"What can you tell me about your skin?" That's usually my opening question when I'm beginning a facial. The client typically starts with their most bothersome skin condition. Being that it's winter in the Midwest, I hear dry skin very often. My typical instinct when I hear that dry skin is the issue, is to …
My First Product Review: Drunk Elephant
My birthday was earlier this month, and I went down to my local beauty store and collected a few freebies to celebrate myself. Always celebrate yourself on your birthday. 🙂 I had a choice between two Drunk Elephant products or some make up samples by Kat Von D. This was kind of a difficult decision. …
Gua Sha: A breakdown.
" First off, Crystal, how I even pronounce that?" Gwa-Sha. It sounds odd, but it's really magical. Gua Sha is a form of Chinese medicine that facilitates healing and fluid movement by "scraping" the skin. There are many different tools that can be used on many different areas of the body. The tools are shaped …
Myth: Oil fights oil.
This is a phrase that I hear often. To break it down, the skin has no mechanism to sense oil on the skin, so the concept of adding oil to the skin to stop oil production isn't quite right. However, the idea has some truth to it. Those of us with oily skin typically use …
But, does it have chemicals?
One of the biggest selling points of many product lines is that they're, "all natural" or "free of chemicals". It just isn't true. It's impossible. Otherwise, you would open up your moisturizer container to see water, a big hunk of molded aloe leaf and some mushy oatmeal. Chem-i-cal: noun  1.  a compound or substance …
The Brazilian Experience..
In response to popular request, this post is going to be a bit more...ahem...personal, so if the words vagina, labia, libido, lover or references to "lady bits" offend you, this probably isn't the post for you. If I officially have your attention now, keep reading, this should be good! Before I really get into the …
What you need to know about sunscreen.
If you haven't heard the importance of sunscreen use, climb out from under your rock and read this! First, let's look at the different types of sunscreen. There are two main methods of protection. The first of the two is my personal favorite, inorganic or physical sunscreen. This method of sunscreen is denoted by the use of Zinc Oxide …
Myth vs Science: Who can you trust?
My most favorite skin science blogger shared some information on her Instagram Stories today and I felt the need to co-sign her work and share it with my readers. Lab Muffin is her blogger name. If you're into this sort of thing, her website is a valuable treasure trove of scientific skin health information. She …
Dermaplaning Explained
Dermaplaning is a method of exfoliation that also removes the soft white vellus hair from the face and neck. It is performed using a 10 gauge scalpel. The sharp edge of the blade is used to scrape away the dry layer of dead skin cells to reveal the bright layer underneath. Other than for the …
How do lash serums work?
In 2001, a drug named Lumigan was approved by the FDA for the treatment of Glaucoma. Glaucoma is a disease of the eye that produces fluid build up in the front of the eye, which in turn creates pressure on the optic nerve. The active ingredient in Lumigan is Bimatoprost, which is the strongest molecule …