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Skin Care Ingredient of the Week - Tocopheryl Acetate

TOCOPHERYL ACETATE

You'll see this ingredient in your lipstick, moisturizer, body lotion, hair conditioner, etc. It is known as the antioxidant Vitamin E. It's a natural preservative that moisturizes and protects the skin from free radicals such as UV rays and pollution.

Free radicals break down the collagen in your skin which is the elastic proteins that keep your skin smooth and wrinkle-free. Tocopheryl Acetate protects the skin's barriers and encourages cell regeneration so you can say this ingredient is anti-aging.

A couple things you may not have known about tocopheryl acetate is that it diminishes hyperpigmentation (brown spots from past acne) and reduces inflammation (redness of the skin).

Vitamin E oil can be used on dry cuticles, elbows, lips, eyelids, and feet for extra moisturizing benefits. Vitamin E supplements are also great for the health of your skin and hair.

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If your skin is inflamed with acne try this DIY face mask!

In a bowl mix Vitamin E oil, honey, plain yogurt, and oatmeal together and carefully apply to your cleansed face (avoiding the eyes) for about 10-15 minutes. Afterwards, gently wipe off with a soft tissue and then rinse with warm water.

• Vitamin E oil moisturizes and lightens dark spots
• Honey moisturizes and kills bacteria that causes acne
• Plain Yogurt exfoliates and smoothes skin texture
• Oatmeal soothes irritation

It's probably best to apply the mask while laying down on a towel just in case it drips. Ask a friend or family member to help you apply it if it's too difficult for you. Make sure the mixture isn't too runny and use organic ingredients if you'd like!

Mini Blog Post

BEST EYELINER PENCIL EVER: URBAN DECAY 24/7 GLIDE ON EYE PENCIL

It's highly pigmented. It goes on very smoothly.

It smudges well. And it's very long lasting.

Seriously. Go get it.

The only con I can think of is the price ($17) but it is definitely worth every penny!

That's it.

Keep an eye out for my upcoming post on

how to make the most of your makeup and beauty products.

Hyperpigmentation

If you ask people what they're concerned with when it comes to their skin, the usual answer is acne or winkles. For some reason, at least in America, this 3rd skin problem doesn't seem like an issue until it is too late. In Asia, wrinkles aren't as big a problem as hyperpigmentation. Wrinkles make you look wise. Hyperpigmentation makes you look old.

What is hyperpigmentation? It's basically the excess of brown pigment in your skin. They can range in size from a tiny pin prick to the size of a quarter or even larger.

What causes hyperpigmentation? The sun and UV light is a huge cause as well as acne or cuts/abrasions that have healed. The older you get the more prone you are to hyperpigmentation, but because of the popularity of sun and indoor tanning, people as young as 20 can be affected.

Freckles, age spots, sun spots, and "acne scars" are all hyperpigmentation. Freckles and age spots are usually permanent but can be lightened. Brownish red spots left from acne (not scars) usually fade away but can take months to a year to completely heal (depending on the severity of the acne).

"acne scars"

I am a victim of hyperpigmentation. My skin was always clear during my teen years but when I hit 21, my skin went haywire. I had painful cystic acne and little white bumps (milia) on my cheeks and I didn't know how to cope so I became a picker. I picked at my zits (ewww, I know... gross) and when they healed, I was left with brown spots all over my cheeks. On top of that, 3 sun spots appeared under my eyes out of nowhere when I was about 22. I was sooo miserable... I had to do something! So I had a mission: get rid of the spots and prevent new ones from appearing!

It's been 2 years now and I am happy to say that my skin (although still not perfect) is clearer than ever and you will know my secret to clear, even-toned skin.

(You're SO welcome!)

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First of all, I needed to clear my acne. You can refer to My Beauty Essentials post for information on how I keep my skin clear.

Next, I had to clear my hyperpigmentation. Laser, chemical peels, and microdermabrasion all aid in treating hyperpigmentation but they are expensive. I had to find topical creams or serums. I researched and found that these were the key ingredients I needed to look for: hydroquinone, retinol, and alpha hydroxy acids such as glycolic acid.

Hydroquinone is a skin lightener and is applied directly on to the brown spots. From my experience, it's not a useful ingredient unless you are working with larger areas of the skin. My brown spots were pretty small so after a couple weeks, I noticed the hydroquinone lightened the skin around my spots - making them appear more visible. Using a cotton swab to apply just made it tedious and annoying.

Retinol is a form of vitamin A and it's used for many reasons: it clears acne, exfoliates your skin, clears hyperpigmentation, AND smooths out wrinkles. Yes, it is a miracle isn't it? But it can be quite drying for most people and harsh for sensitive skin. Retinol used to be prescribed only but now drugstore brands are carrying them such as RoC, Neutrogena, Olay, etc. The drugstore brands have a smaller percentage of retinol than prescription brands. If you are in the market for retinol, I recommend Neutrogena's Ageless Intensives Tone Correcting Concentrated Serum. The texture of it is very light and isn't harsh on my sensitive skin. The price is pretty inexpensive (less than $20) and is a great deal compared to higher end brands. I do recommend using sunscreen to protect the skin when using this product, as the skin is extra sensitive to the sun light.

Neutrogena Tone Correcting Concentrated Serum

Glycolic acid is a skin exfoliant that dissolves old, dead skin and allows new skin to appear at the surface. Because of this action, old skin with dark spots slowly fades away as new skin resurfaces. Glycolic acid also smooths out the roughness in skin texture and reduces acne. This product is much like salicylic acid (a beta hydroxy acid) but stronger so it must be used with extra care. Sunscreen is also an absolute must when using this product. If you're interested in using glycolic acid, I recommend Peter Thomas Roth's AHA/BHA Acne Clearing Gel. This product really smoothed out my skin and I definitely noticed my skin clearing up.

Peter Thomas Roth AHA/BHA Acne Clearing Gel

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Here are 2 other products that helped my hyperpigmentation...

Most pimples are caused by bacteria. So instead of spot treating my pimples with salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide, I used an antiseptic spray. I sprayed Brave Soldier First Defense Spray onto a cotton swab and dabbed it on all my pimples and let it air dry. Especially, if I had to pop a pimple or squeeze out a whitehead (I don't recommend it but like I said... I was a picker) I always used this spray afterward and it healed my pimples much faster than if I let it heal without any treatment. This spray has all natural ingredients that work sooo well. This really helped prevent hyperpigmentation on my skin by healing pimples and infections.

Brave Soldier First Defense Antiseptic Spray

When I was done using my Peter Thomas Roth AHA/BHA Acne Clearing Gel, I decided to try something different. I've seen ads of Clinique's Even Better Skin Tone Corrector and I decided to give it a try. I was so satisfied with it that I had to buy another one when I ran out! This product lightened my dark spots but it didn't lighten my skin around it (like hydroquinone did) which was sooo amazing because I hated looking like a pale ghost. Although this product took a long time to work, it was definitely worth the wait because a month or 2 later, I noticed my biggest dark spot on my right cheek had faded quite a lot. Clinique also has a stronger version of this product (Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector) which I have never used but I'm sure works just as well.

Cinique Even Better Skin Tone Corrector

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I hope all this information was very helpful for you and that it gives you some ideas on what to do for your hyperpigmentation. Just remember, these products worked well for me but everyone's skin is different so some of these products may not work well for you. Everyone must go through trial and error to find the right product. No matter what you do, wear sunscreen! It is the biggest preventer of dark spots!

Good luck and if you have any questions please comment below. :)

My Hiatus is Over

I've negelected my blog long enough. I've had many encouraging emails and messages from friends and strangers recently and I am motivated to get back into blogging! I love to share information on how to have healthy, beautiful skin and hair and I want to share them with YOU! So if you have any questions or concerns about your skin and hair, please let me know as I will consider them as topics of my upcoming posts.

In the meantime, please look forward to my newest blog post on hyperpigmentation. It should be up before the weekend is over.

<3

Don't Make This Mistake

Do you have a hard time finding the right products for your face? Have you ever returned moisturizers or sunscreens because it felt "too greasy" even though the product is made for oily skin types? Do cleansers dry out your skin or make you break out? It's frustrating isn't it? Well, I'm gonna let you in on a secret...

You probably use too much product!

Many people make the mistake of using way too much product. They become upset because the product isn't "absorbing" or because their skin feels "too oily" and they return it because they don't see any results or their skin condition gets worse. Well, the face is a very small area and you only need a very small amount!

If you use too much cleanser, it's harder to rinse off. Therefore, a residue of the cleanser is left on your skin which can dry it out or clog your pores resulting in acne. If you use too much moisturizer or sunscreen, your face feels greasy because your skin can only absorb so much.

People with an oily skin type sometimes skip moisturizer to avoid making their skin even oilier. If you're one of those people... stop! If you don't apply daily moisturizer, your skin will feel dehydrated and compensate by producing even more oil. The outer layers of your skin (epidermis) will be dry and the deeper layers in the skin (dermis) will stay oily. The dry, dead skin cells from the epidermis and the excess oil from the dermis combine and clog your pores resulting in hard flesh-colored bumps on your face (milia). So hydrate your skin with a light moisturizer and use sparingly. And don't be afraid of products with oil. Tea tree oil for example is a hydrating antiseptic that kills bacteria on your skin which clears away acne.

So don't shy away from face products because you think they don't work. Try using just a small amount and give it a few weeks before deciding you don't like it. Most products take at least a few weeks for any results to show.

If you have sensitive and combination/oily skin like me, try Clinique Youth Surge SPF 15 for Combination Oily to Oily Skin. I recently bought this product and I will give a full review on it later this week but so far I like it a lot. It is not too heavy and leaves my skin feeling smooth and I love the fact that it is anti-aging with spf. Clinique also has this product for Very Dry Skin and for Dry Combination Skin.

Remember: use sparingly!

Exactly the Words I Needed to Hear

Take a moment to read the encouraging words from the blog of one of my fave makeup artists, Kandee! I have been a ball of stress lately and everything she said just hit the spot and I almost started to cry. Always try no matter what... and try your best! You won't get anywhere if you never try. And don't be afraid to fail. Failure only makes you stronger and more successful in the end. Creativity and success is what you make of it. No one can tell you otherwise.

Click here to go to Kandee's blog :)