Education

Skin care is everywhere. Millions of dollars are spent on research and development, advertising and merchandizing to care for and perfect our bodies largest organ.  

Have you ever felt dazed and confused by the myriad of choices there are for your skin? 

Word of mouth is one of the best ways to hear about what’s great, a great dentist, where to get that new Michael Kors bag or where to find the best South Indian restaurant.

Unfortunately this approach rarely works for skin care. Skin can’t be simplified into a one size fits all paradigm as many factors come into play that make one product good for your friend and not necessarily for you.  Factors such as genetics, lifestyle, and age can greatly influence skin conditions and therefore the types of ingredients that skin needs to function optimally will differ with each individual. However- word of mouth can a be an excellent tool to find the best place to get a facial.

Marked results for your skin will come through the professional advice of a skin therapist. This is someone who has studied and is specialized in treating the skin. They know the latest ingredients and methods of skin treatment and will be able to guide you in the best direction.

When you go in for a facial, expect to see results and have your therapist discuss your concerns. What are you currently using on your skin? What products do you like? What’s working for you? and what isn’t? A facial should be customized to your unique, individual concerns and needs.  

Deep pore cleansing through professional exfoliation and manual extractions is a must in order to refine and purify the skin. The ideal treatment should also involve lots of relaxation through hands on massage, with extra attention paid to massage of the face, neck and shoulders. The more relaxed you are, the more blood will flow to nourish the skin and improve product penetration.

Lastly, your therapist should prescribe products that will help you to achieve your skin care goals.  I think that this is often a part of a facial that many people dread, but if this step is missing, you might as well go to the cosmetics counter in the department store.  Think of it as though you’re going to your doctor for a health concern. Would you leave their office without a prescription or specific directions for solving your problem?

Serious skin care doesn’t mean a serious treatment.  When you’re in the right hands, you won’t have to do any of the thinking and you’ll leave the spa with that extra glow in your visage and equipped to keep it up at home.  No more distractions from the latest lotions and potions, you’ll have your ideal skin and regimen in tow.

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Questions? Post a comment with any queries about skin care and skin treatments below.

The concept of a body wrap has always been an alluring and romantic ideal representation of ’spa’ to me. I envision entering the treatment as my usual (perhaps tired and stressed) self and exiting entirely renewed and refreshed. That is the very essence of detoxification. To purify and cleanse, not only physically, but mentally as well.

That being said, I think that the ‘body wrap’ is an oft misunderstood and unappreciated element of the spa. With a myriad of choices and fads to follow, it’s no wonder that spa-goers aren’t sure of what to partake in, let alone whether or not they really need it. The recent consumer trend seems to be moving away from the traditional “inch loss” and “cellulite reduction” marketing, as people are more educated about the reality of these ineffective methods. The trend is now moving towards supporting optimal health.

I think that in Vancouver, we’re fortunate to have a culture that has a health-based foundation which has led to more sophisticated choices for maintaining optimal health. So, like our Eurpean counterparts, we’re making detoxification a part of our lifestyle and not so much an aesthetic choice.

Why Detox?

Toxins accumulate in our bodies for many reasons. Stress, pollution, lack of exercise and poor nutrition create an accumulation of toxins that our body is unable to fully process without a little help. When we’re toxic we can experience fatigue, head aches, general aches and pains as well as mental sluggishness. Not to mention that we have more oxidative stress in our system.  This oxidative stress leads to the degradation of healthy cells in our body, which contributes to the aging process. And for a culture obsessed with age-prevention, detoxification programs offer us an opportunity to help our body defend itself from the aging process.

Ways to Detox

• infrared sauna therapy This technology has been around for over 42 years and is exceptional for eliminating toxins from the system by activating circulation and perspiration. It is purported that you can burn up to 600 calories in the sauna within a 30 minute session.  I’ve found that the sauna not only cleanses my body, but my mind as well.  I get deeply relaxed and I feel like endorphins have been released, giving me that post-work out euphoria.
• body treatments Ingredients like fresh sea weeds and glacial clay have a direct link to our blood plasma (ie: our skin recognizes them and invites them in) and have been proven to eliminate toxins while replenishing the body with nutrients such as minerals, vitamins and amino acids.  In addition to the health benefits of purifying our skin, these treatments also improve us on an aesthetic level. Smoothing away dry rough skin cells and hydrating the epidermis reveals fresh and youthful skin. I know that I always feel like a new person from head to toe after a body treatment.