t see as well out of my right eye, because it had swelled up so much.

I frantically consulted the after-care pamphlet, only to discover that this is pretty normal, and the swelling should go down after three to five days. Now I understand why my dermatologist urged me to work from home — not only am I swollen, but I was advised not to wear make-up, as the idea is to keep the skin as clean and unclogged as possible whilst it heals. I was to use Cetaphyl cleanser and moisturiser — nothing else — for the next 10 days.

I will be going back in six weeks for round two … I’m very anxious because the technician told me she used a “low” setting this time, because it was my first time. Next time, she will need to use a much higher setting. I told her there was no way I could endure that again, not with just Tylenol 3s that apparently don’t even work for me (granted, everyone is different), so she recommended speaking to my dermatologist about a prescription for Percocet, which will knock me out for the treatment. But despite the pain, I’m very excited to follow this through, because I really think it will be worth it in the end.

Photo by nyki_m

d-zit_acne_group-shot

I had discovered the “D” Zit Acne System at a beauty trade show a while ago and I thought the whole concept was quite brilliant because it was a complete system to control acne and one of the ingredients used in the formulation is wasabi!

There have been a lot of unusual ingredients added to skincare products lately, but I don’t think that any of them have been as unusual to me as wasabi. D-Zit uses this condiment from the East because wasabi has anti-bacterial properties which helps prevent infection, resulting in acne.

The line is a complete line that includes everything you would need for daily care of your skin and acne. Because D-Zit is a complete system, the guessing game has been cut out. The system makes it totally fool-proof and it also contains all the products you need for day and night treatments.

d-zit_acne_pads

1)  Wasabi Cleanser (10ml/1oz): This product removes surface oil, bacteria and debris.

2) Blemish Away (10ml/1oz): This is a spray designed to hydrate and soothe congested skin. The niacinamide in the product also helps reduce the “p” bacteria which is responsible for acne breakouts.

3) Treatment Gel (10ml/1oz): This product exfoliates the skin and reduces the appearance of scarring. The product also contains niacinamide and wasabi which help control the “p” bacteria.

4) Acne Pad (60 pads): The pads are designed to exfoliate the skin and reduce congestion … which could lead to breakouts. The fruit extracts in the product will also help at reducing sebum production.

d-zit_acne_treatment_gel

6) Oil Free Moisturizer with SPF 41 (10ml/1oz): This is an oil-free formula that will protect your skin from the damaging effects of the sun without causing breakouts due to clogged pores.

Once you’ve tried the trial kit, you can then graduate to buying the full size products knowing that this product actually delivers.

I might have discovered the D-Zit Acne System q while ago, but I only got around to trying it lately. I used the D-Zit Acne System for about six weeks to see if it would have any bearing on my acne.

Testing the D-Zit Acne System:

* The first few days when I started using the D-Zit system on my face I started breaking out terribly. Now, I cannot say it’s the product, since the bacteria forms under the skin and then it eventually comes out … it could have simply been a bad coincidence or it could have been that the product was detoxifying my skin.

d-zit_acne_wasabi_cleanser

* I decided to focus on using the line on my body, since I also break out on my chest, shoulders and arms.

* After using the D-Zit Acne System on my chest, shoulders and arms to control my acne, I’m pleased to report that my breakouts have been fewer and fewer. Because I don’t break out as much and therefore I’m not left with more hyperpimentation spots, and the old acne scars are starting to fade thanks to body scrubs and the D-Zit Treatment Gel.

d-zit_blemish_away

* If you have very oily skin or if you don’t have to deal with sensitive skin AND acne-prone skin, then you might not have an issue with the use of the D-Zit Acne System on your face.

Would I buy the D-Zit Acne System? Yes, I would buy it to use on my chest, shoulders and arms.

OVERALL REVIEW: Very good product

4-star14

The D-Zit Acne System Kit retails for about $72.00 CAD (in fact the price might be as low as $60 in some spas).

If you’d like to get the D-Zit Acne System Kit, you’ll find it at a number of spas across the country in Canada. If you’re not able to locate a spa that carries the product in your area, you can contact the Canadian distributor. American readers can contact the manufacturer for points of sale and American distributors. You’ll find all of the details below:

In Canada they can contact me to find a Spa/Salon that carries the product near them OR they can order direct from me.

Nature & Lifestyle Products Canada Inc.

1-866-262-3223 (in Edmonton)

Dgreenough (at) connect.ab.ca

If you live in the U.S., you can contact the manufacturer directly

MS Skintechnical

2501 West Behrend Drive Suite 1 & 3

Phoenix, Arizona

85027

United States

(866) 940-7546

You can visit their web site here: MS Skintechnical