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Friend
I am proud to announce the relocation of Amy's Skin Care to 11822 NE 116th Street, Kirkland, WA 98034. Thanks to all of you who have contributed to the growth of my holistic skin care business over the past six years. I am proud to still offer effective and customized organic facial treatments in a more professional, private, and peaceful environment. You'll find me conveniently located right off of I405 (exit 20A) and NE 116th Street. I'm at the top of the hill in "the big blue building" opposite the Subaru dealer.
Amy's Skin Care will be open for business on Tuesday January 24th by appointment only. The Grand Opening Celebration date will be forthcoming in the next few weeks.
Meanwhile, I'm sharing a couple of professional journal readings I think will be of interest to those with sensitive skin or seasonally-impacted skin.
Wishing you joy, peace and health in 2012.
Warmly,
Amy
206-999-6336
  
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Understanding "Winter Itch" Skin
| |  Between November and March, one of the most common concerns of my clients in northern climates is the treatment of dry winter skin. This is no surprise as a whopping 81 million Americans claim to experience dry, itchy or scaly skin during the winter months, according to a report from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS).
For those who want the nitty gritty detail, it's important to first understand the structure of the skin. The stratum corneum, a layer of the epidermis (outer layer), is comprised of corneocytes (flattened dead skin cells), desmosomes (proteins that hold the corneocytes together), and intercellular lipids (fats). Under a microscope, these components appear to be arranged in a brick-and-mortar pattern. Corneocytes serve as the bricks. They are connected by desmoses, and lipids play the role of mortar that surrounds and protects the corneocytes. Together, these components create a physical wall intended to prevent moisture loss.
For the stratum corneum to properly protect the body, it must be elastic and flexible, which means the skin must stay properly hydrated. Normal, healthy skin is 20-35% water. Each day, it loses approximately a pint of water through transepidermal water loss (TEWL), the continuous
process by which water leaves the body through the skin. However, when humidity drops, as it does in cold-weather months, there's a dramatic increase in TEWL as the dry air pulls moisture from the skin. When the skin's water content drops below 10%, it begins drying, which brings discomfort characterized by redness, itchiness and flakiness. With less water in the skin, the production of natural moisturizing factors (NMFs) becomes impaired and lipid levels fall, setting in motion a vicious cycle that is hard to remedy. Your best natural protection is to improve your body's hydration by drinking an extra pint or quart of pure water each day.
Add to the mix ongoing or prolonged exposure to irritants, (such as soap or even water), and you have a far worse situation. This exposure causes the skin's acid mantle to disintegrate, which further increases the rate of TEWL and decreases lipid levels. The result is even drier skin that may crack and even become infected.
Meanwhile, just beneath the surface, the individual roles of corneocytes and lipids are equally important to maintaining skin health in dry environments.
Corneocytes are mainly composed of keratin (which holds water and gives skin its strength), along with other NMF compounds. NMFs are humectants, which means they hold water. Because of this, they are essential to the skin's flexibility and hydration. However, they're also water-soluble, which is why skin dries out upon extended water contact from showering, bathing, swimming and hand-washing.
Intercellular lipids are comprised of ceramides (a type of lipid molecule), free fatty acids, and cholesterol. Their role in the stratum corneum is to prevent the loss of NMFs from within the corneocytes. Residing on the topmost layer of skin, they combine with sweat to form the thin acid mantle - the chemical barrier that kills bacteria and regulates moisture loss. What's more, lipids lubricate the skin, making them a major factor in ensuring smooth texture.
When the skin has less water and fewer lipids to lubricate and protect it, it no longer exfoliates properly. The result is an excessive buildup of dead cells on the skin's surface, giving it an ashy appearance. It also results in an overall degradation of the skin's health, because the skin can no longer properly heal itself. In order to address the discomfort caused by these conditions, here are a variety of solutions that can help remedy winter itch.
Moisturizers
The primary objective in treating dry skin is to first minimize discomfort. Lotions and moisturizers can bring temporary relief. However, contrary to popular belief, these products do not actually add moisture to the skin. Rather, they help to restore the barrier function of the stratum corneum and cover fissures in the skin.
Exfoliation
Although exfoliation is a necessary skin care step year-round, it's especially vital for those with dry skin. Remember that the reduced water content and lipid levels associated with dry skin will interrupt the normal exfoliation process. Daily use of an effective exfoliant will encourage the proper shedding of dead skin cells. Not
only will this result in skin that looks better, but it will also
improve the skin's overall health.
Traditional recommendations
A number of age-old recommendations still hold a good deal of value and continue to help my clients. These include the following;
- Take fewer and/or shorter showers and baths, and reduce water temperatures. This is an essential step for those with dry skin, but should be followed by those with healthy skin as well. As mentioned previously, water leaches NMFs from the skin and affects its lipid content.
- Avoid the use of harsh soaps, detergents, and hand sanitizers. These ingredients remove the skin's acid mantle, thus increasing the rate of TEWL. Use alcohol-free hand sanitizer and glycerin soaps instead.
- Use a cool-mist humidifier in the home and office to maintain proper humidity levels. This will help skin maintain hydration by slowing the rate of TEWL.
Eminence offers a variety of moisturizers featuring organic ingredients that are as potent as they are a pleasure to use. A favorite is Eminence Honeydew Body Lotion, a rich and luxuriously moisturizing lotion for all skin types.
 | | Eminence Honeydew Body Lotion |
Key ingredients include Honeydew Extract to moisturize, revitalize and enrich the epidermis; calendula to moisturize and serve as an active soothing agent; and carrot, which contains Vitamin A and carotene oils.
Eminence Honeydew Body Lotion is fortified with Biocomplex, Eminence's exclusive antioxidant booster of Vitamin A, Vitamin C Ester, Vitamin E, Coenzyme Q10, and Alpha Lipoic Acid.
Click here for details
Resource: Skin Inc; November 2011
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Is Your Skin "Sensitive" or "Abused?"
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I often see clients who say that their skin feels prickly, itchy, and tight.
They sometimes have dry patches and may even bristle with red blotches. Clients often refer to this as "sensitive" skin, a term that has been in the consumer lexicon for decades. However, the term is frequently used incorrectly thanks to commercials that do not tell its true meaning. When clients say that they have "sensitive skin," it is my job to educate, as well as treat and recommend products.
For years, the term "sensitive" has been used by skin care product manufacturers as shorthand for skin that is highly reactive and displays allergic responses to common ingredients. These manufacturers categorize people into a "sensitive" skin type. (The other categories used as well are dry, oily, and "combination.") They are simplistic descriptions that have contributed greatly to the current misinformation and confusion about the subject. While these descriptors are convenient for marketing purposes, the truth is that skin type is truly unique and inherited from one's parents. Just like blue eyes or curly red hair, skin type is in your genes. However, skin conditions are usually a result of interaction with outside forces, not just simply what's in a person's DNA. The negative impact of this practice is that some people will not receive the correct treatment, causing problems to persist and sometimes worsen as a result.
Every person's skin condition is in a state of flux influenced by environment, diet, stress, and lifestyle. Skin is never just one type, it's an array of changing conditions, and thus a moving target. As a skin therapist, I can recommend a professional and a home treatment with a brief 10-minute visual and tactile exam every other month, or with each season to help keep skin on a healthy path.
Correctly naming a skin condition is the first step to understanding and treating it. This identification process must go further than merely observing symptoms. This is especially true when dealing with inflammation, because this symptom is present in a variety of conditions, such as sensitivity, sensitization, rosacea and acne. Thus, understanding a condition must begin with an investigation of the condition's origins, not just noticing its symptoms and characteristics.
According to Diana Howard, PhD, Vice President of Global Education for The International Dermal Institute, "Sensitized skin is a reflection of a client's environment, lifestyle and physiology. Pollution, stress, hormones, cosmetics, climate, alcohol, diet, medical procedures and other factors can all lead to sensitized skin, which is defined as skin that displays a more reactive response to substances that are tolerated by the general population. It is now known that this condition is the result of three key factors: a compromised lipid barrier layer, traditional immune activity, and the newly discovered neurogenic response in the skin, which is a newer area of research studying the effect of the nervous system, and its relationship to inflammation and sensitive skin. Although all of these factors contribute to sensitized skin, each must be addressed individually to control this condition; otherwise, continued exposure to the stressor can result in inflammation that can lead to more serious skin disorders and premature aging."
Distinctions between sources
Understanding the various causes of similar symptoms is the key step in not just treating present symptoms, but also halting the cause of future ones. This distinction is at the heart of the sensitive skin diagnosis. It also applies to removing from the mix other conditions that manifest in inflammation, such as rosacea. Rosacea is a progressive inflammatory disorder that begins with scratchy sensations and flushing associated with specific triggers. It can later lead to burst capillaries, facial swelling, acne-like breakouts, and much more serious consequences, such as rhinophyma, and ophthalmic rosacea (which can lead to blindness). Although the symptoms may appear similar, their origins and treatments are different. Arresting inflammation
What common triggers often result in the escalation of inflammation? The list is maddeningly diverse: hot drinks, cold drinks, hot weather, cold weather, spicy food, stress, artificial fragrances and colors, and more.
One crucial key to addressing all of these concerns is supporting and maintaining a healthy lipid barrier function. A defect in the skin's protective outer layer, known as the lipid barrier layer, can allow irritants like microbes and allergens to penetrate the skin, causing a domino effect of adverse reactions and symptoms. With this in mind, a threefold strategy makes sense for combating inflammation. 1. Containment and the reduction of current symptoms 2. Avoidance of known triggers 3. Enhancement of skin's natural lipid barrier The skin's barrier function is mainly attributed to the lipid components of its outermost layer, the stratum corneum, which effectively protects the body from drying out and prevents foreign substances from penetrating the skin. By maintaining the barrier lipid layer at its peak performance level, the damaging effects of environment and lifestyle on the skin can be controlled. Easing up on exfoliation and seasonally adjusting treatments
The first and possibly most urgent step in helping clients recover from and prevent inflammation is to assess their exfoliation habits. Sensitization can occur as the result of aggressive procedures and products that are often used in reckless combination without the supervision of a skin therapist. When working with clients who are suffering from inflammation, I must get a full history of their exfoliation practices. If the words "glycolic acid", "do-it-yourself home microdermabrasion kit", or any other intrusive practices pop up, the answer is clear. Then, depending upon the client's skin condition, I will begin to build a program of restorative and protective treatments as well as home-care products. When developing an at-home program for clients, I will be sure to include comprehensive sun protection. Sensitized skin, especially that which has been abraded, will be highly reactive to ultraviolet (UV) exposure. The combination of inflammation and solar exposure greatly increases the likelihood of long-lasting hyperpigmentation, so be sure that you are well-protected from additional photosensitivity. Striking a healthy balance between exfoliation and lipid barrier protection will ensure that your skin is polished, yet resilient and able to defend itself against the continuous epidermal assault of daily life. Resource: Skin Inc; April 2010 |
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