where has the time gone?

Wow! I can’t believe it’s been almost a month since my last entry. I have been busy, busy, busy during October. I just got the final version of the New Moon Skin Care logo and I am busy getting ready to make my official “launch.” I am testing out skin care lines on friends and getting to know my microdermabrasion machine, which I LOVE. I am so glad that I decided to go diamond tip, rather than crystal. I am looking at a variety of preservative-free, organic skin care lines. I’ll post here once I have more info.

October has given me plenty of ideas for things to write about. First of all, we had TWO trips to the beach. Earlier in the month, we were fortunate enough to be invited to a wedding at Daufuskie Island, off the coast of Hilton Head, SC. Then, two weeks later, we went with some friends to Jamaica for a trio of birthday celebrations. My husband Steve, along with our friends Charles and Curt, celebrated their birthdays so along with their wives and another couple, we went to The Caves Resort in Negril, Jamaica for four days. I highly suggest you get there if you need some R&R or just to recharge the batteries. Anyway, back to the skin care and all that the beach has reminded me about it…

First, I cannot say enough about how good the salt water is. For skin, it is so wonderful…just swimming in the ocean and soaking in the saltwater pool was reminder enough of how amazing it is for the body. Remeber how when you are ill or trying to heal from an injury an old homeopathic trick is to soak in Epsom Salt? This is for a reason. Salt water is detoxifying and pulls impurities from the skin and body. A nice thing if you spend the day indulging in pina coladas!

The next thing, and most obvious for me, is the importance of a high SPF – at LEAST SPF 15. I chuckled yesterday when a friend said, “You just got back from the beach? Where’s your tan?!?” Now, I am much more of a lounge in the shade person than one who prefers to tan. I have fair skin that never really tans but just turns pink, so I never have benefited much from lying in the sun baking like a potato. I have always favored sunscreen over a suntan. But I don’t fault people who do like to lay out or bronze themselves. I just try to educate about the damage that harmful UV rays can cause.

Trying to warn clients about sun damage is like trying to tell a smoker about lung cancer…they all know it’s a possibility but usually they find out the sad truth when it’s too late and they’ve been diagnosed with it. Even people who are blessed with darker pigmented skin can suffer from dark spots that are caused by harmful UV rays.

There are plenty of great suncreens available on the market. I prefer something with zinc oxide, which is marketed as a sunblock. I think the term “sunblock” is misleading because nothing truly blocks the sun, but it does reflect it rather than absorb it like a normal sunscreen would do. Zinc Oxide is tricky though, and people who have oily skin will most likely hate it. It actually stays on top of the skin, creating a barrier against the sun, so people whose skin is oily will feel like they are wearing a sweater. If your skin is more pigmented, you may find that applying it will cause it to look as if you put a layer of kabuki makeup on. Don’t be afraid…you may need to wait and see if it absorbs after a minute. If zinc oxide is not for you, just try to use something higher than an SPF 15. Just use a sunscreen at all…and re-apply often! There’s nothing like getting a sunburn on your first day of vacation, only to spend the next week looking like a snake shedding its skin!