Derm RF

Habits that Haunt

Putting on the Glitz

‘Tis the season for gloss and glitter … and breakouts and rashes. Go ahead and sparkle, but mind your makeup curfew. If late nights give way to lazy night skincare routines, the effects will catch up with you in the form of clogged pores, dull texture from dead skin cell buildup, and breakouts.

Also, glitters and shimmering shadows can be irritants, so if you use them infrequently you may find that adding a little extra dazzle for an evening out gets you more than you bargained for. You may end up with watery eyes, itchiness and redness. Our advice? Let your clothes and accessories do the glittering and let your natural beauty shine through.

December 6, 2011 at 11:18 pm Derm RF 1 comment

Habits that Haunt

Post-Traumatic Sunscreen Disorder (PTSD)

Does thinking about applying sunscreen to your face send chills up your spine? If the fear of experiencing the stinging, burning and redness you’ve endured in the past when applying sunscreen is causing you to avoid that daily dollop of sunscreen so essential to maintaining a healthy, youthful complexion, then you may have post-traumatic sunscreen disorder.

While understandable, your sensitivity to sunscreen is not what it seems. You’re actually reacting to individual chemical ingredients and not simply allergic to sunscreen as a whole. To avoid this reaction in the future, look specifically for sunscreens that feature mineral-based ingredients like zinc and titanium dioxide. Not only are they gentler than your average sunscreen, but these ingredients are compatible with sensitive skin, last longer and are considered more efficacious.

November 23, 2011 at 2:07 am Derm RF

Habits that Haunt

The Best Way to Fight Dryness is with H₂O

If you’re upping your skin’s water supply with frequent spritzing as a way to increase moisture, you may be creating a problem instead of solving one. Unless you apply a barrier-repairing moisturizer (one which contains dimethicone, glycerin or hyaluronic acid) immediately after spritzing, you’ll actually dry out skin because as water evaporates it draws moisture away from all layers of your skin. Feel the need to spritz? Just follow with lightly patting damp skin with a great moisturizer. Not only will you improve hydration over the long haul, you’ll get an immediately refreshed and youthful glow.

November 16, 2011 at 11:48 pm Derm RF

Habits that Haunt

Post-Traumatic Sunscreen Disorder (PTSD)

Does thinking about applying sunscreen to your face send chills up your spine? If the fear of experiencing the stinging, burning and redness you’ve endured in the past when applying sunscreen is causing you to avoid that daily dollop of sunscreen so essential to maintaining a healthy, youthful complexion, then you may have post-traumatic sunscreen disorder.

While understandable, your sensitivity to sunscreen is not what it seems. You’re actually reacting to individual chemical ingredients and not simply allergic to sunscreen as a whole. To avoid this reaction in the future, look specifically for sunscreens that feature mineral-based ingredients like zinc and titanium dioxide. Not only are they gentler than your average sunscreen, but these ingredients are compatible with sensitive skin, last longer and are considered more efficacious.

November 8, 2011 at 9:51 pm Derm RF

Habits that Haunt

Forgetting Your Fingertips

While it’s not nice to point, and puns are almost always obnoxious, we’ll risk your rolling eyes and point out that the key to beautiful nails may already be at your fingertips. Keeping cuticles and nails looking and feeling healthy is as easy as taking your hand care all the way to the end of the line. If you take a minute to go beyond your fingers and massage your fingertips with a hand care regimen that provides essential moisture and promotes an increase in skin’s natural collagen, you’ll find your nails in tip-top shape in no time.

October 19, 2011 at 12:33 am Derm RF 1 comment

Habits that Haunt

Stopping Short: The Chin’s the Limit

When you deny your neck, chest and hands the same protection and pampering you offer your face daily, you inadvertently create a side-by-side comparison of good versus bad skincare habits. And having a youthful face sitting on top of a leathered chest is just bad marketing. As you head to the bathroom tomorrow morning, remember—your décolletage and hands deserve the same care and consistency as your face. Always extend your skincare down past your face to your neck, chest and hands daily.

October 4, 2011 at 11:30 pm Derm RF 1 comment

Habits that Haunt

Favoring Your Face

We all play favorites and when it comes to skincare, this rule almost always applies. Your complexion is front and center, so it’s no surprise we often neglect places like our neck, décolleté, arms and hands. These parts may not stare back at you from your bathroom mirror, but the rest of the world often notices the total package, especially when guessing your age … so don’t dismiss them. Extend your skincare regimen down through your neck, chest and follow through with arms, hands and feet. A good rule of thumb is that if the sun’s seen it, your skincare regimen should too!

September 20, 2011 at 11:33 pm Derm RF 1 comment

Habits that Haunt

Being Too Aggressive

While you may consider its appearance criminal at times, your skin is not a bad guy in need of rigorous reform. When it comes to rehabilitation, being overly aggressive can do more harm than good. Dull skin accumulates over time and it won’t go away overnight no matter how hard you scrub. For best results, let the active ingredients in your skincare products do the work and use your products as directed.

September 6, 2011 at 8:34 pm Derm RF

Habits that Haunt

Living by Your 10x Mirror

Turns out your 10x mirror may do wonders for eyebrow plucking accuracy, but when it comes to blemishes it can distort reality and not only warp the way you see yourself, but also the way you perceive the world sees you. It’s true that taking a closer look at problems may help to solve them, but it’s also true that if you go looking for problems, you’ll be sure to find some, even when they don’t exist.

At 10 times magnification, even regular pores can look like blackheads.  And if you start picking at this, you will actually make your pores appear bigger over time. Your best bet? Take a step back and ditch the 10x mirror. If you can’t see it with the naked eye … there is no need to worry about it.

August 16, 2011 at 9:29 pm Derm RF