How to get rid of hard white spots on the face

So what are these pesky white hard lumps under the skin?

Their official name is "Milia".

They are hardened balls of keratin that are basically trapped between the bi layers of your skin. They seem like hard white lumps under the skin. They do not sit in your oil (sebaceous) glands, so are an entirely different skin condition to acne/problematic skins.
They like to present themselves on the upper cheeks, around the eyes,  edges of the nose, cheeks and less commonly on the other areas of the face. They can grow to 1-2mm in size. 

From my experience the only way to get rid of Milia is to book in with an Aesthetician (Skin Specialist) who has experience in Milia removal and get them professionally removed. I strongly advise against attempting to squeeze them out your selves as you will only damage the surrounding skin in the process.
As they sit between the bi layers of the skin, they do not have a natural exit point, so you will squeeze and squeeze to the point where you start to remove the surrounding skin.

Milia is one of my specialties! Just so you know what to expect when you see your Aesthetician. The skin will be:

• cleansed
• exfoliated for a more efficient Milia removal
• Then I lance the Milia ever so slightly to allow an exit point, then the Milia can be lightly pressed out
• Serum or mask applied to reduce redness and promote healing

Typically you will only be left with a pin prick for approx 24-48 hours. There is no major redness or inflammation post Milia removal. 

Milia extractions is not a painful process, you may feel the odd prick here and there, but it is something that I really recommend as it is quick and very effective. 

Why are Milia formed in the first place?
It's all well and good to remove the Milia, but it is very important to know why you are getting them so you can prevent recurrence. When you have your Milia extracted. Ask your Aesthetician to give you a skin diagnosis so he/she can advise you where you are currently having imbalances in the skin.

Osmosis Immerse

 One of the most common reasons people get Milia is due to a Omega 3/essential fatty acid deficiency, both in the skin and diet. I put my clients onto fish oil/omega 3 capsules and an essential fatty acid serum to create balance in the skin with the Osmosis Immerse. This is suited for ALL skin types and is very well regarding amongst industry professionals for maintaining the healthy balance between lipids and water in the skin.



Feel free to ask me any questions you have on Milia!

Happy Skin Days!

Sarah Wilkinson
Skin Matrix
www.skinmatrix.com.au

Tips to avoiding Skin Problems at Work

As the holiday season comes to an end I wonder if your skin has changed over the holiday break??
Is it looking fresher, brighter and generally healthier?
Being outdoors  and more active during the holiday period generally leads to a more lustrous skin, now as work looms over us and our ever friendly air conditioning that saves the day by keeping us comfortable whilst working, could actually be working against us. ..... in terms of keeping that lustrous holiday skin!

As it is difficult to change your working environment, you can make some small changes that will keep the L in Lustrous for you this working year.

• have large bowls of water around the office (in conspicuous places is always good) 
• open windows where possible
• take regular breaks outside
• avoid cigarette smoke when you finally do make it outside
• apply moisturiser every morning before going to work
• spritz the face with Jane Iredale D2O cool, refreshed and hydrated - perfect over makeup
• have techniques available to deal with stressful situations such as 10 slow deep breaths in the bathroom!

Some great products to hydrate the skin before your day at work are:

• Osmosis Immerse Serum - 1 pump on its own, or with any other serum/moisturiser
• Osmosis Quench Moisturiser - 1-2 pumps morning and night
• Botanical Blessings Blue Chamomile Cream - for the driest of driest skins

To enable the above products to penetrate deep into the skin, it is always recommended that we exfoliate our skin at least once a week to give us smooth, soft and supple skin that absorbs products effectively.

• Try my famous facial scrub - Sandalwood and Geranium
• For people who have sensitive skins or don't like physical scrubs, you will love the Osmosis Polish

Do you have any skin tips/tricks that keeps your skin looking fabulous??


Happy Skin Days,

Sarah Wilkinson
www.skinmatrix.com.au

A Sunscreen Pill?!

Within 5 years scientists from the Australian Institute for Marine Science believe there will be a pill that will give you UV protection.
They have analysed coral samples from the Great Barrier Reef and have discovered the way that coral shields itself against the harmful UVA/UVB rays.
This pill will prevent sunburn which I believe is beneficial to all, considering our lack of ozone layer.
They are saying the pill will most likely be on prescription only to stop people from overdosing and harming their health.
My only concern is vitamin D. We all need vitamin D for strong healthy bones and to get Vitamin D we need some sun exposure, preferably in early morning and late afternoon.

I will keep you posted on new research as it comes to hand on this.
I find it very interesting how this pill will affect our hormones as well.

What are your thoughts?? Good idea or just another pill that is unnecessary??





Happy Skin Days,

Sarah Wilkinson
Skin Matrix