LOVE . SUN . BEAUTY

I had the opportunity to interview Robin Perkins, a certified nurse trained in cosmetic dermatology. She’s worked for AVA MD for the past eleven years, and loves her job. I was completely shocked when I find out she was fifty-eight and a half, as she looks at least a decade younger. She’s lived in the sun and has been working in the industry for quite some time now.

Basic Info...

Occupation: Registered Nurse and Esthetician

Where you can find her: AVA MD

Favorite skincare line:  ENVIRON line, twice a day

Robin Perkins, RN, works at AVA MD in Santa Monica, CA.

❤ What’s your specialty here at AVA MD?

I am trained in working with about 15 different lasers that do a variety of cosmetic and anti-aging procedures. I treat laser hair removal, pigment, vessels, even out the skin color, I do skin resurfacing procedures, collagen rebuilding procedures, I inject fillers and Botox, etc. I also train a lot of the newer nurses on the lasers.

❤ What do patients come for the most?

I would say, with the exception of hair removal, all of the patients I see essentially are being treated for sun damage- whether it shows up in the form of freckles and broken blood vessels, to fine lines and wrinkles, to sagging skin, etc… it’s all related to sun damage.

❤ What is the age-range of your patients?

I would say typically the average is women in their thirties, however I also get much younger patients and much older patients. Sometimes first-time patients are in their seventies or even older when they come to see me! (laughs) I think it’s because most people still don’t know what’s possible in terms of correcting the damage, and in prevent it in the first place… you know? Most people think a facelift is the traditional way of dealing with the damage as they age, but there’s the color and the surface texture too, and that’s something facelifts cannot correct.

❤ What are the areas on the body that you notice the most sun damage to?

The face seems too obvious, but the chest, for sure, the arms and hands as well. But mostly the chest, because so many people forget about it, yet the skin is so thin there. Actually, during the day, most people might remember to protect and cover their face, but they forget their body. Maybe because they don’t want any sunscreen on their clothes, I don’t know, but most people tend to forget these areas. ❤ So what are the options patients have?

There are a variety of solutions: Photofacials, which is a light face treatment that treats pigment and blood vessels, it evens out the skin color. There are several types of skin resurfacing machines that we have, and those are in the form of fractional types of treatments. So we have e-matrix, which can treat all skin colors and types safely, which is great, that’s probably the only machine that will treat the darker skin types because they scar and burn so easily. We have fractional CO2, which is my favorite because it is nice and strong, that’s called active FX. I mean there are a variety of different treatments depending on your need and your skin condition. We also have treatments that are FDA cleared to treat cancer lesions. But with all of these you need to protect your skin properly.

❤ So all of these are anti-aging?

Well they’re corrective, so in a sense, yeah! The resurfacing machines actually can be preventative for some of the younger skins, because they’ll stimulate collagen, but again, that’s treating the skin at a deeper cellular level versus preventing the damage at the surface of the skin, where that’s where the teenager and the twenty/thirthy-somethings are going to be seeing their first signs of sun damage and aging. I mean it’s inevitable, it really is, but you can reduce the damage by protecting yourself right and with the right skin care and treatments. Like for example, Vitamin A (which you can find in retinoids and retinols) is an anti-aging vitamin, it helps prevent damage from the sun, and our bodies don’t make enough of it, we can’t eat enough of it to impact our skin, so the only way to really prevent aging is to start to use a topical source of vitamin A, honestly as early as in your twenties. However, because the retinoids and the retinol are sometimes irritating to the skin, they also make you sun sensitive, so you need to make sure to have the right protection. For young children, topical vitamin A is just too aggressive for their sensitive skin, so they need to be protected. And it’s not just about preventing sun damage and aging, but also about protecting yourself and preventing skin cancer.

❤ Other than topical vitamin A and the procedures you’ve described, what are prevention methods available to people?

I mean, sunscreen is it, truly. Wear it at least 15 minutes before going into the sun, reapply it regularly, limit your exposure to the sun… You know, but then I don’t want to scare people into staying indoors and never going in the sun at all, because it’s still an important source of vitamin D. And going outdoors, having fun, it’s all part of staying healthy. The problem is that, what most people don’t do is reapply their sunscreen, they don’t realize that it deactivates within a few hours. If you put it on in the morning, you are not protected throughout the day. Hats, sunglasses, SPF clothing, those are also great ways to protect yourself. Definitely invest in those, especially for people who are very outdoors-y. I mean here in Southern California, it’s really a year-round issue, because the sun is always out! We get reflections every day, all day, indoors, outdoors, while driving our cars, we’re always exposed. Even if we’re indoors, we are still exposed to the reflections of the sun.

❤ Is there any other advice or anything else you would like to add?

I hate sunscreen. (Laughs) For me the issue with a lot of the sunscreen is the smell, and I can always smell somebody who is wearing sunscreen. I think the important thing is to find a sunscreen you like, ideally one that is a moisturizer with some anti-aging elements as well. Search until you find the one you like. You know, there are sunscreens with tint, there are sunscreens with anti-oxidants, if you are athletic make sure it is water resistant because if not it gets in the eyes and then it burns. Reapplication is essential. Use anti-oxidants. For people who forget to reapply, especially on their bodies, protective apparel makes perfect sense, as long as it is fashionable! (Laughs)

Obviously, any age is a good age to start taking care of your skin! But for the younger audiences, definitely start your skincare regimen earlier, as early as your early twenties, don’t wait until you have significant damage. Prevention I believe is key. You’ll be happy you did later on, when there’s less work to do. For the older audiences, I would say it’s never too late to start improve and beautify your skin. There’s definitely more corrective work to be done the older you are, but it’s not impossible to turn back the clock at least five years, if not more, with the right treatments!

AVA MD's branch in Beverly Hills.

AVA MD is located at:

2021 Santa Monica Blvd #600, Santa Monica, CA 9040
(phone: 310 828 2282)

OR

9915 Santa Monica Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90212
(phone: 310 843 9915)

Author: May Jabado

We are all about skincare so our ears perked when we saw this headline. Actress and Neutrogena spokeswoman Kristen Bell challenged women everywhere to skip using their face wash for a week...and instead use cleansing wipes. This was all for Neutrogena Naturals and The Nature Conservancy’s Earth Month #wipeforwater campaign, which is to raise awareness about water conservation - a particularly hot topic in California as we face a severe drought and possible water usage reductions. The claim Neutrogena and Kristen Bell are making is that by using a cleansing wipe to clean your face in the morning and at night, you can save water - five gallons, in fact, as that is what we use everyday to wash our face.

While many beauty magazines jumped on board in support, other publications questioned whether this would actually hurt Mother Nature. Many cleansing wipes contain chemicals and end up clogging drains or sitting in landfills, leading to more pollution. So while you may be saving water, you’re also hurting the environment in another way.

However, there is an easy solution and that’s to look for biodegradable, eco-friendly cleansing wipes. A number of companies offer wipes that are chemical free and that won’t sit in landfills for decades. This truly makes it the most eco-friendly option, as you are saving water and not contributing to waste buildup.

This just goes to show you that fabric and materials are everything, even with skincare products. At Sundriven®, every single one of our products is made with an eco-friendly fabric that is actually made from sustainably harvested trees. You can’t get much greener than that!

Author: Melissa Darcey

The truth about products, treatments, and what’s right for your regimen.
By Annabelle Robertson
Reviewed by Melinda Ratini, DO, MS

WebMD Feature- you can find the original article here.

Amidst the constant buzz about new, must-have products, the influx of anti-aging treatments, and skin-care advice from every corner, it’s hard to separate the hype from reality.Here, leading dermatologists give you the facts about some commonly held beauty beliefs.

Myth: Tanning booths are safe as long as they don't contain UVB rays.

You know that tanning in the sun is unhealthy and can lead to skin cancer and premature aging. But what about tanning booths? Tanning booth companies often say that they are filtering out the so-called "sunburn" UVB rays, says Jenny Kim, MD, an assistant professor of medicine and dermatology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California at Los Angeles. But when you go to a tanning booth, you're still exposing your skin to UVA rays, which penetrate deeper into the skin and cause damage that can lead to premature aging and skin cancers.

Myth: The higher the SPF, the better the protection.

There are three kinds of ultraviolet (UV) rays: UVA, UVB and UVC. UVA rays penetrate the skin fairly deeply, altering your pigmentation to produce a tan. UVB rays are the primary sunburn rays. These rays also damage your skin's DNA and cause photoaging, pigment changes, and carcinomas (cancerous tumors). UVC rays are absorbed by the atmosphere and don't make it to the ground.

The SPF on a sunscreen refers to the amount of protection the product offers from UVB rays or sunburns. Many sunscreens, therefore, need to offer protection from both UVA and UVB rays. Broad spectrum means protection against UVA and UVB. Look for an SPF of at least 15 and one of the following ingredients: mexoryl, oxybenzone or avobenzone (Parsol 1789) for UVA protection, or titanium dioxide.

Myth: You don't need sunscreen on a cloudy day.

Even on a cloudy day, UV radiation from the sun reaches the earth's surface. So make sure you use sunscreen every day and reapply it every two hours as well as after swimming or sweating.

Also, don't fall prey to the myth that you're protected just because you're wearing makeup with an SPF. According to Leslie Bauman, MD, director of the University of Miami Cosmetic Group and author of The Skin Type Solution, you would have to put on 14 or 15 times the amount of makeup that a normal person would wear to reach the SPF on the label of powdered makeup. The same thing goes for foundation and liquid makeup. Make sure you use sunscreen in addition to your makeup.

Myth: Scrubbing your face with soap will keep your skin healthy and acne free.

"When you scrub your face, you're taking off some of the protective oils and barriers, which tends to lead to rashes and even burns," says Sandy Johnson, MD, a board-certified dermatologist with Johnson Dermatology Group in Fort Smith, Ark. Instead, she says, use a gentle cleanser followed by a moisturizer or sunscreen.

Myth: It's better to get the pus out of a pimple by popping it.

"The truth is, even though it feels really good to release [the pus], a lot of it just goes in deeper," says Johnson. "When it goes in deeper, it causes more inflammation that can lead to scarring and spread under the skin. That's why you'll get another one a few days later close to the first one." Johnson says it's crucial that people stop picking at their faces. But if you absolutely cannot resist, she says, be sure to do it right. Don't squeeze and pop the pimple. Instead, use something called a comedone extractor -- an inexpensive tool you can purchase at most beauty supply stores. Apply firm pressure with the extractor; then roll it across the pimple to take it out.

Myth: Facials and microdermabrasion are good for your skin care routine.

This is a popular myth, says Bauman, especially with the proliferation of day spas. But, Bauman says, a recent study from India concluded that facials actually cause acne breakouts in 80% of people.

"They feel good but have no long-term skin benefit beyond relaxation," she says. "Like microdermabrasion, which merely sloughs off the top layer of skin, they are a "complete and total waste of money."

Myth: Expensive skin care products work best.

"This is simply not true," Bauman, who uses popular drugstore moisturizers and sunscreen for her own skin care regimen, says. "Many mass market products are better than expensive ones."

Kim agrees. Most active ingredients found in anti-aging creams are similar, she says, whether they are sold by a local store or a fancy boutique. Expensive skin care products can be good, of course. It's just that you can usually get something similar for a lot less.

"If you want to pay for the feel, smell, and package," Kim says, "that's up to you."

Myth: Antiaging products (or "wrinkle creams") can erase wrinkles.

Most wrinkle creams simply hydrate skin, plumping it out and making it look better temporarily. So don't buy into the hype. There is one product that has a solid history and reputation for reversing fine lines, however, Bauman says. That is topical retinoids.

Often sold under the name "Retinol" or "Tretinoin," these creams or drops penetrate the skin and increase skin cell turnover. Studies have shown them to be fairly effective at treating acne, reducing fine lines and wrinkles, and reversing the effects of photoaging or sun damage. Some retinoids can be purchased over the counter. For greater strength, ask your doctor for a prescription.

Kim also recommends using an antioxidant cream containing vitamin C but cautions that these creams tend to destabilize very quickly. So they should be purchased from a reputable company. But be advised, Kim warns: "Nothing is magic."

Myth: Lasers can make you look 20 years younger.

"There are many different types of lasers being marketed, and they all do different things," Kim says. "Some help with sun spots, some help with wrinkles. Some go deep and activate collagen. It's all marketed so much that people think it can make you a completely different person."

She believes that while lasers are much better than they were a few years ago and produce better results with fewer side effects, patients still need to be realistic about what they can actually do. "If you've done intensive damage to your skin, there's only so much we can do," she says.

So what's the bottom line when it comes to skin care tips and anti-aging strategies? Stay out of the sun, say the experts -- and use a good sunscreen every day and throughout the day.