Category Archives: Tips and Tricks

Tips and Tricks

Irritant-Free Shaving Tips

Many men are too proud to admit when their shaving cream irritates their face. While we are instilled that shaving with cream is an absolute must to avoid cuts there are other alternatives that are both healthier for the skin and more comfortable. Just released from Carley’s, is a new concept to shaving: Shaving Butter!
ShavingCollage

Using a shaving butter with silicone-free ingredients that naturally lubricate (including exotic ingredients from such places India’s Butter Tree), the skin can get a closer shave that doesn’t irritate later.

  1. Do a Clear & Smooth treatment to the skin with special attention to the beard and mustache area. A hot shower with exfoliation will open the pores nicely.
  2. Apply a thin layer of the shaving butter to the areas to be shaved. a Finger full of the shaving cream should be enough.
  3. Lather with the Natural Soap and apply to the areas to be shaved.
  4. Shave with fresh razor, re-applying more butter as needed.
  5. Rinse with warm water, extracting excess water with fingers. Don’t towel dry, leave face wet!
  6. Apply moisturizer to wet face, rub into skin until fully absorbed (Kukui Nut and Regeneration are my favorites for this step).
Shaving
Another alternative to shaving with the Shaving Butter is the Daytime Moisturizer
This method never fails to give me my closest, smoothest shave ever. The extra lubrication of the moisturizer makes the blade glide smoothly, and greatly reduces the irritation that normally accompanies shaving.
*For the ultimate in smoothness, I’ll use the mask in between steps 5 and 6, give your face one more light wash with the Natural Soap to remove the mask and then moisturize. The Elder Flower Mask feels amazing post-shave, like it’s healing the micro-trauma from the razor.
Women
While we are plainly directing the use of facial shaving, women shouldn’t hesitate to the use the very same treatments. The special nature of the ingredients that go onto your skin create a smoothness in your shaving that you won’t see anywhere else.
Many use the Shaving Cream as an actual substitute for the regular moisturizer products. What kind of shaving cream can do that?
1.21.14-NL-(2)Sharpening the Blades
Another key is a sharp blade. Here’s a trick that will help you get a closer shave and save you a lot of money: Buy a razor strop.This is a strip of leather barbers use to sharpen a straight razor. Believe it or not it will also sharpen regular safety razor blades. I’m getting well over 2 months out of a blade and the blade stays very sharp.

Products Mentioned:
Carley’s Shaving Butter
Carley’s Acne Treatment
Natural Soap

Informational, Tips and Tricks

A Natural Solution to Dandruff? Warts? Rashes? Alternative Uses for Carley’s Products

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Despite what the label says, Carley’s products tend to be very dynamic. The reason why is that the product lines are consistent with similar base ingredients and the same quality control processed throughout. Even the pH is kept about the same!

Due to the moisturizing nature of many of the products, we’ve seen people have success with a wide range of products they’ve tried. Some consider these products universal in their uses – Especially the soap. What are some cool “off-label” uses we’re talking about?

  • Rashes – Customers come to use everyday telling us that their pesky skin rashes went away after applying the Eczema Cream w/ Black Seed Oil.
  • Burns and chapped lips – The Kukui Nut Body Lotion and Exotic Butter Night Time Moisturizer worked amazingly on my 2nd degree burns, cooling the skin better than any store-bought Aloe Vera cream ever could. I even use it on my lips when chapped if the Lip Balm isn’t nearby.
  • Slightly Single in LA SetMakeup base – Hair and Makeup Artist Jenny Karl swears by the Virgin Coconut Moisturizer. She uses it as a base before applying makeup for her clients. And yes that includes some pretty famous actors, models and fitness clients!
  • Wart remover – The Clear & Smooth exfoliant worked wonders on a pesky skin wart I had. Apply a small amount and cover with duct tape (duct tape seals the skin better for warts). Here’s a full write-up I did on wart removal.
  • Dandruff – I’ve found that the new Tea Tree Oil Cream will actually ward off dandruff from forming. Apply to the scalp, rub down for 15-30 seconds and then let sit on the scalp for 3-5 minutes.
  • Male pattern baldness – This one may be a stretch but I use the Clear & Smooth exfoliant in my scalp every day. Studies show that stimulating the scalp increases oxygen to the blood under the skin and nothing is better than an exfoliant. Factor in the good ingredients in the Clear & Smooth and you have something that has miraculously prevented me from seeing the same balding effects that every other male (and female) in my family has seen. Full write-up here.
  • Sunblocker, burn cover-up – The Mineral Makeup Foundation is a great sunblocker for your face. Even better, it’s the perfect cover-up for burns. The worse thing you can do for a large burn is to expose it to sunburns. Avoid scarification by blocking the sun over the burn. It doesn’t hurt your appearance to block a bad burn anyways.
  • Facial shaving – The Daytime Moisturizer works as a great facial shaver. Even better than Daytime is now the Hair (yes, hair) Conditioner.

It’s not just us that have found amazing uses for Carley’s products. Our customers were asked what “off-label” uses they found for these products:

  • Shampoo, shaving cream, piercing/tattoo cleaner, dandruff – “I use the soap as shampoo, shaving cream, piercing and tattoo cleaners. The moisturizer in my hairline and eyebrows to prevent dandruff flakes, and it works! I brag about how universal the soap is to all my friends, hahah.” – Samantha
  • Facial Shaving – “I’ll start out this topic by saying my guilty pleasure is shaving with our hair conditioner. I know this sounds weird, but it works really well. I get a pepperminty smooth shave. The same properties that help the hair and scalp seem to help the blade cut the beard more easily. I used to use our body wash to shave with, but the hair conditioner works even better. I’m pretty sure it would work well shaving legs too.”
  • Severe diaper rashes – “The Kukui Nut Body Lotion does wonders for severe diaper rashes. Leave it on overnight and its healed in the morning!!” – Kasey
  • Shampoo, body wash, face wash, shaving and cleaning your puppy – “I use the natural soap, as shampoo, body wash, face wash, to shave and to suds up my pup. It is the best product out there!” – Doreen
  • Preventing fluffy hair – “I used your moisturizer on my hair to prevent puffy hair.” – Kate
  • Washing false teeth and getting rid of laundry stains – “My mother washes her false teeth with the soap. She also said it’s better than Shout for laundry stains.” – Albert
  • Rashes – “A few months ago, our three-year-old started breaking out in a light rash on his back. We used this [Eczema] cream on it a couple of nights and it went away, after months of having applied other creams every single night just to keep it from getting inflamed. So that’s great, but then we really got to see what it can do. Two days ago, he woke up from his nap with a horrible heat rash covering his entire right leg. He said it was itchy, and it looked bad enough that I thought I was going to have to take him to the doctor on Monday. We applied this cream probably five times over the next 18 hours, and this morning the rash was about 90% better.”

So what about you? Are you finding any new uses for Carley’s products that we don’t know about? Send them here.

Informational, Tips and Tricks

A Mineral Makeup Guide – Foundations, Finishers, Blush, Bronzers and Makeup Removers

The number one question we get about products to use with our skin treatments is – What do I use for a foundation? How do I cover my acne until Carley’s kicks in? We love nothing better than hearing your stories of make-up free days. Even with clear skin, most women need make up when going. But as we investigated most make up, we were mostly concerned with the first layer. The foundation.

Liquid foundations on the market are just horrible. They are loaded with all sorts of chemicals. Just look at the ingredient labels. How many of those ingredients can you pronounce? It’s the same stuff in almost all store-bought moisturizers. Designed to be easy to manufacture and last on store shelves for years. Here’s the kicker: Most liquid foundations are so acidic, they may actually counteract our treatment.

That’s ok for most, but not for acne prone skin. You already know that you can’t use everything because many things make your acne worse. Mineral make ups are good, but many have suspicious ingredients too. We like a simple formula that provides good coverage.

March-FoundationMineral Foundation
Easy to apply. Lasts all day. Has sunscreen protection too. Carley’s Daytime Moisturizer for Acne Prone Skin is perfect under it. With a powdered mineral foundation, they are applied with a brush and last all day. Mineral foundation make up is even water proof. While covering up skin discolorations they still feel light. Coming in 17 different colors and contains Mica, Zinc Oxides, Titaniam-Dioxide, Iron Oxides, Ultramarine Blue. does not contain Bizmouth Oxychloride.

March - Finishing PowderMineral Finishing Powder
To be used over the mineral foundation is Carley’s Mineral Finishing Powder. Giving you that finished, dewy look is made to set your makeup so your makeup is even. Containing Mica and Iron Oxides, this is a simple formula that is highly effective at handling the job.

March - BlushMineral Blush
So you have your makeup set and looking glamorous. How do you get that red, blushed look in your face that you always see makeup models demonstrate so perfectly. A Mineral Blush is great at handling this naturally with Mica, Iron Oxides, Titanium Dioxide and Ultramarine Blue.

March - BronzerMineral Bronzer
Getting that perfect sun-kissed look is possible with a proper bronzer. With a Mineral Bronzer, you have the opportunity to have that perfect bronzed, tanned look without forcing yourself to sit out in the sun all day and hurting your skin. Containing Mica, Iron Oxides and Ultramarine Blue, this highly simple formula has what you need for that golden shine to your skin.

Make-up removerMakeup Remover
People ask us all the time if can they use their cold cream. We say due to the acidity and chemicals in cold creams to get the best results, we prefer you don’t. In fact we ask you to try to avoid all other liquid skin care products due to the ingredients and consistency.

Use the Natural Soap to wash off the makeup. What if the natural soap doesn’t remove the eye make up? Easy. Just get a small bottle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Use that with a cotton pad to easily remove make up. Then close your eyes tight and wash with our natural soap (again). Rinse.

Keep in mind, Extra Virgin Olive Oil is a very delicate product and should be refrigerated for long term storage. Keep a small bottle of it in your bath and the big bottle in your fridge. If not the fridge, make sure the bottle is tinted, not clear.

Products Recommended:
Carley’s Mineral Foundation
Carley’s Mineral Finishing Powder
Carley’s Mineral Blush
Carley’s Mineral Bronzer
Daytime Moisturizer for Acne Prone Skin
Natural Soap
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

Tips and Tricks

For Those Few with Super Sensitive Skin – Some Tips

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I want you to imagine getting rid of your acne as mountain you are going to climb. Going up is tough. The reward is at the top of the mountain. It is going to be tiring and stressful and it will seem like it is not worth it. That is what our product is like for some people. Yes, it is tough at first. When you the reach the top of the mountain, your skin will change. Your skin balances. Your skin will become soft supple and healthy. Always clear too. However, you have to get to the top of the mountain first. Most people who follow our directions reach this point after about two to six weeks.

Why so long?
What you have been using in the past has damaged your skin. Benzoyl peroxide is a remarkably effective ingredient. How long it continues to work depends on how it is used. If left on the skin for extended periods (along with acids), the damage can be severe. This is why you have sensitive skin. Your skin is so stressed it is producing large amounts of oil and telling you to avoid benzoyl peroxide.

Let me give you an analogy. There is a product out there called Ambien. It helps people sleep. In fact, it is a miracle in a bottle for people who cannot sleep. However, if you use it for too long, you quickly become dependent on it. Sleeping without it becomes impossible. In addition, you cannot use it long term because it starts affecting your brain and memory function. Therefore, you must gradually withdraw from Ambien. I know because this happened to me recently. I stay up late answering emails. This makes it difficult for me to sleep. After my doctor stopped my refills, I knew I had to quit. It was not easy, but I kicked it.

Benzoyl peroxide is also a wonderful effective ingredient. However, if left on the skin for more than 30 minutes a day, long term, it has a real wicked side. It damages the good natural flora your skin needs to be healthy. That is where you are. That other product’s skin wash is a powerful combination of acids and benzoyl peroxide that has put you in this situation. Their product keeps us busy.

What our system does is helps the skin to restore the natural flora to your skin. You have to reach the top of the mountain for our product to work. The soapy washcloth sweeps all of the benzoyl peroxide from the pores of your skin. If you do not do that then the benzoyl peroxide stays on your skin in the pores, just like an ointment. When used correctly, at first there will be some dryness and irritation, but eventually your skin will balance. Of course, our product is much more than just benzoyl peroxide. Clear & Smooth is a system that delivers massive amounts of nutrients into your skin.

regularstrength
Clear & Smooth only has 2% Benzoyl Peroxide while most use more than 5%

So how did we learn about short contact with benzoyl peroxide working?
I am allergic to benzoyl peroxide. Nevertheless, it was so effective I had to come up with a way for it to work with short-term contact. That is where the soapy washcloth came in. At first, I thought it was just me. We noticed others who did not have this allergy also saw wonderful long-term results with short contact. Some took a while. Those that did not follow our routine in the beginning eventually saw our product stop working (even if it worked for awhile).

Moisturizers
Our moisturizers do not clog pores and that does not cause acne, anyway. How your skin deals with the ever-present bacteria determines how clear your skin is. Right now, your skin is defenseless. That is why it is so sensitive. We have helped many people in your situation. This is why we want you to avoid other skin care products. Everything out there is too acidic. Our pH neutral daytime moisturizer for acne prone skin works wonderfully under a mineral powder foundation.

Here is what I would like you to do for super sensitive skin.

  • About 5 minutes before your shower, paint the areas most problematic with a thin layer of our product
  • Next get in the shower and rinse off our product. Forget about scrubbing at this point
  • Take a fresh clean washcloth and make it soapy
  • Use this washcloth, gently washing the areas you are treating. Rinse thoroughly. Even if it hurts, do this
  • Gradually work into gently scrubbing with our acne treatment. It might be a week or so before you can do it. Do not get discouraged!
  • Eventually we want you doing the Quick Start routine
  • At some point, the dryness, the oiliness, and the sensitivity will be less and less
  • You will notice your skin will feel softer as you get near the top of this mountain
  • Your acne may not change at first. Do not be discouraged
  • There is nothing else (from what we’ve seen) on the market that is going to help you. You are in what we call burnout

Products Recommended:
Carley’s Acne Treatment
Carley’s Kick *ss Acne Treatment for Teens
Natural Soap Bars

Tips and Tricks

Body Acne Instructions

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Even though you may be suffering from facial acne just as much as back acne, you may be surprised how much thicker the skin on your body is. The thicker skin on your body requires slightly more effort in ridding spots on your body of acne and skin irritations. This method is most likely is too strong for your face where the skin is much thinner. This will help you save money when treating large areas.

Instructions for Body Acne:

  1. Take two clean, dry wash cloths into the shower
  2. Wash lightly using your hands with the natural soap and rinse. This conditions the skin for the acne treatment
  3. If you are doing both your face and body, scrub your face first with your hands and rinse
  4. Turn off the shower head and apply the Clear & Smooth to a dry wash cloth
  5. Scrub for 30 seconds with the dry wash cloth and treatment. This will remove more dead skin cells and allow the treatment to get deeper into the skin. Don’t scrub so hard as to make the skin raw. After a few treatments you will get a feel for how hard to scrub. After your skin becomes healthy you will find the extra exfoliation is exhilarating. This method also helps you cover more area with less of the treatment, to save money.
  6. Turn the shower back on, rinse, and then lather up the second clean wash cloth with the natural soap and wash thoroughly all treated areas. Rinse

Any other time you wash just use our natural soap and a clean wash cloth.

If you are experiencing skin irritations on your outer arms and thighs then you are likely suffering from keratosis pilaris. Here are instructions for clearing your skin of keratosis pilaris.

Products Recommended:
Carley’s Acne Treatment
Carley’s Kick *ss Acne Treatment for Teens
Carley’s Clear & Smooth with Tea Tree Oil (Benzoyl Peroxide-Free Acne solution)
Natural Soap Bars

Related Posts:
Quick Start Instructions
Kick Start Method
I’ve Tried Everything and Am STILL Not Clear… Now What?

Informational, Tips and Tricks

The Little Chemical That Can’t: Triclosan and How to Avoid It

You probably know that the average store-bought soap is a chemical soup of Frankenstein ingredients. Ingredients that you now know can’t do anything to the skin but make it smell better. Triclosan is one such ingredient.

triclosan_Products
Triclosan-containing products

Invented in the 1960’s by a chemical company, triclosan was created as an effective antibacterial agent that kills bacteria. That might be awesome for your dirty countertops – but what of your skin? Your skin is the most exposed organ in the body and has a symbiotic relationship with the good bacteria on your body. Killing all the bacteria on your skin can have devastating effects for the health of your skin.

“[Triclosan] contributes to the growing problem of bacterial resistance to antibiotics and causes a range of human problems.” – Food and Water Watch, 2009

Triclosan as an antibacterial soap is a relatively recent trend. Despite purported claims by major companies that antibacterial soaps are healthy, no such proof exists. The FDA voted 11-to-1 that antibacterial soaps were no more effective than regular soap and water. Oops.

Triclosan-Free
Carley’s Clear & Smooth doesn’t touch triclosan with a 10 foot pole. Not only do we recommend avoiding products with triclosan but we adamantly oppose anyone on the acne regime to even come in contact with antibacterial soap. Why? While bacteria is responsible for acne and many major skin irritations, the solution of wiping out the skin’s bacteria as a panacea is a short-term fix that puts the skin’s balance in disarray.

SoapCounterSwearing off triclosan
Triclosan is found in virtually every antibacterial soap there is. Your hand soap, your detergents, your other household cleaners. To swear off this harmful soap to both you and the environment, try using Carley’s Natural Soap. Here are tips for replacing your household cleaners that come in contact with your skin with natural soap like Carley’s.

  • Put a soap bar in the bathroom next to the sink instead of hand wash. Lathering up a soap bar should not be hard at all with a soap tray.
  • Check your cosmetic ingredients for any that contain triclosan. Toss them. Or donate them to your worst enemy.
  • Replace dish soap by creating your own handpump. Put chunks of the soap in a handpump and add water and shake thoroughly. Voila! You have an easy lathered and convenient handpump that won’t destroy your skin or the environment.

Remember, sometimes it’s the little things that help your skin. Triclosan is linked to skin allergies and skin irritations. It may be just the small change in your life that gives you the perfect skin you were looking for.

Products mentioned:
Carley’s Natural Soap (1 bar)
Carley’s Natural Soap (5 bars)

Tips and Tricks

I’ve Tried Everything and am STILL Not Clear… Now What?

“Your product isn’t working. I have had persistent acne half my life. Right now, I’m using your products with a few other lines of product. Maybe I’ll try a new acne ointment. If that doesn’t work, I’ll just go back on Accutane.”

You would be amazed how many times we hear this. The only solace seems to be trying an “all of the above” strategy. Using every product in sight. Problem? All of the benefits of using Carley’s Clear & Smooth are negated by mixing with other products.

The unorthodox, highly rated approach we take towards a permanent acne solution isn’t so great if you throw it in a chemical concoction of ointments.

Believing is Doing
One of the first steps towards healthier skin is believing you can get healthy skin. If you’ve read The Power of the Subconscious Mind, you’d see that the state of your mind is absolutely crucial for any major change to occur in your body. By resigning that the product you just won’t work for you. That you need to supplement it with other products. Do you know what will happen? It probably won’t work!

Tips for Persistent Acne
If you’ve been using our product and your skin has gotten worse, don’t run to the closest drug store yet. It takes weeks, sometimes months for your skin to adjust to these products. The skin is essentially healing from all of the years of damage done by acidic, stale, chemical-laden products you’ve used before.

We tell every customer to email us if they have any problems. We will do our best to respond the same day and love to go back and forth with customers to make sure they are using the products correctly.
Products Recommended

 

Tips and Tricks

Warding Off Thinning Hair and Baldness with… Exfoliants?

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One of the first visible signs of aging for men and women is the gradual thinning of hair. For men, this takes the form of the dreaded male pattern baldness. Despite the many cure-alls out on the market there is one thing that remains consistently healthy for the scalp no matter your age and gender – stimulation.

Studies have shown that consistent stimulation and massage of the hair follicles will increase blood flow to the scalp. Studies also show that male pattern baldness sufferers have on average 2.6 times less blood flow in the scalp than normal individuals. While results cannot be anything but anecdotal, we have found success in using an exfoliant in the hair for warding off thin hair.

The LiveStrong Foundation says to use a mix of natural oils such as Jojoba and Rosemary oil to stimulate directly into the scalp. Problem? Oils are hard to absorb directly into the skin without a carrier. This is where Dimethicone-containing products that don’t readily absorb and pure oils don’t stand a chance.

Carley’s Acne Treatment contains fine walnut powder that is perfect for massaging the scalp with. An exfoliant without Benzoyl Peroxide may work just as well for those with skin sensitivities. The after body wash has a cleaning, moisturizing effect that leaves the skin healthy. What these products all contain natural oils that others tout for their magical effects on the scalp. These products are also substitutes for washes with harsh ingredients that strip the natural oils of the hair and skin and bring dryness to the scalp such as Sulfate.

How to Massage the Scalp Properly:

  1. Gently soak your hair in the shower.
  2. Fill the palm of your hand with the exfoliant and massage gently into the skin.
  3. Massage your scalp for up about 30 seconds and while making sure to get every part of the scalp.
  4. Wash out completely using the soap or body wash. Follow the directions on lathering and washing to avoid remnants of the exfoliant that may cause staining of towels.
  5. Massage the lather into the hair to get the moisturizing effects of the soap (and to wash the exfoliant completely out).
  6. Use an anti-Dandruff product (preferably absent of harsh chemicals like Sulfate) if your scalp still produces flakes. The moisturizing effect of the soaps should help but it may take those special chemicals (like Selenium) to really get rid of flakes.

Male pattern baldness and thinning of the hair in both genders is a complex topic. What you should know is that there is little to be done to prevent some thinning and balding of the hair when genetics and hormones play so strongly a role. Rogaine and Alopecia are scientifically proven to help with holding off some balding (in men) but it’s not a cure-all and won’t work for everyone. It’s even recommended to switch on and off those routines. Consistent stimulation of the scalp is something that can be done as part of your daily routine. It not only helps with that blood flow but feels great as well!

Products Mentioned:
Carley’s Acne Treatment
Carley’s Anti-Aging Exfoliant
Carley’s Body Wash

Tips and Tricks

The Healthier Alternative to Shampoo: A Body Wash?

What if I told you that you could use Carley’s Body Wash as a shampoo for your hair? You’d tell me I was crazy. Shampoo is for hair and body wash is for the body, right? Not so fast. With news reports about the damage that shampoo can actually do to your hair, we recommend to go right back to the basics. A body wash or soap works fine (and probably even better) than a shampoo ever could.

The benefits of using a shampoo go right down to the aesthetics – look, feel, smell, touch (please don’t taste it). The problem comes when you get past these aesthetics. The oily hair that people go to lengths rid themselves are doing far more damage than they could with oily hair. Hair is supposed to be naturally oily. What shampoo products usually do is strip the hair follicles of natural skin oils. This may make the hair more flowing at a major cost to the skin’s health.

Just like any skin care product you find on store shelves, you’ll find shampoos usually contain incredibly harsh ingredients. The products are pumped full of “Frankenstein” ingredients that aim to make the products last longer. These preservatives can have devastating effects for the skin. What you’ll also find is an ingredient that we do everything we can to recommend customers avoid – SLS. Sulfur is commonly found in toothpaste and skin care ingredients. Many believe that this is the ingredient that causes acne on the chin with left over toothpaste.

How to use the body wash in the hair:
While it may sound juvenile recommending how to use a product in the hair, you’ll find many get it wrong.

  1. Pour a good amount of Carley’s Body Wash in your hand and rub in the hair. The Natural Soap can also work just as well but just needs a little more effort to lather.
  2. Rub the wash in the hair for a good 10-20 seconds. If you have a dry or itchy scalp, massage the wash in your hair longer and leave in the hair for several minutes while avoiding washing it out.
  3. Once the hair is fully lathered, use your hands to distribute the lather to all parts of your body to wash. This is actually a much more efficient way to use the wash for the longest amount of time for the whole body and lets the wash set in the hair longer.
  4. Wash out completely.

Dry or itchy scalp
Depending on the environment and the person, you may experience a dry or itchy scalp without dandruff products like Head and Shoulders. Due to the lack of absorption blocking Dimethicone and presence of many natural oils and moisturizers, the body wash may actually moisturize the scalp better.

Try going without a dandruff product or minimizing the use of the products to once a week while you work in the body wash. Just like any shampoo, dandruff products contain harsh ingredients as well that may set your healthy skin and hair goals back.

Tips and Tricks

How to Get Healthy Skin – Be Like Kramer?

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You might think you need to listen to your dermatologist for every little advice concerning your skin. In reality, you may just be missing a little Dr. Van Nostrand in your life. The popular Seinfeld character may be known for his wacky antics but his wisdom is far and above what any dermatologist or skin care blogger can provide. Kramer’s a man that acted without thinking. While many of these actions were bizarre and foolish some of his most regular habits were some of the wisest. Don’t believe me? Let’s take a look:

Kramer moisturized. Obsessively.
It’s an understatement to say that Kramer took care of his skin. He’s by no means a model (though Calvin Klein might have something to say about that) but he still found the need to regularly apply balms of all kind. Usually these weren’t cheap generic ones but exotic brands with special benefits. He even brought a little bottle with him wherever he went.

He was particular about the shaving lotion he used as well. Harsh aftershaves usually consist of alcohols that dry the skin out and further damage the skin. While we wouldn’t recommend butter, Kramer’s aftershave of choice, we recommend using a regular moisturizer to both shave and apply on after.

Kramer took care of his scare
“You put the balm on? Who told you to put the balm on? I didn’t tell you to put the balm.” Kramer certainly ruined attorney Jackie Chiles’ day when he found out that the coffee spill burn that they were suing for disappeared after a healthy application of balm to the burm. Scarring is a devastating effect of a bad deep skin wound. Unless you’re suing Starbucks over spilt coffee, it’s highly recommended to consistently apply a moisturizer or regeneration cream to a damaged area.

Take notes of other bathers to see if they’re doing it right

Kramer learned the right way to lather
Believe it or not, lathering is something very few people do right. It’s an art that we try to teach every customer to do properly. Without proper lather, the benefits of a good soap will not be reached over the whole skin surface and other products will not wash off. This may be more damaging in the end. Kramer lathered all wrong in the shower. What he did was take advice from Jerry about the proper way to lather. He even took notes from other bathers. Not something I’d recommend anyone to do in a public place but is no reason not to consider in taking advice about.

This is where the importance of showering correctly as a whole comes in. Kramer enjoyed showering so much that he installed a garbage disposal so he could even prepare food while he was in the shower. He even bought a shower head specially reserved for elephants. Take a long, hard look at your bathing habits. Water quality, duration and lather habits are all highly important to healthy skin.

A day at the beach may actually be good for your skin

Kramer swam in the East River
The chlorinated pools of the YMCA just couldn’t cut it for Kramer. He found solace in swimming the brackish waters of the East River. While we can’t condone the act of swimming in the polluted waters of the East River, we think there’s something to swimming in salty waters for the skin. Not only does the salt water have magic effects on the skin pH but the health benefits of this type of swimming are enormous.

Kramer enjoyed his fruit
People that eat a healthy serving of fruits and vegetables have better overall skin health. You didn’t need to tell Kramer this as he regularly consumed fruit of all kinds. He became so picky about his fruit that he was even banned from the local farmer’s market. At one point he even cut off storing foods long term, opting for fresh fruit only from food stands. This is a habit that you should take to heart. The right amount of fruit and vegetable servings not only makes your skin glow but it’s healthy for your overall wellbeing. The fresher the better as Kramer always said.

When in doubt, Kramer researched it
Kramer was by no means a Julliard-trained dermatologist.  Now his alter-ego Dr. Van Nostrand on the other hand was a different story. While impersonating a dermatologist, Kramer found himself in hot water over a patient’s possibly cancerous skin tumor. He scoured the medical books to see if he could figure out what was wrong and almost opted to take a deli slicer to the tumor. Don’t take a deli slicer to a skin tumor but be proactive about any changes to your skin. If your questioning a skin condition try asking online. Contact us with a question and we will do our best to answer with a solution.

Kramer didn’t stress the small stuff
“Kramer goes to a fantasy camp. His whole life is a fantasy camp. People should plunk down $2,000 dollars to live like him for a week.” This is perhaps most important point I can make. Kramer is a rare character in pop culture. He’s not only known for his antics but for his lack of stress. Over anything. Kramer lived like he wanted and that was how it was. No fusses about it. Studies show that people that live the longest are the ones that live optimistically. That’s good for your skin and for longevity.

Kramer did some terrible things for his skin that are best left unmentioned – but I’ll mention anyway. He tanned too much and he smoked cigars. So take the examples with a grain of salt. The specific instances of how Kramer lived his life is not something any sane person should mimic.

But the general points stand. Treat your skin right and your skin will look good. Put the right things in your body and it will show. Have the right outlook and it will show.

Tips and Tricks

How to Use Carley’s Mask

Some benefits of Carley’s Masks can be derived from just five minutes (and up to 30 minutes) of use once or twice a week. If you only take showers, just apply a mask before your shower. A mask may not be fashionable out in public but you’ll be fine hanging around the house until it dries.

The eyes and the neck and the mouth areas are the first signs of aging. This mask is so thick it can be applied even right over the eyes lids. Just close your eyes tight when applying. Then you should be able to open your eyes. Another method involves pulling the skin in one direction and then another. Put all of your finger tips just under the jaw bone and pull the neck skin down. Then the opposite direction. The mask is just slippery enough to maximize these massage movements. Do similar massaging around the eyes. This encourages your body to get going producing new blood capillaries.

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Active Masks and Stimulating the Facial Muscles
Carley’s Masks are considered an Active Mask. This means that benefits can be derived by doing a gentle massage right before removing. This massaging not only feels great but it improves the blood flow. Some say a huge reason why many men’s faces age well is the daily shave that requires this constant facial muscle movement and massaging. For women, they can stimulate these effects by using a mask and giving yourself these facial movements. After all, it’s not like you can lift dumbbells with your cheek bones and benchpress with your eyebrows!

Some of the ingredients in this mask are the right particle size that this massage also works similar to a micro-dermabrasion to help smooth your skin even more.

For those fitness freaks out there, equate these massage movements with the mask just as you would any exercise. As you becoming more fit your muscles develop more capillaries so your body can deliver oxygen to more areas of the muscles. The face is much harder to get this going but there’s no reason why daily facial muscle movement shouldn’t help.

Products Mentioned
Mask for Acne Prone Skin
Mask for Normal to Dry Skin 

Tips and Tricks

The Biggest Mistakes Acne Sufferers Make

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You aren’t washing off enough after your acne treatment
Use a lathered wash cloth after treatment to get rid of all traces of the acne solution. If you see any staining of towels, wash more thoroughly! Any product containing benzoyl peroxide needs work to take off the skin. If you leave benzoyl peroxide on the skin you may as well be leaving the products on permanently as the skin will adapt to the ingredient. Instructions and video here.

This also applies to using an acne treatment over the sink. This is hard to get the treatment right when it’s hard to lather and wash off correctly over the sink.

You are using acne treatments more than once a day
Never! Once again, exposing yourself to too much benzoyl peroxide risks roughening up your skin. Once a day treatment is ideal for long lasting clearness. As far as the natural soap and other products go, use as often as you like!

You are using spot treatments
A spot treatment will probably clear you up for a brief period of time. The problem is that these treatments are usually acidic, full of harsh ingredients and terrible for the long term health of your skin. Try the Kick Start Method for those tough areas.

You aren’t using enough product
Just like some use too much there are many that squeeze every drop of life they can get out of a bottle. Some try to get six months or a year out of a bottle. Until your acne is completely under control, you can only get three to four months max for facial acne. The first bottle should last no more than three months. Body acne? One to two months per bottle due to the thicker nature of the skin and more surface area. If you’re still not clearing up, use more.

You mix and match skin products
People often believe that if they mix and match products that they will get the best results. As with most things in life, shooting for a solution like a shotgun will usually not work. You need to focus on each individual product you try to see which one you get the most of.

Almost all skin care products today are acidic. Any liquid ointment should be avoided until you are clear. One by one add them back in to your routine and see how your skin reacts. For cover, our powdered mineral foundation works well (or a store bought foundation with as little ingredients as possible). For maximum cover, a paste can be made with the foundation and the daytime moisturizer. Apply the treatment with a makeup sponge. If it doesn’t say pH neutral, don’t use it!

You aren’t scrubbing hard enough
Your skin has many layers. The out layers are dead skin cells. Removing these dead skin cells opens up your pores and encourages new skin growth. This also aids the products into penetrating the skin. Do not be afraid to scrub hard. Most acne sufferers have tender skin. This is due to the products they’ve been using. Start out gently and gradually increase the effort you use to scrub. As your skin gets healthy, you will be able to take more exfoliation. Exfoliation is the secret to youthful healthy skin. It is exercise for the skin.

You’re using a toothpaste or shampoo that contains SLS
If you get breakouts around your mouth and chin you could be allergic to SLS  (Sulfates) or something else in your toothpaste. There are SLS-free toothpastes on the market that are great such as Biotene and Closys II. Others might have problem ingredients such as Papaya. If breakouts are around your hair line it could be due to the SLS in your shampoo. If you Sulfate seems to be the issue, avoid store-bought liquid soaps. Our body wash is liquid and contains no Sulfates of any kind.

You aren’t spending enough time in the sun
With the advent of sunscreen and better communication about the dangers of sun exposure, we’ve actually seen a rise in Vitamin D deficiency. With the fear of skin cancer people are shielding themselves from the sun with sunscreens. To the point of not getting any Vitamin D. According to studies up to 37 percent of caucasian adolescents are deficient and over 82 percent of African Americans are. With a large enough deficiency, the skin struggles to heal as fast and acne may be triggered.

The only way to get Vitamin D naturally is to spend about 15 minutes in the sun daily. Morning sun works best. Keep track of your time in the sun as you can burn fast when unprotected. Here is a sunscreen guide for natural ointments that are healthy for your skin.

The water quality in your shower is poor
Maybe it sounds like we’re reaching here but the quality of your water can make a huge difference for some. If you aren’t seeing results six months in it could very well be the quality of filter you use. Water is an element that affects your skin greatly. It also varies depending on the area you live. My son used to notice his acne staying clear when he away from college. After noticing a few instances of the same by our customers we looked into it. After customers got a soft water system their often skin cleared up. Could hard acidic water be the cause?

You have a gluten or food sensitivity
Sensitivities to food can cause a skin condition similar to acne. There is a simple (but challenging) test. Give up all wheat products for a week. You have to read labels. Gluten is in pizza, bread, pasta, beer and many distilled spirits. These kinds of wheat may even be found in cosmetic products. Sometimes it’s not the products your using or should be using, it’s simply your diet.

I’m a big believer in Karma. What goes around comes around. Our goal is to help people to have clear skin. Whether that’s with our products, a competitor’s or some other reason – all the power to you. Follow the directions and use some detective work!