Cool News You Can Use in the Dog Days of Summer!

It’s going to be 116+ this week so here’s a few tips for Summer Skin Survival!

The average skin is made up of 2 to 3 gallons of water. Your weight divided by 2 is the minimum number of oz. of water needed per day! Conversion chart; 8 oz./cup, 16 oz./pint, 32 oz./quart, 128 oz./gallon. Drink up!

Alleviate perspiration along hairline by using an Antiperspirant Gel. Apply to your fingers first and then apply to the face along hairline. Remember, with any new mask or treatment, test the product on a tiny area of skin first (try it behind the ear) to make sure it won't cause irritation.

Soak in diluted vinegar for minor sunburn pain. Pour 2-3 cups of white vinegar into a bathtub of tepid water and soak. It's very soothing. PLUS a bath is much more comfortable than a pounding shower stream on the skin. Rinse in cool water to delete vinegar smell. TIP - put a 50/50 water/vinegar solution in a spray bottle and keep in the refrigerator for a cooling mist of relief!

Aloe gel is available in a spray can now! Aloe is soothing, healing and keeps skin hydrated. TIP- keep gel or spray in frig for additional cooling comfort.

Flip-flop Dry Feet. Exfoliate first concentrating on the heels with Scosh Microderm Crème Scrub, or Scosh Cleanse mixed with a dime size of baking soda. Then apply olive oil, Vaseline or Aquaphor followed by white cotton socks or peds overnight for smooth, soft tootsies in the morning!

Don’t be too clean! OK, I know this sounds weird but, bar soap can be very drying. If you’re sunburned, stay away from highly fragrant bubble baths, soaps, colognes and perfumes - they may be too irritating to your already parched skin. And don't scrub too hard. Stick with mild gel formulas, like Scosh Cleanse.

How to Clean Your Makeup Brushes

Washing your brushes weekly to remove facial oils and bacteria will not only help your brushes last longer, but it will reduce the risk of contaminating your makeup with bacteria. It is also essential to your skin health that you keep your brushes clean and sanitized since they are in fact touching your face. This is especially critical for anyone suffering from breakouts or congested skin.

Put a dime size amount of a gentle shampoo and water - 50/50 mix, in the palm of your hand, dip brush into mixture and gently make a “lazy crazy eight” motion several times. Rinse the brush clean with fresh water, repeat if necessary. After cleansing your brush always position the bristles back into shape. For a powder or blush brush, you can tap the handle several times on the back of your hand to “fan out” the bristles. For eye makeup brushes simply mold the bristles back into shape using your fingers. Allow brushes to thoroughly air dry before using or storing them.

If you want the right application, you need the right tool. A great makeup brush can make all the difference in the world when applying your makeup. I am very proud to offer a complete range of superior makeup brushes that I have personally chosen based on my years of experience doing professional makeup. I’m also happy to say that my brushes are totally affordable without sacrificing quality. You can check out my complete range of makeup brushes at scoshskincare.com.

Shaving - doesn’t have to be a pain in the neck!

Does the idea of shaving every morning make your neck turn red with irritation? Do you finish your shave with nicks, cuts and bumps? Do you chafe your sweeties face when you give her a smooch?

A really great shave has 3 important components: your hardware, your software and lots of moisture.

Let’s start with your shaving hardware; choices are the girly disposable razors, cartridge razors and the classic double-edge razor. There’s also the straight razor, and we do live in the west but, nah!

Shaving aficionados love the superior double-edge razor blade for a much closer shave. Used in combination with a quality badger shaving brush and cream, you have all the necessary ingredients for a Wet Shave. However, if you decide to use a multi-blade cartridge razor please remember to change your cartridge frequently. A dull razor is definitely the culprit for razor burn. And don’t use your girlfriends or wife’s disposable razors for anything. Period.

Ideally, if you can, shave in the shower. Beard stubble will soften the longer you’re in that wet steamy environment.

Start with a really good shaving gel, cream or moisturizer. Stay away from alcohol based products which will not only make your face sting, but also dry your skin. Massage the cream or gel into your skin to soften stubble and help create a protective barrier that allows your razor to glide easily across your skin.

Shave downward with the grain or in the direction that your hair grows, using slow careful strokes. This usually means down your cheeks and face and up your neck. Going with the grain helps prevent razor rash. Rinse your blade often.

Many men suffer from shave bumps and ingrown hairs, which happen when particularly tough stubble is cut and grows back underneath the skin. Regular use of a face scrub with Jojoba beads helps remove dead skin cells while helping to free in ingrown hair.

And if you have really tough stubble you may have to shave twice; once in the direction of your growth, rinse, cream up again and then shave against the grain.

Once you’ve finished shaving, rinse and then pat your face with a clean towel. Finish with a moisturizer with UV protection all over your face and neck to keep your face moist and supple.

Store your blade to air dry. Leaving your blade in water will dull the blade and possibly breed bacteria.

So, go ahead have a great shave and give your sweetie a kiss!

My male clients LOVE to use Scosh Matte Hydrate Moisturizer as a shave cream;http://www.scoshskincare.com/s_moisturizers.php

No Oompa Loompa’s here!

Fortunately, the orange, oompa loompa self-tanning products from the 80’s and 90’s are becoming a distant memory. The newest self-tanning formulas available are elegant and produce great results with the right application.

Follow my tips for a beautiful self-tanning experience:

• Exfoliate the areas of your face or body you plan to tan. Avoid streaking by paying extra attention to elbows, knees and ankles.
• Dry off completely and get out of that steamy bathroom, to reduce streaking.
• Apply self-tanner evenly. A tinted product will help you see where you’re applying.
• Mist-on self-tanners in a spray can are great for hard to reach areas like your back, but I’d suggest a trial run before any special event to get your application method down first.
• Blend, blend, blend around your hairline and on your elbows, knees and ankles.
• After application, wash your hands well; scrub your cuticles and fingernails. Brown fingernails are not your goal!
• Take a dry cotton swab and lightly go over the outline of your brows to blend.
• Wait a full 20 minutes before dressing. Even then, avoid wearing white.
• Your color should develop in 2 or 3 hours.
• Don’t wash your face or shower for at least 3 hours.
• For a deeper tan, try another application within 24 hours, but this time skip exfoliation.
• Avoid using any skincare and body care products containing chemical or physical exfoliants after self-tanning, as the exfoliation will strip the color from your skin.

If you follow these tips, you should have a beautiful self-tan. Tanning in the sun or in a tanning bed is not only dangerous, but an open invitation to age spots, wrinkles and skin cancer. The Only Safe Tan Is A Fake Tan!

Just remember that a tan, chemical or physical, DOES NOT offer protection from the sun. Use an SPF 15 or SPF 30 with UVA/UVB protection every single day, rain or shine. Last but not least, remember you are beautiful just as you are, tanning is optional.

How Vitamin C Works

I LOVE Vitamin C!

Vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid) is one of the relatively few topical agents whose effectiveness against wrinkles and fine lines is backed by reliable scientific evidence. Ascorbic Acid has been proven to be photo-protective; a formidable defense against solar-induced free radicals. It plays a potent role in diminishing the effects of free radical damage and is quite effective as a protectant from ultra violet light damage. (Remember last month - ALL rays do damage!)

Vitamin C as an Antioxidant: ultraviolet radiation can generate oxygen free radicals that cause aging of the skin. Vitamin C can act as a first defense, against some of these radicals.

Vitamin C and Collagen: collagen is a key component of most tissues. Vitamin C works as an essential factor for the normal formation, maintenance and structural stability of collagen.

Topical Vitamin C has shown to protect the skin from UV damage caused by prolonged sun exposure by reducing the amount of free radical formation and/or sunburn cells. As a result Vitamin C plays an essential part in slowing down photoageing.

So, cleanse daily with your Vibran-C Cleanser, followed by C Serum 20%, and your Vibran-C Day Lotion spf 15. And don’t forget to use your Vibran C Mask and Peel frequently. And take advantage of the 25% discount on ALL Vibran C products June 8 - June 19th, 2010, knowing that you are doing some good as well as feeling good!

You can find all the above Scosh goodies at, http://www.scoshskincare.com/.

How To Read a Label

One thing that amazes me is how some companies will spotlight a single ingredient in a product, but when you take a look at the ingredient label you will find that the product barely contains any of that ingredient.

I encourage all of my clients to be an informed consumer and read the ingredient label! Ingredients are listed in descending order of quantity just like a food label. If the product’s star ingredient is listed toward the bottom of the list, you know it is barely present in any significant amount (particularly if it is listed after the parabens and preservatives). Also, did you ever think about the fact that the total ingredients in a product can only add up to 100%? If you see an ingredient list a mile long, how much of any one ingredient can possibly be in there? Not much.

When I was researching products a year or so ago I came across the Peptoxyl line that I now carry at Scosh Studio. One of the things that really impressed me was the formulations. The ingredient lists are short and to the point. And unlike a lot of peptide products I’ve tried, they actually do contain a significant amount of peptides, and other beneficial ingredients. One of my favorites is the Peptoxyl Radiance Serum. This water-like serum has many beneficial ingredients, but two key ingredients are going to have the most impact. Aminopropyl Kojyl Phosphate is the 2nd ingredient in the serum, just after water. How often do you see the star ingredient in any product as the 2nd ingredient on the label? Rarely! It is a derivative of the natural skin lightening agent kojic acid and can help reduce fine lines and wrinkles, diminishes age spots and help collagen synthesis. Hexanoyl Dipeptide-3 Norleucine Acetate is the 4th ingredient in the Peptoxyl Radiance Serum. It activates skin cell regeneration by stimulating the natural shedding process of the skin, leading to a gentle peeling.

Another favorite peptide product is Scosh Peptoxyl Eye Treatment. This intense treatment for the eye area increases micro-circulation, decreases puffiness, strengthens capillary walls to reduce under eye darkness and reinforces the structure and flexibility of collagen and elastin for firmer, more resilient skin. Treat your self and enjoy a 20% savings thru April 30, 2010!

So, make sure you're doing your homework and if you need some crib notes, I have a glossary of ingredients on my website: http://www.scoshskincare.com/glossary.htm.

Why Resveratrol?

Everywhere I turn the past few months I have come across yet another skincare company launching a new cream or serum based on the antioxidant ingredient resveratrol. They praise resveratrol as a new, exciting breakthrough for anti-aging skincare. While I agree that resveratrol is a great skincare ingredient, it’s hardly new. I've been using resveratrol for over 12 years in my skincare and in the treatment room.

Present in grapes (and red wine), resveratrol is not only a potent antioxidant, but it pulls double duty as a great anti-inflammatory agent. Antioxidants defend us against free radical damage. Free radicals attack our skin and break down skin’s support structure. Want a truly “firming” moisturizer? Then you want a moisturizer loaded with antioxidants to protect you from exposure to free radicals that can cause skin damage over time like loss of elasticity. Recent studies also indicate that reducing inflammation on the skin is also a critical step to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Inflammation isn’t just about the redness or irritation you can see. Inflammation can also occur but it can be microscopic and not visible to the naked eye. Anti-inflammatory ingredients are a great addition to your skincare routine.

Always pair your antioxidants with the daily use of a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or greater. Antioxidants will enhance the effects of your sunscreen, but they absolutely do not replace your need to wear sunscreen every single day.

For years, I have used a cream with resveratrol after performing a peel or microderm treatment. At the request of my clients, I recently started offering this product for purchase, which I have long referred to as my “Antioxidant Cream”. It was an instant hit and because everyone loves it so I'm now offering it in a convenient new package, with a new name - Comfort Cream! Without feeling greasy or heavy Comfort Cream provides substantial moisture from shea butter and jojoba oil while protecting the skin’s natural moisture barrier with Ceramides. In addition to resveratrol, additional anti-oxidants are on hand including Vitamin C, Giant Knotweed and Turmeric. Comfort Cream smells absolutely divine with a light, all-natural fragrance from peach wine and vanilla extracts. It’s great for all skin types, particularly dry, dehydrated or skin that has recently had a peel or microdermabrasion.

I have had a hard time keeping the Comfort Cream in stock so I’ve not yet offered it for purchase on my website. If you are interested, Comfort Cream is available in a 1oz size for $27 at Scosh Studios. As with all Scosh products, a little goes a long way – All you need is a Scosh!

For more information, call Scosh at 480.970.5454 or email info@scoshksincare.com