Live Love Mom

by: Rev Dr. Stéphanie McEndree

Did you know that your skin is your largest organ on your entire body? It's the barrier that protects everything your body is made of to keep out infection and hazards from hurting you. It's your first line of defense, so why shouldn't you take care of it? Skin is 90% of your selfie, save money on makeup and just take care of your skin.

Have you been having more bad skin days than good skin days? Are you looking to improve your skin's appearance? Do you want to live a life with healthier skin? Have you realized that you and your skin are worth it? Here are some tips for healthier skin from a professional esthetician.

Exfoliate your face. Ever wondered why there is dust that accumulates around your home no matter what you do? It's your skin, darling. You constantly shed dead skin cells every day, in fact you shed four pounds of skin every year! However, the process of shedding old skin takes a while. Your skin cells need to become dehydrated, brittle and fragile, die off, then peel off loosely enough to finally break free from your body. Why wait all that time? Get a professional medical-quality exfoliation from your local esthetician, or buy one from a dermatologist or medspa. With this you can slough off dead skin cells and make your face feel silky smooth and look radiant. You will glow and allow your skin to breathe! You are also removing thin layers of skin, which also sands down any pimples or blemishes that you may have. For deep exfoliation that can even get rid of your wrinkles, sun spots and more, ask your esthetician for microdermabrasion or a chemical peel.

Exfoliate your body. For all the reasons listed above, you also want to exfoliate your body. Who doesn't love touching baby-soft skin? That can be yours easily when you exfoliate. Exfoliating also loosens up any ingrown hairs that were starting to form and removes any dirt and grime that was on your skin. Any peeling and dry skin you had will disappear to reveal shiny new skin underneath. You won't want to stop running your hands along your arms and legs as you marvel at how soft you feel! You can exfoliate longer on rougher areas on your body like any callouses to really give you that smooth feel all over. 

Moisturize. No matter your skin type, all skin needs moisture. Dry skin flakes, is irritating and itchy. Scratching causes tiny tears in the skin which invites bacteria and creates pimples. You don't want that! Whenever you have dry skin, you always want to moisturize. You can get a good moisturizer from your local esthetician with professional salon-quality. Always look to estheticians first, as pharmaceutical brands just do the bare minimum. You want a deep hydration that will last. You want your skin to be nourished, healed and quenched with the best there is. Don't skimp out on a moisturizer!

Don't tan. The sun and tanning is an assault on your skin. UV rays actually cause wrinkles that sag the skin and age you very quickly. You may look good for a couple of years, but after that you will look many years older. It's a heavy price to pay just for two years of looking like a beach babe. Stay out of the tanning salon and slather up that sunscreen when you go out of the house. Don't like being pale? Get a spray-tan or use self-tanning lotion. Anything is better than roasting in the sun or in artificial beds that damage your skin. Not to mention tanning can cause skin cancer, it's really not worth the risk. Pale is in, and you will look younger longer.

Minimize touching your face. This can be a given due to the pandemic, but in reality it's an everyday type of tip. We touch hundreds of surfaces every day, and each of those surfaces have bacteria, viruses, fungus, dirt and impurities. Whenever we touch our faces after this, we introduce harmful irritants to our face. Our skin becomes inflammed as it defends itself against this assault, and forms pimples, blackheads and whiteheads trying to remove these things from our pores and skin surface. Save yourself the breakouts and blemishes and don't touch your face unless you absolutely have to. 

Wash your hands. As mentionned above, if you must touch your face, it's best to do it with clean hands. Wash your hands often, not just after you use the bathroom. Wash your hands before you touch your face, every time. Be sure you use a gentle soap as you don't want to damage the skin of your hands either. You also need to wash your hands when you return from going outside, even if it was just in your backyard. You absolutely need to do this anyways during the pandemic, but also when it's over. You don't want to get sick touching something someone who was ill touched, or get any of your housemates sick. Practice good hygeine and keep yourself and your skin happy!

by: Rev Dr. Stéphanie McEndree

Buy silk pillowcases. Not only are they good for your hair and prevent breakage, they are also good for your eyelashes. If you get your eyelashes done, you need silk pillow cases. Your eyelash extensions will last much longer and will cost you less money as you will need to go back to the salon for refills less often. Your wallet will thank you!

Shampoo your lashes. Clean lashes last longer and look better. Unwashed lashes can clump and stick together, and even cause infections. Most eyelash technicians now won't even accept new clients without proof that they already own lash shampoo. If they don't, they are required to buy it with their appointment­. That's how important cleaning your lashes are!

Comb your extensions. To keep them unclumped and looking neat and tidy, be sure to brush your lashes daily. Be gentle so you don't accidentally pull some off. Keeping your lashes combed will make them look more natural and make them last longer, which means fewer trips to get refills. This will also make it easier for your lash tech to access the lashes that need refilling when there are no clumps. 

Avoid high winds. Stay off the beach and boats. These will blow off your lashes and make them last for a small amount of time. You don't want to do anything that will ruin your gorgeous lashes you paid a pretty penny for. Anything that involves strong winds such as beaches, boating, and storms needs to be avoided as much as possible.

Avoid the showerhead. Don't put your lashes directly in the showerhead's stream as it will knock off many extensions off of your eyelashes. This applies for lash lifts too; it will make it last less long. You want the most out of your money.

Never apply mascara. You cannot apply mascara to eyelash extensions, you will ruin them permanently. Eyelash extensions are to be worn instead of mascara. You don't want your eyelashes to get caked in makeup where they are impossible to detangle and fix without removing them.

Go to a certified professional. Your lashes deserve the best, so make sure you go to a professional who has a verified diploma and raving reviews. Going to someone with no certification, likely the person will not know what they're doing and may damage your eyelashes and even your eyes. Don't risk it and go to a pro!

Have any other words of advice? Comment below!