Indulge your skin in a decadent Pumpkin Facial to bring a glow to your skin just in time for the holidays! The 50-minute facial begins with a relaxing cleansing, followed by a pumpkin enzyme exfoliation, targeted extractions, a soothing facial mask and shoulder massage.

In this beauty conscious world, everyone is looking for an edge to stay young. There are those who tout eating superfoods and antioxidants to stay young… and there are those who are putting concentrated serums and antioxidants on their face to fight aging. Why not maximize your efforts and do both? Before we get into that, let’s look into the benefits and limitations of each to gain an understanding of their usefulness.

As we age, the amount of collagen and elasticity in our skin decreases, causing wrinkling to occur. Smoking and increased sun exposure accelerates the aging process while a healthy diet and exercise will help fight it because they increase blood flow. Fish and other foods containing omega-3 fatty acids, such as flaxseed oil, may also be helpful. Of course, the signs of aging include not only wrinkles, but also memory loss, decreased brain function, and an increased risk for chronic diseases such as heart disease, osteoporosis, and cancer. Many studies have documented the link between a healthy diet and prevention of age-related or chronic diseases. As we age, we become more susceptible to the long-term effects of oxidative stress and inflammation on the cellular level. The theory is that antioxidants and other age-defying compounds help fight damage from free radicals and minimize the impact of aging. Just as oxidation causes iron to rust, it causes humans to age.  Vitamin A, found in leafy green vegetables, whole milk, and liver, can help maintain and repair skin. Vitamins C and E are antioxidants that protect you from sun exposure, pollution and smoking. Besides citrus fruits, vitamin C can be found in broccoli, bell peppers, and Brussels sprouts. Vitamin E can be found in vegetable oils, nuts, olives, spinach, and asparagus. Red wine in moderation can help fight aging as well. Resveratrol, found in red wine, is a potent antioxidant, inflammation damper, and artery protector.

What else will help you fight age and look younger? Selenium, found in whole grains, seafood, garlic, and eggs, also help to minimize the damage caused by free radicals. Zinc can clear skin by controlling oil production and is important in cell growth. It can be found in oysters, lean meats, and chicken. Lutein, a dietary nutrient available as a supplement and long-known for its effectiveness in promoting eye health, also provides specific skin benefits. These include increasing hydration, elasticity, and superficial lipids of the skin, while decreasing the oxidation- a process that causes degradation- of those beneficial skin lipids.

As part of a regimen to protect, restore, and nourish your skin, antioxidants and other skin care topicals will fight the effects of accelerated aging and skin damage from the environment and internal factors. Some excellent topical antioxidants are vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, ferulic acid, green tea, selenium, and alpha lipoic acid. Similar to using an asthma inhaler as compared to a pill, topical applications with these ingredients will begin to work quickly and have a lasting effect.

While there are many products touting similar ingredients, it is important to use products that work and are in sufficiently high enough concentration to be effective. For instance, vitamin C is the standard by which other topical antioxidants are compared. It can be found in serum, cream, or other topical product. The most potent form of it is L-ascorbic acid, but most over-the-counter products use a different form that is less effective. Even some products that are endorsed by doctors may not have this form. Finally, if the concentration was high enough to work significantly, it would be FDA regulated and likely require a prescription or to be sold through a doctor’s office.

So why should we bother fighting the effects of aging on two fronts? Because the aging process, and factors that accelerate the aging process, occur on two fronts: external forces and internal factors. External forces include smoking, sun exposure, pollution and dryness. Internal factors include stress, diet, and genetics. While we can change some of these influences, it’s impossible to change all of them, so we need to take extra measures to combat aging. Changing your diet to include more superfoods and antioxidants will help in the long term. For immediate help that will also give you lasting results, topical agents added to a customized skin care regimen will melt the years off and refresh your look!

As the days get longer and hotter, our desire to get out and enjoy the sun gets stronger. After all, the great weather is one of the things we love about California, right? Of course, we want to look great while we are enjoying everything California has to offer, and we want to protect ourselves from environmental factors that cause aging.

Everybody wants that summer glow. To help your skin radiate, don’t forget to exfoliate! Your skin is continually turning over and shedding skin cells. These dead skin cells clinging on make your skin look dull and dry. For your body, using a scrub like a loofah or beaded cleanser 2-3 times per week will give your skin the glow you are looking for. You should use a facial exfoliator for your face and neck. This can be a mechanical exfoliant, like a facial brush or a cleansing scrub, or a chemical exfoliant, like a product with gentle fruit acids. If you really want to give your face a refresher, you can’t go wrong with a light chemical peel to get your skin out of hibernation. SkinMedica Illuminize Peel and Vitalize Peel are excellent for doing just that!

Once you have that youthful, summer glow, you want to keep it around as long as possible, right? Hydrating your skin with high quality moisturizers are a must. Did you say that you don’t want to use that thick, heavy cream emollient you’ve been using all winter? Well, neither do I. Most of us can put that heavy stuff away and use a lighter lotion or even a gel based moisturizer. The best time to apply a body lotion is right after you dry off from your shower to seal in the moisture. A light, refreshing fruity or other summer-scented lotion will pick up your mood and have you itching to get outside.

Remember that your face has different needs than your body and you shouldn’t pinch pennies in choosing the right products for healthier skin. Medical grade products are significantly superior to ANYTHING you can get at a department store or Sephora (sorry, those Dr. This and Rx That products really aren’t medical grade- otherwise they would need a prescription or be sold only in doctor’s offices!), and frequently are more cost-effective than those heavily advertised products. There are various formulations for different skin types, and it’s best to get input from a medical professional who can help you choose the right products. One of my favorite product lines for skin care and maintenance is SkinCeuticals. They have incredible moisture retaining gels, lotions, and creams. Hydrating B5 Gel is a great humectant (moisture retainer) and very light on your skin. Daily Moisture is a lightweight cream that will hydrate and nourish your skin.

Have a problem with cellulite? While there is no treatment or lotion that permanently removes it, there are some products that will improve the look of cellulite as well as stretch marks. Advanced Body Firming Lotion by SkinCeuticals is a favorite of many women- some of whom have reported their cellulite improving after two days of use and many who testify that their cellulite has disappeared after a few weeks!

There are many choices when it comes to adding some color to your summer glow. While tanning beds have improved a lot since their introduction, they still don’t protect your skin from premature aging caused by UVA rays. Using a self-tanning lotion will give your skin a beautiful start to summer. Most of these products use DHA (dihydroxy acetone) which, when used alone, can cause dryness and create an uneven, unnatural looking tan. Products with DHA enhancers like erythrulose will help ensure a more even, streakless, longer lasting tan. To prevent getting too dark, you can alternate your self-tanner with a moisturizer.

Of course, summer skin care would not be complete without a little advice on sunscreen. For full details, feel free to visit the blog section of our website: www.bhpsinc.com. First off, be safe and pick up some new sunscreen. They don’t last forever after all. Second, get one that works! The nonprofit Environmental Working Group says that 85 percent of sunscreens either inadequately protect from the sun’s rays or contain ingredients that may be unsafe. Of the products they recommended to consumers, only one of the 144 products sold by the top three sunscreen makers (i.e. Coppertone, Neutrogena, and Banana Boat) made it on the list!

Here in California, a sunscreen of at least SPF 30 should be used and reapplied every few hours to ensure protection. Also double check that it will protect against both UVA and UVB rays. Solar Protection’s TIZO3 protects against both, has an SPF 40, and is very water resistant. It is made specifically for facial use, having a light tint, a flat matte finish, and a silky texture without a metallic shine. Another excellent sunscreen is La Roche Posay, but make sure it’s the line with Mexoryl, which will protect against the full spectrum of UV light.

While following these recommendations won’t make you smile more, make you play harder, or get you anywhere faster, they will help you enjoy more of the things that will! Isn’t that why we love California?