LENA BLOG

What is eye cream?   The skin around the eyes and on the eyelids is some of the thinnest skin on your body. Eye creams provide a lipid or emollient substance to keep this delicate tissue soft. So eye cream is essentially a moisturizer formulated specifically for the skin around your eyes. Eye creams do not erase wrinkles or prevent them from coming. They can soften the look of the lines and help to decrease the appearance of wrinkles, but not the wrinkles themselves. Eye cream is important, but not magical. What to use. Although eye creams are very important, don’t get ripped off buying an super expensive one. Manufacturers know how important they are (and how concerned you are about wrinkles), so they tend to gouge you, charging exorbitant prices for a tiny tube or jar of eye cream. Although these creams are formulated specifically for the delicate tissue around the eyes, it is unnecessary to pay $150 for an eye cream (unless you want to!). There are eye cream...

What is a hangnail? A hangnail is simply dead skin that has pulled away from the fingernail area. If you’ve never experienced these annoying yet painful skin irritations, you are one in a million. I am sure you have found that if you pull the dead skin off, it leaves a little tear in the skin, and these tiny little pieces of skin really can hurt when they are tearing off from the finger. So — don’t pull the skin off — but do cut it with nail clippers, and get as close to the surface as possible without cutting your finger. And if it still hurts, and to ensure infection doesn’t set in, put a tiny drop of an essential oil (preferably lavender , which is very soothing) on the area then put a Band-Aid ® on it until it heals. How can I best take care of the skin around my fingernails? I get lots of hangnails, and they hurt! Please tell me what I can do (or not do) to stop them from happening. Frequently washing your hands throughout the day can create an environment fo...

The terms hypoallergenic , dermatologist-tested , and allergy-free are all unregulated terms. In some cases, these words just mean a team of dermatologists got together and determined for themselves what did and did not cause skin to break out or become sensitive to a particular product. There are no guidelines set by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) governing which products can say they are hypoallergenic, etc. Products with these descriptions are simply less likely to produce a reaction. You still may find yourself sensitive to a product, allergy-free or not. Ultimately, you’ll have to try the product before you’ll know if it will work for you. A product claiming to be non-comedogenic won’t (or shouldn’t) clog your pores. Sometimes these products have fillers in them that actually can and do cause congestion. As with any and all products, monitor your skin when trying a new product or product line . If problems appear, there may be a problem with the new items. F...

Top 10 excuses for not drinking water: I don’t get thirsty. I don’t like the way water tastes. It makes me have to go to the bathroom—a lot. I forget to drink it. I don’t sweat, so I don’t need much water. I’ve never been a water drinker, and I’m doing fine without it. It makes me feel bloated. When I walk around, my stomach sounds like a washing machine. (Someone actually told me this!) I don’t have time to drink all the water I need to. The water in my city doesn’t taste good, and I don’t want to buy water. What are your excuses? People have many reasons for not drinking enough water, but I hope you will forgo these—regardless—and drink mor e water! Perhaps you have the best of intentions yet still don’t seem to get enough water in the day. For some helpful ideas to get more water down in the course of your day, see: Tips to help you Drink More Water!   Quick Tip to have fresh lemon juice at the ready—always (for a little zest in y...

I have a lovely male client who comes in every month for a facial. First I have to say that the fact he comes in regularly wins brownie points in my book. I’ve said many times that facials are genderless treatments. Similar to haircuts or massages, facials are good for the male of the species—not just the ladies. On his last visit, I was remarking about the improvement I saw in his skin, no doubt partly due to the fact he was no longer using a loofah on his face. Yes, on his initial visit when doing his intake form, I found out he was using a loofah sponge and water to exfoliate his face. I told him I was glad he was no longer using the “Tarzan Method” of exfoliation and it was definitely helping his skin . Sometimes (usually?) men tend to use a more, let ’ s say, practical, bare bones approach to things. Your s kin needs to be sloughed off , so you use a hard, stiff loofah sponge. Why not, it ’ ll get the job done, right? I ’ ll tell you why not: Using a loofah or any...

MAS QUE 103 , a clay-based mask from Yonka-Paris, is a great at-home treatment for breakout as well as for all-around clean, healthy skin. Clay absorbs oil and draws impurities to the surface while calming and reducing inflammation. Clay also stimulates blood circulation, getting oxygen and nutrients to the cells, which makes a clay-based mask good for all skin, no matter what “type.”  Masque 103 is best for normal to oily or problem, acneic skin . This version has a higher concentration of clay making it more detoxifying and clearing. (Masque 105 is better for true-dry and sensitive skin. With a lesser concentration of clay, it is perfect for cleaning out the pores of even the most sensitive skin. Even if you have true-dry (oil-dry) skin, you can always use a good deep cleaning.) All skin types can benefit from the circulatory acceleration that comes from using a clay mask.  Masque 103 can be used in several ways: As a mask , covering the entire face and left o...

What are pore cleansing strips?   Pore cleansing strips are a very well-marketed skin care fad. I wish I had been an investor in these products because I’m quite sure they have made millions. You can find a package of a dozen or so strips for under $10. If only a fraction of the country bought just one box, well, you can do the math. Years ago when these strips first came out, it seemed like every single client was asking me about them. I tried hard to find a store that had them in stock, but couldn’t. Finally when I found some, I immediately went home to see what all the buzz was about. I followed the instructions, and when all was said and done, I was not impressed. You are instructed to wet the pore cleansing strip and place it over your blackheads. (The first strips out on the market were specifically shaped for the nose. Now several companies make them for other parts of the face as well.) After the strip dries on your skin, it is ripped off (like a bandaid— ou...