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.

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Skincare doesn’t have to be complicated. But for many it can be confusing. Where to start? Which system is right for me? Woman tend to be more conscientious about their skin. Making sure they are cleansing properly, exfoliating weekly, hydrating, protecting and maintaining. For men, this is a whole other world. Here are a few recommendations for an easy skincare routine for men:

Instead of: Splashing with water or using bar soap in the morning or at night
Replace with: Cleansing with a milky cleanser (dry-combination skin) or a foaming cleanser (oily skin). Cleansing with bar soap or water alone won’t thoroughly cleanse away dirt, oil, or daily debris. This will cause unwanted oil build up and bacteria that can cause acne.

Instead of; No moisturizer in the morning
Replace with; Applying a light weight sunscreen. The daily use of sunscreen will not only keep the skin protected during the day, it will hydrate the skin and won’t trigger the sebaceous glands to over produce oil.

Instead of; Using a wash cloth to scrub the skin
Replace with; Using an exfoliating cleanser a few times a week

Instead of; Using aftershave
Replace with: Using an antioxidant serum or hyaluronic acid serum after shaving. This will properly replenish the hydration to the skin and help sooth after shaving.

Instead of: No moisturizer
Replace with: Using a light weight moisturizer before bed

Instead of: Using over the counter cleansing pads
Replace with; Use a medicated pre-moistened pad

Instead of: Using alcohol or witch hazel on breakouts
Replace with: Using a medicated treatment gel or retinol

One of the most important aspects of a skincare routine (especially men) is the daily use of sunscreen. It always seems to fall to the wayside. “I’ll only be outside for a little bit.” “I never get sunburn.” “I don’t like the way sunscreen feels on my skin.” This is understandable for both men and woman. Unfortunately, sunscreen typically isn’t on a man’s radar. The daily use of sunscreen not only helps to fight the early signs of aging, like fine lines, wrinkles and hyperpigmentation. It helps to protect against precancerous and cancerous lesions.

Skin health doesn’t just stop at skincare products. There are a wide variety of skincare treatments to help maintain the appearance of the skin. Facial treatments and skin rejuvenation aren’t just for the ladies! Statistics show that men make up around 49% of the medical spa/skin rejuvenation clientele.

Ultherapy- Ultherapy is the perfect non-surgical option to help restore tightness, improve sagging, and to lift the skin.
Facials- Facials are a great maintenance treatment to help restore the skins moisture and keep the skin clear from blemishes.
Injectables (Botox, Xeomin and filler)- Injectables are wonderful to help add volume in areas it is lacking (filler). As well as decrease the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles over time (toxin).
Laser- Laser therapy can help with a number of different skin conditions. Redness/broken vessels, Laser skin resurfacing for Acne Scars and Laser skin resurfacing for Sun Damage & Age Spots.

These are services that men are flocking towards to help treat and maintain their skincare goals.
Taking care of your skin has become a standard practice over the years. We get haircuts, we brush our teeth, we go to the doctor and the dentist, we take care of our skin. The largest organ on the human body is the skin, it is our shield, the protection of our organs, it deserves special care.

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Spring is the season of rebirth and the award season. Of course, the testing process for the 2021 NewBeauty Awards during wasn’t the typical testing committees debating over 10,000 submissions.  This year all research and debate to choose the 280 winners was done virtually.  I can image that the panel was hyper-critical of their own image on the zoom meetings. The experts scrutinized thousands of products and procedures that deliver on their claims and solve our biggest beauty requests. This year more than ever we deserve to look and feel like the best versions of ourselves.

Each year hundreds of new product lines enter the skin care and treatment market. Instagram & Facebook bombard us with new advertising for products that are brand new and untested. Tik Tok has also entered the fray of so-called experts telling its viewers to use strange and unusual homemade remedies to cure all your beauty woes.  Unfortunately, once you click on the advertisement, you will see the product show up in your news feed for weeks.

I thought it would be helpful to highlight the 11^th Annual Beauty Awards from New Beauty Magazine, Spring-Summer 2021, with the products and procedures that Blume Skin & Body offers.

NewBeauty Awards for Best In-Office Treatments & Procedures

The Best Neurotoxin – Botox Cosmetic

For the past 19 years, Botox has been reducing frown lines, crow’s feet and smoothing foreheads everywhere. Botox is the most requested Neurotoxin, due to its consistency.  Xeomin is also a quality neurotoxin that Blume Skin & Body offers for our patients that are looking for a uniquely purified option that Gwyneth Paltrow prefers.

The Best Nonsurgical Skin Tightener – Ultherapy

Ultherapy is a Cult Classic and it has been an award winner for 7 years in a row. Patients looking for a neck, lower face & brow lift without going under the knife, Ultherapy is the answer. Ultherapy uses ultrasound energy to stimulate new collagen and tighten lax and wrinkled skin on the neck, chin, brow and décolleté without the need for surgery or downtime. Christie Brinkley has been a past spokesperson with many other celebrities admitting and recommending Ultherapy . The staff at Blume Skin & Body loves the Ultherapy procedure, it is also a great preventative treatment for the 30 -40-year-old age group looking for a countered jawline and collagen banking.  For the 50+ age group Ultherapy ultrasound skin tightening works to take a decade away.

The Best Noninvasive Fat Reducer – CoolSculpting

This noninvasive fat-fighter treatment has been the gold standard and FDA cleared for over 10 years; Blume Skin & Body has had CoolSculpting for 9 years. CoolSculpting freezes away unwanted fat cells practically everywhere on the body. The fat cells start to leave the body at 3 weeks may take 12 weeks to see your final results, but those fat cells are gone for good.

CoolSculpting at Blume Skin & Body is a relaxing experience with your own private suite. CoolSculpting is a great way to rid the body of that excess COVID-19 fat and get back to your 2019 body.

The Best Filler for Lip Lines – Juvederm Volbella

When you have smokers’ lines or your favorite lipstick bleeds into those tiny lines around your mouth, Juvederm Volbella is a great choice for smoothing those annoying lines. Juvederm Volbella can soften them without altering your natural facial expressions. This facial filler uses hyaluronic acid to instantly smooth unwanted grooves for a natural smooth look. Volbella is also a great lip filler for those patients looking for natural smooth lips without the duck look.

The Best Filler for Laugh Lines– Juvederm

Blume Skin & Body also offers Juvederm Ultra and Ultra Plus, Juvederm Voluma and Juvederm Vollure that are hyaluronic acid fillers that can soften deep nasal folds, give volume restoration, provide a subtle lift or enhance the jaw line and chin. A conversation with our excellent injectors can help you decide which product is best for you.

The Best Filler for Cheek Enhancement – Juvederm Voluma

The longest lasting and the first filler specifically developed for the cheek area, Juvederm Voluma thick and dense hyaluronic acid gel plumps and adds volume. If you weren’t genetically blessed with high cheek bones or your cheeks have deflated due to aging, Juvederm Voluma is the answer. Juvederm Voluma results can last up to two years.

The Best Filler for Hand Rejuvenation – Radiesse

To restore volume loss and smooth the skin on hands, Radiesse, a collagen stimulator is the best. Radiesse also makes the veins and crepiness less visible while boosting collagen over time. Blume Skin & Body also likes Radiesse along the jaw line to improve your profile.

The Best Scalp Treatment– HydraFacial Keravive                                                     

Combine the relaxing experience of a scalp massage with the results of a med-spa treatment you get with HydraFacial Keravive. The treatment utilizes the HydraFacial signature three-step method to cleanse and unclog follicles and infuse Keravive protein serum. It is suggested to combine the scalp treatment with the famous skin treatment. HydraFacial is a customizable treatment that cleanses, exfoliates, extracts and hydrates. In a short 30-minute treatment your pores are deep cleaned while skin is flooded with hydration. HydraFacial is like you monthly car wash to keep your skin healthy and youthful. At Blume Skin & Body your aesthetician can add Epidermal Leveling to further your treatment.

NewBeauty Awards for Best Skincare Products – Post-Procedure, Serums & Treatments

The Best Gel Cleanser – Epionce Lytic Gel Cleanser

This is the 5^th time this amazing willow bark-based cleanser has made the list. Epoince Lytic Gel Cleanser gently but effectively removes all of dirt, pollution and make-up from the day.

Best Growth Factor Serum – SkinMedica TNS Advanced+ Serum

This 5-in-1 product has it all! Its dual-chamber delivery system contains a new & improved growth factor with nourishing botanicals and peptides that support skin rejuvenation and it has no fragrance, so it works for all skin types.

Post Procedure Soothing Cream – NeoCutis Aftercare

Safe to use after ablative and non-ablative laser treatments, aftercare is very soothing and hydrating with the added benefits of growth factors for faster skin regeneration and healing.

Best Sunscreen – EltaMD UV Clear Broad Spectrum SPF46 

The Cult Classic EltaMD UV Clear works on all skin types and doesn’t leave behind a white cast or irritate your skin.

Best Sunscreen Stick– Colorscience Sunforgettable Total SPF 50 –

This an essential for all active types to protect against sun damage. This sunblock is mineral based without any chemicals and great to use on the lips also.

The Best Supplement for Hair Wellness – Nutrafol

This supplement establishes the right nutrient balance to improve strength, texture, density and shine.

New Treatments and Products

The following products and procedures are brand new this year, and received a great endorsement from New Beauty.

Dream Cream for Neck and Décolleté – Valmont V-Neck Cream

Tech Neck is a real thing and this luxury cream can help with firming and crepiness.

Snap Back – The latest age-defying tools and technologies that promise firmer, tighter skin.  The technique of combining treatments is recommended. Blume Skin & Body has been using several different medical devices for optimal results for years. For example, we combine Ultherapy for lifting and firming with Radio Frequency MicroNeedling for pores and texture and finally PhotoFacial (IPL) (BBL) for sun damage and redness.

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