The A, B, C, D and E's of Skin Cancer Awareness

When I decided to do this year’s skin cancer detection/prevention article I was surprised at all the new info out there; like the ABC’s of skin cancer detection has progressed to include A thru E! And apparently we lack Vitamin D in our bodies as a result of using sunscreen. The aesthetician in me cringes at that one. So, read and learn people, your lives depend on it…

Did You Know?
The Skin Cancer Awareness ribbon is black but can share the color orange.

Snow bunnies and beach goers should know that snow and sand reflect sunlight and can double UV exposure. UV rays can also pass through water, so don't think you're safe if you're in the pool or Jaccuzzi.

UV rays pass through windows. Check the left side/driving side of your face for hyperpigmentation or brown patches.

Tanning is a form of skin damage.

Bronzers and self-tanners do not protect you from the rays.

We receive up to 85% of our sun damage before we’re 18 years old.

We have fewer oil glands on the back of our hands, under our eyes, neck and décolleté, which is why we age there first. Apply sunscreen liberally!

Skin cancer is the most common of all cancer types. More than 1 million cases of skin cancer is diagnosed every year in the US. More than prostate, breast, lung, colon, uterus, ovaries, and pancreas cancers combined.

Melanoma can appear suddenly as a new mole or it can develop slowly in or near an existing mole. Women often develop melanoma on the lower legs as well as on the torso, Melanomas in men are often found on the torso, or the head and neck area.

Outdoor rays are UVB burning, cancer rays - B for burning. Indoor ultra violet, fluorescent light rays, which travel deeper into the dermis are UVA aging, wrinkling rays - A for aging. All light rays do damage.

The A, B, C, D, and E’s of skin cancer detection
Asymmetry: one-half is unlike the other half. Border: is irregular, scalloped, poorly defined or blurred. Color: multiple colors, not uniform, shades of tan, brown, black, sometimes white, red, or blue. Diameter: melanomas are usually greater than the size of a pencil eraser, though they can be smaller. Evolving: you have a mole or skin lesion is changing in size, shape, or color. Any new mole growth should be a concern.

The Vitamin D Dilemma…
Sunscreen can block vitamin D production.

Vitamin D is not actually a vitamin but a steroid hormone and is vital for all tissues in the body.

Some of the latest research shows that only 10 minutes of exposure to sunlight each day will be enough for Caucasians to reach the recommended level of Vitamin D. People with darker skin will need somewhat longer exposure times.

HOWEVER, and this is big - most dermatologists and cancer groups have argued strongly against this "solution," since all unprotected UV exposure contributes to cumulative skin damage, accelerating aging, and increasing our lifetime risk of skin cancer. Therefore, people, you need to balance the risks and benefits of sun exposure.

How Do We Protect Ourselves?
Cover-up! Find that inner Diva and get a great hat and a dahhling pair of sunglasses!

Use sunscreen lavishly, at least a shot glass full for the entire body every day! Apply a minimum spf 15 at least 20 minutes prior to going out.

Avoid or protect yourself from the sun's harmful rays between the hours of 10 am and 3 pm, when the sun's rays are the strongest.

Avoid tanning beds. Period.

Don’t have a dermatologist? Find a board-certified Dr. in your area at www.aad.org

The Sassy Side of Sunscreen - Can sun protection be sexy? You bet!

Okay, even I admit an article on sun protection may sound as exciting as folding laundry. But I'm here to tell you sun protection is essential in our quest for healthy skin. And healthy skin is VERY sexy.

So now that I have your attention, I'll make this short and sweet. If you get anything out of this article, get this: ALL rays do damage!

Estimates are that up to 85% of sun damage happens before we turn 18. 18! So here we are a few years or decades later experiencing wrinkles (loss of elasticity) that can't be restored and dark patches (hyperpigmentation) that we pay dearly for to lighten.

Outdoor rays, or UVB rays, are burning cancer rays (think B for burning). Indoor rays, or UVA rays, travel deeper into the dermis and are wrinkling/aging rays (think A for aging). Sitting under fluorescent lights at work or home? Better SPF up! UVA rays penetrate not only the upper epidermal layer of skin, but also the lower dermal layer where it affects living cells and structural damage ensues.

I often hear comments from my skincare clients like, "...but I'm only going to the mailbox," or "I'm only going to work or the grocery store," or worse yet, "I use a tanning bed so I don't need sunscreen." UVB rays bounce off the ground and through your car windows, while the fabulous fluorescent lights at the store deliver those aging UVA rays. And tanning beds DO NOT offer safe tanning rays. Period. Refer to and memorize paragraph 2 on this point.

Sun protection is more than a health issue. It's a life issue. Skin cancer is the easiest cancer to prevent. And the easiest way to prevent premature aging of the skin is a very simple application of sunscreen everyday.

So do yourself and your skin a favor: Apply a minimum SPF 15 moisturizing sunscreen everyday. Because leathery, wrinkled skin is absolutely not sexy.

Try the Scosh family of sun protection, http://www.scoshskincare.com/s_moisturizers.php

Tinted Moisturizer for Spring

One of my favorite makeup staples as we head into spring is Scosh Mineral Sheer Tint SPF 20.

It’s a great multi-purpose product, perfect for warm days when you don‘t want to layer products or wear a traditional foundation. Light moisture is combined with a sheer, luminous tint and a gentle, pure mineral SPF 20 for sun protection.

You also get the anti-aging benefits of a super-potent, antioxidant cocktail to boost sun protection and fight free radical damage - green tea, ginkgo biloba, ginseng, vitamin A, vitamin E, and vitamin C. Your complexion is enhanced and protected at the same time with one lightweight formula.

Easy to use; just one pump in your palm or on a sponge, and apply over your face like a moisturizer. If your skin is dry, apply on top of your moisturizer. Follow with a light dusting of blush or bronzer.

Scosh Mineral Sheer Tint SPF 20 is a customer favorite and a Scosh best seller. Enjoy it for 25% OFF, thru the end of April ‘11, or while supplies last. $23, reg. $31.

Find more Scosh makeup and skincare products online at www.scoshskincare.com.

The Importance of Toner

An article in one of my trade mags reminded me of the importance of using this go-to product.

Toner's primary job is to restore your skin’s natural pH balance. The pH scale is measured from 0 to 14. 7 being neutral. The optimum pH level for skin is a slightly acidic 5.5, but varies with age. We should aim for a pH of between 4.5 - 6.0 to achieve a healthy skin mantle to resist and fight bacteria.

Each time you wash your face you are upsetting the natural pH balance. This is where toner comes in! Most cleansers have a pH value between 6.5 and 8.0, which can help minimize the oil on your skin, but also rob the skin of moisture. After cleansing, your skin's pH balance becomes too high and your skin has to work overtime to restore the balance. By using the right toner, your skin's pH level is immediately restored to its optimum range providing the perfect condition for your serums and moisturizers, helping them to work better not harder.

Aging skin - As we age, the skin’s pH becomes more and more neutral. The reduced acidity kills fewer bacteria, leaving the skin susceptible to bacterial growth and infections. The skin weakens as a result and begins developing problems.

The aging process of the skin causes biochemical changes in collagen and elastin, the connective tissues underlying the skin, which give the skin its firmness (collagen) and elasticity (elastin).

As the skin becomes less elastic, the underlying fatty tissue begins to disappear resulting in the skin beginning to sag. Our skin is less supple, and wrinkles begin to form. At this stage, our skin is more easily injured, heals more slowly and tends to dry out more quickly.

One of the major culprits that radically alter the pH of the skin, is soap. Commercially available soaps are highly alkaline (pH range 9-11) and raise the skin’s pH to be much more alkaline. In addition, because of its high alkalinity, soap dries out the skin!

Acne skin - The skin’s pH value is one of the major contributors to acne and other skin problems. Propionibacterium acnes is a bacteria found normally in all persons regardless of the presence or absence of acne.

In individuals prone to acne, it has been found that the growth of P. acnes bacteria is very much dependent on the pH value of the skin. Its growth is at its minimum with a skin pH of 5.5. A slight shift toward the alkaline pH and P. acnes can thrive.

Other benefits of using a toner include -
Removing dirt, impurities, dead skin cells and toxins
Removing excess sebum (oil) from the skin
Reducing excess oil secretion by creating an optimal pH level
Speed up cell turnover

Scosh Papaya Enzyme Toner is an alcohol-free, lightly hydrating formula with Papaya enzymes to exfoliate while stimulating extracts - cucumber, geranium and sage - refresh skin. This toner contains skin identical ingredients and antioxidants to help your skin retain its own natural moisture barrier. All skin types.

Check out the full line of skincare, makeup, treatments and makeup lessons at www.scoshskincare.com. 

Oxygen Facials, Truth or Myth?

I’ve often been asked what and if there are benefits with a topical oxygen facial. Can it really give the hyped "glow"? So, armed with some research and images of Michael Jackson's oxygen tank aside, I have this to report:

In medical use, hyperbaric oxygen therapy - HBOT, 100% gas oxygen under high pressure - is used to treat severely infected wounds, burns, carbon monoxide, or decompression sickness.

Oxygen Facials deliver a mixture of hyperbaric oxygen with a serum or moisturizer through an airbrush to ‘pump’ oxygen and moisturizer onto the skin.

Oxygen is a gas, and therefore cannot be mixed with product ingredients. We do not have proof that oxygen can exist in a bottled product or be put into a cream, keep it there, and then have it released when it hits your skin. And if creams did provide some extra oxygen to the skin, the effects would last only minutes at best.

As trendy as the oxygen facial may be, there is no hard evidence of its effectiveness, and academic experts are skeptical. Many doctors say that the oxygen facial's effectiveness has not yet been proven because of a lack of clinical study. Any plumping or swelling effect that you see might be mild inflammation caused by the blasts of compressed air. Or if done with a combination of moisturizing ingredients, the plumping could be a result of water binding ingredients.

Your skin needs a certain amount of oxygen to remain healthy. Having more oxygen than what is needed does not make your skin younger or healthier.

My friend and associate Laura Root - author, small aircraft pilot, L.E, CIDESCO - states:
"The so-called "Oxygen" facials sound as though they would be fantastic for the skin, until you begin a closer examination of what, exactly, transpires in the process. Whereas a hyperbaric chamber completely surrounds the body in a small, enclosed environment with 100% pressurized oxygen,so that there can be an effect on wound healing. In an open environment such as a skin care clinic, even 100% oxygen from a medical tank sprayed onto the skin will disburse into the ambient air, so that there truly cannot be any benefit to the skin. Any transient "glow" would be a result of a stimulating exfoliation or massage, which actually does bring more nutrients to the skin – from the inside via enhanced blood flow!"

That being said, I simply could not find the 'leap' from serious wound care to topical skin care. I believe human skin cannot usefully absorb oxygen sprayed on the epidermis, the outer layer of the skin, as it will not penetrate. If this was the case, you’d find me sitting under the oxygen nozzle on Southwest airlines right now!

Please visit www.scoshskincare.com for more information about Scosh Makeup, Skincare, Makeup Lessons, Facial Treatments and Specials.

Transform Dry Skin

A beautifully warm afternoon, a chilly night and a damp, rainy weekend. As desert temps fluctuate, indoor cooling/heating and the dry desert air equals dehydrated skin.

Dry skin accentuates fine lines and wrinkles, making it difficult to achieve a flawless makeup application. So, I have a few age-defying tricks up my sleeve as sort of a pre-emptive strike to help keep your skin looking absolutely radiant and healthy no matter what the weather forecast may bring:

· Hydrate from the inside out by drinking more water. Your weight divided by 2 is the minimum number of ounces you should have every day. Coffee or caffeinated drinks do not count. Green tea or decaf beverages do.
· Dry desert air is not our friend! Buy an inexpensive humidifier to use while you sleep. You will be surprised how it helps to keep your skin hydrated all day.
· Hot water dehydrates the skin. Avoid long, hot showers or baths and only use lukewarm water to cleanse your face. Oh, and NO shocking the skin with a cold water rinse. This has no benefit. Besides, it’s not 1945 and you aren’t Joan Crawford.
· Step away from the spinning, vibrating facial brushes and at-home microderm! Used too often, these aggressive cleansing techniques cause dryness, redness and broken capillaries. You should be able to gently, yet completely, cleanse your skin daily without a mechanical device. Try a light in-office peel like Papaya Enzyme Facial. Or an in-home Papaya Exfoliating Enzyme Scrub and Papaya Toner. Enzymes and hydrating lactic acid gently remove dead, dry skin cells and encourage cell turnover. Plus it smells like spring break - for a lot less moolah!
· We spend so much time taking care of the dry skin on our face we forget our lips. Dry, cracked lips are very aging. Pamper your lips with Vibran C Lip Tint in 2 new colors, Pomegranate and Pink Grapefruit. They give a hint of color and are packed with Vitamins C and E. Plus the SPF 15 protects your lips from the drying, aging effects of the sun!

As a final note, don’t forget to cleanse twice a day and wear your sunscreen everyday! Using a hydrating serum and moisturizer full of water binding ingredients, hydrators and great anti-agers like peptides is still an integral part of your skincare routine.

Check out the full line of makeup and skincare at www.scoshskincare.com. Sale items online thru April 2011, or while supplies last.

PEPTOXYL, The Features and Benefits of Peptides

• We’ve been talking about peptides for a while now, right? Why? Because they work! You don’t need some "new" miracle ingredient grown high atop the Swiss Alps in your products to achieve results. You need proven ingredients like peptides. Peptides are cell-communicators - they remind the fibroblast cells to remind your collagen to reproduce - keeping your skin tight, firm, and youthful.　In essence, they "communicate" with your skin cells and tell sun damaged or aging skin cells to act and look more normal and healthy.
• 
  For my current and new Peptoxyl users, here's a personalized Peptoxyl skincare routine in order of use:

PEPTOXYL RADIANCE SERUM
This next generation age-defying treatment contains a synergistic trio of ingredients - the most effective weapon against hyperpigmentation, dullness and lack of clarity. May be worn under both your day and nighttime moisturizer.

• Tri-peptides and Kojic Acid activate cell renewal, reduce fine lines and uneven pigmentation
• GABA, a biochemical messenger, improves radiance and inhibits hyperpigmentation
• Marine Filling Collagen Micro-Spheres hydrate and plump out wrinkles
• All skin types

PEPTOXYL EYE TREATMENT
An intense treatment for the eye area. Decreases fine lines, puffiness, and reduces under eye darkness.

• Lipopeptides reduce collagen breakdown, resulting in firmer more resilient skin
• Clinical tests after 8 weeks of consistent use - wrinkle depth reduced by 15%, area occupied by deep wrinkles by 44% (approx.)
• All skin types

PEPTOXYL WRINKLE RELAXING CREAM
A two-in-one formula that smoothes and reduces lines and wrinkles, while promoting lasting improvement to skin texture.

• The newest anti-aging peptide technology works synergistically to inhibit muscle contractions while simultaneously increasing collagen and elastin production
• Luxurious, quick absorbing cream hydrates and prevents collagen and elastin breakdown for firmer, more resilient skin
• All skin types

PEPTOXYL SPF 30
An elegant yet powerful anti-aging, moisturizing day treatment with SPF 30 helps protect skin from premature aging and environmental stress.

• Intensely hydrating, lightweight lotion absorbs quickly, perfect under makeup
• Broad spectrum protection against damaging UVA/UVB rays
• All skin types

LIPTOXYL X3
LipToxyl X3 Revolumizing Lipcare - a new lip-plumping, line-lifting powerhouse that makes invasive lip injections a thing of the past

• Ultra-lightweight formula hydrates, soothes and volumizes lips with Lip Response Technology, a scientific blend of naturally-derived ingredients

This 5 Pc. Peptoxyl Package is available at 30% OFF retail, thru January 31, 2011, while supplies last at Scosh Makeup and Skincare Studio and online, http://www.scoshskincare.com/specials.php