Know your skin the high-tech way (2)

Needless to say, the results shocked me. I never go under the sun, have been wearing sun block since I was 12, and have been praised numerous times for my poreless skin. Even the girl had to double check, as she too was surprised.

Turns out that while I just take care of my skin really well and have been using the right products ever since, pigmentation was just about ready to break out under the skin.

If you look at the surface of my skin, there is none visible. But on the screen, as clear as day, there was a huge map of pigmentation with only tiny spaces in between just dying to burst to the surface. Obviously, my vacations in Boracay where I put my guard down to enjoy the sun left considerable damage that was set to surprise me when I got older.

My friends laughed out loud when the entire whitening range Blanc Expert with Mela No-Cx was recommended for me to correct this. Having such strong Chinese ancestry gave me very light skin, but the abundance of melanin which makes skin age slower also makes it prone to hyperpigmentation. A lot of fair-skinned Asians would probably have that same problem.

The good thing with using a whitening/brightening range is that you can break them down before using them. For my pores, I would substitute the Blanc Expert essence for the Sensation Total vitamin C serum which cleans out and contracts pores as well as repairs any environmental damage. My day moisturizer would be Lancôme's SPF 50+ sun block.

E-mail the author at kinnysalas@yahoo.com

Know your skin the high-tech way (1)

Good morning everyone. Do you know what kind of skin you have? Do you know if the cream you are using will not irritate your skin?

THERE are so many skincare products out there that one hardly knows what to pick for a particular skin type.

Most of us have a combination of problems that it's hard to stick to a specific regimen that treats just one. Lancôme has decided to lend us a helping hand in the form of Diagnos, a really high-tech machine which I tried out in Rustan's Makati. You will not be charged for using the machine, so you needn't worry about that.

Diagnos is used by Lancôme scientists to uncover the specific problem of your skin so you may deal with it accordingly. What you find out may surprise you. First, you will be asked how old you are, then the machine which has a computer monitor will magnify your skin 60 times and look deep down.

Diagnos will measure oil production on the T-zone and cheeks, firmness, hydration and pore size, and monitor signs of aging and pigmentation as well. It will compare your results with the average age group of your race (Caucasian, Asian, African American, etc.) and you will get results indicating if you are above average or in trouble.

My results showed that my skin was definitely younger than average. It even looked better than those of average Asian women in their 20s, said the machine.

My problems? My oil production was three times more than the average 30-year-old, and there were huge pores and very dark pigmentation deep down.
E-mail the author at kinnysalas@yahoo.com

Your skin's best friends (4)

Dermapolish Treatment Cream sloughs away surface skin cells to accelerate renewal and uncover new skin. With weekly use, it diminishes the appearance of age spots and sun damage and smoothes away the look of fine lines and wrinkles.

Post Treatment Soothing Mist is an anti-oxidant mist, which cools and hydrates post-Dermapolish skin with a complex of Brazilian red algae extracts, green tea and aloe vera.

Lipid Barrier Cream is a regenerative moisture formula which restores the skin's protective lipid barrier up to 67 percent.

Desiree Go, 28, who works for First Quadrant, started using these products after spending Holy Week in Boracay this year. "My skin darkened that my foundation didn't match my skin tone. Since I've been using the makeup line of Prescriptives for four years now, its beauty consultant recommended the microdermabrasion products to rejuvenate my dull skin. After a month, my skin truly improved."

The microdermabrasion products of Dermalogica, Estée Lauder, La Prairie and Prescriptives are available at Rustan's Essenses. E-mail the author at rburgos@inquirer.com.ph

Your skin's best friends (3)

Applying Cellular Softening and Balancing Lotion is the second step. It helps restore an optimum pH balance in the skin, improves suppleness and provides anti-inflammatory benefits.

"These products can be used in conjunction with other treatments, with the exception of other exfoliation products, which should be discontinued one week prior to beginning treatment," says Tricia Bolido, La Prairie brand manager.

Bolido adds that microdermabrasion should be performed before taking a bath every other day for a five-day period-massaging no longer than one minute on facial skin, two minutes on other areas of the body. Then the skin should rest for five days, before undertaking a once-a-week maintenance program.

Anti-inflammatory

"What's good with La Prairie is its anti-inflammatory lotion, which protects the skin after microdermabrasion," says Leah Fabia, 42, who owns Philippine Nautical Training Center. She has stopped going to a facial center for exfoliation since she used La Prairie products a month ago.

"I used to have a freckle on the left cheek, which I cover with a concealer. La Prairie products have helped even my skin tone and diminish lines. I used to have foot spa twice a month. Now, I don't go to a spa that often to enjoy this relaxing treatment."

Prescriptives' Dermapolish is a three-part system that delivers results comparable to an aesthetician's professional microdermabrasion without the usual redness and irritation-or expense.

Your skin's best friends (2)

Gentle Cream Exfoliant is a multi-part complex of lactic acid, salicylic acid, sulfur and fruit enzymes, which detach dead skin debris and promote cell renewal.

Skin Renewal Booster is a blend of hydroxy acids and natural humectants for increased cell renewal and healthier-looking skin.

Award-winning

On the other hand, Estée Lauder's award-winning Idealist Micro-D and Idealist Skin Refinisher deliver skin resurfacing benefits with their TripleSphere Refinishing System. The brands also offer deep, thermal action that warms skin to help open, detoxify and minimize pores.

"In an instant, you'll feel it's kinda warm. It's what we call deep thermal action. It wakes up lazy cells to hasten skin peeling and renewal," says Gladys Gonzales, Estée Lauder and Prescriptives assistant brand manager. "The products' non-acid formula takes care of skin's problems like pores, flakiness, redness and fine lines. They don't clash with other products that you use and even complement your existing skincare regimen."

La Prairie proffers a luxurious two-part treatment that polishes and perfects skin on the face and body, diminishing lines and stimulating micro circulation.

Cellular Microdermabrasion Cream is an exfoliating treatment that gently removes the dull, aging outer layer of skin not only on the face but also on trouble spots as knees, elbows, heels, where thickened skin and calluses occur. The cream comes with three specialized sponge applicators: the white is for the face; pink for the body; and black for the most rigorous problem areas.

Your skin's best friends (1)

Good morning everybody. As like me, I always wanted to have a soft skin. Some may have the problem of that. It may be sometimes hard to do that. We buy different kinds of lotion or even drink some vitamin E just to have a good looking skin. With a good protection of our skin we can always be confident wherever we go.

THEY say age brings wisdom, and that's okay. But it also brings about telltale signs of aging on the face. There are many beauty companies that share their products for all of us. There is Dermalogica, Estée Lauder, La Prairie and Prescriptives. They expose their product to public that restore the skin's texture, reduce lines and even prevent the onslaught of new ones. They have tapped into the growing home microdermabrasion trend.

Microdermabrasion is a treatment where dead skin cells are removed with tiny silicon or aluminum-oxide crystals blown against the skin, then sucked up with a small vacuum. With the new at-home exfoliation alternatives by skincare brands, one will get similar results (smoother, more even-toned skin) within about four weeks.

Daily Microfoliant is a rice-based enzyme powder which microfoliates dulling debris. Its skin-brightening complex balances uneven skin pigmentation while the active agents from rice bran and rice extracts help regulate melanin production and microfoliate dead cells.

Skin Prep Scrub's natural corn cob meal and soothing botanicals polish away dead skin cells without over stimulating the skin.

Glow Your Own Way (2)

the flirty post-beach glow

The cure for winter-white face: a summery faux tan. Well-moisturized skin takes a tan best, so start with a super-creamy foundation. Next, run a liquid bronze highlight on your cheekbones and down rose. Enhance eyes by sweeping a berry-bronze shadow along top and bottom lash lines over charcoal liner, then smooth more over lids and up to brows. The key to looking sun-kissed: a reddish blush mixed with s0parks of copper and gold. With all that color, lips need just a hint of shell-pink gloss.

(1)Glow everywhere with Bobbi Brown ColorOptions Shimertint All Over Glow in Cameo Bronze (2) Nars Cream Eye-Shadow in Decameron does double duty as a liner; (3) Made you blush! Clarins Summer Face Powder.

the sexy night-light glow

How to make darker skin really shine? Go for the bronze, starting with a sheer brown highlighter on your forehead, cheekbones and eyes. If your skin is pale, use lighter hues. Shade eyes with a shimmery cocoa shadow, then sculpt cheeks with a rust blush applied high on your cheekbones and a deeper chocolate color brushed onto the apples and out toward your ears. Finish with a beige lip gloss.

(1) L’Oreal Translucide Sheer Gel Blush in Honey Glow looks hot as a highlighter; (2) Lame you lids: Physician’s Formula Pearls of Perfection Eye Shadow in Bronze Pearl; (3) Get a cheekbone lift with I-Iman’s two-tone Bronzer No.1.