Fashion Magazine – March 2012

Shops Focus – Spruce Body Lab

At Yaletown’s best know (and best) spa, the addition of medical aesthetic services this summer had the neighborhood cheering. With everything on the menu from Botox and hyarluronic acid injectables to Intense Pulsed Light (IPL), the spa can now perform permanent hair reduction procedures, skin tightening treatments, therapy for acne scars and photorejuvation.

Click here to download article [PDF]

BTW- this technology is also used in fillers- such as Teosyal for it’s strength and lasting effects in the skin….

Ingredient Focus: Cross-linked Hyaluronic Acid, by Dr. Claudia Aguirre

Retrieved from www.dermalinstitute.com/news/?cat=5

Some ingredients pack a punch. And others are created to pack an even bigger punch. When science steps in to enhance a material, the results can be beautiful. This is the case with Hyaluronic Acid. Hyaluronic Acid, also known as Sodium Hyaluronate, is a sugar of the glycosaminoglycan family. Glycosaminoglycans, or GAGs, are substances that hold water in the skin and are our skin’s natural moisturizers. These work much better than some occlusive moisturizers like petrolatum, which artificially slow the loss of moisture from skin and give the skin a temporary appearance of plumpness and fullness. Hyaluronic Acid (HA) has been the standard for many years as the leading ingredient to hydrate thirsty skin.

Now we have advanced technology to build upon the benefits of HA and produce an ingredient that has been shown to be far superior to HA in hydrating the skin. Enter cross-linked Hyaluronic Acid. Just as linking chains together makes a stronger structure, linking HA together forms a super hydrating net over the skin and delivers water to parched skin over time. Hyaluronic Acid is known to have an amazing water-binding capacity, making it ideal for skin hydration. Now cross-linked HA has fifty times the water-binding capacity of natural HA! And that means skin is continuously hydrated, plump and healthy. Even after 24hrs, this cross-linked HA holds five times as much moisture in the stratum corneum as standard HA. Studies have also shown that cross-linked HA is a superb free radical scavenger, so you can protect skin while keeping it hydrated. This is key for healthy, supple skin. Dehydration is perhaps the start of many skin conditions, including irritation and sensitivity. So be on the lookout for this enhanced version of Hyaluronic Acid for an ingredient that’s sure to keep the water running!

I think that it has a lot to do with the pace at which life is happening, and that doesn’t seem to be slowing down any time soon. Even in moments of ‘down time’, I find myself checking my phone for text messages and emails (which I still seem to get behind on somehow- just thought of one now that I have to respond to).

Amidst the tweeting, status updates, checking favorite blogs and following the news, how do we find time- and how is that found time best spent? It’s not something I gave much thought to until recently. When I get days with nothing in the calendar that must be done, I find myself luxuriating in my pajamas, not showering all day as I lie on the couch and vegetate watching t.v. and films- only getting up to eat whatever I want. Sounds glamorous- right?

All kidding aside, I think it is worth some thought about consciously using time in ways that make me happy and present. Even though I’m ‘connected’ in so many ways from a technological stand point, I somehow don’t feel that way when I’m rushing around or half listening to someone while I’m sending an email- a horrible habit I hope to kick.

January is all about a clean slate! This year it symbolized a shift in priorities for me with regards to time and it all centered around diet. Eating out, which is normally my go to when I’ve had a long day, or eating a muffin as I rush into work etc., was out the window. I began shopping for food and preparing my meals more than ever before.

This all took up a lot more of my time, which I resented and resisted at first. Then I turned the tables and asked myself if I was really using this time productively before I enacted this change? The answer was no. It’s hard to say how the time was used, but I imagine it realistically involved the internet and t.v. I realized that perhaps the notion of convenience wasn’t doing me any favors in the long run and that dedicating time to prepare nutritious meals was far more enriching for my life.

Do I really love washing arugula for my weekly supply of salad greens? Not really, but I value what taking time to do that symbolizes, and so I’ve gotten used to the ritual.

This brings me to the realm of skin care and massage therapy. Do you have a routine for your skin? How do you feel about taking time out, even if it’s just a few minutes at night?

Over the Holiday stretch at the end of December, it was remarkable how many people were frantic to get in to use their massage therapy benefits in the last week of the year. What kept them from coming in for the other 11 months, I wonder? Glee reruns perhaps…

January is the month where you see lots of top ten lists- so I thought- why not talk to our experts here at Spruce Body Lab and get their take on their three to four favourite products, old and new, from 2011.  Here’s the list- enjoy!

Ariell 

2. Priori Barrier Repair: Silky, lightweight and super hydrating . I have very sensitive skin and this is the only moisturizer that doesn’t make me break out or irritated.

Christine

Betty

1.Priori Advanced AHA Skin Renewal Cream: This is a non greasy moisturizing exfoliating cream. With just one product, it moistures  and exfoliates your skin at the same time without leaving a greasy feeling. It also smooths away any fine lines from dehydration.

2. Priori Idebenone Eye Serum: This is an eye cream with vitamin A and latic acid. It lightly exfoliates the skin around the eye area. You will see results from using this eye cream in short few weeks.

3. AVST Hydrating Lotion: If you have ingrown hairs..rough skin.. callouses..or even acne problems on the body(back)- you will love this product. With just one use you will see a difference.

4. C-Quence Lip Balm: It’s the best lip balm I have ever used .. Long lasting moisture.. It helps reduce lines on the lips.

Nicole

My Top 3 picks

1. Pro-Derm Micro-Peel Masque: Makes my skin super smooth and bright. I feel like my skin is glowing afterwards.  One of the best exfoliants I have ever used.

2. Priori Idebenone Even Tones: Helps to even out skin tones and makes my skin look calm and not so red.  I would recommend this to anyone who tends to have a reddish tone to their skin.

3. Spruce Body Lab Be Smooth Body Scrub: Once you use this scrub you will never go without it again! It smells AMAZING and leaves your skin feeling silky smooth and soft. It’s a must have item.

N

Anayte

Top 3 Picks:

1. Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant: is a perfect quick fix for when my skin’s feeling tired, flaky and dull. It instantly smoothes, tones and brightens.

2. Spruce Body Lab Be Smooth Uplifting Sugar Scrub: Is my Spruce Body Lab in a Jar.  It leaves my skin feeling silky soft and with a truly uplifting blend of pure essential oils, it’s my daily pampering experience.

3. Priori CoffeeBerry Finishing Touch Mineral Powder: Whatever the occasion, this is the finishing touch to any make-up application. Just a quick buff and you have a flawless photoshopped  finish.

It’s been getting chilly around here of late and along with the cold come some uncomfortable skin conditions like dryness, eczema and psoriasis.

If you’re heading up the mountain to take in the early and ample snow (although, it’s been a while since we’ve gotten any new snow…) Climate Control IS your best friend. The cold wind whipping away at your cheeks and nose can leave your skin feeling a tad abused. Climate Control uses organic silicones, shea butter, superoxide disumtase, vitamin E and oat extract to create a barrier/shield against environmental aggression, including temperature extremes. It looks like a little deodorant stick and fits perfectly into your jacket pocket for post lunch reapplication. I find your skin looks a bit dewey from it, but that’s a small sacrifice to cut out wind burn.

Are your hands feeling like sand paper? A must try with any facial right now is our Micro-Zone Hand Relief Treatment. If your hands are feeling the effects of the cold winter wind- this treatment will definitely perk them up. Our Be Smooth Uplifting Sugar Scrub infused with sunflower and almond oils will polish your skin, followed by an application of our Be Soft Body Lotion with hemp and jojoba to nourish dry skin. The final step is immersing your digits into their own personal mitten of warm parrafin. Unlike traditional communal parrafin baths, our system takes the icky out of this extremely therapeutic treatment. Our personal, single-use parrafin mittens will envelope your hands in warmth, bringing fresh blood and nourishment to the muscles, joints and skin of your hands, and penetrate the moisture from the Be Soft Body Lotion further into deeply dry skin. Add it to any of our skin care treatments for some extra hands-on attention over the winter months.

Here’s another great article that I’ve featured here, care of Dermalogica if you’re interested in learning about the science behind dry skin and how ingredients in skin care can address this concern. Dry Skin- It’s a Sure Thing By Dr. Diana Howard

I recently had a great success story that I wanted to share here that shows how medical-grade skin care can achieve a lot in a short period of time. I had a client come in about a month ago who’s skin had suddenly erupted with acne. She was used to having normal skin, so she was quite distraught at how suddenly and severely her skin had changed.

She had gone for a facial and microdermabrasion to little effect. We had just ten days before she went back to New York to try and whip her skin into shape- so I decided to do a course of three BBLs/ Intense Pulsed Light Acne Therapy treatments on her within that ten day time frame to clear up and heal the acne. In addition to the Acne Therapy treatments, we discussed what she was using on her skin at home and determined that she needed a product with ingredients that would specifically target the acne and switch her make up from a cream foundation to a filler and dye free Colorescience mineral pressed powder to inhibit and correct the acne outside of the treatments.

For her first treatment, we used red light to heat shock the inflamed follicle and regulate the sebum production, followed by the blue light to kill the acne bacteria. The immediate results were a significant reduction in the inflammation of the acne. After a few days, the pustules that were present went away. About 30% of the acne was cleared by the time we did her second treatment.

For the second treatment, we increased the intensity marginally which had fantastic results. When I saw her about a week after her first treatment 90% of the acne had been cleared. We were both thrilled with the results.

This was a great way to get her skin cleared up quickly, but acne is a challenging and unpredictable condition, so a great skin care routine with ingredients to address the acne at its source is key. In the mean time her Priori Advanced AHA Perfection Gel with liposome delivered lactic acid and salycilic acid will help prevent breakouts and fade post inflammatory pigmentation.

So, if you’re looking to clear your skin up fast for an upcoming Holiday event, or you’ve been struggling with adult acne- this treatment is definitely worth trying.

It’s that time of year where peculiar moustaches abound, so I thought I’d feature this in-depth article written by Dermalogica’s bio-chemist extraordinaire, Dr. Diana Howard. When_Razor_Meets_Skin_Howard_DS_5_2008

Shaving has a definite romanticism about it as a symbol of masculinity, but for many men, it’s a daily routine they can come to dread. The article has some great tips and knowledge about shaving and men’s skin and why traditional shaving products can actually do more harm than good.

Many of our clients here at Spruce Body Lab have come to love the Shave products from Dermalogica. Haven’t tried them yet?- stop in a get a free sample.

On that note- happy shaving and go Movember!

Bring in a donation  to the Vancouver Food Bank and you’ll be entered to win a door prize from one our fantastic Yaletown neighbors and skin care partners.

RSVP to spruce@sprucebodylab.com by November 25th, 2011. Hope to see you there!

There are some great Gift With Purchases to take advantage of over the Holiday season- one of which is Kevin.Murphy Get.Young.Again.

Young.Again $39 is the latest treatment oil from Kevin.Murphy that infuses hair with shine, moisture and protection from heat and the environment. If you’re looking for the silky softness you get from a salon blow-dry, this is your product!

Your Gift: Born.Again.Masque. For those tresses which have been tortured by treatment and the cold weather- this rich extreme repair masque of Mango Butter, Shea Butter, Babasu Oil and Kakadu Plum extracts delivers each conditioning molecule deep into the hairs cuticle, cortex and beyond.*A staff favorite!* and featured in the UK’s most acclaimed Beauty Bible series as the winner of the anti aging hair masque category.

Be sure to come to our upcoming client appreciation night December 1st, 2011 from 5:30 to 7:30 when these products and more will be on sale! RSVP spruce@sprucebodylab.com by November 25th, 2011.

I noticed a few months ago on a Yelp review, a client gave us some really positive feedback, but mentioned that they wished that we would do a Groupon deal. I’m sure they aren’t the only person that has wished that- not to mention the barrage of social buying companies that wish we would work with them too.

I thought I’d take this to our blog and explain why we have chosen not to do a social buying campaign- yet… Who knows, things may change, but we have steadfastly avoided it thus far.  Here’s a great article a friend of mine sent me from the NY Times ‘Boss Blog’. Jay Goltz, a small business owner shares his thoughts on the social buying dilemma for small businesses.

(Here’s another article to check out.)

It’s not that we don’t want to share savings with our clients- it’s something that we’ve done consistently with seasonal and monthly offers via subscription based e-blasts and Pop-Up specials on our twitter and Facebook forums. But the ‘free’ marketing tool that is Social Buying, actually doesn’t add up for most small businesses at the end of the day.

Did you know that most Social Buying organizations demand at least a 50% discount on offers, and then ask for 50% of the profits from deals that are purchased? Does that sound sustainable?

I admit that I’m guilty of looking for a deal or a discount. I personally haven’t used any social buying sites, but I can understand why people do. From the perspective of a manager of a small business, I suppose I just wanted to share with our clients and blog readers that discounts and sales are a part of any retail or service industry and businesses should be prepared to offer them, but the bite that Social Buying sites take in exchange for brand exposure is something that I feel is ultimately detrimental to small businesses and to how, as a society, we evaluate the worth of what we choose to buy.

That’s no to say that these campaigns don’t work sometimes, but until we decide as a business that Groupon is for us and you’re interested in getting opportunities for saving at Groupon-like discounts, join us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter and the savings will follow!