Niacinamide is the latest buzzy skin care ingredient in the spotlight, and we’re here for it. An essential nutrient that boasts powerful skin healing and protection benefits, niacinamide is a reliable go-to for shrinking pores, smoothing texture, and more. Read on for our comprehensive guide on what niacinamide can do for you. 

What Is Niacinamide? 

Niacinamide is a type of vitamin B3. It’s found in a variety of foods, like whole grains and leafy greens, and plays a role in energy metabolism and cell health. In skin care, it’s most often found in its synthetic form in serums and moisturizers, where it works to visibly minimize enlarged pores, improve uneven skin tone, soften fine lines and wrinkles, brighten, and support the moisture barrier. Along with other amazing skin care ingredients such as retinol and Vitamin C, niacinamide stands out due to its versatile use for many skin care concerns and skin types. 

What Are the Benefits of Niacinamide for the Skin? 

There are several ways niacinamide can improve the appearance of skin when incorporated into skin care: 

• It supports the skin’s all-important moisture barrier, locking in hydration 
• It minimizes the appearance of enlarged pores by tightening up pore laxity 
• It reduces inflammation, minimizing redness and blotchiness and evening out skin tone 
• It supports the skin barrier and protects against environmental and free radical damage 
• It supports skin cell health and plays a role in helping skin to repair signs of past damage 
• It minimizes some signs of sun damage, including hyperpigmentation, fine lines, and wrinkles. 

There’s also some evidence that topical niacinamide may help treat certain skin conditions, including acne and eczema. 

How to Incorporate Niacinamide Into Your Skin Care Routine  

Before we cover the ways you can apply niacinamide topically to skin, keep in mind you can also up your intake of foods that are rich in this essential nutrient to give your skin a boost from the inside out. This form of vitamin B3 is found in eggs, whole grains, green vegetables, legumes, fish, and whole milk. To get the most out of niacinamide’s skin-related benefits, the best way to incorporate it into your skin care is with topical products. A popular ingredient, you’ll find it in concentrations as high as 6% in serums, toners, masks, moisturizers, and even makeup. 

Here are some key tips to keep in mind if you’re trying niacinamide for the first time: 

• It’s safe to use every day in the morning and evening, however if you have sensitive skin you may want to start with a lower concentration 
• It works well when combined with other powerful ingredients like peptides, hyaluronic acid, and chemical exfoliants 
• It can cause redness and irritation as your skin gets used to it, in which case scale back to using it every other day or only a few times per week 
• Follow up with a good moisturizer to lock in the benefits and help nourish the skin, and sun protection of course! 

        *Try PCASkin Clearskin- light weifght moisturizer with 6% niacinamide and it has botanical blemish fighters in it as well.

         *Try PCASkin VitB3 brightening eye cream or VitB3 Brightening Serum-Your skin will LOVE you!

It never fails; you’re getting ready for a job interview, a photo shoot, or a date with a loved one when you notice a pimple showing up on your face at the absolute worst time! Pimples are an extremely common skin issue for both men and women, so it’s not surprising that they pop up when you least expect them.

If you don’t have a few days to wait until they go away on their own, here are a few quick tricks on how to get rid of pimples fast when you have important plans.

Try Some Ice

If your pimple is red and painful, ice can help soothe it. Place a single ice cube in a paper towel or clean cloth and gently press it against the pimple for up to 5 minutes. Don’t put the ice directly on your skin, or you might increase the amount of inflammation and redness in the area.

Ice is a great way to not only soothe the painful bump, but can also help reduce the appearance of the pimple and lighten the redness around it. If you only have a few minutes to spare before you need to leave the house, give this tip a try!

Make an Aspirin Paste

While this may sound strange, making a paste from a crushed up aspirin can reduce swelling and provide pain relief as well. Aspirin contains salicylic acid, the same ingredient found in a wide range of exfoliators, acne creams, and other facial products which makes it great to use in a pinch.

Crush one aspirin tablet into a powder and add a small amount of water to make a thick paste. Apply this paste directly to the pimple and let it sit for up to 15 minutes. After the time has passed, gently rinse the aspirin paste off of the area with lukewarm water.  You’ll notice a reduction in the redness, swelling, and pain.

PCA Skin has a great acne gel as well or if your skin is really oily use their acne cream. Use a mask once or twice a week.

Additional tips: Drink a lot of water and less sugar, salt and dairy. Wash those brushes and pillowcases and sheets.

Your pores are tiny openings in your skin that are a natural part of your body. Everyone has pores, and their job is to release natural oils and sweat from the lower layers of the skin.

When the pores become clogged, though, it can lead to a number of visible issues including the appearance of whiteheads, blackheads, and even acne. Ensuring your skin stays cleansed and exfoliated while taking action in clarifying them can help minimize the chance your pores will become clogged.

What Causes Clogged Pores?

Your pores can become clogged in a variety of ways. The most common way is when a buildup of dead skin cells are unable to shed freely from your skin. Instead, they will remain on your skin and eventually lead to your pores being unable to release oils and sweat properly.

Additional factors that can cause clogged pores may include:

• Excess sweat
• Various toxins in the air
• Oil from your hands
• Dirt and pollution
• Makeup

You might not notice whiteheads, blackheads or acne right away, but will start to notice an overall dullness in your complexion. Pores may appear larger or darker in color, and swelling or inflammation may start to develop.

One of the easiest ways to prevent clogged pores is to limit how often you touch your face. Other factors include dirty pillowcases and towels, not cleansing after a workout, and putting cell phones against your skin.

Can You Squeeze Clogged Pores?

While it might seem oddly satisfying to squeeze the dirt and build-up out of a clogged pore, this can lead to even more damage to your pores and the surrounding skin. The pinching and pulling motion on your skin when you attempt to squeeze a clogged pore can lead to additional inflammation and redness. Bottom line: don’t ever extract a pore yourself–go to a professional!

Can You Unclog Pores?

The short answer is: yes! If you’ve already started to notice clogged pores, don’t worry. There are a variety of ways you can help unclog your pores and return to the brighter complexion you are used to.

Ways to Shrink Large Pores

Unfortunately, there is no way to physically shrink large pores, but you can help reduce the look of them. Some of the most effective and proven options you can consider include the following skincare habits:

Exfoliate Regularly

Enjoying an evening exfoliating facial is a great way to start your day! It’s also a great way to gently scrub away excess buildup of dirt, grime, oils and skin cells which can clog your pores. Just make sure to find an exfoliating agent that’s gentle yet efficacious (i.e. avoid aggressive substances like crushed walnut shells), and slough off those dead skin cells at least once or twice a week. Don’t overdo it–they will do more harm than good.

Consider our ILUMA intense brightening exfoliating cleanser. It’s an excellent choice for all skin types and can help gently scrub away dead skin cells while also removing excess oils from your skin. You’ll also notice it includes a range of high-performance ingredients like mushroom-derived enzymes, glycerin, white peony and licorice to help increase the appearance of your skin’s elasticity as well.

Vitamin C is known for containing powerful properties, with many people often praising it for alleviating the common cold. Consuming Vitamin C has a variety of health benefits, but applying Vitamin C to your face can yield plenty of anti-aging benefits to your skin. It creates a brighter complexion, evens out your skin tone, improves hydration, and diminishes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. 

But how exactly does Vitamin C bring about all of these benefits? 

These benefits come from the ascorbic acid in Vitamin C, which creates younger, firmer-looking skin. To learn how Vitamin C helps you maintain a youthful glow, it’s important to understand the effects that free radicals, the sun, and collagen have on your skin. 

Free Radicals: So many of our skincare products protect against them, but what are they? Free radicals are unstable electrons in molecules that are caused by conditions in the environment and even food. They change the composition of healthy cells and damage them, which can have visible effects such as wrinkles, sagging, and roughness. Vitamin C contains antioxidants, which can interact with free radicals to terminate any vital damage to cells while combating the effects of aging. 

Sun Damage: While we all enjoy soaking up the sun, it can have damaging effects on our skin if we don’t stay protected — and sometimes SPF just isn’t enough. Harmful UVA and UVB rays can eventually create wrinkles. Vitamin C serums strengthen your skin and repels things that can damage it. Our powerful serums contains melanin-suppressing properties, which can prevent and fade brown spots caused by the sun.  

Collagen: Collagen is one of the most important components of keeping your skin looking young. Collagen is a connecting tissue that keeps your skin layers together. As you age, you lose collagen, which causes the skin to sink and create wrinkles. The decline of collagen also allows facial expressions and movements to leave marks on our faces. Vitamin C is known to give you younger and firmer skin because it increases and stimulates collagen production to avoid aging in your skin. 

What about Blue Light?  

Blue light: The Invisible Menace 

We live in a world that is heavily reliant on our smart devices (sleeping with your phone under your pillow, anyone?) – from finding that recommended local restaurant or navigating your way around traffic. But as we read more about how screen time and prolonged exposure to blue light can be detrimental to our health – now we are learning it can also cause dark spots on our skin as well as photo-aging and weakening of the skin surface. Apple’s new “Screen Time,” feature creates a weekly activity report showing the total time spent on each app! With the average American currently clocking in an estimated 10.5 hours of screen time a day,  our phones have become an extension of ourselves. 

But can our devices really be such a danger to our physical and mental wellbeing? The answer is yes: blue light is the invisible threat to our physical and mental wellbeing. 

Blue light is a color in the visible light color spectrum, it has short wavelengths but emits high energy that can have permanent negative impacts on your sleep, anxiety levels, eyes, and even is linked to signs of premature aging. Blue light is an unavoidable danger especially with our attachment to our devices. Long term exposure to concentrated blue light energy can cause severe skin damage, including skin discoloration, inflammation, and the overall weakening of the skin’s surface. Blue light, also referred to as digital pollution, has the potential to promote stressors in the skin that cause photo-aging – skin damage and premature aging that is strictly caused by exposure to light. While avoiding the effects of blue light might not be avoidable, we can manage the impact it has on our skin. 

Vitamin C serum do for your Face

Eating plenty of vegetables is an easy and inexpensive way to improve your skin’s appearance. Different vegetables can support and nourish your skin. Here are some of the benefits you can see from several types of vegetables.

Vegetables That Your Skin Will Love

1. Sweet Potatoes, Pumpkin, and Winter Squash. All three of these vegetables provide the same improvements in your skin. Just by eating these vegetables, you can help your complexion. Antioxidant beta-carotene is found in sweet potatoes, which is one
of the main ingredients to help fight sun damage. Sweet potatoes, pumpkin, and winter squash also contain vitamin A and antioxidants. Vitamin A is needed to keep the skin healthy and regenerated. Antioxidants can slow the aging of cells.

2. Avocado. Avocado can help fight skin inflammation, and contain a natural oil and healthy fats. One of the main avocado skin benefits comes from their high oleic acid content. This monounsaturated fatty acid maintains moisture in the epidermal layer of your skin, helping to make it soft and hydrated.

3. Carrots. Eating carrots can provide your skin with a natural sunscreen. Beta carotene is found in carrots which can help your body to form collagen and regenerate your skin cells.

4. Spinach. Spinach contains a whole list of vitamins that are good for your body. Many of those vitamins can help your body system to function optimally, restore any cell damage, and deliver nutrients to your skin.

5. Bell Peppers. These vegetables contain a high level of vitamin C. The large amount of vitamin C that is found in bell peppers can make your skin appear to be younger. As well as having strong antioxidant properties, vitamin C is needed for the creation of elastin and collagen, which bind your skin cells together and maintain their firmness and structure.

6. Brussel Sprouts. Eating these can help to create glowing skin. Brussel sprouts contain vitamin C and antioxidants to help maintain the health and the glow of your natural skin. The antioxidants in Brussel sprouts can even help prevent skin cancer and acne. Brussel sprouts also contain an ingredient known as silica, which can rebuild and regenerate the skins connective tissues.

7. Cucumbers and Celery. Both cucumbers and celery can hydrate dry skin. Silica is present in both of these vegetables which is known to increase elasticity to the skin.

How Vegetables Help Your Skin:

• Eating vegetables can help to reduce redness or yellowness in
your skin.

• Eating vegetables can improve skin tone.
• Helps prevent acne from occurring.
• Helps protect against different types of cancer.
• Helps protect against infections.

Vegetables improve your skin

There are different types of scar – some of these will fade away naturally in time but some are harder to get rid of. The main types are:

1. Macules: flat, red spots where you once had a spot, boil or acne breakout. These tend to fade on their own after a while.

2. Skin discoloration: where a healed acne scar leaves you with discolored skin. This is sometimes called post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation and can take months to fade completely.

3. Tissue scars: these are the enlarged, raised growths also called keloids caused by excess production of collagen.

4. Tissue loss: the acne ‘pits’ or scars caused by a loss of tissue

Common Treatments for Acne Scarring:

Micro-dermabrasion: this is where I use a medical grade machine to exfoliate your skin using very small crystals, taking off the surface layer of dead skin and encouraging cell renewal. For deeper scars it’s likely you’ll need more than one session, so keep this in mind. It’s non-invasive, doesn’t hurt and requires no downtime so is an ideal first treatment for acne scarring.

Chemical peels: a chemical peel is very effective at reducing hyperpigmentation and also reducing the appearance of shallow acne scars. A chemical peel simply involves applying a mild type of acid to your skin to remove the very top layer. Taking off the dead skin cells leaves your skin looking brighter and evens out your skin tone. Mild skin peels don’t usually need any down time, but the harsher ones might leave your skin red for a while, with some peeling. Keep in mind more than one treatments is necessary for the best results.

I also use microdermabrasion and microchanneling together for acne scars as well.

Come in for a consultation and see what we can do for YOU!

While being safe and not breaking any laws…Close your eyes and touch whatever surface is in front of you. How does it feel? Rough? Smooth? Abrasive? Now, if your hands are clean touch your skin. How does it feel? Maybe different than you remember. Our skin changes as we age and the difference in texture can be alarmingly noticeable. Not only can you feel vertical lines and wrinkles, they’re also generally the deepest and most pronounced indicators of aging skin. If that’s not enough, vertical lines can even distort your facial expressions! This article won’t eliminate your wrinkles but will help you better understand the causes of vertical lines and how they can be reduced.

What is a vertical wrinkle?

Vertical lines and wrinkles are visible folds in the skin that run north to south ⇵. Horizontal lines run east to west ⇆ and are normally caused by repeated facial expressions. Unfortunately, laughter and smiling can increase horizontal lines. Most people associate these smile lines with happy emotions but expressing happy emotions can make horizontal lines become very noticeable. Vertical Lines run north to south and are much more pronounced. People tend to strongly associate vertical lines with looking sad, tired or angry.

Read more: frown lines and furrowed brows
Can vertical wrinkles be caused by the environment?

Life choices and your environment are one of the leading causes of vertical lines. The most common environmental factors to consider are sun exposure, pollution, stress and smoking. It is impossible to completely eliminate exposure to your surroundings but we recommend:

• A good skincare regimen that includes applying UVA + UVB protection daily.
• A strong source of antioxidants in both your diet and your skincare to help push back against free radical damage and pollution.
• Limiting your stress, sleeping well and taking time to exercise and pamper yourself.
• Keeping clear of smoke because it can increase the visible signs of aging on your skin. Smoking causes internal and external damage to your body.
• Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize! Use any moisturizer and drink plenty of water!

Read more:  vertical lip lines
Can your skin be lazy?

We hope not because skin has to keep working hard to maintain its natural shape! Your skin doesn’t exactly get lazy but as we age skin tends to lose its elasticity and firmness as our cell renewal rate starts to decline. People that spend long hours in the sun may see early signs of aging sooner than those that use SPF protection and have a consistent skincare routine. Remember our skin is continually exposed to pollutants. Luckily, you can help your skin stay in shape with active ingredients that are specifically targeted to give it a boost.

vertical lines and wrinkles

Mandelic Acid, which is derived from almonds. This powerhouse ingredient serves as a gentle exfoliant and works to treat a variety of skin challenges including photo-aging, acne and irregular pigmentation.

What It Is

As I mentioned L-Mandelic Acid is found in almonds, and its name is derived from the German word for almond – “Mandel.” A little known fact about the almond – it is actually not a nut. The name refers to both the tree that produces the fruit as well as the fruit itself. And the fruit of the almond (what we know of as a nut) is actually a drupe, which is classified as fruit with an outer fleshy part surrounding an inner shell or pit – like a peach.

Mandelic Acid, considered an AHA, was discovered while heating an extract of bitter almonds called amygdalin. How It Works

Today Mandelic Acid is used to treat a variety of skin issues including photo aging, acne, rosacea and other pigmentation disorders. It has a pH of 3.4 and is strong enough to produce a mild exfoliation, but is tolerable by most skin types because of its lighter “prickling” sensation.

Mandelic Acid’s antiseptic and antibacterial activity makes it useful in treating acne in adults and teens, and since it reduces inflammation and rednes. I have it available in a serum, toner and moisturizer and it has been very beneficial for my clients.

Mandelic Acid

Dry, flaky skin is a major concern for many people, especially in the winter. While moisturizers, oils and creams are great for topical use, treating skin from the inside out can also help to introduce some hydration back into the skin.

• Vitamin C helps boost skin hydration while working to prevent wrinkles. Foods filled with vitamin C include: broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cauliflower, pineapple, kiwi, oranges and avocados.
• Vitamin E protects the skin from free radicals, which can lead to early signs of aging. Almonds, sunflower seeds, spinach, avocados, trout, walnuts, sweet potatoes, butternut squash and olive oil are some of the foods rich in vitamin E.
• Beta-Carotene works to protect the skin against damage from UV rays. Some foods rich in beta-carotene are sweet potatoes, carrots, leafy greens, spinach, winter squash, kale, pumpkin, red peppers, peas and broccoli.
• Healthy Fats help to keep the skin moisturized and flexible. Avocados are one of the best foods containing healthy fats along with cheese, extra virgin olive oil, fatty fish, whole eggs, chia seeds and dark chocolate.
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids can also work wonders on the skin. Foods high in omega-3 fatty acids include: seafood, wild salmon, mackerel, chia seeds, flaxseeds, walnuts, sardines, soybeans and olive oil.
• Zinc can actually help with creating new skin cells. Seafood, dark chocolate, oysters, lamb, wheat, pumpkin seeds and spinach are all rich in zinc.
• Potassium fights against another form of food that could be drying your skin out: sodium. Bananas, sweet potatoes, spinach, watermelon, avocados, walnuts, yogurt, dark chocolate, tomato soup, edamame and butternut squash are some of the numerous foods that are rich in potassium.
• Antioxidant-rich foods have numerous benefits, but they specifically protect the skin from free radicals. Dark chocolate, blackberries, blueberries, cranberries, pecans, walnuts, spinach, strawberries and artichokes are all included in the antioxidant-rich food family.