So much skincare, how to choose the best concoction for your skin care concerns? With skincare cocktailing you can mix premium skin product brands to design the perfect skincare routine for you. What skincare products can I mix together safely? Here is a general rule of thumb with choosing skincare products according to specific skin types.

-Foaming Cleanser- is a great option for that “clean” feeling and preferably those with combination or oily skin.
-Lotion/Creamy Cleanser- gentle enough for all skin types and also a great makeup remover. Preferably those that have dry skin, sensitive skin, reactive skin and using topical prescriptions and retinol.
-Exfoliating Cleanser- not advised for active acne, or rosacea, but great for clogged pores and once weekly exfoliation.
-Antioxidant Serums- designed for brightening and free radical protection. Great for all skin types except acne.
-Hyaluronic Acid serum- perfect for everyone, even acne
-Growth Factor and Peptide Serums – excellent choice for antiaging and overall skin health
-Retinol- recommended to be advised by a medical aesthetician for dosing. Not recommended for pregnant woman, breastfeeding woman or taking Accutane.

Those were just a few standard skincare products to choose from. Let’s get down to the nitty gritty.

Your mom’s neighbor’s daughter is selling a multilevel marketing skincare line and you are interested in learning about the products because you have been on an uphill battle with your skin. This line seems simple, there’s a “kit” for acne, a “kit” for anti-aging, a “kit” for dry skin. Easy peasy pick a kit and abracadabra your skin is fixed! Not quite.

The pre-picked skincare kits sound great, with no thinking required. The trouble with this method is that not everyone can tolerate every product in an acne “kit” morning and night. Or the products in the anti-aging “kit”. Or any of the “kits”. Our skin is so complex. For example, there are a number of different varieties of acne. Hormone related, stress related, diet related, oil production, and so much more. It takes specific training and education to identify them. Along with aging skin, dry skin and sensitive skin.

For the majority of the population, a combination of these categories is typical. We need to take into consideration each individual’s skin type. Do they breakout still? Are they dry or oily? What’s their sensitivity level? Are they reactive? This must be done BEFORE anything else. A good skincare routine is necessary to protect your investment in any laser treatments, chemical peels or photofacial treatments.

For many, helping to erase and prevent fine lines, wrinkles and pigmentation are the goal. Of course, skin care alone can’t turn back the clock, but skincare alongside good medical grade treatments can. But throwing them a cookie cutter anti-aging skincare “kit” isn’t always the answer. Is the individual oily? If they are, the products may be too heavy for them. Are they prone to breakouts? Perhaps this would lead to unwanted blemishes. Then we have to fix acne and aging. A fun combo. Your Medical Aesthetician and Certified Laser Technician can help guide you through the maze of choices.

Even treating acne can be tricky. A standard acne skincare “kit” can be extremely harmful to the skin. Typically, acne geared skincare can contain a combination of glycolic acid, salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, lactic acid, physical exfoliants and retinol. These are all amazing ingredients to help fight acne, kill bacteria and prevent future breakouts. But when these are used every day, twice a day, your results will be the complete opposite of what you were trying to achieve.

The rule of thumb when cocktailing any skincare together is, if you are using any products that are drying, or that compromise the surface of the epidermis (retinol, salicylic acid, glycolic acid, etc.), you should be using a mild cleanser, a sunscreen and a denser moisturizer to balance out the dryness from the more aggressive products. Hyaluronic Acid is another amazing product to incorporate into your routine. Hyaluronic Acid is recommended for all skin types, especially acne. Using products that help to kill bacteria will leave the skin feeling dry and irritated. That’s when Hyaluronic can play a major role is deep hydration without adding heavy moisturizer.

Here are a few popular combinations for skincare cocktailing:

Three Step Simple Routine – Normal/Combination Skin
Epoince Lytic Cleanser AM & PM
Neocutis Bio Serum Firm AM & PM
Skin Medica Mineral Shield Tinted SPF 32 AM
Valmont Prime 24 PM

I Love My Serums Routine – Anti-Aging Routine
Valmont Illuminating Foamer AM & PM
Skin Medica Lumivive System Day & Night AM & PM
Valmont V-Line Lifting Serum AM & PM
Skin Medica Neck Correct Cream
NeoCutis MicroDay AM
NeoCutis Bio Cream Firm PM

High Maintenance 12 Steps – Love my Skin Routine
Valmont Icy Falls Makeup Remover PM
Epionce Gentle Foaming Cleanser AM & PM
Valmont Illuminating Toner AM & PM
Valmont Clarifying Infusion AM & PM
Skin Medica Advanced+ Serum AM & PM
Skin Medica Neck Correct Cream PM
Valmont V-Line Neck Cream AM & PM
NeoCutis Nouvelle PM
NeoCutis Lumiere Eye Cream AM & PM
Valmont Hydra3 Eye Serum
Epoince Renewal Lotion PM
Elta MD Clear SPF 47 AM

Dry Skin
Epionce Milky Lotion Cleanser AM &PM
Neocutis Bio Serum Firm AM
Valmont Hydra 3 Serum PM
Neocutis Bio Cream Firm PM
Neocutis Lumiere Eye Cream AM & PM
Neocutis Nouvelle PM as directed by you Aesthetician

Oily Skin
ZO Gentle Cleanser (AM & PM)
Neocutis Hyalis (AM)
Elta MD Clear (AM)
ZO Complexion Pads (PM every other night or as directed)
Epionce Renewal Facial Lotion (PM)
Neocutis Nouvelle (every other night or as directed by your Aesthetician))
Epionce Lytic TX (as needed)
Neocutis Lumiere (AM & PM)

Are you overwhelmed? Blume Skin & Body offers complimentary skin analysis with suggestions to add to your current routine or start fresh with new products. The Medical Aestheticians are eager to help you maintain your skin health with skin care and skin treatment suggestions. Please check out all services and products on the website.

The post Do I need a skincare system? appeared first on BLUME.

The year is 2002, you have a party to attend in a few weeks and you have been dealing with acne for months. Being unbelievably fed up is an understatement. Your best friend suggests going tanning or laying in the sun to dry up your acne. The thought of getting a little tan is enticing too. Having a little color may conceal the acne as well! Your friend has been tanning for a week and it’s helping her….. until it doesn’t anymore.

In theory this method makes sense right? The suns ultra violet rays can dry the skin. So if you are dealing with acne, you must have oily skin, therefore the sun will dry up the acne. It may feel like the sun is doing something to your acne for maybe a week or so, but this is actually the complete opposite and very dangerous for your skin.

The sun doesn’t actually dry out sebum (oil) on your skin. It dries the actual skin. As a result to the skin being dry, your oil glands will then produce more oil as a response to the dryness. Picture a little army of oil coming out with a vengeance trying to protect and hydrate the skin that is in need. “We must attack the dryness! Come on troops hydrate on the double!” As a result of the oily army’s attempt to protect and secret, this then produces more breakouts and deep rooted clogged pores.

Getting Down to the Basics

Acne is not all created equal, and each different type of acne should NOT be treated the same. The most common types are cystic acne, which is typically hormonal, very red, inflamed and painful, acne due to oily skin and acne due to dry skin (which is more common than you’d think). Adding UV light to inflamed painful acne is only going to inflame it more. Adding UV light to dry skin that has acne will only make it more dry and create more of a breeding ground for acne. Adding UV light to oily skin that has acne will only dry out the very surface of the skin, making it almost impossible for the oil to secret properly. Therefore creating more oil as your oil glands are trying to produce more since it is unable to secret thoroughly.

Now that we know what the UV rays can do to acne in the beginning stages of “trying to dry it up’. Let’s talk the aftermath.

Picture this, you fall on the pavement, scrape your knee. It bleeds, and scabs over. You treat it, maybe with ointment and a bandaid. You keep it covered so that it can heal properly, since there is brand new skin underneath that scab. We want to protect it so that it doesn’t scar. So let’s circle back to your face. The scab on your knee is the breakout on your face. It is healing skin that has been inflamed, irritated, and perhaps picked at (hopefully not). If the skin isn’t protected against the UV rays you can develop Post Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation (PIH) and /or increased scarring. Acne prone/broken out skin is healing skin, combining healing skin to UV rays is a recipe for sun damage, which is even harder to remove than the acne itself.

Here are a few solutions to help treat the acne and keep it safe at the same time.

Facials:

Getting facials on a regular basis (4-6 weeks apart) can help reduce the amount of breakouts that pop up. Facials help to kill acne causing bacteria and soothes the skin from irritation that comes with painful acne. Extractions during a medical facial are extremely important. The bacteria that is lodged in the pores won’t just “come out” and you can’t just “scrub or wash it away”. It physically needs to be removed just the right way.

Peels:

Chemical peels are a great way to help kill bacteria from acne, break down the thick dead layer of skin on the surface of the epidermis, and target acne scars and hyperpigmentation (PIH). Deep set clogged pores can not be removed with a chemical peel as it works from the inside layers out. A facial like I stated above would be the best option to start.

Microneedling and Laser:

These minimally invasive treatments are fantastic for helping to eliminate acne scars, PIH, and redness (broken capillaries and broken blood vessels). However, if your acne is still active, meaning if your acne is still bacteria filled and inflamed, these methods will have to be put on hold until the acne is under control.

Lastly, finding yourself a highly skilled Medical Esthetician that is well versed in acne is huge. Like I stated above, acne is not all created equal. So treating it should be customized.

There was a time where doing at-home beauty treatments were all the rage, putting toothpaste on a blemish was the “go-to” and reading Cosmo was a great way to find beauty hacks. Well, its a new day my dear, and beauty is at the hand of the esthetician. One hand has all your customized treatments ready to take charge. The other hand is holding yours during this confusing time. We are here to help you all along the way of your skincare journey. Whatever your journey may be, we got your back.

The post But the Sun Dries Out my Acne… appeared first on BLUME.

The Instagram filter look can mess with our heads majorly. It projects an unachievable goal to not only young girls, but to grown adults too! While we are all trying to raise our daughters with lessons of self love, body positivity and plain old acceptance, there’s no denying we all STILL want to have awesome skin. But our mental health doesn’t have to suffer to get it. Here are 5 habits to get fabulous skin.

Moisturize

Now this may seem too simple, and it sort of is! Many individuals that have dealt with skin issues like acne, or oily skin typically skip this important step in fear of making things worse. It’s actually the complete opposite. When our skin isn’t properly hydrated it creates a thin dead layer of skin on the very surface of the epidermis. Sometimes you can see it and usually you can feel it. What happens is, that dead layer of skin creates such a barrier that your natural oil production is unable to secrete properly. Instead, it secretes slower than normal, creating a shine to the skin, giving the skin an oily appearance. That’s why many think they have oily skin. Since that oil secretion is moving so slowly, the oil can get stuck under the dead skin and form into deep clogged pores. Moisturizing on a regular basis can ease that dead skin helping to balance the entire function of the skin, including oil production.

The same applies to dry, combination and aging skin. Moisturizing is crucial for lubricating the pores, and feeding the skin what it needs. Fine lines and wrinkles will be less visible when they are properly hydrated. So finding a great moisturizer for night time is very important.

Sunblock

Now that we’ve covered the night time moisturizer portion, now we can cover the day time. Ah yes, SPF should be your BFF. Daily use of SPF is a great way to achieve fabulous skin. The best sunscreen to look for isn’t necessarily one that has a large SPF number on the front of the bottle. It’s actually the percentage of the active ingredients on the back of the bottle that give the sunscreen its protection power. High percentages of zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are mineral ingredients that create a physical barrier from the sun. If you are using products that make you more photosensitive, like retinol or glycolic acid, or receiving treatments that make you more susceptible to burn or hyperpigmentation, SPF everyday is imperative.

Retinol

Piggybacking from the importance of SPF, retinol is an amazing product to incorporate into your skincare routine. Retinol based products can come in all different shapes, sizes and potencies. Retinol or Retin-A is a derivative of Vitamin A. It helps with cellular turnover and helps to soften signs of aging (fine lines and wrinkles) and is a key component in helping with acne. It helps with skin texture, dilated pores and general skin wellness. Retinol use can be as simple as using it intermittently a few times a week, or spot treating acne blemishes. It is important to remember that you must limit your sun exposure during the time of use. For example, don’t use retinol the night before you know you’re going out on a hike, swimming, or any outdoor activity the following day. And when you do go out, make sure the retinol has been cleansed off the following day and a proper SPF has been applied.

Serum

So many serums, how do I know which one is best?! That all depends on what your skin is doing at the moment and your goals. Hyaluronic acid, antioxidant, peptide, and growth factor serums all have so many amazing benefits. So to pick the best one for you leads me into the next must-have for fabulous skin.

Medical Esthetician

Establishing a good relationship with a highly trained, knowledgable Medical Esthetican will guarantee the right path for you on your skincare journey. Which serum to invest in, and which treatments you should dedicate your time on maintaining your fabulous skin. Whether is laser, facials, microneedling, peels or microdermabrasions, your esthetician will establish a treatment regimen to fit your needs completely.

Living in a highly virtual world where the filters are at our fingertips, it’s important to remember the true beauty within us. True beauty can’t be seen in a mirror or a computer screen or a phone. We were all born to be real, real people with real flaws. Perfection is such an illusion that we continuously have to remind ourselves of. Luckily the support from trusted professionals can help keep your true beauty shining through.

The post 5 Habits to Fabulous Skin! appeared first on BLUME.

When a patient comes to Blume Skin & Body with skin concerns, they are looking to us for solutions. Whether you are looking for general anti-aging treatments such as Ultherapy or to resolve specific issues such as acne scaring, it is very important to following our post procedure guidelines. As skin care professionals, we come up with appropriate treatment plan and budget that the patient is most comfortable with. With our advanced lasers and equipment, we use our expertise to give our patients the best outcome. One giant piece of the puzzle in reaching your desired result is patient compliance with aftercare instructions. We can’t stress how important it is to follow directions and protect your skin during the healing stages after a procedure. This will determine whether you see that “wow” result or an underwhelming or even worse, a negative outcome that needs to be corrected.
Not every skin treatment we do requires downtime. We provide amazing facial treatments that we recommend monthly (i.e., Hydrafacial, ZO 5 in 1 Superfacial, Oxygeneo, Dermasweep, Dermaplanning and more), that will leave you glowing and red carpet ready. The procedures that require some downtime are: chemical peels (fan favorite the VI Peel), Microneedling, Radio Frequency Microneedling, Photofacials, Resurfx etc. These treatments will have some downtime ranging from slight redness, increased sun sensitivity, peeling and some swelling can also be expected. Every Aesthetician/Laser Tech at some point has spoken the words “no pain, no gain” to describe how rewarding the results of these procedures provide.
When you book your appointment, it’s a good idea to look at your schedule the week following treatment. You can wear post procedure or mineral makeup the day after getting most of these treatments, so you can go back to work, run errands and enjoy family time. What you want to avoid is outdoor activities such as hiking, tennis, golf, swimming or anything with prolonged sun exposure and sweating. Depending on the procedure itself, working out is off limits until skin has had time to repair and recover. We will provide or suggest a mild post procedure skin care regimen, which means any products that contain AHA/BHA acids, topical prescription lotions like retinols, exfoliating scrubs, potent antioxidants and even fruit enzymes are not recommended until skin is healed. This can take anywhere from 3 days up to 2 weeks depending on what you had done.
Now let’s talk about the possible issues you can experience if you aren’t compliant with aftercare. For example, when you do a VI Peel we advise our patients not to exercise until you are almost done peeling. That can take about 5 days. If you can’t live without your daily dose of CrossFit and decide to go anyways, sweat can get trapped underneath the skin that hasn’t peeled yet. This can result in blisters (think sweat blisters) that can cause you to be more irritated, experience acne flare ups or a dull result. If you have an IPL Photofacial (this treats sun damage and skin vascularity’s) you can experience increased sun sensitivity. It is very important to avoid sun exposure before and after the treatment or you can increase your odds of getting Post Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation. The expected result after having a Photofacial is to remove your sun damage, but if you decide to play 18 holes of golf the day after you could be adding to your collection of brown spots… Yikes! Not our end goal!
With our busy schedules it can be difficult to be compliant through the downtime. However, why wouldn’t you follow instructions to insure the best outcome when you are investing time and money into your skin? That hot yoga class will be waiting for you next week, we love seeing our patients happy and confident! We will always provide the best treatment possible and will send you on your way with the right products, instructions and a simple prescription of sunscreen, Netflix and chill, and always remember “Some things are worth the wait”.

Caitlin Sixbey LE, LSO, I’ve been in the Medical Aesthetics industry for 14 years and there is truly no better feeling then seeing a client’s smile and self-esteem sky rocket from the results you helped them achieve.

The post The Importance of Aftercare and How it can affect your treatment results! appeared first on BLUME.

When people think of exfoliating, the most common form would be mechanical or physical. This would be in the form of a facial scrub that you could use at home or from a device or treatment that you can receive here at Blume Skin & Body. Make sure you use medical grade skincare, or you could be doing more harm than good with products containing harsh or jagged beads that create tiny micro-tears in the skin.  My two favorite products that we carry for this purpose are Exfoliating Polish from ZO Medical and Valmont’s Face Scrub. Both products could be used 1-3 times a week depending on skin sensitivity. A product I like to use every day is the ZO Exfoliation Cleanser because it contains gentle jojoba beads and vitamin E that is calming enough to use daily.  For even greater results, we offer medical grade facials and treatments like microdermabrasion and epidermal leveling that should ideally be done monthly and is customized to your skins needs by your Aesthetician.

Chemical exfoliation is a method that uses different acids and enzymes to dissolve dead skin cells. Think of this like the 1980s Pac-Man game where the dots being eaten are the dry dull skin cells and Pac-man being the acid or enzyme. Alpha hydroxy acids (AHA’s) like Glycolic and Beta hydroxy acids (BHA’s) like Salicylic are used in both medical grade skincare and professional grade chemical peels. These acids exfoliate in different ways, making the combination of both safe to use together. AHA’s cause the cells to detach from the epidermis, which is best for dry skin types and has anti-aging benefits. BHA’s penetrate deeper to dissolve excess oil build up making this a great option for combination and oily skin types. Fruit enzymes like bromelain (pineapple!) are often used in skincare which is perfect for sensitive skin. You will see amazing results from using a combination of these ingredients consistently.

All these methods are a fantastic way to get your exfoliating fix. Consulting with your Aesthetician is key to achieving your best skin yet. Whether it’s a daily product regimen or an in-office treatment plan we have you covered here at Blume Skin & Body.

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Thankfully, Blume Skin & Body has a solution for hormonal breakouts. The first step is to meet with an Aestetician, I saw Caitlin and she took me under her esthetic wing and gave me a deep pore cleansing facial and treated me with the Sciton BBL Forever Clear Acne treatment. The Forever Clear BBL is a cutting-edge acne treatment that uses the power of light to comfortable and effectively clear acne without creams or medicine. After the first treatment my skin was dramatically different. The swelling and redness went down and several pimples purged and were able to be extracted.

I have had a few more BBL Forever Clear Acne treatments to kill the remaining bacteria and address my redness. At the first sign of a breakout, I will have the treatment before the acne gets any worse.  Blume Skin & Body has several treatments that deal with the pigmentation left from my breakouts. I plan on having the VI Peel to remove the pigmented skin and give me a brighter complexion.

The post How I Stopped My Acne Breakouts and Had Clear Skin Again appeared first on BLUME.

This month Blume Skin & Body is offering 20% off The Vi Peel and The Perfect Derma Peel. I recently did The Perfect Derma Peel and had amazing results! If you are looking for fast results that will dramatically improve skin texture, tone and overall clarity – this is the treatment for you! This is a safe and effective treatment for all skin types to help slow down the aging process. When I decided to do this peel my main concerns were acne breakouts, hyperpigmentation and overall dullness of my skin.

Here is my daily experience/progress:

When the peel was applied I felt a mild tingling sensation. After about thirty seconds to a minute that feeling subsided and my skin felt back to normal with a slight tightness effect. I had an orange glow which was from the color of the peel. From there I left the peel on for six hours without washing, touching or applying any makeup.

The next morning I gently cleansed my skin and applied a post peel pad to prep my skin for peeling. I then applied my moisturizer and sunscreen for the day. I repeated this step that night using just the pad and moisturizer.

By the 3rd day my skin felt tight but I did not start to peel until that night. Most of the peeling happened on day 4 and 5 and was not painful at all.

The most important takeaway after having a chemical peel is to leave the peeling skin alone! Do not pull or pick at the skin. Most importantly, by not pulling or picking you will have better results. 

By day 6 my skin was back to normal with some light flaking near my hairline. I could not believe the amount of pigment that was removed by doing this peel. My skin felt and looked smooth, radiant and my acne completely cleared up!

Overall this was an amazing treatment that I would highly recommend to anyone that is looking for fast results with dramatic changes; not only for problem skin but for aging prevention as well.

Schedule your peel today by clicking here!

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Certainly, people look for quality outcomes and value. At the Blume Skin Centre, we believe value is getting what you want for a quality price. Whether it’s dermal fillers like Juvederm, Restylane, or Sculptra, and Botox, or Dysport, what you get for the price is true value. This is the same for Radio Frequency treatments, Ultherapy, facials or peels.

We believe that presenting realistic expectations at the beginning of treatments is just as important as customer service and patient appreciation. Sometimes a procedure a patient envisions may not be the correct one for them, so we will offer result driven alternatives. We always try to give our patients a realistic expectation of the outcome. Sometimes this means offering LESS expensive procedures or products.

When you treat patients honestly and they know what to expect, there is great satisfaction with almost no regrets!

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