Beauty Blog

We most often hear the term Alpha Hydroxy Acid (AHA). So what is Beta Hydroxy Acid (BHA)? It is an exfoliating agent like alpha hydroxy, but its molecule is smaller. In the ingredients list on your skin care products and cosmetics it may be listed as salicylic acid, salicylate, sodium salicylate or willow extract. It may also be called tropic acid or trethocanic acid. BHA's are not as strong as AHA's. Beta Hydroxy Acid (Salicylic acid) is most often used in skin creams to combat acne and help smooth signs of aging. BHA's weaken the "glue" that holds dead skin cells together and on your skin. Weakening this helps the skin discard these dead cells (exfoliation) so the newer skin underneath is revealed. BHA's are also oil-soluble so they are very effective on oily-skin types. It also has the ability to get deep into the skin's pores to unclog and clean them out. It can also help lighten dark spots. Is it safe? Willow bark is the most common extract for BHA's (is the same willow bark used to make aspirins). The FDA and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) both find it to be safe when it is formulated and tested to make sure it does not cause increased sensitivity to sunlight. They recommend when using a product with a BHA to be sure to use sunscreen daily. Because your skin because more sensitive to UV light when using a BHA, you should also be careful to follow the directions for use. Products with BHA should not be used on infants and children.

Beauty Care Choices may sell products for the outside...hair, skin & nails, we also know that healthy beauty starts from the inside. Eating the right foods can make your hair shine and your face glow. So, why eat a rainbow? Purple & Blue The color in eggplant, plums and blueberries is due to their anthocyanin content which provide lots of antioxidants. They also give you Vitamin E, iodine and potassium to help keep the oxygen flowing. Green These veggies are rich in chlorophyll. They also contain isothiocyanates that help reduce carcinogens from the liver. Besides the antioxidants, the broccoli, cabbage, and other leafy greens are full of Vitamin K, folic acid and potassium. They also contain lost of micronutrients like iron, plus lots of B vitamins. Green/Yellow Things like avocado, kiwi, pistachio nuts are rich in lutein - very important for eye health. They are also rich in Vitamin C. Yellow/Orange They get their color from carotenoids or beta carotene. These are full of vitamin A which the body turns to retinol; exactly what your skin needs to help prevent acne and wrinkles. Eating mangos, apricots, carrots & squashes will also help build your immune systems. Red It's the lycopene that gives cranberries, tomatoes, watermelons & guava red. It's also what makes the pink grapefruit pink. Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant. Include pomegranates, radishes, red peppers in your diet extra Vitamin C, anthocyanins, and beta carotene.

You have Beauty Care Choices Live! Today CEO Jennifer Coy is joined by Healium founder Beth Di Maio. Join in as Jen and Beth go in depth with Healium products, and there benefits! Watch to the end to see a side by side style done by both of these lovely ladies.

Born in Italy, Alfaparf Milano is now an international beauty brand, selling on six continents (they don't have products in stores in Antarctica). They use the very best raw materials to create hair care products that meet the needs of every individual and style. Lisse Design Keratin Therapy enhances and maintains your professional keratin straightening process. Its shampoo and conditioner maintenance care and rehydrating mask keep hair strong and prevent dryness. Semi di Lino products let your hair shine with the brilliance of diamonds. One of their most popular lines, has solutions for every hair issue and provide the nourishment hair needs. One of the most desired products - Cristalli Liquidi - is a serum that truly works wonders. The oil works to protect hair fibers and instantly produces a brilliant shine. Precious Nature is your choice if you love the effects of botanicals and natural ingredients like pistachio, almond, grape and lavender oils. Style Stories is Alfaparf's complete line of styling products, everything from hairsprays to mousse to gels and pomades, all made to let you tackle any style.

The beautiful orange color you see in carrots, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, pumpkins and apricots is beta carotene. It's the precursor to Vitamin A. Vitamin A makes your skin look younger and more radiant. As always, keeping skin healthy means you want to work from both the inside and outside. Eating the foods listed above will help on the inside. Adding beta carotene to the outside will boost skin's retinyl esters. (Retinyl esters are the skin's storage form of retinol which stimulates the production of new skin cells.) This helps minimize the appearance of dry skin and reduces skin flaking. Beta-carotene is an anti-oxidant. When ingested, the body converts it to Vitamin A. It helps reduce free radical damage in the body and plays a vital role in the reproductive processes. It also keeps eyes healthy. When used in cosmetics it's a healthy orange colorant. What else can beta carotene do? It helps protect the skin from UVA and UVB rays. Research has shown that persons with a diet rich in beta carotene foods and whose topical skin care contained this ingredient enjoyed this photoprotection. It can reduce the dark spots (melasma) on the skin. Using topically applied beta carotene can help reduce or eliminate discoloration over a period of 9-10 weeks.

Remember that firm, bouncy skin you had as a teen? Of course! Our skin looked that way because our dead skin cells self-exfoliated and our cell matrix was full and thick. First, some definitions: Skin: the largest organ of our body, keeps everything together and is the part of our structure we show to the world. Skin Matrix: the jelly-like fluid between the skin cells that is made up of hyaluronic acid, sugars, salts and chondroitin sulfates bound by essential fatty acids. Skin's Acid Mantle: made of water from the sudoriferous gland and sebum from the sebaceous gland that blend on the skin's surface. They form the biofilm, the "acid mantle". This is what protects contaminants from penetrating and damaging the skin. The sebaceous gland under your skin secrets sebum, an oily, waxy substance. Sudoriferous gland is what produces sweat. Skin's Microbiome: the billions of friendly living organism on you skin. These skin flora create the eco-system on your skin, invisible but keeps skin healthy. Homeostasis: living systems with a tendency to be relatively stable, to maintain the equilibrium between dependent and inter-dependent processes. Transdermal: capable of delivering the ingredient into the circulation for systemic effect, i.e it passes through the skin's outer layer as opposed to "topical" which sits on the skin. So, what does it take to keep skin healthy. It takes the right ingredients both inside and out to keep it glowing. It takes a plump matrix, a healthy acid mantle and a homeostasis microbiome Plump up the matrix . From the inside with lots and lots of water and eating essential fatty acids. From the outside: Exfoliate the dead skin and cleanse the skin using a gentle alpha hydroxy acid. Once this is done, your skin is very vulnerable. Your skin has lots water and its protective acid mantle. . Apply a cream with a transdermal delivery system to put nutrients and essential fatty acids back into the skin to help restore homeostasis; these include retinol, vitamin C, plus hyaluronic acid to plump up the matrix. Maintain a healthy Acid Mantle and Microbiome . Avoid harsh soaps with ingredients like alcohol, triclosan or even classic soap. These are all very alkaline and your acid mantle prefers a slightly acidic environment, a pH of 5. Use only gentle, mild exfoliants. Those lovely little bacteria that keep your skin healthy really hate a harsh scrub. Keep skin care products simple. You and your skin do not need the perfumes, colorants and texturants. Avoid preservatives when possible. They have one function. They kill bacteria. That may be great in making product with a long shelf life, but it will also kill that good bacteria on the skin. TIP: products with no water - 100% oil or a solid - do not have or need a preservative. Eat healthy. Your gut microbiome talks to your skin and can create problems like inflammation and acne.

Beauty Care Choices CEO Jennifer Coy loves Varis, and we do too! Join in as Jennifer does a quick demo on Jane Coy and explains why she loves this dryer!

Lips! They come in many unique shapes, colors, and sizes. Some have lips with a peaked cupid's bow while others may have an undefined cupid bow. Some may have full lips while others have thinner lips. Whatever your case may be, who says you can't have big & juicy, kissable lips? Don't worry; there is no need for lip fillers and lip implants to get your lips looking beautiful and plump! We will discuss a few of many hacks and simple tips to easily make your lips look and feel bigger. Exfoliate. When you exfoliate your lips with a lip scrub , you get rid of the 'skin' flakes and dead skin cells on your lips. Not only do you give your lips a more youthful appearance but while scrubbing, you are boosting circulation which gives your lips a natural plump effect and natural rosy tint! Tip: Try slightly buffing the lip scrub on your lips with a clean toothbrush. Line Your Lips. Overline your lips with lip liner to make them appear bigger but don't over-do it! Focus on the cupids bow area and over line slightly and then join with your natural lip line. In doing this, you won't have to overline your entire lips which will keep your lips still looking natural but with a "fuller" effect. Use Two Different Lip Colors. Apply the darker shade of the two all over your lips and then take the lighter color and apply in the middle of your lips and blend outward. Doing this trick will give your lips that pouty, plump look . Line Your Lips with Concealer. After applying your lipstick, outline the outer edges of your lips with a bit of concealer . This simple trick will make your lipstick and lips pop! Highlight. Add some highlighter to your cupids bow and center of your bottom lips. The subtle highlight will give the illusion of your lips protruding outward. We hope these hacks and tips help you to achieve kissable, lovable lips! 💋

Forbes Business Council Is an Invitation-Only Community for Successful Business Owners and Leaders Shasta Lake, CA 1-7-2020 - Jennifer Coy, CEO of Beauty Care Choices, an e-commerce beauty products company located in Shasta Lake, CA has been accepted into the Forbes Business Council, the foremost growth and networking organization for successful business owners and leaders worldwide. Jennifer was vetted and selected by a review committee based on the depth and diversity of her experience. Criteria for acceptance include a track record of successfully impacting business growth metrics, as well as personal and professional achievements and honors. "We are honored to welcome Jennifer Coy into the community," said Scott Gerber, founder of Forbes Councils, the collective that includes Forbes Business Council. "Our mission with Forbes Councils is to bring together proven leaders from every industry, creating a curated, social capital-driven network that helps every member grow professionally and make an even greater impact on the business world." As an accepted member of the Council, Jennifer has access to a variety of exclusive opportunities designed to help her reach peak professional influence. She will connect and collaborate with other respected local leaders in a private forum and at members-only events. Jennifer will also be invited to work with a professional editorial team to share her expert insights in original business articles on Forbes.com and to contribute to published Q&A panels alongside other experts. Finally, Jennifer will benefit from exclusive access to vetted business service partners, membership-branded marketing collateral, and the high-touch support of the Forbes Councils member concierge team. "I am so excited to join the Forbes Business Council," said Jennifer Coy. "It is truly an honor to have been accepted and I am really looking forward to both the mentorship and mentoring I will experience. Being a business owner in the fast-moving and ever-changing world of e-commerce and beauty products brings many challenges. Being a Forbes Business Council member will give me some of the best resources to continue to grow and thrive in today's retail beauty market." ABOUT FORBES COUNCILS Forbes Councils is a collective of invitation-only communities created in partnership with Forbes and the expert community builders who founded the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC). In Forbes Councils, exceptional business owners and leaders come together with the people and resources that can help them thrive.

XFusion is keratin hair fibers, made to blend perfectly with your hair to cover sparse or thinning areas or conceal hair loss. Easy to apply and easy to wash out with shampoo. The keratin fibers are made from a natural wool that imitates your natural hair, so the fibers look natural. They contain tiny ridges to keep them in place all day long, even in harsh weather. The fibers are pure and organic, made from the same keratin protein as human hair. The patented application system evenly disperses the fibers in under 30 seconds with immediate results. XFusion fibers are completely undetectable. They do not run or stain, but remove easily with shampoo. XFusion Keratin Hair Fibers are manufactured by Spencer Forrest, Inc., the leader in cosmetic hair-loss treatment since 1981. XFusion Keratin Hair Fibers come in nine natural shades.