LENA BLOG

EAU MICELLAIRE, Instant Waterless Cleanser & Make-Up Remover My initial reaction to Yonka ’ s new water less cleanser was “what is a waterless cleanser? ” I didn ’ t have an y experience with one and nor have my clients (whose response has been similar to mine). I was sent a small sample of Eau Micellaire ( going forward I will call it “ EAU ” ) and over the co urse of several weeks I tried it and I have to say , I really do like this new cleanser! It lea ves my skin feeling clean, which is something I wasn ’ t sure it could do — but it does. The discoloration on the cotton pad tells the story: the cleanser is getting dirt and debris off my skin. And that is great! As I was experimenting with EAU , I would ch uckle at the fac t that I was perhaps “ cleaning ” my face while standing in front of the TV, or while I was sitting down someplace . For most of u s — for years — we ha ve either clean ed our faces at our bathroom s ink or while in the shower. It feels a bit...

My friend David is now sporting a fairly large scar on his left cheek. Although at first he struggled to come to terms with this new facial characteristic, he now sees it as a gift and a reminder of how lucky he truly is. Here’s his story. It was the summer of 1999. David, like many men, had a small blemish on his left cheek. And, like many men, David decided to do what he always does—try to pop it. The place bled a little bit and seemed to scab over; this went on for several days. He thought perhaps there was a hair caught inside the pore because as soon as the place seemed like it was going away, it would get irritated and red again. Eventually the spot did go away, although a small red bump was left on his cheek. Every so often when David was shaving, the small red bump would bleed due to the razor hitting it. This went on for a month or two. Then the place scaled over, and he thought finally it was starting to heal. What David didn’t know is that many times when dr...

I swim a lot. Is there something special I should do for my skin? Is there anything I can put on my face before I swim to protect it? What about after I swim? If you are a swimmer, you don’t need me to tell you how hard the chlorinated water in a pool is on your skin. I have lots of clients who are avid swimmers (several are on Masters swim teams), and at different times in my life I have been a regular swimmer too. So I know firsthand about how hard chlorine is on skin. Chlorine , as defined in Merriam-Webster’s dictionary, is “a nonmetallic chemical element that is found alone as a strong-smelling greenish yellow irritating gas and is used as a bleach, oxidizing agent, and disinfectant.” It renders anything it is added to free from any type of antibodies and/or germs. A client once asked me if she should put Vaseline ® on her face before swimming in order to keep the chlorine off her skin. Well, that is an interesting idea, but unfortunately I think it will do more harm...

The following examples are of less obvious or even hidden sugars that you may be consuming on a frequent or even daily basis. Hopefully this information will help you determine sugar in your diet. When a client tells me they “don’t eat sugar” yet they have (what looks like) sugar breakouts, I start down a list of possible problem foods that perhaps they have overlooked as being “bad.” Be honest. I find that after asking lots of questions, a client will eventually tell me about some sugary food they are eating—knowing that it is probably a bad thing. Don’t waste this time, just cut to the chase and be up front about how much sugar you are eating. If you have a breakout that seems “unexplainable,” go back in time and see if you can discover how you might have eaten something incidentally that could have caused your skin to erupt, even if it is just a slight breakout. Do you add anything to your coffee or tea? Some sugar substitutes can have the same effect on your sk...

My daughters are still young —8 years old and 10 years old. When should I start them on a simple skin program? The best time to begin teaching your kids about taking care of their skin is when puberty starts. It is during puberty that changes begin to tak e place, although not always in the form of breakouts and other skin issues . Usually before puberty the skin is functioning perfectly and there are few if any problems with a child ’s skin. Clean skin is important regardless of age , so if you wanted to teach them how to properly clean their skin, that would be a wonderful first step to their eventual skin care routine. I ’d recommend having them cleanse in the evening before bedtime . After a day o f school and outdoor activities, learning the importance of goin g to bed with clean skin will benefit them in the future — especially when they start wearing makeup . One of the biggest skin care no-nos is to go to bed with makeup on! Later on, when they ...

I never consider these types of photographs when determining the effectiveness of a treatment or product and I highly recommend you don’t either. The variables that are possible with before and after pictures are numerous. Lighting, camera angles, clothing color, hairstyle, and even facial expressions can all make the image look better or worse depending on what is needed. I like to turn the photos upside down to lose (or gain) perspective. Remember, these are advertisements meant to sell you something. Please don’t use these pictures as a basis for believing anything. Here are a few more MYTHS: Facial exercises help reduce wrinkles and/or firm the skin Skin breathes Enlarged Pores: Can they shrink? Aging is bad

I had a conversation with a new client who was in for a facial recently. She is pregnant, in the first trimester, and the day she came in she was feeling a bit nauseous. She needed extra height under her head to help fend off the queasiness. She was wondering, going forward, how or if she would be able to keep coming in for facials throughout her pregnancy. My experience is this: Some pregnant—even very pregnant—women have no problems lying on a bed during a facial treatment; some women do have issues. It really just depends on the individual. I have many regular, monthly clients who around the middle of the second trimester say, “I’ll see you on the other side,” because they simply are not comfortable lying down for an hour or more trying to relax during a facial. Although some ladies can lie down, in order for these women to enjoy the facial, they need to be elevated in a way that doesn’t work for me (or other aestheticians) giving the facial, so at this point in their preg...