Education

Botox is still uncharted territory for many people. It seems like a big step to go from a daily skin care regime and monthly facials to injecting botulism. But from my experience with clients and friends, it’s usually a positive turning point in protracting the aging process.

Here’s three reasons to Try Botox Now

1. I’m not sure what could be a better reason for trying botox than the fact that it works- and the results are noticeable. It’s not like the fine print at the bottom of an ad for an anti-aging cream that proclaims that 80% of people perceived that their fine lines and wrinkles were lessened. With botox- its not a matter of subjective microns of change- the lines melt away.

2. People will finally stop asking you if you’re okay. For those plagued by frown lines in the middle of the brow that come about on a subconscious level when lost in thought- you’ll no longer look angry to the rest of the world. Your brow will be a smooth and open vista of relaxation.

3. It lasts and it’s affordable. Unlike more drastic measures such as a face lift, there is little to no down-time with botox injections and the cost is considerably more manageable than surgery. Patients generally get anywhere from 10-50 units of botox per treatment and the effects last up to 4 months. When you do the math, that’s anywhere from $300 to $1500 per year to shed aging wrinkles.

Still in doubt? Read this amusing article featured on the Globe and Mail by converted botox skeptic Margaret Wente.

Colorescience Pep Up Gel

This has become my favorite product to apply to my client’s skin as a serum under their finishing moisturizer and mineral cosmetics.  The key ingredients contained in Pep Up Gel are pearl powder, 10% hyaluronic acid and tripeptides. Now- these ingredients are certainly quite good for the skin on their own, but in this combination, I think they are superb.

Pearl powder is purported to provide the skin with amino acids and melanin inhibiting properties while creating luminosity. Hyaluronic acid is an extremely common- yet expensive ingredient used in skin care for it’s incredibly hydrating benefits, and at 10% in this formulation, the hydrating, cooling and voluminous effect is instantaneous.  Lastly- protein peptides are all the rage in cosmetics due to their ability to improve cellular metabolism and recovery of skin cells, thus significantly reducing wrinkles and loss of tonicity in the skin.

So after all this- the icing on the cake is how good it makes the skin look, it’s an addiction, and obsession, I don’t know if I can stop myself from using it or talking about it! I heart Pep Up Gel!

It’s sure to be a favorite at tonight’s Colorescience Launch Party!

Have you used Mineral Cosmetics on your skin? What do you like about it compared with traditional make up?

The term “non-invasive cosmetic procedure” seems to have become an everyday term over the past few years.  Tune into your daily talk show and you’re bound to see a makeover segment where someone is being lasered, peeled and injected. 

As a Vancouver Spa integrating medical grade procedures with traditional spa treatments, Spruce Body Lab has recently expanded it’s menu of services to include fillers as demand for injectables has increased.

For the average consumer fillers and Botox® have become more accessible and  with continued improvements in procedures and products the results have gotten better and are lasting longer. 

For example- Juvederm, a commonly used hyaluronic acid filler, has now been approved by the FDA to last for up to one year.  

There are many different brands of HA fillers on the market- all competing for consumer dollars.  The trend is towards creating a smoother product with less side effects such as bruising and swelling, or post-treatment lumps and bumps.  

In it’s natural form, hyaluronic acid is a liquid substance which is found to naturally occur in the skin.  It’s main function is to maintain skin volume and hydration as it holds 1000 times it’s own weight in water.  If it was to be injected in it’s natural form it would be absorbed by our bodies in about 12 hours.  Facial fillers last longer in the skin through a process called cross-linking which chemically binds the individual chains of the acid. This differentiation prevents it’s rapid break down.

Do you need both Botox® and Facial Fillers?

Botox® and fillers differ in the type of wrinkles that they target.  Botox® is used to paralyze the muscles that cause deep wrinkles such as the furrow in the brow; whereas HA fillers address wrinkles that relate to loss of volume in the skin, in areas such as the naso-labial fold (smile lines) and marionette lines around the mouth. It is also used to enhance the lips and fill scars. As a substance it has been shown to increase collagen production and inhibit the break down of existing collagen.

Botox® and facial fillers work well in combination to address the signs of aging, and a consult with a trained professional will help determine whether you can benefit  from one or both.