Entry #2 - "The Decision!"

SO….Based on my 1^st Blog entry, as well as my research, I’ve decided that I would like the feel, tone and the interaction of my blog to be from a personal perspective.  In the next few blogs, I will take you into the mind and world of Pianti’s Passions!

Being a Cosmetology graduate (1600 hours), Aesthetics Instructor graduate with vocational certification (650 hours) and earning my Dermalogica Post Graduate Certificate of Achievement (100+ hours), I feel somewhat qualified to talk about everyone’s favorite topic, skin care. I know what you’re thinking, how does this apply to me? Well, the minute we grow out of our “baby skin,” the environment, as well as our genes are when everyday life starts to take its toll.

Notice how thick the baby's subcutaneous skin is?  Over time, this diminishes and changes the way our skin looks

TRIVIA QUESTION: What is the largest organ of the body?  Multiple Choice?  OK.

A.  Brain               B.  Stomach        C.  Lungs              D. Skin

Did you get it right?        D.  Skin

Do we take care of our other organs like the heart, liver, and kidneys? How much more should we tend to the largest organ of our body?  The skin!

People often make a joke, my gluteus maximus is the softest and whitest skin on my body.  Did you ever stop to think why???  Normally, that area of our body NEVER sees the light of day, in other words, The SUN!

FACT:  ONE of the biggest contributors to aging skin is sun exposure.

Little known FACT:  By the age of 18, most people have received 80% of their entire lifetime’s sun exposure! 

How? Vacations in the sun, Sunbathing, Exercise like walking, running or biking outdoors!  Those are obvious, but how about mowing the lawn? Driving your car? Walking into a store? All of this combined contributes to sun exposure.

So, with these two contributors, Sun and Aging Skin, what can we do NOW to stop or even reverse the process?

You remember the old saying, “You are what you eat?” Well, this involves the skin too. Eating healthy is just as important as what we put on our skin. For example, if you eat 5 tablespoons of tomato paste/sauce, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil, daily, after 12 weeks your body would create a natural SPF protection against the sun! Amazing, right?   Read about the 25 Best Foods for Healthy Skin here 

Now, what do you put ON your skin?

Putting on sunscreen, EVERY single day, rain or shine is just as important as not leaving the house without being fully clothed. You’ve all heard about the UVA and UVB sun rays, right? Did you know that most sunscreens ONLY block the UVB rays?  So, the SPF relates to how much of the UVB rays are being deflected.  It’s the UVA rays that actually penetrate the skin and age us quicker.

Some suggestions on Sunscreen are...the higher the SPF is not always better!  For example, if it takes you 10 minutes to burn, then an SPF would be active protection for 2 1/2 hours on you.  Why?  10 minutes to burn times SPF 15 is 150 minutes of protection!  Web MD provides a great article that will take an in-depth look at SPF factors.  Check it out! 

All in all, my takeaway for you from this discussion is...no matter your age, gender, or nationality, it's very important to take precautions to protect our skin now.  Sooner rather than later!  You will thank me when people say how young your skin looks when you are in your 50s.

Again, I always welcome your comments, questions or information anytime!

Thanks for reading!