As many of you know I recently returned from Scottsdale, Arizona from my Advanced Aesthetics Cosmeceutical Skin Peel Course, which I will write more on in a later post. During my trip I was reminded of a few things…

The first thing I was reminded of was how much the weather can affect your skin and how important it is to have a dynamic skin care regimen.I went from the snow in Dallas to Arizona’s dry, warm and sunny weather, which was followed by a few rainy, humid and chilly days. Talk about wreaking havoc on the skin. Luckily I had an arsenal of a few good skin care products with me – the weather was no match for my Daytime Defense, Calming Skin Gel and my Growth Factor Serum, which I am never without.

There’s much discussion about purchasing skin care products over the counter versus through a licensed aesthetician. While some over-the-counter products have made slight improvements, many simply don’t deliver on what they purport to do.

Why purchase from a skin care professional? For the same reason it’s important to seek the expertise of a health care professional for an illness or injury rather than self diagnose. When you purchase products from an aesthetician you not only get the product, but the knowledge and expertise to back it up.

If you are like the average American, you are working, living, andplaying at a speed of light pace, finding yourself at the end of theday feeling exhausted and used up.  Maybe a year has gone by, and youcan't remember the last time that you took a vacation. Do you own morethan three chargers for your iPhone  or Blackberry ? Do you create a workschedule that forces you into a eternal state of hitting deadlines andcrossing items off the to do list?  Serious enough to the point whereyou can't take time off or your "system" will fall apart. This was meuntil my life took a turn from that state of perpertual workingnonsense and I reached a breaking point, leading me to a conversationwith a very smart friend of mine.  He shared a story with me that hasmade a huge impact on how I view life.  I would like to share thisparabel that was written by Morven Westfield.