Coming Clean on the Relationship Between Shower and Skin

For hundreds of years it’s been understood that water cleanses the skin of dirt and pollutants and that regular cleansing is not only indicative of good hygiene, it leads to better health.  Unfortunately, that’s not the whole story.  Water, while imperative to every facet of our lives, can actually remove skin’s natural moisturizing factors. Extended exposure to the warmer waters of a bath or shower can be particularly harmful. Cleansing agents in many body washes and bar soaps break down the skin’s natural moisture barrier, allowing moisture loss and leading to the itchy discomfort caused by dry skin.

“Prolonged exposure to water can be drying for skin, so it’s important to protect skin while in the shower,” said Dr. Karl Wei, Principal Scientist with P&G Beauty.

To understand how this happens, it becomes necessary to look into the top layer of  epidermis called the stratum corneum. The stratum corneum is made up of 15-20 layers of cells known as corneocytes which are separated by natural oils or lipids.  The corneocytes and lipids are responsible for holding moisture in the skin but, unfortunately, are also easily compromised. 

When the skin’s necessary, natural oils are washed away, some clients will apply a moisturizer. However, many women lack the time, knowledge or convenience to replenish the lost lipids after they bathe. This can lead to dry skin and can exacerbate skin that is already dryer than average.

P&G Beauty

Just Calm Down Introduces Spook-tacular Treatments

Clients at the Just Calm Down Spa in New York can be drop-dead gorgeous for Halloween with the spa’s new seasonal menu options: the Mummy Wrap, a full body treatment; Red Hot Devil, a hot stone massage; and A Pumpkin for Your Thoughts, a manicure and pedicure. 212-337-0032

Checking Feet Can Catch Early Melanoma

Taking an extra 60 seconds to examine your feet when you clip your toenails could save your life, says the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons.

Routine self-examination of feet can help detect deadly melanoma skin cancer at an early stage, when it's easiest to cure. Half of people diagnosed with melanoma of the foot die within five years, because the cancer had already spread through their bodies by the time it was diagnosed, the college said.

In cases where melanoma is detected early, 92 percent of patients are still alive after five years.

Doing routine checks of your feet increases the likelihood that you'll spot suspicious moles, freckles or other irregularities. The college recommends you focus on the three most common areas for foot melanoma: the soles, between the toes, and around or under the toenails.

See a doctor immediately if you notice a mole, freckle or spot that starts to change over the course of a month and becomes asymmetrical or changes its border, color, diameter, or elevation.

Melanoma can develop anywhere on the body, including areas that receive little sun exposure, such as the feet and ankles.

The Spa at Mohonk Mountain House Debuts Nature-inspired Treatment

The Spa at Mohonk Mountain House announced a new nature-inspired treatment—Awaken the Senses—that helps to refresh the mind, body and spirit. The New Paltz, NY, spa’s treatment features an aromatherapy bath scented with rosemary and mint. 845-255-1000

Recent Advances in Slimming Treatments

By Karen A. Costa-Strachan, PhD

Learn how science is advancing in trimming treatments targeted at cellulite.

Hispanic Teens Take More Skin Cancer Risks

Hispanic-American teens are more likely than their white peers to take risks that boost their odds for skin cancer, a new survey finds.

Reporting in the August issue of the journal Archives of Dermatology, a team at the University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine surveyed 369 high school students (221 white Hispanics and 148 white non-Hispanics).

They found that Hispanic teens were more likely to use tanning beds, less likely to consider themselves at risk for skin cancer, and less likely to protect themselves from the sun.

Compared to white non-Hispanics, white Hispanics were:

• More likely to tan deeply (44.2 percent vs. 31 percent).
• About 1.8 times more likely to never or rarely use sun-protective clothing.
• About twice as likely to never or rarely use sunscreen.
• 2.5 times more likely to have used a tanning bed in the previous year.
• 60 percent less likely to have heard of skin self-examination and 70 percent less likely to have been told how to do it.
• Less likely to think they had an average or above-average risk for skin cancer (23.1 percent vs. 39.9 percent).

There's a real need to improve participation of white Hispanic students in skin cancer prevention programs, the authors concluded.

Exposure to the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays is a major risk factor for skin cancers, and a person's majority of lifetime UV exposure occurs by age 18, the Miami team noted. White Hispanics have a lower rate of skin cancer than white non-Hispanics, but white Hispanics are more likely to be diagnosed with more advanced skin cancer.

HealthDay News, August 20, 2007

New Research About Cleansing and Maintaining Skin's Moisture

You see clients every day whose skin probably warrants more help than you can give them on a monthly or even bi-weekly basis.  While facial skin usually gets basic attention like cleansing and a moisturizer, the skin on the rest of the body can be too easily forgotten.  How often do you see a loyal facial client with dry, scaly elbows? These clients may be victims of chronic skin conditions like eczema or simply may not understand how to maintain their body skin between visits.

The good news is that recent enhancements in skincare technology provide answers to a common question estheticians encounter from clients: “I love the way my skin feels after a massage or body wrap when it’s soft and healthy, but what can I do for my skin between my professional treatments?”  

Sharing new research can help clarify the relationship between cleansing and moisturizing; offering new details on what has always been a two-step process to keep both of these integral parts of the body’s skincare regimen from being at odds.

P&G Beauty

The Ritz-Carlton, Naples Introduces Two Treatments

The Ritz-Carlton, Naples's spa introduced two new treatments: Drift Away, designed to soothe those who have trouble sleeping; and Body Training Systems, professionally choreographed exercise classes. 239-598-3300