5 Keys to Skin Care Success.

When it comes to marketing, the skin care industry has it down to a slick science.  With all the information available it can be a little overwhelming when we try to make decisions with the health and care of our skin in mind.  We've taken a few common myths and cleared the air, so you'll have the inside scoop the next time you're selecting your skin care products. 

Lets start with one of the biggest and most confusing myths....

Natural ingredients are better than synthetics.

Once the marketing machine keys in on a potential opportunity you can expect it to be exploited and misconstrued to support whatever position a particular company or reporter may have. This has been happening the last few years in regard to the natural beauty market. The reality when it comes to skin care ingredients is that regardless of your position, the honest truth is even if something comes from nature, it may not be good for your skin. The other side of things is, that a natural ingredient may be safe for skin, but offers very little in the way of long term benefits...and we want our skin care products to provide long term benefits.

Our experience tells us that the truth lies somewhere in the middle.  For best results, and benefits that go beyond superficial hydration, we need to use products that combine the best of both worlds.  Safe and effective synthetic ingredients, combined with beneficial naturals will ALWAYS provide a superior result. 

  • A combination of synthetic & natural ingredients deliver the best result.
  • Molecule size is important (some molecules such as Collagen cannot penetrate skin)
  • Both synthetic & natural have good & bad ingredients to offer.

That tingling or coolness means the product is working.

We often hear this concerning other bee venom products, as well as facial masks.  What your skin is really telling you: there is something in this product that is causing inflammation or irritation..and long term that is never a good thing.  One of the keys to aging well is reducing the incidence of inflammation and reducing the damage caused from impaired healing and skin health.  

We recommend avoiding facial products that contain Tea Tree Oil, Menthol, Peppermint, heavy concentrations of essential oils.

  • Avoid pure essential oils if irritation occurs.
  • ingredients don't have to create a "sensation" on the skin to be working. 

A night cream is absolutely necessary.

A common line you may have heard..."skin has different needs at night due to healing and repair." The fact is, skin is ALWAYS healing and repairing, so why not use a product suitable for day & night that is delivering beneficial ingredients into your skin 24/7?  There are very few reasons to use a separate cream for day & night.

  • Use a separate "physical" sunscreen product for day, containing Zinc & Titanium (not in your moisturizer)
  • If your moisturizer is FULL of great ingredients, it will do an effective job day and night.
  • Skin repairs day & night, so ensure your skin has what it needs 24/7

You NEED an eye cream.

Again, why use two products where you really only need one.  The skin around our eyes tends to be thinner and more delicate, so care is needed when applying products (avoid stretching the skin, apply products by gently tapping) but the nutritional requirements are the same as the rest of ones face.  Products containing high levels of anti-oxidants and bio available skin savers are the key to a gorgeous eye area.  Eye products often contain silica, paraffin, dimethicone, etc to create an illusion of diminished wrinkles under eye, but offer no real long term benefit. 

  • Products formulated with concentrated actives are suitable for face & eye.
  • Peptides & anti-oxidants are great for eye as well as facial areas.
  • Companies tend to put whatever they want in their eye products, indicating there isn't one "fix all" for the eye area.

More expensive means better.

The reality is well formulated products are not inexpensive to create, but there are too many expensive skin care products that are primarily water and wax with very little in the way of active and beneficial ingredients. We recently came across a new serum launch pumping the benefits of it's product, and at $600 it should have been really fantastic. In reality there were a couple of peptides, LOTS of filler, and even a cheap chemical designed to mimic the gorgeous aroma of jasmine. Regardless of price, always look for high concentrations of the key ingredients...and they should be fairly high on the list, before any preservatives or fillers.  Diamonds may be a girls best friend, but these types of compounds don't belong in skin care and only serve to boost the price and create an illusion of prestige.

  • There are good + bad at any price point.
  • Great marketing may be all that is justifying a high price point.
  • Take the time to read the label & understand what is in your products. 
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