Dre Does Cleansing

I cannot stress enough the importance of cleansing your face. It does not matter how late, how tired, and how lazy you may feel, you will not regret going to bed with a clean face. I know throughout college it was especially hard to follow through with this, but if I missed one night of cleansing my skin even after a whole month of good routine, I would get breakouts. If you are lucky and this doesn't happen to you, you're still not off the hook. Everyone should be cleansing in the morning and night, no matter your skin type or age. If you're crunched for time, do it in the shower. 

Now if you're already consistently cleansing, that's wonderful. Are you using the right type of cleanser though? First off, don't ever use products that are meant for your body, on your face. I know it may seem more convenient and cost effective to use one product for everything, but the skin on your face can be completely different than the skin on your body. Don't ever use bar soap on your face. That's a big no-no. It will completely strip your skin of oils because it's meant to clean your body.

The two most common types of cleansers are cream and gel. Until I started esthiology school, I didn't really understand the skin types they were targeted for, so chances are you don't either. Cream cleansers are thicker and less 'soapy' feeling. They are targeted for normal to dry skin types. The cream aids in removing impurities, dirt, and makeup while still leaving the skin feeling super hydrated. Gel cleansers on the other hand, are targeted for those in the normal to oily range. The gel helps rid your skin of excess oil. The first question I ask clients when they tell me they have dry skin, is if they use a gel cleanser. The reason for this is that if your skin isn't excessively oily and you are using gel, it's going to strip you of even more oils than is needed. The same can be said for super oily skin, if you're using a cream cleanser. Try a gel cleanser if you're experiencing excessive oiliness. 

So go take a look at what you're using to cleanse your skin. Within the next week, I'm going to be posting a guide on skin types so you really understand what you're working with. Many of us think we know what type of skin we have, but it may be the products we are using that are making it dryer or more oilier than it actually is. 

Have a beautiful day (and stay warm if you're anywhere within the snowstorm's grasp), 

Dre

Dre Does Exfoliation

I can't stress enough how important exfoliation is. In order for us to have healthy and glowing skin, skin cell turnover must be healthy. When new skin cells are formed at the base and deepest layers of skin they are round and full of nutrients. As they slowly make their way to the outermost layers of your skin, they become flattened and slowly lose water and nutrients. When they reach the surface they are dry dead skin cells that are ready to be sloughed off. 

Your body has a natural process to get rid of these cells called desquamation, but various factors can affect it. As we age this cycle slows down. It takes longer for these cells to reach the surface and by the time they make it to the surface they are usually extremely dry and flat. This is why most mature skin is super dry. Sometimes if you have oily skin, dead skin cells can get trapped in your pores and lead to blackheads. The oil kind of acts like glue and cells stick to it. 

For these reasons, it's extremely important to exfoliate. Getting all of those dead skin cells off the surface and pulling them out of your pores is crucial. You need the oil in your pores to help protect your skin so you don't want to get rid of it, which is why exfoliation is great for this.

Cell turnover is also extremely important for anyone with hyperpigmentation (dark spots) or discoloration resulting from old blemishes. Exfoliating will aid in helping the appearance of these spots fade as cells are being sloughed off. 

While I've talked mostly about your face, let's not forget the body! It's important that you are using a scrub in the shower too. Exfoliating areas where you shave or wax will help with preventing ingrown hairs and ultimately make your skin feel smoother. 

As wonderful as exfoliating is, make sure you don't do it too much! No matter what product you use make sure you are reading the directions. Over exfoliation can cause irritation and harm to your skin. Sometimes we can get the mindset that if something is good for us, the more we do it, the more benefits we will see. However, this is not always the case. 

Have a beautiful day,

Dre

Dre Does a Last Minute Gift Guide

Christmas is about a week away and if you're like me, there's a good chance you aren't done with your holiday shopping. I've compiled a quick gift guide if you're stuck on those last gifts for anyone who loves beauty items. I especially love getting my friends and family beauty related items because they either don't know anything about them, or they wouldn't spend the money on it themselves!

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1: Aveda Hand Relief Lotion (4.2 oz for $22.50 on Aveda.com): This stuff works miracles on your hands and smells so good!

2: Tree Hut Shea Sugar Body Scrub (18 fl oz for $6.59 on drugstore.com): I'm currently using the mango version in my shower routine and I love it! It's great at sloughing off dead skin cells and I love the smell. It also leaves my skin very moisturized. 

3: The Body Shop Satsuma Collection (5 piece gift set about $40 on amazon.com): Have you ever smelled this scent? If not, stop what you're doing, get in your car and drive to the nearest Body Shop or Ulta. Yes it's that good! 

4: Sally Hansen Gel Polish At Home Manicure Kit (starter kit about $46 on amazon.com): These kits are great for at home gel manicures. There is also a starter kit for polish strips if that is easier for you!

5: OPI Nail Polish in 'Lincoln Park After Dark'($9): My go-to winter nail polish. It is the perfect, very, very dark and chic almost black color. 

6: Revlon ColorBurst Matte Balm ($8.99 at your local drugstore): These are relatively new and I love how easy they are for transforming your look. They also twist up instead of having to be sharpened and have a nice minty scent. 

7: Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette ($27 at Ulta or Sephora):  If you missed yesterday's post about this palette go check it out! It's a must have for everyone, no matter your skill level. 

8: Essie Nail Polish in Sable Collar ($8): This is a really unique color that I'm loving for winter. It's like a taupey brown with red duo chrome and it is absolutely gorgeous! 

Happy last minute shopping! Have a beautiful day,

Dre

Dre Does Dehydration

Drinking enough water is one of the most important things we can do for ourselves. While I know I'm not the first to tell you this, it's seriously so important for every function of our bodies. One of the most affected areas is our skin. Most of us are dehydrated and don't even know it. I'm going to teach you an easy trick to check your hydration which can tell you so much about not only your skin, but your whole body. 

All you need is a mirror, your clean hands, and some good lighting. Make 'scissors' with your pointer and middle fingers and slightly AND very gently use your fingers to vertically pinch your skin on you forehead. If the skin looks crepe-y or like it has tons of little wrinkles, you are dehydrated. If it still looks full and supple you are not. So what do you do about it? 

We should all be drinking at least half of our body weight in ounces. So if you weight 130 pounds, you should be drinking 65 ounces a day. However, this doesn't take into account the amount of caffeine that we all have to consume in order successfully function (trust me, I'm with you. I sleep next to my coffee maker). Just make sure that for however many ounces of caffeine you drink, you have double that in water to make up for it. 

Also, make sure you aren't drinking all of it at once. Sip on water throughout the day. This will help not only with making sure your body actually absorbs it, but it will prevent you from making 100 trips to the bathroom a day. 

Drinking enough water will not only help your skin, but tons of other things like digestion, energy level, headaches and more. So drink up!

Have a beautiful and hydrated day,

Dre