by Mary Van   Sooner or later it happens. We look into the mirror and see our mothers looking back at us. We start to see the subtle, or not so subtle, changes that are happening to our faces and our bodies; and we are not quite ready for what we see. The crow’s feet have crept in, and there are fine lines and wrinkles that were not there before. Our once soft and smooth skin is no longer. It isn’t because we haven’t taken care of our skin and our bodies, because we have. It’s the age thing starting to take hold. And for most of us, our skin is the most visible sign of aging. Facing Change Aging is a natural occurrence and part of growing older gracefully lies in our willingness to accept and adapt to change. Still, many of us will take steps to alter our appearances. Whether it’s plastic surgery or a chemical peel, there are thousands of procedures and products, and many of them play on our desire to hold on to our youth. While we must rely on professionals for some of these options, altering our lifestyle is entirely up to the individual. Read More

by Christine Heathman The skin is the largest, most complex, immune organ that challenges the practicing aesthetician today. Due to its interface function between the body and the environment, the skin is chronically exposed to both endogenous and environmental pro-oxidant agents, leading to premature aging and impaired cellular function. Compelling evidence of premature aging suggests that oxidative stress is the major cause involved in the damage of the skin’s cellular constituents i.e.; keratinocytes, melanocytes, Langerhans, Merkle, mast, fibroblasts, etc. and their DNA, cell membrane lipids, and proteins. The skin’s natural antioxidant network protects these cells against oxidative injury and prevents the production of oxidation products such as 4-hydroxy to 2-nonenal or malonadehyde, which are able to induce protein damage, apoptosis or release of pro-inflammatory mediators, such as cytokines. Inflammatory cytokines exist within the interstitial space in normal and inflamed skin, and are protein mediators. Cytokines govern the inflammatory phase that clears cellular and extra cellular matrix debris. However, the repair process is not always 100 percent, and when oxidative stress overwhelms the skin’s natural antioxidant capacity and the subsequent modifications of cellular redox apparatus lead to an alteration of cell homeostasis and a generation of degenerative processes. Read More

by Jane Wurwand   There is truly nothing more important than education to the success of any business, especially in the skin care industry. Manufacturers may tend to forget this-they think that their potential success rests with their products. Actually, the key is in the education of the people who use their products. I have dedicated the past 30 years to the education of skin care professionals. But here's what I've discovered: our clients also need to be trained. In fact, they are badly in need of a sort of Client Boot Camp. I agree with the great Dr. Samuel Johnson, who said that "A little learning is a dangerous thing." A lot of skin care professionals have a "little" learning. When they earn their state license, they have begun on the journey of their training. In order to develop and refine their expertise to a competitive level, I believe that American therapists need to commit to a minimum of two to three years of postgraduate study after they have passed the state exam. It's sad that so many stop when they really should be starting-and the fact that they don't continue with their own education significantly contributes to their Read More