Tag Archive for: facials aurora

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Holiday Sweets May Not Be So Sweet To Our Skin

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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!

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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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Common Skin Growths and What To Do About Them

Common Skin Growths and What To Do About Them

What is that spot?! Growths on our skin can develop for numerous reasons. They could be the result of a virus or bacterial infection, or simply something you’ve inherited from your mother.  Although some are harmless, others are not and need attention from you and your doctor.  Let’s explore some common growths and what to do about them.

Nevi (Moles)

Moles are usually round or oval growths that can sprout anywhere on the body. They range in colour from brown to black, or even pink.  They are usually slightly raised from the skin.  It is always best to have them checked regularly by your doctor for any changes to their appearance (i.e. shape, colour or size).

Cherry Angioma

These growths are cherry red clusters made up of tiny capillaries at the surface of the skin. They can show up anywhere on the body, but usually appear on the torso and upper thigh.  Cherry angiomas are generally harmless and usually appear in adults over the age of 30.

Warts

While they are ugly and annoying little pests, warts are non-cancerous growths that are caused by a viral infection, known as Human Papilloma Virus or HPV, in the top layer of skin. Usually occurring in children and young adults, warts can appear all over the body but are most common on the feet and hands.  They are usually rough and raised, however the plantar wart is flat, occurring on the soles of the feet. They can be treated by your doctor.

Lentigo

The dreaded age spot! There are 3 types of lentigo.  The first is called lentigo simplex.  This is a small spot, usually harmless and tan in colour.  Second are those called liver or age/sun spots.  They are medically referred to as solar lentigo, usually brought on by sun exposure.  And lastly, lentigo malignas.  These spots are dark and irregular shaped, most common in people over 60, and can develop onto skin cancer.

Skin Cancer

There are 3 types of skin cancer to look out for.  The most common is basal cell carcinoma.  Usually appearing as a waxy, flesh-coloured bump, this type is most commonly found on the face, head, neck and hands.  Second is squamous cell carcinoma.  These growths are rough and scaly and often bleed and crust over.  Also commonly found on the head, neck and hands, squamous cell carcinoma can really sprout anywhere on the body.

And the most serious of these is melanoma.  Melanoma often occurs through moles.  Common warning signs of melanoma are moles or legions that get darker, grow larger, and change shape.  All of these cancer types require monitoring and treatment by a doctor.

Your skin is your largest organ. Protect it. Nourish it. Wear sunscreen everyday and limit prolonged sun exposure. Your life may depend on it.

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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Home Remedies for Combatting Under Eye Puffiness

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Under eye puffiness plagues us all at one time or another.  Did you know that the skin directly under our eyes is ten times thinner than the skin on the rest of our face?  Therefore, if it appears swollen and puffy, it may be trying to tell us something.  Water retention due to diet, allergies and even hereditary reasons may all play their role in the battle of puffy peepers!  While medical intervention may be involved in alleviating the problem if it’s due to allergens or genetics, we can help ourselves in reducing under eye puffiness by various other methods.

Here are a few ideas for combatting under eye puffiness:

Cold Compress

There are quite a wide range of materials that provide puffy eye relief.  Cucumber slices or raw potato slices, for instance, contain anti-oxidants and flavonoids. These aid in reducing swelling and irritation.

What to do: Apply cold to eyes for 30 minutes to feel the benefits.  Caffeinated tea, such as green or black, contain tannins which aid in restricting blood vessels surrounding produces and stimulate blood circulation.  Non-caffeinated teas contain anti-inflammatory properties.  Chamomile tea in particular, is known to treat ailments throughout the body, as well as relieve tired, puffy eyes.  Steep the bags you choose in hot water, cool them, then place over eyes for 15 to 30 minutes for rejuvenated eyes.

Diet

Salt creates water retention, not only with our eyes but throughout our body.  This puffiness can be prevented by limiting our salt intake, drinking lots of water daily, limiting or eliminating alcohol and eating foods rich in collagen.  Many fruits contain collagen such as cucumber and watermelon.  These fruits are powerful re-hydrators as they have a high-water content and contain collagen-boosting silica.  There are also vegetables and proteins that provide this important ingredient such as bell peppers and fish.

Sleep and Stress

A bad night’s sleep can lead to puffy eyes. And many times, a bad night’s sleep is due to stress that accumulates throughout our day and life.  One of the best ways to combat stress is to exercise 3 to 5 times a week, or perhaps daily, like a 30 minute walk.  Exercise helps produce endorphins which is our brain’s feel good chemical.  When we feel good, our stress level lessens and you get more of a sense of calm, thus providing a better sleep and less puffy eyes.

As previously stated, medical intervention is always an option if you feel your puffy eyes just don’t respond favourably to any of these home remedies.  Fortunately, by changing some habits and dietary issues, we should be able to help reduce the puff!

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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