Float Blog

Daily Skin Care Regimen
1. Cleanse (AM and PM)
2. Tone (optional, depending on skin condition)
3. Treat (optional, depending on skin condition)
4. Moisturize (AM; PM may be optional depending on Step 3)
5. Protect/Sunscreen (AM; may be combined with Step 4)

Weekly Skin Care Regimen
1. Exfoliator (if your Daily Regimen is not exfoliating)
2. Mask (no need for Exfoliator if mask is exfoliating)

Product Tips for each Skin Type

Normal Skin: Skin with a clear, supple surface that is neither dry nor oily.
Use products that don’t strip your skin of moisture. Mild cleansers and light moisturizers with sunscreen work best. Toner isn’t required.

Oily Skin: Skin with overactive sebaceous glands; often with enlarged pores.
The key to achieving balanced skin is using the right products to help your skin maintain the ideal amount of oil in the skin. Toners often help to remove more oil that cleansers alone. Look for light, oil-free moisturizers with sunscreen, or try a powder sunscreen.

Dry Skin: Skin that produces a low level of sebum and struggles to retain moisture.
By using the right moisturizing products, you can trap water in the skin and even repair the damaged lipid barrier. Stick with gentle, creamy cleansers and look for moisturizers with Vitamin E or natural oils.

Combination Skin: Skin that needs both moisture and oil to reach a healthy balance.
Combination skin often experiences oiliness in what is called the T-zone area. This can include the forehead, nose, and chin. The cheeks are often dry or very dry. The right products are essential to achieve balance without over-drying or over-moisturizing the skin. Gentle foaming cleansers work best. Moisturizers vary, depending on which side of the combo side you lean to, oily or dry.

Sensitive Skin: Skin that is thin or fine-textured and is prone to irritation and/or allergic reactions.
Sensitive skin may be easily irritated for a variety of reasons. Being aware of how your skin reacts to specific products and making sure you limit those reactions will keep your skin happy. Look for products that specifically say “safe for sensitive skin.” Chemical-free products also tend to cause fewer reactions.

Vitamin C can be found in forms such as Ascorbic Acid – the unaltered and exfoliating form of Vitamin C, Ascorbyl Palmitate – a derivative of Vitamin C with similar benefits, and more in skin care. Because Vitamin C oxidizes very quickly with water, manufacturers often have to modify to the Vitamin C to maintain the helpful qualities for skin care.

When used in topical treatments, Vitamin C can actually transform the overall look and feel of your skin. Vitamin C improves your skin in several ways. Vitamin C promotes the synthesis of collagen, which improves the structural proteins within your skin. Topical use of Vitamin C also will neutralize free radicals, defend against environmental damage, and help prevent premature fine lines and wrinkles.

Topical doses of Vitamin C are used specifically to lighten darker skin cells, tone lackluster and distressed skin, and tighten aging skin with fine lines, wrinkles, and sagging. Products such as the Cosmion C Iontophoretic Rejuvenating Serum infuse your skin with this healing Vitamin to penetrate, repair, and revive your complexion.

The Aging Effects of UV Rays

Too much sun causes wrinkles and other signs of aging, not to mention skin cancer.

 By Krisha McCoy, MS Medically reviewed by Niya Jones, MD, MPH

Damage from the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays can cause your skin to age prematurely — think wrinkles. The good news is that premature aging due to UV rays is largely preventable. By taking steps to avoid excessive sun exposure and protecting your skin when you’re in the sun, you can help keep your skin healthier and postpone wrinkles for years to come.

The Sun’s Spectrum of Ultraviolet Rays

Radiation energy emitted from the sun reaches the earth in the form of UV rays. Ozone in the Earth’s atmosphere provides some protection, but the breakdown of the ozone layer that has occurred over the past few decades is making us even more vulnerable to UV rays damage. Even on overcast days you’re still being exposed to UV rays — “cloud cover” offers no protective value.

Two types of UV rays reach the earth, UVA and UVB (the sun also emits UVC rays, but these are absorbed by the earth’s atmosphere). UVA rays are the rays that cause tanning as well as wrinkles and other signs of premature aging, and UVB rays cause sunburns and skin cancer. But both ultimately damage your skin. UV rays are more powerful during the summer months. They are also stronger in high altitude areas and the closer you get to the equator — geographic factors that increase your risk of premature aging.

Damage Done by UV Rays

When UV rays reach your skin, they interact with a natural chemical in the skin called melanin. Melanin is your first line of protection and absorbs UV rays in order to shield your skin against sun damage; this chemical reaction is what gives skin a tan. When the amount of UV rays you’re exposed to exceeds the protection provided by melanin, however, you get a sunburn.

Repeated overexposure to UV rays can lead to various forms of skin damage including:

• Fine lines
• Wrinkles
• Age spots, freckles, and other discolorations
• Scaly red patches, called actinic keratoses, thought to be the beginnings of skin cancer
• Tough, leathery skin that feels and looks dry and rough

As if these signs of aging weren’t enough, the sun causes numerous types of skin cancer, including life-threatening melanoma; eye damage such as cataracts, which impair vision; and a weakened immune system, leaving you less able to fight off infections.

Break the UV Ray Cycle

You can help protect your skin from wrinkles and other sun damage with the following steps:

• Use sunscreen. Every day, generously apply sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15, choosing products that provide what’s called “broad spectrum” protection against both UVA and UVB rays. When you’re in the sun for prolonged periods of time, reapply sunscreen every two hours.
• Wear protective clothing. Whenever possible, wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants, a wide-brimmed hat, and sunglasses to further shield your skin from the sun. Consider clothes made from fabrics with built-in SPF.
• Avoid peak sun hours. Stay in the shade during the hottest part of the day, usually from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., when the sun’s rays are at their most intense.
• Follow the UV Index. The UV Index is a daily indicator of how much UV radiation is expected to reach the earth — think of it as a pollen count reading for your skin. Developed by the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Weather Service, it’s usually broadcast along with your local weather report. A rating of 1 to 2 is considered low, and anything over 11 is very high. The higher the number, the more you risk overexposure to UV rays.
• Never use tanning beds. Tanning beds emit the same UV rays that come from the sun, so skip them. Contrary to popular belief, they are not a “safer” way to tan.
• Bronze yourself with sunless tanning products. If you like the look of sun kissed skin, consider do-it-yourself tanning products or splurge on a salon spray-on tan. But remember to still use sunscreen and take all other precautions against UV rays when you’re going to be outside.

While the sun may feel warm and inviting, exposure to UV rays comes at a cost. Take steps to protect yourself from the havoc that sun damage can wreak on your skin.