SKINCARE & BEAUTY BY JANA ELSTON

One of my readers contacted me asking me what a BHA serum is.  Firstly, a serum is a skincare product more highly concentrated in its active ingredients than a moisturizer or treatment cream. You would normally use a serum before your moisturizer to spot treat a particular problem, such as pigmentation, pimples, blackheads or wrinkles.  A BHA serum contains Beta Hydroxy Acid. The most common BHA in skin care is salicylic acid. Salicylic acid can be derived from the bark of the Willowtree or more commonly is made synthetically. Salicylic acid is an oil soluble acid, and is also related to aspirin. It is a very strong acid, and in skin care only a maximum of 2% is used. Because it is an oil soluble acid, it is attracted to the oils in the skin such as the oil trapped deep inside the clogged pores and blackheads. Oil dissolves oil,  so this acid is best used on an oily skin with problems such as clogging, congestion, milia and blackheads. It is well known...

Horrid little things aren't they? The pores look like they have dirt trapped inside them but i n fact blackheads are not caused by dirt. Inside a typical blackhead you will find dead skin cells, sebum (oil) and hair. Yep, that's right, hair. That is because blackheads occur inside hair follicles.  Your skin renews itself every month and old cells are shed from the surface. In fact most of the dust around your home is actually your own dead skin cells. The dust mites love it! Nom mom!  Anyway, some of these dead skin cells can actually clog up the opening of the hair follicle, plugging it up preventing the hair and oil flowing onto the surface. The oil becomes waxy and together with the dead cells forms a plug. The hair is also unable to escape so it curls up and grows inside the hair follicle. I heard once when a blackhead was extracted they found 18 hairs inside it!  The clogged pores appear black from the surface because of the oxygen in the air....

THE ESSENTIALS OF A GOOD DAILY SKINCARE ROUTINE People always ask me what I use and what they should be using on their skin to help clear imperfections and keep the skin looking younger and healthy. Every skin is different and will need an individual approach. Just because a friend has tried something and it worked on their skin, does not mean it will be good for your skin. In fact, I hear many people try something their friends or family have recomended only to be dissapointed. Perhaps the most important and frequent tip I give my clients is this: before you do anything else, get the basics right. And do this consistently.  Your skin needs to be in optimum condition to respond to corrective treatments efficiently.  If you do this, you will be rewarded with a healthy, glowing skin. THE ESSENTIALS OF A GOOD DAILY SKINCARE ROUTINE Here are the most important beauty / skin care products everyone should be using: 1. Cleanse morning and night Invest in a good quali...