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Posts Tagged ‘face care’

Please enjoy this article written just for us by Michelle of Votre Vu.
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If Americans have a skin care routine, the French have a beauty ritual. The French philosophy on beauty is simply to make looking great and aging well a part of their daily life. They do that by pampering their skin with the most beneficial ingredients Mother Nature has to offer. French women see their skin care as an investment in her and will buy more skin care products than makeup. The philosophy is that skin care lasts a lifetime, while makeup lasts a day.
American women tend to see skin care from a clinical point of view, while French women often consider their time with their skin care as a pleasurable part of their day.
Develop a French-style ritual so you to can baby your skin and look years younger!

1. What is the key to maintaining youthful skin/glow?
While truly there are no quick fixes, a devoted daily program is the best way to secure stable skin and consistent habits lead to consistent results!
CLEANSE. TONE. TREAT. PROTECT.
Proper cleansing/toning is essential as it affects everything that follows. Treating is all about preventing and actively correcting aging issues such as fine lines, hyper-pigmentation, sagging skin, skin tone etc. Protecting your skin with a proper moisturizer is clinically proven to reinforce the skin’s barrier function; vital to keeping the skin healthy and the first line of defense against aging. Additionally, protecting refers to daily SPF protection, which EVERYONE needs to prevent aging on a daily basis. Consistent use of a comprehensive, synergistic regimen is key to preventing aging and keeping skin healthy and looking beautiful.
a. ALWAYS wear sunscreen
b. Exfoliate
c. ALWAYS wash your face and moisturize at night (no matter how tired you are or if you had one too many…I remember those days)

2. If you have damage – what do you suggest?
Exfoliate GENTLY not with all the harsh grains out there on the market. You may think that the harsh grains are ‘getting everything’ off but they are truly stripping your skin of the nourishment it needs. The French are known for their gently cleansing with milk-based cleansers that totally nourish the skin and using actual pearls in their scrubs to gently exfoliate! Exfoliating also refines and helps resurface your skin – prepping it for the next step.
Complexion Renewing Fruit Acid Peel – I usually shied away from peels because they made my face feel like it was on fire (it must be working right? WRONG!) I have been very fortunate to be able to sample a brand new product from Votre Vu that will be available on June 1st called Nouveau Glow – Bilberry Bergamot Peel. One use and I could see a difference in the damage from my ‘fun and sun’ years. I cannot wait to get a full size in June.

Nighttime skin care regimen – I cannot stress this enough. My children noticed a difference in my skin one morning after I had treated my skin at night and that was all it took to ‘remind’ me to take 2-3 minutes before I go to bed at night and take care of my skin. Using rich serums at night along with cleansing is highly effective because the body is in high regenerating mode from the hours of 1 a.m. to 4 a.m. This also means that you should be fast asleep by 1 a.m. to reap the rewards of your body rhythms. Or try to be I suppose!

3. What do you wish you knew about face products etc. when you were younger?
I grew up in GA at the beach; this was the 60’s if there was sunscreen I don’t remember using it at all. I had damage very early in life. Then of course you only looked good when tan, so I continued to bask in the sun well into my late 30’s!! SUNSCREEN and EYE CRÈME! I can look at someone and tell if they started using an eye crème early in life or later. I have had my daughters using eye crème since they were 12. It is never too early. In an interview with the owner of Votre Vu’s skin care lab in France, we heard repeatedly that the French women keep their beauty because they use sun bloc consistently.

4. When should one start taking care of their skin and what are the first 5 tips/steps to taking care of skin.
It is truly never too early. You do have to be careful with younger sensitive skin, but once again, sunscreen is of utmost importance! I think children are appreciating their skin more now than ever and we as parents can and should influence their decisions on proper skin care. Keep them away from all the pore clogging make-up and let their beautiful and natural skin shine through. Women in France hardly wear any make up because they have taken care of their skin with luxurious naturally based skin care products and now Votre Vu has brought these products to the US for about 1/3 the price!

Steps to taking care of your skin:
1. Cleanse : Use a milk based cleanser not harsh soaps
2. Tone: Removes any residual cleanser/debris and helps restore the proper pH to your complexion and provide a clean canvas for the power ingredients to follow. Votre Vu’s toners are alcohol free!
3. Treat: Go deeper and apply a sérum. No longer thought of as an unnecessary step, sérums are crucial for protecting collagen, firming, minimizing redness and discoloration and minimizing the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and age spots.
4. Protect: Use a moisturizing crème based on time of day and your skin type. Don’t forget a neck crème specific for your skin on your neck as it is the first place that shows the signs of aging.
5. Sunscreen!!! Eye crème and exfoliate!
Don’t forget your eye crème in your routine as it only takes a few pats on the upper cheek bone right under your eye (eye crèmes move up) to keep that area super moisturized!! There are no oil glands in the eye area and the skin is three times thinner than on the face. Votre Vu has three products that are specially formulated for this delicate, needy area.

www.votrevu.com/michelle
www.bamagalsxtwo.blogspot.com