Overexposure to the sun without protection leads to wrinkles, brown spots, and, eventually, the potential of skin cancer. Lack of sun protection is not news to most of us, but how to deal with it is. How do you enjoy an active, outdoor lifestyle and not end up looking like a lizard? 

Avoiding dry skin is close to my heart because, as an avid cyclist and outdoor enthusiast, the damage to the skin caused by environmental exposure is of great concern to me – and I am sure to you, too. Great looking skin is one of the many reasons I am so passionate about skincare ingredients. The strategy is simple: Protect, Nourish, and Repair. But how? And with what? 

To effectively do these things to the skin, product ingredients must be able to penetrate the skin’s outer layer. Applying an abundance of ingredients that hydrate, protect against free- radical damage, and prevent the cross-linking of collagen (i.e., wrinkles) is the strategy. Think of this as the nourishing and regenerating phase of corrective skincare. However, to achieve the maximum benefit of these intense skin-repairing elements, you must first clarify and refine coarse, discolored dry skin texture. These nourishing ingredients can penetrate the skin. 

Sun damage produces thick, coarse, and blotchy skin texture over time, making the penetration of active and nourishing ingredients almost impossible. The results most people experience in the process is little more than lubricating dead, dry surface skin cells, resulting in ZERO change in the appearance of the skin. Ugh!

My Protocol for Perfect Skin Polish

To help you jump-start the “bodywork” needed to help reverse the effects of environmental damage, here is a great place to start. Simple and effective, my daily protocol outline below. For optimal results, start here and be consistent.  So, if this is the case, what do you do? First, daily exfoliation is a must to help dissolve dry, scaly skin, so active ingredients can absorb to make positive changes to the skin. 

-Refine and Polish Skin Texture:

Without the use of heavy waxes or excessive oil use, the Daily Glow Dual Active Face & Body Polish is a nutrient-rich skin polish/masque penetrates the stratum corneum with an abundance of ingredients. These ingredients hydrate, protect against free- radical damage, regenerate collagen, balance the skin’s production of sebum, and reduce any inflammation to give the skin optimal health. The precious essential oils of steam-distilled rose and ylang-ylang stimulate cell turnover and encourage the skin’s regenerative properties. 

Simply apply a generous amount to face, neck, chest, arms, and hands. Massage into the skin for 60 seconds and rinse thoroughly. You can also leave this on the skin for 10-15 minutes for a rich, moisture mask experience, then jump into the shower and rinse off. I know you will find this a beautiful full-body experience!  (See Video Below) 

-Replenish, Repair, and Regenerate:

Located in the ocean are some of my favorite ingredients for skin repair are. Marine algae contain a vast array of antioxidants to protect the cell against environmental aggressors such as ultra-violet radiation, pollution, and deficient nutrition. Some algae species provide us with skin brightening properties without the toxic side-effects of hydroquinone and OTC skin bleaches. These are just a few of the compelling reasons to turn to marine algae for skin rejuvenation. If you subscribe to my blog, I will cover this fascinating subject in more depth in the months to come!

Hydration and Plumping
Specifically, Red algae are beneficial for nourishing and hydrating to skin that is dehydrated. Algae’s pulpy texture stores water; when used in skincare, it helps draw water into the skin’s surface. This plumping action makes it useful for diminishing the presence of wrinkles and fine lines. It can even increase the moisture preventing dried-out skin that can lead to red pimples. 

Our Red Algae Body Serum is a luxurious hydrating cream/serum that is lightweight and immediately penetrates the skin to provide much-needed protection from daily environmental assault and restores balanced moisture levels with no greasy residue.

Sun Protection
Marine algae have received considerable attention as natural photoprotective agents due to their unique and exclusive bioactive substances. Marine algae photoprotective materials exhibit a wide range of biological activities. These include ultraviolet (UV) absorbing, antioxidant, matrix-metalloproteinase inhibitors, anti-aging, and immunomodulatory activities. These amazing bioactive substances derived from marine algae have tremendous benefits in skincare. They are so useful to help reverse the environmental assaults we are exposed to daily.

Brightening
Red algae contain significant vitamin C levels, which is an essential ingredient for brightening and revitalizing the skin. This antioxidant is ideal not only for scavenging skin-damaging free radicals but also for brightening and balancing uneven skin tone. Vitamin C inhibits tyrosinase, responsible for the formation of excess pigment in the skin in response to sun damage. 

An extract from algae, carrageenan, makes it possible for red algae to protect skin from environmental stressors. These nourishing ingredients, like polysaccharides (complex carbs), proteins, lipids, and nutrients, are among other substances readily absorbed into the skin. Balancing and correcting many environmental skin challenges. One of the primary benefits of red algae is their ability to help you achieve brightened, nourished skin. In fact, this type of algae extract contains impressive amounts of Vitamin C, making it ideal for fading dark spots and even your skin tone. 

We all know sun damage is one of the leading factors for visible aging, so incorporating red algae into your skin routine is a wise move to keep your skin looking youthful for as long as possible. (See Video Below) 

Ingredient of the Week: Seaweed

Actions and Pharmacology:

Building Blocks of Life:

Seawater is known to have all of the elements of life and has been compared to blood plasma, lymph, and the fluids that make up 70% of the human body. Marine plants that obtain their nutrients from seawater are concentrated storehouses of all of the elements found in the sea. As the base of the food chain, marine plants deliver all of the sea’s nutrients to our skin to support and accelerate cellular regeneration. In fact, a bath in seaweed will deliver vital elements such as magnesium, potassium, iodine, copper, and zinc essential in the synthesis of collagen and other skin fibers.

Subscribe to my blog and stay tuned for more holistic body treatments soon to come!   I think you can begin to see why Algae is so essential in the treatment of aging and sun-damaged skin…an aging skins true “best friend”…

“My Passion is Your Solution”