LENA BLOG

Granted, most people will not be wearing this type of restrictive head gear. I put this photo here to make the point that pressure from gear + sweat can = breakouts. Football helmets , chin straps , and sweatbands are a few possible causes of pressure-induced skin problems. This type of sports gear can inhibit elimination, causing sweat to pile up in certain areas, which can cause irritation and potential breakout. Even continually sleeping on one side of your face can cause a kind of pressure breakout. Keeping any sweat from drying on the skin will help keep irritation and breakout away. Splash rinsing with water is your best bet to get all the sticky, sweaty goo off your face. No matter where you are, you’ll usually have access to water. Know that the longer the sweat stays (and dries) on your skin, the more potential for problems down the road. This is especially true if the drying sweat is an ongoing occurrence, like with sports that you’re involved with on a daily o...

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 ...

I have been happily volunteering at Colorado Horse Rescue  (CHR) since February 2013. I am in the sun for most of my 2-3 hour shift. Becau se I ’ m around horses I have on jeans and cowboy boots, and I also wear a long-sleeved shirt under my CHR T -shirt to keep my arms from burning. And to protect my all- important hands, I have on thick leather gloves. (I know — hot, right?!) Along with the obligatory sunscreen, I always wear a bandana around my neck . I do this to protect the skin on my ne ck from sun damage. I n the summer, I ’ll wet the bandana before I put it on; this helps to keep me cool ed off a bit . At the end of my shift and after a lot of sweating, before the sunscreen and sweat start to dry, I splash rinse my face and use the bandana to wipe and dry off my face. Wearing a bandana —or something like it—is a good idea, even if you ’ re out walking. (With other exercising activities, like running and cycling , it ’ s a bit harder to pull off wearin...