Education

Did you know that in the 1980’s it was quite common in facials to have your face cleansed with oil and the oil was removed with an alcohol-based toner?   For those of us who’ve never experienced this- we can be thankful.  The concept seems archaic now, but there was logic behind this approach, which is why the concept is having a come-back, without the drying alcohol.

Make-up Artist Shu Uemura was a pioneer in cleansing oils, Dermalogica launched Pre Cleanse- to name a few products that are available. Few people would think that cleansing their skin with oil is helpful, especially people with oily/acneic skin.  The amazing thing about these cleansing oils is that they are good for all skin types and conditions- they can even help improve oily/acneic skin types.  So how and why do they work?

It’s quite a simple concept to grasp when you look at it from a chemistry perspective.  Oils are attracted to oils.  So when you massage the cleansing oil into your skin, it’s being attracted deeper into the follicles (pores) in your skin and grabbing onto layers of excess sebum (oil), sunscreen, waterproof make-up, environmental pollutants and residual skin products that build-up during the day.  

It’s great to have these oils deeply cleansing our skin- but how do we remove it without stripping our skin?  With Dermalogica’s Pre Cleanse, a blend of Olive and Kukui Nut oils  have been formulated to be hydrophilic (water-loving). Once water is added to the oils, they are broken down in to a milky emulsion which is easily rinsed off the skin.

A fact that was brought to my attention recently was about how our skin has many functions (nine in total), but what it cannot do is purify itself. I think the importance of cleaning our skin goes by the way-side with the distraction of anti-aging serums, creams and masks.  But the first step to healthy skin, is clean skin.

I’ve put this theory to the test and I’ve had amazing results.  I’ve been double cleansing my skin in the morning and at night with a cleansing oil and a skin specific cleanser. A double cleanse seems to be the only way that I get my skin truly clean.  With one cleanse, it’s too easy to spend a mere 10 seconds rubbing a cleanser around and quickly rinsing it off.  When I wash my skin twice, it takes my 30 second cleanse to two minutes and I get better results. My skin hasn’t felt and looked this good in years. It’s brigher, smoother and I have fewer blackheads and break outs.

If you’re not happy with how your skin is feeling and looking- try a cleansing oil combined with a double cleanse for a month and test it out. If you’re currently using a cleansing oil, has it worked for you? 

  

Dermalogica Pre Cleanse

Did you know that acupuncture (from Latin: acus “needle” and pungere “prick”) has been practiced as early as the Stone Age with sharpened stones? It’s hard to imagine that anyone volunteered for that!

Today we’re fortunate enough to not only have the benefit of super-fine needles that you barely feel being placed on the skin- but we can get a face lift out of it too!

I’ve experienced this treatment once myself and, let’s face it, needles are not something that most people look forward to. But once I got over the thought of the needles and actually had a treatment, I was pleasantly suprised by the results.

One thing that really stood out for me with this treatment was how relaxed and softened my face looked and felt.  It’s amazing how much tension we hold in our face through repetitive expression and the general stress of everyday life.  For me, this stress shows up in the form of a dull complexion and the deepening of the laugh lines around my mouth.  I’ve also been noticing fine lines popping up in between my brows from frowning.  Cosmetic Acupuncture can address all of these concerns and more.

I know I’m not alone in seeking out ways to prevent these signs of aging without having to inject botox or spends thousands of dollars on laser treatments.  However, the reality is that if you are looking for a more natural approach, it takes a commitment to frequent treatments which can be a hard to fit into a busy lifestyle. A recommended course of treatments for Cosmetic Acupuncture is 12 sessions with regular follow up treatments to maintain results.  The positive spin to this possible negative, is that there are little to no side effects and a slew of side benefits to this ancient practice.

I would love to hear feed back from anyone who’s benefited from Cosmetic Acupuncture.  Please post your comments!

Working at Spruce Body Lab over the past three yeards, I’ve been priveledged to have several Registered Massage Therapists as my colleagues. They’ve undergone some of the most rigorous training to be found in the world; a three year program of intensive study allows for RMT’s in Vancouver and B.C. to be absolute experts on human anatomy and physiology.

I sometimes take it for granted that whenever I’ve had the slightest ache or pain, I’ve had almost instant access to non-medicinal pain relief, held in the hands of my co-workers. I’ve grown to appreciate the art of massage therapy and how each practitioner takes a variety of techniques from their set of skills to improve the well-being of their patients.  Whether it’s deep tissue work, trigger point realease, myofascial release, or craniosacral therapy- I’ve experienced benefits from each and every treatment modality.

So when one of our massage therapists at Spruce decided to go back to school to become an osteopath, my curiosity was piqued. I really had no idea what osteopathy involved- how would this practice compare to massage therapy?  So I decided to give it a try.

The initial consultation struck me as much more in depth than that of a massage therapy treatment.  I felt a little bit like I was in my doctor’s office and I was providing information that went beyond my immediate muscular discomfort and addressed internal issues that had come up for me over the past year.

What ensued was one of the most relaxing yet lucid treatments I’ve had on a massage table.  There were a variety of techniques employed which I don’t have the expertise to describe; my overall sense from the treatment itself was that my whole body was being cared for- not just my specific muscle groups.

As I spoke with my RMT about the difference between an osteopathic treatment and a massage therapy treatment, the key theme of a holistic approach arose.  Osteopathy is about supporting the body’s ability to heal itself. As a comparison to massage therapy- the treatment’s focus is about getting to the root of why muscles may be pulled out of alignment and addressing that cause. Versus simply manipulating that muscle to go back into place.

The theory makes so much sense to me, especially when you look at issues of chronic pain.  I know that I personally have areas of my body where pain arises periodically on a repetitive basis.  Massage therapy has helped me immensely to relieve this pain and keep it at bay. However, I am very excited about the prospect of a therapy that can re-educate my body so that these chronic musco-skeletal dysfunctions no longer arise.

Before writing about this subject, I did do a little research on-line about osteopathy and found that most information was quite vague. There are a few studies that suggest that osteopathic therapy is a suitable remedy to pain relief with some results sighting that the benefits of this treatment modality last longer than the pain relieving effects of medication.

Osteopathy is a practice that is still in it’s beginning stages.  It will take time for this treatment practice to be appreciated and understood, but I know that from my recent experience- I’m a believer! I won’t be giving up my massages though- the two modalities are complimentary of course!

The quality of the ingredients that are in a skin care product make a huge difference to the health of the skin. It’s easy to get caught up in following trends and being lured by big-brand marketing, but at the end of the day, it’s what’s inside the product that counts.

It’s very important to look at the list of ingredients on a product.  The ingredients are listed by their quantity within the product. The first ingredient is the most abundant last ingredient has the smallest concentration in the formulation.

Some ingredients that should be avoided are:

• mineral oil
• lanolin
• alcohol
• D&C Colorants
• Fragrance
• Sodium Lauryl Sulphate

I’ve seen marked improvements in client’s skin when they’ve moved away from drug-store brand skin care that contained dyes and fragrance.  Some indications that your skin care products are doing more harm than good are the presence of:

• milia: These are characterised as small white, pearl-like lumps under the skin’s surface.  Milia do not come to a head and can be present on the skin for long periods of time.  They’re usually the result of ingredients that are suffocating the skin, such as mineral oil and dyes from make up.
• comedones: While everyone is susceptible to comedones, more commonly known as blackheads, in the oilier regions of their skin, it’s not normal to have patches of them or lots of bumps and collections of blackheads which would be referred to as congestion.  This congestion is commonly caused by the ingredients listed above which do not encourage the skin the function normally, causing impactions of dead skin cells, dirt oil and debris.

Sometimes a simple change in routine can make a massive difference in the health of one’s skin, leading to a smoother, softer and brighter complexion.  It’s best to follow that advice of a Skin Therapist who can Face Map your skin and customize your skin care regime to bring about balance and health.

At Spruce Body Lab we recently hosted a UV education event with Coppertone which involved taking UV photos of people’s skin.  The UV camera literally sees under the skin’s surface to show areas of accumulative sun damage.  While this is a fascinating proposition to me as a Skin Therapist- I wasn’t really surprised to find that  most people feared knowing about the unseen damage beneath their skin.

The concept of wearing sunscreen isn’t new- people are aware of the damaging effects of the sun, but it doesn’t always seem to translate into actions with their skin care routines. When I’m  Face Mapping clients during a skin treatment and asking them about how often they wear sunscreen, more often than not- people confess that they only wear sunscreen if it’s sunny outside or if they know they will be in the sun for long periods of time.  I really do cringe a little when I hear this.

There are also the culprits who use tanning beds, but they cover up their faces or people who are afraid that they are not getting adequate vitamin D if they wear sunscreen. Something I recently learned is that sunscreen only protects our skin from 55% of the free radical inflammation caused by sun exposure. As with all areas of research and development, there will be misinformation and out-dated ideas that can lead to some of the aforementioned approaches to dealing with sun exposure.  The Skin Therapists at Spruce Body Lab make a point of staying up to date and keeping clients informed about new products, ingredients and research.

Something I always educate my clients about is the vital difference between UVA and UVB rays and their effects on the skin. UVB comes through the atmosphere in abundance on sunny days and is responsible for sun burns.  Most sun screens provide very effective protection from UVB rays. UVA rays come through the atmosphere on even the most cloudy days. These rays penetrate deeply into the skin and have been shown to cause DNA damage; they are responsible for the majority of skin aging. Sunscreens won’t effectively block these rays unless they contain ingredients such as zinc oxide and avobenzone.

If you look at protecting your skin in terms of exposure to daylight- it really changes how you think about sun damage.  Let’s say you commute to work for 30 minutes in the morning and at night.  Even with just that 60 minutes of day light exposure you’re taking in 5 hours  of sunlight per week, 20 hours per month etc.  If you look at sun exposure as accumulative throughout your lifetime, it really sinks in how important UV protection is to skin health, no matter what the weather is like outside. 

If there’s one message that I want relay about protecting skin from UV radiation, it’s that you don’t have to have wear a visor, unflattering UV protection clothing or carry around a parasol.  It’s as simple as putting sunscreen on exposed skin every day before you go outside.  It means carrying a small bottle of sunscreen with you in the summer months to reapply when you find yourself outside for longer than you planned.  It’s simple and it’s THE MOST effective tool we have to prevent aging and keep our skin looking it’s best for as long as possible.