As the sun is peaking out, I’m contemplating wearing skirts and dresses that will inevitably expose my lily-white legs to the world. (I hope you’re all wearing sunglasses! Ha ha ha…) I’ve never been one to tan- partly because my skin does not tan easily and I will tend to burn before I tan if at all, and partly because I usually get bored of lying in the sun before either a tan or a burn can happen. I also can’t bare the idea of the smell or the time involved with self tanners- so I’ve learned to embrace my paleness.

However, I think I may be in the minority. Many people are sporting tans year round, and in Vancouver from October to March- that isn’t coming from the atmosphere. It seems that looking bronzed and acquiring the mood lifting affects from the simulated sunlight makes tanning an alluring vice- despite the threat of melanoma.

I’m not one for advocating walking around with sunglasses, a visor, a parasol and gloves (I’ve seen this, and the person was walking backwards- I’m not sure if they were avoiding the sun or communicating with extraterrestrials), but I am advocating accepting a new definition of beauty- the glow of vibrant healthy skin which no tan can improve on. In this Elle Canada article by Joan Harting, Dermatologist Patricia Wexler cites that ultra violet light inhibits your skin’s Natural Moisturizing Factor- which helps to maintain the balance of your skin’s hydration levels. So protecting your skin with sunscreen, drinking plenty of water, proper nutrition and an effective skin care routine are your best aids to being pleasantly pale.

Some of my favorite products for sporting my pale skin are:

• Dermalogica’s Chromawhite Pure Light SPF 30: My new favorite moisturizer features hyaluronic acid- as must have ingredient for hydration, peptides and minerals to treat and prevent uneven skin tone as well as chemical-free full-spectrum sun protection. The best part is how this medium-weight cream gives my skin a lit from the inside glow.
• GliSODin Skin Nutrient’s Skin Brightening Formula: This nutricosmetic provides a  therapeutic dose of coenzyme Q10 and carotenoids that are photo-protective and anti-inflammatory to help protect the skin and reduce inflammation caused by exposure to u.v. rays. Citrus bioflavinoids promote an even skin tone by inhibiting the enzymatic process that leads to hyperpigmentation, while superoxide dismutase acts as a powerful anti-oxdiant, significantly reducing the aging effects of oxidative stress. In plain english- your skin looks great and you have more energy.
• Sea Flora Wild Organic Sea Weed Skin Care’s Laminaria Body Lotion: Containing healing and nutrient rich gels from West Coast sea weeds along with  olive, sunflower and avocado oils, this organic and locally produced moiturizer enriches and softens your skin like no other. I find it especially good for eczema and psoriasis, as it instantly soothes irritation.

So these are just a few of the gems that help me maintain my pale pallor. Fingers crossed you will join me in my pale crusade! (Thesaurus.com is not helping by the way- a synonym for pale is cadaverous- shocking!)

How do you feel about tanning? Do you feel like you need to have a tan in order to bare your skin? Share your thoughts here.

Plan ahead and save 7% PST by purchasing a series of photorejuvenation packages before July 1st, 2010 to reverse sun damage in the fall and winter months. http://www.sprucebodylab.com/services/bbls-photo-rejuvenation.php

Dermalogica Face Mapping

I was thinking to myself this morning about how much skin care is constantly changing and evolving- yet people are still largely uneducated about what ingredients and formulations are good or bad for the skin.

A recent perusal of Fashion Magazine’s Readers’ Choice for best skin care products had me shocked. It seems that people worship fashion labels and brands that are of a premium quality, but when it comes to skin care the drug store and department store brands still dominate the ranks.

In a culture that worships youth so fervently, you’d think that the demand for quality and effective skin care would be the norm. I think that effective marketing has a lot to do with it. If people are lured in by a  strong enough message and brand, they may not question its efficacy.

As a trained skin care professional, it’s my job to know ingredients, but it’s hard to keep track of everything that’s out there. I can only imagine how overwhelming it must be to the average consumer.

Then there’s the advice from dermatologists who prescribe soap as a cleanser for the skin. Yikes! It boggles my mind. And most people are not going to question this advice.

One of the most important factors in skin health is pH balance. If you use a product that is alkaline, it will alter the pH of your skin to become less acidic, which leaves it vulnerable to dehydration, sensitivity and acne bacteria. Soap is generally very alkaline- this applies to traditional shave creams as well. At the Dermalogica Shave launch last spring, they tested the pH of a drug-store brand shave cream and it was the same pH as a cleaning fluid. Ouch! No wonder men get such irritation from shaving.

In the end, I hope that through continued education and building client relationships, as skin therapists we can cut through the cosmetic industry rhetoric and get people investing in products and ingredients that will actually do them some good. Fashion Reader’s Choice here we come!

Here’s a great link to check out when researching ingredients. If you’re curious about what’s in your products, I’d suggest doing some research here to see where your products rank. http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/index.php

Need some product or treatment advice? Book in for a complimentary consultation and we can help make sense of your skin through face mapping.

If you’re still in search of gifts- but you’re running out of time- visit our web store where you can order gift certificates on-line in dollar denominations and for treatments. We also have a phenomenal gift certificate promotion happening right now. For every $100 you spend on gift certificates, you’ll receive $25 in credit, either on your account or towards the gift certificate you’ve purchased. How can you go wrong with that?

This year, Dermalogica has come up with some beautiful Holiday promotional packages.  One of the most popular offerings, is the Body Therapy Favorites- a combined package of  Conditioning Body Wash (250 ml) and Body Hydrating Cream (250 ml) for just $52- whoever gets these will definitely feel spoiled. The Conditioning Body Wash is super refreshing with it’s sandalwood, lavender and citrus essential oils, while the aha’s infused into the uplifting Body Hydrating Cream, keep your skin soft and smooth without any heavy residue.

This time of year also means the soy Stress Relief Candles are back! Dermalogica’s stress-relief blend is one of the nicest aromatherapy blends I know of- sandalwood, lavender, tea tree, lemon and eucalyptus are all combined for a calm and refreshing experience. Single votive candles are $18 each.

I can hardly believe that Christmas is just over a week away and I still have much mailing and wrapping left to do!

I’ll be off to New York for the first time as of Wednesday- so I’ll wish you all well over the Holidays and I hope that you get back as much as you give in love and friendship over the festive season!

What’s the best gift you’ve ever received?

As adults, we have only a slight edge on teens as far as understanding our skin and how to treat it. Our main advantage is the myriad of choices that are marketed to us. Now teens have a product line they can call their own.  No more need to use rubbing alcohol to strip the oil residue from their skin (hard to believe, but this does happen) or applying tooth paste to pimples as a zit-zapping remedy. Clean Start is here. Developed by Dermalogica in their Los Angeles Labs and a panel of teens, this line of products makes skin care fun and simple. With brightly packaged products with funky names like “Bedtime for Breakouts” and “Smart Mouth”, I can’t help but feel a little jealous that I didn’t have these choices when I was a teen. The main brand I identified with at the time was Clinique for it’s simplistic packaging that didn’t seem to scream “this is your Mom’s face cream”. The kicker is that now, not only do teens have an option for professional strength, quality products- the price point is incredibly good as well; products range from $21-$31. That’s pretty sick if you ask me.

Check out the Clean Start website with myth-busting skin care information that even an adult can learn from. And if you have any teens in your life- help them start taking care of their skin early. Undoubtedly most of us could have used the help!

Did you have problem skin as a teen? How did you treat it? Post your comments here.

Clean Start

The cold wind and snow can wreak havoc on your skin as you rip down the mountain.  One of the best defenses against dry, cracked, wind-burnt skin is Dermalogica’s Climate Control.  

It’s shaped like a little mini deodorant and is chalk full of ingredients that create an environmental shield for your skin. Climate Control isn’t limited to treating the ailments of outdoor pursuits; it soothes eczema, dermatitis and psoriasis outbreaks, as well as dry, cracked lips- an unfortunate reality of winter weather. 

Shea Butter, Oat Extract, Vitamin E, Superoxide Dismutase, Bisabolol and Lavender Extract are all included in the formulation. To spell out what these ingredients do in a metaphorical sense, it’s a band-aid for the skin- a cure for what ails.

This is definitely an underrated product and one of my personal favorites. If you haven’t tried it yet- you should- the Climate Control Lip Treatment is just $10! and your lips will be thanking you.

Shop for Climate Control and Climate Control Lip in our on-line store.

Here’s link to our store to see what’s new. Spruce Body Lab Shop

Keep an eye out for special Holiday promotions to come!

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

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!

Consumers are continually bombarded with anti-aging products. but truthfully, there is nothing that we can buy that will actually arrest the aging process. However, with the right ingredients we can significantly improve the appearance of our skin, reduce the signs of aging and AGE SMART.

We’re all familiar with the surface characteristics of aging skin: wrinkles, elastosis, uneven pigmentation, dilated capillaries and dehyration.

What’s behind it all?

As we age our skin’s ability to produce new collagen and elastin slows; there is a cross-linking of collagen that occurs which hardens the usually flexible and supportive dermis. Impaired barrier function leads to dehydration. Cell turnover and cell renewal slows; the epidermis thins while the layer of dead skin cells on the surface thickens. Erratic melanin formation and inflammation occur. All these factors comprise what is beneath aging skin.

So how do we slow down this process and take into account the many elements listed above?

By addressing the three biochemical reactions that lead to aging skin.

1. Reactive Oxygen Species: otherwise known as free radicals, these are unstable oxygen molecules generated by UV rays and pollution. They attack and react with stable molecules within skin cells. This causes non-reversible damage to the cell, cross-link collagen and elastin (causes wrinkles) and lessens skin natural ability to repair itself.

antioxidants such as polyphenols from white tea, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate (MAP- a highly stable form of Vitamin C), licorice and Vitamin E all work to inactivate or quench free radicals and create stable molecules, preventing damage to the cell.

2. Matrix Metalloproteinase Enzymes (MMPs): these are enzymes that are activated by UV exposure or inflammation which break down proteins such as collagen and elastin and trigger the formation of uneven pigmentation.

peptides, MAP, Rtinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A) and powerful plant extracts all help to control the formation of MMPs.

3. Advanced Glycation End-Product (AGEs): The same glucose (sugar) that provides energy for our cells can also react with proteins, including the skin’s collagen. This reaction results in the formation of Advanced Glycation End-Products, which contribute to cross-linking of collagen protein fibers (causes wrinkles), inflammation, inhibited skin cell growth and accelerated aging.

“sugar traps”, soy proteins, glucosamine and specific peptides intercept the sugar, bind to it and prevent sugar from reacting with collagen protein in our skin.

Dermalogica’s new AGE SMART products comprise the necessary factors to intelligently treat aging skin. Try them out at our skin bar and see the results for yourself or book a skin treatment featuring the AGE SMART products for advanced professional results to control the biochemical triggers that lead to skin aging.

What is the cause of adult acne?

More than 17 million adults are diagnosed with acne in the US, 50% are woman and 25% are men. In the past decade adult acne has been on the rise; studies indicate that between 40 and 55% of the adult population in the 20-40 age group are diagnosed with a low grade, persistent acne and oily skin. So why is this skin disorder no longer just a teen skin problem?

Teen vs Adult Acne

Teen acne is primarily found in the t-zone of the face and is largely associated with the hormones related to puberty. Adult acne is usually found on the sides of the face, chin and jaw line, extending onto the neck. The primary aggravating factor leading to adult acne is chronic stress… Our body’s response to stress is to activate the adrenal gland which in turn raises testosterone levels. This hormone triggers an increase in oil production and the result to our skin is the appearance of oily shine and clogged pores.

So we’ve established we’re stressed, then we get break outs. Then we get stressed about the break outs, which leads to more break outs. Another unfortunate side-effect is the bacteria spreading on the skins surface when the breakouts have been improperly extracted, leading to further inflammation, possible scarring and more eruptions.

Post-Inflammatory Pigmentation

Not only are we dealing with more stress, but our skin is aging. With the aging process comes longer healing time- so the break outs can last as long as 5-10 days. There’s also the risk of more scarring as inflammation also accompanies break outs. Our skin sends melanin to the site of inflammation and we’re left with discoloration once the break out has healed.

Effective Treatment- The end of the line for adult acne.

Dermalogica has recently revised their acne products to address the unique factors associated with adult acne. Most acne products are designed for teenage skin, making them too harsh and irritating for adult acne sufferers. This can cause flaking, peeling, excessive dryness and even additional break outs. The MediBac Clearing System takes into account these factors and works to treat, clear and prevent adult acne while addressing the needs of adult skin. Regular professional exfoliation and extraction work will help get this difficult skin condition under control Introducing mediBac Clearing products into a skin care regimen will continue to clear and improve the health of the skin.

Get Face Mapped by a Spruce Skin Care expert to see what the best plan of action is for your skin and say good bye to adult acne.