As skin care professionals, we know the importance of skin exfoliation for healthy cell turnover, a refreshed, clear complexion, and better product absorption, but do you know enough methods of exfoliation? No one way of exfoliation is perfect for all skin types, so I would like to mention many possible alternatives in this article, in hopes to inspire you to select from all the possible options!
To make things as simple as possible - there are 2 types of exfoliators - physical and chemical. Everything that is used to mechanically slough off the dead skin is referred to as “physical exfoliation”. This includes methods such as a scrub, microdermabrasion, and a rotating sonic brush to scrape off the dead skin cells with friction. This is a very easy way to refresh the skin, and it appeals to both men and women.
The easiest and most affordable exfoliating products to use at home are scrubs, and since the skincare market is highly abundant, you are guaranteed to find a natural product to your liking! I am a firm believer in natural ingredients, and I strongly advise you against the use of scrubs with microbeads. Microbeads are tiny round plastic beads that are found in some exfoliating products, and they are causing quite a stir in the environmental world. The plastic waste caused by these microbeads, which are not filtered out during sewage treatment, is damaging water ecosystems and killing marine life. A 2013 research at the University of Wisconsin-Superior showed that there were 1,500 to 1.7 million plastic particles per square mile in the Great Lakes! Not only are the beads damaging to fish, they are also bad for your face - microbeads can cause eye irritation, and promote rosacea and couperose. It’s no wonder that Illinois was the first state to ban the use of microbeads in June of 2014, and I sincerely hope all other states will quickly follow.
Instead of using plastic beads, consider other natural options like scrubs with ground up seeds and stone pits from apricots/peaches, crushed walnut husks, oats, coffee grinds, salt, and sugar. I especially recommend sugar for clients dealing with eczema since it’s non irritating on broken skin, and sea salt for psoriasis sufferers, but not more than once a week. All other scrubs can be used 3 times a week, but not more - our skin needs adequate time to amass dry dead cells, and you definitely don’t want to over-exfoliate!
These are just some examples of biodegradable ingredients that will not damage the environment, and will polish and refresh your face. Scrubs are affordable, since the ingredients are typically not too complex, and can range from larger ground formulas (for the body) to finely ground (for the face). I like the simplicity a scrub offers, especially for teens, and male clientele, but not everyone will benefit from them! See my list below for reference on what type of client should not be using a scrub.
Clients with these conditions should avoid scrubs:
- Acne/ Cystic Acne
- Couperose
- Rosacea
- Elderly Clientele
The main reason I discourage acne clients from using a scrub, is because the rough particles in the scrub will not only damage and irritate the skin, causing redness, but in the case of acne, they will spread bacteria on the face, worsening the situation. For this same reason, I don’t recommend getting microdermabrasion treatment, or using a rotating sonic brush for clients who have acne, couperose or rosacea. These types of treatments are too rough, and should be avoided. Older clients tend to have thinner skin, which bruises and breaks easily, and using a harsh scrub, or any other mechanical mode of exfoliation, will cause damage, and pain. I recommend a gentle enzymatic exfoliation, or, if you must, a light oatmeal scrub.
Did you know that scrubbing, peeling and chemical exfoliation all have their roots in ancient Egypt? Egyptians used specks of alabaster combined with milk and honey. The earliest chemical exfoliant was lactic acid, an active ingredient of sour milk that was used by the nobles as part of a skin rejuvenation regimen. In the Middle Ages, old wine with tartaric acid as its active ingredient was used for achieving the same results. Both of these exfoliants are known to contain α-Hydroxy acids (AHAs), which are the active ingredients responsible for the skin exfoliation. AHAs are naturally occurring organic carboxylic acids with a hydroxyl group in the a carbon position. Lactic, glycolic, citric, and tartaric acids are naturally found in sugar cane, fruits, wine, and milk.
German dermatologist Paul Gerson Unna first described the properties of salicylic acid, resorcinol, phenol, and trichloroacetic acid (TCA) in 1882, and the development of other peeling agents for varying depths of penetration followed. In the 1960s, the Baker-Gordon phenol peel peaked in popularity, but by the 1990s, it was falling out of favor with practitioners because of complications and serious systemic renal, cardiac and hepatic toxicity to melanocytes causing hypopigmentation (loss of skin color). After this issue was discovered, only fair-skinned patients were allowed to use phenol peels, and had to go through the process slowly, and cautiously.
Enzymes are a wonderful way to safely exfoliate the skin - this has been my favorite method for years! An enzymatic exfoliation is a good natural way to clean out the pores, get rid of excess oils, slough off the dry and dead skin for a healthy cell turnover. Fruit enzymes, such as Bromelain (from pineapple) and Papain (from papaya) eat away at the oils and dry skin, to expose a refreshed, clear complexion.
Enzyme masks are generally more gentle and more safe than acids, and don’t thin the skin like Retin-A. A good natural enzyme mask brightens the skin, activates cellular function, increases circulation, fades discoloration and leaves the skin feeling and looking fresh, smooth and healthy.
Dry enzyme masks that are activated moments before application are more potent, and have a longer shelf-life than pre-activated gel-like masks. This type of facial exfoliant usually comes in the form of a mask based on marine clay, bentonite, or oats.
This is my favorite type of enzyme mask, because it’s more gentle than an enzyme peel, which generally contain 10% to 30% AHA, and is not suited for everyone.
An example of such a product would be a pumpkin peel. It is quite strong, so please refer to my guidelines before administering it. Just like a chemical peel, please administer an enzyme peel with caution, making sure your client is a good candidate for the product.
Clients with these conditions should avoid peels:
- Acne/ Cystic Acne
- Couperose
- Rosacea
- Elderly Clientele
- Tan or Sunburned / Using Tanning Bed
- Hypopigmentation Sufferers
- Type V and VI on the Fitzpatrick Scale
My rule of thumb, is that the client should always come out of the treatment room looking much better than when she entered, so I refuse to administer any harsh peels that cause redness, irritation, or scabbing. Take your peace of mind into consideration, and just assume everyone has sensitive skin when starting a treatment - it’s an approach I have been using for years, and it hasn’t failed me yet!
I sincerely hope this information was helpful in navigating you through the different types of exfoliants available on the market today! Of course, the best way to learn about your new product is by examining the label, so I encourage you to make this a habit. You will easily be able to select the best products for your clients, and they will forever appreciate your knowledge and care!
Why do some people get cancer, and what contributes to cancer cells firing? Simply put, cancer is the uncontrolled growth of cells. In a healthy body, natural processes control the rate at which cells grow and replace themselves, as well as the body's processes for repairing or replacing damaged tissue. Changes occurring at the cellular level disrupt the control processes, permitting the growth of cancer cells. A big factor in breaking chemical bonds in atoms and molecules is radiation, that's what makes it such a powerful carcinogen. Radiation causes mutations in the DNA blueprint, and contributes to cancer cells spreading uncontrollably. This became apparent in the early 1900s, when people working around radioactive matter and x-ray equipment began to develop skin cancer. 
Ingredients:
Dear friends, I would like to share my experience visiting an orphanage in Tijuana, Mexico, in hopes that it will inspire you to participate, donate, and show your love. I had the privilege of getting introduced to the Corazon de Vida Foundation by my friend, Veronica, who has been on many trips with them in the past, and came along with me and my friend Dana on our first visit! A bit of background - Corazon de Vida helps bridge the gap between orphaned children in Tijuana, Mexico and loving people who come to volunteer, sponsor children, and provide generous donations that make meals, clothing, and education available for these amazing kids. There are few things that can compare to the warmth, sincerity, and beauty of a child's smile, and when I saw these children's smiles, I could hardly believe how happy they were in that moment, surrounded by the rubble of Tijuana's houses. You will see the beautiful photos of the time we had bonding with the kids, but I'd like to start off by showing a couple of photos of Tijuana's landscape, and telling you about my journey.
I woke up at 4am, got dressed, packed my supplies into the trunk of my car, and drove to the arranged location to board a charter bus to Mexico at 5:30am. The bus makes 3 stops before the Mexican border - Los Angeles 5:30am, Irvine 6:15am, and San Diego 8:15am. My friend Gayane and her sweet children made a shopping trip to help us with supplies that were much-needed at the Casa Hogar Sion orphanage. Some of the things we bought were shampoo, conditioner, dish soap, toilet paper and toothbrushes. Dana brought giant tubs of detergent, and what looked to be a life-time supply of toilet paper. Once we arrived at the border, we cleared the bus, it got x-rayed, and so did our posessions. We went through customs, and were in Tijuana by 10am. Corazon de Vida sponsors and visits 11 orphanages, but this day, we were at the Casa Hogar Sion - the largest, housing 90-100 children. There is a girl's and a boy's house, each has 2 floors with bunk beds. The children don't have personal possessions - there is one great big closet in each house - they wear whatever is clean and fits them. The dorm rooms may be poorly decorated and tight, but they are clean and bright, and so are the little inhabitants who dwell at Casa Sion.
I am a fluent Spanish-speaker, so communicating with the kids in their language was easy for me, but I can tell you without a doubt - there is no language barrier when it comes to love and care. The children are sweet, shy, and talented. Another volunteer brought a conga and you should have heard the great beats all of the kiddos were producing on that drum! Simply tremendous! The beauty in this photo is Rebecca -she's 9 years old and has 10 siblings, all of whom live at the orphanage... This was very hard for me to take in, and was very painful to hear. Some kids here are orphans, with deceased parents, some are left by parents who can't support them financially. Rebecca really touched my heart. She was playing board games with us, and got a fancy pink manicure and glittery makeup that day. I love her smile, I just adore it, she reminded me of myself at that age! There were little babies at the orphanage, barely 3 months old - Veronica held little Luis, who could barely hold his tiny head up, he was so small... It made me sad, but also made me grateful to know that there are good people out there who will adopt him. Hopefully... I met some young ladies who were academic stars! One just got accepted to Dental school, and the other to Veterinary school! I respect their dedication and hard work on the way to triumph over poverty.
Dana and I didn't waste any time, and jumped in the kitchen at 11am, where we peeled and cut up fruit for a giant fruit salad until 1pm, and then served a mountain of hot rice, broccoli, and chicken to 150 people at lunch. It was a great experience, because we were able to physically help out where we were needed! 
Please donate to the cause using this link! I am hoping to raise at least $500 for the kids by Christmas! I am sure that we can raise that amount and much more if we all pitch in a little (or a lot)! The organizer of the trip, George, pointed out how ripped and destroyed the sofas in the boy's dorm were, and said they desperately needed some leather sofas. I couldn't resist but to offer a pair of mine from the office. They were enjoyed here by clients and staff, but now its time to do some good in Mexico :) I am glad to keep the giving spirit, and I know you will fall in love with these kids, as well. I hope to see you all on my next trip, and remember - open your heart - let love out, let love in :)
I am a true believer in our food being our medicine - there is nothing healthier than fresh, organic fruits and vegetables to bring our body to it's best, most healthy state! This amazing juice rapidly delivers nutrients to the blood stream, invigorating your cells, and increasing your circulation! You will absolutely LOVE it! I use basic ingredients, with an addition of dandelion greens and ginger to spice it up, and get your body vibrating with positive aura! Make this juice if you struggle with acne, and want to clear up your complexion - it is all-alkaline, and will suppress inflammation that causes candida and yeast. If you don't use dandelion greens and dandelion root tea, I highly recommend them! This is nature's amazing liver and kidney cleanser, that has been know to alleviate even cirrhosis and hepatitis c. Here's a powerful green juice combination that will start your morning right:
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