ProduCt.ReViEw. - NeoStraTa.DarK.CiRcLe.NigHt.SerUm.

The product: Neostrata dark circle night serum(capsules)
Claim to fame: Targets dark circles around the eye and lightens them. Great for all ages. Also helps to reduce the appearance of fine lines.
Ingredients: Vitamin K has been scientifically shown to decrease the appearance of dark circles. This serum contains 1% vitamin K., Retinol is a form of vitamin A naturally found in the body that fights the appearance of wrinkles and skin crepiness, helping to reduce the signs of aging. This serum contains 0.075% retinol., Micro-Delivery™ system entraps retinol to protect its potency and optimize its benefits while minimizing irritation.
Pros: Great for people with really dark circles. Great for anyone who has tried "everything" and nothing works. I saw a difference definitely in my dark circles. A lot of product in each capsule.
Cons: May cause redness or irritation in some people as it is very active.
The bottom line: Excellent add on to any skin care regime. I would recommend this one. 
Price: $38CDN
Rating: 4/5
USAGE: This product needs to be used as the instructions direct. If you use it improperly, you will have a reaction! It is meant to be used once the first week, twice the second week and so on. This is so then your skin builds up tolerance. 

CraTeR.FacE..PiZzA.FaCe..oR.thE.LuNaR.SuRfaCe..

It can be embarrassing walking around with acne, as it affects up to 80% of us. Many sufferers of acne walk away with no permanent effect, but for those unlucky ones, like myself, are left with disfiguring acne scars. Usually topical skin care and medications can help with mild scarring, but serious cases need to be addressed with surgical procedures and skin resurfacing.
Scarring can be traumatizing to have, but do you know what it is and how it got there?
After the pimple has healed you may notice a red or darkened spot. Many mistake this as scarring but it however is not; it is a mark from inflammation caused by the pimple. After the pimple is healed, the skin must go through a healing process, which unfortunately can take between six to twelve months. If the area stays acne free, it can then heal properly. If after about a year you still notice a mark, colour change or skin defect, it is then considered a permanent defect or scar.
Honestly the best way to not get scars is to prevent them in the first place. To do this you must first understand what causes acne and use the right treatments according to which type of acne you have. See this article to learn what causes acne.

Once you unfortunately get a scar after acne you need to treat it if you want it to go away or fade at least. One thing to remember though is that scarring is damage to the skin, so it will be a lengthy process and there is no promise that the scarring will or can go away completely. During the healing process you can however help aid the lesion from getting worse. An important thing to remember is to wear a good broad spectrum sunscreen on the mark as any exposure to the sun will make more damage as well as delay healing. You can get tretinoin to help speed up the skin's remodelling process. Also using Alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) or Beta hydroxy acids (BHAs) can also help exfoliate the area, removing pigmentation and smoothing the texture of the skin. One thing you should never do, in any stage, be it pimple, healing process or scarring, is to NEVER pick at the area as this can cause further damage and scarring.
There are many types of acne scarring; in July of 2001, the classification system was developed. This classification system is based on how the scar looks and can help determine an effective scar treatment procedure.

"Icepick" - This scar gets its name because it appears that the skin has been punctured with an icepick. It is usually narrower than 2mm and can go as deep as the dermis or subcutaneous layer. These scars unfortunately are too deep to fix with resurfacing treatments(dermabrasion/laser resurfacing). They are usually caused by an infection from a cyst or a deep inflamed blemish. The skin tissue is destroyed, leaving a long column like scar.

"Boxcar" - This scar is a round or oval depression that has sharp vertical edges. Shallow boxcar scars are 0.1-0.5mm in depth and can be treated with skin resurfacing techniques. Deeper boxcar scars are more than 0.5mm deep and require more serious treatments. These are caused when an inflammation breakout destroys collagen, therefore tissue is lost. The skin is left without support therefore a depression is made. 

"Rolling" - These scars look like a wavy texture on the skin, usually caused by severe acne. It is due to bumps and depressions in the skin that is a type of scarring left from the outbreaks and infection of acne. These cannot be helped with conventional skin resurfacing techniques and must be fixed by breaking up the subcutaneous fibrous bands.

"Hypertrophic or Keloid" - These scars are firm and raised. They are larger than the original wound. They are unlike icepick or boxcar scars, instead they are caused by an overproduction of collagen. To treat them you usually have to use steroid(cortisone) creams, tapes, injections.  (This is the kind I have on my right cheek caused by bismuth oxychloride in BareMinerals :( )


Removal of acne scars can be very difficult. I recommend going to see a dermatologist if you are concerned about your skin. They can recommend the best solution for your specific case. As I am not a dermatologist I will not recommend what to do but I can tell you what I did and am doing to treat my specific case.
I have suffered with acne for 10 years and counting. Recently I have been blessed to find a great skin care regime. However I do have pitted scarring and pigmented scarring on my face. I do regular peels and microdermabrasion treatments on myself at home. I use the Neostrata products. I also use my Tanda Clear light therapy treatment pretty much every day. My skin care regime includes the Vichy Normaderm gel cleanser, Clarins toner for oily/combination skin and the Biotherm Biopur SOS normalizer moisturizer.

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It.DoEsnT.NeeD.To.Be.HaLLowEEn.To.WeaR.TheSe.MasKs.

Quite a bit of the time I find my customers telling me that they are doing a regular skin care regime, yet they are not getting the results that they want to get. Something beneficial that I recommend for them to try is adding a facial mask as a great addition to their regular regime. One reason I love facial masks is because there is a facial mask for all skin types and for most concerns. The nice thing about this additional step is that you do not have to do it everyday. Used once to twice weekly, using a mask you can achieve pore tightening, brightening, exfoliating, hydrating, anti aging and purifying.  Face masks however are not a “one size fits all” product. The key is to know our skin type and buy according to it.


Normal skin 
If you are luck to have no breakouts, oiliness or dryness, you can try many different masks. You can try ones for radiance, deep cleansing, hydration or even try one for sensitive skin. 
Oily/combination skin
Usually this skin type responds well to clay masks or ones that detoxify. Clay is awesome to remove excess oil, deeply cleanse the pores and helping with black heads. They are great for detoxifying the skin yet not leaving them feel dry.
TRY: PurMinerals Mineral Mudd facial mask or Clarins Pure and Radiant Mask

Dry skin
Someone with a dry skin will want the opposite from an oily skin. They want moisture and to feel comfortable. A moisture mask is like drink of fresh water for your skin. It will leave the skin feeling plump and rejuvenated. A tip for moisture masks is to make sure to rub them in after the 10 minutes or to tissue them off. NEVER wash off, if you do you wash off the moisture.
TRY: Avene soothing moisture mask or Clarins HydraQuench moisture mask

Dull Skin
An exfoliating or radiance mask will help boost the radiance and add a glow to the skin. Exfoliating masks will help to remove dead skin cells of the skin.
TRY: Neostrata smoothing cleansing mask or Biotherm Flash recharge SOS anti fatigue mask

Mature skin
A mask for mature skin can offer anti aging benefits such as anti wrinkle and firming.
TRY: Clarins Extra-Firming face mask or Neostrata exfoliating firming mask


Whitening/Brightening 
Using a mask for whitening or brightening can help with skin lightening, scarring or age spots. Usually these masks use exfoliating ingredients.
TRY: Shiseido Intensive brightening mask.




TiP: Use an exfoliator or scrub before a mask to allow the mask to work on new skin instead of dead skin cells.


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RaCCooN.AttAck!. - DarK.CircLEs.aRe.ReaLLy.AnnOying.

Just about everyone has experienced them. And unfortunately they are very difficult to get rid of. But don't feel bad! Dark circles are a just simply a fact of life. However there is nothing nice or attractive about them. Even if you aren't tired and you have dark circles, they make you look tired or make you look old or sick.

Dark circles around the eyes are caused by many factors. These factors include: 

Heredity - Majority of the times the darkness under the eyes can be blood vessels that show through the skin as the skin around the eyes are the thinnest skin on the body (~0.5mm) And like varicose veins, the darkness is inherited. If a vein is close to the surface of the skin, the blood in it can cause a bluish hint on the surface. 

Allergies,asthma, eczema - If there is any case that they eyes itch then there is most likely rubbing or scratching around them causing dark circles.

medications, health - Some medications can cause the veins to dilate and then the circles darken. Sometimes it can be because of bad blood circulation. Another factor is not drinking enough water(dehydration). 

Sometimes unfortunately the skin around the eye can be darker itself(which is the hardest to treat). This is when melanin is produced more around the eyes and is called Periorbital hyper pigmentation. When the top layer of the skin has more melanin(epidermis) the skin can appear brown and when the bottom layer(dermis) has more melanin it appears blue or blue grey on the surface.

A lot of the times too there can be a build up of toxins in the eye area.

Anemia - A factor that a lot of people do not know that affects dark circles is their diet. If you are lacking nutrients or lack a balanced diet, you can definitely see darkness around the eyes. Iron deficiency is a sign that there is not enough oxygen going in the body.

Fatigue - Not enough sleep can cause the skin to look pale, making the blood below the skin appear more.

Age - Usually dark circles become more prominent with age as the skin loses elasticity and the skin becomes thinner and more translucent. 

So what are we to do?

Many of us who are concerned with dark circles probably have tried many treatments and not have found one that we like. Usually resorting with makeup. Although there are certain ingredients and treatments that prove to be at least a bit effective to make dark circles appear less noticeable. Ingredients to look for are caffeine which helps to promote circulation and removes toxins. Ginseng which helps brighten. Vitamin K which helps circulation and brightens. I would not recommend bleaching or whitening creams around the eyes unless you consult a doctor first. There are a few products that I recommend often for dark circles: Biotherm Hydra detox eye gel, Biotherm Multi Recharge eye gel, Neostrata Dark circle capsules, any eye cream with sunscreen or a sunscreen meant for the eye area and a good nights sleep!

Definitely using a good concealer helps and if you have really bad dark circles use a corrector first. I recommend the Covergirl simply ageless Yellow corrector or the Lise Watier corrector wheel. As for concealer I suggest Smashbox HD concealer or the Benefit Erase paste which brightens and conceals.

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QuiCk.RaNdoM.BeaUty.TipS.......SoRrY.I.Am.MIA

Just a few quick random beauty tips because I have to work late nights :( sometimes and don't have time to do a full post that is researched and backed up. I will most likely post one tomorrow! Thanks for reading!

1. Use a body lotion containing Urea or Glycolic acid to prevent ingrown hairs in between hair removal(waxing/shaving/laser). But remember to use it before or a day after hair removal because it can burn or sting. Using these ingredient will exfoliate the skin! I recommend La Roche Posay Iso-urea fluid smoothing moisturizing body fluid, Neostrata Body Smoothing Lotion(10% Glycolic acid) or Reversa Skin Smoothing Body lotion(10% Glycolic acid)

2. Can't conceal dark circles even with the "best" concealers? Use a corrector! I recommend budget-friendly Cover girl & Olay Simply ageless corrector(230) or Lise Watier Portfolio Professional Correctors. These are amazing under any concealer and actually ad a brightening effect. I even tried these on my acne scars and they are totally worth it!

3.Shadows not showing up the colour they are in the pot? Wet your brush with Lise Watier MÉTAMORFIX or a budget-friendly version- Visine Original eyedrops  and they will stick better and not smudge as well as show up the colour in the pot! No matter the brand of eyeshadow!

4. How high is TOO high? Want to know how high of a heel you should wear? Well it's all a matter of your Subtalar joint which is in the middle of your foot! To find this out you may need a friend. Sit down, then relax your foot while extending your let. Get your friend to place a ruler starting at the tip of your big toe, pointing downward. Now get another ruler and measure from the end of the first ruler to the end of your heel. This is the maximum height you should wear.


5. And maybe one or the best tips I know(Thanks to my man) is to "Remember that no matter what product you use or how much you put on, beauty always comes from inside!"

Neostrata - Skin Resurfacing Duo/Skin Renewal Peel Solution

HEAVEN SENT FOR SCARRING! So these two products have helped so much with my scarring(from acne on my face and motorcycle burn on my left ankle) This stuff definitely works wonders! So gentle you can sleep with it on and you won't burn!(I've done it) I have been using these for the last year and a half and have notice most of my acne scarring is gone. Redness from scars are gone.. Texture is flush with rest of the skin and smooth. I am 22 and have suffered with acne since I was 12.. ten years and counting! I also find these inexpensive because you get so many uses out of them for only $73CDN/each(if you are lucky like me you'll find them together in a bonus pack!)...meanwhile you can go to the spa and or dermatologist and pay $100+ per session! And end up with sensitivity after.
A definite must by for every age and skin type!

Skin Resurfacing duo (Like microdermabrasion or an intensive scrub)                                                                              

HOW TO USE - 1 - 7 times per week. Can be used on face and body.

1. On a clean damp face massage a nickel sized amount of crystals on the face(avoid the eye area) for 1 minute.

2. Now massage the activator over top of the crystals for 2 minutes. This should foam slightly and you will feel the crystals melting. 

3. Rinse throughly and continue with your regular skin care regime. (I suggest not using anything else with exfoliating benefits to it after using this)

FOR SENSITIVE SKIN

Mix both crystals and activator together in palm and massage on skin for 2 minutes. Then rinse.

Skin Renewal Peel Solution (Don't worry! You are not peeling this or your skin off!)

HOW TO USE - 1- 7 times per week. Can be used on face and body.

1. Shake solution and apply some on a cotton pad (provided in box)

2. On a clean dry face massage cotton pad on face for 5-15 seconds(avoid the eye area).

3. Leave solution on face like a mask for 5-15 minutes. (you may experience some tingling, this is normal...any burning. TAKE OFF IMMEDIATELY)

4. Rinse throughly and continue with your regular skin care regime.

I saw results after the first 3 months. Because scarring is damage to the skin you have to understand that it will take a while for the scars to fade or go away. 

!!TIP #1!! I suggest using these in conjunction with a sunscreen(spf 30 minimum) and a spot lightening treatment.

!!TIP #2!! Use these for radiance, scarring, wrinkles, dry patches and much more!