Stem Cells And Snail Mucus, Bizzaire Skincare Ingredients That Really Work

 

 

As a beauty editor, it is my job to stay on top of all things BEAUTYful, especially in the skincare and aesthetic industry. This niche is one of my favorites for advancements in skincare, whether with at-home skincare gadgets, cosmetic treatments, or cutting-edge skincare ingredients.

And today, I am going to be talking about two buzz-worthy and slightly bizarre skincare ingredients that have intrigued me. One is stem cells, and the other is snail mucus, aka snail mucin. Now I know the first thought to many when you hear this is the thought of some crazy horror movie. But there is nothing scary here.

For this post, I partnered up with Glowyskin.Care to try out some Shidoa skincare products that included these two buzziest skincare ingredients.

So, if you want to find out why you need to add snail slime and stem cells to your skincare routine, continue reading about "Stem Cells And Snail Mucus, Advanced Skincare Ingredients And How They Work"

Snail Slime Has Slid Into Skincare
Snail mucus, also known as snail mucin, is one of the most trusted skincare ingredients in the K-beauty world. And while there may be an initial yuck factor involved, you will soon be sure to get over that when you hear about all of the tremendous anti-aging benefits that snail mucin can offer.

What The Heck Is Snail Mucin, And Where Does It Come From
Snail slime began with the ancient Greeks and was later rediscovered by Chilean farmers who noticed their hands were softer after touching snail secretion. So what the heck is slithering skincare substance? Simply put, it’s the excretion that snails naturally create to protect themselves. It's made up of properties like glycoproteins, glycolic acid, and hyaluronic acid all of which have long-documented benefits for the skin. And no worries, there are various “cruelty-free” methods of snail production and slime extraction, making it widely acceptable in the skincare industry.

The Many Benefits Of Snail Mucin For The Skin
This powerful ingredient is a multitasker skincare ingredient. It can do so much, all while helping your other skincare ingredients to penetrate the skin further. See some of the many benefits of snail slime for the skin below.

Snail Mucin Promotes Collagen Production: Snail mucin is secreted when the snail feels stressed. It consists of natural growth factors meant to repair and protect by triggering collagen production and new cell growth.

Snail Mucin Moisturizes The Skin: Fitting the name, snail slime is highly moisturizing and is fantastic at repairing damaged, dehydrated skin.

Snail Mucin Soothes Skin Irritation: Snail secretion contains Allantoin, a healing component that calms and smooths the skin while stimulating cell regeneration.

Snail Mucin Is Enriched With Vitamins, Minerals, And Antioxidants: Microfiltrate snail slime contains peptides, which are great at aiding in collagen production while minimizing fine lines and wrinkles. It also includes antioxidants such as vitamins A and E, which are a must to helping restore the skin from oxidative stress caused by free radicals.

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So Where Can I Find Skincare Products With Microfiltrate Snail Slime
As mentioned earlier, I partnered up with Glowyskin.Care to try out some of their Shidoa skincare products. If you're looking to use snail mucin as a multi-purpose anti-ager, try Shidoa Snail & Hyaluronic Face Cream. This product contains other well-known active ingredients such as hyaluronic acid- a star skincare ingredient naturally occurring in the human body.

Hyaluronic acid attracts up to 1000 times its weight in moisture; add that to the snail slime, and you are in for an ultra-moisturizing treatment that helps to keep skin hydrated, plump, and more radiant. It even visibly softens fine lines and wrinkles without breaking the bank.

Stem Cells For Younger Looking Skin
Yep, this is another brilliant, must-have skincare ingredient that dermatologists have raved about for years for antiaging.  But no worries, unlike stem cells used to treat medical issues, you will not be rubbing someone's stem cells on your face, as the stem cells I am talking about are derived from plants.

Similar to human stem cells, plant stem cells contain proteins and amino acids, two powerhouse ingredients for skin rejuvenation. And according to  Dr. Michele Green, board-certified dermatologist, stem cells naturally have antioxidant properties that nourish skin cells, promoting cell turnover and increasing collagen production and elastin.  

If there is a magic potion that can delay skin aging and protect it from further damage, it is a powerful antioxidant. Not only are they super anti-inflammatory, but they’re also excellent at neutralizing, repairing, and preventing free radical damage (the number one cause for premature aging).

How To Incorporate Stem Cells Into Your Skincare Routine
Now that you understand how stem cells and antioxidants can serve as a line of defense against free radical damage, it's time to start guarding your skin with some stem cell skincare products like Shidoa Stem Cell Face Cream.

This face cream is excellent at protecting your face from external factors and creates a more youthful look because it goes into the skin’s cellular level.  Delivering moisture and reparative agents to where they need to go.

A Bonus Tip: Dead skin cells lay on the top of the skin and act as a barrier against skincare products. Hence for better results of your Shidoa Stem Cell face cream, I suggest exfoliating to remove any dead skin cells creating an unobstructed pathway to the layers of your skin.

Show Your Eyes Some Love With A Stem Cell Eye Cream
You look in the mirror, and what are those crinkly areas around the eyes that you see? Crow's feet! While we may say the eyes are the windows to our souls, they present a clear picture of something else; premature aging, as unfortunately, this thin, delicate skin around the eyes is one of the first to show signs of aging.

But no worries as Shidoa Stem Cells Eye Contour is here to the rescue. This 100% natural stem cell eye cream has been created with an extraordinary AM and PM formula, which is indicated to help firm and tighten the delicate eye area while helping to smooth the appearance of crow’s feet and fine lines for a more awake, lifted complexion.   

For ultimate results I like to keep this eye cream in my skincare fridge. Not only does storing this eye cream in the fridge help it to last longer, but the cooling sensation is perfect for bagging puffiness and brightening a tired appearance.

So there you have it, some bizarre skincare ingredients that actually work! Add that to bee and snake venom, magnetic clay, cactus oil, Cica and I think I've more than dipped my toe in some unique skincare ingredients.

Have you tried any unusual skincare ingredients? If so, let me know below. Until next time!

                                                                

How To Consult Young Plastic Surgery Patients

 

With social media pressures, selfies, HD cameras on cell phones, and reality TV shows, I wondered how many teenagers actually seek plastic surgery for the right reasons. More importantly, how do plastic surgeons consult young plastic surgery patients to make sure they are good candidates? 

This is why I was excited to have plastic surgeon Dr. Ashley Steinberg located at The Clinic for Plastic Surgery in Houston, weigh in on the topic "How to Consult Young Plastic Surgery Patients."

How To Consult Young Plastic Surgery Patients From Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Ashley Steinberg

Teenagers seek plastic surgery for various reasons ranging from addressing a health need to fixing a feature that has made them susceptible to bullying. Add that to the social media pressures, selfies, HD cameras on cell phones, and reality TV shows, it’s not unusual for young adults to want to look their best with cosmetic procedures.

For a long time, plastic surgery was only for people in their 40s, 50s, and beyond. But now, I often see patients come to our practice in their teens, 20s, and early 30s. It’s estimated that teenagers account for about 4% of all cosmetic procedures. 

What Is The Age Of Consent For A Plastic Surgery Consultation

The first thing to remember when you do a plastic surgery consultation with a young adult is the age of consent. All patients must be 18 years old to undergo plastic surgery. If they are younger than that, their parents must provide legal consent for the procedure.

When consulting with a minor patient, it’s essential to also talk to the parents to understand why the young person wants surgery. There are situations, such as rhinoplasty, where having the procedure can make sense because of a cosmetic problem with the nose being too large or having a significant hump, etc.

But some young people are swayed by images from social media, and they want surgery to look like one of their favorite celebrities. Or, the patient may have an overly critical view of their body based on low self-esteem that is frequent in the teen years.

You should talk to the young person’s parents to understand why their son or daughter wants surgery and if they have a healthy frame of mind about the possible outcomes. If they want a perfect body or face, it’s your job to tell the patient that they have unrealistic expectations.

Find Out What Their Goal Is Regarding Plastic Surgery
The young patient should be able to say why they want cosmetic surgery. As I stated earlier, it’s essential to ask questions and find out if they have realistic goals met with plastic surgery.

For example, if a young female has a big bump on her nose bridge and wants it removed, this is a reasonable request, and she will probably be happy with the result. Likewise, if the goal is to have a smaller straighter nose, so she looks like others in their social circle, this is reasonable.

But if the teenager thinks having a smaller and straighter nose will help her get on the cheerleading team, this isn’t a realistic goal, and she isn’t a good candidate for the procedure.

Look For Maturity In A Plastic Surgery Candidate
A good, young plastic surgery candidate should demonstrate maturity and understand the procedure and potential risks and complications. They also should understand what the recovery will be like.

For example, if a young male wants a tummy tuck after significant weight loss, he needs to understand that he will have a four to six-week recovery that will limit most of his activities. In addition, if he is still in high school, he may need to take his classes remotely, and physical activity will be off-limits during that time.

Or, a teenager who wants their nose reshaped but cannot postpone soccer obligations for the six-week recovery isn’t ready for plastic surgery. A mature young candidate should also understand things could go wrong and need revision surgery in a rare case.

Pay Attention To Who Is Asking For The Plastic Surgery
When you meet with the young person and the parents, watch who talks the most. Who is requesting the surgery - the teen or the parent? Be cautious of situations where the parents seem to be suggesting the surgery, not the patient.

It’s possible a parent could project their own experiences and want to safeguard their child from emotional harm. If the patient has ears that stick out, but he doesn’t care about them, you shouldn’t do an otoplasty even if you are confident they'll have a good outcome.

If the patient isn’t requesting that his ears be changed surgically, there is no consent from the patient, even if the parents give theirs.

Remember That Teens Are Self-Conscious About Their Bodies
Most of us are self-conscious about our bodies, but even more so in our teens and early 20s. Some young candidates for plastic surgery procedures may have negative feelings about their bodies, and that is driving them to go under the knife.

But we should remember that their bodies are still developing, and what they think they want now could be different in a few years. For example, a teen female may be self-conscious about her small breasts.

However, the female body can continue to develop well into the mid-20s, so it’s wise to wait on breast augmentation in many cases.

Dealing with young candidates is a different part of a practice surgery practice. Therefore, you will need to use particular caution and consideration when performing a consultation with someone in this age group.

More About Houston's Board Certified Plastic Surgeon Dr. Ashley Steinberg And Her Practice
Dr. Ashley Steinberg is from New York City and completed her undergraduate studies in London and Windsor, Ontario, and St. George’s Grenada. After graduation, she completed her general surgical residency in Brooklyn, New York, where she worked with highly skilled and renowned plastic surgeons.

Next, she attended the University of Nevada, School of Medicine, where she worked with the highly-regarded Dr. William Zamboni. After medical school, she did three more years of plastic surgery residency at Houston Medical Center. There, she had the opportunity to work with expert surgeons in microsurgery, aesthetics, craniofacial, and hand surgery.

For more information about Dr. Steinberg, visit her practice online at Dr. Ashley Steinberg Plastic Surgery in Houston.

References

ASPS Weighs In On Growing Popularity Of Teen Plastic Surgery. (2019). Accessed at

https://www.plasticsurgery.org/news/press-releases/american-society-of-plastic-surgeons-weighs-in-on-growing-popularity-of-teen-plastic-surgery

Plastic Surgery Consultation Tips. (n.d.). Accessed at

https://www.plasticsurgery.org/news/blog/plastic-surgery-consultation-tips

Summer Beauty Tips To Try

 

Summer beauty tips to try. From summer cocktails, to cute summer outfits, beauty products, and some much needed pampering for moms, the Beauty Spotlight Team has you covered!

Summer Cocktails

It’s summer time and the living is easy. I love to game-up my summer sipping with lighter in alcohol, healthier options. Read more about The Culinary Cures favorite summer sips that dial down the sugar and dial up the flavor. 

Cute Summer Outfits

One of this summer’s trends is chain jewelry. Chains can be light and minimal on hot days, they can be layered, they can give edge to an outfit and they go with everything. Angie at Your True Self Blog explores how simple chains add instant flair to your outfits. And she includes a style tip, too!

Summer Household Goodies

After her beautiful soaps melted away in the shower and made a mess on the sink, Allison from Never Say Die Beauty swears by the game-changing SoapStandle. You gotta check out this efficacious, affordable, clever, and low profile device! 

Summer Beauty Products

Lola’s Secret Beauty Blog recently discovered the MERIT Brush No. 1 Tapered Blending Brush, and absolutely loves it. This brush buffs and blends liquid, cream and powder products to perfection, and its cruelty-free synthetic bristles are densely packed and incredibly soft. This is an affordable and effective brush that is truly covet-worthy!

The cosmetic world is loaded with wonderful serums but sometimes one stands out above the rest. For Cindy of Prime Beauty that one is The A Method Vitamin C Serum Antioxidant Gel 20%. Even in a short time she’s seen the difference that this serum can make in brightening her skin.

Summer Beauty Tips For Mom

Beauty Tips For Moms – You spent all summer running around with the kids, but summer is almost over, meaning they’ll be back to school. And for you mommies, this means you can pee in peace and no more having to hide in the pantry for some alone time! It’s time to spoil yourself with Barbie’s Beauty Bits back-to-school, pamper you beauty tips for moms. Girl, you earned it!

Back To School, Pamper You, Beauty Tips For Moms

 

You spent all summer running around with the kids, but summer is almost over, meaning they'll be back to school. And for you mommies, this means you can pee in peace and no more having to hide in the pantry for some alone time! It's time to spoil yourself with my back to school, pamper you beauty tips for moms. Girl, you earned it!

No More Guilt
I'm starting off with this first as I know that some of you will find it hard to justify treating yourself. But the truth is rewarding yourself every once in a while will improve your mood, motivate you, and help you to avoid burnout! Hence, making you a happier, better mommy, and person in the long fun!

Back To School, Pamper You With These Beauty Tips For Moms

Tips For Moms To Lose Weight
With Covid, many of us have gained some weight, and while we hoped running around with the kids would help us lose weight, it hasn't worked. Add that to eating some of those kiddie snacks high in carbs; it has left many mommies feeling self-conscious of the little roll of fat we have around the abdomen! Especially when you placed your old favorite jeans on, and you got that muffin top, making you feel like you look too big to wear your favorite jeans.

First and foremost, if you’re trying to lose weight, stay away from fad diets. Secondly, the goal of losing weight starts in the kitchen, not the gym. Thirdly, one of the best ways to losing weight is to change energy balance for weight loss. When you decide to use energy balance change for weight loss, the first clue is to have an energy balance equation to consider how much energy your body needs to perform all necessary functions. (energy input vs. energy output. Or calories in, calories out equation).

This equation is called your basal metabolic rate, or BMR, which measures the number of calories your body needs to perfect all essential functions, including cell production and breathing. The BMR accounts for approximately 60% to 75% of the total number of calories the body burns in a day. The remaining depend on activities and the thermic effect of food. Knowing how much energy your body needs enables you to manage your caloric intake.

Don’t forget that you’re going to have to take up exercise as well, drink the right amount of water per day, and get enough sleep. This can be difficult, but it will be worth it.

Perfect Your Smile
Another thing that you might want to refresh is your smile. Many people are self-conscious about their smiles.  While oral hygiene is essential, how straight your teeth are also impacting your health and how confident you feel showing off your smile and a dentist can be the answer to helping you perfect that Hollywood smile you've been seeking.

From teeth whitening to clear braces (customized clear aligners), you can flash your smile or converse with others without feeling self-conscious or worried about how your teeth look. 

Going Gray Early? Blame Your Kids
Going gray comes with aging and genetics. On average, most people who carry the genes to go gray will do so on 50 percent of their head by the time they’re 50. Become a parent at 30? Well, you could be graying sooner. WHY? Because parenting — being sleep deprived and stressed can blame an early onset of gray hair. 

As the saying goes, we don’t deal with gray hair anymore: we dye it! If you are like many moms, you are not ready for excessive gray hair. There’s no denying that walking out of the salon with a new (or refreshed) hair color is one of the best feelings...As I say "Bye, bye grannies (grandma's hairs)." But trying to get an appointment working around the kids, finding a sitter, while combining that with limited stylists because of COVID, we need to be creative when covering those grays in between salon appointments.

One product that can help is Mayraki Anti-Gray Hair Color Restoring Treatment. The premise behind this treatment is the active ingredient that boosts the melanin production at the bulb and boosts the melanin transfer from our scalp to hair, reversing the graying. Can I here a hell, yeah???

A little more about Mayraki Anti-Gray Treatment

• 100% Vegan – Made from sustainably sourced premium all-vegan ingredients. Excludes any harsh pigments or dyes.
• Naturally Restores Color– Naturally restores the hair’s original color rather than cover up with artificial pigments.
• Long-term Results – Visible and long-term results with recommended use. Works from the inside out to reverse and prevent gray hair.
• No Sulfate | No Paraben | No Formaldehyde – Free of any harsh sulfates and parabens that may damage the hair.

Wanna know more about how it work on those mommy grays? Read More HERE.

Non-Invasive Cosmetic Treatments For Moms
Nobody wants to look old or be told they look older from those truthful kids' comments, and this goes for mommies too. But a lot of moms are hesitant to jump on the cosmetic bandwagon for the simple fact is that they do not want to go under the knife.

The fear of going under the knife steers many away from cosmetic procedures, but what if there were some non-cosmetic treatments you could get that will have you looking gorgeous and refreshed in no time.

As we get older, our collagen production slows downs, this reduction in collagen and elastin are the evil culprits that ages us. The key to getting that refreshed youthful look comes down to collagen production; hence, it’s critical to seek some non-invasive treatment options that encourage collagen production and strengthen the skin. See some of my favorite mommy cosmetic treatments below:

Best Non-invasive Cosmetic Treatments For A Mommy Makeover

• Chemical peels are great at deeply exfoliating the skin and promoting cellular turnover.
• Botox For A Mommy Makeover-A lifetime of making facial expressions can lead to the formation of lines and creases. Guess mom was right when she said you better stop that your face will freeze that way.  Botox injections are the best preventative measure for those Dynamic light Wrinkles. The pesky wrinkles appear from facial expressions like smiling or squinting but fade when the expression stops.
• Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) is a type of light therapy used to treat a deeper layer of the skin while stimulating collagen growth, improving the skin’s texture, and reducing the appearance of fine lines.
• Carbon Facials AKA, the Hollywood Facial. The revolutionary laser treatment is a great way to get a quick skin refresher without the downtime associated with other laser procedures.
• This treatment uses the conductive qualities of carbon to:
  
• Exfoliate the skin
• Reduce fine lines and wrinkles
• Clear and tighten pores
• Stimulate collagen production
• Brighten and even out skin tone
• Activate a deeply rejuvenating skin reaction that produces skin that is smooth, plump, and radiant!
  

To sum it up, whether you’re a mom looking to lose some weight or a rejuvenated appearance as the kiddies head back to school, there’s a treatment for you!