Two mature women walk into a bar. One has gray hair, the other is blonde. The blonde has glowing skin and perhaps a bit of Botox. The lady in gray seems to have spent a lifetime fly fishing without sun protection. Clearly, they have different ideas about what “aging gracefully” means, yet they’re friends. Why?… Read more »
Health & Beauty
Wood therapy, or maderoterapia, is an innovative holistic treatment with roots in Asia that has gained significant traction in South America and now the United States. Its remarkable detoxifying effects, ability to stimulate key pressure points throughout the body, and ability to deliver noticeable results in a short amount of time have made it particularly… Read more »
Going Organic…with Hair Color
- By Ana Cetina
- September/October 2024
Today many of us choose natural body products as healthier options knowing that what we apply is absorbed into our skin. But what about our regular trips to the beauty salon? Fortunately, healthier options can be found there as well. When it comes to color, choosing organic over traditional options is becoming increasingly popular and… Read more »
Retinal vs. Retinol
- By Brook Dougherty
- September/October 2024
Is the beauty industry tempting us with another ingredient we don’t need or is the new retinal worth the hype? Retinol has been a skincare staple for years, but now, retinal (retinaldehyde) is being marketed like it’s a scalpel-free version of a face lift. Right or wrong? Wrong. Nothing is like a scalpel-free facelift. But… Read more »
Summer Skincare Myths for Men: What Guys (and Girls) Need to Know
- By Brook Dougherty
- July/August 2024
The season of sunburns, sweat, bug bites and sunspots is upon us once again. For men, we want to keep safety simple, so here are a few tips to guard your hide from serious damage during hot summer months. These skin-smart myth-busters will send you out into the wild blue yonder prepared and protected… Myth… Read more »
Nighttime is Skin Time
- By Brook Dougherty
- May/June 2024
As we age, our life story often shows up on our face. It’s especially true when one lives in the desert. If you feel the story your desert skin is telling you is one of despair, you might find relief by establishing a few new habits before you tuck in for the evening. A morning… Read more »
Skin Cycling and The Moon
- By Brook Dougherty and Donna Flood
- March/April 2024
In keeping with the beauty industry’s ongoing campaign to inspire new trends, one of the latest is skin cycling. Is there anything to it? The answer is in the ancient wisdom of the moon and its influence on our biological cycles. The moon is about gravitational pull. Skincare is about fighting gravity. Thus, it makes… Read more »
The Difference in a European Facelift
- By Lauren Del Sarto
- March/April 2024
Aging is something we all come to terms with differently. When we look in the mirror and see changes, it’s natural to consider what we can do to turn back the clock. In fact, the concept of facial rejuvenation dates back to ancient civilizations where massages, herbal remedies and rudimentary surgical procedures were employed. Today,… Read more »
Aging + Big Beauty: The Expensive Myth
- By Brook Dougherty
- January/February 2024
Does expensive equal good? Do more steps equal better results? Can you fix your aging skin? These are the questions the skincare industry often lobs at the post-menopausal crowd. Then they offer us miracles to calm our panic. Aging women (as well as young consumers who could rub dirt on their faces and still look… Read more »
From Plate to Face
- By Brook Dougherty
- November/December 2023
At the Farmers’ Market, we shop for the ingredients our bodies need. At Sephora or Ulta, we shop for those ingredients we think our skin needs. With a little knowledge, our shopping missions can complement one another, and we can achieve total glow from the inside to the outside rather than finding the odd vegetable… Read more »
2024 Beauty Trends Embrace Individuality
- By Michele McDonough
- November/December 2023
In the ever-changing landscape of beauty, staying on top of the latest trends is essential and hopefully achievable. As 2023 unfolds and we enter 2024, new beauty trends are emerging, redefining conventional standards and encouraging individuality. From innovative skincare routines to bold makeup choices, this year is all about celebrating diversity and embracing one’s unique… Read more »
A Helping Hand for Aging Skin
- By Pam Gossman, DNP, APN, BC-FNP, CPHQ
- September/October 2023
As we age, our skin and facial anatomy go through various changes. These changes not only affect the appearance of our skin, but also the shape of our face. Thus, taking extra special care of our skin becomes increasingly important in our later years. Non-invasive and minimally invasive medical aesthetic treatments have come a… Read more »
How to Layer Skin Care
- By Brook Dougherty
- July/August 2023
No one is quite certain where the concept of layering began. Was it when Estee Lauder told us to “layer up with confidence”? Or, was it when Sunday Riley told us to “reveal radiant layers”? Is layering grounded in science or is it a marketing ploy to encourage people to buy more product? The answer… Read more »
Sunblock, a Hat and Botanical SPFs
- By Brook Dougherty
- May/June 2023
As summer approaches, it’s essential to protect your skin from the sun’s harmful rays. Some folks won’t walk out the door without sunblock, while others loathe the stuff and rely on a hat or choose inside activities like bowling or bunco. If you do choose to wear sunscreen, it’s important to check the labels and… Read more »
PRP: The Fountain of Youth?
- By Pam Gossman, DNP, APN, BC-FNP, CPHQ
- May/June 2023
Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) therapy has been used by orthopedic surgeons for many years as a less invasive option to surgery and to enhance athletic recovery. PRP uses a person’s own platelets (blood) to stimulate healing and is widely known to be an effective solution to injury. Due to its unique healing abilities, PRP therapy has… Read more »
Dimethicone: Good Guy? Bad Guy? It’s Complicated.
- By Brook Dougherty
- March/April 2023
The skincare business is a bit like a John Wayne movie. There’re always good guys and bad guys. In Westerns, the good guys are the ones with the white hats. The bad guys are the ones with the black hats. In skincare it’s harder to identify the villains; they don’t wear hats and they change… Read more »
Should You Dermaplane?
- By Marisa Rivera, LE
- March/April 2023
With season in full bloom, many are looking for a quick facial treatment that delivers immediate rejuvenation with no down time. Dermaplaning can be the perfect choice. Widely practiced by dermatologists and plastic surgeons for more than 40 years, dermaplaning is a simple and safe treatment that leaves you with soft smooth skin and a… Read more »
Skin Care: Making Sense of Scents
- By Brook Dougherty
- January/February 2023
Have you ever noticed that the first thing you do when considering a skin care product is to smell it? The second is to spread a bit on the back of your hand and feel it. The skin is tied to human emotions1 and those two bits of sensorial information are often enough for many… Read more »
The Mindfulness of Skincare
- By Brook Dougherty
- November/December 2022
Sometimes we don’t realize that the odd flareups we experience on our skin are caused by stress. It’s a demon that increases the signs of aging and can cause a blemish to pop up right on top of a wrinkle, or an itchy irritation to suddenly appear on our arms or legs. One of the… Read more »
Four Reflections for Spring
- By Jennifer Yockey
- March/April 2022
I don’t know about you, but I love the different seasons. Although we don’t have a lot of weather variations here in the valley, there is an energetic shift as the days get longer, the crowds disperse and plant life starts to bloom. As we move out of winter and into the longer days of… Read more »