The acids of other cleansers and daily skin care products used to leave my face dry and tight.  Around the clock exfoliation is being marketed as the way to younger skin. But is it really?  Do you want to be sloughing all day long? 

OR… would you rather have a treatment product  to use every few days, made specifically for exfoliation, like a good home acid peel or sugar scrub, leaving  your twice daily skin care routine to be filled with nutrients and hydrating ingredients?

I pick having nourishing and hydrating going on all day and night as part of my skin care regimen for my aging skin!

Here’s what I love about myApriori Beauty Creme Cleanse, a Deep Pore+Surface Cleanser:

TECHNOLOGIES & BENEFITS

• Contains the NutrientReservoir™, which protects and nourishes skin cells by addressing the 4 core influences of aging: Oxidative Stress, Genetics, Hormonal Fluctuation, and Mitochondrial Function.

• More than just a surface cleanser! Removes dirt and other impurities from both the skin’s surface and deep within pores.

• Foaming is achieved naturally through the use of natural, plant-derived surfactants.

• Will not disrupt the skin’s natural barrier function or strip skin of essential oils.

• Sulfate, Paraben, and Fragrance Free! Gentle and effective formula perfect for all skin types.

 Click here, for answers to Creme Cleanse  FAQ’s:
What is the importance of choosing a cleanser with gentle ingredients?
Does crème cleanse contain sulfates?
Is Crème Cleanse gentle enough for sensitive skin?
How often should I use Crème Cleanse? What if I have dry or oily skin?

INGREDIENT PROFILE, OPN SAFETY RATING
Water, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Glycerin, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Glycol Distearate, Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract, Angelica Polymorpha Sinensis Root Extract, Petasites Japonicus Root Extract, Rhodiola Rosea Root Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Titanium Dioxide, Phenoxyethanol, Hexylene Glycol, Cedarwood Oil, Grapefruit Oil, Geranium Oil, Coconut Oil Derived, Lemon Oil, Lime Oil, Orange Oil, Rosemary Oil, Ginger Oil, Lemongrass Oil

How can you take care of the skin around your fingertips and cuticles to prevent cracking and peeling?

1.  Keep your hands clean ~ you want to reduce the amount of bacteria on your hands, washing throughout the day while……

2.  Keeping handwashing to a minimum ~ you can help maintain the natural oils in your skin and prevent drying and cracking your fingers by using less soap/cleanser and having them wet less often.

3.  Use a conditioning oil or cream ~ natural oils like olive or grape seed oil are good, especially applied at a warm temperature.

4.  Nutrient rich serums and creams are best to use if you have to wash frequently because of your job, and have a history of cracking fingertips and peeling cuticles that need some extra attention.

5.  Make sure you apply your oils and creams regularly – at least twice a day, and even after each handwashing to aid in skin protection and nutrient retention.

6.  If you do have hanging cuticles, you can use a small clean nail clippers to snip the loose skin so that it won’t pull any further.  Use of a nail stick to gently push back the cuticles a little can prevent the skin from pulling so tightly and tearing. Remember - gently is the key!

As a nurse who works with children, I can be washing my hands all day long. I’ve finally found the right combination for me with a Rejuvenating Lotion and a Hydrating Night Cream.  Both are filled with nutrients and wonderful natural ingredients to feed and moisturize my skin….AND a little bit goes a long, long way!

Now my nails look great, my skin is never dry or cracked!

Hope this helps you keep your fingertips and cuticles healthy!

Thanks for stopping by and “Making My Life Beautiful!”

XO Candy

Fresh from a visit to my podiatrist this morning, he gave me the 411 for keeping our heels (and feet) looking lovely throughout the seasons.

~ Keep them Clean~ Washing them using a good body cleanser and foot brush to get in between your toes and scrub the day’s dirt away.

~ Use a good Moisturizer ~ One that is “clean” without petroleum or alcohol that will dry them out even more.

~ Use a “Foot File” Tool that is gentle but gets the job done ~ My doctor recommends one that is found in most every drug store that has the word egg in it’s name.   Using it on your dry feet, three times a week should do the trick.

~ Lactic Acid Lotions can be purchased over the counter that will slowly dissolve the dead surface skin.

~ Pumice Stone – use on your feet after soaking in warm water for ten minutes.

~ Sugar Beet Crystal Enzyme Activated Scrub ~ scrub  following washing, to further exfoliate.

~ Avoid open back shoes that will allow your heels to lose moisture, and can flip up dirt while you walk.

Try these suggestions out and see if you gain the results you are looking for – smooth, healthy looking feet!

Beautiful Feet are Happy Feet!

Thanks for stopping by and “Making My Life Beautiful”!

XO Candy

PS  I recommend Apriori Beauty’s Hydroburst Intense Body Cleanse and  Hydroburst Intense Body Lotion and Sugar Beet Crystal Scrub.

Here are my tips on how to do 5 skin care steps in about a minute!

Product Staging or Set up:

Place your Facial Cleanser, Activator, and Firming Complex on a shelf or ledge in your shower. If you have a ledge within reaching distance, this helps you save time - just make sure you can reach everything easily.

Place your Eye+Lip Age Eraser and Day Cream / Night Cream on the counter near your sink.

Ready…Set…..Go!

Use your Facial Cleanser first in the shower, massaging it into your moistened skin. Rinse cleanser with water. (Stop the clock here) Complete the remainder of your showering routine.  (Start clock again) With your face still damp, splash your Activator on, avoiding your eyes. Follow with your Firming Complex, massaging together into your skin.

(Stopping the clock) Step out of the shower, allowing your face to air dry while you towel dry the rest of your body and hair. (Start clock again)

Dot your Eye+Lip Age Eraser around the orbit of your eyes, swirling gently into the delicate skin. Follow with a few dots of  Day Cream (Night Cream if this is your evening shower) and massage into your skin.

Voila! Shouldn’t take you more than a minute or two to complete your daily Skin Care Regimen this way!

Try it and come back to share how easy it is for you!

Thanks for stopping by and “Making My Life Beautiful!”

XO Candy

Apriori Beauty Independent Consultant

A while ago, I purchased a pH pencil ~ when you “write” with it on your skin, you can see what the pH, or acidity level is. When I used it, I found that my bar soap was pH ten. When my husband saw this, he took it and started using his soap, shampoo and lotions, testing each of them. Nine, ten, eleven and counting! Most in the nine to ten range. What do those numbers mean? What is acidic or alkaline and what does it matter what the pH is of our skin?

pH is a measurement of the acidity or alkalinity of a particular substance, in this case your skin. The pH scale goes from 1.0 to 14.0, with the lower numbers being acidic, and the higher numbers alkaline.

 The normal, Correct pH of your skin should be right around 5.0 – 5.5.  This is important because one of the functions of our skin is to create a protective barrier to germs! It has what scientists call “immune properties”, meaning that when we come in contact with germs all day long, our skin protects us on the surface from getting infections from them.

The important point to know is that when your skin is out of its normal pH range, your skin’s immune defense can’t work as effectively, taking hours to return to its correct pH – just in time to take another shower!

“The epithelial surfaces form a physical barrier that is very impermeable to most infectious agents. Thus, the skin acts as our first line of defense against invading organisms. The desquamation of skin epithelium also helps remove bacteria and other infectious agents that have adhered to the epithelial surfaces.

Fatty acids in sweat inhibit the growth of bacteria. The low pH of sweat …prevents growth of bacteria.

The normal flora of the skin … can prevent the colonization of pathogenic bacteria by secreting toxic substances or by competing with pathogenic bacteria for nutrients or attachment to cell surfaces.” 

What all of  this means is that our skin is like a protective shield against germs, and when we shed dead skin cells, germs go with them. Our own sweat deters the growth of bacteria, and at the correct pH, certain germs can live normally on our skin without causing infections, actually creating substances that kill other potentially very harmful germs when they come along!

The Key:  All of this protection is optimum at the correct pH of your skin. When you shop for skin care products, do you purchase those that are advertised as having a balanced pH? That would mean in the seven to eight range,  more alkaline than your skin should be to do a great job protecting you!! 

Do you know the pH of the products you are using?

Are you taking care of your skin so it can take care of you?

I know I am, because I use Apriori Beauty products, which are pH CORRECT!!

Thanks for stopping by and “Making My Life Beautiful”!

XO Candy

http://pathmicro.med.sc.edu/ghaffar/innate.htm

Here are a few tips that can help soothe your basic sunburn:

~ Cool wet compresses takes the heat down a notch, bringing some comfort.

~ Aloe Vera- cut off a leaf and rub it directly on the burned area, or use a gel with a high percentage of aloe vera in it. This is my  favorite – the aloe vera is slimy and spreads as a nice, cool gel. It’s very soothing and takes the sting away in most cases.

~ Anti-inflammatories can also help take the edge off the pain and decreases the inflammation.

If you have blistered, leave the skin intact. Your top layer of skin protects the under layers like a cushion, and keeps germs out. Drink plenty of fluids and please cover the burned area if you go back out in the sun!

For more information or when to seek medical care, the Mayo Clinic and Emedicine are great resources!

Enjoy the summer sunshine!

Thanks for stopping by and “Making My Life Beautiful“!

XO Candy

What can we do? First, we ALL know how to prevent skin cancer, right?  Stay out of the sun during peak hours, wear sunscreen, reapply sunscreen, wear light clothing, hats, stay under an umbrella – you  know the drill. Do you really take all these precautions? OR, do you think, it won’t happen to me?  Are we more concerned about how to get rid of our wrinkles produced from sun damage, than preventing skin cancer? Say it isn’t so – after all we’re not dumb … or vain, right?

Well, in my age group I can tell you that skin cancers are popping up all over. Basal Cell Carcinoma and Melanoma are the ones I am hearing most often.  Now we are in a panic – what can we do?

Here are my tips:

Use Apriori Beauty Skin Care – Sun protection of ~25, Contains Caffeine which can possibly kill skin cancer cells.

Find yourself a great Dermatologist that uses a skin cancer screening device like the Dermatoscope.

Go OFTEN – every 6 months – for a skin check – every 3 months if you have suspicious looking “things”.

Make sure your Dermatologist is skilled in the MOHS Micrographic Surgery Technique~

Wait, what did you say? What is MOHS?

Dr. Frederic E. Mohs, developed a special technique many, many years ago that is useful for removing certain types of skin cancers which allows for “precise microscopic marginal control by using horizontal frozen sections…..has become the treatment of choice for basal cell carcinomas (BCC’s) and Squamous Cell Carcinomas (SCC’s) at high risk for local recurrence.”

What this means is that the MOHS procedure will remove the skin cancers layer by layer, horizontally, because these cancers grow in much the same way a tree grows by spreading roots – wide and deep. By taking the layer by layer approach, the dermatologist can look at each layer under the microscope to know when all the cancerous skin cells are removed, thus preserving as much healthy tissue as possible. 

“The advantage of the MOHS Micrographic Surgery Technique is that 100% of the surgical margin of the specimen, including periphery and undersurface, is examined.  In contrast, only 0.01% of the margin is sampled when a standard surgical pathologic technique is used.  The maximal amount of normal tissue is conserved with the MOHS method; this is of particular value in treating tumors on the face or in other critical areas.” 

“Thus the advantages of the MOHS procedure are:

Superior cure rates

Maximal Tissue Conservation

Ability to trace perineural or infiltrating tumors histologically

Low cost relative to that of radiation therapy, excision with frozen sections, or surgery in hospital operating rooms.

Negligible risk of complications from anesthesia, because of the almost exclusive use of local anesthesia in MOHS procedures.”

My previous dermatologist did not use either the Dermatoscope for diagnosing, or the MOHS procedure in removing my Basal Cell Carcinomas.  With the treatment of my third one, I was required to return to have more tissue removed because they did not get it all. It was explained to me that they would get it all this time because “they could feel the difference between the unhealthy and healthy tissues”. I responded with “Why couldn’t you feel it the first time?” What began as a suspicious looking red spot about two millimeters wide, turned into an area of tissue removed the size of a quarter. AND I still don’t know if they have removed it all.

MY NEW Dermatologist uses a Dermatoscope to look at my suspicious areas every visit, and is proficient in MOHS Micrographic Surgery. I am so thankful I found him and I rest a lot easier at night knowing that when things do pop up, I have the best chance of catching them early, and having complete removal of anything abnormal.

Source for this blog post and to learn more details about MOHS Micrographic Surgery:

 http://www.emedicine.medscape.com/article/1125510

Thanks for stopping by and “Making My Life Beautiful”!

XO Candy

At Apriori Beauty, we strive to promote the link between internal and external health, and the beautiful skin that results from complete health and well-being. Below are a few tips offered by the experts (and available through Apriori Beauty products) that will have you glowing like a red-carpet star …

1) What you put into your body affects how your skin looks!
According to dermatologist, Dr. Susan Taylor of Columbia University, achieving beautiful skin requires living healthfully. “Pay attention to what you eat and drink and do to your body … for glowing skin, Taylor recommends foods rich in vitamin C (sweet red peppers, red berries, citrus fruits, Brussels sprouts, and kale), coenzyme Q10 (walnuts, sardines, tuna, yellowtail, soybeans and sesame oil) and glutathione – a potent antioxidant (glutathione boosters include asparagus, broccoli, spinach, turmeric, and garlic). Other recommendations include lots of water, omega-3 essential fatty acids and vitamins A, C and E. Salmon, green tea, flax-seed oil, cold-pressed olive oil, blueberries and pomegranates all make the list of foods for beautiful skin.”

Lifeoxylin® Cellular Defense Elixir contains:

•  Vitamin C – red berries, citrus fruits
• Coenzyme Q10
• Glutathione boosters – broccoli, spinach
• Vitamins A, E, C
• Green tea
• Blueberries
• Pomegranates

2) Topical products that focus on cell health will provide the best results!

To obtain healthy, glowing skin from the outside, experts suggest choosing “treatments and topical products for maximum luminosity.” Recommendations include hydrating and exfoliating ingredients such as amino acids, green tea, vitamins C and E, powerhouse antioxidants, hyaluronic acid, skin-brightening products to fade blotchiness, and essential lipids. Dermatologist, Dr. Harold Lancer, also stresses that products should contain high concentrations of “active ingredients” and that “sustained” effort is key. Achieving glow isn’t about ‘a one-time thing or one-week treatment.’” 

The breakout, anti-aging line from Apriori Beauty, Celloxylin®, provides ingredients your skin needs to achieve maximum health and radiance, by promoting healthy skin structure and function on a daily basis! All products contain the patent-pending Nutrient Reservoir™, a unique and proprietary blend of potent and rare anti-aging ingredients designed to combat 4 core causes of skin damage and aging:  Oxidative Stress, Genetics, Hormonal Fluctuation, and Mitochondrial Function. These ingredients also target existing signs of aging, including fine lines and wrinkles, age spots, and dull, dry skin, to help you achieve glowing, younger looking skin. Consistent with the above recommendations, the Nutrient Reservoir’s key ingredients include:

•  Acetyl Glucosamineto support cell membrane structure and reduce hyperpigmentation when used topically
• Acetyl Octapeptide-3, the next generation anti-wrinkle octapeptide that works to reduce wrinkle depth
• Acetyl Resveratrol a super antioxidant that is capable of influencing cell life and longevity
•  Angelica Polymorpha Sinensis Root Extract, a traditional Chinese herb know for its analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and healing properties
• ATP (adenosime triphosphate), which transports chemical energy within cells for metabolism
• Caffeine, a potent cellular energizer, anti-oxidant, and anti-inflammatory
• The cellular energizer, Carnatine HCL, which aids in cell-cell communication to help skin function in a healthier manner
• Lycium Barium Fruit Extract (Goji Berry) a super antioxidant
• Petasites Japonica Root Extract, an anti-inflammatory and calming agent
• Phospholipids, fatty acids, triglycerides, sterols, andtocopherol (vitamin E) to mimic the skin’s natural lipids and aid in active ingredient delivery
• Rhodiola Rosea Root Extract, an adaptogen and anti-aging phytonutrient
•  Soy Isoflavones to aid in active ingredient transport and provide antioxidant and anti-inflammatory functions
• Tremella Fuciformis Extract, an extraordinary moisturizer and antioxidant that also supports cell metabolism
• Ubiquinone (Coenzyme Q10) a potent antioxidant and necessary component of cell metabolism

So go ahead … be beautiful from the inside-out and the outside-in with Apriori Beauty!

How can I purchase Apriori Beauty products? By becoming my Client then Shop Away! 

Thanks for stopping by and “Making My Life Beautiful”!!

XO  Candy

Questions? Send my an email at aprioricandy@gmail.com !

Taken from Apriori Beauty “Did You Know – Internal + External Beauty Hits Hollywood!”

Disney defines service quality as “attention to detail and exceeding guests expectations”.  They know that you can “dream, create, design and build the most wonderful place in the world, but it requires people to make the dream a reality”.

Ladies and gentlemen, moving heaven and earth, attention to detail, exceeding guests expectations, people making dreams a reality…..what are they characteristic of?  Customer service, aka Guest Relations or just plainly- treating the people you interact with in a particular way.  What these two companies know is that if people are treated exceptionally well, they will return again, and again.  They not only want your repeat business, they also want you to spread their reputation of excellence around to everyone you know!

A reputation of excellence takes a long time to build.  It must be consistently exuded in every interaction between each guest and employee, in every visit.  When you stop to think about it, we are all in the business of guest relations – really we are!

Who are our “guests”?  Our family members, neighbors, people who provide a service to us, and every single person we interact with each and every day – oh, yes – don’t forget our true business clients, too!  Wow, that’s a lot of serving, you say! Yes it is, but who do we think of as our specially treated guests and who do we slide by with not doing much more than necessary to maintain the relationships?

I had a “guest relation” experience that prompted this blog post happened a couple of months ago, but has been brewing within.  There was someone on a social media site that marketed a healthy product, which contained an herb with healing properties.  This intrigued me, and I asked if she could offer me a sample, which she agreed.  Our conversation went something like this:

Me:  Your product sounds very interesting, is there a way to receive a small sample?

Her:  Send me your address.

The samples arrived in a plain brown envelope, with no note, no instructions, just two small packets, each with one serving of the healthy product.

Between the time of my request and receipt of the samples, I contracted a respiratory virus, and was taking multiple medications, including inhaled steroids.  I was waiting to get off the medicines to try it. After about a week and a half, I received this message:

Her:  Did you get the samples?

Me:  Yes, thank you so much!

Her:  Was free for you, but I had to pay for them, so I need to know if your tried them.

Me:  I have been sick, and was waiting until I am off my medicines. I will let you know!

Her:  Google search your meds to see if they interact.

Are you shaking your head about now?  I decided to send the samples back to her, with a note thanking her for offering them.  I was interested in sampling something with health benefits, and looking for a representative that provided information about their product with excellent customer service.

What should you look for in your customer service relationships?

What should I aspire to as a provider of excellent customer service? 

Here are some great tips from Mark Sanborn’s “The Fred Factor” which he calls “The Seven B’s of Relationship Building” – Fred was Mark’s exceptional Postal Carrier – if you haven’t read it, you need to!

“1.  Be Real ~ Always do your best at being yourself.”  Don’t try to be anyone else.  “The prerequisite for relationship building is trust.  At its most basic level, trust is built by believing that people are who they represent themselves to be.”

“2.  Be Interested ~ ….interested people attract appreciation.  People are flattered when you express interest in getting to know them better,……. in an effort to help or serve them more effectively.”

“3.  Be a Better Listener ~ …People are flattered when you make an effort to get to know them and seek information on how to serve them better.  Understanding and appreciating what they want increases the value of what you can provide for them.”

“4.  Be Empathetic ~ If you’re interested in others and make the effort to truly know them by listening to them, you’ll better understand how they feel. This is empathy.  The need to be understood is one of the highest human needs, but too often people who know us either don’t care or don’t make the effort to understand how we really feel.”

“5.  Be Honest~ …don’t make promises you can’t keep.  Don’t create expectations you can’t fulfill.  Avoid over-representing and over-promising.  Be a man, or woman, or organization of your word.  That’s integrity.”

“6.  Be Helpful ~  Little things make a big difference.  Lots of small things cumulatively make a huge difference….Remember your manners and people will remember you.”

“7.  Be Prompt~  Time is one thing many people have far less of than money.  Helping them save time by being prompt and efficient is a gift of great value.”

Growing up, I was a very shy and timid little girl.  It took a lot of effort, and waitressing jobs, to bring me out of my shell.  I observed those surrounding me throughout my life, watching the reactions of people they interacted with, and then repeating characteristics that provoked positive responses.  I’m still a work in progress, and my kids will tell you I’m not working hard enough!

I hope you have found some tidbits to think about, and maybe apply to your “Customer Relations” with everyone around you!

Thank you for stopping by and “Making My Life Beautiful!” 

XO Candy

PS Thank you all, for leaving such wonderful comments!

References: 

“Service Quality, Disney Style” by Scott Madison Paton http://www.qualitydigest.com/jan97/disney.html 

Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award 1992 Winner, The Ritz Carlton Hotel Company http://www.baldrige.nist.gov/Ritz_Carlton_Hotel_Co.htm

“The Fred Factor”, by Mark Sanborn, A Currency Book, Doubleday Publishers, Div. of Random House, copyright 2004, pages

Like a straightened rainbow, you can picture the spectrum of sunlight with the red, orange and yellow wavelengths being the longest and making up infrared light.  As wavelengths shorten, green and blue light speeds up into indigo blue and violet colors, which are visible and contain Ultraviolet A and Ultraviolet B rays.  These are the rays that cause sun damage to our skin.

UVA rays are the ones that cause tanning and premature skin aging – I like to think of the A in UVA for Aging. UVB rays, cause sunburn and skin damage, which I like to think of the B standing for Burn.  Both types of radiation can lead to photoaging (wrinkles and leathery skin) and skin cancer.

Repeated sunburning speeds up the aging appearance of your skin, caused by loosening of your collagen and elastin which are like your own skin’s natural girdle or support, skin thinning with underlying blood vessels more visible, leathery and rough skin texture, and the appearance of freckles and age spots.

When I asked my dermatologist what he would say to you about preventing sun damage, he told me how surprised he was that so many people are more concerned with finding treatments for their wrinkles than preventing them. He recommended staying out of sun during peak hours of 10 am – 4 pm, regular use of sunscreen, reapplying every couple of hours, and keeping hydrated by drinking water throughout the day. Wearing a hat and lightweight clothing is great if you are very fair skinned.

When you are looking for a good SPF lotion, make sure you find one that provides protection for UVA AND UVB rays. In a recent article in The Orange County Register (June 16, 2010), “Shedding Light On Sunscreen Debate”, author Landon Hall says in discussing the right amount of SPF to use, “the level of protection climbs only a little the higher you go.  SPF 15 blocks 93% of UVB rays, the short-wave radiation that causes sunburn: SPF 30 blocks 97%; and SPF 50 blocks 98%.  There’s no sunscreen that blocks 100% of the rays.  SPF doesn’t apply to UVA rays, which penetrate more deeply into the skin and can cause wrinkles, freckles and other signs of premature aging over time.  Shop for sunscreen that protects against both UVA and UVB rays.”

Then there is the need for your daily dose of Vitamin D, which you can easily achieve with 15 minutes of sun exposure every day. Vitamin D is an important topic for another time, as it has great implications for our immune systems, and bones. Suffice it here to say that a little sun is good, and too much can be harmful.

Enjoy being outdoors during the warm months using preventative measures to protect your beautiful skin from long lasting damage and keep drinking water all day long!

Thanks for stopping by and “Making My Life Beautiful”!

XO Candy

References: 

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sunburn/DS00964   

 http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/773203-overview