Q. I'm taking a summer vacation, what do I need to bring to make sure that my skin stays healthy, clear and clean?
A. FACE - You'll need a good SPF to protect you from the all-day sun exposure. Try Bioelements Sun-Diffusing Protector (SPF 15). Apply a Gel Therapy Mask once to twice a week. Its soothing gel formula will lock in comforting moisture as it does away with dullness.

BODY - Keep beach body skin hydrated and smooth with Bioelements Extremely Emollient Body Creme. It's a quick absorbing yet highly emollient body moisturizer laced with antioxidant vitamins and essential oils.

Q. The skin on my face feels dry and dehydrated around this time of year. What can I do?
A. Try Bioelements moisturizers. In order to keep your skin in great shape, you need to safeguard and supplement its water-to-oil balance. Used regularly, Bioelements moisturizers Beyond Hydration, Absolute Moisture, and Crucial Moisture will lubricate, hydrate and regulate oil.

Q. My skin feels dry and dehydrated around this time of year. What can I do?
A. During the winter months, your skin needs extra hydration. Bioelements Creme Therapy is a super emollient creme mask specially formulated with sesame and aromatherapist oils in a creamy base that delivers the needed moisture to the skin. This lubricates dehydrated skin and softens fine lines.

Q. It seems when it is cold outside, my lips are drier than ever. How can Bioelements help?
A. Your lips need extra attention in colder weather. Try Bioelements Instant Emollient. This ultra-rich moisture stick for lips is the perfect remedy for the harsh weather. It's laced with soothing aromatherapist oils and vitamin E and will relieve dryness and prevent chapping. Be sure to apply under lipstick first, let soak into lips for a few minutes, blot, then apply lipcolor. Reapply as often as you need, day or night.

Q. How often should I have a facial?
A. The skin cells take about 28 days to reach the surface [in optimum circumstances, so once a month it is beneficial to deep cleanse and remove impurities from the pores. Depending on your skin, it may be better to have an occasional longer, more intensive treatment according to your esthetician's professional opinion. Your skin care expert can recommend the proper home care agenda as well as help you maintain your skin's well-being.

Q. What are the benefits of having regular facials?
A. The skin's natural tendency is to heal itself in a fastidious manner, however, sometimes we must seek professional help in order to achieve maximum results. Things like hormones, stress and seasonal changes can bring on trouble that's best addressed by a licensed professional. There are many benefits to regular facials: Clearer skin is a natural result of professional exfoliating on a regular basis, and smoother, more moist and supple skin is a result of the professional massage that may be included in your facial. Skin learns to adjust more quickly to life's stressors, and responds in a healthy manner. As you keep regular appointments with your esthetician, she will learn the cyclical changes that occur with your skin and will adjust and offer the correct products for you to use.

Q. Do I really need to use a mask? If so, why?
A. Yes. Regular use of corrective facial masks keeps your skin toned, just like regular exercise keeps your body in shape. For best results, have your Bioelements esthetician create a customized facial mask personalized for your exact skin.

Q. What causes my acne to flare up?
A. Acne outbreaks are caused by the four "trigger factors": excess oil, pore-clogging dead skin cells, acne bacteria and inflammation. Hormones prompt your oil glands to produce excess oil, provoking the skin cells in your pores to rapidly shed. When the pore becomes clogged by trapped oil and dead skin cells it creates a perfect breeding ground for irritating acne bacteria. As your skin tries to deal with the bacteria, it becomes inflamed, eventually causing a full-blown breakout. To stop this cycle from repeating itself over and over you need to control all four trigger factors. Try Bioelements Spotless Cleanser, Active Astringent, AcnePlex, PorePlex, and Amino Mask created to target all four trigger factors!

Q. I have adult acne. Are there any options aside from using antibiotics or products such as Retin-A?
A. Adult acne can be quite a challenge. It is recommended you visit a skin care specialist to have your skin properly assessed before using any products. The professional recommendation is to use a complete system of products rather than relying on one "miracle" acne product. This means using products that are all created to treat the causes of your acne and clear up the skin. Bioelements Spotless Cleanser, Active Astringent, AcnePlex, PorePlex, and Amino Mask work in conjunction with each other, 24 hours a day, to clear up existing acne blemishes, prevent future breakouts and heal the visible signs of past acne flare-ups.

Q. I always hear that foods like chocolate or French fries can cause acne. Is this really true?
A.Although nutrition plays an overall role in the health of our skin, acne is not directly related to sugar consumption or other foods (with the exception of foods that contain a high iodine content which can trigger breakouts). Acne breakouts are triggered by bacteria, which produces irritating substances that cause inflammation. Acne is also triggered by the hyper-shedding of dead cells within the pores and the clumping together of these cells caused by excessive oil production. So the four trigger factors of acne are 1) excess oil production 2) dead skin cells 3) acne bacteria 4) inflammation. It's these trigger factors - not sugar consumption - that are the real culprits. To control acne, all four trigger factors have to be addressed. Try Bioelements Acne Clearing System. It works 24 hours a day to combat these exact factors.

Q. Do I really need to use a toner?
A. Using a toner everyday is an important step in having healthy skin - don't skip it! The purpose of toner is to restore the skin to its natural pH level [between 4.5 and 5.5], and to remove any traces of cleanser left behind. The skin will accept moisturizer more readily and easily if it's prepared with a toner first. All skin types can benefit from the use of a good alcohol-free toner. [Try Bioelements Equalizer? An alcohol-free toner with herbal extracts to hydrate just-cleansed skin. To give your toner an extra boost, add Bioelements Rev-Up to energize dull, sluggish skin or add Calm Down, to soothe sensitized skin, to your Equalizer.

Q. What can be done for fine lines and wrinkles on my face?
A. Fine lines and wrinkles on the face are caused when the support structures of the skin begin to break down. This usually begins to happen in the early thirties and is caused primarily by damage from ultra violet rays. To help reduce the signs of aging use Bioelements Eye Area around the eyes. It contains 4% Alpha Hydroxy acids, which will exfoliate the skin, lessening the appearance of the lines. Recently the use of topical vitamins on the skin has produced dramatic results in reversing the signs of aging. Use Bioelements VitaMineral Power Pen, which contains vitamins A, C, D and E. These vitamins, when applied immediately after cleansing, will help reduce and may reverse the signs of aging.

Q. I am beginning to see some sagging along my jaw line. What Bioelements products should I use?
A. As we age, the tissue along the jaw line can lose its elasticity, causing the skin to hang or stretch lower, careating what most call 'jowls.' You can stop this process by having a skin care professional custom blend a Bioelements Cleanser and Moisturizer for your Biotype with ingredients that can combat this problem. Bioelements Actives are laboratory-strength plant extracts and raw ingredients that can target specifc skin needs when blended into your take-home products. Your skin care professional can custom blend in Firming Complex, which stimulates the skin into producing collagen and elastin to "tighten" the skin. Combined with the Active Age Fighter, which specifically targets skin cells that produce collagen and elastin and can increase skin firmness up to 21% with regular use, your custom blended product will combat your sagging jaw frustrations.

Q. Do I need to use an eye cream? Can my facial moisturizer work under and around my eyes just as well?
A. All Bioelements moisturizers can be used around the eyes. However, do remember that the skin around the eye area is a lot different than the rest of the face. There are no oil glands there, so skin tends to get dry and lined. Also, the skin of the eye area is much thinner and can't absorb heavier products. A separate eye cream can be used to solve specific problems around the eye such as fine lines and dark circles. Use one that has been specially formulated for the delicate area try Bioelements Multi-Task System for Eyes or Eye Area.

Q. What's the difference between Eye Area and the Multi-Task System for Eyes?
A. Eye Area is an exfoliator, while the products in the Multi-Task System for Eyes nourish, soothe, soften, de-puff and moisturize. Using both products will benefit your eyes, so don't abandon your use of Eye Area! Apply it 2-3 nights a week under the Multi-Task products.

Q. I love to lie in the sun. How can I protect my skin from damaging UVA and UVB rays?
A. The sun is the number one reason why the skin ages. UVA rays penetrate deep into the skin and destroy the support structure of the skin, causing the surface to appear wrinkled. UVB rays affect the surface of the skin, and will cause the skin to burn. Multiple burns on the skin before the age of 18 will cause the skin to age dramatically in the 30's, and will also increase the probability of developing skin cancer. To protect your skin from these conditions, always where a total sun block on your skin. Try Bioelements Sun-Diffusing Protector (SPF 15), which will block both types of damaging rays. Try to stay out of the sun between the hours of 10 am and 3 pm when the sun is at its hottest and always wear a hat with a wide brim when in the sun.

Q. Does stress really affect my skin?
A. Many experts say yes. That's why it's important to visit your skin care center regularly for de-stressing face and body treatments. It's an investment in your beauty and health.

Q. What's the benefit of custom blending Bioelements products?
A. Every skin is different, down to its very cells. And what works for one person won't necessarily work for another. That's why Bioelements created a system of skin care, body care, hair care and makeup that can be freshly customized. With plant extracts, aromatherapy oils, trace minerals and high performance ingredients. Some to keep skin young; some to keep it clear; others to calm or balance. It's best to consult with a licensed esthetician in a salon, spa or medical office on what products to use. She can assess your skin, determine its oil production level and conditions, then customize products to meet your exact needs. Why settle for off-the-shelf products when you can have formulas created especially for your skin? Makes perfect sense, doesn't it?

Q. Should I exfoliate at night or in the morning and how often should I do it?
A. Bioelements recommends that you exfoliate your skin 2 to 3 times a week. If you're looking for a deep, more aggressive exfoliation, try Bioelements Pumice Peel, this product is actually a manual microdermabrasion, and its ultra-fine pumice crystals will peel-away dull, dreary cells, abrade uneven skin and visibly reduce the appearance of your pores. If you're looking for a less aggressive, more gentle exfoliator, try Bioelements Measured Micrograins - it will gently buff away dulling surface flakes, unclog pores and smooth out skin as it exfoliates. It does not matter whether you exfoliate morning or night, but be sure to cleanse your skin first as exfoliators are not cleansers. And you can exfoliate before, during, or after you shower ... whatever works best for you!

Q. What can be done for those annoying occasional breakouts on the face?
A. Breakouts on the face can be caused by a number of different factors. The most common cause in women especially is hormonal imbalance, which will cause the skin to react by breaking out along the jaw line. This usually happens around the time of a woman's menstrual cycle or in times of stress. The best thing to do is to apply a product which contains 2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide to the areas that are affected. Bioelements Breakout Control is just the right product for the job. Apply it directly over the breakout, and you will see that the area will heal and dry within two to three days of use.

Q. Why are my cheeks always red and sensitive?
A. You may be suffering from Rosacea, which is a condition characterized by a pattern of redness that is permanently on the cheeks and sometimes the nose. The condition starts to appear in the early thirties and is more common in people who have had teenage acne. Rosacea is triggered to flare up by a number of different external factors such as alcohol, smoking, stress, weather conditions and diet. When the skin is experiencing a flare up, it can become very red, itchy and sometimes little pimples can appear. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms you should see a dermatologist for diagnosis. Use gentle products on your skin for example Bioelements Moisture Positive Cleanser, custom blended with Soothing Concentrate, and Capillary Antidote. Complete sun block is also essential so use Bioelements Sun Diffusing Protector, which has SPF 15, or Bioelements Year-Round Protector with SPF 30+. To help with any dryness use Bioelements Crucial Moisture or Absolute Moisture and always have your skincare professional custom blend your products with Soothing Concentrate and Capillary Antidote. Lastly, use Bioelements Recovery Serum for dryness and dehydration.

Q. Is Kerafole too strong for my skin?
A. Kerafole is a very active mask, and it is normal to feel a strong sensation for the first few minutes after application. It just means that the mask is working properly - it is not a sign that it's too strong for your skin. Kerafole is formulated with citric and malic acid from citrus fruits and Bioelements Artic Algae, a highly stimulating and mineral-rich seaweed. It's these natural ingredients that are going to stimulate your skin by exfoliation. Try applying the mask while in the bathtub or shower. Always leave Kerafole on for 10 minutes, then remove gently and follow with Bioelements Equalizer. Use Kerafole 1-2 times a week to exfoliate several layers of dead surface cells, making your skin appear brighter, feel smoother and look healthier instantly.

Q. Why do I have to "friction activate" Sleepwear?
A. 'Friction activation' is definitely not a gimmick. Bioelements skin care experts don't mess with anything unnecessary - from ingredients to product directions and everything in-between. The directions we choose are essential to product performance. Although "friction activation" may sound like something out of a science-fiction film, it has a specific purpose. It releases micro-particles that carry the retinol in Sleepwear, jump-starting the activity of the product. So don't forget to slap it 30 times before application!