Here's what we're doing to keep you safe

Here’s what we’re doing to keep you safe

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As we move into the red level, we just wanted to let you know that we are committed to providing you with continuous safe care. 

Your health and safety and the health and safety of our skinfocus team have always been our priority and we happen to be well versed in viral control due to our many years of experience and extensive training in such medical treatments like Microneedling.
 
The measures we take to keep you safe, other patrons safe and our staff safe:
  • Staff wear full PPE during treatments in the treatment rooms.
  • Satff wear masks in public areas.
  • All products used in the treatment rooms are sterilised.
  • All areas touched by clients and staff are sterilised in the treatment room.
  • All equipment is sterilised that is used in the treatment room.
  • Periodic sterilisation of public areas takes place.
  • We provide hand sanitiser and masks.
  • We ensure everyone who enters the clinic has been fully vaccinated.
  • All staff are fully vaccinated.
  • Drinks and magazines won’t be provided in order to avoid cross contamination.
What we encourage you to do to keep us and other patrons safe:
  • Please wear a mask on entering and departing the clinic and treatment rooms.
  • Please scan in.
  • Please present your vaccine pass. (It is now law to have a vaccine pass to enter our premises.)
  • Please bring your own water bottle as we can’t offer you a drink during this time.
  • Please give us as much notice as you can if you are isolating or are experiencing COVID symptoms.
We look forward to looking after you and our community. Please don’t hesitate to get in contact to ask any questions.
Helen and the team at skinfocus.
 
Environ Mother's Day Giveaway

Environ Mother’s Day Giveaway

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WIN the ‘Ultimate Environ Skin Indulgence Pack’ for the deserving mother figure in your life this Mother’s Day!

 

PRIZE:

Environ Revival Masque 15ml – Nicknamed ‘Face-Lift in a Jar’ by its creator, Dr Des Fernandes, the Revival Masque is formulated with a revolutionary combination of ingredients to specifically target the effects of photo-damaged skin and the appearance of uneven skin texture.

Environ Hydrating Oil Capsules 10 Caps – The Hydrating Oil Capsules a luxurious treatment oil, delivering a concentrated burst of vitamin enriched hydration for the skin.

Environ Super Moisturiser 15ml – The Super Moisturiser is the ultimate moisture boost to add to your current Vitamin A moisturiser. It contains a variety of dynamic moisturizers and emollients that assist in enhancing the effects of the skin’s barrier function, as well as its natural moisturizing factors.

Environ Antioxidant Gel 15ml – This water-based gel contains a blend of antioxidants and moisturizers to assist in defending the skin against free radicals, associated with harmful external influences such as pollution and excess sun exposure. Perfect for after a day out in the sun or strolling through the city.

 

TO ENTER:

1. Head over to our Instagram or Facebook

2. Follow @skinfocus1

3. Tag a deserving mum or motherly figure in the comments of the post

4. Share the same post to your Instagram Stories or Facebook Feed for an extra entry (make sure you tag us @skinfocus1 so we can see)

 

Terms and Conditions

Open to New Zealand Residents. Competition closes 6.05.21. All entries via the @skinfocus1 post are pooled and a winner is selected at random and announced within 5 working days of closing date via the caption of the @skinfocus1 competition post. Prize is non-redeemable for cash or otherwise.

Body Snacks | Helen Daly

Body Snacks | Helen Daly

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Body Snacks – Helen Daly

What does our skin like to eat?  It’s as easy as A, B, C.  Oh and let’s not forget a lot of E.  
There are secret little passages for getting various substances past your cell wall and into your skin cell.  Only substances with the correct key will be able to pass through.  A gate keeper, (your cell receptors along the cell wall,) and a key holder, (the correct substance that holds the right code.)  Anything other than this, acts like an attack on your cell. A healthy cell will be able to defend.  A weak cell will burn and die.

 

Isn’t it amazing to learn what your body has to put up with every day? 

 

Understanding antioxidants - Harvard Health

 

 

Vitamin A has to be the “Mama” of all the vitamins.  The foundation for skin health.  If you don’t have this in your skin care arsenal, then you eventually will do when working with us.  

  • Cell normaliser
  • Regulates DNA
  • Increases cell formation
  • Protects from UV and environmental damage
  • Increases the production of collagen and your skin’s natural hydration
  • And increases the delivery of nutrients and oxygen to your skin 

 

Vitamin B plays an important part in keeping your skin cells healthy.  In many forms it will:

  • Increase the hydration of your skin  
  • Soothe your skin 
  • Limits DNA damage by acting as a natural sunscreen
  • Controls excess pigmentation production

In parallel with vitamin A it will:

  • Facilitate in the repair of DNA
  • Increase cell production  

 

Vitamin C a supportive antioxidant.  (Fun fact, only humans and guinea pigs cannot make their own vitamin C.  Dunno why?)  So we must get our vitamin C from our diets and by topically applying it for our skin.  This ‘free-radical scavenger,’ will:

  • Reduce the production of abnormal pigmentation 

And along with it’s mentor, vitamin A, will:  

  • Protect against environmental damage
  • Improves wrinkles
  • Rebuilds scars and many more anti-oxidant benefits

 

Vitamin E a power house antioxidant.  Has a short life span, but can be reactivated by other antioxidant substances like Vitamin C.  C and E are besties if you like. 

  • Lengthens the life of cells
  • Prevents DNA mutations and cancers 
  • Protects nerve tissue  
  • A free-radical scavenger, restoring rogue cells. 

 

So eat and topically apply your A, B, C’s and E’s twice a day. Variety is key!

 

Skin Revolution | Delivery Systems - Nirvana Liddell

Skin Revolution | Delivery Systems – Nirvana Liddell

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Delivery Systems – Nirvana Liddell

 

Healthy strong skin is the name of the game!
We achieve this by improving the skin at a cellular level and as the skin strengthens the results speak for themselves. Our results-driven skin care systems deliver an abundance of skin loving ingredients to the deeper cellular levels. Providing the living skin cells with the nutrients they require to perform at the optimum level.

How do we achieve that?

We use skin care products that match the composition of your skin. Have you ever noticed the letters D M S on the Dermaviduals products we use? This stands for Derma Membrane Structure (DMS.) By mimicking your own skins structure the DMS creams actually penetrate your skin to a deeper level and repairs your skin along the way. Genius!

 

 
Another successful way to achieve strong skin is by supplying the skin with the raw ingredients it needs to perform at its peak. In particular the number one skin cell food the mighty ‘Vitamin A.’ Environ’s philosophy is to deliver this powerful vitamin through their unique step up system that slowly introduces higher levels of vitamins A, C & E. Thus switching on your skin cell receptors so they are ‘ready to receive’ and making your skin extremely bullet proof.

‘Once your skin is healthy and balanced it’s ready for the next stage’

Helen and I get really excited when a skin has reached this next stage as we are able to bring out bigger guns. As the healthier your skin gets the less permeable it becomes so may need some extra assistance to help penetrate ingredients even deeper to enhance your results…
‘Collagen Induction Therapy’ (CIT home roller) makes tiny holes in the outer layer to create channels for your products to sink in ever deeper. Plus as Helen said “your home roller is a WAKE UP call to those fibroblast cells to kick them into action to produce collagen and elastin.”

 

 

Another home facial device we have available in our skin treatment technology is the new state of the art Environ Electro-Sonic DF mobile device. This handheld device combines two sophisticated technologies, low frequency sonophoresis (sound waves) and pulsed iontophoresis (electric current) to penetrate higher concentrations of your active homecare products to target key areas of concern.

Science is so advanced these days and we have the privileged to work with the latest, (and safest,) of these technologies. Liposomes and Nanoparticles. Leading the way in delivery systems, Dermaviduals have managed to encapsulate safe and bio-available substances that can be delivered directly into your skin cell whilst repairing your skin cell membranes simultaneously. Mind blowing stuff!

 

 

In clinic we have the latest skin treatment technology available to incorporate in your skin treatment depending on your skin needs. The expert tools we can utilise in your treatments to achieve the desired results are LED Light Therapy to assist with rejuvenation by working below the skin’s surface or the Ionzyme DF machine to increase the penetration of active ingredients used in the facial up to 4000%.

 

 

And last but not least, our magic hands during relaxing lymph drainage massage that pushes all the nourishing creams and active ingredients even deeper into the skin while helping to eliminate waste and deliver nutrients to the cells from the inside out.

 

 

 

 

It’s my pleasure to introduce you to Nirvana Liddell. Nirvana is an internationally qualified skin treatment therapist with over decade experience in the beauty and wellness industry. And we were blessed to have her on our team for four of those years. She has extensive experience as a skin treatment therapist and also tutored Beauty Therapy and Electrolysis at a Christchurch Polytechnic for four years.

She is a passionate, caring therapist who entered the beauty industry due to her own personal skin challenges with Dermatitis, so Nirvana really enjoys helping her clients to improve their individual skin concerns.

 

Bestow Beauty | Growing A Healthy Gut Garden Pt. 2 - Janine Tait

Bestow Beauty | Growing A Healthy Gut Garden Pt. 2 – Janine Tait

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Growing A Healthy Gut Garden Pt. 2 – Janine Tait (Bestow Beauty)

 

Growing a healthy gut garden is a helpful metaphor for understanding how to care for your gut in order to support beautiful skin.

 

To grow a flourishing gut garden follow these four principles, which form the basis of the Bestow Gut Health Cleanse.
Today we are taking a closer look at principles three and four.

 

  1. Create a healthy soil environment
  2. Plant good seeds
  3. Nurture the plants
  4. Starve the weeds

 

 

HOW TO GROW A HEALTHY GUT GARDEN

 

THREE \ Nurture the Plants
 
Prebiotics feed probiotics. They are particular types of foods containing resistant fibres which feed the live beneficial bacteria and fungi in the large intestine. They pass through the small intestine undigested. This means that when they reach the large intestine they can feed the beneficial microbe populations. Prebiotics provide fertiliser and nourishment to help the good plants grow. 
 
SOURCES OF PREBIOTICS
 
Dietary sources of prebiotics all have resistant fibres as a common denominator. In the Bestow Gut Health Cleanse, key prebiotic food sources are sweet potato, onion, garlic, leek, banana and apple.
 
Prebiotic powders provide a helpful gut boost. Bestow Be Cleansed powder supplies prebiotics in the form of flax fibre and slippery elm. Bestow Gut Love + (new and out now,) is a world-class symbiotic powder including probiotics, prebiotics and digestive enzymes for a thriving gut garden.

 

 

FOUR \ Starve the Weeds

Your diet is an essential dimension of gut health. As well as nurturing good seeds, you need to starve the weeds in your gut garden. The bad microbes in your gut can easily overtake the populations of good bacteria if you don’t keep them in check.

Avoid sugar, processed food and alcohol altogether while you are healing your gut in order to give your gut flora a chance to thrive without being choked out by weeds.
BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER.

Till next time,

Janine

 

 

It’s my pleasure to introduce you to Janine Tait. Janine is an internationally qualified beauty therapist with over 30 years experience in the beauty industry, a dermo-nutrition expert, and educator with a particular interest in skin health and wellbeing

At the centre of Janine’s philosophy is the belief that skin health and beauty is intrinsically linked to inner health.

Frustrated by the lack of results from common skincare products and a beauty industry fraught with misinformation, Janine developed Bestow Beauty – a range that consists of various ‘skin foods’ and nutritious recipes that are highly beneficial for both body and skin.

Bestow Beauty | Growing A Healthy Gut Garden Pt. 1 - Janine Tait

Bestow Beauty | Growing A Healthy Gut Garden Pt. 1 – Janine Tait

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Growing A Healthy Gut Garden – Janine Tait (Bestow Beauty)

 

 

As every gardener knows, the same soil can grow beautiful flowers and toxic weeds. Did you know it is the same with your gut?  
 
Oh, and I’m not talking about planting an actual garden…

 

Growing a healthy gut garden is a helpful metaphor for understanding how to care for your gut in order to support beautiful skin.

 

To grow a flourishing gut garden follow these four principles which form the basis of the Bestow Love Your Gut Programme. Today we are looking at principles one and two.

  1. Create a healthy soil environment
  2. Plant good seeds
  3. Nurture the plants
  4. Starve the weeds

 

 

HOW TO GROW A HEALTHY GUT GARDEN

 

ONE \\ Create A Healthy Soil Environment
 
The quality of the soil in your gut garden will hugely influence the quality of the gut flora (microbes) that grow there. An integrative approach is needed to prepare an inner environment that will promote flourishing gut flora.

Fibre is an essential factor in gut healing. The optimum environment for healthy gut microbes occurs in a digestive system where wastes, toxins and hormones are regularly eliminated through the bowel. You can’t heal a constipated skin!
 
Fibre Sources: Avoid processed foods and eat a whole-food diet rich in fruit and vegetables. Bestow Be Cleansed powder includes a range of soluble and insoluble fibres to promote regular elimination.
 
Avoid Aggravating Foods
As part of preparing the gut for healing it is important to remove common aggravating foods like grains, beans, pulses, legumes and night-shades. These foods contain anti-nutrients (phyto-actives that have no nutritional value), which can be irritating to the gut. After your gut is stronger, you can try re-introducing these one at a time.

Fortify the Gut Wall
Healing and repairing the gut wall is a vital part of an integrated approach to gut restoration. A leaky, permeable gut allows harmful microbes to escape and enter the blood stream where they can cause irritation and inflammation in the skin.
 
Bone broths are a key feature of the Bestow Love Your Gut Programme, because they contain specific amino acids which help to repair the gut wall. Liquorice, slippery elm, organic sulphur and L-glutamine are key ingredients in Bestow Be Cleansed powder and are instrumental in facilitating healing and repair of the gut wall.

 

 

TWO \ Plant Good Seeds

Probiotics are the good seeds you plant in your gut garden. Probiotics are beneficial live microbes (bacteria and fungi) which your gut needs in order to thrive. Stress, poor diet and some medications can deplete good bacteria populations. To support your gut, you need to supply it with probiotics on a daily basis.

SOURCES OF PROBIOTICS

Fermented foods generate beneficial live bacteria and fungi as part of the natural fermentation process. Sauerkraut, kombucha and coconut yoghurt are key foods in the Bestow Love Your Gut Programme for this reason.

Organic fruit and vegetables provide beneficial microbes via the tiny particles of unsterilized soil they carry. These microbes will provide protection against allergens in the environment in which they grow, so eat organic produce from your local area for optimal health benefits.

Probiotic Powders/Supplements are a great way to boost your probiotic intake on a daily basis. Bestow Gut Love + is a world-class symbiotic powder including probiotics, prebiotics and digestive enzymes for a thriving gut garden.

Note: It’s important to eat from a variety of probiotic sources in order to supply a wide range of microbe strains. The goal is to grow a garden with a variety of beneficial gut flora, so make sure you plant more than one type of seed!
BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER.

Till next time,

Janine

 

 

It’s my pleasure to introduce you to Janine Tait. Janine is an internationally qualified beauty therapist with over 30 years experience in the beauty industry, a dermo-nutrition expert, and educator with a particular interest in skin health and wellbeing

At the centre of Janine’s philosophy is the belief that skin health and beauty is intrinsically linked to inner health.

Frustrated by the lack of results from common skincare products and a beauty industry fraught with misinformation, Janine developed Bestow Beauty – a range that consists of various ‘skin foods’ and nutritious recipes that are highly beneficial for both body and skin.

Bestow Beauty | The Gut/Skin Connection - Janine Tait

Bestow Beauty | The Gut/Skin Connection – Janine Tait

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The Gut Skin Connection – Janine Tait (Bestow Beauty)

 

Beautiful skin begins in the gut.

“The research is clear: if you want to transform your skin, learn how to love and care for your gut.”

 

Thanks to my pioneering mentor, I was fortunate to discover the link between gut health and skin health several decades ago. “Janine, you can’t heal a constipated skin,” Jan used to tell me, and she was right! 
 
Poor gut health and sluggish elimination lead to an overloaded liver and inflammatory toxins in the skin. This exacerbates acne, congested and sensitive or inflamed skin. When we balance and repair the gut, the skin has a chance to heal and strengthen.
 
Recently, new research has been revealing fascinating insights about the gut-skin connection, which confirms what we have observed in holistic skincare practice for decades.

 

 

8 Things You Should Know About the Gut/Skin Connection

 

  1. Structurally the skin and gut are very similar.
     
  2. Disordered skin mirrors a disordered gut. Research shows that people suffering from skin problems like acne, eczema, dermatitis, rosacea, sensitive and inflamed skin are also likely to suffer from poor gut health.                                                                                          
  3. The gut is home to trillions of microbes – some good and some bad – that have the power to support our health or make us sick. Collectively they are known as the gut microbiome.                                                                                                                                             
  4. A healthy gut has more good than bad microbes. It maintains a harmonious balance.                                                                                                                                                                                                          
  5. Gut dysbiosis is a term used to describe an unbalanced, unhealthy gut microbiome. This is a common disorder in people with skin challenges.                                                                                                                                                                                                  
  6. Some gut microbes produce inflammatory substances that get into the bloodstream and fuel inflammation in the skin.                                                                                                                                                                          
  7. Sometimes, gut microbes themselves can enter the body via the bloodstream and negatively impact on the skin. A leaky gut wall makes this more likely.                                                                                                                                                                                
  8. Good microbes produce anti-inflammatory, strengthening substances that directly improve our skin barrier function.

 

 

We developed the Bestow Love Your Gut programme to make it easy for people to put this knowledge into action. This one week online programme gives you the recipes, rituals, meal-planner, guides and wellness wisdom to support your skin by re-balancing your gut.
 
Next time we will talk about how to grow a healthy gut garden (internally!)
 
Till then…
 
Janine

 

 

It’s my pleasure to introduce you to Janine Tait. Janine is an internationally qualified beauty therapist with over 30 years experience in the beauty industry, a dermo-nutrition expert, and educator with a particular interest in skin health and wellbeing

At the centre of Janine’s philosophy is the belief that skin health and beauty is intrinsically linked to inner health.

Frustrated by the lack of results from common skincare products and a beauty industry fraught with misinformation, Janine developed Bestow Beauty – a range that consists of various ‘skin foods’ and nutritious recipes that are highly beneficial for both body and skin.

Skin Revolution | Accelerated Skin Aging By The Sun - Sabine Theeuwes

Skin Revolution | Accelerated Skin Aging By The Sun – Sabine Theeuwes

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Accelerated Skin Aging By The Sun – Sabine Theeuwes

 

Delicious when the sun is out!

Is it a bit cloudy and gray and immediately everyone starts
grumbling about the weather. We stay inside more easily, take the car instead of the bicycle (imagine it will rain).

When the sun starts to shine again you suddenly see people everywhere, walking and cycling, talking and smiling. What is that with the sun? When the sun shines everything seems nicer, happier and cozier. When we are brown we look “good”.

Unfortunately the sun also has negative influences, sunburn can cause skin cancer. Sunlight also causes skin aging.

 

Did you know that 90% of age changes are caused by the sun?

 

Just put a rubber band in the sun for a few days, it doesn’t matter if you put it behind a window or something in the sun. Stretch it out after a few days, you will see that the rubber band is no longer elastic or even crumbles completely apart. Sunlight also damages the elastic fibers in the skin, in the long term the elasticity of the skin deteriorates and wrinkles are created. You naturally want to prevent this!

Regular smearing with a low factor is much better that single-time smearing with a high factor.

 

 

This is because the factor determines the number of times you can stay in the sun longer. If your skin starts to burn after 30 minutes without protection, it will take 20 times longer with a factor of 20. In this example, you will only start burning after 10 hours. But don’t be fooled, this is the theory.

In practice it is different and you have to relubricate every one to two hours. This is because the effect of the product diminishes quickly because it is rubbed off by drying or lying on a towel or beach chair, or simply because you rub your body and face briefly.

Most people also do not use enough sun cream for an entire body, you need about 35 ml to be well protected. You can compare this with 2 to 3 tablespoons.

Apply your sunscreen at least 30 minutes in advance. If you always forget this, choose a sun cream with a mineral filter. Don’t forget your lips and ears!

The skin needs extra care in the sun.

 

 

Because intense UV radiation has a skin-aging and skin-drying effect, it is important to hydrate them extra well with liposomes * and to take extra care of them with natural oils and vitamins. The sun protection products themselves therefore also contain these ingredients, and not the usual mineral oil (petroleum oil), preservatives and fragrances. These commonly used ingredients do not have a hydrating and caring effect and can dry out the skin or lead to an allergy.

 

 

Your body must also be protected in winter and in foggy weather

Even in winter or in cloudy / foggy weather your skin is exposed to the UV rays, so even then you need good protection. This protection does not necessarily have to be a sunscreen. If you use products that contain a lot of vitamin E, then your skin has created a natural buffer against the sun’s rays and you have a factor of 6, which is sufficient for the winter or for cloudy / foggy days.

Sabine.

 

 

It’s my pleasure to introduce you to Sabine Theeuwes. Sabine and I met on and advanced training course at Dermaviduals HQ at the KOKO factory in Leichlingen, Germany. Sabine owns and operates Iduna Skin Clinic in Turnhout, Belgium. I soon learned that Sabine had had a slightly different training, coming
from the other side of the world and I was fascinated to hear her methods and experiences. So refreshing to hear a new take on things.
Sabine with various certificates for the treatment of acne, skin diagnostics, ingredient science and cosmetic knowledge for advanced users, has specialised in skin health and skin therapy since 2015. Her own personal frustration with eczema that marred her face was her driver. And she knows the far-reaching consequences a skin problem can have on ones self-image and confidence. I’ll look forward to seeing Sabine again, hopefully next year and say welcome and thank you from us all on the Skin Revolution!

Skin Revolution | Is Diffused Redness a Skin Concern? - Elsa Kaplanian

Skin Revolution | Is Diffused Redness a Skin Concern? – Elsa Kaplanian

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Is Diffused Redness a Skin Concern? by Elsa Kelpanian – FULL VIDEO HERE.

Transcript: “I’m going to  share something with you this afternoon. It’s about diffused redness. I’m having clients lately and their concern is about diffused redness, blotchy skin or dilated capillaries all over the face and how we can address that.”

 

The Microcirculation.

Now, first I’d like to explain about the microcirculation of the skin. Microcirculation is the capillaries, group of capillaries that really take the blood to the cells of the skin transporting nutrients and also eliminating waste from the cells.

 

 

When they’re under stress they’re not functioning very well. Some of the capillaries they get dilated. That means in one area there’s lots of blood and in another area they’re restricted so there’s no blood going in the area so the nourishment is not reaching evenly and the waste is not going out evenly from the skin. It’s not a healthy cellular function at all.

Genetics.

Most of the people that come from a Celtic background Anglo Saxon they are more prone to this because they are very fair. They blush easily, but it does not mean an olive skin like me is not going to have it either. So that’s the genetic part of it.

Lifestyle.

But also there is the lifestyle part of it which is very important. The lifestyle makes a big difference. Eating healthy, lot’s of EFA’s, (essential fatty acids,) good minerals, drinking lots of water. The UV rays can damage those capillaries and smoking will stop the oxygen, will deplete the oxygen from reaching all of the cells. Hot showers the extreme temperatures. Hot or cold showers, will cause that also. And hormonal, digestive disorders and also the cosmetic history. What people have been using the last few years on their skin that has depleted the healthy cell function of their skin.

 

 

By adjusting your lifestyle as well as doing your home care, that’s when you’re going to find a good result with this kind of treatment.

 

“Remember, genetics load the gun, lifestyle pulls the trigger.”

 

So it is very important to address the whole issue together to achieve a healthy glow and lovely pinkish skin. 

 

 

Another thing with the hormonal issue, we have beautiful nutritionists around anything to do with digestive issues and hormonal issues and with your skin care issue you come and see Helen.

Thank you very much. I hope that was helpful.
Elsa xx”

 

Let me introduce Elsa Kaplanian. We go a few years back when we met at one of the International Association of Applied Corneotherapy conferencences. Elsa and I hit it off straight away with our love of all things skin and a love of dance. And BOY can this babe boogie! She can’t help herself and has so much energy.
Elsa specialises in customised skin care, cosmetic tattooing, IPL and oncology aesthetics. Elsa owns and operates Anoush Beauty in Forster NSW Australia and is of Armenian heritage. Elsa has found “her tribe” in Corneotherapy, (the method all of the experts in ‘Skin Revolution’ practice.) And Elsa is a well known and a welcome face in the world of Corneotherapy. It’s always so great to catch up with Elsa and we have such a fun time together. Thank you to a skin sister for gracing us with your knowledge and your wonderful personality for this year’s ‘Skin Revolution’ from us all xx.

Skin Revolution | Spring Skin - Asha Evertsz

Skin Revolution | Spring Skin – Asha Evertsz

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Spring Skin – by Asha Evertsz

Spring happens to be my favourite season. We start to unfurl after a long winter and as the days grow longer more time is spent outdoors. In clinic however, we see that not all skin loves spring. In fact, it can be a very reactive time of year. As pollen counts rise, so does histamine for some which can cause quite sudden and upsetting consequences. Read on to find out how to manage your spring skin.

 

WHAT IS HISTAMINE? 

Histamine is a substance that is released to injured cells, and in allergic and inflammatory reactions.

Histamine is made in all of our body tissue, but especially in the gut, skin and lungs. It is produced by the immune system. Histamine not only regulates immune reactions, but also coordinates the various cells involved in an immune response.

If this system gets aggravated, it can send the immune system haywire and intent on attacking itself.

This is when we see skin expressions such as:

  1. Itching
  2. Redness
  3. Dry/flaky patches
  4. Increased sensitivity
  5. Welts/hives
  6. This may be accompanied by symptoms of hay fever.

     

We must remember that the skin has it’s own immune system, and can launch an immune response when impaired or aggravated.

 

 

WHAT AGGRAVATES THE SKIN?

Externally, if the skin barrier and protective structures and layers are compromised this will result in a leaky, permeable environment.  A bit like a sieve. Without an intact barrier, the ever-ready immune cells will have no filter and will be constantly surprised and on red alert.

Using skin care, sunscreen and makeup that contains sensitising ingredients (fragrance, preservatives, surfactants, emulsifiers) will compromise the skin’s barrier defence systems and can even case a delayed type hypersensitivity allergic contact dermatitis.

A deficiency in Essential Fatty Acids (EFA’s) will also impair the strength of the cell membranes and must be used topically and internally for clients who have a history of asthma, eczema, dermatitis, hay fever and reactive/sensitive skin.

 

TOP SPRING SKIN TIPS

DIET

  • Eliminate inflammatory foods such as gluten, dairy & sugar
  • Increase anti-inflammatory foods such as turmeric, ginger, papaya and pineapple

SKIN CARE

  • Eliminate all products that contain sensitising ingredients
  • Have a professional skin analysis
  • Be patient, whilst the skin’s immune cells are hyper-reactive you must go slowly
  • Using skin care with EFA’s such as Linseed, Kiwi Seed and Evening Primrose Oil (preferably in conjunction with phosphatidylcholine)
  • Using immune regulating ingredients such as Vitamin B and Echinacea

TREATMENTS

  • LED (Light Therapy) can help to calm a reactive skin safely.  LED works by harnessing the skin cells ability to absorb light and transform it into energy that can stimulate healing.  It also reduces the inflammatory response and helps to create a healthier, more appropriate immune system.

NATUROPATHY

  • If your immune system is in overdrive, you may need to work with a Naturopath on the internal factors such as:
  • Inflammation
  • Gut & digestive imbalance
  • Stress
  • Nutritional deficiencies
  • Anti-inflammatory dietary protocol

 

In clinic, we find that a combination of therapies works well to reduce spring skin issues. Starting as soon as symptoms present is key.

Xx Asha.

 

Let me introduce Asha Evertsz. We met at the last International Association of Applied Corneotherapy conference in Germany, last May. Asha was so approachable and we were fast friends! Sharing the trials and tribulations of running our own gig in this sometimes fickle industry. We soon found that we were singing from the same song sheet.
Asha a Nauropath, Skin Treatment Therapist and Herbalist owns and operates Clear Skin Experts. The leading natural skin clinic in Melbourne. Combining nutrition, lifestyle techniques and herbal medicine with effective facial therapies and equipment to treat her clients’ skin, Asha overcame her own adult acne skin problems and therefore decided to specialise in skin. I’m so thankful and proud to be treading this new path to a ‘Skin Revolution’ with you Asha. Thank you Asha from us all! x