When it comes to skin care, La Jolla esthetician Adriana Lepadatu is decidedly old school.
Which isn't entirely surprising since she comes from the Old World.
Born in Rumania and of Greek descent, Lepadatu came to the States nearly 20 years ago to hone her craft, but more importantly, to market her all-natural, homemade organic skin-care products.
She first set up shop in Beverly Hills in 1990 and came to San Diego in 1994 after being displaced by the Northridge earthquake.
She worked at a small office in the rear of a building on Hershel Avenue before moving her salon to 6905 La Jolla Blvd., where she's been the past eight years.
Her flagship product, which she sells both at her salon and on her Web site, www.organicfacial.com, is Adriana's "Extreme" anti-aging lift creme, which she claims has proven results.
"What I'm doing differently from the rest with my anti-aging treatment facial is I use no steam," said Lepadatu. "Steam irritates the skin and broken capillaries, and takes the natural moisture out of your face."
"Everything (I use) is handmade, organic, designed for each client's type of skin," she said. "I work with plants, fruits and herbs."
The esthetician added her skin-care products are not something meant to be used on rare occasion but rather are long-term, ongoing treatments. Her anti-aging creme, for example, is meant to be applied to the face each night before bed so it can condition the complexion of the face while sleeping.
Lepadatu said her homemade anti-aging product both oxygenates and moisturizes skin to soothe and revitalize it.
Active ingredients used in it include vitalized oxygen, sea kelp and hyaluronic acid, which, it is claimed, has the ability to attract moisture from the air and bind it to the skin's tissue, smoothing, softening and decreasing wrinkles.
Although people may have a genetic predisposition to severe wrinkling, sun exposure and smoking are two other factors known to contribute to the advance of the condition. As a person ages, skin cells divide more slowly, and the inner skin, or dermis, starts to thin. Fat cells beneath the dermis begin to atrophy, and the underlying network of elastin and fibers, which provides scaffolding for the surface layers, loosens and unravels.
Skin then loses its elasticity; when pressed, it no longer springs back to its initial position but instead sags and forms furrows.
Lepadatu started out in the esthetician business formulating products to treat herself, after seeing how non-natural, one-treatment-fits-all skin-care products and steam treatments were damaging rather than improving other people's skin. "I have very sensitive skin," she noted, "and I started reading and searching for ways to treat the skin without using steam. I saw too many chemicals (in products) on the market with ingredients that were harsh on the skin. So I decided to use more gentle, more natural ingredients to treat the skin correctly for it to be more healthy."
She added her products also contain ingredients which protect the skin from sun damage for people who indulge in outdoor recreational sports like golf or tennis.
For her regular clients, both men and women whom she sees by appointment only, Lepadatu first has them fill out an extensive questionnaire which surveys their dietary and lifestyle habits. "I need to know how much they stay out in the sun," she said, "if they are allergic to anything in order to mix something which benefits their skin and assures they do not have an allergic reaction."
For more information call (800) 541-7771 or (858) 454-2430.
Dave Schwab Dave Schwab is a reporter with the La Jolla Light. Contact Dave at (858) 875-5951 or daves@lajollalight.com.
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