Product Profile: Multivitamin Hand and Nail Treatment

     For those of you who know me, you know that in my profession I'm constantly handling very powerful products and always washing my hands. Now with nursing school, my hands are taking even more of a beating. I've developed pretty bad eczema on my hands and have tried treating it with all kinds of lotions and potions prescribed by the doctor. It wasn't until recently that I decided to take the matter into my own hands (literally) and find something that works.

    I've worked with Dermalogica's skin care products for about 6 years now and I don't know why it didn't even occur to me to try their multivitamin hand and nail treatment. It's part of their AgeSmart line (for a mature skin) so I just never thought that I would benefit from it, until now.

    It has to be HANDSDOWN my favourite  hand cream. My eczema has totally cleared up and my hands even look younger! No Joke!! It's an intense, non-greasy treatment of botanicals and vitamins to protect and repair and it strengthens nails, preventing them from splitting or peeling.

It runs at about 24$ but worth every cent. A little goes a LONG way :)

Makeup Tips

I've been receiving a lot of questions about any tips and tricks regarding makeup lately so I thought I'd write them down :)

First and foremost in order to achieve a nice make up application, it starts with good skin care. Cleansing, exfoliating, and moisturizing for sure...anything else is an added bonus. When skin is freshly exfoliated it evens out the texture creating an ideal canvas.

Foundations:

Liquid/Creme - for those who are looking for a bit of a heavier coverage (or maybe use before going out or a special event) *Note: always set a liquid foundation with a powder for it to last all day
Pressed Powder - Light, Medium or Heavy coverage depending on application. The denser the brush, the heavier the application. Use a fluffy powder brush for a lighter application.
Loose Powder - Great for setting liquid foundation. Sheer, Light to medium coverage depending on application. Great for just evening out skin tone especially in the summertime.
Tinted moisturizer - self explanatory (sheer to light coverage)

Blush:

I'm a fan of powdered blush not creme...although creme works for some people. Just whenever you put a creme on your face you want to 'set' it with a powder. Please make sure your blush is blended properly! Hate seeing 80's style 'racing stripes' on your cheeks ;)

Here is my favourite blending brush:

Bronzer:

Traditionally used in the contours of your cheeks and in your hairline, particularly around the temples. Supposed to define your bone structure. With all the shimmers and stuff added to bronzers these days...it's better to me applied on your cheeks like a blush and a little on your nose and forehead to create an artificial health tan ;) Apply with a large powder brush

Eyeshadow:

If you have oily eyelids you are going to want to avoid using creme eyeshadow. Oily eyelids will benefit from using a primer and then using powder eyeshadow to set it.

I always like to use a base on my eyes first (like a foundation or a creme) so that the pigment of my powder has something to stick to. It also allows for it to last longer throughout the day (or night).

Use a dense eyeshadow brush to deposit stronger pigment:

To blend out you eyeshadow...use a blender brush and a pigment thats a few shades light than that of the one you used on your lids:

For gel or cake (liquid) liner:

And to apply to your lower lash line a mini shader brush:

Lips:

If using a lip liner, be sure you blend it all over your lips, don't just line them and then apply your lipstick or lipgloss. This prevents that awkward moment when your lipstick wears off and all you have left is the lipliner...

Getting through the skin

The skin is divided into three layers:
1.) Epidermis (Stratum Germinativum, Stratum Spinosum, Stratum Granulosum, Stratum Corneum)
2.) Dermis
3.) Hypodermis

The epidermis consists of stratified epithelial cell layers
The Dermis is made up primarily of collagen and elastin connective tissue
The Hypodermis is made up mostly of fat and blood vessels

Getting through the skin...

Cleansing cleans dirt, oils and other environmental pollutants off the outer most layer of the skin.
Toning hydrates and rebalances pH levels of the outer layer of the skin.
Exfoliation contributes into the shedding of the outer stratum corneum revealing a more radiant skin.
Masques and serums penetrate through the cells (transcellular) and through the lipid barrier (intracellular)
Enhanced penetration occurs when: skin is hydrated, lipid barrier is disrupted, stratum corneum exfoliation, chemical solvents used (i.e. alcohol), agents that soften keratin protein or other electricals (i.e. galvanic, high frequency, etc).
Moisturizers hydrate and push nutrients into the skin.

Professional products are structured more effectively making them more efficient in entering the skin.

Improve your skin health with:
- exfoliation
- hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid, honey, aloe vera and algae
- emollients to help reduce transepidermal water loss e.g.Silicones, Evening primrose, borage seed oil.