LENA BLOG

Chapped lips are a problem for a lot of people, and as we’re heading into the colder winter months, you do not want to start the season with chapped lips. If you wear lipstick, you’ll want to use anti-chapping products at night before bed and whenever you aren’t wearing lipstick. If you have severe problems with chapping, try not wearing lipstick for a few days while using healing lip balms. If your chapped lips clear up, your lipstick may be causing the problem. You may want to switch to a more moisturizing type of lipstick. If you will use healing lip products on a regular basis, most of you will find relief from chapping. For years I used petroleum-based lip balms, and still my lips stayed very chapped and flaky. I switched brands many times, but never found relief. After a friend brought to my attention the large amounts of petroleum contained in these products, I opted for a healthier type of lip care — the non-petroleum variety. Remember, throughout the day you ...

Although I have written about the importance of eye creams in this blog, I wanted to include the eyes again for emphasis. I really feel the eye area is a Forgotten Place when it comes to proper skin care. Many of my clients have never used eye cream before. I must admit, up until I was 30 I hardly ever used eye cream. Then when I hit 35, I started to use it with greater frequency. And now I apply eye cream many times throughout the day. Sometimes youth is wasted on the young. It usually isn’t until the lines actually make their presence known that we decide to pay attention to this Forgotten Place. As I’ve said previously, you have no functioning oil glands directly under your eyes; therefore you need to use cream (sparingly) to keep that tissue soft. This will not erase wrinkles, but it will keep them from furrowing into the skin. Make your under-eyes a “remembered place.” As a visual reminder, I have eye cream everywhere. It’s on my nightstand, at my writing desk, ...

Exfoliation helps to remove surface dead cells, giving your skin smoother texture and a healthy, well-nourished glow. Getting rid of dead cells also helps keep your pores from clogging, and the act of exfoliation helps to increase circulation, which always services the skin. Improved circulation helps with cellular respiration, which is how your skin really breathes—through the oxygen carried in the blood. Toxins are dumped into the bloodstream, so stepping up circulation helps with this exchange as well. I tell my clients when they can’t come in for a facial, exfoliate! Exfoliation is certainly not the be-all and end-all of healthy skin, but it can take away layers of stress from your face, revealing the natural beauty hidden beneath. If you aren’t currently exfoliating, I recommend finding a suitable exfoliation system that works for your skin, your lifestyle, and your pocketbook. You talk a lot about exfoliation and how important it is for the skin. Does using a Buf-Puf ...

                                            This, FYI, is  not  me :+) Although this was piece was written a decade ago (c.2005, when I was nearly 45), it still rings true for me today and I ’m sure going forward as well. In the past year, two friends who are my age (54) have decided to stop coloring their hair and let the gray come through. I dedicate this article to them and anyone who decides to just be themselves—gray hair and all.    I have gray hairs; more and more every day. I am in my 40s and the stra y grays started appearing around age 35. It began as just one solitary gray hair I found one day. I didn’t pull it out, I think I marveled at it actually. A  few years later and after a few more gray hairs had appeared, I was getting my hair cut . M y  stylist  was on his way to pulling one of them out and I said, “ Sto...

Over the years, I have had numerous women ask me, “If foundation is bad for my skin, what can I use for coverage?” Loose powder is one alternative to liquid foundation. Mineral makeup , which has been around for several decades, I also recommend. Mineral makeup contains micronized minerals, which are concentrated pigment. This gives the skin very good coverage without causing the congestion you get with liquid foundation (or pressed powder). People with rosacea are particularly happy with the coverage mineral makeup is able to give their skin. Unlike loose powder, mineral makeup does not generally contain fillers like talc. This helps with the efficacy of the pigments contained in this powder makeup. Most brands contain both titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. These provide full or broad spectrum sun protection. Not all mineral makeup products have an SPF rating. Keep in mind, any sun protection must be included on the label. There are several companies who manufacture mine...

I’ve been on Accutane for four months now and my skin has totally cleared up. This is my second time on it for the same thing. Thankfully, I found a liberal doctor who would prescribe it for me because I don’t have a “severe” acne problem. It’s actually a rash I get all over my forehead and temples and on my chest and upper back too. Now I can use whatever shampoo, conditioner, or styling product I like without getting any reaction, but I’m afraid that will stop when I go off the drug. My skin looks somewhat dry and dull-looking from the Accutane treatments. It also seems really sensitive to products. When I use heavy creams or even creamy cleansers to combat the dryness, they just make me break out. Is there a heavier cream I can use that won’t clog my pores? I’m really worried that when I go off the medication, the rash will come back like it did the last time I went off Accutane. I am using this email as a doubly bad example of Accutane abuse. Not only di...

One misconception a bout sun exposure I want to address is the notion that we should avoid the sun altogether. True, we don’t want to ever overexpose ourselves to the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation, but humans require sunlight in order to thrive, grow, and feel nourished. We would not exist without sunlight (as evidenced by history). The sun heats our planet and makes things grow. It stimulates certain vitamins (namely vitamin D) in our bodies and generally makes us feel good. There are studies showing that people who live in areas with little sunshine at certain times of the year have a higher incidence of depression. There is even a name for this depressed state; it ’ s called seasonal affective disorder (SAD). We are meant to be outside. It’s overexposure and unprotected sun exposure that should always be avoided, but not sunshine altogether. There’s nothing like a bright, sunshiny day to lift our spirits and motivate us to get things done — or to just relax ...

CREME 15 is a wonderful treatment cream for normal to oily and problem/acneic skin. I have recommended it for over 3 decades for my clients with problem skin, breakouts, and overall oil y skin conditions. I used it personally for over 20 years when my skin was younger and oilier — all with great results. Extracts of b urdock , sage , and birch help to balance and regulate sebaceous (oil) secretions . St. John’s Wort acts as an anti-inflammatory, helping to soothe the skin and take out redness. Due to the essential oil content as well as other balancing ingredients, Creme 15 can help keep problem spots from occurring and lessen their lifespan. Even if you don’t have problems with blemishes, yet have normal to oily skin, Creme 15 helps to balance sebaceous (oil) secretions and leaves your skin purified, softened, and balanced. Although labeled a “night cream, ” I have several clients who use Creme 15 morning and evening. I ’ m not a stickler (or true believer) in d...

Rosacea can occur in adults as young as 20 years old although it most often occurs in men and women well into their 30s up to their 50s and beyond. Women generally experience rosacea more than men, but this could be due to the fact that men tend not to complain or seek treatment for disorders with the same frequency (and tenacity) that women do. Rosacea frequently appears in the classic “butterfly” pattern on women, with redness fanning out on the cheeks and the nose; men usually find their noses to be the most affected and red place on their face. People with lighter complexions (fair skin) are more prone to getting rosacea. Fair skin types are more susceptible to many skin troubles just based on their coloring. UV rays, for instance, can penetrate much more readily into skin that doesn’t produce much pigment. Therefore redness and sunburn are more common for those of you with light skin. Your skin tends to be more sensitive than someone with more natural sun protection...