A couple of weeks ago we talked about riding the wave of change. I promoted the fact that change is good and that we all should learn to go with the flow and try new things. When I said those things, I didn’t realize how much that saying really meant with all the changes happening at the shop- I’ve learn “wow the older I get the scarier new is for me”.

Think about it, when we’re younger, we don’t think, we just do things. Almost everything is a new experience, a new adventure, a new place or a new flavor. Someone says “Let’s go to Texas”, we wanted to go and find out what the big deal was. Someone suggests going to Great America to try the Superman roller coaster and we wait in the hour and a half long line to scream our heads off and feel the rush. Our older sibling tells us that cutting our own hair will turn out fine so we grab the scissors (hey, I didn’t say all the new ideas were good ones). There’s no fear. And even if there is we brush it aside and move forward.

But as we get older we tend to over think the new or different experiences. Trip to Texas? What are we going to do? How much does it cost? Where would we stay? Do I really want to deal with traveling? A day at Great America? With all those people, long lines and overpriced everything? Yeah, okay. And we turn into the parent that has to yell at the older one for making the younger one cut a chunk out of their hair and at the younger one for falling for it! Things change and we get more cautious. It’s a realization that has slowly crept into my mind as things around the shop begin to change.

I live in my own little world here at the shop and love when new people come into that world but at the same time it makes me nervous. I don’t know this person and that causes a million questions to run through my head. Will they like me? Will they enjoy their time here? Will they like the Steel Magnolia feel? If they don’t will they discourage all their friends? When they don’t rebook are they going to come back?

Change comes in other forms too. We just did a Goupon. As early as what, three simple years ago, no one would have known what that was or even think about it. When I moved into our current location, I joined Facebook. My nieces and nephews were mortified and now it’s important in running a successful business. We try to stay current on technology. But last night, one of my clients was shocked that we don’t have text message confirmations while some are still excited over our email confirmations.

New things happen all around us. We have to re-learn the mentality that we had when we were kids. Accept the change and the new. Welcome it with open arms and don’t keep it at arm’s length. Try something and just see what comes from it. I can’t promise it will always be good but I can tell you that it will be memorable.

• Skin cancers as a group are the most common form of cancer, accounting for nearly half of all cancers in the United States. Thought of another way, 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer in the course of a lifetime
• Over the past 31 years, more people have had skin cancer than all other cancers combined.
• Between 40 and 50 percent of Americans who live to age 65 will have a form of skin cancer at least once.
• After having one skin cancer, statistics say that you have a higher chance of developing a second. This is because the UV damage your skin has already received cannot be reversed. Survivors of melanoma are about nine times as likely as the general population to develop a new melanoma.
• More than 3.5 million of basal and squamous cell skin cancers in over two million people are diagnosed in the U.S. annually. While these are rarely fatal, they do leave scars and are highly disfiguring if allowed to grow. Since 905 of these cancers are found on the face, nose, lips and ears, this means disfigurement will be visible for life. It’s best to catch skin cancer early. Better yet, use the proper protection in the first place.
• Melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer, because it can spread to other parts of the body and can be fatal, will account for more than 75,000 cases of skin cancer in 2012. One in 55 people will be diagnosed with melanoma during their lifetime.
• While it was once thought that melanomas were triggered by UV exposure, recent studies show about 65 percent of melanomas are caused by the sun. This means the majority of all three forms of skin cancer are directly caused by UV exposure.
• Contrary to popular belief, 80 percent of a person’s lifetime sun exposure is not acquired before age 18; only about 23 percent of lifetime exposure occurs by age 18 (based on a lifetime of 78 years). According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, 47 percent accumulates between 19 and 40, 74 percent between 41 and 59, and 100 percent between 60 and 78. This translates to a life time of actively protecting skin from the sun.
• The instance of many common cancers is falling, but new cases of melanoma continue to rise at a rate faster than the next seven most common cancers. Between 1992 and 2004, melanoma cases increased 45 percent, or 3.1 percent annually
• Melanoma accounts for less than five percent of skin cancer cases, but it causes more than 75 percent of skin cancer deaths. An estimated 123,590 new cases of melanoma were diagnosed in the US in 2011- 53,360 non-invasive and 70,230 invasive, with nearly 8,790 resulting in death. Ninety-two percent of these deaths could have been prevented with early detection.
• Melanoma is the fifth most common cancer for males and sixth most common for females. Woman aged 39 and under have a higher probability of developing melanoma than any other cancer except breast cancer
• Melanoma is now the most common form of cancer for people aged 25-29. A new study has revealed an alarming rise in melanoma among people aged 18-39: over the past 40 years, rates of this potentially deadly skin cancer grew by 800 percent among young women and 400 percent among young men.
• One or more blistering sunburns in childhood or adolescence more than double a person’s chances of developing melanoma later in life. The risk is also doubled if a person has more than five sunburns throughout his or her lifetime.

Know the early warning signs. And don’t ignore a suspicious spot just because it doesn’t hurt or itch. Skin cancers are usually painless. If you notice one or more of these warning signs, call a dermatologist right away. Here’s what you should watch for:

• A skin growth that increase in size and appears pearly, waxy, translucent, tan, brown, black or multicolored
• A skin ulcer with a rolled border
• A mole, birthmark, beauty mark, or any brown spot that: changes color, increases in size or thickness, changes texture, has an irregular outline, is bigger than 6 mm or ¼”(about the size of a pencil eraser), appears after the age of 21
• A spot or sore that continues to itch, hurt, crust, scab, erode or bleed
• A rash, scaly patch or open sore that does not heel within three weeks

1. Wear Sunscreen but Remember it isn’t a 100% Barrier Against the Sun! SPF can help protect us against the sun but also gives us a false sense of protection (hence the following 6 tips after this one). SPF does not make any sun exposure safe and it does not protect your skin once it turns red. SPF 30 offers less than 4% more UV protection than SFP 15 and must be reapplied to be effective. Check for a broad-spectrum sunscreen and be sure to follow these other tips to really protect yourself. Don’t think just because you have applied sunscreen (especially only once) that you are 100% protected.
2. Reapply! New studies show that sunscreen actually causes more free radical damage if not reapplied regularly. Everyone has been talking about the mother in New Jersey who (yes is a little crazy) put her child in a tanning booth but what we don’t talk about is how a tanning booth is a condensed version of the sun. When we allow ourselves and our children to play outside in the sun all day without any break or continuous protection, we’re causing the same type of damage but just in a longer drawn out way. Try to reapply every 2 hours to keep that barrier fresh, especially if you’re in the water or “glistening” in the sun. If you have an iPhone, there’s even a free app called “A Sun Alert Lite” where you can set a reminder for yourself to reapply.
3. Wear Your Sunglasses! New studies have shown that even your eyeballs can get sunburnt and lead to skin cancer. Plus squinting causes wrinkles and makes you look confused all the time. Go out and find a fun new pair for the summer months.
4. Protect Your Lips! Your lips are part of your skin too and have a very thin barrier compared to the rest of our bodies. Be sure to use a chapstick/lipgloss that have some SPF to protect them. Lip cancer is on the rise and can quickly spread to other areas of the body.
5. Hats! No I understand some of us are not hat people but give it a try! They provide shade for your face and cover your scalp from the sun.
6. Seek Shade! If you decide hats aren’t your thing, or even if they are, don’t spend every moment of the day out in the sun. Not saying you have to go inside but take a break every now and then to seek some shade for your whole body. The sun’s rays are most direct from 10am to 3pm, so maybe have a nice lunch underneath an umbrella.
7. And Finally, Dead Skin! With hot weather brings sweat which brings a build-up of dead skin and bacteria. Try to increase exfoliation to twice a week to help get rid of the build-up. If you haven’t already, the change of season is the perfect time to schedule a facial to help balance your skin from the changes in weather.

Above all, let’s try to have fun this summer. I don’t want this list to scare you into never leaving the house. I want it to help you to know how to protect your skin while you’re enjoying yourself with friends and family.

1)      Rosacea is a neurovascular disorder. Telangiectasia- the telltale red blood vessels  visible through rosacea skin- is a well-known vascular sign of rosacea. What isn’t so well known is the role certain neuropeptides play in the development of the disorder. According to Dr. Martin Steinhoff at the University of Muennster in Germany, neuropeptide-positive sensory nerves that surround blood vessels are linked to stinging and increase with rosacea’s progression in the skin. Steinhoff’s team is now trying to tie the presence of these and several other neuropeptides to the development of flushing and inflammation that leads to rosacea. In another study by Dr. Tiffany Scharschmidt and her colleagues in the department of dermatology at the University of California in San Francisco, seven out of 14 rosacea patients studied reported having neurologic or neuropsychiatric conditions such as headaches, depression, essential tremor and OCD. They suggest the improper functioning of the nervous system seen with these conditions may also be important in the development of rosacea, and that treating the nervous system may prove to be of significant help, but more research on larger groups need to be undertaken.

2)      Rosacea occurs in people of color and on areas other than the face. While rosacea typically appears in Northern European gene pools, people of color with one or more ancestors of Northern European heritage also experience rosacea. And while rosacea is mostly seen on the face- especially on the cheeks and nose- on in 5 of those surveyed report signs beyond the face, including neck , scalp, chest and ears.

3)      If you’re treating an acne client and the acne isn’t responding to treatment, it’s probably rosacea.Remember rosacea’s other name, “The Great Imposter”? the papules and pustules appearing in 63 percent of rosacea clients are frequently misdiagnosed as acne, even to the trained eye of a dermatologist or long-time esthetician. If you’ve received a recommendation for an acne-care regimen and the pustules worsen, you’re most likely looking at rosacea. That’s because most ingredients used to curb acne- especially benzoyl peroxide, retinoids and AHAs- are common rosacea triggers. You might want to switch to a gentle skin system, like Ultra Gentle Skin System, along with R-Relief Serum- a drug-free solution for rosacea-prone skin, without the side effects.

4)      Unexpected reactions to skin care treatments are common among undiagnosed rosacea.

5)      Antibiotics should not be the first course of treatment. Concerns over antibiotic-resistant bacteria are growing along with the rising incidence of the diseases they cause. Dr. Theodore Rosen, a professor of dermatology at Baylor College of Medicine, cautions dermatologists to minimize their use of oral antibiotics in order to reduce the potential for bacterial resistance. Better yet, we say, first suggest drug0free alternatives, such as R-Relief Serum. Another way to reduce rosacea episode is to make lifestyle and environment changes that exclude or limit common rosacea triggers. Over 90 percent of those who did reported a reduction in flare-ups. Switching to a gentle skin care system reduced episodes by 91 percent. And among those with pustular rosacea, 66 percent said washing twice a day with a gentle facial cleanser (sulfate-free) controlled signs of rosacea.

6)      Formaldehyde-releasing preservatives may trigger rosacea episodes. Known as the most common allergens in the preservative family, we’ve found preservatives that release formaldehyde during the product’s lifecycle are also linked to rosacea episodes. These preservatives include imidazolidinyl urea, diazolidinyl urea DMDM hydration and quaternium-15. All of these ingredients were removed from YG skin care in 2000 but are still found in many other skin care lines today.

7)      The economy is one of the reasons rosacea is on the rise. According to several surveys conducted by the NRS, stress is the number one trigger for rosacea, followed by sun exposure (81%), heat (53%), hot baths and saunas (51%), skin care (41%), other cosmetics (27%) and medication (15%). Effective stress management can lead to a reduction in the number of stress-related flare-ups, according to the results of a new NRS survey. What are the most common stressors? Family problems lead (49%), followed closely by problems at work (48%), relationship problems (40%), financial concerns (38%), health issues (33%) and criticism (31%).

8)      Essential oils are a common rosacea trigger. As a skincare professional, I’ve been taught to avoid fragrance when working with sensitive skin, but few think of essential oils as fragrances because their natural. Yet these oils- made by plants to protect them from hostile microbes in the bacteria, mold and fungus families- can be irritating and even cause allergies in sensitive skin. Rosacea, because of its inflammation component, is considered a form of sensitive skin. Not surprisingly, some rosacea flare-ups are triggers by essential oils.

We’ve been talking about change for the past couple of weeks, mostly due to all the changes going on both in and outside of the shop. Although we’ve been saying that change is a good thing, which it is, but at the same time it can also be very scary. Sometimes we feel like the littlest change can throw us off in the biggest way. There might be sometimes that this happens while you’re in the shop and you don’t even realize it.

Think about when you get a manicure or pedicure. How many times have you sworn off a certain color or sparkle? Or when there’s new makeup in the shop, you pause, think about it, but then ultimately move on because you like what you use? We become loyal to certain consistencies in our lives and thankfully, many of you have made us a consistency (which we appreciate so when I tell you change is a good thing don’t think of us ). But anyway, sometimes we do need something new and fresh, even if it’s a little scary. So if you’re not ready for a big change, try something small. Add a frost or sparkle color on your toes, try a new eye shadow, try an upgraded facial if you usually get the Clarice’s Complete.

I will say, adjusting to a big change can be very hard. We’re all used to a certain schedule or routine but sometimes we have to learn to just ride the wave and go with the flow. It might be scary at first but once you get over that initial uncertainty, you’ll get to enjoy the ride.

Are we all caught up now? Good. We all think about getting massages when we have pain in our backs, feet, legs, etc. But what about a facial massage? Yes, your face needs some love too! Now I’m not talking a traditional massage like digging your fist into your face but a light touch in the right spots can be very beneficial to your skin and help you get more out of your products.

Massage, and in this particular case facial massage, is one of the most pleasurable and intimate aspects of topical facial treatments; however it is about more than just feeling good (which of course you will). When used correctly, as it always at the shop, massage can improve many skin conditions and your skin care facility’s bottom line. Massage can greatly benefit acne, rosacea and other inflamed skin conditions. Acne is a wound to the skin, and increasing blood flow encourages the healing process. The increased blood flow is stimulated by the light manipulation and brings oxygen to the skin. This increase in oxygen kills the anaerobic bacteria responsible for breakouts and provides a significant improvement (along with my knowledge of what products your skin needs of course). Similar to acne, rosacea and other sensitive skin conditions involve chronic inflammation, which also benefits greatly from the enhanced circulation associated with massage.

So next time you’re feeling stressed out, think about a facial. At Creating Beautiful Looks each facial includes a massage along with specialized products to help create the beautiful skin that you deserve. You’ll not only feel more relaxed but everyone around you will be able to see the results!

Well here at the shop, I don’t want to sell you hype. Okay, maybe we did get a little excited over the Cell Youth Actif but it works right? But that’s just my point. I don’t want to sell you anything that I don’t know for a fact doesn’t live up to all the hype. I’d like to think that through all the time that I spend with clients during their appointments that we’ve formed a bond where they can trust me. Why would I betray that trust by selling them a product that I myself wouldn’t use in their situation? Absolutely not! Before I back a product, I’m going to test it out. I know there are some product trains that I have missed, but after testing them I just don’t think they’re worth the money. I’m going to make sure that the product does what it’s intended to do and does it well.

I once had a client that said, “A happy wife equals a happy household”, well happy clients makes a happy shop and a happy Clarice. It’s a nice little circle we have going on here isn’t it? So just know that, unlike some of the hit-or-miss movie stars out there, if I’m putting a product in your hand, I believe in it and so should you.

With a fresh new season coming in, maybe it’s time to start thinking of other fresh and new ideas. For those of you not getting monthly facials, the change in weather and season is a good time to think about scheduling one. Every time you go outside you’re exposing your skin to a new environment and with the weather change now is a great time to give your skin some love and get it ready for the days of sitting out on the deck reading and the nights spent outside grilling. The other thing to remember is with the cooler temps at night and the warmer temps during the day our skin does get a little confused. A facial is a good way to rehydrate and to rebalance the skin.

You can also look at this as an opportunity to add some daring colors into your life. Skip the winter shades on your nails and go for a spunkier shade! Its sandal weather, your toes time to shine after being bundled up in socks and boots (although we didn’t get much use out of those). Or maybe add brighter colors into your makeup routine. Put down the browns and neutrals and throw in some pinks or jewel tones.

A little change to the everyday norm can do the body and mind some good. Don’t forget to take some time and enjoy this beautiful weather. Have a barbeque, open the windows, and break out those cute sandals. I promise you’ll have some fun and add a little (sun)shine in your life.