Active Facial Cleansers versus Resting Facial Cleansers
02/09/2010 In Skincare Product Knowledge by bien-être
We agree with the philosophy that skin needs a balance of stimulation, rest and nutrition for optimal results. This philosophy compares your skin, in a way, to your muscles. Consider your workouts. If you went to the gym and focused only on the same muscle group for 7 days in a row without rest or feeding your body properly, you would quickly set yourself up for injury. The same can be said of your skin. Over-exfoliating can lead to skin imbalance and hyper-sensitivity. Exfoliation sends your skin into action, repairing and regenerating at a cellular level. It is vital to rest and feed your skin in between these exfoliating sessions in order for the skin to repair and regenerate properly.
That being said, there are certain cleansers that stimulate the skin through exfoliation and others that keep skin clean and calm. It is often recommended use two different cleansers, one “active” and one “resting” cleanser, alternating them throughout the week. Toners are usually considered active treatments, and should be included on days when active cleansers are used. This general rule can and should be tweaked for each skin condition. For example, skin that feels thick, oily sun damaged or mature can handle more active cleansing days and less resting days – in order to improve cell turnover these skin conditions may need more “exercise.” Sensitive, thin or younger skin may require fewer active cleansing days and longer periods of rest in between. It’s a safe bet to cleanse with an active cleanser and toner 2-3 days a week, resting your skin in between. If your skin feels dry or sensitive, decrease the active days. If your skin is still feeling thick, oily or sluggish, increase the active days.
Here are some wonderful active or stimulating facial cleansers:
Sanitas Glycolic Citrus Cleanser – great for any skin type
Sanitas Salicylic Herbal Cleanser – best for oily, congested or acneic skin
Aroma Bella Foaming Wash – great for any skin type, best for normal to oily skin
Aroma Bella Exfoliating Wash – great for any skin type, best for mature skin
DNA Mediclear Skin Lightening Wash – best for congested, oily or hyper pigmented skin
Here are our favorite resting facial cleansers:
Sanitas Moisturizing Cleanser – best for dry or sensitive skin
Sanitas Lemon Cream Cleanser – great for any skin type
Aroma Bella Cleansing Lotion – great for any skin type, best for normal to dry skin
DNA Crème of Nectar Soothing – great for any skin type
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Cosmetics and Animal Testing
02/08/2010 In Skincare Product Knowledge by bien-être
I was recently asked about my stance on animal testing. As a vegetarian and holistic esthetician, I thought the question answered itself fairly easily. However, it got me thinking about all the cosmetic companies that still test on animals unnecessarily.
Many of these companies are found on the supermarket shelves and cosmetic counters. That means we could be financially promoting them without realizing it. It’s not too common to see “we test on animals” labels out there, as I would assume these labels may be a deterrent to consumers.
Certain pharmaceutical and medical companies are required by law to conduct safety testing for their products. However, there are many companies who conduct voluntary animal testing for household products and cosmetics.
It is not my intent to delve into the heated debate on animal rights. Instead, I’d like to provide a tool for searching companies that “do” test on animals and those that “do not,” courtesy of PETA. The purpose of this post is to provide information that makes your skincare decisions easy and well-informed.
Keep in mind that there are certain products that do not test on animals even though their parent companies do, so double check your favorite products to be sure.
bien-etre skincare studio supports skincare companies that refuse to test on animals, which is why our professional and retail products are never tested on animals, we’ve made sure of it. If you are ever unsure on a product, look for a cruelty-free logo on the packaging, website or other company information.
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We love Sanitas Glycolic Citrus Cleanser
02/05/2010 In Skincare Product Knowledge by bien-être
Sanitas’ Glycolic Citrus Cleanser always gets rave reviews. In fact, it is one of our most popular cleansers. Here’s why we love it:
It’s an active cleanser, meaning that it exfoliates and stimulates your skin as it cleans. The main exfoliating ingredient is glycolic acid. Glycolic acid (sometimes referred to as fruit acid) is part of the alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) family. AHAs are naturally found in sugar cane, citrus fruits and beets. The glycolic acid in this cleanser is from sugar cane and is considered a biogenic ingredient because it mimics a vital ingredient or nutrient naturally found in the human body. AHAs are located in almost every area of the body. For example, lactic acid (also an AHA) is what makes muscles “burn” when you work them out.
Glycolic acid is a great skin exfoliant because it lowers the pH of the skin slightly, which allows the molecules to absorb easily and stimulate skin renewal. On the surface, the acid dissolves the intracellular glue between “dead” or old, flattened skin cells encouraging them to slough off and reveal fresh new healthy skin underneath. This sloughing sends a message to the dermis to produce new cells – thus stimulating cellular turnover.
All AHAs, glycolic acid included, also attract moisture into the skin. This combination of exfoliation and moisture retention softens and brightens the skin, making it a wonderful choice for dry, mature, sun damaged and hyper pigmented conditions. Sanitas Skin Care blends their glycolic acid with citrus essential oils, which help to remove excess oils, make-up and debris from the surface and pores of the skin.
But wait, there’s more!
Sanitas Glycolic Citrus Cleanser also contains large amounts of hyaluronic acid and NaPCA to further hydrate and plump skin, as well as an ingredient called Arabinogalactan which boosts the skin’s “immunity” and softens superficial lines and wrinkles. This ingredient is in the protoglycan family and is found in between the cells of most plants and plays a role in cell-to-cell communication. Interesting, right? Who comes up with this stuff? Oh, yeah…biologists and bio chemists. Thank goodness for them, and thank goodness for Glycolic Citrus Cleanser.
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Aroma Bella Exfoliating Face Wash
11/20/2009 In Skincare Product Knowledge by bien-être
This Thanksgiving, I am grateful for many things: my loving family, great friends, inspiring clients…and my Aroma Bella Exfoliating Face Wash.
I have been alternating this cleanser with the Sanitas Lemon Cream Cleanser every other day and my skin is loving it! Aroma Bella, a boutique organic skin care line featuring potent antioxidants, essential oils and botanical extracts, hit the jackpot with this formulation…and my skin is grateful!
The Aroma Bella Exfoliating Face Wash lathers easily with just a bit of water without any Sodium Lauryl Sulfate to irritate or strip the skin of precious natural oils. A blend of green and white teas, carrot, ginkgo and rosehips provide antioxidant support and amazing fragrance. Apple and sugar extracts gently exfoliate the skin and remove makeup and debris.
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DNA Health Institute Phyto Collagen Moisturizer: Product Spotlight
10/13/2009 In Skincare Product Knowledge by bien-être
DNA Health Institute, the company we love to use at bien-etre skincare studio for our stem cell therapy facials, has created quite an amazing moisturizer. The DNA health Institute Phyto Collagen Moisturizer is clean, gentle, leaves skin feeling amazingly soft and hydrated.
An organic blend or herbs, including green tea, echinacea, horsetail, licorice and dandelion root help to strengthen, protect, calm, and clear the skin and increase healthy circulation. Grapeseed and sunflower oils hydrate without feeling heavy on the skin. Medical grade progesterone, from wild yam, is a phyto (plant-based) collagen booster used to plump skin and create a more youthful appearance.
And get this – the high quality organic and wild crafted essential oils (rose and jasmine) in this moisturizer were specifically chosen to influence feelings of self-confidence and reduce anxiety! So cool.
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