Foundations Part3

Foundations Part3

Because of this, until recently there had been only one “black” Miss Universe in the history of the Pageant. For over twenty years beautiful African delegates would walk out on stage, look ashy under the stage lights, and lose every chance of winning. After developing our yellow-based foundations we felt that the best way to test them would be on African contestants in beauty pageants. We knew that if dark African delegates did not look ashy on stage then we had hit the jackpot. And, so we did! The very first beauty contestant who wore our yellowbased foundations was adjudged 2nd Runner Up in the 1997 Miss Universe Pageant. The second one was crowned Miss Universe 1998, wearing our Perfect Copper foundation, and Miss Universe 1999 won the title wearing our Perfect Honey foundation. Our foundations matched their skin tones perfectly without a trace of ashiness.
After twenty years of not having a “black” Miss Universe, we had two in a row, both wearing the same brand of cosmetics - Sacha. If our foundations could work so beautifully on the most difficult skin tones, imagine how perfect they will be for you.

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Foundations Part2

 Foundations Part2

Foundations, for many years however, remained far too red. Later, manufacturers began adding more yellow to their foundations to alter the pink look. The “added yellow” however, gave foundations an unattractive orange look. During this time, cosmetics manufacturers began recognizing that there was an emerging market for African American cosmetics. They took their
existing “red” formulas, darkened them, and foundations for women of color were invented. They however failed to take into account that most darker women have yellow undertones and needed to wear foundations with a yellow base.In his book “Making Faces”, renowned makeup artist, Kevyn Aucoin,states:

“Years ago, foundation was used specifically to alter the color of the skin, re: ‘rosy glow’. But the trend of the last few years has taken us from what intentionally changed the wearer’s natural coloring to products that match the tones perfectly”.
He later adds:
“ Still, if you choose to wear foundation, there are two important things to consider when selecting a product, the ‘look’ you want to achieve and that it matches your skin”. At Sacha, we believe that a foundation should provide sufficient coverage to suit the individual’s need and yet remain natural-looking. Your foundation should perfectly match your natural skin color so you do not end up with a “ring” around your face. From our experience, most Caucasian, African and all Asian and Latin women have yellow-based skin. Yet, most foundations have red or orange tones. When women with natural yellow undertones wear foundation with a pink or orange base, they often end up with an unnatural looking hue. Women with darker skin tones often turn ashy. Darker African women often look at least one shade darker than their natural skin color.

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Foundations

Foundations

 When you walk into a room people must notice you and not your makeup. If they notice your makeup, your makeup is “shabby”. If however they notice you, your makeup is impeccable. This is the Sacha philosophy. Makeup should be used to draw attention to your best features and away from your less flattering ones. When doing a painting, the artist first primes the canvas with a base color. This primer must have sufficient coverage to conceal the blemishes in the material and provide a smooth surface on which to work. It has to be a neutral color to bring out the colors the artist intends to use. This neutral primer used is white. A makeup artist, as the name suggests is an artist. The “primer” used is foundation. When doing a makeover, you cannot of course use white,since it will result in a mask-like appearance. You must find a “primer” that matches your natural skin tone. This “primer” must have good coverage and be neutral enough to allow your eye, cheek and lip makeup to highlight your natural beauty. The greatest challenge facing any makeup artist or makeup wearer is finding the right foundation!

The problem is, from the inception, foundations were not invented to perfectly match our natural skin tones. They were first developed for the movie industry by early cosmetics pioneers such as Max Factor.These were the days when “white light” was used, causing actors and actresses to look “washed out”. To put color on their faces, cosmetic
manufacturers developed foundations with a red base. This era of “pink” foundations dominated the cosmetic market during this period and still
forms the basis of many brands today. As the movie industry developed, natural light was introduced and there was no longer the need for “red” foundations. Manufacturers then began reducing the amount of red used in their formulations to better match
various skin tones.

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Comedogenic ingredients

Comedogenic ingredients

This is a term used to describe ingredients, which have the potential to clog pores and cause acne. Always bear in mind that acne has beenproven to be hereditary and can be influenced by stress, hormonalfluctuations, medications and most certainly by excessive exposure to sunlight.Some women have the pre-conceived notion that foundations clog pores. This is simply not true. Unlike in the past, manufacturers today have a host of substitutes for any ingredient that is suspected to be comedogenic or has the potential to clog the pores.
Having said that, for your information, the following are a list of suspect
ingredients:

 

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Skin lighteners

Skin lighteners

At Sacha we have taken a firm position against manufacturing any product designed to lighten your natural skin color. The potential damaging effects of skin lighteners, in our view, far outweigh the perceived benefits.Bleaching creams as they are commonly called, generally contain hydroquinone which can cause irreparable damage to your skin.
Prolonged use inhibits the production of melanin, a natural pigment which protects the skin from all the damaging effects of the sun. It also causes the skin to look transparent as it becomes “thin”. After discontinuation of use of these products, the skin continues to lighten, sometimes for several years, with no sign of stopping. Dark spots often become very light spots. Prolonged use can also cause your skin to become red, blotchy and blistered.
We strongly advise against using skin lighteners, especially those
containing over 5% hydroquinone. We recommend instead that you use a sunscreen during the day containing at least SPF 15 sun protection and an alpha hydroxy exfoliant at nights. This is in our view, a far safer approach.

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Night moisturizers with Alpha Hydroxy Acids

Night moisturizers 

(with Alpha Hydroxy Acids)

 Hydroxy acids are natural ingredients, which gently lift and remove
dead cells from your skin. These mild acids are natural exfoliants which increase cell turn over and improve skin texture.
There are two basic types of these natural exfoliants:
• Alpha hydroxy acids have a “drop off” rate which means that it will only work when there are dead cells to exfoliate.
• Beta hydroxy acids do not have a “drop off” rate and will
continue to exfoliate even after the point when the dead cells
have been removed. They therefore have a greater potential to
irritate the skin.
As often as required, use a night treatment which contains natural
exfoliants to remove the dead cells. Sacha’s Overnight Renewal Lotion contains 5% alpha hydroxy acids to gently exfoliate your skin while yousleep. 

Allantoin contained in this product helps to reduce irritation.
Though abrasive physical facial scrubs are widely used for exfoliation,they have a reputation of irritating the skin.

A product containing alpha hydroxy acid is a wiser choice.
The Sacha chemists have cut out all the hoopla and have developed a skin care regime that is simple and very effective.

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Night moisturizers

Night moisturizers

At the end of the day your skin needs to rejuvenate.At bedtime use a
moisturizer that is rich in emollients and which contains ingredients that are designed to hydrate and revitalize your skin while you sleep. Sacha’s Overnight Moisture Lotion contains Babassu Oil, a super-rich emollient, which reduces fine lines and helps control the signs of aging.

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DAILY MOISTURIZERS with Sunscreen

DAILY MOISTURIZERS with Sunscreen

 A mere quarter of a century ago, it was not as important to wear a sunscreen as it is today. The ozone layer, which surrounds the earth, serves to deflect the harmful ultra-violet (UV) rays of the sun. Over the years this layer has steadily deteriorated, allowing through far more harmful UV rays.
Every day you are exposed to UV rays that damages your skin causing sunburn, skin diseases and premature aging.
UVB rays cause sunburn especially in the summer while UVA rays are responsible for premature
aging. These UV rays are present every day whether the sun is out or not.
We strongly advise that you wear a sunscreen all year round.
Sunscreen is no longer a summer time practice. It must become a part of your daily routine.
Apply sunscreen 30 minutes before exposure to the sun, giving it time to penetrate your skin. Reapply every 3-4 hours as well as immediately after swimming or profuse sweating.
A waterproof sunscreen generally stays on about 30 minutes in water.
Sacha’s Daily Moisturizers with SPF 15 sun protection provide both UVA and UVB sun protection.

Please bear in mind that a higher SPF does not necessarily mean better protection, but longer protection. An SPF 15 product for instance, will provide you with 95% protection while an SPF
50 product will give you 98% protection. 

The difference is negligable.
Sacha’s Daily Moisturizer can be used alone or as an “under makeup” base.

Moisturizers with a higher SPF factor tend to be too oily. Makeup worn over an oily base has a tendency to become discolored.

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MOISTURIZERS

Moisturizers

Moisturizers act as a protective barrier between your skin and the environment.

Although your skin manufactures its own oils,it is usuallyremoved during the process of cleansing.

It is therefore necessary to replenish these natural oils.
A basic moisturizer should contain water and other ingredients that
attract and trap moisture onto the skin.

It should also contain emollients
which nourish the skin.

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TONERS

Toners

There are many misconceptions about the role of toners and astringents
in a skin care routine. Firstly, they are an essential step in the skin care
routine. They remove traces of makeup or residue that your cleanser misses, and “prepares” the skin for moisturizing.
The term toner, freshener or astringent is often used interchangeably. If you have normal, combination or oily skin use an astringent containing a low percentage of alcohol and skin soothers like allantoin. For normal to dry skin use an alcohol-free freshener with ingredients such as
witch hazel and other natural extracts.

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CLEANSERS

CLEANSERS

Today’s women have the choice of several different brands and types of cleansers. To simplify m

atters, we group cleansers into two basic ategories: “tissue-off” cleansers and “rinse-off” cleansers.
• Tissue-off cleansers which are normally referred to as
“cream” or “milk” cleansers have a high oil content. It is
these oils, which combine with and help to remove makeup,
facial oils, and grime allowing them to be easily wiped away.
“Tissue-off” cleansers are less drying and are more suitable for normal to dry skin types.
• Rinse-off cleansers are water-based and incorporate some
type of detergent to help remove makeup and excess oils.
This type of cleanser is recommended for women with oily or
combination skin. It should be mild enough to gently and
effectively cleanse your skin without drying. Gels, foaming
cleansers and facial washes are normally referred to as
“rinse-off” cleansers.

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understanding your skin

Understanding Your Skin

Believe it or not your skin is the largest organ of your body. It is a living rgan which heals and renews itself constantly. It covers your entire body and consists of two clearly defined layers:
1. The epidermis is the superficial or outermost layer. In other
words, this is the skin we can see and feel. It forms the
protective covering. This layer contains no blood vessels but
has small nerve endings and is made up of five layers of cells.
The pigment called melanin is found in this layer. Melanin
protects the sensitive cells beneath, from the harmful effects of the sun. The greater the exposure to sunlight the greater the production of melanin.
2. The dermis or the inner layer is located just under the
epidermis. This layer is highly sensitive because it contains
nerve endings. It also contains numerous blood vessels, lymph vessels, sweat glands, sebaceous glands and hair follicles.
These are held together by collagen and elastin fibers, which
together give the skin its strength and resilience.
Each hair follicle has a sebaceous gland, which produces sebum. Excess sebum makes your skin look and feel oily. If the neck of a sebaceous gland is clogged, sebum accumulates, giving rise to acne. A deficiency in
the production of sebum produces dry skin.
Your teenage years could be your best time or your worst time depending on your hormonal activity. Generally, puberty is a bad time for your skin.
If you are spared the onslaught of acne and pimples usually associated with the teenage years, then more than likely your 20’s and 30’s should be trouble free.
During your 20’s your skin should look its best. It can however be adversely affected by allergies, hormonal imbalances, stress, and exposure to the elements.
In your 30’s your skin may begin to lose the bloom of youth. You may begin to see the appearance of dryness and fine lines. The skin tends to be more sensitive and extra special care is required during this period.
In your 40’s your hormone production slows and the skin begins to lose tone and elasticity, giving rise to wrinkles, creases and fine lines.
While these changes occur naturally as you age, they can be minimized and controlled by properly caring for your skin. Cleansing, toning and moisturizing your skin twice daily can help you rejuvenate and revive
your skin.
Now that you have a better understanding of your skin and how it works,I am sure you will appreciate that the time to begin your personal skin care routine is NOW!

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