Q: What are some of the absolute worst things I can do to my skin?
MyChelle Dermaceuticals licensed esthetician Catie Wiggy responds:
Skin is the body’s largest organ, and we tend to be pretty tough on it. Its job is to protect us from environmental aggressors while regulating our heat sensations. Skin is also responsible for physical sensation””your sense of touch. It’s so very important to treat skin with TLC and to do what you can to best care for it. You already know the basics: cleanse, moisturize and protect! But what about the “no nos”? Let’s review those.
Tanning should be avoided like the plague regardless of whether it’s done outdoors or indoors, in a tanning bed. Tans are produced by harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun or UV tanning lamps. If you have a tan, guess what? You’ve sustained skin cell damage. UV hot beds are a breeding ground for bacteria, but what they do to your skin is even worse. Several studies show indoor tanners are over 70 percent more likely to develop melanoma than those who have never tanned indoors. Keep out of the sun and UV beds to keep your skin looking youthful and healthy.
Enjoy the look of beautifully bronzed skin without damaging UV rays from the sun or tanning beds with the MyChelle Del Sol Sunless Tanner. Natural sugars from beets, sugar cane and other plants react with the skin’s surface to safely create a natural-looking “tan.” Licorice and aloe are added to soothe, repair and hydrate for skin that stays youthfully glowing.
Now, stop picking, squeezing, popping and pulling at your skin! Hands are covered in bacteria, and when you dig your fingers into your skin, you’re placing dirt, debris and other irritants directly on and into your skin. Yuck! If you have a blackhead or pimple you want to get rid of, call your local spa and schedule an appointment with a licensed esthetician. These skincare experts are trained professionals who can properly extract blemishes without causing harm.
For an at-home fix try the MyChelle Cranberry Mud Mask to deeply purify and calm skin where problems start. A blend of richly detoxifying kaolin and bentonite clays absorbs excess oil and debris from pores, while Totarolâ„¢ purifies and balances. Cranberry extract, known as one of the “super fruits” for its high antioxidant content, helps support skin and give it a luminescent glow.
The last thing you should never do is smoke. The reasons why are endless (cancer, emphysema, cardiovascular disease, etc.) but for skin in particular, smoking accelerates the aging process. Next to sun exposure, smoking is the biggest contributor to wrinkling. So, yes, it’s true, smoking makes you look older! The nicotine in cigarette smoke also causes damage to the small blood vessels and capillaries of the skin. And the diminishing circulation caused by smoking deprives the skin of the vital oxygen it needs to create and maintain healthy skin cells.
To view the complete selection of advanced, natural skincare products from MyChelle available at Vitacost.com, click here.