LENA BLOG

Exfoliating prior to a special occasion will have a twofold benefit for your skin. First, it will remove dead cells, making the surface smoother and helping your makeup go on better. It will also stimulate circulation, making your skin look luminous. D on ’ t hesitate— exfoliate! For a few more tips, see: Pick-Me-Ups for Glowing Skin Blemish Help Quick Tip

What is Retin-A?   Tretinoin is a synthetic derivative of vitamin A , related to a class of chemicals called retinoids . Most people are acquainted with the brand names Retin-A ® and Renova ® , so I will use these more familiar names when talking about tretinoin. Retin-A helps dissolve the bonds connecting your skin cells together. This increases cell turnover and can help to unplug the pores . Because of this dissolving action, Retin-A will help make the skin feel smoother as well as counteract the formation of blemishes . In contrast, in many people it also causes mild to severe irritation that leads to peeling or flaking skin. Your skin may feel smooth, but it may also look red and scaly . Retin-A is basically an irritant, and your skin responds as such. Many studies have been performed on the attributes and possible side effects of Retin-A, several touting its ability to stimulate collagen production. It is also said to encourage the development of...

Ethanol is not a “good” alcohol Why is alcohol [in products] bad for my skin? Alcohol, the bad kind, basically dries everything on the surface of your skin. In theory, this may sound appropriate, especially if you have an oilier skin type. But in practice, stripping away all the oil from your skin can cause your oil glands to produce more oil to compensate for the loss. Add to that the moisture (water) evaporation alcohol causes, and you could be causing the very things you are trying to avoid. Namely, oily skin that feels dry and looks flaky, which is actually dehydration. Some of my skin care products contain alcohol, mostly cetyl and cetearyl alcohol. Does this mean I can’t use them? I hear from people who are worried that alcohol is an ingredient in a product they are using. There are many alcohols that are OK as ingredients, as well as many that are not good. I had a woman call me who had read my book and was worried because she saw that Cetaphil ® cleanser co...

What causes puffy eyes?  Basically it is edema (fluid retention) in the fat tissue above the bones encircling your eyes that causes puffy eyes. Those pockets fill up with fluid causing puffiness, probably due to inflammation. Inflammation comes from many different things:  food allergies ,  alcohol consumption ,  smoking ,  sugar , among others. How can I treat my puffy eyes?  Prevention or avoiding the causes of puffiness are the first steps to alleviating puffy eyes. But since we live in the real world, I’ll give you a few things you can do to treat the puffiness you may be experiencing. First, if you wake up in the morning with puffy eyes, before jolting out of bed,  take it slow . Sit up in bed supported by your pillows with your back straight. Just sit there for a few minutes and give your body a chance to adjust to this more vertical position. If you get up quickly, the fluids that have settled around your eyes don’t have a chance to...

When clients come in who admit to eating sugar but have no outward signs of excess sugar consumption (like breakouts, for instance), I will not only ask if they get frequent headaches, which many times is a side effect of excess sugar, but also do they get canker sores inside their mouth or on their tongue? Your body simply cannot throw off sugar into thin air. The toxic residue from this “white devil” has to be eliminated somehow, some way, somewhere. I believe these inner-mouth sores (sometimes called ulcers or technically aphthous ulcers ) are actually similar to blemishes—like a zit inside your mouth. Why? Once again, from my own life experience, these sores arise in relation to the amount of sugar I have consumed. I am not saying that every canker sore’s appearance is due to sugar. I am simply trying to give you my own personal experience with these problem spots and why I have discovered they occur. You may find other offenders and have a different experience than I ha...

When you take anything orally, the substance enters the bloodstream and is introduced to all the cells it comes in contact with. Whether it is a medication or vitamin pill, it affects your body chemistry. And this includes brain chemistry. Depression, which occurs due to altered chemicals in the brain, is one of the side effects that can be caused by taking Accutane. If you choose to take Accutane, I caution you to pay close attention to your emotional life. If you think you may be experiencing medication-induced depression (depression brought on by the use of this oral medication), call your doctor! The following are the symptoms listed on the Informed Consent/Patient Agreement form that must be filled out by every patient about to undergo Accutane treatments. It instructs you to immediately tell your doctor if: you start to feel sad or have crying spells lose interest in your usual activities have changes in your normal activities become more irritable l...

I want to discuss essential oils as ingredients since they have so many beneficial actions on the skin. I have been using products with these natural essences in them for almost 30 years. Their effectiveness is powerful, and I have many clients who have turned their skin around through the use of essential oils. What are essential oils? They are aromatic liquids that are found in certain plants and flowers. Essential oils are fragrant essences that are produced in specialized glands within the plant as part of the process of photosynthesis. Essential oils are volatile , like gases, and have a very thin viscosity—similar to water. (Actually, essential oils, by definition, are volatile . Fatty oils are termed fixed .) If you put a drop of pure essential oil on your skin, it will evaporate almost immediately, whereas any fatty oil (like olive, wheat germ, or mineral oil) will remain on the surface with little penetration. Essential oils are lighter than water , so they...