No Frills Update

Well, I've finally recovered from the two vicious onslaughts.  They were persistant little buggers!  It's been pretty on the facial front quite since my last post.  Maybe that onslaught was part of the "detoxification" process from eliminating the sweets and treats. 

When I look in the mirror, I don't see a whole lot of improvement, but I still have quite a while to go...30 days to be exact.  I'm not exactly sure what my expectations are or where to set the bar when this is all said and done.  Will my skin be clearer?  Will my texture be smoother?  Can I have that "glow" everyone talks about?  I guess we'll wait and see.

Exisiting in equilibrium...

Bella Derma

Promises Turned into Experiments

Lent.  It begins the day after Fat Tuesday and during gluttonous Mardi Gras.  It's the time all good Catholics know to give something up...a fast if you will, 40 days until Easter.  This year it's 46 days, go figure I decided to do an experiment on myself with 6 extra days.

I relinquished sweets/treats and alcohol (except for red wine...a girl needs to unwind!) As I honed in on why I chose to give these tempting treats up, I thought it would be even more interesting to see how my skin would respond to these dietary changes. Perhaps one of the top 5 questions I get asked from patients: what foods do I need to avoid in order to stop breaking out?

Let me clear up any confusion...I am by no means an unhealthy eater. Just out of convenience I find myself nuking what’s supposed to be Lean Cuisine's version of sweat and sour chicken, lemon chicken and rice, or enchiladas. My other option ~ eating out with friends. And what’s a dinner with friends without desert?

Nor do I have bad skin. The only time I remember going to the dermatologist was when I was in high school. That’s almost a rite of passage these days.

I figured, if I give up the processed food, sweet deserts, and chips, my skin would have to be glowing right?

Those of us who work in this field know that we can’t pinpoint one food or food group to directly cause acne. Eliminating certain foods from your diet won’t cure acne problems either. My advice: If you eat McDonald’s every meal every day, your skin is probably not going to look its best. If you eat raw organic food every meal every day, your skin is going to look good. Probably not the most realistic lifestyle in either situation, but a combination of both (leaning more towards the organic side) will likely yield clearer skin.

So in an effort to do what I say and not what I do…I have commenced this 46 day excursion with no sweets, treats, or alcohol (immunity goes to red wine) and a week later I’ve already been assaulted on 2 separate occasions with my high school foe.  Hope is not lost, and I haven’t given in to temptation…yet.  Here's hoping that my updates will encourage my Lenten sacrifices. 

40 days and counting,

Bella Derma

To Each Their Own Routine

Routines. Have you ever really thought about your "getting ready" morning routine? It can actually be broken down into different phases: Shower, Prep, Style, and finally Primp.

I was almost done with my Primp phase as I was putting on my mascara...the last and most crucial step...I challenge any man to attempt this fine art most women have mastered. Go to fast and you might smudge on your eyelid. Go to slow and you can cause clumping (and clumping leads to a whole other heap of obstacles).

As I put on my third and final coat of mascara it dawns on me 1.) not only did I just put on 3 coats of mascara and can't tell the difference between coat 1 and coat 3, but 2.) I just used 3 different types of blackest black mascara!!! Are you serious? I have one to lengthen, one that adds volume, and one I bought simply for the patent-pending brush. Just as soon as I questioned myself for gorging on mascara, I shuddered to think of what my nonexistent eyes might look like without my "if-you-were-stranded-on-an-island-what-can't-you-live-without-please-let-me-take-it-on-the-plane" item!

It's not just me, right? The mascara industry toys with women's emotions promoting their perfect creation. They have spinning wands, vibrating wands, long skinny brushes, fat brushes, black, brown, green, and purple colors all promising hopes of having long, thick desirable eyelashes. Even I jump when I come across an ad for mascara never seen on the market. I'll tear out the page in the magazine and make sure I have to buy it the next time I'm shopping!

Am I alone in this? (sigh)

Well, I guess I'll resign to the fact that I will always be on the quest for the perfect mascara ~ one that lengthens to no avail, adds volume like hairspray, and doesn't run off under my eyes giving the dreaded raccoon look. Until then, if you see me in the street clutching my bag instinctively, it’s because I’ve “discovered” the crème-de-la-crème and am out to hunt that baby down. And maybe, just maybe I’ll indulge you with my new treasure so you can fulfill your primping phase too.

Batting my Lashes,

Bella Derma

Change is Good

Lately, I've been surfing the web purusing various health and beauty blogs, and they all seem to have the same monotonus tone. It's all very informational, but getting through it is like eating frosted mini wheats with no milk. Then I looked back on my own blog posts...I forgot the milk too!

So it's time to spruce it up a bit. Make things a little more interesting (and bearable) to read. I need this blog to be something that we can all relate to about our skin woes and triumphs. This is a change for more frequent posts, that will hopefully bring not only skinformation, but a little insight into my life as I'm consumed with lotions, potions, and everything else to make us look younger/brighter/smoother.

Looking Skinsational,

Bella Derma

Vitamin D-briefing

It seems as though there's a new "have-to-take" supplement making the news every other week. Each boldly stating: "you can't afford not to take this". Vitamin D fits right in there in medical "hot topics". Google Vitamin D and you'll get over 14 million results...a bit overwhelming if you ask me. What is all this hype about Vitamin D any way? And why is it making the newslines now?

Let me help ease some of the confusion with a D-Briefing:

Vitamin D is actually misleading in that it's not a vitamin at all. It's a steroid hormone (cholecalciferol, try saying that 3 times fast) produced in our skin by the UVB rays of the sun. It's also seen in fortified foods like milk, breads, and orange juice. I'm not getting into the boring chemical science of how vitamin D is broken down in our body and where it goes. However, know that it plays a BIG role in our lives from life to death. It's responsible for the development, growth, and maintenace of our bodies...I guess this is why it's hitting all the headlines lately.

More and more researchers are looking into all the benefits of optimizing vitamin D levels in our bodies. Current research has linked vitamin D deficiency in heart disease, strokes, hypertension, asthma, autoimmune diseases, diabetes, depression, chronic pain, arthritis, osteoporosis, weight gain, birth defects, and plays a major factor in at least 17 different types of cancer! Can you imagine what our society would be like if half of these medical conditions were alleviated...healthy? That's almost a fairytale with our American lifestyle!

If you were to go outside midday in the summer without sunscreen, our bodies would make about an average of 20,000IUs of vitamin D in 15 minutes. That's more than 100 times what the goverment recommends! I can already hear you asking: Doesn't the excess vitamin D get stored in our fat and become dangerous as it builds up? The answer - no. After we make 20,000IUs the same UVB light that makes the vitamin D, begins to degrade it so that we have a constant state produced in our bodies. Hence, no one has been know to have vitamin D toxicity from sunlight. Unfortunately, the same is not true when taken orally.

There's always an irony to every story right?

Our bodies produce vitamin D with sun exposure, but with sun exposure we risk getting skin cancer, and it's just not worth the risk. So our villian in this fairytale is sunscreen. All hope is not lost! Instead of drinking the equivelent of 50 glasses of milk (gag), or more than 10 tablets in multivitamins a day...you can take up to 4,000 IUs a day (1,000 IUs for kids). Make sure you get your blood checked 2-3 months later (25-hydroxyvitamin D). Making sure you have optimal levels, between 50-80 ng/mL of Vitamin D in your system, can help ward off diseases and make your body a finely tuned fighting machine!

Is Vitamin D our knight in shiny armour sitting on a white stallion waiting to take us to our healthy ever after? I can't vouch for any one but myself; however since I started taking 4,000 IUs of Vitamin D a day my immune system has been top notch this winter!

Instead of "The End", I'll end this fairy tale with "To Be Continued..." Feel free to share your experiences!

For more information please visit http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/