Skin Care Product Types
Cleansers - remove dirt, excess skin oils and air pollution, and make-up.
Toners – finish the cleaning process, refine the skin’s surface, prepare skin for moisturizing and help skin feel refreshed.
Moisturizers – help reduce moisture loss and fill in your skin to hide fine lines.
Exfoliaters – slough away the dry, dull-looking surface cells that your skin naturally sheds and uncovers the newer, healthier-looking cells beneath them. Exfoliated skin looks a shade brighter and fresher. It also absorbs moisturizer more effectively.
Masques – work in conjunction with the other products of your skin care regimen and can actually improve the performance of your other products. Facial masques remove impurities and open pores, allowing cleansers and toners to penetrate skin for a deeper clean.
Serums – liquid treatments high in concentrated ingredients to treat skin problems such as redness, fine lines, discoloration and dehydration. Facial serums are fashioned to add extra nutrients to the deepest layers of the skin through a high concentration of active ingredients. Facial serums contain anywhere from 10% to 70% active ingredients, whereas most facial moisturizers and lotions usually contain less than 10%. A serum nourishes, enhances, and boosts the natural ability of the skin to regenerate and moisturize it self. Consider a serum as a multi-vitamin for the face!
IMAGE & more
Skin Care - Cosmetics
Alpha Hydroxy Info
Alpha Hydroxy Acid (AHA) products are designed to help improve the appearance of aging skin. In a matter of weeks your skin will look and feel softer and acquire an overall healthy looking glow. AHAs are a preventive maintenance against changes associated with aging or sun damage.
What are AHAs and How Do They Work?
Alpha Hydroxy Acids, or AHAs, are naturally occurring acids derived from the sugars in particular plants. Examples include glycolic acid (sugar cane), lactic acid (milk), tartaric acid (grapes), citric acid (citrus fruits), malic acid (apples) and mandelic acid (bitter almonds).
AHAs work as exfoliates to penetrate the outer layer of the skin and reach the lower layer, thereby loosening the build-up of dead cells on the skin’s surface. In addition, AHAs dissolve the cement that holds dead skin cells together, increase cell turnover and slough away dull, rough skin from the skin’s surface.
The use of AHAs results in softer, smoother skin, faded wrinkles, lightened age spots and decreased blemishes. Additionally, AHAs improve the skin's ability to retain moisture. AHAs are recommended to be used in concentrations no higher than 10% and with a pH level no less than 3.5 to counteract the acidity level.
What Makes the Alpha Nutrient Line So Effective?
IMAGE & more’s Alpha Nutrient Line is enriched with glycolic and mixed fruit acids, combined with green tea extract, to stimulate the cell renewal process while working with less irritation and higher efficacy. This process results in:
- Improved skin tone
- Softer, smoother skin
- Less fine lines and wrinkles
- Increased skin radiance
What Precautions Should You Take With AHAs?
The most important precaution to take with AHAs is to know the percent and pH level of the product. Always start off at AHA levels of 10% or less. If you desire to step up the concentration, it is important that you do so under the supervision of a physician. Always stay at levels where irritation is minimal. Also, watch the pH level. The ideal pH is 3.0-3.5, any lower and the product may be too acidic; any higher and the product's exfoliating benefits may be nullified. Even at lower levels, some alpha hydroxy acids can be irritating, depending on the sensitivity of your skin.
AHAs peel away the outer layers of the skin, bringing newer and younger skin to the surface. Newer and younger skin is more susceptible to the sun's UV rays and it is always advised to wear a broad spectrum sunscreen with a minimum SPF 15 for daily use (whether you use AHAs or not). IMAGE & more offers several wonderful products with SPF for daily use.
AHAs are fruit-derived and natural. They are safe for use during pregnancy and breast feeding. AHAs can be ideal for use with many products since they can enhance the penetration of ingredients into the skin.
