What you need to know about how smoke and smog affects our skin

Calgary, being the urban city that it is, has some degree of air pollution already, but as of late, the increasing smoke from surrounding Alberta and BC wildfires is adding greatly to the issue.

So how does the skin react to this increase of air pollution?

For starters, smoke decreases the amount of clean, oxygenated blood that gets to the skin cells in order to feed and cleanse the tissue. The ash, micro-particles can clog up the pores, adding to the build-up of sweat, oil, old makeup, and dead skin cells. This can lead to everything from inflammation, to acne, along with a duller complexion.

That aside, a far more threatening problem is that of free radicals. These small pesky villains are present in all airborne pollution, such as smog and smoke. Free radicals are molecules with a single unpaired electron, which makes them both unstable and highly reactive. When introduced to your system, free radicals will seek out and steal electrons from molecules in healthy cells, such as skin cells. This process results in reduced collagen production, and is one of the leading causes to premature lines and wrinkles and therefore early signs of aging.

On the other side, we have antioxidants which are a group of beneficial nutrients – vitamins, minerals and enzymes – that can minimize and repair the damaged processes in cells by neutralizing the free radicals and help with repairing the skin cells.

Things that you can do to help fight against collagen damage caused by free radicals.

~ Wear NATURAL SPF to prevent against accumulative collagen damage from the sun.
~ Avoid long extensive time outdoors when it is increasingly smoggy or smoky.
~ Shower and wash away pollutants and dirt with a gentle natural cleanser every night.
~ Use antioxidant rich skincare suited to your skin type and situation.
~ Specifically use skincare that is high in Vitamin-C
~ Take daily Vitamins or multi-vitamins, minerals, and omegas.
~ Eat a balanced, whole food diet, especially greens which are high in antioxidants to fight against internal damages.
~ Try mineral-rich clay detox skin treatments 
~ Drink plenty of fresh water to flush the system
~ Get plenty of sleep to help balance and restore both your body and mind as a whole

Vitamin C (Citrus & Kale Potent C+E Serum)
This is an antioxidant powerhouse. Besides acting as a free-radical scavenger and an antioxidant powerhouse, Vitamin-C is necessary for the formation of collagen, and greatly assists with the overall appearance of our skin, and a reduction of lines and wrinkles. For the healthiest, most radiant looking skin, Vitamin-C is essential!

Vitamin E (Citrus & Kale Potent C+E Serum)
An extremely effective antioxidant that is naturally found in the body. This vitamin helps protect our collagen, and studies indicate that it can help improve the appearance of the skin.

Beta-carotene (Seabuckthorn Balancing Masque)
One of the safest forms of vitamin A (retinol). One molecule of beta-carotene can counteract a vast number of free radicals, and therefore is one of the most effective antioxidants for skincare.

Detoxifying Products + Minerals (Illuminate Fortify or Therapeutic Mask)  
These masks help remove impurities and restore balance to the skin.

For insight on your own personal skincare routine, drop by the spa or book a complimentary skin care analysis with one of our skin care professionals. 

See you at the spa!

Rachel Lamont | Owner and Holistic Medical Esthetician 
The Natural Art of Skin Care

Seasonal Product Changes

Our skin requires different things at different times of the year here in Canada. In the summertime we need lighter weight moisturizers and more SPF protection. In the winters, we need richer moisturizers and protection from the cold elements. When switching over our products during this time of the year, keep in mind that includes our serums as well. You may have been on something like the;

Eminence Strawberry Rhubarb Hyaluronic Serum which is great for hydration and plumping the skin, as it rehydrates by pushing outside moisture back into the skin.  If you feel like you’re not struggling for hydration anymore, you may want to try the Eminence Citrus & Kale Potent C+E Serum to start boosting your vitamin C to protect your skin against free radicals and the signs of aging. 

Summer is a great time to up your Vitamin-C intake, as it helps to repair the skin from the damaging effects of the Sun. This vitamin is great for so many reasons, especially for after sun, for brightening, and feeding collagen.

If you’re on one of the richer moisturizers from the winter time, i.e- the Coconut Age Corrective Moisturizer, or the Monoi Age Corrective Night Cream, it may be time to switch over to a lower oil version, such as the Guava Bamboo Age Defy Moisturizer, or the Sweet Red Rose Whip Moisturizer.  That is why I love Eminence so much!  The line is so customizable, with options to choose from for every skin type!

This is also a great time to mention Eminence’s new Lilikoi Mineral Defense SPF collection!  Defend your skin from drying environmental stressors with this all-mineral SPF sun protection line. Their newest release, reef-friendly, completely natural sun protection is a great addition to your skincare routine for a day-time product that ensures you are protected from the sun’s harmful UVA/ UVB rays and their damaging effects. Choose from the Lilikoi Mineral Defense Moisturizer (SPF 33), Lilikoi Light Defense Face Primer (SPF 23), and the Lilikoi Mineral Defense Sport Sunscreen (SPF 30) for the body.

If you need help with customizing your regime, or if you have any questions, please come see us at the spa and we would be more than happy to assist you!

Happy Spring everyone!

Rachel Lamont | Owner & Holistic Medical Esthetician
The Natural Art of Skin Care

Is your diet making you stink?

Bad breath, stinky feet, body odour and overly foul-smelling bowel movements may be signs that your body is giving you (and everyone else around you) that your diet is off.  

Aside from practicing good personal hygiene such as showering regularly and using regular mild soap, the underarm area can be an embarrassing breeding zone for some.  Many people find themselves having to buy super antiperspirants, perfumes and scented body washes - but this is all just making the problem worse!

The body is made up of more bacteria than cells, yup you read that right.  We are one big moving universe of bacteria, both good and bad.  Because we don’t walk around like the wailing flailing inflatable promo men, we have crevices that don’t get much open air-time, like our arm pits. This leads to a warm environment, and a build-up of extra moisture.  Bacteria love to hang out in warm, moist, sheltered areas and feed off the sugars contained in your sweat.  Excess sugar intake, more food for the bacteria, more stink!  

Now onto processed, prepackaged, convenience, non-perishable - or ‘dead already’ foods; how do they make you stink?  

Well, aside from the chemical storm that created their super long shelf lives, your body needs to break down, filter, process and remove those chemicals, and It’s not as easy as you think.  Most of these products are also loaded with salt, sugar and trans-fats that cause inflammation.  So, we’re starting off with inflammation and chemical overload, both of which lead to excess waste production.  

If the majority of your diet is this dead, convenience food, then there are no living components (or enzymes) to help break down those foods.  Cue the body to start breaking down internal structures to get those enzymes, (more waste).  

Did I mention that these foods are also highly acidic?  There’s a twofold problem here.  First, the excess acid creates more C02 gas (waste); more bloating, gas, cramping there. Second, your stomach which makes its own acid (HCl) recognizes that there is already acid present from your food, so it gets confused and doesn’t produce much of its own anymore - this leads to food not being broken down properly.  Cue the churning, queasiness, more bloating and gas to try and use whatever little stomach acid it did make and you’ve now introduced acid reflux.  More inflammation, more waste, acid breath, yummy.  The longer this continues, the less effective the digestive system becomes and the backlog starts piling up (constipation).

The average person today mostly uses scented products to help them smell attractive, or is it really to mask over their unpleasant odour?  Anti-perspirants, perfumes and scented body washes, scrubs and creams add a layer onto the skin, clogging your pores and basically sealing in the sewage inside your body.  

Before you know it, you’re on the merry-go-round of breath fresheners, antacids, laxatives, maximum strength antiperspirants and expensive eau-de-toilettes, lotions and potions.

If you’re among the many people this scenario relates to, it’s time to heal, repair, rebuild and eliminate the built-up refuse.  It’s time for a re-evaluation of your diet.

-       Written by Janna Hattingh, BKin, CHNC

It’s time to re-asses your health, diet, lifestyle goals for Spring!

Book a consult with our Certified Holistic Nutrition Consultant, Janna Hattingh.

Qi Beauty Facial - A new TCM Facial addition to The Natural Art of Skin Care!

March is here, which hopefully means spring is just around the corner!  We made it through a cold and snowy February, even breaking a few weather records in Calgary!  Most of us have probably noticed our mood taking a bit of a hit, being stuck indoors, long and slow after-work commutes, and shoveling mounds of snow in this bitter cold.  During cold snaps like this, it is also common to notice not so pleasant changes in our skin.  If your skin feels rough and unbearably dry right now, you are not alone!  Cold air, wind, and indoor heating systems all suck the moisture out of our skin and leave us looking lackluster and tired.  This is the time of year to be using a rich moisturizer, and adding more oils into your routine, maybe an oil pre-cleanser, or a finishing oil on top of your moisturizer which provides a barrier between your skin and the elements.  This is also an exciting time at the spa, because we are introducing a few new facials on our menu, including a Traditional Chinese Medicine based skin therapy, called Qi Beauty!  

The Qi Beauty facial is a really exciting and new way to look at improving the look and health of our skin.  It was developed as a way to give the skin the optimal condition to heal and return to an active state.  Skin can recover at any age, it just needs the right environment and energy, or qi, to do so.  We use a combination of over 3000 years of TCM philosophy, Quantum principles of energy, static magnetic fields and the medicinal properties of gold to deliver hydration and nutrients to every layer of skin at any age.  Using 1000 gold magnetic beads, and the theory of TCM meridians and qi flow, to manipulate the biochemistry and physiology of the skin, we can direct the flow of energy, which in turn directs the flow of fluid to areas that need attention, bring volume to cheeks, move fluid from under eye area, and increase collagen and elastin production.  This flow of fluid can be detected during the very first session, when a bounce or spring returns to the skin.  

During this 90-minute treatment, the skin is cleansed, exfoliated, and toned, before a matrix, or a personalized pattern, of 1000 gold magnetic beads are placed gently on the face to begin the manipulation of qi.  This is very relaxing and soothing as meridians are opened up, and energy flows through the face as nature intended.  A deeply nourishing and activating combination of a facial oil and hydrating spray is then carefully applied over and around the beads to begin nourishing the skin and activating the regeneration process.  The arrival of qi is checked periodically, looking for that bounce returning to the skin.  Once the qi has arrived, usually between 30-40 minutes, the beads are removed and discarded, as gold is known to absorb toxins and impurities.  Lastly the skin is moisturized gently, to protect it from the environment and to allow the qi and nutrients to remain and continue to heal.  The full treatment lasts 90 minutes, and will leave you feeling super relaxed, and looking super rested.  Many people will notice their fine lines are less noticeable, and an overall lift to the face, even after the first session.  Because skin regenerates in a 6-week period, it is highly recommended to plan for a course of 3 treatments during that time, so we can actually train the new skin cells to be more active.  The effects of Qi Beauty are accumulative, and with every session, we bring more life and energy to the skin, so going beyond the 3 sessions will only continue to improve the look and feel of the skin.

I'm so excited to bring this amazing new treatment to all our amazing friends at The Natural Art of Skin Care, that I will be offering a 20% discount to all packages of 3 and 5 Qi Beauty sessions for all of March!  Please feel free to call the spa if you have any questions about Qi Beauty or any other TCM therapies we offer!

 See you at the Spa!

-Dr. Amy Nykoluk, DTCM

Gua Sha Stones + Beauty Rollers

Beauty rollers and Ghu Sha Stones date back to the seventh-century In East Asia. In China it has been used for many centuries on the body for massage and relief from muscle pain.  It is greatly known to move or unblock energy known as Qi [CH-EE], or Chi around the body and face.

Gua Sha is characterized by long and short strokes in a massage like motion. Some use it on the body with the strong intent to cause bruising in order to break down scar tissue by “scraping” the skin. It is not necessary to cause bruising during Gua Sha massage, but lymphatic drainage is a great benefit from this tool.

As we glide the stone across the skin, lymphatic fluids are drained, helping with circulation and the breaking down of scar tissue. It also releases muscle tension and brings a new glow to the skin and surrounding areas.  On the face you will be able to see the skin instantly refreshed and lifted, leaving you with a glowing complexion as it helps to stimulate collagen production.

Using correct but simple lymphatic drainage techniques, this modality can help alleviate puffiness, therefore the Gua Sha stones are great when used cold, especially under the eyes in the morning or after a late night.

I personally find night-time a great time to use these tools as I have more time to spend on my regime, and I find it encourages me to masque more frequently. The Gua Sha stone or Beauty Rollers should be used when the skin is moist to create that slip to ensure we’re not pulling at the skin. I like to Gua Sha while my masque is on to allow a good amount of slip and to allow my masque(s) to penetrate deeper into the skin.

The Lymphatic Drainage Technique:

Always make sure you are scraping from the middle of the face in an upward and outwards motion, down by the ears, and down the neck. Enjoy each stroke and all the benefits of these amazing tools and techniques!

For further questions about TCM or Gua Sha massage, feel free to contact the Spa or book your personal Acupuncture + Ghu Sha Facial today with our Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine (DTCM), Dr. Amy Nykoluk.