Showing posts with label Sunscreen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sunscreen. Show all posts

Saturday, June 29, 2013

Taking care of your #skin summer & beyond + @ask_drgraf #DermDL Soiree! @Glytoneusa @Aveneusa @KOandAssociates #skincare #beauty

Ask Dr. Graf, Dr. Jeannette Graf, #DermDL
Dr. Jeannette Graf

During my visit to the fun Coney Island event that I shared with you guys, I got my first ever sunburn. I mean first ever in my life. All things considered that may not sound bad to you, but it was actually so bad it was pretty much Sun Poisoning. I alternated between fever and chills, pain, tingling, redness, blistering, nausea, dizziness, headache, upset stomach and dehydration Not a pretty picture! The sad part is that I did use sunscreen before leaving the house, but what I neglected to do was re-apply and I was out in the sun all day.

Because I lost my Aunt/Godmother to skin cancer, I'm normally hyper-vigilant and super careful when it comes to being out in the sun. Too bad this event wasn't held BEFORE that fateful day out in the sun!

New York City, City Scapes, Views, Urban
Our view from the outdoor terrace on a perfect summer evening in New York City!

I got to attend a lovely evening summer soiree on a beautiful outdoor terrace where Dr. Jeannette Graf - who you may know from either her skincare line via HSN, her popular book 'stop aging, start living The Revolutionary 2-Week pH Diet That Erases Wrinkles, Beautifies Skin, and Makes You Feel Fantastic' or you may have had a consultation with her as she is also the Assistant Clinical Professor of Dermatology at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York. (Yes the same hospital where I spent my third long term hospitalization last year!). She is a board-certified clinical and research dermatologist who has been recognized for excellence in education with the 2011 Mount Sinai Medical Center Teacher of the Year Award. In addition she received an award for Outstanding Achievement from the National Institutes of Health and obtained an NIH patent for her research on peptides, which is how she was fondly dubbed "Doctor Peptide".

It was a perfect summer evening in New York City, it wasn't too hot or too cold, the weather held out and we started out with the chance to put our face into a device that would assess our sun damage, if you haven't done this, you really should, it definitely opens your eyes to making you want to take better care of your skin.  And I don't just mean that in the superficial way with cosmetics, I mean down deep quality skincare that takes care of your skin from within so you can can radiate your inner beauty naturally!

We all know diet plays a major role in beauty, so I had to take a moment to snap a picture of these great eats:

Buffet Table at Ask Dr. Graf #DermDL Event in New York City
A beautiful buffet spread was accompanied by a lovely rosé or white wine of choice!


I don't know about you, but I personally could live on Seafood alone, those Shrimps were delish!

Starting with Circadian Rhythms (learning how to take proper care of our skin day and night) I learned that Day time is Protective Mode, our skin has a higher pH level and experiences Increased Sebum Production . Daytime Essentials include: Broad-spectrum protection, UVA & UVB, SPF 50+ in the summer and Antioxidants. 

Your sunscreen should be thing you apply daily before your makeup, even if the makeup contains an SPF! According to Total Beauty Media Group, one in five women between the ages of 18 to 24 does not apply sunscreen regularly or understand the severity of melanoma.

Night Time is Renewal Mode, our skin has a lower pH level, it is experiencing increased microcirculation and increased transepidermal water loss. Dr. Graf also reminded us that there is real power in 'Beauty Sleep' getting enough rest helps regulate your weight and offers anti-aging benefits. This is definitely one area where I know I need to improve, I don't get nearly enough sleep! One of the evening essentials that was recommended to us was Retinol/Vitamin A, as it regulates skin repair on a molecular level. Retinol targets Acne, Fine Lines, Wrinkles, Hyperpigmentation, as well as loss of Collagen and Elasticity. Retinol based products should be applied at night while the skin is in renewal mode since sunlight can destabilize the effectiveness of retinol. Apply retinol on DRY SKIN as applying it to damp skin increases the risk of sensitivity. Let it sink in before applying any other moisturizer or serum on top of it and be sure to apply sunscreen during the day, especially when using products with retinol at night.

One of things that resonated greatly with all the attendees was a Myth vs Facts quiz, I can tell you that not one person got every question right, which means we all have a lot to learn when it comes to better overall skincare and wellness!

Dr. Jeannette Graf, Ask Dr. Graf New York City Event, #DermDL
"Darker Skin is more Vitamin D3 Deficient, Get your D3 levels checked! UVB is what aids in D3 production, but since it causes skin cancer, we don't want people to get Vitamin D3 from UVB exposure." ~ Dr. Graf

MYTH vs. FACT:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - All skin types require sunscreen - FACT

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Dark skin does NOT require sunscreen since it doesn't burn - MYTH (I learned this one the hard way!)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Dark skin is not susceptible to sun damage or skin cancer - MYTH

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Melanoma rates are increasing in Hispanic and African American Women - FACT (We need to face that reality and if you spot something suspicious ladies get your primary to give you a referral for a Dermatologist appointment.)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - The Stats: In a skincancer.org survey, respondents reported that they had experienced greater than 4 sunburns in the preceding year and this is how the percentages were broken down by demographic:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - American Indian/Alaskan Natives, 19.6%,
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Asian/Pacific Islander, 15.5%,
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Hispanics, 19.1% (YIKES, I wasn't expecting that!)
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - African Americans at 12.3%.

Butterflies the numbers DON'T lie, and the report also broke down the percentages by male and female respondents! Both of us (both men AND women) need to get real and get serious about our skincare!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Vitamin D3 Facts: Vitamin D3 levels are often LOWER in darker-skinned people, causing a Vitamin D3 deficiency, while it is known as the 'Sunshine Vitamin' Sun exposure is NOT recommended as a source of Vitamin D3. (Needless to say during my next visit to my primary I will be specifically asking to have my D3 level checked!). It is readily available in food (like one of my personal faves Salmon) and is easily supplemented.

Sunscreen in the Summer:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - UVA - While it's considered Low Energy, it has a Long Wavelength and causes Sun-induced Skin Aging that is the same all year round

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - UVB - Is High Energy with a Medium Wavelength, it causes sunburn with higher levels in the summer

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Use a Broad Spectrum Sunscreen Product with at least an SPF of 50, DAILY! (and yes even in winter, your skin still needs UVA/UVB protection and if you are using retinol products at night, you must remember to apply sunscreen during the day to protect your skin against increased irritation and sensitivity.) And remember to RE-APPLY it throughout the day.

My Take:

This event was not only fun, it was informative, getting an assessment of where my skin stands now and how best to protect it was a great post sunburn reminder to make sure I NEVER let that happen again! I appreciate Dr. Graf taking the time out of her super busy schedule to educate us on the importance of keeping our skin protected. We were able to ask her everything and anything about skincare, and the part where common myths were addressed was an eye opener for us all that's for sure, but as a Latina it made me especially sad to know that the myth that darker skin can't burn is still so prevalent.

Gift Bags on Display at Ask Dr. Graf #DermDL Skincare Event in New York City
Gift Bags on Display at Ask Dr. Graf #DermDL Skincare Event in New York City


What's in the Bags?

We were sent home with great products to add to our Beauty and Skincare arsenal including:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -Rétrinal EYES - by Eau Thermale Avène which reduces the appearance of deep lines, puffiness and dark circles. It also contains "soft focus" powders which camouflage irregularities and reduce shine.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -Thermal Spring Water - by Eau Thermale Avène has a pH of 7.5 is bacteriologically pure, preservative free, Hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic and has been used since 1743 in the Hydrotherapy Center to treat serious dermatological conditions such as atopic dermatitis, psoriasis and eczema.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - High Protection Tinted Compact - by Eau Thermale Avène is a Broad Spectrum 50 SPF Tinted Compact 100% Mineral Sunscreen with powerful antioxidant protection that is formulated with Avenè Thermal Spring Water.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Sunscreen Ltion SPF 30 - by Glytone Skincare. A PABA-free, mineral based lotion that provides UVA/UVB protection to guard against sunburn and premature aging.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - enhance night renewal cream - by Glytone Skincare. A nighttime cream formulated with Free Glycolic Acid and Retinaldeyde to help clarify, smooth and firm skin.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - stop aging, start living - Dr. Graf gave us a copy of her book 'stop aging, start living The Revolutionary 2-Week pH Diet' which I can't wait to dive into!


Left: Tracy from Ascending Butterfly, Right: Dr. Jeannette Graf




































Get Social With it:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow @ask_drgraf on twitter
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Like Ask Dr Graf on Facebook
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow Glytoneusa on twitter
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Like Glytone on Facebook
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow @Aveneusa on twitter
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Like Avène USA on Facebook

LeftMaria Gutierrez of Glytone, Center: Dr. Jeannette Graf, RightLaurent Saffré of Pierre Fabre USA

























So tell us Butterfly, how do you keep your skin safe from the sun's harmful rays? What is your favorite sun skincare product or products?

*Bottom two photos are courtesy of Karen Oliver and Associates who provided us with permission to use these photos.

**Style Shout Out: The Black Suit I am wearing is by IGIGI.

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post, no monetary compensation has been received to share our event recap coverage and all opinions expressed herein are 100% my own. Gift Bags were provided to attendees. I really do take Skin Cancer prevention VERY seriously!

Friday, May 27, 2011

{CLOSED} Borghese Spa Bella Gift Set Giveaway!

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This giveaway is now CLOSED. Thanks so much to our wonderful sponsor Borghese! We look forward to working with you again! The winner has been notified and upon confirmation, follower name will be posted both here and on our homepage. Remember: There are great giveaways active on the upper right hand side of the page!
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Ascending Butterfly's Annual Mother's Month Buying Guide Giveaway, brought to you by:


Yes it is still Mother's Month at Ascending Butterfly, with all the craziness of BlogWorld 2011 finally coming to an end, I'm catching up on emails, entries and of course blog posts. I wanted to get this post up before BlogWorld, but I didn't get a chance, so I want to start by thanking our dear friends at Borghese for their patience.

I've been using Borghese products (my personal longtime fave is the Fango Mud Mask) well before my Blogging Days, so when I recommend them, I do so because they are a brand I buy anyway!

This week I've been in 'go go go' mode with very little rest (felt much like the Energizer Bunny), with a back to back schedule that left little time for adequate hydration and my skin really paid for it! While makeup has its place, the foundation for great skin is taking good care of it. And even if you have oily or combination skin, it still requires proper hydration to maintain it's health! This weekend aside from trying to catch up on much needed rest, I am planning on some 'at home spa day' treatments to thank my skin for putting up with the abuses I put it through this week!

Spa Bella Mother's Day Gift Set

Pictured Above: Spa Bella Mother's Day Gift Set

Included in the Set:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Gel Delicato Gentle Makeup Remover - a luxurious and lightweight gel that never robs skin of moisture as it lifts away makeup. (I love not having to tug at my skin to get makeup off, especially now as we are approaching summer. This time of year I switch to waterproof everything, requiring a very solid remover, I love having a remover that gets it all off, but doesn't dry or strip my skin in the process!)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Fango Active Mud for Face and Body  - Stimulate and firm the skin while gently detoxifying. (This is my favorite Mud Mask of all time! It never over dries my skin, and it makes my face look just like my skin does after a pricey spa facial treatment!)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Sali Esfoliante Salt Scrub - Purifies your skin. (I love salt scrubs, your skin needs exfoliation year round, many people cut back on them in the summer which is actually a mistake, the dead skin cells need to be sloughed off your skin or they clog your pores, so don't cut back on your exfoliation routine just because the weather is getting warm!)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - CuraForte Moisture Intensifier - Allows moisturizing products to perform to the max and provides lavish hydration. (Use much like you would a makeup primer, especially if you are more partial to mineral/powder foundations)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Cura di Vita Protettivo Protective Moisturizer SPF 15 - I love this and use it daily, it offers SPF protection, hydration and doesn't make my skin oily.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Fluido Protettivo Advanced Spa Lift for Eyes - With my jam packed schedule, I never skip this step! I'm also prone to dark circles from my dads side of the family so I really try to make a concerted effort to use products that help with under eye circles.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Tono Body Creme - Give skin the moisture it needs for a healthy glow. If you are going to spend the day at the beach you can put on your sunblock during the day, and then use this at night after your shower, your skin will thank you for it in the morning!

All packed in a perfect-for-summer Straw Tote lined with signature “B” pattern. A $209.00 value, priced at $52.50.

My Take

This is a great gift not just for Mother's Day but a perfect gift for summer month birthdays too! Attending a pool party at a friends house? Dinner party during the summer months, bring this as a hostess gift. It's unique, thoughtful and will be very much appreciated! And this set couldn't possibly be more timely since this is the start of Memorial Day Weekend.

You didn't think I'd forget about you right? Who loves you butterfly?

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - WIN IT! - Ascending Butterfly and our friends at Borghese have a very special surprise for 1 lucky winner! 1 winner will win the Spa Bella Mother's Day Gift Set!

Don't you just ♥ Borghese? I know I do!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - How to Win: (1) You must be a PUBLIC follower of Ascending Butterfly to be eligible for this and all giveaways. Indicate in your entry that you follow (if your 'comment name/user id' differs from your profile id, please let me know what name you follow under) and (2)MANDATORY entry-Visit Borghese and  Link us to another great item that catches your eye! (3) You must also leave your email address somewhere in your comment. (You can format it this way for security, example: ascendingbutterfly AT mail host DOT com). (If your email is clearly visible in your profile, you can just say so, that's OK!) Please follow the easy 1, 2, 3 steps to winning (or in this case, the A,B,C’s of winning!) This giveaway is open to USA residents who are 18 years of age or older. No PO Boxes.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Please follow directions or you will be disqualified! All comments are moderated, they may not appear on the site right away (comments like "I want this" or "I want to win" will not be entered). You have from Friday, May 27, 2011 until Thursday, June 02, 2011 at 03:00 PM (EST) to comment and be entered for a chance to win. You will have 48 hours to confirm if we do not hear from you we will be forced to move on to an alternate. (We only notify winners DIRECTLY via email, so if your profile or your comment does not have an email your entry will not be processed)

EXTRA CREDIT:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Rock the VOTE - it's super easy and a ONE time only, Please vote for me, Tracy Iglesias (in red jacket)  - http://www.yourbestpose.com/competition/?id=1#6

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Blog about this giveaway, linking to this giveaway post. Leave the URL in a comment. (If your blog post contains more than just a pic and link you'll get 5 extra credit entries! Leave five entries.)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - In the spirit of Mother's Day Fun share with us your favorite advice that your mom has given you! (and yes, if you were not raised by your mom, you can share with us the best wisdom received by the person who did raise you!)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Grab our NEW Button and put it on your Blog. Leave the URL where we can see it in a comment (if you have our old one, please swap it out, our URL address has changed!)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow @Tracy_Iglesias on Twitter (this is ascendingbutterfly’s editor) and give me your twitter ID in a comment

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow @@BorgheseBeauty on Twitter

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow @Ascending1 on Twitter (this is Ascending Butterfly's new account, we will soon be hosting twitter parties which necessitates having a second account so we can make updates throughout the entire party!)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -Tweet this:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - @Ascending1 + @BorgheseBeauty Spa Bella Gift Set #Giveaway! Ends 06/02 Pls RT- http://tinyurl.com/443bxp7

(Leave a comment with the tweet’s url so you can get a valid entry (click on the time your tweet was sent to get the direct URL and then copy and paste it here). You can Tweet TWICE per DAY. If you Tweet more than that, that entry will be disqualified.)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Digg about this giveaway and leave your digg username in your comment

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Fave this blog on Technorati and leave your Technorati user name in your comment

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow Ascending Butterfly on Facebook HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow Borghese and tell them Ascending Butterfly Sent You (I'm sure they'd love for you to tell them which Product you most want to try also!) on Facebook HERE (Please post the link to your facebook comment, you can get that link the same way you get your link to your tweets!)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow Ascending Butterfly on Networked Blogs HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Join Ascending Butterfly's NEW Community/Real Time Chat, Group HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - One time only, NOT a daily: Vote for Ascending Butterfly on: Fuel My Blog

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Have you entered another active giveaway on Ascending Butterfly? Let me know which one and you’ll get more extra credit!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Have you commented on a non-giveaway entry? Let me know which one here and you’ll get more extra credit!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Press the button below and join, you get an extra entry for this giveaway and a shot at more great prizes, lets win together! (one time extra credit, will be verified before entry can be accepted)

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FTC Disclosure Info for this Giveaway: This is not a paid insertion. This is a non-compensated post and all opinions regarding the product and the sponsor are my own experiences. I was provided product to facilitate the review and giveaway. The sponsors are fulfilling directly to prize winner(s), this in no way influenced my opinion of the products. Once a winner is selected and their information has been forwarded to the sponsor, the responsibility of prize fulfillment rests with the sponsor.