Dear Pimples, It's Time to Say Goodbye!

It may not be a matter of life or death, but ridding your skin of acne is, indeed, life-changing!  With acne, comes embarrassment, pain (both physical and emotional).  It's tough on your self-esteem.  I can attest to this personally, as a girl who tried to cover her cystic acne with makeup in high school.  It didn't work.  I knew it.  And, it limited which activities I chose to participate in.  If only I'd had something like Unblemish back then! What a difference it would have made.

Thankfully, Shililah does have Unblemish and this is her before & after, followed by her testimonial.  

"It's been a journey of pain and desperate times in search of result oriented skin care regimen for my severe acne. From using antibiotics to buying all sorts of creams and ointments that over promised results and under delivered, my bathroom cabinet was cluttered with products. Then I was introduced to Rodan and Fields by my sister Wangare Marshall. At first I was skeptical because I felt I had tried it all, but 6 months later I became a believer. My story changed, I used R+F Unblemish and Soothe Regimen, now my skin is clear and radiant. I am confident to put my best face forward!"

So happy for you, Shillalah!

Here is what she used:

1. Unblemish Regimen: A complete Multi-Med® Therapy solution, the UNBLEMISH Regimen is clinically tested to help stop blackheads and pesky pimples before they become visible on your skin’s surface. Found to combat the entire acne cycle, this Regimen helps unclog pores, calm your complexion and keep acne from making unwelcome appearances. UNBLEMISH Regimen combines cosmetic and active over-the-counter ingredients to penetrate pores and eliminate most acne blemishes.

2. Soothe Regimen (to minimize redness and inflammation until acne is under better control)


Who do you know that could benefit from this simple daily regimen?  Please share this post with them and let them know they can try it risk-free because of R+F's 100% money back guarantee.  It's time to say adios, pimples!

Love The Skin You're In! 

This Is Not the Look I Was Going For

You've been there, right?  Feeling tired and worse, looking it.  You're busy, and an extra four hours of sleep is not an option right now. Except for sunglasses, you're not sure what to put on your eyes.

And to make matters worse, your skin doesn't seem to be agreeing with whatever you've been using on it.  So, where do you turn when your skin looks angry and your under eye bags look like they can hold more than your purse? 

You might feel overwhelmed and, if you go out at all, making a quick run to the nearest drug store could be as far as you get.  There, you'll spend an inordinate amount of time looking for that special miracle cream that claims to do it ALL and finally settle on something, in hopes it will help.

Fast forward 24 hours.  Skin is still red.  Eyes still look tired.  So now what?  Here's a thought.  Maybe the products you need aren't sold in a store.  Maybe you needed to find this blog post so I can help!

Karen realized her solution was literally a click away and was able to order online.  Look at her results after just one week!  With a simple daily regimen, her skin calmed down, allowing her natural skin tone to shine through.  Look at her under eyes - no more bags!  And all of this is thanks to a brand that offers a 100% money back guarantee!  So Karen didn't have to worry about spending money on another product that doesn't deliver results.  

Here's what Karen used:

1. Rodan+Fields SOOTHE regimen. This complete Multi-Med® Therapy solution is developed specifically for sensitive skin. This regimen replaces harsh emulsifiers used to create traditional creamy moisturizers, and includes patent-pending RFp3 Technology, a powerful combination of skin-soothing peptides that can calm dry skin and reduce visible signs of redness.  When your skin is irritated, you must address the sensitivity before moving on to most anti-aging products, which can be too aggressive. (An exception is R+F's newest innovation - Intensive Renewing Serum - which is effective for ALL skin types.) 

2. Bright Eye Complex.  This lightweight gel-cream visibly improves the appearance of dark circles, puffiness and overall dullness surrounding your eyes. Its hydrating power is supercharged with a complex of phytonutrients and illuminating brighteners to help nourish and refresh the undereye area.  Watch results happen quickly and improve over time!

You can save an additional 10% by becoming a member of the Rodan+Fields Preferred Customer Perks Program.  This Program also offers free shipping on most purchases, discounts on all future orders, and special offers just for Program members.

I hope this information has been helpful to you!  If you have a different skin concern, let me know.  I'd love to help!

Love The Skin You're In!

What You Should Know About Parabens

In a world where FEAR seems to be a big motivator, too many companies are taking your fear to the bank. The list of 'natural' companies keeps growing, which sounds like a good thing. But are they truly looking out for you? Or are they just taking your hard earned money and hoping you won't do your due diligence?

You’d think that, since more and more brands have sworn off parabens, products have become safer, right? You would hear about 'natural' product recalls if they existed, right? Brands wouldn't mislead you into thinking their products are safer for you or the environment, right? Wrong, wrong, and you guessed it, wrong.

Beauty brands, in particular, used a single study as a clever way to increase their sales. The 2004 study, which showed that parabens were present in the tissues of patients with breast cancer, got enough press to create a lot of hysteria (and create a whole new niche market ~ cha-ching!). The idea that Parabens lead to Cancer has stuck. There's only one problem. It hasn't been proven true. In fact, no study has shown a direct correlation.

You see, parabens are naturally occurring in foods like blueberries, carrots and olives. And they've been used for decades in our skincare and cosmetics. Why? Because they're a SAFE and EFFECTIVE method of controlling bacterial and fungal growth. Without parabens, we'd all need to prepare fresh skincare and cosmetic products on a weekly basis, if not more often, to avoid dangerous levels of bacteria that could make us VERY ill.

So, while these 'natural' companies are enjoying their profits, they could actually be putting your health at risk. (Isn't that what they said they were trying to avoid??) If their products aren't using parabens to control fungus and bacteria....WHAT are they using? You might be surprised to learn that paraben substitutes can actually do more harm than good. If your skincare or cosmetic reps tell you a product is 'natural' and 'paraben-free', I encourage you to ask them WHAT ingredient is controlling the fungus and bacteria in the products they're trying to sell to you. (Wait for the stunned silence.)

Below is a list of ingredients used by companies who pride themselves on being 'paraben-free' -

Formaldehyde-Releasing (irritating to skin): 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1, 3-diol , Diazolidinyl urea , DMDM hydantoin , Hydroxymethylglycinate , Imidazolidinyl urea , Quaternium-15 , Trishydroxymethylnitromethane

Organic Acids (ONLY kill fungi, not bacteria): Salicylic acid, Benzoic acid, Sorbic acid

Sodium Benzoate (Effective against fungi and yeast, but not so effective against bacteria): Warning - When used together with low concentrations of vitamin C, it forms benzene, a known carcinigen

Potassium Sorbate: Synthetically altered before being added to cosmetics, it's very effective at killing fungi, but struggles with bacteria

Essential Oils (must be used in very high concentrations to be effective, which is irritating to the skin; ineffective in skincare and cosmetics): Clove, Thyme, Tea Tree

Effective at killing bacteria, but cause Allergies and Irritations: Methylchloroisothiazolinone (MCI) and Methylisothiazolinone (MIT)

Anti-Oxidants (these are mistaken as preservatives but, will not kill dangerous microorganisms): Vitamin E, grape fruit seed extract, rosemary,

To Sum it Up --

1. Reputable science says that the minute amounts of parabens used in cosmetics and OTC products are safe!

2. Paraben alternatives are either more harsh or less effective.

3. Bonus: parabens are broken down naturally in the environment, so they don’t add to pollution.

   It's always best to be a bit skeptical and do your research. If your preferred skincare's representative doesn't know how to answer that one simple question about what's protecting you from dangerous bacteria, I'd suggest running the other way and finding a new brand.