Narrow Down Your Beauty Routine

In this day and age, there are so many different beauty products out there. From creams to lotions and serums and every form of foundation under the sun, it can be all a little overwhelming. Here I want to list the bare essentials that can get you through your morning routine while still looking young, fresh and glowing.  

• Coconut oil - the miracle worker. Use it as a moisturizer, hair mask, a head to toe salve, even a teeth whitener. Make sure it's refined though  
• Essential oils - these you may have a few of, but for different purposes. Tea tree for blemishes, lavender for anxiety, peppermint for energy or skin refresher, just to name a few. You can even make your own scents  
• BB Cream - evens out your skin tone and masks imperfections while still being lightweight, what more could you want  
• Powder palette, one of those with a highlighter, blush, bronzer and a skin tone. You could even use some of the shades for your eyeshadow  
• Eyeliner - in whatever form of your liking, liquid, pencil, gel etc  
• Mascara - lashes frame your eyes and make them standout more
• Lipstick/gloss/liner - find your signature shade of lipstick, a nuetral liner, and a light gloss. Perfect  
• Dry shampoo - make your blowout last a little extra while giving your hair some volume  

While these are just essentials, you might add a few items you love here and there, for a special occasion or whatever it may be. Or even if you just feel like treating yourself to a new lipstick. Hopefully this list will have you try something new, maybe you'll even find your new favorite product. 

Love and light,  

Lexi  

Get Your Glo On!

Skin brightening has become a more targeted subject in the field of dermatology. Both estheticians and their clients have been searching for ways to reduce melanin production in the skin. Some of the most common conditions of hyper pigmentation are age spots, melasma, freckles and acne scars. Now that we know more about skin pigmentation and how the skin makes melanin, we can more effectively utilize certain ingredients. Much of the research in the field focuses on tyrosinase, an enzyme that spurs melanin production from tyrosine through oxidation. In the pathway, tyrosinase is produced by the melanocyte (the skin cell responsible for pigmentation) and is responsible for several reactions. You can limit melanin by limiting tyrosinase anywhere along its pathway.

There are some brightening agents that I am very excited about! There are marine active ingredients, that work on signaling proteins in the skin for melanin production and DNA repair. Although algae has been used for many years in skin brightening formulations, its being brought to a peptide level to help more with melanin inhibition. The use of botanical extract ingredients is a method I strongly suggest. They are gentler to the skin and our body automatically knows how to process them. One argument about botanical ingredients is whether they are as effective as their chemical counterparts. Traditionally, treating hyper pigmentation chemically has been done by bleaching the skin with either hydroquinone or kojic acid. While these ingredients are fast acting and effective, if you were to stop using the product at any point in time, it could actually make hyper pigmentation worse. This is because they can be cytotoxic to melanocytes in large amounts. Because of this, skin may respond to these chemicals negatively, resulting in production of more melanin. One of the best benefits of using plant extract and peptide-based products is that there’s little to no chance of doing serious harm to the skin.

I always recommend doing your research and finding a company that uses high quality botanicals and is well-versed on how to handle them during formulation. The effectiveness of these products depend on the knowledge of the developer, especially when it comes to which part of the plant to use. For the best results in treating hyper pigmentation, look for products that work at multiple points during the production of melanin. Since there are so many ways to treat hyper pigmentation, it is better to utilize different methods so that they can work cooperatively for an overall better effect. Keep your skin fresh and glo-ing!

Best,

Lexi