Tag Archive for: aestheticians Aurora

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Holiday Sweets May Not Be So Sweet To Our Skin

sweets and skin care issues over the holidays a perfect pinky day spa aurora

As we head into the festive holiday season, gatherings with family and friends will start to fill up our calendar. Lots of delicious meals and seasonal cocktails will be enjoyed by all! And in every home, at every party, and in every office, there will be decadent holiday treats. Cookies, cakes and candy canes will stare at us from the table waiting to be consumed. But did you know that overindulging in refined sugar not only wreaks havoc on our system, but can also ruin your skin? Processed sugar can not only cause breakouts, but is often the reason we develop skin conditions like rosacea, psoriasis or premature wrinkles.

Skin Troubles Caused By Sugar

Inflammation – sugar is one of the worst foods to cause inflammation, since it is so highly acidic. Eating something high in sugar causes your insulin levels to rise in an effort to stabilize your blood sugar levels, thus causing inflammation. This process can exacerbate existing skin conditions such as psoriasis, rosacea, eczema and acne. And to make matters worse, the stress hormone cortisol then boosts oil production, giving the inflammatory condition, specifically acne, a greasy environment to grow. Yuck!

Wrinkles – collagen is a protein found in the skin that keeps it looking supple and youthful. When sugar attaches to collagen, the collagen starts to breakdown on a cellular level. This creates dull, dehydrated skin, and in turn, leads to premature wrinkles.

Dehydration – when your skin appears dull and sallow, as opposed to bouncy and perky, it’s likely due to eating too much refined sugar. Since sugar is a dehydrating agent, it can suck the water out of your skin. This leads to puffy, dry skin and under eye circles.

Our diets should be well-balanced. Avoiding refined sugar is important for our skin and bodies. Eating appropriate amounts of grains, fruits and vegetables, and protein all help in achieving a diet rich in essential vitamins and minerals. Our skin is our largest organ. We need to take care of it. Throughout the holiday season and onward, limit your sugar intake as best you can. We all indulge once in a while so don’t beat yourself up. Just remember that limiting processed sugar will lead to fewer cravings, better digestion and glowing skin.

We welcome your questions and feedback. You can connect with us via email or telephone.  Don`t forgot to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for the latest trends and special offers!

Til next time,

Phyllis

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Growing Old Gracefully: Essential Oils Can Help!

skin care with essential oils a perfect pinky aurora day spa

Growing Old Gracefully: Essential Oils Can Help!

Let’s face it. We all want to grow old gracefully. There are so many products pitched to us from various forms of media, it becomes increasingly confusing what to pick! Nature can actually help in making these decisions. Essential oils are in fact a natural solution to help us achieve the best skin we can. They aid in wrinkle control, skin tightening and help skin to look fresh and flawless! Let’s look at some of the more prominent essential oils for the task:

Rose oil

Rose oil, or rose hip oil, has anti-oxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties- the perfect trifecta! It promotes a youthful looking skin since it aids in cell renewal, thus reducing the appearance of scars. This oil is rich in vitamins A and E, and it boosts collagen, creating a firmer skin texture.

Lavender oil

Not only does it have a relaxing aroma, lavendar oil is the perfect essential oil for toning and firming the skin. It aids in balancing sebum production, due to its antibacterial effects. These antibacterial properties can help to heal cuts, burns and other areas of skin repair, such as smoothing wrinkles and fine lines.

Pomegranate oil

Arguably one of the best essentials oils for tightening the skin. It has been a favourite of many for centuries. Acting as a powerful remedy to help a multitude of skin issues, even skin cancer. When applied to the skin, pomegranate oil reduces inflammation and even the appearance of sun spots.

Grapeseed oil

This oil aids in maintaining balance, which creates a firmer skin texture. It contains many regenerative components to promote skin cell production, and acts as a natural astringent. Thus it is added to many cosmetic products. Natural astringents make your blood vessels and tissues contract, which stimulates blood flow. Grapeseed oil is technically a carrier oil so most essential oils can be added to it.

Neroli oil

Neroli oil contains a natural chemical called citral. This chemical aids in helping new skin cells to form and reduces large skin pores. It is widely used as a general anti-aging oil. And is a key component in a multitude of anti-aging creams and masks. With the ability to increase skin elasticity while continually smoothing fine lines.

It is important to note, essential oils should never be applied directly onto your skin. Diluting them is necessary. Anywhere from three to fifteen drops of an essential oil can be added to a carrier oil. A carrier oil, also known as a base oil, is one that helps dilute the much stronger essential oils and literally carries those oils onto the skin. Grapeseed oil (as listed previously), olive oil, coconut oil, or avocado oil, are all examples of carrier oils, just to name a few. It is also a good idea to do a skin patch test on the inside of your arm to see if there is any allergic reaction like redness, swelling, rashes or itchiness.

Let’s promote our health and vitality and conquer aging skin together by putting these oils to use!

We welcome your questions and feedback. You can connect with us via email or telephone. Don’t forgot to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for the latest trends and special offers!

Til next time,

Phyllis

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5 Signs of Dehydration: Are You Drinking Enough Water?

signs of dehydration - are you drinking enough water

For many of us, it can be quite the challenge to remember to drink our daily quota of water.  The human body needs to consume a certain amount of water by means of survival.  The amount of water we lose during the day is significant, therefore replenishing it is extremely important.  For most of us, eight 8 ounce glasses of water per day is the proper amount to consume.  Not only is drinking water fantastic for our skin, but also for our mind, muscles and all our bodily systems. But how do we know if we are drinking as much as we should?  Are we hydrating ourselves appropriately?  The following are some possible signs of dehydration and why drinking enough water is essential to our overall health.

5 Possible Signs of Dehydration

Dry Skin

Before you spend your money on super expensive creams and potions, increase your water intake.  Dehydration can in fact cause sensitivities to your skin.   Your skin may become inflamed or irritated causing itching or, in extreme cases, cracking.  Your skin is your largest organ and it needs lubrication so drink up!

Elimination Issues 

Dark urine and constipation can both be caused by insufficient water intake.  Your urine should ideally be a light yellow colour.  Any darker than that generally means it has more waste within it being excreted from the kidneys.  Constipation can also be a sign of dehydration.  The colon needs significant lubrication to eliminate what it needs to and drinking more water is the first solution to consider.

Headaches

When dehydrated, our brain tissue loses water resulting in pain and swelling.  Since our brains are 80% water, it is essential to drink the appropriate amount of water to promote proper blood flow and oxygen to the brain, thus preventing the dreaded headache.

Muscle Cramps

When we exercise, our bodies sweat, resulting in a lower sodium level.  Our muscles become very sensitive if they don’t receive an adequate amount of water, which can result in cramps or spasms.  Drinking water aids in replenishing sodium levels, helping to reduce and/or eliminate the cramps.

Low Energy

Feeling tired? Guess what?  It may be because you aren’t drinking enough water! Our energy levels lessen when our blood circulation is sluggish.  Proper blood circulation delivers oxygen to all our organs and muscles, therefore giving us energy to go about our day. And water is the key!

Make sure you are getting enough water throughout the day.  Eating more water rich foods such as fruits and vegetables can also be extremely beneficial in consuming the appropriate amount of water.  Most importantly, don’t wait to experience any of these signs.  Just grab, drink and refill your water bottle every day!

We welcome your questions and feedback. You can connect with us via email or telephone, leave a comment right here on the site or click the contact tab at the bottom of the screen if you are reading this post on the website.  Join in the conversation on Facebook too!

Til next time,

Phyllis

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Why Do Our Feet Get Dry/Cracked?

care for dry skin on the well-groomed feet and heels with creams

As we head into the colder months, our feet will be taking us indoors.  We’ll be putting away our summer sandals and flip flops, and slipping into shoes, boots and cozy slippers.  When our feet are somewhat exposed to the elements in the warmer months, some of us discover that they may feel a bit drier and rough feeling heading into winter.

Did you know the skin on our feet have no oil glands? Read more

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