LENA BLOG

When you’re pregnant, your appetite is somewhat turned upside down. First you may not be able to keep food down, then you’re not able to eat enough. And no doubt you will be craving many foods you don’t normally eat. All of this can cause problems with your skin. This is not the time to restrict what you are eating. Do, however, try to eat a balance of healthy foods, such as the classic fruits and vegetables your body needs. Water is as important as ever along with following your doctor’s prenatal vitamin regimen. A second factor, stress , should not be overlooked as contributing to your skin problems even after you’ve given birth. Just the time factor (not having enough of it) can be a huge contributor to skin problems you may be experiencing. Incorporating anti-stress activities can help take some of the tension out of your body as well as your face. Try taking a healing bath or meditating—undisturbed—for 15 minutes. Now is the perfect time! Perhaps you...

I’m not a fan of using homemade, kitchen/food products on your face. Regarding the photo above, I would recommend eating the avocado. As a mask, sure, it will hydrate your skin and possibly have vitamin benefits for your skin’s surface. However, it is inside your body where the benefits of this heavenly fruit are best utilized and needed . Ingesting the vitamins and nutrients from an avocado affects your whole body, not just the dead, outer skin on your face as when used as a mask. If these homemade skin care products are good enough to eat, then you should eat them, not put them topically on your skin. Your body can utilize the nutrients in food much more readily than your skin can. Homemade products can be too intense and concentrated for a lot of peoples’ skin. If you feel the need to blend something up for your face, go right ahead. It probably won’t be harmful to your skin although most likely it will be of little help, and in my opinion it’ll be a waste of yummy food y...

Don’t use scrubs as your cleanser. They don’t have the ingredients to break down oil like a cleanser does. Use scrubs to exfoliate and stimulate circulation. If your scrub feels irritating , add it to your cleanser and gently go over your face and neck. See Advanced Steps for Cleansing for more information and to understand why, even though I just said don’t use your scrub as your cleanser, adding it to a cleanser is OK. Don’t forget to exfoliate your neck. Just like with your Basics 1-2-3 Program , you want to include your neck in everything you do to your face. Cute photo, but she’s using scrub on dry skin Always use scrubs on wet skin. Used dry, a facial scrub can drag and pull your skin. Never use scrubs around the eye area. You don’t want to use any abrasive products on this delicate tissue. Exfoliating prior to an event (like a wedding or photo shoot) can help your skin look its best. Read An Exfoliation Quick Tip for a Quick Pick-Me-Up t...

Most of my adult life I’ve been told I look younger than my (chronological) age. That is always nice to hear! But when I was young, I was constantly told I seemed older than I was. In my single digits and early teens I wrote a lot of poetry. Below is something I wrote for a school assignment on the Vietnam War. I was 12 years old when I wrote it (1973), and I think it is indicative of being mature beyond my years back then. “But You Didn ’t”                                                                                                 Remember the time you lent ...

This procedure should be termed micro epi dermabrasion . Micro means very small or involving minute quantities or variations; derma refers to the dermis or inner layers of the skin, but in the case of microdermabrasion it is— hopefully —only affecting the epidermis or outer skin; abrasion means to wear away by friction, through abrading. I would like to know how you feel about microdermabrasion. I am 35 years old and fine lines are starting to show, especially around my mouth (smile lines) and forehead. Do you think products would work just as well? The procedure is quite costly, $900 for 6 treatments. I’m trying to decide if it’s worth it or not. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Microdermabrasion is expensive, yet it is a superficial exfoliation of the outer skin. Anything more than that would not be allowed to be performed by a mere aesthetician. It can help to reduce the appearance of the fine lines, but not the actual lines themselves. Keeping your ...

When I go camping with my husband, we backpack and therefore I don’t have much room to bring my cosmetics with me. Do you have any “bare minimum” suggestions for products I can take camping that wouldn’t take up too much room in my pack? Through the years, I have had many clients and friends ask me how to go about taking care of their skin while under unusual circumstances. One friend was on her way to Washington state to summit Mount Rainier, while several clients have gone on no-frills safaris in the wilds of Africa. Whether you are scaling a mountain, on safari, or you’re just a weekend camper, you will want to take only the essentials to save room yet save your face at the same time. When I go camping, it is usually the no-frills kind. No bathrooms, no water other than a (very) cold stream near the campsite, and sometimes not even that. If there is no stream, I am left with water from a canteen to brush my teeth and wash my face. Needless to say, this limits my routi...

What effects does humidity—especially during the summer months—have on my skin? Humidity, like during a rainy day (or season), is actually good for the skin. It simply helps to hydrate whatever it comes in contact with, therefore your skin. So normal humidity from moist weather superficially hydrates your skin (even in a dry climate like Colorado). Humidity during the summer and in extremely humid locations (like Houston, TX for instance) can cause the oil glands to become more active. This makes oily skin oilier. Because humidity during the summertime can make us sweat more, this can translate to more breakouts. When I was working in Dallas, I had many more clients with issues of what I’ll call humidity breakout than I do here in Colorado, where the air is very ( very ) dry. Keeping the skin clean and well-exfoliated, no matter where you live or what your skin type, is my best advice. How? Using a non-alkaline cleanser (daily, morning and night) A clay-based mask ...

Does the facial salon you go to use machines? Machines are very common, and below I have listed those most often used in facials. The salon you go to may employ all or none of them. Keep in mind machines lack the sensitivity of human contact. Studies show the tremendous healing benefits of touch. It calms the nervous system, and gives you, the client, a sense of connection to the aesthetician. If machines are used every step of the way, I’d think twice before getting a facial at that salon. That is just my opinion. My preference is to make educating my client the number one purpose of the facial, along with utilizing the soothing touch of massage throughout my treatments. If you happen to like machines, by all means—go for it! Steam machine. This is probably the most widely used piece of machinery. Almost every facial offers steam at least once, and in some cases several times throughout a skin care treatment. The mist coming from the arm of the machine superfici...

We tend to worry about our hands (the tops of our hands) long after the damage has occurred, which makes this area one of The Forgotten Places. If you’re young, start now to take care of your hands, so they will reflect this care when you’re older. And even if you are older and haven’t taken very good care of this area, it’s never too late to start. Your skin will always reflect the care you give it. Here are a few suggestions. First, whenever you exfoliate your face and neck, exfoliate the tops of your hands . It’s a small area, so it doesn’t take much time (or product), but getting rid of the dead cells here will go a long way in keeping your hands looking youthful and feeling smooth. Next, after you have applied moisturizer to your face and neck, smooth any excess product on your hands. If they are chronically dry, apply a special hand cream or the cream you’re using on your body before you go to bed. Try to apply it as often as you can throughout the day as well. ...

Wearing hats and sunscreen is the best way to keep your skin from incurring too much sun damage while you’re having fun outside. If you don’t wear sunscreen—and no hat either?!—perhaps now would be a good time to start. Below are the top 10 excuses people have given me for not wearing sun protection. It makes my skin feel greasy. It burns. It doesn’t work. I just sweat it off. I want to get color. Skin cancer doesn’t run in my family. I never burn, so why use it? It’s too much trouble. I forgot to put it on. Wearing sunscreen makes my face feel hot. Let me address these concerns: 1.) If wearing sunscreen makes your face feel greasy , you could simply be wearing the wrong product. There are more and more sunscreens available that are made with ingredients that will keep a matte finish vs. causing an oil slick. If you indeed have an oilier skin type, I recommend wearing sunscreen during the day as your day cream. There is no need to pile a sun product on top o...

Yonka has created three wonderful eye creams: Nutri-Contour Phyto-Contour Alpha-Contour Each one has many attributes; all are wonderful for keeping the eye area hydrated and nourished. If you are not clear on the purpose of using eye cream, please see  EYE CREAM: WHY you want to use it & HOW TO apply this all-important skin care product  (link below). NUTRI-CONTOUR is the eye treatment I recommend to my clients most often. The reason is because it is hydrating , preventing that delicate eye area from dryness and the appearance of wrinkles. It is an oil-based cream v s. a w ater-based gel, giving it lastin g ability. Optimal use is morning and evening —at least, and any time in between. I inst ruct my client s to simply feel the skin under their eyes. If it feels dry, then apply more eye cream, even i f it is in addition to your regular morning and evening application during your Basics routine. From Yonka headquarters: NUTRI-CONTOUR repai...