Hail to Exfoliation!

Out with the old, in with the new! It’s the perfect time of year to talk about one of our favorite subjects: exfoliation. Kicking out the old, dead outermost cells is the quickest and easiest way to make skin look immediately fresher, smoother, younger and more vibrant.

But before you start shedding the layers, listen up! When it comes to exfoliation, what’s good for the goose isn’t always good for the gander. Skin is different on each part of the body, so what works to exfoliate the thick skin on your heels and elbows is most likely too aggressive for your face. Furthermore, what works for your face might be too aggressive for your lips. So be particular about particle material and size and use the right product for the job.

We especially love polyethylene polishing beads because they have a smooth surface and gently exfoliate the skin. You’ll find polyethylene polishing beads in Rodan + Fields^® ENHANCEMENTS Body Micro-Dermabrasion and Lip Micro-Dermabrasion and REVERSE Deep Exfoliating Wash. Order today at https://hrose.myrandf.com/.

Go Easy on Your Skin

You can rub away a lot of things, but you can’t rub away the effects of rubbing and scratching your skin. Our bodies perceive constant friction as an assault, triggering skin to thicken and darken as a protective measure. This is a condition dermatologists refer to as lichenification, also known as “elephant skin.” It’s why the skin of our elbows and knees is so much darker than the rest of our bodies.

So if you don’t want your face to look like your funny bone, avoid prolonged scratching and rubbing by addressing the source. If your skin is feeling irritated, treat with a soothing lotion. If allergies are causing you to scratch your skin, treat with an antihistamine or allergy medicine. This condition builds over time so the sooner you can reduce this habit, the better.

You can destress your skin and reduce irritation with our Soothe Regimen.  The full regimen gives you everything you need to reduce inflammation, irritation, and redness. On a budget? Start first with the Soothe Sensitive Skin Treatment. A 60-day supply costs $80. https://hrose.myrandf.com/Shop/Product/SOTT050

Source: Rodan and Fields DermRF

Vanising Varicose Veins

By Dr. Katie Rodan

As temperatures rise so do our hemlines, so it’s no surprise that each spring I suddenly see a lot of patients eager to make their varicose veins vanish instantly. If you too find yourself wishing away those pesky veins, you are not alone … an estimated 80 percent of women have them.

Unfortunately, treatment options are few and far between (and not to mention costly). In my office I treat spider veins with special injections designed to make veins collapse and disappear. These can be quite effective over time, but it takes multiple visits to achieve results.

While there’s no current at-home therapy available, you can camouflage the appearance of your varicose veins with a sunless tanner. Sunless tanners can do wonders for hiding veins, bruises and even cellulite, and nothing says “hello spring” like a healthy, faux glow.
Achieving that perfectly bronzed, streak-free look isn’t as easy as it sounds. But after a few years of trial and error, here are my tricks of the trade:

1. Start with a foaming formula that builds color gradually to create a more even, natural-looking glow.
2. Before applying the product, exfoliate skin to remove dead skin cells. If you shave your legs, do so before applying your sunless tanner; shaving afterwards will reduce the life of your glow.
3. Apply lotion to your knees, elbows, toes, toenails, heels and ankles to prevent your sunless tan from concentrating in those areas where skin is thickest. To avoid orange palms, wear protective gloves or wash hands with soap and water immediately after applying.
4. If you do make a mistake, use acetone or nail polish remover to remove any unintended color. Let skin dry at least 15 minutes before getting dressed and avoid wearing tight-fitting clothing for the next three to four hours to allow color to develop evenly.

Put these tips to work for you and you’ll be ready for the fashions of summer in no time.

Order Rodan+Fields Foaming Sunless Tan to keep your legs (and all your body parts) glowing year round. 

Better Skin CAN Start Today

While “slow and steady wins the race” when it comes to improving the look and feel of your skin, it is possible to get better skin tomorrow. Whether you have months, days or hours, here’s how to make the most of the time you have:

2-4 months: Develop or tweak your daily skincare regimen to target your unique skin concerns. Whether you’re concerned about wrinkles, dullness, brown spots, sensitivity or blemishes, intelligent daily skincare adds up over time to make a major impact on the appearance of your skin. Complement your daily routine with once-weekly macro-exfoliation to sweep away dead skin cells and reveal a younger-looking, more radiant complexion.

24 days: If you haven’t already, incorporate macro-exfoliation for five minutes once a week to sweep away dead skin cells and allow a smoother complexion to shine through. Unlike an in-office microdermabrasion treatment, macro-exfoliation can be done at home and requires no downtime to heal. Even one use will go a long way to improving the look of your skin.

24 hours: Procrastinators rejoice –you can improve the look of your skin in one day. Use a mineral peptide product to perfect your complexion and diffuse any facial redness, and an eye cream with optical filters to brighten the eye area. Boost your complexion from the neck down by applying sunless tanner at least four hours before your event. Even a subtle faux glow is a known red-carpet secret for masking imperfections (redness, bruising, varicose veins), disguising cellulite and helping you look slimmer and more toned. These are quick, but effective, fixes. Post-event, start on a daily skincare routine so that you’re not scrambling before your next event.

Start with a full regimen or start small.  We have something for every skin concern and every skin type.  Get more info and order at www.agelessrose.com

Source:  Rodan+Fields Derm RF

The Base Tan is Bad, Bad, Bad

By now, you know that sunburns are bad. But so is getting a so-called “base tan.” The “base tan” is a term popularized by tanning salons and refers to the practice of slowly and gradually developing a sun tan through sun exposure or a tanning bed, often before a tropical vacation or other sun-soaked event. The thinking is that somehow, this can prevent sunburn or sun damage.

Unfortunately, this just isn’t true. The UV rays that tan your skin in a tanning bed are identical to the UV rays that come from the sun. And while years of advertising have taught us to love the look of a tan, there is no such thing as a healthy tan. Sun exposure damages skin, and the pigment you see as a tan is the body’s reaction to this injury. And there’s nothing “healthy” or pretty about damaged skin.

Going out into the sun with a “base tan” will not prevent sunburn nor minimize damage. And although that bronze look might be nice, it can also disguise the signs that skin is burning. If you want to sport a healthy-looking glow for your next vacation, trade the tanning salon for a sunless tanner, and use a broad spectrum sunscreen when you go out in the sun.

You can find Rodan+Fields lotion and powder based sunscreen on my site – just click on the links below: 

Broad Spectrum Lotion – Use ESSENTIALS Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Sunscreen
Powder Based Sun Protection –ENHANCEMENTS Mineral Peptides Broad Spectrum 20
Need an Anti-Age Boost – Use REDEFINE Triple Defense Treatment SPF 30
Sensitive Skin – Use SOOTHE Mineral Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 30
Sun Damaged Skin – Use REVERSE Broad Spectrum SPF 50+

Thanks to Rodan+Fields DermRF for this great article!  Check out the Ageless Rose website for deals, before and after pics, and more great products.

Why Microdermabrasion is Your Solution

Microdermabrasion uses tiny exfoliating crystals that are sprayed on the skin. It works best on problems such as dull skin, brown spots, and age spots.   Because it is non-invasive and does not use aggressive chemicals like peels, microdermabrasion is best used for surface skin rejuvenation.   

The technique also helps to thicken your collagen, which results in a younger looking complexion. Collagen is a protein in your skin that's abundant when you're a child and makes skin appear taut and smooth. Collagen production declines as we age, resulting in looser, uneven skin.

Are you Reunion Ready?

Quick: Your 20-year high school reunion is in a week. Which compliment are you hoping to receive?
A. You have such a nice car!
B. I wish my job was as neat as yours.
C. Wow. You look amazing!

Did you pick “C”? If so, you’re not alone. For most of us, looking great trumps cars and jobs, but it’s also a lot harder to embellish. July hosts almost a quarter of all high school reunions, yet attendance usually tops out at about 30 percent of the graduating class. One reason? Although reconnecting is exciting, the “long time/no see” microscope can be downright intimidating. (And, let’s face it: Carefully cultivating your Facebook appearance is a lot less scary than reconnecting in real life.)

The good news? You have more control over how you look than you think. Sure, nature plays a part in how you age—but only 20 percent. Our environment and our daily skincare and lifestyle habits account for 80 percent of visible aging changes. So whether you’re looking to refresh your complexion, minimize the appearance of aging, reverse brown spots, fade blemishes or calm red skin, it is possible to look better today than you did yesterday. 

Here is what you can use to take care of your skin concern before the big day:

Fine lines and wrinkles - Redefine Regimen - Can't do the whole regimen? Start with the Night Renewing Serum.
Dullness, Acne Scars and Fine Lines - Redefine MACRO Exfoliator - 5 minutes, once a week and your skin will look better than it has in a long, long time.
Blemishes and Acne - Use the Unblemish Regimen. Want to start small?  Get the Unblemish Acne Treatment Sulfur Wash. You can also use it in the shower to clear up back acne.
Brown Spots and Sun Damage - Use the Reverse Regimen.  It fades brown spots and evens out your skin tone. 
Sensitive Skin - Use the Soothe Regimen to get rid of blotches and skin irritation.  It works fast.

Source: Rodan+Fields DermRF

Classy Wedding Favors

Getting married or planning an event?  Its lots of work and lots of fun! But, its often hard to be original - especially in your party favors.  They should be a nice thank you to your guests and reflection of you and your style.  One new idea is personalized Mini Facial Favor Bags. They look elegant, are totally original, and give your guests a relaxing treat after the big day.  Even better, Mini Facial Wedding Favors highlight your style and beauty.  Each favor bag is $6 and includes a personalized card, macrodermabrasion paste, lip renewing serum, and facial renewing serum. Your guests will appreciate the gesture and their skin will look and feel great!  Message me for orders and check out the Ageless Rose facebook page. 

Putting Your Best Face Forward

The latest Skinpact by Dr. Kathy Fields has some great advice on looking your best:

Social media is making it easier to be found and harder to hide from connections and social commitments. When connecting with Facebook online brings you “face to face” with old friends offline, don’t shy away from being seen. It can be intimidating to reunite with someone you haven’t seen in a few years, but instead of stressing, remember that you have control over your skin’s future.

First, give your skin a healthy head start by selecting a regimen designed to target your top skin concerns such as aging or acne, and then use it daily and as directed. It’s incredible what a noticeable difference over-the-counter daily skincare can make in your skin’s appearance.

Starting Small with Skincare

The best anti-aging skincare products can be expensive.  Many brands charge over $100 for one serum bottle alone.  It better be magic in a bottle if you ask me!  At Rodan+Fields Dermatologists, you can get the REDEFINE Age Assault Regimen for $334.  It has everything you need, is a 60-day supply, and will give you visible results. But, not everyone wants to put that much money into a new skincare system.  I am one of them. 

Sunscreen Reverses Aging?

You know I am constantly on you to use sunscreen to protect your skin and slow down premature aging.  It pretty common knowledge that sun damage is no good for your skin and is the leading cause of premature aging. Well, hold on to your hats ladies!!!   Annals of Internal Medicine just published the result of the first large formal study on sun screen and aging.  It demonstrates that sunscreen not only slows skin aging…but reverses it!

 

According to Laurie Tarkan, an award-winning health journalist, “at the beginning of the study, 58 percent of participants had moderate photoaging, but by the end of the study, that number dropped to 49 percent, suggesting a decrease in photoaging in some of the participants. Get a skincare regimen and get in the habit of applying sunscreen. And remember, the sunscreen you put on in the morning will only last 3-4 hours tops. You’ll need to reapply throughout the day to keep your protection (and your age reversal) going. 

 

You can find Rodan+Fields lotion and powder based sunscreen on my site – just click on the links below:

 

Broad Spectrum Lotion – Use ESSENTIALS Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Sunscreen 

Powder Based Sun Protection –Use ENHANCEMENTS Mineral Peptides Broad Spectrum 20 

Need an Anti-Age Boost – Use REDEFINE Triple Defense Treatment SPF 30

Sensitive Skin – Use SOOTHE Mineral Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 30 

Sun Damaged Skin – Use REVERSE Broad Spectrum SPF 50+

Aging Eyes

This week we are targeting the eyes and anti-aging solutions.  Thanks to Rodan+Fields for this recent post:

Puffiness. Dark Circles. Expression lines. The eye area can tell all, revealing our daily, even hourly, ups and downs. And it’s no wonder—as the body’s thinnest and most delicate skin, the fragile eye area is continually bombarded with potential agers. Everything from sleep deprivation, dietary changes, pollution and the sun’s rays to aggressive pulling and tugging (as we put in contact lenses and take off makeup) and even our everyday movements of smiling, frowning or just blinking, take a toll.

What do you do to keep your eyes looking youthful?

The Power of Vitamin D - From our Derm RF

Great post from our Derm RF site that I thought I'd share with you.  I had no idea how much Vitamin D does for you. Worth the quick read:

If you want an “A” in anti-aging this summer, don’t drop your vitamin D supplement just because it’s sunny outside. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that prevents rickets in children, maintains bone density in adults, may inhibit certain cancers such as non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and possibly lessens the risk of diseases such as multiple sclerosis. While it is true that sunlight stimulates the production of vitamin D, the Skin Cancer Foundation recommends that you get your daily value of vitamin D from non-sun sources such as vitamin D–fortified milk, orange juice, salmon and other fatty fishes or a multivitamin. The truth is, if you seek your vitamin D from the sun, you’ll soak up a whole lot more than you bargained for, including accelerated aging and an increased risk of developing skin cancer.

Retinoids and Peptides – Your Anti-Aging Arsenal

One of the major causes of aging is sun damage.  It’s just not fair, but it’s true.  Retinoids and Peptides should be in your anti-aging skincare arsenal.  This is because they are both effective in treating sun damaged skin AND reducing fine lines and wrinkles.  While Retin-A (retinoid) is the only FDA-approved topical treatment for fine lines and wrinkles, both peptides, Retin-A, and Alpha-hydroxys are shown in many studies to provide a boost to your skin. 

Retin-A (prescription form) and Retinol (over the counter cousin) are about as close to a silver bullet as you can get for fine lines, wrinkles, and sun damage.  Retinoids normalize cell function, shrink pores, improve cell turnover, and affect the retention and production of collagen. These attributes combined provide you with a powerful tool for improving skin texture, fading sun spots and freckles, and reducing fine lines, acne scars and wrinkles. 

Alpha-Hydroxys and Anti-Aging Skincare

While you can’t control all the elements and how they impact your skin, there are things you can do to postpone the effects of aging and reduce fine lines and wrinkles.  If you simply moisturize and use sun protection, some wrinkles will naturally soften or disappear.  The next step is to look to cosmetics and cosmetic procedures to reduce wrinkles.  At the top of the ingredient list are products that contain alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs), Retinoids (including Retin A), and Peptides.  This post focuses on Alpha-hydroxy acids. 

Alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs) – AHAs are typically derived from food products including glycolic acid (from sugar cane), lactic acid (from sour milk), malic acid (from apples), citric acid (from citrus fruits) and tartaric acid (from grape wine).  Products made from glycolic acid may be more effective as this AHA does a better job of penetrating the skin. 

Aging Benefits of Antihistamines

From the Rodan+Fields DermRF:

Along with April showers and May flowers come allergies, which has most of us battling runny noses and itchy eyes. But allergies don’t just affect the way you feel, they can also affect the way you look. And that’s because over time, constantly rubbing your nose and eyes will accelerate the appearance of wrinkles. The most iconic? The “allergic salute,” otherwise known as the wrinkle that appears across the bridge of the nose due to years of rubbing.

However, by taking antihistamines to reduce the itchy symptoms that trigger all that scratching, you are actually doing your skin a favor and preventing those wrinkles from ever forming. So take a hands off approach to your skin and start thinking of your antihistamine as not only an anti-allergy solution, but an anti-aging one as well!

To fight existing fine lines and wrinkles order Redefine products today from Rodan+Fields or visit our website for more information on products and results.

The Real Deal on Wrinkles

Wrinkles are a fact of life, a sign of maturity (for most of us) and add beautiful character to your face.  Getting them too early or getting too many, however, is something many of us try to avoid.  In order to reduce and reverse the effects of aging, you first need to understand why you get wrinkles and fine lines in the first place. 

Aging and Wrinkles
Although genetics plays a major part in how your face ages and when, environmental factor such as sun exposure, pollution and smoking are major contributors to wrinkles.  The outer layer of your skin, called the epidermis, is the “protector” of the inner layers of your skin.  However some environmental elements, like sun exposure, reach through the epidermis to the inner layers of your skin. The Dermis, the second layer of your skin, is the foundation for your face.  It plays an important role in connectivity, firmness, and elasticity. Over time this layer thins, produces less collagen, and loses its ability to “spring back”, causing the face to wrinkle and sag. As your skin ages, it doesn’t do as good a job at retaining moisture which gives it a double whammy to the wrinkle process. 

Solutions for Sensitive Skin

About 50% of people have sensitive skin concerns.  Some experience skin conditions such as rosacea, eczema, or psoriasis, while a larger percentage are likely to have a genetic pre-disposition making them more susceptible to the impact of the environment, including stress, climate change, travel, sun exposure, and cosmetic overuse. 

Oprah and the Macro E - In the Press

O Magazine's executive beauty editor put our REDEFINE MACRO Exfoliator to the test, remarking that the next morning "makeup glides over my incredibly soft, clear skin."  She also loves the suction power and our electronic DOC-SMART technology and LED display that guides you during the exfoliation.   Used once a week, this hand-held, personal use exfoliation tool sweeps away dead skin cells leaving behind a smoother, healthier-looking and more luminous complexion. The proof is in the filter where you can see the dulling, dead outermost skin cells and debris that have been covering up your best skin. Read the full mention on O Magazine.  Order your own Macro Exfoliator and redefine the look and feel of your skin or enter to win a FREE MACRO E.

The Solution for Blemishes and Acne Scars

Breakouts? Unpredictable? Unreasonable? Unfair? Take control with our UNBLEMISH Regimen. Clinically proven to combat the entire acne cycle, this sophisticated regimen helps unclog pores, clears breakouts and calms your complexion to keep pimples, blackheads and post-acne marks from making an unwelcome appearance on your face—and in your life.

Since many acne sufferers have post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH), the remnant red/brown marks following  a healed blemish, we offer UNBLEMISH Spot Fading Toner. However, if you are one  of the lucky few who does not experience PIH, use our UNBLEMISH Clarifying Toner as an alternative.  Order you R+F Unblemish Regimen today or try our Solutions Tool to find the best products for your skincare concerns.