90 Day Challenge: Now THAT is a Chemical Peel!

Posted by: Rhonda Shrum

Being a novice at times has its advantages. You don’t always know what you’re getting into when you plunge blindly into new endeavors, and therefore you’re saved from a lot of the trepidation that occurs when you know what’s coming. Being new to higher level chemical peels, I scheduled my second one (as part of the SkinMedica 90 Challenge) and went ahead with a much stronger version than the first one I did the last month. That peel was very mild, and I looked nice afterwards, so I was ready to go ahead with the next level.

Thank goodness I didn’t have any big dates or public functions to attend.

I got my first Vitalize Peel at 4pm on a Wednesday. Because I’ve been known to confuse instructions, I was intent on getting them right this time, and I specifically focused on how to utilize my SkinMedica products post-peel. I still managed to mess up one tiny detail, that I was supposed to sleep with the peel on overnight and wash it off in the AM. Instead, I washed it off at about 11:00 pm. but fortunately it was left on for enough time to work.

The next morning, I woke up looking like a rock star; almost as if I had gotten a facelift. My skin was tight and smooth. But by about 7pm that night, the mild flaking started around my chin, and when I woke up the next morning, my five-year old son said “mommy, did you grow a white beard overnight?” You’re not supposed to roughly scrub or pick the flaking skin off, so I might have been a bit embarrassed to go to work that day if I didn’t work in this environment. If I had a typical, public-facing job, I would definitely schedule this  in a way to make sure I was off during the worst of the peeling.

Ultimately, the full on flaking lasted 2 days and I peeled off and on in different areas for 8 days. However, the result was worth it by far. I haven’t used this little make-up in years while still receiving compliments every single day about how great my skin looks.

Aside from the peels, I have to say that my absolute favorite part of the challenge so far is becoming acquainted with  the SkinMedica TNS Essential Serum. Once I got past the slightly “vitamin” tinged scent (which I’m now addicted to and can’t fall asleep without), I realized that just a teeny bit of this anti-aging serum over the past couple of months has literally reduced lines on my face and given me that 21-year-old smooth, “plump” look. With no injections! A great product, it’s become my favorite thing to tell my friends to try.

I now have just a couple of weeks left on the challenge, and one peel left to go. I’m excited to see how motivated I’ll be to keep going with my newfound healthy regimen once the fun is over–I have a feeling I will be continuing for a long while!

90 Day Challenge: Is Natural Always Better?

Last week, I read an article about French women: an article that discussed their natural beauty, their confidence, the general allure that makes them so attractive. While I love the concept of natural beauty, I have many doubts about those that we bestow the title upon.

Inner beauty aside, we usually consider someone a natural beauty when she doesn’t have to wear tons of make-up, when she looks younger than her natural years without looking “fake.” Her skin looks flawless with no caked-on foundation, she exudes that “girl-next-door” look. But as I’ve found over the past month, having skin that looks so good sans make-up is work in and of itself. Yes, I can see definite improvement since I began the 90 Day Challenge. My make-up goes on much more smoothly and I seem to use less of it, not to mention the random compliments I’ll get from people who know me. Week after week people will squint at my face and say “you know, your skin really does look great.”

And it does, no doubt. I can even go out on a Saturday afternoon errand-running mission without foundation. I look…natural. Oh, but the work involved in looking so natural! Aside from the nightly routine, I’m getting chemical peels and trying to stay out of the sun. So while it’s nice that I have a natural look, it’s no more natural than the deep red lipstick I used to live and die by.

And where, exactly, do you draw the line in the natural/fake debate? Many of us curl or straighten our hair, shave or laser our legs, apply deodorant and perfume, scrub and exfoliate and polish and pluck….truly, in the search for beauty and attractiveness, does anyone really prefer “natural?” Or is it just the illusion of natural beauty that proves good enough?

For myself, I’m ok knowing that it’s not easy, that I don’t wake up looking ready for the day. It takes a little effort to get my hair the way I like it and my skin feeling smooth. And that’s fine, because it makes ME happy. And in the end, I think being HAPPY with myself is the key. After all, the French are confident too, right?

90 Day Challenge: Jumping in and Making Mistakes

Posted by: Rhonda Shrum

For a tactile learner like myself, staring a new project is always exciting. Instead of reading directions or asking for help, I just like to jump in and get going. I’ve never read through a manual for a computer or a phone, I don’t properly lay down cloth and edge tape when I paint, and shelf diagrams just confuse me so I toss them in the trash before I set out to build them on my own. I’ve always found that if I can just get my hands on the material, I’ll figure it out significantly faster than if I go through someone else’s steps.

While this works fairly well with an iPhone, it doesn’t work too well with skin care.

Once I signed up for the 90 Day Challenge and got my photos taken, I was utterly mortified at the condition of my skin and vowed to fix it immediately. Armed with an arsenal of products that I had never even seen before, I set out to get fixed overnight. Before bed, I washed my face with some $5 drug store cleanser and then promptly slathered on thick layers of everything in my SkinMedica bag. The next morning, I did the same. I felt GOOD. I felt EMPOWERED. I felt PROUD of myself for taking steps to get healthier.

Upon entering the office later that day, I found an esthetician and excitedly went on and on about my night and morning experiences. Just like my five year old son when he writes his name perfectly and wants praise, I preened for Wendy and waited for her to pat me on the back like a good pupil when I told her what I had done. Imagine my surprise, however, when she told me I had done it all wrong.

Wrong? How could I have messed this up already, I asked? It’s cream! You rub it in, boom, done, right?

Not right…and if you ever want to see a skin care expert freak out, say to her “I’m not sure how many times I applied the Tri-Retinol formula to my face.” Frankly, I’m lucky she caught me when she did: Because skin care is a science, there’s a method to the madness, and left to my own devices, I might end up looking worse, and not better.

Number one, I was using an exfoliating scrub to wash my face instead of the gentle cleanser I should have been using as part of the program. Number two, I put everything on in the wrong order. A product like SkinMedica TNS Serum, for example, needs to go right on clean skin, and I was putting it on last. Number three, I was using WAY too much product. I rubbed so much TNS Eye Repair cream in that the concentrated ingredients were aggravating my contact lens-wearing eyes; apparently very small amounts rubbed gently in around the eye works just fine. Number four, the Tri-Retinol Complex is powerful stuff and only goes on at night….not numerous times during the day.

So this continual learning process carries on. Lesson learned this week? Sometimes, I can’t just dive in. Sometimes, I need to consult the instruction manual, read the diagram, and actually TALK to the experts…after all, that’s what they’re there for.

Why our estheticians are the best…

Posted by: Rhonda Shrum

When it comes to skin care treatment, Mary Ann Egner knows her stuff. As a licensed medical esthetician at St. Louis Cosmetic Surgery Medical Spa, her job consists of not just performing chemical peels and facials, but analyzing skin and really listening to her patients as well. These skills, however, do not come overnight. Mary Ann, like all of our estheticians, constantly makes sure that she is learning, evolving, trying new things, and keeping herself cutting-edge.

As part of her ongoing (and never-ending!) education, Mary Ann went to Carlsbad, California recently for the SkinMedica Advocate Summit, 2011. While there, she met and listened to many top doctors in the skin care industry and came away with some great insights:

What an awesome adventure and learning experience!!! After all the fatigue of traveling to Carlsbad, CA. and dealing with the time changes, I was so not ready to be inspired, but I was!!! At the welcome reception I was delighted to talk with several fellow estheticians and medical estheticians from all around the country. It was so interesting to exchange information about services, products and our profession in general. After a good night’s sleep and a wonderful breakfast, I was rearing to go and go we did. First there was the company update. So I am thinking, ho hum. NOPE!! After listening to a brief explanation from Ted Schwarz, the President, speak about the goals and future of Skin Medica, I was pumped. It is so nice to know that it is not just about turning a profit, but taking care of the patient needs.

Next came Rahul Mehta, Ph.D., who has all the info on the clinical. He is so intelligent about all the wonderful research being done on the products and production of the new ones (Lots on the horizon!). Then John Garruto, Vice President of Formulation Development spoke. To estheticians, this is so intriguing. There were so many more people who I don’t have time to write about, but they were all a part of this wonderful experience. The founder of the company, Dr.Richard Fitzpatrick, M.D., F.A.A.D., is an amazing man who had the foresight to see what would be needed in the future and he took the steps needed to create this awesome company. Thank you, Dr. Fitzpatrick for your vision and thank you for the wonderful experience of experiencing the Advocate Summit, 2011. I look forward to next year.

We’re all excited for our staff and patients to benefit from Mary Ann’s learning experience. Knowledge is power, they say, and our staff is full of it!

90 Day Challenge: Challenging what I see in the mirror

Posted by: Rhonda Shrum

About a month ago, when I decided to do this challenge publicly, I was still very naive. Bolstered by my friends and co-workers and excited to have something huge like this to kick off my blogging experience here, I confidently chose to put myself out there as a guinea pig, assuming embarrassment would be minimal.

Then, I got my first digital photo analysis of my skin, and I went home and cried.

I was shocked. Bewildered. I’m a fairly pale girl, always have been. I’m the one people make fun of on the beach, wearing big floppy hats. Sunburn is not enjoyable to me, and I can count on one hand how many times I’ve been in a tanning bed (and I’m not proud of those few moments). So while I was braced for the possibility of a few wrinkles and big pores, what I was not expecting was this: That’s my pale skin. With sun damage! A million little UV spots just biding time till one day, unbeknownst to me, they’ll show up ready to party.

Surprisingly, the wrinkles weren’t bad. I had one, so I won’t complain. But I was severely dehydrated, and full of bacteria, thanks to my awful habits of drinking 4 cups a coffee a day and not always cleansing before bed.

So yeah, I cried…because I had to realize that I’ve been lazy and unappreciative. I just expect my skin to always look like it looks now, with no effort whatsoever given to keeping it that way. And the truth is, that will always backfire. If I don’t correct it now, I will wake up in five years with that spotty face.

So not only do I have to publicly stare down my own vanity, but I’m being forced to recognize and rectify habits that don’t serve me well. Sure, I love coffee, and I joke about my addiction daily. However, I never once considered that it would have a negative effect on my skin. Apply sunscreen daily? I’ve never bothered, why would I? I’m not tanning or anything. Stupidly, though, I didn’t count on the endless hours of driving with sun blazing through my window, or all the times I’ve spent with my son outside at the playground. It all adds up, and it’s not pretty.

It’s slowly sinking in that the challenge I decided to do for fun, to just “look better,” will ultimately turn into a vehicle for massive introspection and analysis of not just my habits, but my concepts of health and beauty as well. Eventually, my hope is to not just have better skin, but a better understanding of how to care for myself, both inside AND out.

If you’re interested in the 90 Day Challenge, you can still sign up until November 30th. The cost for all the products and treatments is $695,  valued at almost $1300. Call 636-530-9020 for more information.