I used to get these treatments from an aesthetician and they cost about $100 for one treatment so this device, even with the monthly auto-ship for the special gels that you use, adds up to be cheaper and also much more convenient in the long run.

The application of micro-current is used to facilitate healing in medicine. It enhances the absorption of nutrients, increases the speed of healing, increases oxygenation to the cells and helps to eliminate waste products just to name a few benefits. When used on the skin it helps to smooth fine lines and wrinkles, lift, and improve cleansing, hydration, circulation and radiance. It is also not just a temporary fix. Over time, it delivers lasting benefits to the skin.

The treatment is done in two phases. Each phase takes about 3 or 4 minutes so the total time is about 8 to 10 minutes by the time you apply the gel, do the treatment, wipe it off and do the second phase of treament. The first phase is called the pre-treatment cycle. During this Pre-treatment cycle the Galvanic instrument and the pre-treatment gel are negatively charged. These negative charges repel each other, delivering the gel into the skin which binds to and lifts out impurities. This takes about 3 minutes.

The second phase or the treatment phase uses a positively charged gel and the instrument is set to the positive charge. These positive charges repel each other helping to deliver the beneficial ingredients to the skin. It also attracts the remaining negatively charged impurities from the pre-treatment cycle, drawing them out of the skin. This is about a 3 minute cycle. You just wipe off the gel and then apply your treatment products.

I have not used any other products from Nu-Skin but this product delivers what it promises and is a great investment for your skin. The recommended use is 2x a week. On the days that I use this, I do not do my DPL light treament  (see my home page for more data on this collagen building light). You can use them both but then you are adding more time to your routine. So by substituting this 2 x a week for the light therapy I do not add any extra time to my routine and I still get good results.

You can order this through my site www.junecamacho.nsedreams.com

The Nopal cactus contains a group of anti-oxidants called betalains. The Nopal cactus, as I mentioned earlier, is part of a small group of special plants that contain betalains. In fact, it leads the group by containing the highest amounts. Betalains have been proven to reduce the risk of blood clots, to reduce bad cholesterol, protect the liver, boost the immune system, and aids in detoxification.

The brand that I drink is called Nopalea. I drink about 1 to 3 ounces a day. This stuff tastes really good. It is sweetened with a little agave (low glycemic sweetener). You can throw it into a smoothie if you want. I just drink mine straight because it tastes good. I have been drinking it for about 6 months now. I did sign up with the company because it is just easier (I get a monthly auto-ship). If you would like to learn more and to order you can go to www.givingwellness.com You can get a free bottle if you want to try it first. If you decide to order I would appreciate if you did so through the link above. It helps to fund my research and all the great data you get for free!

I order the Nude Cleansing Facial Oil from www.qvc.com and the item number is A190657. You will see that I get a lot of my products from QVC. I like buying from QVC because they have excellent customer service. If I order something and use it and I don't like it I can send it back and get a full refund within 30 days. No questions asked no restocking fee or anything like that. Once again it is not a club and you do not have to place minimum orders or anything along those lines. They also will not share your information with anyone else.

In the morning, I like to use a glycolic acid cleanser. The one I use is from www.revivalabs.com it is simply called Glycolic Acid Facial Cleanser. I love the way this makes my skin feel. It leaves it feeling very silky. I use it with my Clarisonic (see my post on Skin Care-Beyond Creams and Serums for more data and how to order it). This is an all-natural product.

Another cleanser I like is from Mychelle dermaceuticals and it is called Fruit Enzyme Cleanser. Sometimes I switch off and use one for a little while and then the other. You don't need to do that, but I like to switch things up from time to time. All of the products from Mychelle are all-natural and are very clean. You can google “Mychelle” for their website.

Morning:

*Cleanse (see post- Clean Slate; A Post On Cleansing Your Face)

Tone (see post- Tone and Tighten; Your Pores That Is!)

Vitamin C serum-Face only (see post-What Are Serums and Why Do I Need One?)

Glycolic Acid Gel on eye, neck and decollete (see post- Special Needs; Caring For The Skin Around Your Eyes, Neck and Decollete)

Eye cream (see post Special Needs; Caring For The Skin Around Your Eyes, Neck and Decollete)

Skin Brightening lotion- face,neck and decollete. This may be enough hydration for you. If so, just go to sunscreen. (see post -Hydrate and Protect Your face To Prevent Signs Of Aging)

Moisturize- face, neck and decollete (see post -Hydrate and Protect Your Face To Prevent Signs Of Aging)

Sunscreen on neck and decollete (see post-Hydrate and Protect Your Face To Prevent Signs Of Aging)

Make-up Primer (see post -How To Get That Candlelight Glow)

Make-up (see post-How To Get That Candlelight Glow)

Night:

Cleanse (see post -Clean Slate; A Post On Cleansing Your Face) for my recommended P.M. cleanser) and dry face with Claroderm washcloth, then wet and remove any excess cleanser. (See post -Exfoliate For That Youthful Glow for information on the washcloths)

Tone (see post -Tone and Tighten; Your Pores That Is!)

Microneedling-(see post on Skincare; Beyond Creams and Serums)

Firming Serum-face, neck and decollete (see post-What Are Serums and Why Do I Need One?)

Eye Cream-(see post -Special Needs; Caring For The Skin Around Your Eyes, Neck and Decollete)

Moisturize-face only (see post - Hydrate and Protect Your Face To Prevent Signs Of Aging) for my recommended P.M. cream)

Glycolic acid cream-face only (see post-Hydrate and Protect To Prevent Signs Of Aging)

Dry Oil on neck and decollete (see post-Special Needs; Caring For The Skin Around Your Eyes, Neck and Decollete)

Once a week, at night, I exfoliate. To see my recommended products for this go to my post -Exfolaite For That Youthful Glow. The night I do this, I leave a few products off my routine. I also do not "micro-needle" on the night I exfoliate.Here is the modified P.M. routine for that night:

Cleanse

Exfoliate

Tone

Firming Serum-face, neck and decollete

Eye Cream

Moisturize

Dry Oil on neck and decollete

I use my LED light therapy (see post on Skincare; Beyond Creams and Serums) either in the morning or evening depending on when I have time. I use it after I cleanse and tone and then follow my routine.

I use my NuSkin Galvanic Spa System 2 days a week and skip the LED light therapy these 2 days so it is not really any added time (see post on Galvanic Spa)

*I use the Clarisonic with my cleanser. See my post on Skin care; Beyond Creams and Serums for more data on the Clarisonic. You can use it twice a day. I usually use mine once a day, sometimes in the morning and sometimes at night.

The main reason to use a serum is to add nutrients under the skin which moisturizers are not capable of. There are a lot of different serums out there, and depending on your specific skin needs that will dictate what type of serum you will use. I am in my late 40s and need more firming and hydration. If you are younger and have oily skin, you might choose one that has salicylic acid to help prevent breakouts. Or if you suffer from things such as rosacea or have sensitive skin, you might choose a calming serum.

A serum is typically applied after your toner and before your moisturizer. One of the serums that I use was formulated by Amy Lidman, who is my aesthetician when I am in Florida. She has been in the skincare industry for over 20 years and is very knowledgeable. She stays on the cutting edge of developments in the skin care industry. She is in the process of developing an entire all natural skin care line. You can’t get her products in any stores or salons at this moment. However, you can call and order directly from her. Her number is 727-698-5555. Just tell her that you were referred by June. The serum is simply called Firming Serum. Her products are very reasonably priced and she uses fresh organic and natural ingredients. If you live in the Clearwater, Tampa area you can book an appointment with Amy or go by and pick up your products instead of having them shipped.

I also use a Vitamin C serum since I am over 40. Vitamin C is essential for the synthesis of collagen so basically it helps to reduce wrinkles and improve the texture of skin. All woman over the age of 40 need to use a Vitamin C serum. The problem is that Vitamin C is very unstable and breaks down easily unless it is in a powdered form. I found a stable from of Vitamin C from a company out of Switzerland. It is called Complex 31. It is pretty natural. It is not really the consistency of a serum which are normally sort of watery but it is more like a cross between a powder and a liquid and it comes in a tube. It can be ordered through www.complex31.com

Mychelle dermaceuticals also has some very good serums. If you have oily or acne prone skin they have a serum called Clear Skin that has salicylic acid (this is a beta hydroxy acid that is best for skin with whiteheads and blackheads. Beta-hydroxy acids are lipid soluble and penetrate the skin more). They have another serum called Capillary Calming if you suffer from Rosacea. Mychelle’s products are all natural with no funky stuff in them. To see my complete skincare routine and how I use the products and in what order; go to my post: My Skincare Routine.

During the day, I use a glycolic acid eye and throat gel first and then I use my daytime moisturizer on top of that. The eye and throat gel is from Reviva and is called Liposome Activated Glycolic Acid Eye and Throat Gel. Reviva products can be found in most health food stores or you can order it from  www.revivalabs.com   This is a mostly natural product. You can go to my section on moisturizers to see which moisturizer I recommend for daytime. The product directions say to use sparingly at night just two weeks per month but since this doesn't combine well with my dry oil, I use it during the day. Just make sure you're wearing a sunscreen on your neck and décolleté. Glycolic acid, which is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) makes the skin a little more sensitive to the sun so it is always important to wear a sunscreen when using AHA's. To see my recommended sunscreen go to my section on moisturizers.

I do use this product around my eyes at night and since it is a serum, I put it on first before I put my eye cream on. The eye cream that I'm using right now is from a company called 100% pure. These are all organic and very clean products. I am currently using the Coffee Bean Caffeine Eye Cream. Caffeine will help with dark circles. I use this both day and night, and so does my husband. You can order it from  www.qvc.com  the item number is A82303. When applying your night cream, be sure to use your ring finger and just tap it and gently all around the orbit of the eye and up into the hairline.

I just ordered an eye cream duo from Fran Dreshcer's line which just debuted on www.hsn.com  It is a great product and is not full of chemicals and preservatives. She is a cancer survivor so she is very aware of not putting chemicals on your skin. I feel like I need a little more hydration around my eyes now that winter is approaching. The day one is an eye gel that smells like cucumbers. The night one smells like Jasmine. The scent is a bit much for me at night so I am using the eye gel for day at night and the cream for day. I like the product and may try other things from her line.

I use different products from time to time, but these are the things I'm currently using. I am always looking for better and more effective products, and I will keep you posted on those as I find them. To see when I use all my products and in what order go to my post: My Skincare Routine.

In the morning as part of my treament and moisturizing I use a skin brightening lotion. It is a very light lotion that has glycolic and fruit acids to help slough off those dead skin cells that leave the complexion dull. Although it says it is an anti-acne and skin brightening treatment, I use it for its brightening effects. It is very light and soaks right in. I suppose if you had very young skin you might not need a moisturizer with this but I use it in conjunction with my moisturizer. You can purchase it at www.brenditasbodyworks.com and it is called Glowshine Anti-Acne, Skin Brightening Lotion. Her products are all organic and very nice. They are also very reasonably priced.

The moisturizer that I use in the morning is from a company called Global Healing. Their website is  www.ghchealth.com the name of the cream is called Parfait Visage. When you go to the website click on organic skin care on the left-hand side of the opening page and this will take you to all of their organic skin care products. Just scroll down until you see Parfait Visage. This is an all natural product. It has a Manuka Honey and frankincense which are both very good for the skin.

No matter what your skin type is you need to wear a sunscreen everyday (on you face). I have tried a lot of different sunscreens in the organic and natural arena. This is one product where I only want to use something natural. There are basically two ways to block the damaging rays from the sun and that is with a physical or chemical barrier. I do not like sunscreens that use chemical barriers, because these chemicals have been shown to be hormone disrupters and mimic estrogen in the body and some are believed to be possible carcinogens. I prefer to use a sunscreen that uses zinc oxide or titanium dioxide or a combination of both. These provide a physical barrier to the sun and are both very safe.

I think I finally found a sunscreen that fits my criteria (no chemicals and light enough to wear over my regular moisturizer). It is called Burnout Clean and Clear Zinc Oxide Sunblock SPF 32 and you can order it from  www.brenditasbodyworks.com Go to the homepage and click “all products” in the upper left-hand corner and you'll find it in her complete list of products. She also carries a sunscreen for children, which I would highly recommend if you have kids. Kids immune systems are more fragile and they are more susceptible to the damaging effects of toxic chemicals so you should try to keep their exposure to toxic chemicals as low as possible.

Another point worth mentioning is the subject of nanoparticles. For a size comparision, a nanometer is one billionth of a meter. A nano particle is basically a very very small particle of a particular element. The problem with nanoparticles is that they are so small that they can get through most of the barriers that we have in our system and be absorbed directly into cells and once they are in there is no way of getting them out. Nanoparticles have made their way into the sunscreen industry. At this point I would stay away from anything with nanoparticles. Even though zinc oxide is considered safe, I would not use any product that had zinc oxide nanoparticles in it. When you use zinc oxide it provides a physical barrier that protects you from the sun and is not absorbed into your skin or body and is harmless. But nanoparticles of zinc oxide can be absorbed directly into your body and into your bloodstream and like any nanoparticle be absorbed directly into your cells. There is a huge concern of nanoparticles safety at this point, and therefore I would recommend not using anything at all, even things that are not applied to your body, that use nanotechnology.

The moisturizer that I am currently using at night is from Dr. Mercola. You can find it at  www.mercolahealthyskin.com I am actually using his Organic Cupuacu Day Moisturizer as my night cream. I really like it and I love the smell (it has a light citrusy smell, which I find very pleasing). I just found it to be a bit too heavy for my day moisturizer. If you have dry skin you could certainly use it as your day moisturizer. This is 100% organic product and is very, very nice. This is the first skincare product that I have used from him and I am very impressed. His products are also very reasonably priced for the quality you are receiving.

My husband’s skin is more on the oily side and right now I have him on a daytime moisturizer from a company called Gunilla of Sweden. It is called Lerosatt Moisture Matte. This company makes a line of acne products that are pretty natural. You can order it off of  www.Amazon.com Just type in Gunilla of Sweden in the search bar and it will pull up their products.

The Parfait Visage (as mentioned above) would work as a night cream if your skin is more on the normal to oily side.

Here is my smoothie recipe that I have for breakfast every morning. It is packed with anti-oxidants and is very filling. I use a blender from Breville; it has a wide base, is quiet and has a smoothie function on it. I have the recipe by itself at the end without all the added data.

1 and ½ cups of unsweetened vanilla hemp milk or 1 cup hemp milk and ½ cup coconut water (it has some sugar but it is naturally occurring, this will add a little more sweetness and has a lot of potassium). You can use coconut milk if you want to add a little more creaminess and a little more fat. Even though the fat from coconut is considered saturated, it is a fat which is used for energy and not stored so I do not freak out from the saturated fat content of coconut milk or coconut in general. The coconut water has no fat however. Do not get the condensed coconut milk found in a can because it is usually loaded with sugar. The brand of coconut milk I like is called So Delicious and it comes in half gallon carton ( I get the unsweetened). I like the Living Harvest brand hemp milk. Some hemp milk can be very strong tasting. This brand is mild and tasty. For those worried about THC (the psycho-active component in Marijuana); hemp milk and oil are made from the seeds which do not contain any THC. Hemp milk contains naturally occurring Omega 3’s and Omega 6’s. Living Harvest is grown without pesticides and herbicides)

½ cup frozen organic blueberries or any frozen fruit of your choice. ½ banana (if your bananas get too ripe then cut them in half, take off the peel and wrap each half in a piece of saran wrap and put in the freezer and then just throw a frozen half in your smoothie)

3 cups fresh organic baby spinach (okay, I know what you are thinking but you will not even know it is in there once it is all blended)

½ to 1 scoop good quality protein powder (I like vanilla “Whey Cool” by a company called Designs for Health. You can order it from www.nutraexpress.com This protein is not denatured (broken down). Most whey proteins are processed with high heat and this breaks down the protein (denatures it) which destroys all of the bio-active elements. Some of these elements are Glutathione which is an anti-oxidant, Colostrum which has antimicrobial properties, and immunoglobins which are used by your immune system to search and destroy viruses, bacteria and the like. Denatured protein is basically dead and about 98% of the protein out there is denatured. Dr. Mercola also has a very good non-denatured protein and it comes in a lot flavors. I have not tried it yet but it certainly seems to be a high quality product and when I run out of the "Whey Cool", I will order his. Go to www.mercola.com and click on products at the top left and then scroll down until you see Miracle Whey, click on more info and you can look at the benefits and place an order. You can also call toll-free 847-252-4355. Note: blend everything else and then put the protein powder in last and just mix it (mixer setting on blender) for about 5 seconds or so. Apparently, too much churning and blenderizing (my own word) the protein can break it down.

The next 4 items (Aronia, Acai, Maca, Bilberry) can be purchased at www.superorganicfoods.com These are not extracts; they are the whole food dried and ground into powders. They use a proprietary process that preserves all the nutrients. I like them as they are actually a food and not just something extracted from the root or berry. There is not anything else added to the powder. They are reasonably priced for the quality that you are getting.

2 teaspoons of Aronia powder-Aronia is a berry and is a powerful anti-oxidant. It has a deep purple color.

2 teaspoons of Acai berry powder-Acai contains Essential Fatty Acids (EFA’s). EFA’s cannot be manufactured by your body. These include the Omega 3’s and 6’s which you find in fish. EFA’s support the nervous system and nerve tissue. Acai also has something called anthcyanins which is found in red wine and it is a powerful anti-oxidant. It also has something called Photosterols which promote cardiovascular health.

2 teaspoons Maca powder-this is a root that is grown in Peru. It is full of trace minerals and helps to support your endocrine system. The endocrine system is all your glands that secrete things like hormones.

2 teaspoons Bilberry powder-Bilberries have powerful anti-oxidants that help protect blood vessels and promote eye health. It also helps with stabilizing blood sugar.

1 tablespoon sprouted ground flax seeds-sprouted flax is assimilated better and flax seeds must be ground in order to release their nutrients. I buy this at the health food store already ground and sprouted.

Variations:

A handful of raw kale-for those who are hard core!

A small handful of organic sprouts-for the hard core gals also! I Iike sunflower sprouts.

½ small container of unflavored nonfat Greek yogurt- Greek yogurt is very creamy and thick (even the nonfat) and it contains about 17 grams of protein for a small carton.

Here is the recipe without the added data:

1 and ½ cups of unsweetened vanilla hemp milk or 1 cup unsweetened vanilla hemp milk and ½ cup coconut water or coconut milk.*

½ cup frozen organic blueberries or ½ banana

3 cups fresh organic baby spinach

½ to 1 scoop protein powder (non-denatured)

2 tsp Aronia powder

2 tsp. Acai berry powder

2 tsp. Maca powder 2 tsp. bilberry powder

1 Tbsp sprouted flax powder

Additions if desired:

Handful raw kale

Small handful organic sprouts (I like sunflower sprouts)

½ small container plain Greek yogurt

*you can add a little more liquid if you do not like it thick. If it is too thick I just add a little water.

LED Light Therapy

LED light has a rejuvenating effect on the skin. It can help to reduce lines and wrinkles by improving circulation and stimulating collagen. It also can offer pain relief so you can apply it to other areas of the body. A lot of the research on this came from NASA. Apparently weightlessness for extended time periods causes problems like slow wound healing. They found that by applying LED light therapy to these areas that it increased the circulation and stimulated the cells into healing faster. The same thing is true for infrared heat so this light combines both. If you get LED light therapy in a salon as an “add-on” to your facial by the time you have a couple of facials you will have paid for one of these. From my understanding, just getting a “treatment” once a month when you have a facial is not really that beneficial since it needs to be used consistently. At first, you are supposed to use it 9 minutes two times a day for the first 30 days and then once a day after that. Unlike some other smaller lights where you have to move it over your face the entire time, this light covers the whole face. Read more about this technology on my site and you can also order the light directly off my site. It is made by a good company and they stand behind their product.

Clarisonic

This is an ultrasonic facial brush. Many of you are already using ultrasonic tooth brushes and this works on the same principle. It will clean your skin 10 times better than using a washcloth or just your facial cleanser. The brush does not rotate like most other handheld facial cleaners. It uses ultrasound (high speed sound waves) that penetrate the skin and get it really clean. This is the brand that I recommend (Clairsonic). I use the brushhead made for sensitive skin. They have one now that has attachments for the body.

I ordered mine from www.qvc.com  Just go to the main page and type in Clarisonic and they will have several different options. The actual Clairsonic is exactly the same in all the kits. Different kits have different attachments and some come with products. I did not use any of the products because I like something more natural. I would just order the basic Clairsonic with the facial brushes. If you think that you might like to use it on other parts of your body then order the one with more brushes, like I said the actual Clarisonic is the same in all the kits.

I like ordering from QVC because they never share my information with anyone and their customer service cannot be beat. If you are not happy with anything you order then you can return it for a full refund (no restocking fees or anything like that) no questions asked. You can return half empty bottles of skin care products, make-up, etc. for a full refund. If you order clothes and wear them and if you do not like them you can return them even without the tags and even if you have washed them so they are very customer service oriented. You have to sign up and get a membership number but you are not charged for that and you do not have to place any kind of minimum order. It is not like any kind of club or anything like that.

You can also order it from www.sephora.com

Microneedling-Ouch! (well just a little)

This is a little roller with a handle that has microneedles sticking out all over. You roll it across your face and it punctures the skin on a microscopic level. Why in the world would you want to do that? Actually, this is a skin rejuvenating treatment that is FDA approved because it actually works to stimulate collagen (collagen is abundant in younger skin).  In essence, by puncturing the skin this sets up a healing process whereby new skin cells grow which results in the formation of collagen fibers and improved blood supply. This improves the thickness of the skin which in turn improves the skin texture and reduces wrinkles. It also helps with hyperpigmentation and depending on the size of the needles (they come in different sizes) it can be used to treat stretch marks, cellulite and scars on any part of the body. These little punctures also create portals for your skin care products to enter and work better.

As far as the ouch factor, well it is a little ouch but not that bad. You are doing it very lightly (not enough to draw blood) and you will look a little pink when you are done. The size that is recommended for the face is 0.5 mm for anti-aging and light acne scarring. 1.0mm for light stretch marks and 1.5mm for deep stretch marks and very deep scarring. I use mine about 5 times a week. You need to replace it about every 6 weeks or so depending on how many times a week you use it. You just pour some alcohol on it after each use so it is easy to care for. My friend Amy (an aesthetician in Clearwater, Florida) carries them. She also has a great firming serum and you can place an order by calling 727-698-5555.

Galvanic Spa System

See my post on this exciting skin care device that helps to tone, hydrate and enhance the absorption of nutrients! I used to get these treatments regularly at a salon but now I can do it myself at home and save thousands. If you have ever priced these treatments they average about a $100 per treatment. This is a must have for great skin.