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.

Looking for a skin treatment? Visit here! 

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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.

Touch- unlike our other main senses which are confined to specific regions, can be felt all over our body.  Touch is more specifically referred to as our somatosensory system as it is a diverse system that responds to stimuli from touch, temperature and pain.

Is it any wonder then, that such a multifarious sense would lead us to massage therapy?  Ancient civilizations of Rome, Greece, Japan, India, China and Egypt have been found to practice massage and these practices have contributed to the dozens of different modalities of massage therapy that are practiced today.

Massage relieves pain, reduces blood pressure, heart rates, depression and anxiety.  If you’ve ever had a massage in any form, you can attest to these benefits.

The massage therapy and spa industry’s massive growth in past 10 years can be attributed to increased stress levels due to our busier lifestyles and higher demands at work and home. People are looking for an outlet to relieve stress and the deal with repetitive strain, aches and pains without the use of medications or surgery.

Part of the increase in massage therapy’s popularity is also due to the advanced education and recognition of massage therapists in the medical community.  In British Columbia we have one of the most highly regarded education systems for massage therapists in the world.  With over three years of training and mandatory post-graduate studies, registered massage therapists in B.C. are a cut above in the industry.

With this recognition in the medical profession, comes the ability as a client to write off massage therapy as a medical expense. More and more people are requesting to see a Registered Massage Therapist when they book in for a spa treatment.

It’s sounds like Utopia- a prescription for massage!  Now there’s very little excuse for not seeking out massage as a way to maintain mental and physical health.

Spruce Body Lab currently has a staff of several registered massage therapists to meet this demand.  Check out our staff bios and book in. It’s time for some touch therapy!

• Massage Therapy

Excuse my ignorance, but I never really considered the lengths and pains that men go through to avoid five o’clock shadow- that is until I attended the launch of Dermalogica’s new Shave line.  

I’ve seen other brands bring out product lines for men, and to be honest, there really isn’t anything very innovative out there. They all seem to be blue- blue packaging, blue cream, blue gel, and they all have that exhausted cologne scent.  Not to mention that most of these products contain ingredients that create irritation for a process that’s irritating to begin with.  Traditional shaving products, although marketed to help with shaving are in fact a hinderance by causing razor burn and sensitivity. 

At the Dermalogica’s Shave launch, a shocking example how the ingredients in a product are so important, was a pH test that showed a common shave gel to have a pH of 8- the same level as a household cleaner. This is what men are putting on their faces almost everyday.  It’s no wonder they don’t look forward to shaving!

The Shave line from Dermalogica breaks down these hackneyed models of men’s skin care and stays true to their brand vision. Using refreshing essential oil blends, omitting alcohol, dyes and artificial fragrance, while creating products that make shaving better for men.

I was won over at the launch, but the true test was for the man in my life to try them.  The verdict- the best shave he’s had in years.  

Two products that I think are big winners from this new line are the Pre-Shave Guard, which softens and cushions the beard used in combination with the Soothing Shave Cream.  To quote one of the Dermalogica educator’s experience- “It’s like cutting through butter.”

Ladies don’t need to feel left out- the shave products, although targeted to men, are good for anyone to shave with.  I personally tried the Invigorating Shave Gel on my legs and found them looking and feeling smoother than with anything I’ve used previously as a shave medium.

Curious about the new shave products? Do you want to learn how to best take care of your skin? Book in for a Face Mapping or Skin Bar session and get introduced to a new way of shaving and better skin!

Featured Skin Care Product

Yes, I have a tan- and I make no excuses.  Living in Vancouver means there’s usually one month of sunshine to soak in for the year and I took advantage!  Most week ends in July I spent outside and willingly exposed my skin to the sun. In my defense, I did wear sunscreen and reapplied every few hours. So while I avoided any severe damage from a burn, I still ended up with a nice bronzed complexion- the kind I’m usually telling people to avoid!

Now it’s damage control and the best thing for a little post-summer boost to my skin is Dermalogica’s Daily Resurfacer.  If you want bright, smooth, hydrated and youthful skin, then this is your product.  It’s great to prepare your skin for big events or to even out your skin tone as your tan fades.  

The packaging for this product is fun and it’s very easy to use.  Each silver container contains 35 individually wrapped finger mittens that are soaked in sugar cane to gently exfoliate, South African rooibos extract for it’s potent anti-oxidant properties and Japanese Unshiu citrus peel to address hyperpigmentation.  This three-in-one product saves time and money.  Apply the single dose to your skin after cleansing, allow it to soak in for a few seconds and follow with your moisturizer. Exfoliation, hydration and anti-aging in one step.  

My motto is the simpler the better.  Who knew that great skin can be achieved in 10 seconds and comes in the form of a little finger mitten? Now you know!