So to preface all my up & coming posts, I'd like to give you some background on my past skincare scandals.
By November 2006, when I was taking my state board exams for Esthetics, my skin was at it's absolute worse. I had been getting (and giving!) facials for months, and I definitely deem a hefty portion of my skin erruptions to all that stimulation. Constant alpha/beta hydroxies, lots of peels, massages, armoatherapy, you name it. The Master Esthetics (900hrs) course taught me tons, however it filled my pores with so much garbage that I didn't even know how to fix it. I consistently had red blotchiness through the center of my face, clogged pores all through my t-zone, and anywhere from 1-6 painful cystic blemishes on my chin, jawline, cheeks, and between my eyebrows. My forehead had clogged pores, but never really broke out after puberty. ;)
Between the internet, Sephora, and a few unhelpful dermatologists these are all the brands/products that I have tried, and didnt work (not to say I didn't like how some of them felt, but they didn't help at all): Caudalie, Dermalogica, M.D. Formulations, M.D. Skincare, Juice Beauty, BORBA, Merle Norman, Bliss, Murad, Repechage, Pevonia, MAC Pro Preferred Skincare, Korres, RareMinerals, Differin (adapalene), Clindamycin, Duac (benzoyl peroxide), ProActive, Origins, Cosmedicine, Cetaphil (yuck!), Skyn Iceland, Merle Norman, Ole Henrikson, Retin-A, and maybe a few more I can't remember.
All this trial and error, and error, and more error gave me a chance to learn ALOT about Skincare well beyond what they teach in Esthetics school. I read alot of reliable literature, from Esthetics and Dermatology textbooks, to Professional Skin Magazines, Dr. Perricone's books, Nutrition Books, Books on Ayurvedic skincare, Organic Skincare, Making your own Skincare, Armoatherapy, Product Formulation - You name it, I probably have it on my book shelf. I started carefully selecting the skincare I would try using the Milady Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary, which was tedious yet made me realize all the garbage most skincare products contain.
Finally, I discovered this forum (www.essentialdayspa.com/forum). There was a thread there with hundreds of posts, and at the time was over 60 pages! It was that thread that introduced me to my skincare miracle, 302 Skincare (www.302skincare.com), which is a private line sold only by estheticians, you can't order it on any websites, you have to actually talk to one the Estheticians so they can give you the correct regimen. It's usage instructions are extremely specific, and taylored to your specific skin. I read this one womans success story with 302, and the progress she had made in 3 years, with unretouched photos, was stunning. I had to try it. I NEEDED IT. So I emailed & called (for good measure, I was excited!) and very promptly recieved a phonecall from one of their chemists, named Gomer, who talked to me about my skin delimma, and explained to me why it was happening and what 302 could do. He explained that all my over usage of Exoliating Acids, Peels, Layering multiple treatments, etc. was over-working my skin, creating excess inflammation, and causing a cycle of painful inflammatory breakouts. He could immediately tell that I was a candidate for this line, and because I was an Esthetician, I got a complimentary starter kit, with the following products: 302 Oily/Combination Cleanser, 302 Recovery Plus (which I ended up not needing or using) and 302 Calmint Mist, and 302 Drops.
So to understand the 302 Regimen, you need to understand some ground rules when using 302. (skipping over to the present I now use this liquid gold in my spa room with great success, so I'm jumping out of my confused-wah-my-skin-is-awful flash back to give you some important facts)
302 Skincare was discovered by a chance ethno-boatanical experiment in the rainforest, inwhich a culture of people had sustained amazing skin in harsh conditions, due to their diet of almost entirely avocados. 10 long years of research and experimentation, the 302 molecule was discovered, extracted from the avocado and put into concentrated, organic, self-preserved, active formulations that are nothing like typical skincare lines. 302 also can't be used with any exfoliating acids (salicylic acid is a phenol, technically not an acid, but we'll get to that), or acid based skincare ingredients. Basically, if you're going to use 302, that's all you should use. So many products on the market are formulated poorly, with cheap and irritating ingredients (sodium lauryl sulfate is a perfect example), and when used with a highly active line like 302, can lead to contraindications.
So to prepare your skin for a 302 regimen, you have to have not used any Acid-based products for two weeks. The pictures below were taking the day I spoke to Gomer and knew the 302 was on its way to me (Approximately June 2008).
-These pictures are stuck on a camera that I don't have a cord for. I'm taking it to the Geek Squad to get the pictures! Check back!-
I had ditched all my fancy (yet ineffective) skincare, and settled for a slimey cetaphil depression while waiting for my 302 (I hate cetaphil, and it's loaded with sodium lauryl sulfate which automatically negates how its supposedly great for sensitive skin). At that point I was excercising regularly, but not taking any supplements, and eating only ok. My boyfriend and I had a 2 hour distance between us, which we always made work for us, but we ended up staying out at hotels and constantly eating out. I was also driving all over the place, so lots of protein bars on the go, and a half-ass attempt to get in all my vegetables and fruits. I was also a smoker (don't judge me). I tried hard to get in my 10 ounces of water a day, get in plenty of antioxidants, wheatgrass drinks, but my efforts were only mediocre.
This is now:
My skin is much more even, and much less red. I've switched to sulfate free shampoo (currently loving WEN shampoo) to eleviate the redness at my hairline. I break out maybe once a month (even guys have hormone cycles, contrary to the overwhelming belief that only woman get hormonal breakouts), versus daily tumors growing out of my chin. My skin is also less oily, clogged pores are fewer and farther between, and my pores are slightly smaller, but they still look larger in the midst of summer. I have three minor acne scars (one on the lower part of each cheek, and one on the right side of my chin. You can see them in the pictures), all of which are raised slightly, and I would like to diminish them as much as possible. I also have very slight lines, two on my forward, and a small vertical line inbetween my eyebrows (very faint as you can see, but I get alot of headaches from flourescent lights, so it's from squinting). This is my current skincare regimen, and health & wellness habits:
Skincare:
AM - 302 Sensitive Cleanser, Spray with 302 Acne Mist, & 302 Recovery Minerals SPF30 (or occasionally the 302 SPF 30, if I don't feel like dusting on the Mineral Sunscreen)
PM - Face & Body Bar or 302 Oily/Combination Cleanser, 302 Acne Mist, and I rotate nights using 302 High Potency Serum or 302 Acne Serum, and occasionally I'll use C-Boost, or I'll take a night off and let the skin rest. (another important 302 Fact! You never layer active products, you actually rotate them and use them on different nights. It keeps your skin guessing so it can't build a tolerance, thus making your skincare work better!)
I give myself Ultrasound Treatments (I have a Bellaire HS-3003 Skin Spatula in my spa room) atleast 1-2 times a month, Weekly when possible. I use the Ultrasound to deep clean & exfoliate, aswell as penetrate either 302 C-Boost or 302 High Potency Drops. (I plan on doing a more detailed explanation of Ultrasound in conjunction with 302 in the future)
I'm recently adjusting to a promotion that included a 2 hour commute (both ways) so I haven't been working out lately. Just a yoga session here and there (I shoot for 2x a week). I am watching what I eat, and trying to keep a Low Glycemic Diet when possible, that's rich in the roughly 12-15 powerfoods (depending on the sources), all of which I attempt to consume RAW whenever possible. You are what you eat, and to have nice skin you have to live the lifestyle that warrants it.
I take the following supplements right now, and break up all the service sizes in half. I take the first half in the morning, and take the second half sometime between lunch & dinner. I feel the vitamins absorb better when you don't take EVERYTHING in one sitting:
All NSI purchased from Vitacost.com (most affordable place to buy vitamins! they have everythig, and orders get to me fast):
Multivitamin (from whole food sources, more easily absorbed)
Vitamin C (ester with citrus bioflavanoids)
Omega 3's from Fish Oil (anti-inflammatory)
Alpha Lipoic Acid (water & lipid soluble super antioxidant)
Black Currant Oil (GLA/Omega 6 to help moisturize skin, treat eczema, reduce sebum)
L-Carnitine (Amino acid that tells the body to burn stored fat)
Probiotics (good digestive bacteria)
I drink alot of Tea, Mostly green and sometimes Oolong, averaging on 1-3 glasses a day, usually closer to 3-4 on work days. I don't drink alot of fruit juice, but I do drink Low Sodium V8 often for extra veggies. I enjoy Apple Cidar Vinegar tonics 1-3x a day, and lately I'm really into rinking Kombucha tea. I try to drink alot of water.
I just quite smoking on 9/20/09, which would be my most recent development.
I plan to use this blog as a resource to document my personal progress with 302 Skincare, post pictures and descriptions of different treatments I do in my Spa room, Personal and Client Before & After Pictures, Product reviews, Brand Reviews, Good for your skin Food Recipes & Excercises, Skincare & Wellness Book reviews, & to showcase valuable Skincare information aswell as showcasing some of my Make-up Portfolio. There are so many things I mentioned in this first post that I will post more ellaborate explanations of, this is just an introduction. I have a lot of information I want to share with everyone! I hope to hear all your feedback, so please comment!
Wishing you great Skin,
Danny Vanity
