May 24, 2022 • 43 mins
Gam sits down with Marya Khalil-Otto, CEO and owner of Vitality Institute, and her friend Wendy Pittman, Director of Business Development at Vitality Institute, to talk about chemical peels, botox, ways to take care of your skin, and how treatments can affect people of color differently.
Guest Information:
@wendy_pittman Wendy’s Instagram
@maryakhalil Marya’s Instagram
@vipeel Vitality Institute's Instagram
@vipeel Vitality Institute’s Facebook
@vipeel Vitality Institute’s Twitter
Host Information:
@gammynorris Gammy's Instagram
@gammynorris_ Gammy's Twitter
@gammynorris Gammy's Facebook
@gammynorris Gammy’s TikTok
#PositivelyGam
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
What's up, everybody. I'm Gammy and this is positively gam
Last season, I did an episode about skincare, and I'm
excited to be diving into the topic even further. Everyone
has different skincare routine and I feel like I'm hearing
about a new product or procedure all the time. So
I'm excited to have two women join me who can
(00:30):
shed some light on peels, botox, and the importance of
some protection. So let's get into the episode. Wendy Pittman
has been one of my friends for years and introduced
me to aesthetic medicine, which focuses on altering one's cosmetic
appearance through different treatments. She's been active in this field
(00:53):
for over two decades and is the director of business
Development at Vitality Institute. Wendy is also the founding director
of Vitality Institutes Brown Skin Agenda, a physician lead initiative
that promotes the advancement of treatment protocols and skin care
solutions for skin of color. Also joining me is Maria
(01:17):
khalil Atto, who has been CEO of Vitality Institutes since
she was twenty five years old. Under her leadership, the
company's famous Vitality Peel brand has expanded to include five
medical grade formulations customized for specific skin conditions, and she's
also launched the Vitality Dorm beauty line, a full portfolio
(01:42):
of clinical, daily at home care products that helped to
reduce pigmentation and increase cell turnover. Hello, ladies, and welcome
to Positively gam. Wendy's so good to see you. I
haven't seen you in a minute. You know what, you
celebrate my fifty second birthday. Remember you took me out,
(02:05):
we had dinner and yeah, but that was almost what
that was like a year because so you were actually
Wendy the one who got me started on this road.
Like last year, I posted on social media how I
had those moles removed from my face that like that.
They're not called moles? What do they called their dPNs?
(02:26):
Dermatosa papalos right, commonly described by Dermot Board certified dermatologists.
We in common terms, we call them moles, but in
clinical terms they call them deeper. And I think black
and brown skin is pretty prone to them, right. I
think some people think that they're freckles, but they're they're not.
(02:48):
And like you saw me when we met and I
don't even know. I think I must have commented on
how beautiful your skin was and we just had a
brief conversation about it, and some kind of way you
said to me, you know what, you know, all those
little molds that you have or your face, if you
(03:10):
get them removed, you would look so your skin would
be so much smoother and clearer. And I was like, removed. What? Absolutely?
Because what happens if you don't remove them? They continue
to grow families and then love Morgan Freeman and the
wonderful work he does, but he is a perfect example
(03:32):
dPNs on stick on steroids because he's created families and
generations of dPNs on his skin because they have not
been removed over time. So I know that when we
want to also refresh our look, you're you know, women
can be doing injectables and doing the I P O
(03:53):
and that sort of thing, but when you remove those dPNs,
it's a nice refresh to what you're already doing. So
I'm glad you decided to do that. Yeah, I mean
it was huge for me. I mean I felt like
ten years younger when I just did that, and I
did it again last year, you know, and posted in
(04:14):
on Facebook and people. It was funny because some people
didn't believe that it was real, and I was like,
who would do that? Who would who? We claimed that
they had a procedure done but didn't really have it done.
It's usually the other way around. You had the procedure
done it, but you're not claiming it. I'm telling you
I had the procedure done, and you were saying, no,
(04:35):
I didn't. That I painted those molds on. It was ridiculous. Anyway,
moving on that that was a procedure and you actually
it's like a laser and they kind of burned off
and it takes typically about a week for them to
actually fall off. And once they fall off, you know,
and they crushed over and fall off, and they can
(04:56):
remove them, you know, several different ways. Is but the
end result is they crust over and then they just
slept off the skin. So now, one of the things
I've heard mentioned a lot for skincare are chemical peels,
but I've never had one myself. Now, Maria, the Vitality
chemical peel is one of your company's most famous inventions.
(05:18):
So can you share with us what it is, why
it was created, and how it works. Because I've not
had one done, but I've seen people that haven't done
and what they look like in between, and it's not
pleasant looking when you're going through it. So just talk
to us about it, because the whole idea, like just
(05:40):
even the terminology chemical peel sounds like something that you
don't want to do. I agree, I really want to
change that term chemical peel forever. It really doesn't resonate
with consumers. It sounds scary, but the truth is, when
(06:00):
you really look at it, water and oxygen or chemicals,
everything is a chemical. So that word sounds scary, but
chemical peels are actually one of the more natural ways
to rejuvenate your skin. And they've been used since the
times of Cleopatra, so we know they're safe and we
(06:23):
know they're effective. Now, basically what a chemical peel is
and let's just call them peels for the rest, let's
do that. Let's do that. That's the word anymore. So Basically,
what appeal is it can be a single acid or
it can be a combination of acids, and it's a solution.
(06:47):
The solution can come in a variety of ways, and
it's something that a professional applies to your skin. And
what it literally does is it exfoliates that top layer
of your skin. So any kind of imperfections that you see,
it could be pigment, it could be scarring, acne. I mean,
(07:11):
the list goes on. Peels are really good for so
many things. That's one one of the reasons I love
them so much. So the skin literally peels off, hence
the name peel sloughs off. It forces your body to
regenerate the skin cells. And those new skin cells are
(07:33):
you know, fresh, beautiful baby skin. They're new, so they
don't have any of that old damage that was on
the older skin cells, if that makes any sense. And
and the other thing that's great about chemical peels is that,
oh I said the sea word again, that they're safe peels,
(07:54):
that they're safe for all skin tones, and there's not
a lot out there that can make a difference for
darker skin tones that uh I can do all those things.
So it's really, you know, it's kind of like an
old school treatment almost peels. They've been around forever. They're
(08:15):
not like, you know, they're not that trendy, but they
work and they're safe and they're consistent. That's what I
love about people. So apparently you had a lot of
problems with your skin as a teenager. And that's how
your dad is a dermatilgist. Is that correct? So my
dad was actually an emergency room doctor, and my dad
(08:38):
is no longer with us, but he is the brilliant
inventor of the v I peel. So I can I
would like, I are stories really special. I'm the CEO now,
but originally I'm actually the first person to ever have
the v I peel done, and the v I p
was actually created from me, which so special. I know,
(09:03):
I got a peel made for me. There's nothing better.
But I mean, it really starts from a bad place
because when I was fourteen, I started to develop really
cystic acne, mostly in the lower part of my face.
I was ashamed of my face. I was painfully shy.
(09:25):
I was depressed. I mean I would wake up with
a breakout and I thought my life was over. Acne
ruled my life. Acne held me back, It didn't allow
me to be myself. It really psychologically affected me and
to this day. To be honest, I mean, you know,
(09:46):
sometimes you never get over that kind of stuff. And
I know it's just the outside, but but the outside
is important. The outside is important, so we're not going
to downplay that. We don't want to over emphasize it either,
But the outside does have a lot to do with
how you feel about yourself. So you say that the
(10:07):
skin peel works for all types of skin. I've not
tried it just because I can't seem to find a
time when because you have to be out of the
public eye for a minute because you look crazy your
skin is peeling. It's not I've seen it, Marie. I've seen.
I've had a friend who had it done, and when
(10:29):
I saw I was like, oh my god, what's going
on with your face? Going through a peel? It's really
cathartic when you see that old skin and like all
the damage falling off, You're like, oh, this is so good.
It feels so good. What you kind of look like
(10:50):
a snake when they're shedding that that's what it kind
of looks. It looks like, That's what it looks like
to me. I don't want to do it, and I
actually feel like, I actually feel like I need it
because I I am going through this thing now where
I actually cannot Although I typically don't do it anyway,
(11:13):
but now I definitely cannot go out of the house
too much or not too far anyway without foundation on
because I've developed these like dark spots, and I think
that some people, some of the doctors that have looked
at my skin feel like it's from the sun. It's
(11:36):
definitely from the sun. You love. I love the sun.
I do love the sun. So I don't know you.
I don't know that the chemical peel would make a
difference in that. So v I PEO loves a patient
like you. We would use the v I p O
with Precision plus for your skin because that's going to
address sun damage. So any UV photo damage that you have,
(12:01):
if someone has melasma, dark spots, hyper pigmentation, that peel
is designed to do all of that heavy lifting and
really bring out that glow that sits behind yeah, the
dark spots under your eyes. And the v I peel
was actually originally created in Miami, that's where we're from,
(12:22):
which is like the capital of sun damage. You know,
it was really made for that. So how much time
would I need to hide me. I've got a system down.
I've got a system. Okay. Let's so it really depends
on your schedule. But let's say you want to peel
(12:42):
over the weekend. Everyone's different. Some people like to peel
over the weekend and be on Monday. Look fine. If
you want to peel over the weekend, you get the
peels on Thursday, Thursday and Friday, you're gonna look amazing.
You're gonna glow. Your skin is gonna be tight. Saturday
and Sunday is when the peeling is going to happen.
By Monday, you might have a little bit of peeling
(13:05):
like on the outer, but nothing. No one's going to
see it now. If you want to appeal during the week,
you can get it done. On Monday, Tuesday, you're gonna
look great, and then Wednesday, Thursday you'll peel. So forty
eight hours after you have it done is when you peel,
and you peel for about two days. I find that,
you know, women aren't hiding as much, which I love.
(13:28):
I think they're being a little bit more open about
what they've had. It's appeal. It's not a cosmetic surgery.
It's not changing the way you look. It's just bringing
your skin back to its healthy state that you originally had.
So it's not something to be ashamed of. That's what
I think. No I don't feel that way at all
about the people. I just think that you just look
so crazy when it's being done, like your skin is peeling.
(13:51):
Do you have a condition? Are you? Is it contagious,
a little shoot or anything? On those days like you
and you can't wear makeup. You can't wear makeup while
you're having it done. You can? You can, Yes, you can.
So you're saying you can wear makeup, you can. Yeah,
(14:16):
Some people go out that night that they get the
peel done because they love the way they look. They
glow and their skin gets really tight, kind of looks
like you've got a facelift. You can wear makeup. You
can wear makeup, but then but then when it's actually
peeling off, when you're going through those days appealing, then
you should not wear makeup. You can wear makeup if
you want. You can wear makeup with you. I just
(14:36):
ask that you don't wear any makeup with like dirty
ingredients in it, or like really heavy makeup. But you
can wear like a light C C cream if you want,
are tinted moisturizer. Absolutely. I don't want women to have
downtime and skip a beat in their life, like we
have to live our lives like, we have stuff to do,
we don't have time to hide. Now, are peels good
(14:57):
for men and women? We know that they are good
for all skin tones, but are they good for men
and women? Definitely? And I actually think when you look
at all the treatments on the market, peels are one
of the best for men just because again, it's just
bringing your skin back to its healthy state. It's not
changing the way you look. I know, men get about
(15:20):
all these cosmetic procedures. They don't want to look feminine
or different. It's not doing that. It's just making your
skin look beautiful again. And how often should you get appeal?
So I typically I do a series of three peels,
so I get appeal every four weeks in a series
(15:40):
of three, and then when I'm done with that series,
I will do maintenance at once a quarter, just to
maintain the glow and the healthiness. Because throughout you guys
have not seen Wendy, but let me just tell you,
her skin is like perfection. It is so smooth and
creamy looking. I mean that when that was when I
(16:02):
met her, I was like, oh my god, look at her.
Look at her. Yeah. Now that's the other thing. Do
I want to say anything more about peels. Oh, now,
before we get off the peels, before we jump into botox.
Now they're saying that, you're saying that you've created a
peal for the body. Yes, we just launched that late
(16:25):
last year, and that was made for people suffering from
sun damage on the chest, on the hands so often, okay,
complain that their hands kind of show their age. We
don't want that anymore. We want your hands to match
your beautiful face. Back me. Also like dark elbows and knees,
(16:45):
even dark under arms, okay. And strawberry legs. Strawberry legs also,
now what strawberry legs. I'm glad you asked. So that's
what dermatologists call. This condition is defined by dermatologists as
when the hair follicles are pigmented and look like little
(17:07):
black seeds and a strawer. The peel can go in
and lift that pigment from the hair follicle so that
when someone wants to have that smooth, natural, clear, and
satisfying look to the leg, they do the v I
(17:27):
peel body to get that look. And that condition that
they're treated for is called strawberry So it may present
itself in Caucasian skin as red. You see little red
spots all over the legs. But in skin of color,
you're gonna see what we call the little black guys,
like strawberries. I know exactly what you're talking about, Okay, okay.
(17:52):
And so where do people usually get the peels done?
Is this something that you get done in the doctor's
office or it's done with your estheticians, like at a spa,
a medical spa treatment. Yes, so both doctor's offices, plastic surgeons, dermatologists,
and then of course medical spas. Basically, anywhere you can
(18:13):
find botox, you're probably going to find peels. Yeah, It's
not something that you go and buy in the drug
store though. You know what, there's such a variety of peels.
There's light peels, there are over the counter peels, and
there's light peels you can have in an office, and
then there's really deep peels. So there are some that
you could do at home, but they're not going to
be the same results as the one you get in
(18:34):
and all you know, having nice skin, to me can
really blue someone's self esteem. I know it did for
me having the moles removed. I mean I just felt
so much much younger because I looked younger, you know.
(18:57):
And so do you feel like if you look good
on the outside, you'll feel good on the inside or
is it the other way around or is it a
little bit of both. I actually think it's a little
bit of both, because I think your inside is just
as important. What do you think, Wendy, haven't spoken to
so many women through this aesthetic journey, you know, over
(19:19):
twenty years in aesthetic medicine. I like in the feeling
that women get with doing the botox and doing all
these injectibles or doing you know, appeal or having great skincare.
I think when people look good, they actually feel good.
Because I've been so many places and done so many
events over the years, and women will say, I wouldn't
(19:43):
have come to this event if I did not have
my skin together, and now I can come out and
be myself, and for me as a person, i just
feel more done and put together and confident, and I'm
not covering any pain on the inside because I'm feeling
so good on the outside. And sometimes I think for
(20:03):
some people that using aesthetic medicine and using these products
can at times mask the pain on the inside so
that people can be them their confident selves on the outside.
What about you, Mario. I mean, there's a lot of
data out there that shows that if you improve someone's features,
they can have better quality of life. There's definitely a connection, right.
(20:27):
I feel the best when I get glammed up. There's
nothing like getting a blowout and my makeup done. I
feel like on top of the world. But I believe
that there you can do everything you want. On the outside,
you can do all of these things, all these treatments,
where all the makeup, where all the beautiful clothes. But
(20:50):
if you can't be happy with yourself stripped down without
the outside, let's say we have no mirrors. Yes, you higree.
You have to love yourself inside. And I recently just
started doing this where I go out without my hair
and make have done, and I'm like, I love myself,
like I care what I look like today because I'm
proud of myself and I know how far I've come.
(21:13):
And so I hope women can have that relationship too
with themselves. Yeah, I think you're I think you're exactly right.
I think we cannot downplay the importance of self care
and making sure you're taking as much care of the inside,
you know, and your mental health as you do with
(21:36):
how your outward appearance. Because at the end of the day,
for me, you're inside and your mental health is way
more important than anything that you're showing on the outside.
And I think one if you're taking care of the inside,
then it will be reflected, you know, and how you
(21:57):
and your outward appearance. Yeah, again, I gotta say this.
I gotta say this. When the hair is on point
and the skin is right, my confidence is. Let's move
on a little bit and let's talk a little bit
about why we think that there's such a stigma around
esthetic medicine. Because Wendy, you also and this was before
(22:21):
I even moved out to California. You after I got
the little DPMs removed, then you turned me onto botox.
So talk to us about that and why is there
such a stigma on that because which is really strange
because as a society, we put so much emphasis on youth.
(22:46):
So why is everybody surprised and embarrassed that we do
things to keep ourselves looking young. You know what's strange
about all of this is that women have become very
accepting of neurotoxins. That's what Botox and the other brands
that that soften and and relax those wrinkles on the forehead.
(23:07):
And it's funny how they have been so accepting and
embracing botox now, but they take issue with appeal having
a chemical peel, but they don't mind a needle coming
toward the eyes. And you even and you, in fact,
not having had a chemical peel, You're like, no, my
face is gonna peel, but you gam will allow a
(23:30):
provider to come towards your eyes and give you injections
with a neurotoxin. It's kind of funny, right is. But anyway,
but what women and men tooth for this matter, what
they tend to love about these neurotoxins, and they're four
on the market, is that it can soften in the
(23:52):
hands of the right provider with a precise eye. They
can soften those things in the face that sometimes make
people project as angry, or they can lift your brow
a bit to open your eyes, or for someone that says,
you know what, when I smile, all you see are
you see are my gums? They can use it for
(24:14):
off label purposes to relax that muscle so that the
lip does not lift so high when someone smiles. So
it's all these wonderful things that this product can do.
These products can do for you that enhance who you
already are. But as I said previously, what's odd about
going in and getting a neurotoxin is that women have
(24:37):
been have become very accepting of needles, but they they
push back or ask questions about a chemical peel and
how many days am I peeling? And can I go
out or can I not go out? And I'm big
on when someone says, what do what do I need?
I'm big on the sum of all things, meaning great skincare,
botox or whatever your neurotoxin is of choice, um, a
(25:00):
soft tissue filler and chemical peel. It's the some of
all things that kinda enhance the overall look and add
to that youthfulness of your appearance. And I think one
of the things that you said that is so important
is that Number One, you do your research, or you
have a good friend like Wendy who knows what the
(25:22):
hell she's talking about. You know somebody that you trust
and a professional, because if you go to the wrong person, honey,
let me tell you come out looking crazy. Maria, tell
me what are some of the noticeable differences between people
of color when it comes to their skin. Besides the tone,
(25:43):
the way that it reacts to injury is very different
than lighter skin tones. So skin of color, when inflammation happens,
a lot of the times hyper pigmentation can happen, and
that did not happen in lighter skin tones. I would
(26:03):
say that's one of the biggest differences. A lot of
these treatments that we're talking about, laser injectibles, peels, they're
controlled injuries, and so if you don't know how to
do these treatments properly on skin of color, yes, you
could have side effects that were not intended. Got it,
(26:24):
Got it. But I also think that we have to
acknowledge that there is an expense in this, and a
lot of women don't have access. I think it's for
the average woman does not have necessarily the funds to
spend on this type of cosmetic enhancement. It's just not important.
(26:48):
So they need to stick to making sure that they're using,
you know, the right products on their skin just for
cleansing and moisturizing and protection from the sun. Even just
doing that is worth Yeah, it's an absolute benefit and
I'm a huge fan of sun protection, so sunscreen. I'm
(27:10):
fortunate enough that I came into this industry just at
age thirty, and sunscreen was you know, you never use
anything without having sunscreen in your regiment. So I'm so
glad that wasn't introduced to me very early into my
current how the importance of yeah, it was not for me.
(27:32):
It was not for me. I've always been a lover
of the sun. I would go, I go to the beach,
sent me down, give me a good book. I put
my suntan lotion on, suntan lotion, not sun black, okay,
and come back and get me at six o'clock when
it's time to go to dinner. It was crazy. I
just never I never concerned myself about getting skin cancer,
(27:57):
you know, because I'm black, and in my mind the
melanin in my skin protecting me from that. And that
is so not true. It's so not true, complete Maya,
And and we really have to and if I had
known better, I would have done better, you know. And
so now I'm dealing with dark spots and what have you.
(28:21):
But you know, when you learn better, you do better. Anyway,
moving on, lastly, I want to talk to you guys
about something the company has launched called the Brown Skin Agenda,
because it's fantastic. What is the Brown Skin Agenda, Wendy,
and why did you launch it? So? Maria and I
(28:42):
got together very early on with me coming to work
for Maria, and both of us decided together that we
needed to do something that would dispel misinformation, that would
be unbranded and unbiased education for providers and consumers. And
so together we formed the Brown Skin Agenda so that
(29:06):
we can promote the advancement of treatment protocols and skincare
solutions and skin of color. Because we know that America
has ethnic skin, but yet only ten percent of physicians
are dermatologists and plastic surgeons of black and Hispanic descent.
(29:29):
So we said, you know what, what if we put
together the top dermatologists and plastic surgeons in the country,
those that typically work for big companies that bring in
big bucks. I said, what if we knock on the
doors of some of our friends in the industry and
we form a physician lad advisory panel by which these
(29:52):
individuals can come together and speak to new age treatments
for skin of color and dispel some of a myth
that come with skin of color and really educate those
providers that may see a patient of color that comes
in and says, Doc, what can I know? You took
care of my agne for me, but all these dark
(30:12):
spots on my face, what can we do about that?
No one wants to hear the response of oh, they
have just fade away. No, No, dark spots don't just
fade away. And so those providers that are seeing folks
of color need to hear from their colleagues that are
esteemed and and working with skin of color, understand how
(30:37):
to prescribe, how to treat, and really understand the emotional
component that comes with having brown and black skin, so
that everyone feels that, you know, they're not different in
terms of how they're treated when they go in seeking
help for their skin. So that was the premise of
(30:59):
Maria and forming the Brown Skin Agenda, and what I
love about how bold she was and doing this with me. Typically,
when large farmer companies form something that kind of sort
of looks like this, it's not unbiased, it's not unbranded,
and there's a there's an element of control and everything
(31:23):
is scripted and providers have to stay in a certain
lane when they present on certain topics and Maria said, now,
we're not gonna do it that way. It would be
nice for them to bring in the discussion of v
I p O or v I p O body or
anything else that we're working on and doing, she said,
But what's important is really to get the messaging out there.
(31:46):
And the messaging can be, you know, everything from we
just did an i G live with Dr Jeanine Downey
out of Montclair, New Jersey, and we discussed rosatia and
skin of color, and then June we have on dad
hair loss. So we we talk about everything, and it
has nothing at all to do with what we do
(32:06):
at Vitality Institute. It's more so focused and centered around
how can we help providers that are treating skin of
color and then how can we help the consumers that
are going into these practices seeking help. And you don't
want someone saying that that dark spots will fade and
(32:26):
when someone's losing hair, oh, it's just hormonal. The hair
comes back, or they say, oh, yeah, that's because you're
wearing braids or what have you know, there's there's deeper
things that go into why these situations present themselves. Got
it last question. It will be summer soon. What should
people with brown or black skin be aware of as
(32:50):
we enter warmer weather and people are outdoors more. Any
skin care tip. Let's start with you, Maria. I think
we've driven home the point that you need to wear sunscreen.
You need to. But by the way, I am a
sun worshiper too. I'm from Miami again and I'm Cuban Lebanese,
like we love the sun. I'm basically like from the desert,
(33:13):
but I love the sun. Everything in moderation, That's what
we say. Everything in moderation except sunscreen. Don't use that
in moderation. The sun is good for you. You need
a little vitamin D. You do, but you don't want
to overdo it. I mean, that's what I would say.
And I would say, don't stop using good skincare or
(33:34):
doing treatments in the summer. Don't be scared to be
using You need to use them all year round. Some
people cycle off things in the summer. It's not a
time to go on vacation for your skincare. Yeah, what
about you? But she took the words right out of
my mouth. I always tell friends, family that you know,
(33:57):
beauty is a full time job, so you don't get
to take the summer off and say, you know what,
I'm gonna really hang out in the sun, no sunscreen,
and I'm gonna do what I need to. You know,
I'm gonna vacation and I'm gonna do all these things
during the summer, and then I'm gonna run in to
see my specialists in September to do laser, to do peels,
(34:19):
to do you know, step up my skincare. And really
what I want to really drive home to everyone is
you need really great sun protection. You need a vitamin
A and you need a vitamin C. And those are
low barrier cost items that you can purchase from a
dermatologist or plastic surgeon or medi spa. But I'm really
(34:42):
big on aggressive sun protection during the summer. Incorporate that
with a vitamin A and a vitamin C, and I
think you you should be all right keeping those three
three things um on your bathrooms, okay, and in your
bag when you man, you got me with the vitamin A.
I have the vitamin C, but not vitamin A. Gotta
(35:03):
have vitamin A. That's your that's your retinoid. That's that's
gonna help with cellular healthy, cellular turnover. Okay, got it, Okay,
I'm okay, I'm goody okay o good. Alright. So okay,
because so it's really really hot here today, I'm gonna go.
I have to say I took my umbrella's down at
(35:24):
my pool. So I will put my umbrella out because
I want to try to leave the studio and go
home and try to catch some sun and just relax.
It's the end of the week. I just want to
relax by my pool. I will put up my umbrella
and I will put up my son put on my sunscreen.
I promise. Can I tell you one thing so that
(35:46):
I know that you're using the correct amount of sunscreen.
Dorms have this trick that they use. It's called a
two finger rule. So you pull out two fingers and
then you run the sunscreen down each finger and then
you place that into the palm of the hand. Warm
the sunscreen between the hands, and it's particularly helpful for
(36:09):
skin of colors, so you don't have that white cast
on the skin. And then you apply and most people
just don't use enough sunscreen, so they'll go, oh, I
use it, I use it, or they go, oh it's
in my makeup. It's in my makeup. It's just not enough.
So you need a standalone sunscreen and you have to
use a very moderate amount. Yeah, so got to Okay,
(36:33):
that sounds like a lot, but okay, Wendy, it is. Okay,
I'll do the two finger tests because you're probably right.
I'm using sunscreen, but I'm probably not using You're probably
using an Yeah, as you're probably just pushing out enough. Okay,
I'm gonna get better. When you know better, you do better. Okay,
(37:01):
now it's time for the segment. Wouldn't you like to
know before you go? Wendy and Maria. I have a
couple of questions I'd like to know from both of you,
and we will start with you. Maria. Okay, okay, what
book are you currently reading? They're easy, they're easy. I
have two toddlers, so I don't have time to read
any books. Got it? And and I'm a CEO, that's
(37:24):
a reasonable answer. When I do have time for reading,
I want to read the Victor Frankel book That's Man's
Search for the Meaning of Life. I heard that was
an amazing inspirational book. I just need to find the
time to read it. I got you, got You. What
is one thing you want to get off your chest, Maria,
(37:45):
One thing that I want to get off of my
chest is that beauty comes from the inside. It doesn't
come from the outside. It's not in the eye of
the beholder. No one's gonna You can't wait for someone
else to tell you're beautiful. You need to look in
the mirror every day and tell yourself you're beautiful because
it starts with you. That's where true love comes from yourself.
I love that. I love that absolutely, I love that.
(38:08):
And what's a motto that you live by? You got this?
Because I go through life a lot of the time.
Yeah I'm not always sure about what I'm doing, or
I don't have all the answers. I just you know,
pump myself up, cheer myself on, and I'm like, you
got this, You're gonna get through it. You're gonna That's
(38:30):
how I've gotten here, honestly, got it perfect? And where
can people find you? On social media? So I'm on
social media at Maria Khalil Okay, well in I G
based on I G okay, got you? When do your turn?
(38:51):
What book are you currently reading? I'm waiting for Amazon
to deliver Will Smith's book. I want to read that book.
You know what, I have a suggestion for you. Yes,
I think that you should get the audio book. The
audio book is so fun. It's so fun to listen.
(39:13):
He does it himself. He has incorporated music in it.
It's such a fun listen. So I have the hard
copy to sit on the shelf and then i'll I'll
now order the audio and but you need to listen
to the audio book. Yeah, okay, all right. What is
(39:34):
one thing you want to get off your chest that
I need to ask for help? I'm fifty two, soon
to be fifty three, that I have such a hard
time asking for I do, and so I'm trying to
undo that bad habit of not asking for help because
(39:55):
people love me, people care for me, people respect me.
And I've just got to ask for help when I
need it. And I have not been asking for help,
and I need help in certain areas, and I don't
ask for help because I wasn't brought up that way
to ask for things. So I'm learning to ask for Yeah,
you're still suffering from the superwoman complex. Yeah, I get that,
(40:17):
I am. Yeah. Yeah, what's the motto that you live
by assume positive intent. Ah, yeah, assume positive intent. And
that's the same thing as what my grandparents would would
have said, you know, in the seventies, give people the
benefit of the doubt. But it's the same thing as assumed.
I like that, So I don't. Yeah, I assume positive intent,
(40:41):
and it's hard for me to I don't. It's hard
for me to judge people because my grandparents would always say,
over and over and over again, get people to be
maybe this happened or maybe that happened. And so my
mind is primed and conditioned to feel and see the
world that way, and I've sort of redefined it and
more modern as assume assume positive intent. I like that. Yeah, yeah,
(41:07):
that's really me. Where can people find you on social media? Wendy? So,
I am on Facebook as Wendy Pittman, but I live
on Instagram, so it's Wendy underscore Pittman. Follow me. They're awesome.
I learned so much for having us sunscreen. Yay, let
(41:31):
me tell you some real funny game my dad would call.
My dad calls it sunscreen sun screen, sun sunscreen, And
that's our show for today. Guys. You can follow me
online at Gammy nars also help us out by leaving
a five star review on Apple Podcasts and by hitting
(41:51):
the follow button on I Heart Radio. Stay grateful, y'all,
Thanks so much, guys. Fine, So, here are my takeaways
when it comes to skincare. Make sure you do your
research and make sure you're working with licensed professionals. Number two,
(42:13):
Recognizing that skincare can be costly, make sure the very
least you're cleansing, moisturizing, and using plenty of sunscreen. Number
three sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen, and number four remember beauty starts
within positively. Gam is produced by Red Table Talk Podcast
(42:37):
and I Heart Radio. Executive producers are Adrian Vanfieldnaris Valin
Jethrow and Jada Pinkett Smith. Our audio engineer is Calvin Bayliff,
and our associate producer is Irene Bishoff Burger. Our theme
song is produced by d Beats BA
What's up, everybody. I'm Gammy and this is positively gam
Last season, I did an episode about skincare, and I'm
excited to be diving into the topic even further. Everyone
has different skincare routine and I feel like I'm hearing
about a new product or procedure all the time. So
I'm excited to have two women join me who can
(00:30):
shed some light on peels, botox, and the importance of
some protection. So let's get into the episode. Wendy Pittman
has been one of my friends for years and introduced
me to aesthetic medicine, which focuses on altering one's cosmetic
appearance through different treatments. She's been active in this field
(00:53):
for over two decades and is the director of business
Development at Vitality Institute. Wendy is also the founding director
of Vitality Institutes Brown Skin Agenda, a physician lead initiative
that promotes the advancement of treatment protocols and skin care
solutions for skin of color. Also joining me is Maria
(01:17):
khalil Atto, who has been CEO of Vitality Institutes since
she was twenty five years old. Under her leadership, the
company's famous Vitality Peel brand has expanded to include five
medical grade formulations customized for specific skin conditions, and she's
also launched the Vitality Dorm beauty line, a full portfolio
(01:42):
of clinical, daily at home care products that helped to
reduce pigmentation and increase cell turnover. Hello, ladies, and welcome
to Positively gam. Wendy's so good to see you. I
haven't seen you in a minute. You know what, you
celebrate my fifty second birthday. Remember you took me out,
(02:05):
we had dinner and yeah, but that was almost what
that was like a year because so you were actually
Wendy the one who got me started on this road.
Like last year, I posted on social media how I
had those moles removed from my face that like that.
They're not called moles? What do they called their dPNs?
(02:26):
Dermatosa papalos right, commonly described by Dermot Board certified dermatologists.
We in common terms, we call them moles, but in
clinical terms they call them deeper. And I think black
and brown skin is pretty prone to them, right. I
think some people think that they're freckles, but they're they're not.
(02:48):
And like you saw me when we met and I
don't even know. I think I must have commented on
how beautiful your skin was and we just had a
brief conversation about it, and some kind of way you
said to me, you know what, you know, all those
little molds that you have or your face, if you
(03:10):
get them removed, you would look so your skin would
be so much smoother and clearer. And I was like, removed. What? Absolutely?
Because what happens if you don't remove them? They continue
to grow families and then love Morgan Freeman and the
wonderful work he does, but he is a perfect example
(03:32):
dPNs on stick on steroids because he's created families and
generations of dPNs on his skin because they have not
been removed over time. So I know that when we
want to also refresh our look, you're you know, women
can be doing injectables and doing the I P O
(03:53):
and that sort of thing, but when you remove those dPNs,
it's a nice refresh to what you're already doing. So
I'm glad you decided to do that. Yeah, I mean
it was huge for me. I mean I felt like
ten years younger when I just did that, and I
did it again last year, you know, and posted in
(04:14):
on Facebook and people. It was funny because some people
didn't believe that it was real, and I was like,
who would do that? Who would who? We claimed that
they had a procedure done but didn't really have it done.
It's usually the other way around. You had the procedure
done it, but you're not claiming it. I'm telling you
I had the procedure done, and you were saying, no,
(04:35):
I didn't. That I painted those molds on. It was ridiculous. Anyway,
moving on that that was a procedure and you actually
it's like a laser and they kind of burned off
and it takes typically about a week for them to
actually fall off. And once they fall off, you know,
and they crushed over and fall off, and they can
(04:56):
remove them, you know, several different ways. Is but the
end result is they crust over and then they just
slept off the skin. So now, one of the things
I've heard mentioned a lot for skincare are chemical peels,
but I've never had one myself. Now, Maria, the Vitality
chemical peel is one of your company's most famous inventions.
(05:18):
So can you share with us what it is, why
it was created, and how it works. Because I've not
had one done, but I've seen people that haven't done
and what they look like in between, and it's not
pleasant looking when you're going through it. So just talk
to us about it, because the whole idea, like just
(05:40):
even the terminology chemical peel sounds like something that you
don't want to do. I agree, I really want to
change that term chemical peel forever. It really doesn't resonate
with consumers. It sounds scary, but the truth is, when
(06:00):
you really look at it, water and oxygen or chemicals,
everything is a chemical. So that word sounds scary, but
chemical peels are actually one of the more natural ways
to rejuvenate your skin. And they've been used since the
times of Cleopatra, so we know they're safe and we
(06:23):
know they're effective. Now, basically what a chemical peel is
and let's just call them peels for the rest, let's
do that. Let's do that. That's the word anymore. So Basically,
what appeal is it can be a single acid or
it can be a combination of acids, and it's a solution.
(06:47):
The solution can come in a variety of ways, and
it's something that a professional applies to your skin. And
what it literally does is it exfoliates that top layer
of your skin. So any kind of imperfections that you see,
it could be pigment, it could be scarring, acne. I mean,
(07:11):
the list goes on. Peels are really good for so
many things. That's one one of the reasons I love
them so much. So the skin literally peels off, hence
the name peel sloughs off. It forces your body to
regenerate the skin cells. And those new skin cells are
(07:33):
you know, fresh, beautiful baby skin. They're new, so they
don't have any of that old damage that was on
the older skin cells, if that makes any sense. And
and the other thing that's great about chemical peels is that,
oh I said the sea word again, that they're safe peels,
(07:54):
that they're safe for all skin tones, and there's not
a lot out there that can make a difference for
darker skin tones that uh I can do all those things.
So it's really, you know, it's kind of like an
old school treatment almost peels. They've been around forever. They're
(08:15):
not like, you know, they're not that trendy, but they
work and they're safe and they're consistent. That's what I
love about people. So apparently you had a lot of
problems with your skin as a teenager. And that's how
your dad is a dermatilgist. Is that correct? So my
dad was actually an emergency room doctor, and my dad
(08:38):
is no longer with us, but he is the brilliant
inventor of the v I peel. So I can I
would like, I are stories really special. I'm the CEO now,
but originally I'm actually the first person to ever have
the v I peel done, and the v I p
was actually created from me, which so special. I know,
(09:03):
I got a peel made for me. There's nothing better.
But I mean, it really starts from a bad place
because when I was fourteen, I started to develop really
cystic acne, mostly in the lower part of my face.
I was ashamed of my face. I was painfully shy.
(09:25):
I was depressed. I mean I would wake up with
a breakout and I thought my life was over. Acne
ruled my life. Acne held me back, It didn't allow
me to be myself. It really psychologically affected me and
to this day. To be honest, I mean, you know,
(09:46):
sometimes you never get over that kind of stuff. And
I know it's just the outside, but but the outside
is important. The outside is important, so we're not going
to downplay that. We don't want to over emphasize it either,
But the outside does have a lot to do with
how you feel about yourself. So you say that the
(10:07):
skin peel works for all types of skin. I've not
tried it just because I can't seem to find a
time when because you have to be out of the
public eye for a minute because you look crazy your
skin is peeling. It's not I've seen it, Marie. I've seen.
I've had a friend who had it done, and when
(10:29):
I saw I was like, oh my god, what's going
on with your face? Going through a peel? It's really
cathartic when you see that old skin and like all
the damage falling off, You're like, oh, this is so good.
It feels so good. What you kind of look like
(10:50):
a snake when they're shedding that that's what it kind
of looks. It looks like, That's what it looks like
to me. I don't want to do it, and I
actually feel like, I actually feel like I need it
because I I am going through this thing now where
I actually cannot Although I typically don't do it anyway,
(11:13):
but now I definitely cannot go out of the house
too much or not too far anyway without foundation on
because I've developed these like dark spots, and I think
that some people, some of the doctors that have looked
at my skin feel like it's from the sun. It's
(11:36):
definitely from the sun. You love. I love the sun.
I do love the sun. So I don't know you.
I don't know that the chemical peel would make a
difference in that. So v I PEO loves a patient
like you. We would use the v I p O
with Precision plus for your skin because that's going to
address sun damage. So any UV photo damage that you have,
(12:01):
if someone has melasma, dark spots, hyper pigmentation, that peel
is designed to do all of that heavy lifting and
really bring out that glow that sits behind yeah, the
dark spots under your eyes. And the v I peel
was actually originally created in Miami, that's where we're from,
(12:22):
which is like the capital of sun damage. You know,
it was really made for that. So how much time
would I need to hide me. I've got a system down.
I've got a system. Okay. Let's so it really depends
on your schedule. But let's say you want to peel
(12:42):
over the weekend. Everyone's different. Some people like to peel
over the weekend and be on Monday. Look fine. If
you want to peel over the weekend, you get the
peels on Thursday, Thursday and Friday, you're gonna look amazing.
You're gonna glow. Your skin is gonna be tight. Saturday
and Sunday is when the peeling is going to happen.
By Monday, you might have a little bit of peeling
(13:05):
like on the outer, but nothing. No one's going to
see it now. If you want to appeal during the week,
you can get it done. On Monday, Tuesday, you're gonna
look great, and then Wednesday, Thursday you'll peel. So forty
eight hours after you have it done is when you peel,
and you peel for about two days. I find that,
you know, women aren't hiding as much, which I love.
(13:28):
I think they're being a little bit more open about
what they've had. It's appeal. It's not a cosmetic surgery.
It's not changing the way you look. It's just bringing
your skin back to its healthy state that you originally had.
So it's not something to be ashamed of. That's what
I think. No I don't feel that way at all
about the people. I just think that you just look
so crazy when it's being done, like your skin is peeling.
(13:51):
Do you have a condition? Are you? Is it contagious,
a little shoot or anything? On those days like you
and you can't wear makeup. You can't wear makeup while
you're having it done. You can? You can, Yes, you can.
So you're saying you can wear makeup, you can. Yeah,
(14:16):
Some people go out that night that they get the
peel done because they love the way they look. They
glow and their skin gets really tight, kind of looks
like you've got a facelift. You can wear makeup. You
can wear makeup, but then but then when it's actually
peeling off, when you're going through those days appealing, then
you should not wear makeup. You can wear makeup if
you want. You can wear makeup with you. I just
(14:36):
ask that you don't wear any makeup with like dirty
ingredients in it, or like really heavy makeup. But you
can wear like a light C C cream if you want,
are tinted moisturizer. Absolutely. I don't want women to have
downtime and skip a beat in their life, like we
have to live our lives like, we have stuff to do,
we don't have time to hide. Now, are peels good
(14:57):
for men and women? We know that they are good
for all skin tones, but are they good for men
and women? Definitely? And I actually think when you look
at all the treatments on the market, peels are one
of the best for men just because again, it's just
bringing your skin back to its healthy state. It's not
changing the way you look. I know, men get about
(15:20):
all these cosmetic procedures. They don't want to look feminine
or different. It's not doing that. It's just making your
skin look beautiful again. And how often should you get appeal?
So I typically I do a series of three peels,
so I get appeal every four weeks in a series
(15:40):
of three, and then when I'm done with that series,
I will do maintenance at once a quarter, just to
maintain the glow and the healthiness. Because throughout you guys
have not seen Wendy, but let me just tell you,
her skin is like perfection. It is so smooth and
creamy looking. I mean that when that was when I
(16:02):
met her, I was like, oh my god, look at her.
Look at her. Yeah. Now that's the other thing. Do
I want to say anything more about peels. Oh, now,
before we get off the peels, before we jump into botox.
Now they're saying that, you're saying that you've created a
peal for the body. Yes, we just launched that late
(16:25):
last year, and that was made for people suffering from
sun damage on the chest, on the hands so often, okay,
complain that their hands kind of show their age. We
don't want that anymore. We want your hands to match
your beautiful face. Back me. Also like dark elbows and knees,
(16:45):
even dark under arms, okay. And strawberry legs. Strawberry legs also,
now what strawberry legs. I'm glad you asked. So that's
what dermatologists call. This condition is defined by dermatologists as
when the hair follicles are pigmented and look like little
(17:07):
black seeds and a strawer. The peel can go in
and lift that pigment from the hair follicle so that
when someone wants to have that smooth, natural, clear, and
satisfying look to the leg, they do the v I
(17:27):
peel body to get that look. And that condition that
they're treated for is called strawberry So it may present
itself in Caucasian skin as red. You see little red
spots all over the legs. But in skin of color,
you're gonna see what we call the little black guys,
like strawberries. I know exactly what you're talking about, Okay, okay.
(17:52):
And so where do people usually get the peels done?
Is this something that you get done in the doctor's
office or it's done with your estheticians, like at a spa,
a medical spa treatment. Yes, so both doctor's offices, plastic surgeons, dermatologists,
and then of course medical spas. Basically, anywhere you can
(18:13):
find botox, you're probably going to find peels. Yeah, It's
not something that you go and buy in the drug
store though. You know what, there's such a variety of peels.
There's light peels, there are over the counter peels, and
there's light peels you can have in an office, and
then there's really deep peels. So there are some that
you could do at home, but they're not going to
be the same results as the one you get in
(18:34):
and all you know, having nice skin, to me can
really blue someone's self esteem. I know it did for
me having the moles removed. I mean I just felt
so much much younger because I looked younger, you know.
(18:57):
And so do you feel like if you look good
on the outside, you'll feel good on the inside or
is it the other way around or is it a
little bit of both. I actually think it's a little
bit of both, because I think your inside is just
as important. What do you think, Wendy, haven't spoken to
so many women through this aesthetic journey, you know, over
(19:19):
twenty years in aesthetic medicine. I like in the feeling
that women get with doing the botox and doing all
these injectibles or doing you know, appeal or having great skincare.
I think when people look good, they actually feel good.
Because I've been so many places and done so many
events over the years, and women will say, I wouldn't
(19:43):
have come to this event if I did not have
my skin together, and now I can come out and
be myself, and for me as a person, i just
feel more done and put together and confident, and I'm
not covering any pain on the inside because I'm feeling
so good on the outside. And sometimes I think for
(20:03):
some people that using aesthetic medicine and using these products
can at times mask the pain on the inside so
that people can be them their confident selves on the outside.
What about you, Mario. I mean, there's a lot of
data out there that shows that if you improve someone's features,
they can have better quality of life. There's definitely a connection, right.
(20:27):
I feel the best when I get glammed up. There's
nothing like getting a blowout and my makeup done. I
feel like on top of the world. But I believe
that there you can do everything you want. On the outside,
you can do all of these things, all these treatments,
where all the makeup, where all the beautiful clothes. But
(20:50):
if you can't be happy with yourself stripped down without
the outside, let's say we have no mirrors. Yes, you higree.
You have to love yourself inside. And I recently just
started doing this where I go out without my hair
and make have done, and I'm like, I love myself,
like I care what I look like today because I'm
proud of myself and I know how far I've come.
(21:13):
And so I hope women can have that relationship too
with themselves. Yeah, I think you're I think you're exactly right.
I think we cannot downplay the importance of self care
and making sure you're taking as much care of the inside,
you know, and your mental health as you do with
(21:36):
how your outward appearance. Because at the end of the day,
for me, you're inside and your mental health is way
more important than anything that you're showing on the outside.
And I think one if you're taking care of the inside,
then it will be reflected, you know, and how you
(21:57):
and your outward appearance. Yeah, again, I gotta say this.
I gotta say this. When the hair is on point
and the skin is right, my confidence is. Let's move
on a little bit and let's talk a little bit
about why we think that there's such a stigma around
esthetic medicine. Because Wendy, you also and this was before
(22:21):
I even moved out to California. You after I got
the little DPMs removed, then you turned me onto botox.
So talk to us about that and why is there
such a stigma on that because which is really strange
because as a society, we put so much emphasis on youth.
(22:46):
So why is everybody surprised and embarrassed that we do
things to keep ourselves looking young. You know what's strange
about all of this is that women have become very
accepting of neurotoxins. That's what Botox and the other brands
that that soften and and relax those wrinkles on the forehead.
(23:07):
And it's funny how they have been so accepting and
embracing botox now, but they take issue with appeal having
a chemical peel, but they don't mind a needle coming
toward the eyes. And you even and you, in fact,
not having had a chemical peel, You're like, no, my
face is gonna peel, but you gam will allow a
(23:30):
provider to come towards your eyes and give you injections
with a neurotoxin. It's kind of funny, right is. But anyway,
but what women and men tooth for this matter, what
they tend to love about these neurotoxins, and they're four
on the market, is that it can soften in the
(23:52):
hands of the right provider with a precise eye. They
can soften those things in the face that sometimes make
people project as angry, or they can lift your brow
a bit to open your eyes, or for someone that says,
you know what, when I smile, all you see are
you see are my gums? They can use it for
(24:14):
off label purposes to relax that muscle so that the
lip does not lift so high when someone smiles. So
it's all these wonderful things that this product can do.
These products can do for you that enhance who you
already are. But as I said previously, what's odd about
going in and getting a neurotoxin is that women have
(24:37):
been have become very accepting of needles, but they they
push back or ask questions about a chemical peel and
how many days am I peeling? And can I go
out or can I not go out? And I'm big
on when someone says, what do what do I need?
I'm big on the sum of all things, meaning great skincare,
botox or whatever your neurotoxin is of choice, um, a
(25:00):
soft tissue filler and chemical peel. It's the some of
all things that kinda enhance the overall look and add
to that youthfulness of your appearance. And I think one
of the things that you said that is so important
is that Number One, you do your research, or you
have a good friend like Wendy who knows what the
(25:22):
hell she's talking about. You know somebody that you trust
and a professional, because if you go to the wrong person, honey,
let me tell you come out looking crazy. Maria, tell
me what are some of the noticeable differences between people
of color when it comes to their skin. Besides the tone,
(25:43):
the way that it reacts to injury is very different
than lighter skin tones. So skin of color, when inflammation happens,
a lot of the times hyper pigmentation can happen, and
that did not happen in lighter skin tones. I would
(26:03):
say that's one of the biggest differences. A lot of
these treatments that we're talking about, laser injectibles, peels, they're
controlled injuries, and so if you don't know how to
do these treatments properly on skin of color, yes, you
could have side effects that were not intended. Got it,
(26:24):
Got it. But I also think that we have to
acknowledge that there is an expense in this, and a
lot of women don't have access. I think it's for
the average woman does not have necessarily the funds to
spend on this type of cosmetic enhancement. It's just not important.
(26:48):
So they need to stick to making sure that they're using,
you know, the right products on their skin just for
cleansing and moisturizing and protection from the sun. Even just
doing that is worth Yeah, it's an absolute benefit and
I'm a huge fan of sun protection, so sunscreen. I'm
(27:10):
fortunate enough that I came into this industry just at
age thirty, and sunscreen was you know, you never use
anything without having sunscreen in your regiment. So I'm so
glad that wasn't introduced to me very early into my
current how the importance of yeah, it was not for me.
(27:32):
It was not for me. I've always been a lover
of the sun. I would go, I go to the beach,
sent me down, give me a good book. I put
my suntan lotion on, suntan lotion, not sun black, okay,
and come back and get me at six o'clock when
it's time to go to dinner. It was crazy. I
just never I never concerned myself about getting skin cancer,
(27:57):
you know, because I'm black, and in my mind the
melanin in my skin protecting me from that. And that
is so not true. It's so not true, complete Maya,
And and we really have to and if I had
known better, I would have done better, you know. And
so now I'm dealing with dark spots and what have you.
(28:21):
But you know, when you learn better, you do better. Anyway,
moving on, lastly, I want to talk to you guys
about something the company has launched called the Brown Skin Agenda,
because it's fantastic. What is the Brown Skin Agenda, Wendy,
and why did you launch it? So? Maria and I
(28:42):
got together very early on with me coming to work
for Maria, and both of us decided together that we
needed to do something that would dispel misinformation, that would
be unbranded and unbiased education for providers and consumers. And
so together we formed the Brown Skin Agenda so that
(29:06):
we can promote the advancement of treatment protocols and skincare
solutions and skin of color. Because we know that America
has ethnic skin, but yet only ten percent of physicians
are dermatologists and plastic surgeons of black and Hispanic descent.
(29:29):
So we said, you know what, what if we put
together the top dermatologists and plastic surgeons in the country,
those that typically work for big companies that bring in
big bucks. I said, what if we knock on the
doors of some of our friends in the industry and
we form a physician lad advisory panel by which these
(29:52):
individuals can come together and speak to new age treatments
for skin of color and dispel some of a myth
that come with skin of color and really educate those
providers that may see a patient of color that comes
in and says, Doc, what can I know? You took
care of my agne for me, but all these dark
(30:12):
spots on my face, what can we do about that?
No one wants to hear the response of oh, they
have just fade away. No, No, dark spots don't just
fade away. And so those providers that are seeing folks
of color need to hear from their colleagues that are
esteemed and and working with skin of color, understand how
(30:37):
to prescribe, how to treat, and really understand the emotional
component that comes with having brown and black skin, so
that everyone feels that, you know, they're not different in
terms of how they're treated when they go in seeking
help for their skin. So that was the premise of
(30:59):
Maria and forming the Brown Skin Agenda, and what I
love about how bold she was and doing this with me. Typically,
when large farmer companies form something that kind of sort
of looks like this, it's not unbiased, it's not unbranded,
and there's a there's an element of control and everything
(31:23):
is scripted and providers have to stay in a certain
lane when they present on certain topics and Maria said, now,
we're not gonna do it that way. It would be
nice for them to bring in the discussion of v
I p O or v I p O body or
anything else that we're working on and doing, she said,
But what's important is really to get the messaging out there.
(31:46):
And the messaging can be, you know, everything from we
just did an i G live with Dr Jeanine Downey
out of Montclair, New Jersey, and we discussed rosatia and
skin of color, and then June we have on dad
hair loss. So we we talk about everything, and it
has nothing at all to do with what we do
(32:06):
at Vitality Institute. It's more so focused and centered around
how can we help providers that are treating skin of
color and then how can we help the consumers that
are going into these practices seeking help. And you don't
want someone saying that that dark spots will fade and
(32:26):
when someone's losing hair, oh, it's just hormonal. The hair
comes back, or they say, oh, yeah, that's because you're
wearing braids or what have you know, there's there's deeper
things that go into why these situations present themselves. Got
it last question. It will be summer soon. What should
people with brown or black skin be aware of as
(32:50):
we enter warmer weather and people are outdoors more. Any
skin care tip. Let's start with you, Maria. I think
we've driven home the point that you need to wear sunscreen.
You need to. But by the way, I am a
sun worshiper too. I'm from Miami again and I'm Cuban Lebanese,
like we love the sun. I'm basically like from the desert,
(33:13):
but I love the sun. Everything in moderation, That's what
we say. Everything in moderation except sunscreen. Don't use that
in moderation. The sun is good for you. You need
a little vitamin D. You do, but you don't want
to overdo it. I mean, that's what I would say.
And I would say, don't stop using good skincare or
(33:34):
doing treatments in the summer. Don't be scared to be
using You need to use them all year round. Some
people cycle off things in the summer. It's not a
time to go on vacation for your skincare. Yeah, what
about you? But she took the words right out of
my mouth. I always tell friends, family that you know,
(33:57):
beauty is a full time job, so you don't get
to take the summer off and say, you know what,
I'm gonna really hang out in the sun, no sunscreen,
and I'm gonna do what I need to. You know,
I'm gonna vacation and I'm gonna do all these things
during the summer, and then I'm gonna run in to
see my specialists in September to do laser, to do peels,
(34:19):
to do you know, step up my skincare. And really
what I want to really drive home to everyone is
you need really great sun protection. You need a vitamin
A and you need a vitamin C. And those are
low barrier cost items that you can purchase from a
dermatologist or plastic surgeon or medi spa. But I'm really
(34:42):
big on aggressive sun protection during the summer. Incorporate that
with a vitamin A and a vitamin C, and I
think you you should be all right keeping those three
three things um on your bathrooms, okay, and in your
bag when you man, you got me with the vitamin A.
I have the vitamin C, but not vitamin A. Gotta
(35:03):
have vitamin A. That's your that's your retinoid. That's that's
gonna help with cellular healthy, cellular turnover. Okay, got it, Okay,
I'm okay, I'm goody okay o good. Alright. So okay,
because so it's really really hot here today, I'm gonna go.
I have to say I took my umbrella's down at
(35:24):
my pool. So I will put my umbrella out because
I want to try to leave the studio and go
home and try to catch some sun and just relax.
It's the end of the week. I just want to
relax by my pool. I will put up my umbrella
and I will put up my son put on my sunscreen.
I promise. Can I tell you one thing so that
(35:46):
I know that you're using the correct amount of sunscreen.
Dorms have this trick that they use. It's called a
two finger rule. So you pull out two fingers and
then you run the sunscreen down each finger and then
you place that into the palm of the hand. Warm
the sunscreen between the hands, and it's particularly helpful for
(36:09):
skin of colors, so you don't have that white cast
on the skin. And then you apply and most people
just don't use enough sunscreen, so they'll go, oh, I
use it, I use it, or they go, oh it's
in my makeup. It's in my makeup. It's just not enough.
So you need a standalone sunscreen and you have to
use a very moderate amount. Yeah, so got to Okay,
(36:33):
that sounds like a lot, but okay, Wendy, it is. Okay,
I'll do the two finger tests because you're probably right.
I'm using sunscreen, but I'm probably not using You're probably
using an Yeah, as you're probably just pushing out enough. Okay,
I'm gonna get better. When you know better, you do better. Okay,
(37:01):
now it's time for the segment. Wouldn't you like to
know before you go? Wendy and Maria. I have a
couple of questions I'd like to know from both of you,
and we will start with you. Maria. Okay, okay, what
book are you currently reading? They're easy, they're easy. I
have two toddlers, so I don't have time to read
any books. Got it? And and I'm a CEO, that's
(37:24):
a reasonable answer. When I do have time for reading,
I want to read the Victor Frankel book That's Man's
Search for the Meaning of Life. I heard that was
an amazing inspirational book. I just need to find the
time to read it. I got you, got You. What
is one thing you want to get off your chest, Maria,
(37:45):
One thing that I want to get off of my
chest is that beauty comes from the inside. It doesn't
come from the outside. It's not in the eye of
the beholder. No one's gonna You can't wait for someone
else to tell you're beautiful. You need to look in
the mirror every day and tell yourself you're beautiful because
it starts with you. That's where true love comes from yourself.
I love that. I love that absolutely, I love that.
(38:08):
And what's a motto that you live by? You got this?
Because I go through life a lot of the time.
Yeah I'm not always sure about what I'm doing, or
I don't have all the answers. I just you know,
pump myself up, cheer myself on, and I'm like, you
got this, You're gonna get through it. You're gonna That's
(38:30):
how I've gotten here, honestly, got it perfect? And where
can people find you? On social media? So I'm on
social media at Maria Khalil Okay, well in I G
based on I G okay, got you? When do your turn?
(38:51):
What book are you currently reading? I'm waiting for Amazon
to deliver Will Smith's book. I want to read that book.
You know what, I have a suggestion for you. Yes,
I think that you should get the audio book. The
audio book is so fun. It's so fun to listen.
(39:13):
He does it himself. He has incorporated music in it.
It's such a fun listen. So I have the hard
copy to sit on the shelf and then i'll I'll
now order the audio and but you need to listen
to the audio book. Yeah, okay, all right. What is
(39:34):
one thing you want to get off your chest that
I need to ask for help? I'm fifty two, soon
to be fifty three, that I have such a hard
time asking for I do, and so I'm trying to
undo that bad habit of not asking for help because
(39:55):
people love me, people care for me, people respect me.
And I've just got to ask for help when I
need it. And I have not been asking for help,
and I need help in certain areas, and I don't
ask for help because I wasn't brought up that way
to ask for things. So I'm learning to ask for Yeah,
you're still suffering from the superwoman complex. Yeah, I get that,
(40:17):
I am. Yeah. Yeah, what's the motto that you live
by assume positive intent. Ah, yeah, assume positive intent. And
that's the same thing as what my grandparents would would
have said, you know, in the seventies, give people the
benefit of the doubt. But it's the same thing as assumed.
I like that, So I don't. Yeah, I assume positive intent,
(40:41):
and it's hard for me to I don't. It's hard
for me to judge people because my grandparents would always say,
over and over and over again, get people to be
maybe this happened or maybe that happened. And so my
mind is primed and conditioned to feel and see the
world that way, and I've sort of redefined it and
more modern as assume assume positive intent. I like that. Yeah, yeah,
(41:07):
that's really me. Where can people find you on social media? Wendy? So,
I am on Facebook as Wendy Pittman, but I live
on Instagram, so it's Wendy underscore Pittman. Follow me. They're awesome.
I learned so much for having us sunscreen. Yay, let
(41:31):
me tell you some real funny game my dad would call.
My dad calls it sunscreen sun screen, sun sunscreen, And
that's our show for today. Guys. You can follow me
online at Gammy nars also help us out by leaving
a five star review on Apple Podcasts and by hitting
(41:51):
the follow button on I Heart Radio. Stay grateful, y'all,
Thanks so much, guys. Fine, So, here are my takeaways
when it comes to skincare. Make sure you do your
research and make sure you're working with licensed professionals. Number two,
(42:13):
Recognizing that skincare can be costly, make sure the very
least you're cleansing, moisturizing, and using plenty of sunscreen. Number
three sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen, and number four remember beauty starts
within positively. Gam is produced by Red Table Talk Podcast
(42:37):
and I Heart Radio. Executive producers are Adrian Vanfieldnaris Valin
Jethrow and Jada Pinkett Smith. Our audio engineer is Calvin Bayliff,
and our associate producer is Irene Bishoff Burger. Our theme
song is produced by d Beats BA
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