SK-II Facial Treatment Essence: A Cult Favorite that is Definitely Worth the Hype
For years, I have been hearing all the buzz and fuss about SK-II Treatment Essence and I had never had the chance to try it. I knew it had an active ingredient found in sake, I knew it was spendy and I knew that Cate Blanchett was the spokes model for the brand and that’s it. As a beauty editor/blogger, I am fortunate enough to have the opportunity to try many products and while I definitely discover some great products, I rarely find ones that truly knock my socks off.
Well, I am here to tell you that SK-II Treatment Essence aka ‘holy water’ as it is known to devotees is clearly worth all the hype! This is definitely a transformative, results oriented product that delivers noticeable results after just one use and wonderfully cumulative results over time. Let me tell you more about it and about my experience with it.
SK-II Facial Treatment Essence
Treatment Essence contains a magically transformative ingredient called Pitera, a blend of vitamins, amino acids, minerals, and organic acids that work together to allow the skin’s natural surface rejuvenation process to function at its prime. SK-II’s Essence contains over 90% pure Pitera which improves both the texture and clarity of your skin and facilitates a more radiant, glowing complexion.
Pitera is a very potent antioxidant that was accidentally discovered by a scientist over thirty years ago, when he noticed that the hands of workers at a Japanese saké brewery looked extremely soft, young and beautiful. Upon further investigation, the scientist discovered that the process of making hand-brewed sake meant that the workers were constantly in contact with Pitera, a natural by product of the yeast fermentation process. He discovered that Pitera rejuvenates the skin’s outer layer and over time it leads to clearer, smoother and younger looking skin.
Earth Day 2012: My Top 10 Favorite Better For You Beauty Products
Happy Earth Day Rave Fans! I just love Earth Month and all that it represents: Making conscious choices that are better for you and better for the environment, such a simple and important message. Every year in honor of Earth Day, I curate a selection of fabulous beauty products that I consider to be greener, eco, more natural, cleaner and all around better for you. And I must say that this year, I noticed that this category is burgeoning with so many wonderful products which made it very hard to choose only 10! I continue to be impressed by the selection of eco chic brands with amazing green products that work beautifully. I am becoming more and more of a convert all the time, because why not use products that are better for you when you have the choice!
Without further adieu, I present to you my Top 10 Favorite Better For You Products of 2012:
1) One Love Organics Skin Savior Waterless Beauty Balm ($68)
One Love Organics is a beautifully handcrafted line that embrace’s the motto of simplicity and that you can achieve more with less when it comes to beauty. Skin Savior Balm is made out of pure, cold-pressed plant oils and extracts that break down dirt and makeup and clear out your pores without stripping your skin of its natural protective layer. This is one of those FAB one-product-does-it-all balms (which I LOVE!) You can use it as a cleanser, moisturizer, conditioner, skin smoother/dry patch healer, massage balm and so much more. I adore this product! It smells like a yummy orange creamsicle, it cleans my skin beautifully and I especially love it on my chapped lips, dry nose and cracked heels. This is a new must have for me!
2) Suki Skincare Exfoliate Foaming Cleanser ($32.95)
Suki Skincare is a fabulous results driven beauty brand dedicated to delivering clinically proven natural solutions. Suki’s products are made out of hand-selected raw materials and proprietary botanic concentrates that are blended with high percentages of scientifically-advanced cosmeceutical actives in 100% natural bases. The Exfoliating Cleanser is a deep cleansing complexion rejuvenator that contains a gentle alpha hydroxy acid (natural sugar), non-GMO rice flour & lemongrass to resurface & smooth, unclogs pores, and exfoliate dead cells. This is another swoon worthy product that I can’t get enough of! It smells like a fresh lemon, it has a delightfully refreshing foaming and exfoliating action and it leaves my skin feeling like buttah = LOVE!
3) Sprout Skincare Cream ($32)
Sprout Skincare is a 100% all-natural line made out of the purest high quality ingredients that are either certified organic, Fair Trade, or sourced from small family farms. Every product in the line is made from scratch, in small bathes with only absolutely essential ingredients. In fact, every Sprout product has only 5 (clean) ingredients or less, love that! The Cream is Sprout’s hero product, made out of wild-harvested shea butter that they get from a Fair Trade women’s cooperative in Ghana. To that luscious cream, they add some organic extra-virgin coconut oil and organic extra-virgin olive oil and that’s it! This is a wonderfully rich cream that doesn’t clog your pores, and I love how it babies, nurtures and heals my dry skin and calms it down post treatment. This Cream is a GEM!
4) Antho Lullaby for Dry Skin Organic Face Serum ($16.95)
Antho is another eco fab line that I recently discovered that is dedicated to using 99% USDA certified organic, premium all natural, vegan PETA approved ingredients. The Lullaby for Dry Skin Face Serum contains ten different superstar organic oils, including rare Moroccan Argan & Macadamia oils and luxurious virgin organic oils. This divine serum quickly soaks into your skin and immediately restores lost moisture, delivers rich antioxidants, and rejuvenates dry, dull skin. This serum smells heavenly and I love it under my make-up because it gives my skin a lovely radiant sheen.
5) Juice Beauty SPF 30 Tinted Mineral Moisturizer ($29)
Juice Beauty’s is dedicated to sourcing the purest, most effective sustainable and organic ingredients on the West Coast with over 80% of their products being manufactured using California’s sun/solar power (which is particularly appealing to this SoCal girl.) Juice Beauty uses also uses a 100% certified organic juice base (made from over 30 different juices) in all of their products. This wonderful tinted moisturizer blends a chemical-free SPF 30, mineral pigments and nutrient-rich white grape, aloe and pomegranate juices for a radiant, even-toned complexion. I really like the fresh herbal scent, the sheer coverage and how vibrant and refreshed it makes my skin look. This is the perfect eco fab BB cream for your favorite Greenista!
The Latest Innovation in Aesthetics: LAVIV – A Healthier Injectable
In honor of Earth Month, I have decided to cover products and treatments that are greener, healthier and better for you. Being in my mid-40′s (I know I don’t look it 
), I am constantly seeking out the best, most innovative anti-aging treatments that make me look the best I can for my age (or make me look just a bit younger.) And, it’s no secret that I am a fan of injectable fillers like Juvederm and Restylane, which have done wonders for my under eye hollows and dark circles (as I write this, I am reminded that I am just about due for my touch up). So I was delighted to be invited to an intimate informational session hosted by celeb dermatologist Dr. Ava Shamban to learn all about LAVIV, an exciting new innovation in injectable aesthetics that uses your body’s own cells to improve the look of smile lines. Very Intriguing!
What is LAVIV™?
It is the first and only FDA-approved personalized cell therapy that uses your body’s own collagen-producing fibroblast cells to improve the look of smile lines by being injected into the nasolabial folds.
A LAVIV treatment is made up of tens of millions of your own collagen-producing fibroblasts that have been cultivated from your own skin samples and is composed of at least 98% pure fibroblasts along with a mixture of water, sugars, vitamins, amino acids, salts and trace amounts of processing preservatives.
Basically, LAVIV uses your own cells (rather than chemicals or synthetic materials) to create a filler that is customized with your own DNA. This is particularly exciting for people who are more naturally inclined and want fillers but have been fearful because they do want not put something foreign into their skin, this is a healthier aesthetic alternative for them.
