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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!
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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:
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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!
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"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.
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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!
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Left: Tracy from Ascending Butterfly, Right: Dr. Jeannette Graf |
Get Social With it:
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Like Avène USA on Facebook
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Left: Maria Gutierrez of Glytone, Center: Dr. Jeannette Graf, Right: Laurent 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.
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Style Shout Out: The Black Suit I am wearing is by
IGIGI.
˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙
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!