What causes it?

Toasted skin syndrome, as the name suggests, is discoloration of skin that has been exposed to heat for prolonged periods. Technically called erythema ab igne (which means redness from fire), this condition is also known as hot water bottle rash, fire stains, and laptop thigh, among others.

As the multiple names suggest, the condition can be caused by several heat sources. Anything that gives off mild to moderate heat, somewhere between 109.4°F to 116.6°F  (43°C to 47°C), can cause this rash.

I don’t touch things that are that hot, do I?

One of the culprits could be your laptop, which can heat up to 111°F  (44°C), or even higher if you end up blocking the exhaust fan. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it), the rash   usually affects only one leg (usually the left).

If you suffer from chronic pain and often reach for hot water bottles and heating pads, you’re at risk too. Your hot compress can bring very welcome pain relief, but keep it on too long and it could also give you unwanted skin discoloration.

You might want to check other heat sources at home and in the car too. Heated seats, electric heaters, and even your fireplace could be cause for concern.

Sometimes, it’s just an occupational hazard. Bakers and chefs might have toasted skin on their arms, silversmiths and jewellers might get a rash on their faces, and others might have discoloration elsewhere.

Basically, if you’re exposed to heat for extended periods, you should be careful.

How will I know if I have erythema ab igne?

For some people, the first clue is mild itchiness and a burning sensation. However, most people would probably ignore this. The first cause for concern is usually a mild red rash that can be described as mottled, blotchy, or sponge-patterned.

My skin is toasted. Should I be worried?

Toasted skin syndrome is generally harmless, and if you only see slight redness, it should resolve itself in a few months. In some cases, the discoloration may be too severe, making resolution unlikely, and the skin darkening likely permanent.

In very rare cases, enough damage has been done to cause skin cancers. There are no known skin cancer cases linked to laptop use, but it might still be a good idea to keep that laptop off your lap, or at least use a heat shield under it.

What can I do about my toasted skin?

The most important thing is to stop, or at least minimize your exposure to the source of heat. If it’s your laptop, use a heat shield, or better yet, get it off your lap completely. If it’s your hot compress or a heated seat, time your sessions. Put the heat on for 10 minutes at most, and give your skin time to cool down. If it’s part of your job, well… all we can recommend is that you pamper your skin when you can.

One way to do this is by washing with Diana Stalder Vitamin A Beauty Bar. As we mentioned in a previous post 5 Skin Care Facts You Need to Know, “vitamin A does wonders to repair damaged skin.” Who knows? Maybe, with the right skin care regimen, you can undo the damage and un-toast your skin.

We’ve listed down 7 things that contribute to aging skin, and we hope we can help you avoid these skin damaging habits.

Forgetting Sunscreen

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: the best thing you can do for your skin is protect it from the sun. Staying in the shade helps, but it isn’t enough. UV rays can bounce off other surfaces and burn you, and can even penetrate your clothes and your car windows. Waiting for a cloudy day doesn’t really help much either. The clouds can’t protect you from the sun’s UV rays. There’s no way around it – put on a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15, like Diana Stalder Sunblock Cream, and your skin will thank you for it.

Not Washing Before Bed

Your skin tries to repair itself at night, but it can’t do this if your pores are clogged up with makeup, dirt, or whatever else your skin encounters during the day. Wash up in the evening, and give your skin a chance to replenish itself.

Vigorous Cleaning

Scrubbing your skin raw leaves it more prone to damage to dirt, the sun, and other potentially harmful elements. Clean it, but don’t go too harsh. Stick to a gentle cleanser like Diana Stalder Facial Scrub.

Excessive Moisturizing

Moisturizing is good, but you can have too much of a good thing. Putting on too much moisturizer can clog your pores, and can also prevent dead skin cells from coming off your skin.

A good rule of thumb is this: check your skin 15 minutes after you put on moisturizer. If it feels oily, it means your skin can’t absorb the moisturizer anymore, and you should use a little less next time around.

Neglecting Your Products

It’s hard to believe how quickly bacteria can accumulate on your cosmetics and other products, especially since we can’t see it with our naked eyes. Keep them clean using a professional makeup disinfectant, and toss some items every so often. Some experts recommend replacing mascara, eyeliner, and other eye makeup every six months. If you don’t take care of your makeup, you might look good for a night, but feel terrible for quite a while longer.

Avoiding Exercise

Exercise helps to tone your muscles and gets your blood flowing. This gives you some pep in your step, flushes out toxins, and generally helps you feel better. Get a sweat going regularly, and your skin won’t be the only thing glowing about you.

Smoking

On top of the many known dangers of smoking, cigarette smoke depletes your body of Vitamin C, a key ingredient for keeping your skin healthy and hydrated. This vitamin-depleting effect happens whether you smoke or simply spend time with a smoker. If you want wrinkles and dry skin, cigarettes will help you along the way.

Can you think of other skin damaging habits that we didn’t mention here? Share them with us in the comments below.

While it could be that this product simply doesn’t match your skin chemistry, it could also be that you weren’t able to apply it correctly. Yes, the effectiveness of a product actually depends on how you use it. If the thought didn’t cross your mind, you should read the following rules to follow when applying skin care products.

1.    Cleanse-tone-moisturize

Complete beauty regimen in three simple steps. Basically, the rule of thumb is to never apply anything on your face before you get rid of dirt and makeup. Cleansing is best done with lukewarm water and a non-soap cleanser like the Diana Stalder Facial Wash that gently cleanses and conditions the skin.

After cleansing, you need to use a toner to further take off stubborn dirt, makeup and excess oil, as well as to remove dead skin cells. A toner like the Diana Stalder Surely White SW Skin Toner will even help you achieve whiter skin!

Cleansing and toning may leave your skin feeling dry, so you need to moisturize with a good moisturizer such as the Diana Stalder Her Facial Lotion. Remember to moisturize daily to prevent the appearance of wrinkles and to delay aging. Your older self will certainly thank you.

2.    Massage in circular motions

Some women just rub products on their skin and let it do the work. Avoid doing that. First, rubbing your skin will cause unsightly wrinkles. Second, you’re not getting the most out of your product. You need to maximize the product by actually massaging it into your skin in slow and circular motions. Massaging helps improve the blood circulation and enables the product to penetrate deeper into your skin, therefore delivering maximum results.

3.    Remember to exfoliate

Obviously, your skincare product won’t be able to do its work on your face if it has a thick buildup of dirt and dead skin cells. If you haven’t exfoliated in a while, now is the time to do it. However, take care not to overdo exfoliation. Do not make the mistake of exfoliating everyday as it can cause more damage to your skin.

It is recommended that we exfoliate once or twice a week using mild scrubs on moist skin (please don’t attempt to exfoliate dry skin). Exfoliate with a moderate pressure that is enough to remove dead skin cells but doesn’t irritate your skin.  Lastly, avoid scrubs with huge particles that can tear your pores. You’re better off with exfoliators such as the Diana Stalder Facial Scrub, which you can also use all over your body!

4.    Pea-sized is better

There is a reason why the instructions on almost every skin care product label tell you to use a pea-sized amount – and there’s a good reason why you should follow it. A pea-sized amount of the product spread evenly is enough to cover your face but not too much that it causes irritation. Unless it is otherwise stated, you wouldn’t want to slather a “generous” amount of chemicals on your face, especially if it can cause allergic reactions. Also, chances are your skin wouldn’t be able to absorb all of them anyway.

5.    Maximize absorption

Speaking of absorption, you should also aim to maximize your skin’s absorbing capacity. Don’t fret; you don’t need to be a rocket scientist to figure out how. Simply keep in mind that most chemicals present in skincare products, especially creams such as the Diana Stalder Nourishing Crème, penetrate moist skin better than dry skin. This is because these chemicals work better when they are dissolved. Another thing to keep in mind is to avoid applying products on cold skin because warm skin absorbs skincare ingredients much better.

These are but a few tips you need to keep in mind when applying products onto your skin. Remember that your responsibility to your skin doesn’t end when you purchase a product. It goes with your daily beauty regimen, when you need to make sure you have applied your moisturizer or your sunblock properly. Just think of skin care as an investment – an investment you surely won’t regret.

By applying these simple skin care tips, I guarantee you’ll make the most out of your products and you’ll see the best of your skin!

Moisturizers Need Water

We all know that water is vital for healthy skin, but did you know that it’s also the most important ingredient in your moisturizer? Most moisturizers work by helping your skin retain moisture, and a good sign you’re using an effective moisturizer is that the first ingredient listed on its label is water. One such moisturizer is Diana Stalder Skin Moisturizing Lotion, which gives you the added benefit of an SPF 30 sunscreen.

Moisturizers also work better right after bathing. Just pat your skin until it’s just barely dry, then apply moisturizer immediately. This helps trap water your skin was able to soak up in the shower.

Exfoliants & Moisturizers Go Hand in Hand

While we’re on the topic of bathing, let’s talk about exfoliating. Exfoliants and facial scrubs remove dead skin and and reveal the fresh layer of skin underneath. When you apply moisturizer without exfoliatig, a lot of it is wasted on the dead skin cells on the surface. If you exfoliate first, you get right to the fresh layer of skin underneath, and this is what you want to moisturize.
Squeaky Clean is Bad

Exfoliating is good, but it’s also way too easy to overdo it. If your skin feels tight, that might mean you’ve stripped it of important natural oils, leaving it more prone to drying. The next time you wash, resist the urge to scrub your skin clean – your skin will thank you later. Our recommendation: go for a gentle exfoliant like Diana Stalder Oatmeal Beauty Bar or Diana Stalder Facial Scrub, which is great for gently scrubbing away dead skin cells, washing away excess oil, and of course, cleaning your skin.

Diet Helps Too

You can also find skin-care essentials in your kitchen cupboard, and we’re not talking about home-brewed creams either. A healthy diet with balanced mix of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients will do wonders for your skin. Food rich in Omega 3 fatty acids, like salmon, are great for keeping your skin soft and supple. Vitamin A does wonders to repair damaged skin, while Vitamins C and E are antioxidants that help protect your skin from damaging free radicals.

There are, on the other hand, food products you want to avoid. Overly processed food items don’t usually give your skin a healthy glow, and neither do sugary food and dairy products. Basically, you want to avoid a lot of the stuff you find on supermarket aisles – the fresh produce on the edges of the store will be better for your skin.

Sweating Isn’t Always Bad

Working up a sweat regularly is great for your skin – just make sure you shower regularly too. Exercise helps flush out toxins in your skin and pumps oxygen and nutrients through your blood. On top of this, exercise is a great way to combat stress that can wreak havoc on your skin.

Do you have any of your own tips to share? Leave a comment below and let us know!

There are few things as soft and smooth as a baby’s bottom, at least if you believe the expression. With few exceptions, a baby’s skin is soft, clear, and wrinkle-free – and it usually stays that way until early adolescence. After that, however, it usually goes downhill.

You can, however, do something about it. You can’t stop the effects of aging entirely, but there are  ways to help keep your skin looking fresh, clear, and young. All it takes is a little care, and a bit of help from us.

The Teen Years and Hormones

Puberty brings a lot of hormonal changes, and along with this rush of hormones comes a lot of skin changes. Among the most common changes are increased oil production, along with its more annoying cousin: acne.

The best thing you can do for your skin at this age is protect it from the sun. This means staying in the shade as much as possible, and wearing sun protection when you have to get under the sun. Our suggestion, dab on some Diana Stalder Sunblock Cream everyday.

Of course, there’s still the problem plaguing teenagers the world over: acne. Washing your face regularly is a great way to keep your skin clean and free from oil, and a mild scrub like Diana Stalder Oatmeal Beauty Bar does wonders. If you need something a bit more potent to combat pimples, Diana Stalder Tea Tree Beauty Bar has antimicrobial properties that are very effective against acne and fungi.

The 20′s: First Signs of Aging

The first signs of aging usually begin in your 20′s, when the collagen and elastin that have kept your skin soft and supple start to break down. Once again, UV protection is your best bet to control any skin damage. Diana Stalder Skin Moisturizing Lotion contains an SPF 30 sunscreen that protects skin against harmful sun rays, and gently moisturizes your skin, helping prevent premature aging.

The 30′s: Early Environmental Damage

Damage from sun exposure usually begins to show up in your 30′s, but the good news is that sun-induced wrinkles are still barely visible at this age. Your skin’s collagen and elastin continue to lose their spring too, making skin care more important.

On top of protecting your skin from the sun’s harmful UV rays, moisturizing skin becomes even more important. A soap like Diana Stalder Collagen Beauty Bar helps restore your skin’s elasticity, as does Diana Stalder Skin Revitalizer.

The 40′s & 50′s: Revealing the Damage

Moisturizing comes to the forefront in your 40′s & 50′s. Dead skin cells start to stick around longer, but a mild scrub like Diana Stalder Oatmeal Beauty Bar can help solve that. Diana Stalder Nourishing Crème  exfoliates your skin as well, and also maintain your skin’s elasticity.

If you haven’t done your diligence protecting your skin from sun damage, this is the time it starts showing up. This is also the when wrinkles, age spots, and spider veins become evident. As always, moisturizers and sunscreen should be a part of your daily skin care regimen, and a product like Diana Stalder SBF-Collagen Cream gives you both.

The 60′s and Beyond: Protection & Pampering Paying Off

When you hit your 60′s, a lifetime of skin care starts paying off. You can’t stop the clock completely, so  your skin probably shows some signs of aging already. Fortunately, if you’ve taken good care of your skin, your wrinkles, spots, and other blemishes won’t be too obvious.

This doesn’t mean you should stop caring for your skin though. A daily dose of moisturizer, a dab of SPF, and continued care should help keep your skin young and fresh. Of course, smiling a lot helps too – if you’re going to have wrinkles anyway, you can at least have your wrinkles in the right places.

If you like fruits, then you’re in for a big treat. If not, then you better read this; it will only take a minute or two. We’ve compiled a list of fruits that you should start eating.

Apple

Used for centuries for their excellent healing powers and an excellent remedy for fine wrinkles, cracked skin, itching skin, and inflammation, apples can also be used as conditioners while preventing dandruff. They work as excellent toners, too! Apple juice is also the best breath freshener.

Apricot and Orange

Apricots are best for sunburn, eczema, and itching. Oranges, on the other hand, are known and effective remedies for pimple and acne and can be used as scar and blemish removal. Apricots and Oranges are rich in Vitamin C, helping to produce collagen that strengthens the capillaries that feed the skin.

Avocado and Banana

Not only can they be made as effective facial masks, avocado and banana are also rich in Vitamin E and other minerals that are known for their anti-aging powers. They make great skin restoratives for anyone over 35.

Cucumber

Cucumbers are famous for their efficiency in getting rid of those appalling dark circles under your eyes; but, their healing powers doesn’t stop there.  They’re good for treating skin eruptions, bulges, and for skin whitening. Effective in preventing pimples, wrinkles, blackheads, and dryness of the face.

Aside from all these tasty fruits and vegetables, there are also effective products that you can use to ensure that young-looking skin. Like Oranges and Cucumbers, Diana Stalder Black Soap also lightens and evens out skin tone for both face and body.  It gently eliminates the appearance of skin pigmentation, age spots, acne scars, blemishes and other forms of melasma.

Diana Stalder Lemon Soap is also an impressive product formulated with an acne-fighting ingredient (salicylic acid) that is not harsh to the skin.  It is particularly good for oily skin and helps prevent the formation of pimples.

After your Banana or Avocado facial mask, you can use Diana Stalder Nourishing Crème to help in exfoliating dead skin cells, stimulating epidermal turn-over and increasing the rate of desquamation.  It revitalizes skin and maintains its elasticity.

Moles and freckles seem like beautiful facial assets for other people (take Lindsay Lohan, for instance). However, when things turn out differently, and you’ve become more self-conscious and insecurities start to surface – maybe it’s time to have them removed.

Several surgeries are done to remove these visible spots and other signs of skin aging. These procedures are deemed safe by professionals. Some popular surgical procedures include Shave Excision, Elliptical Excision, and Laser Surgery.

Whatever your choose to do, you will need to use a maintenance regimen that will ensure that the effect of the procedure is long-lasting.

Diana Stalder’s Licorice Beauty Bar can be used as a regimen after the procedure is done. The product  is very gentle as it deeply cleanses and softens the skin while moisturizing it.  It lightens skin tone, and has anti-inflammatory and soothing properties which can alleviate the appearance of mild rashes.

Also, you need to take note of your sun exposure after you’ve done the procedure. Using Diana Stalder’s Sunblock Cream will surely protect your skin from harmful UV rays, prevents sun damage and premature aging of the skin.  It is best for normal to dry skin.  The SPF rating for this product is 15. Diana Stalder’s Black Soap can also help to lighten and even out skin tone for both face and body.  It gently eliminates the appearance of skin pigmentations, age spots, acne scars, blemishes, and other forms of melasma.

Now, if you’re afraid to go through surgery, or you think that the cost to get rid of those skin pigmentations are  just over-the-top, you can always opt to use Diana Stalder whitening products.

Here are some facts about acne for those who don’t understand how acne works and what to do about it – simply follow the treatments and learn how to prevent them.

Acne Defined

Acne is a skin condition that occurs when your hair follicles become plugged with oil and dead skin cells. Acne usually appears on your face, neck, chest, back, and shoulders.

One of the most annoying things about acne aside from the fact that its scars can be clearly visible , is that it can be persistent. This means that when acne lesions heal slowly, and when begins to resolve, others seem to crop up.

Causes of Acne

We can’t exactly point out the cause of acne. Dermatologists say that acne is due to hormonal changes, especially those years when a teenager reaches its puberty. Other factors that can also contribute to the existence of acne include the uses of medications containing iodides and bromides. Some cosmetics can also cause acne especially when you use comedogenic (pore clogging) products.

Some believe that acne is caused by chocolate and greasy foods consumed, or that it is caused by dirty skin. Stress is also considered a factor. However, these things don’t have solid proof and are viewed as myths by professionals.

Acne Treatment

Start the treatment with lifestyle change. As much as you can, you need to have 8 hours of sleep, eat healthy meals, and drink tons of water. However, for those people who have a frantic schedule, there are still things that can be done.
First thing to do is to open the pores by cleansing and skin care. A variety of scrubs, and facial cleansers can be used to keep your face clean. Diana Stalder Facial Scrub is best to use because it contains granules designed to gently scrub away dead skin cells and remove dirt and excess oil.  It cleanses and conditions the skin, giving it a radiant glow.

Next is to rid of oils on the surface of the skin and reduce the embarrassing shine. You can do this by using toners. Diana Stalder SW Skin Toner is a product with special formulation that minimizes pore size, tones, lightens, moisturizes, and smoothens your skin.  It is a very effective astringent that also removes the appearance of skin blemishes.

Getting a complete acne kit is another option. Diana Stalder Surely White Acne Treatment Kit is the perfect package to guarantee the right treatment to your acne problem. Complete with lemon soap, facial scrub, toner, night gel, and clear crème – all this in one bag to make sure that you’re going to kiss your acne goodbye.

Acne Prevention

You can’t be too confident about your skin – prevention is still better than cure. Take care of skin by keeping it clean at all times. Using a mild facial wash like Diana Stalder’s Facial Wash  that gently cleanses and conditions the skin.  It also softens and smoothens your skin, giving it a youthful and radiant glow.

Once you spot a pimple, apply Diana Stalder’s Clear Crème which contains an anti-bacterial agent which specifically targets pimple-causing bacteria.  It cleanses and clears the skin, too!

If creams and washes won’t work, you can always seek help from dermatologists to give you a better solution to your acne problem.

The Causes

Dark skin in the knees and elbows is primarily caused by three things – constant rubbing just like when leaning with your elbows at your desk or wearing rough denims that cause pressure on the knees, hyper-pigmentation due to sun exposure and because of the stretch-contract activity of the skin in these areas, and dryness due to lack of moisture and essential oils.

Reforming Habits

Now that you already understand what causes darkness in these areas, you should be more conscious about preventing the causes. If you have habits of leaning on your elbows, try to straighten your arms so that in contact is your upper arms and not the elbows. For your knees, switch to pants that are not so tight or are a bit loose. Try to free your elbows and knees from friction as much as possible.

Sun Protection and Lightening

If you would notice, if you stretch your arms, the elbow skin stretches. If you pull your arms toward you, the elbow skin contracts. This means more skin bunches up and more skin means more pigments. That is why the skin in the elbows and knees are very much prone to hyper-pigmentation especially when exposed to the sun. Protect it from the sun by applying a sunblock with at least SPF 15 just like Diana Stalder Sunblock Cream.

Exfoliating and Moisturizing

Still associated with friction, skin in the elbows and knees tend to be dry. In addition, since there are skin folds in these areas as a result of contraction, dead skin cells can get trapped. The key is to both exfoliate and moisturize to help get rid of dull surface and also keep the skin soft and smooth. While you can use separate products for these functions, there are single skin products that give both benefits such as Diana Stalder Glutathione Soap.

Don’t let any minor flaws in some areas of your body ruin your entire skin beauty. Say goodbye to dark elbows and knees and hello to a white fair you from top to toe!

To help the skin keep its collagen reserves, collagen protein is injected. This plumps up the skin, making it free from lines, creases and wrinkles. Collagen injection has also been used widely to enhance lip volume. Most collagen injection patients combine this with face lift and laser skin resurfacing for a total skin enhancement.

There are several types of collagen protein being used for this procedure and they differ in terms of longevity of effect, cost and source. One of the most commonly used is bovine collagen which is a sterilized and liquefied protein extracted from the skin of cows. Bovine costs around USD 250 to USD 800 per session and the firming effect can last from six weeks to a year.

Autologen, the second type, is obtained from a patch of the patient’s skin that is also sterilized and liquefied for injection. Since this is derived from one’s own skin, there should less allergic reactions. Autlogen costs around USD 800 to USD 1000 per session but it promises longer-lasting results as compared to bovine.

Isolagen is quite the same with Autologen because they both came from the patient’s skin. However, the process of making isolagen is a bit more complicated. The collagen-making cells behind the ears are cloned and injected in sessions with two weeks intervals, resulting to steady improvement. Due to the complexity, isolagen is much more expensive, around USD 1000 to USD 1500 per session. The last type of collagen protein is dermalogen which is taken from deceased human donors and its effects last longer than that of bovine. Dermalogen costs around USD 500 to USD 1000 per session.

Collagen injection is gaining popularity because it is economical in terms of cost and time spent as each session would require no more than an hour. It is also less invasive, less risky and it delivers quick results. To know which type of collagen suits you and to avoid any negative side effects, always consult your dermatologist first.  If you’re looking for topical alternatives that can help keep the skin wrinkle-free, use vitamin A and collagen enriched products such as Diana Stalder Vitamin A Beauty Bar and Diana Stalder Collagen Beauty Bar.

Reference:
“Collagen Injections.” DocShop