Thursday, April 26, 2012

Reverse the Aging Process with Growth Factors

Your skin is a remarkable organ in that it can heal, regenerate, and grow cells. Adjunct treatment to aid in this process would be a great quality growth factor for the skin.
Growth factors play a special role in your skin's ability to rejuvenate damage caused to the skin from regular aging to photo/sun damage. What person over 40 doesn't want to reverse the aging process?

Growth factors are special proteins that help regulate growth and increase activity of skin cells. When reputable companies that have done their medical and scientific research produce growth factor serums you will be able to see the data and compare what qualities you are looking for in a product.
These growth factors act to stabilize and maintain healthy skin structure. Important when you consider that at age 30-35 collagen production begins to decrease. This is when women and men start to see fine lines and wrinkles of the face, neck, chest, hands. More susceptible areas of the skin where they are the thinnest and sun exposed to boot!

Skin Medica's TNS Recovery Complex is one of thee best proven serum growth factors. It has a balanced formula of over 100 growth factors and antioxidants. It is oil free, alcohol free, & has penetration enhancers. It is a potent formula that stimulates collagen formation. The result?
How about less fine lines and wrinkles, brightening of the skin, firming the texture and tone of the skin on the face and neck?

Benev, Neo Cutis are two other companies with well known growth factor products that produce results.
Finally, remember that no product will help your skin unless you limit your sun exposure, use a daily sunscreen of spf 50 or greater, and eliminate tanning beds from your routine. And for next time think about your age and if you have ever considered a full skin exam!
Enjoy the sun responsibly! It's how the new 40 looks like 30......

Mint Julep is not just for drinking!

So on the Sweet side, we are featuring a Kentucky Derby Cookie. The Mint Julep will be available during the month of May at MiaDolezza.com! It's a butter cookie that has Maker's Mark Bourbon marinated pecans... The crushed pecans are soaked in the bourbon and incorporated into the special bourbon butter cookie dough. After the cookie is baked, while still warm, it is coated in a real vanilla bean and mint glaze. So far, nothing but good reviews.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

To bruise or not to bruise?

Purpura, the Latin word meaning purple. It relates to small hemorrhages underneath the skin due to an injury. So are you wondering how to prevent such things as a bruise? Say from a small procedure such as fillers or Botox? Or how to get rid of a bruise 24 hours after you find that one developed?

Arnica Montana is a homeopathic remedy used for 3-4 days prior to small procedures done on the face. It is safe and has been used since the 1500's. You can use this topically in a cream, tiny pills by mouth, and even in a salve. Arnica is also used to soothe muscle aches, to reduce inflammation, and applied to more superficial wounds to hasten healing.

Of course you should check with your doctor first prior to taking this homeopathic preparation.

Boiron is a very good brand if you are looking into trying this remedy for small procedures like Botox. If you are preparing yourself for plastic surgery of any kind on the face or body-try a brand called SINECCHi  purchase 2 packages and start them at least one week ahead of time. It is made by Alpine Pharmaceuticals.

Another way to rid yourself of a "fresh bruise", one received within 24 hours, is to use a Pulsed Dye Laser to the site. One treatment and you will see the area begins to heal within 2-4 hours and continue to improve over the next few days. You can have this done at select laser centers where you live.

Lastly, you can eat fresh pineapple 1-2 days prior to procedures. And the day of the procedure. (1 whole pineapple in 3 days). Pineapple contains a natural anti-inflammatory called bromelain. Bromelain should not be used if undergoing surgery; it could actually increase your risk of bleeding. And you shouldn't take it along with anticoagulant medicines or antibiotics.
An ounce of prevention....

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Antioxidants aren't just for breakfast anymore!

When you think of antioxidants, what is the first thing that comes to your mind? If you said vitamin C you are on the right path. Think of antioxidants as a nutrient you need inside and out.

Let's start with the inside. Blueberries, oranges, pomegranate, strawberries....You get the point.
By ingesting any of these in a smoothie, juicing, in steel cut oatmeal, ...your body can increase its defense against disease, infection, stress, outside environmental stressors(pollution..). But, the easiest way is to take 500-1000mg a day of vitamin C. The studies are all positive when it comes to taking
vitamin C.
Now if you want to talk about the outside, I am speaking of your skin. Your face, neck, and
decolletage. Great antioxidants of medical grade can actually start to increase the amount of moisture in your skin. They can decrease fine lines and wrinkles. They could also decrease the amount of pigment that is produced in cases like melasma.(hyperpigmentation due to hormones, pregnancy, photo damage).
My Top 2:
1. Prevage MD-This product has Idebenone. Thee strongest antioxidant on the market. This product will leave your skin glowing. The MD brand can only be bought in a doctor's office. If you purchase this at the Elizabeth Arden counter it will cost you more and the percentage of Idebenone decreases by half. You would apply this every am before your sunscreen/moisturizer and every night at bedtime before your retinol/moisturizer. Some people are sensitive to this product. Ask for a sample to try before purchasing and apply a little dab along the lower jawline over night to see how your skin reacts to this product.
2. Skin Medica Vitamin C & E is also a great product. It feels silky going on and your skin feels smooth and looks fantastic after application every am. Easily tolerated by all skin types. This product is one that will be loved by all.
Antioxidants will put moisture back into the skin. Encourage collagen stimulation. Decrease fine lines and wrinkles, & decrease the amount of melanin/pigment made by the skin. This is a win/win product. Women as well as men will benefit from this topical. Just remember to follow through with a good sunscreen daily to compliment your regimen in keeping your skin glowing and beautiful!

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Squash Spring Sweet Potato Yumminess

Thought I'd take a break from the baking to give a fun cooking recipe that my family and friends really enjoyed eating.....

Butternut squash/Sweet potato casserole

Ingredients: 10oz cut up butternut squash, 4 sweet potatoes peeled, cut into same size as squash. 6-8oz shredded fontina cheese, 8oz Greek yogurt plain, olive oil 2-3tbsp, butter, Romano cheese4-6oz, heavy cream 1/2c, garlic, Mural of Spices(Penzey's), Greek seasoning(Penzey's).
Butter a glass 9x11 baking dish, place squash and sweet potatoes in pan. Put heavy cream, Romano cheese, yogurt, spices in blender pulse a few times, salt to taste.  Pour over the top. Then add fontina cheese over the top. Add more spices if desired. Bake at 350 degrees. Cover with foil for the for the first half(20-20min), then remove foil. Cook addl. 20-25 min until vegetables are tender and casserole is browned. Goes great with Grilled pork chops, steak, chicken...
Let me know if you try it and if you like it. Bon appetit!

Ahhhhh Super Sonic Soft Skin

Clarisonic -This is something that I think everyone should own. All you grown as people-I'm talking to you! The Clarisonic Skin Cleansing System uses a sonic frequency to soften and smooth the skin.
This incredible little device has about 300 movements/second and takes only 60 seconds to clean your entire face. The claim is that it removes 6x more makeup and removes 2x more oil and dirt than traditional cleansing or the new makeup remover cloths. Any topical Cosmeceutical will be better absorbed by exfoliating skin with this technology. A great product would be one that contains a growth factor to stimulate collagen. Skin Medica TNS, Benev Growth Factor to name 2!
For anyone who is interested in taking a little more interest in their skin care, this is for you. I found that it made my skin softer and smoother in just a few uses. With using a Vitamin C topical in the morning and a retinol cream in the evening at bedtime, I have noticed my skin has really brightened up after 2 weeks of use. The skin around my eyes has a definite improvement, and my pores appear smaller, (Nothing will shrink pores except a laser resurfacing treatment).
Now let's talk about the body brush! Holy schamolians! It's awesome. What woman doesn't want softer arms, the ability to improve texture on the neck, and to be delicate enough to use on the decolletage? Then after showering just rinse off the brush heads and put the Clarisonic in the charger. And now you are ready to apply a cream to your body like Nivea Firming, Jergens Firming...Ahhh soft and pretty. I think even the guys will like this!
All fun things to love the skin your in! That's skintastic!!!! Have a great night.

Monday, April 2, 2012

Butter or margerine?

Butta of course!
Anyone who bakes knows that butter makes it all better(in everything!). Today was an all day event. 20 dozen cookies baked and ready to be drizzled, dipped, frosted, decorated for orders.

A new cookie recipe I played with today was a sugar cookie. Big deal you say? Hmmmm, maybe when they are done I will take a picture and post it for you to see how pretty they are and how yummy they look. The difference with this cookie was that I filled them with marshmallow lemon buttercream. Then dusted them with a little powder sugar. Nice light type of cookie for the warmer seasons. We shall see what the masses(family/friends) have to say after they sample one or two.

Another experiment was the dark chocolate espresso orange cookie, white chocolate drizzle with a dusting of dutch cocoa.  Next on my list will be a lime margarita cookie with a sour apple glaze!

Sweet dreams everyone!

I said Heal!

The smell of Spring is in the air. Spring break & vacations for a lot of ladies. It's funny how everyone takes great care of their hair, makeup, nails. and ooops -what happened to your feet? Not my favorite topic, the foot, the feet. So let's get it over with today.
Ladies & Gentlemen who care, take your socks off right now. Look at your dogs. Do they have more crust than a loaf of bread? I am here to help and suggest a few things that will soften your heels and your calloused feet.
Things you will need: Foot bath, Epsom salts, pumice stone, Glytone heel & elbow cream, warm to hot water, pair of cotton socks. To be done at bedtime only.
Soak your feet in the foot bath filled with 1-2 cups Epsom salts for about 15-20min. Then take a pumice to the bottom of your soles, apply Glytone heel and elbow cream, if extra dry apply Cetaphil cream over the Glytone cream before applying socks. Sleep with socks on and in am, shower off creams. Then day time use a moisturizer to maintain your dry feet.
Glytone contains glycolic/fruit acids that will help exfoliate the dry skin and turn over dead skin cells. Epsom salts which contain magnesium can help improve health and immune function. Soaking in Epsom salt bath is a safe and easy way to elevate the body's levels of magnesium and sulfate.
small FYI; In Summer when you get mosquito bites-take 2 tbsp Epsom salt in a cup of water, mix and put on a washcloth and apply the compress to the area. It will decrease inflammation.
Here's to happy feet and prettier feet in the future. This little jar will last at least 8 weeks, apply thin layer with each application, more on heavier callouses. If using on Elbows, apply for 15min then rinse off or irritation will arise. The soles of the feet have the thickest skin and can tolerate an overnight application.
I hope this is helpful! Take care and have a great night.

Saturday, March 31, 2012

Don't be irritated!

The weather is cold here and you say your skin is dry and chapped? Since you can't change the weather, let's help you with your irritated skin. As the Seasons change so does our skin. It's best to be proactive about things, but you cannot do this without the knowledge of how to keep things in a steady state.
I promised a product will help heal skin from simple dryness on hands to maintaining a barrier on the skin as it heels from the moderate damage and exfoliation seen with eczema. The product I am talking about is made by La Roche-Posay. This company is responsible for some very nice skin care products. They do what they promise and are backed by scientific evidence.
CICAPLAST- This is thee most wonderful product that has proven itself time and time again to work it's magic.  Everyone from my patients to my family has been pleased with the results. Cicaplast has a paraben free formula.
It's key ingredients are made of a mineral complex of Manganese, Copper, & Zinc which all help to hasten the skin to turn over new skin cells.
The next one, are you ready for this? Madecassoside, say that 5 times fast. This is a purified molecule that when used in a topical form it will enhance wound healing and clear up your skin to make it free of skin lesions. It has the capability to increase collagen formation and to strengthen the newly deposited collagen layer.
C'mon go ahead and ask me why this is important? Well silly, your skin is the largest organ of the body. And when the barrier is broken we are left susceptible to infection. And this product also has an anti-bacterial agent to protect the skin while healing. Use to help heal eczema of hands, post laser work for resurfacing(non-ablative), & I personally used this when I had a burn from a flat iron-in 2 days it was healing nicely using it 3-4 x/day. This can be bought online Amazon carries it for about 15.00/15ml tube.
 Have a great Saturday. Tomorrow we can tackle rough, dry, calloused feet! I really don't like feet, but fugly feet are theeeee worst thing on a pretty women! You know who you are!! Love & Peace

Friday, March 30, 2012

Mind maddening sweetness

A little birdy told me, who shall remain nameless, initials TMB, that a women at work was given a choice of cookies that I sent in for everyone to sample. She took one of each kind. (like my old Polish Aunt Mary would have done and 2 for her purse honey). Then proceded to go back to her work area and take apart my cookies while tasting them. It was later discovered by another coworker she admitted going home and trying to make the same cookie and could not figure out-"what Jenn put in the cookie to make it so good?".

No big mystery................................... It's LOVE!!!

So the newest thing I will begin to try this weekend is mailing out cookies. I have read up, watched videos, and made a wasted trip to the NPS! That's right the Postal Service was not helpful, so surprising! 
It's not as much fun as making them, but someone has to do it and I volunteered. Oh, probably because I am the only employee!
Sucka!

And I may have a chance to set up a booth at the bridal stores when they have an event to bring in more business. That's exciting too.

This weekend lying low until this bout of bronchitis finds its way out. More to come soon.
A Facebook page is on its way.

Have a saweeeet weekend! Enjoy.

A good name is hard to come by...

So, today is Friday and we a a lot closer to a name for our business. My partner in crime and I are going back and forth. Hopefully, crossing my fingers, we will have one by April 1! That's no fooling.

Let's take some time for a talk about Spring. Specifically, Spring time in Buffalo, NY. We all want to get out in the sunshine to wash our cars, spruce up a garden. But, how many of you are thinking about your skin?
Now is a great time to clear up a few misconceptions. First and foremost, sunscreen use. It's not for just Summer use anymore. Especially our lovely women and men over the age 40. Are you seeing more brown spots pop up like your Grandma used to have on her face and body? Do you blush more and notice a lot more pink vessels in your face? Do you get a dark pigment to your face in Spring through Summer that tends to fade in Fall & Winter? This is all part of the process of collagen breakdown and sun damage/photodamage.
Are you currently using a sunscreen as your moisturizer every morning?
If you answered YES! Congratulations and welcome to a healthy way of treating your skin daily. If you are in the population of those who said No...read on people.
None of us is getting any younger. But, we can put up one heck of a fight against aging. Sunscreen should be used daily, 365 days a year. Why? Because the UVA/UVB rays do not take a holiday or act seasonally. Not to mention the fact that we are putting ourselves at higher risk for a skin cancer. Even the superficial types of skin cancer like squamous cell cancer and basal cell cancer can be alarming when diagnosed. Can you imagine that you had the ability to prevent yourself or your children from getting a melanoma skin cancer and you chose not to? "It takes too long" What the heck is 2 minutes out of your daily routine? 
My recommended product of the day is La Roche Posay, Anthelios SPF60. It is light, non-greasy and can be reapplied every 5 hours to remain effective. For those who want something waterproof-Try Banana Boat Kids Sport SPF 50-55. Great for swimmers, athletic people, gardeners.
Tomorrow I will talk about a great product to help heal eczema/sunburn/post laser treatment skin.
Peace & Love Peeps. Stay tuned to some great new products on the horizon!

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

The Sugar Portion

By the way, the website for our cookies is currently live! As we progress in this business you will begin to see more activity and pictures of special upcoming events. Sign our guest book, leave suggestions, or just say-hello!
www.miadolcezza.com  

Testing out some new ideas in the kitchen this week. Maybe a double chocolate brownie cookie, definite experiments with gluten free, and a little trial on a pineapple cookie my Mother used to make! Stick around. There may be some special offers for new customers coming soon.
Sweet Dreams......

It's all in the name?

By tomorrow, 3-29-12, I will know what the name of our practice will be as well as finally nailing down a location. If anyone has any suggestions-I would love to hear them.

Exciting new treatments are also being entertained. Who doesn't want firmer skin with less wrinkles and the ability to wear less makeup? And some new products have arrived and are currently being tested to see if they live up to their expectations. Too bad they don't have something in a bottle to firm up the body!

I am officially on board with the Amherst Chamber of Commerce. Kim Whalen who is the Medical Representative was very helpful in discussing all areas of business and networking possibilities. She was both supportive and very informative and I will look to her for many things in the coming months. She is a great resource and wealth of knowledge!
I also had the pleasure of talking to an old friend that was very helpful and supportive regarding the start up process to this business. She will remain anonymous until I ask her permission to disclose her name! No she's not part of the witness protection program.

What are some things you look for when you want to be pampered? Is it the ambiance? The staff?  ...Let me know your thoughts as they are important to me. I want to make every persons experience with us a great one. When you walk out the door you should feel as if  you were the only person we had scheduled for the day. No rush visits.  Feeling a difference after your first treatment is a promise. And after a few weeks of skin care tailored just for you, a glow you haven't seen in years! Big Plans...stay tuned. Sleep well my friends.


Monday, March 26, 2012

The beginning of Sugar&Spice

So here goes nothing. Things are going well. I have a brand new business created by me and owned by my hubby Tim. What's wrong with that picture? Nothing.

 I have another area of interest brewing into a dream come true. A cosmetic dermatology practice with an M.D. partner who believes in me! That speaks volumes to me since I have worked every aspect of the medical field. I began as a Medical Assistant at the age of 18. Working as a single Mom of one for many years before going back to school for nursing. In 1991, I became a L.P.N. I worked in some amazing places that taught me so much about medicine, life, and death. E.C.M.C. and Hospice Buffalo, & Dr. J. Neiman were the three jobs that took me to where I am today.

In 1999, I began at D'Youville College where I finished my schooling for Physician Assistant. I have worked for some credible dermatologists in the past 8 of my 9.5 years. Dr. Joseph Neiman and Dr. Daniel Buscaglia. It is in these two places that my love for cosmetic dermatology blossomed to be where I am today.

Now in 2012, I find myself presented with a unique situation to open a cosmetic practice as a partner with Dr. Mian Majeed. To actually be my own boss and not work 5 days/week anymore is an exciting proposition. So with a lot of hard work and a little luck, everyone will know about our practice within a few months of opening and we will keep all the Ladies and Gentlemen as youthful as they were years ago. There is a lot to cover even the name of our practice has yet to be decided. Any suggestions?

For loyal followers in the area that are interested, I will take note of "helpful" input and there may be a thank you gift involved after the Grand Opening. Boy, that sounds nice, doesn't it?