News

  • Falling in Love Again

    Annet King

    Over the past couple of weeks I’ve been out and about sharing with the media, fellow skin therapists, undergraduates and our own incredible instructors. Throughout all of these interactions we have chatted about the magnificent organ that is the skin, the literal “handmade craft” that is skin care and the potent, emotional and physical connection we have through touch. All great stuff!  As a (somewhat bizarrely obsessed to some) Skin Therapist and Educator, I relish all that is skin – the challenges, the diversity of 35 beautiful shades of color, the countless anomalies that it can present, it goes on. There isn’t a wart, a cyst, café o’lait lentigo or crop of keratosis that I don’t get very excited about; in fact sometimes I have to stop myself from reaching out to have a quick feel of the skin of a complete stranger. Not advised while in the grocery checkout line.

    So while preoccupied with the day to day “business” of our profession of capturing and securing clients, prescribing pustule potions and tweeting about what we do, we might just start to treat the skin like our partners after 10 years of marriage and overlook all of its magical wonders.

    So beyond protecting us, regulating temperature and helping us to communicate, here are eight other reminders of why we love skin:

    • We’d evaporate into thin air without it.
    • Dead skin accounts for about a billion tons of dust in the atmosphere.
    • In 30 minutes, the average body gives off enough heat (combined) to bring a half gallon of water to boil.
    • The sense of touch is more sensitive among women than men because our fingers are smaller.
    • There are 2,500 nerve receptors per square centimeter in the human hand.
    • Goose bumps appear when it is cold or we experience a strong emotional reaction such as fear, nostalgia, pleasure, awe, admiration, or sexual arousal.
    • The most sensitive areas of your body are your hands, lips, face, neck, tongue, fingertips and feet.
    •  We can live without seeing or hearing—in fact, without any of our other senses. But babies born without effective nerve connections between skin and brain can fail to thrive and may even die.

    If you need some more inspiration and want to learn about some of the significant studies around touch and the impact of our work check out these two great resources:

    http://www6.miami.edu/touch-research/

    http://www.spaevidence.com/spaevidence

    XOXO,
    Skin Lover

  • Lip and Hand Treatments for Winter!

    Bettina ZammertIt could be so nice: relaxing walks through romantic snow-covered landscapes, and cozy evenings at home in front of a crackling fire. If only it weren’t for your tight, itchy skin – you’ve even had to stop wearing your favorite winter sweater with the lovely big roll neck because all of a sudden it has started to scratch!
    Constantly changing between the freezing cold and dry heating air is a real trial for the skin. As the thermometer drops, the skin slows down its oil production – and sadly this also applies to skin that was not producing enough lipids before. Often, extremely dry skin also has a restricted skin barrier, which in turn increases the skin’s sensitivity.

    In this case your customer will need your help – and you might have to change his recommended products to ones with higher lipid content. And during the professional treatment, don’t forget the areas of the body that are particularly sensitive and permanently exposed to the weather. A helpful hint: offer a special lip and/or hand treatment in winter. Start by exfoliating (use a very gentle product on the lips), then apply a moisturizing serum and a mask on top. If you like, you can perform a few massage or lymphatic drainage movements while the mask is working. At the end of the treatment, be sure to remember the finishing moisturizer, and recommend the appropriate special products for treating winter-dry skin to the customer.

    And then it won’t be long before your clients (and their skin) are enjoying the crisp, cold winter weather again!

  • Ingredient Focus: Cross-linked Hyaluronic Acid

    Dr Claudia AguirreSome ingredients pack a punch. And others are created to pack an even bigger punch. When science steps in to enhance a material, the results can be beautiful. This is the case with Hyaluronic Acid. Hyaluronic Acid, also known as Sodium Hyaluronate, is a sugar of the glycosaminoglycan family. Glycosaminoglycans, or GAGs, are substances that hold water in the skin and are our skin’s natural moisturizers. These work much better than some occlusive moisturizers like petrolatum, which artificially slow the loss of moisture from skin and give the skin a temporary appearance of plumpness and fullness. Hyaluronic Acid (HA) has been the standard for many years as the leading ingredient to hydrate thirsty skin.

    Now we have advanced technology to build upon the benefits of HA and produce an ingredient that has been shown to be far superior to HA in hydrating the skin. Enter cross-linked Hyaluronic Acid. Just as linking chains together makes a stronger structure, linking HA together forms a super hydrating net over the skin and delivers water to parched skin over time. Hyaluronic Acid is known to have an amazing water-binding capacity, making it ideal for skin hydration. Now cross-linked HA has fifty times the water-binding capacity of natural HA! And that means skin is continuously hydrated, plump and healthy. Even after 24hrs, this cross-linked HA holds five times as much moisture in the stratum corneum as standard HA. Studies have also shown that cross-linked HA is a superb free radical scavenger, so you can protect skin while keeping it hydrated. This is key for healthy, supple skin. Dehydration is perhaps the start of many skin conditions, including irritation and sensitivity. So be on the lookout for this enhanced version of Hyaluronic Acid for an ingredient that’s sure to keep the water running!

  • Hip, Hop to Health in 2012!

    Annet KingIf you are like the majority of the global population, one of your resolutions is to be healthier in 2012. You can’t escape the “get healthy” message with governments encouraging us to take more responsibility, and now with over 38 hospitals in the U.S offering complimentary alternative medicine programs like massage and acupuncture to patients, even the medical community has woken up to the notion that “wellbeing” can’t be found in a pill! So whether it’s rock climber strength, a hip hop dancer’s moves, or, like a third of resolvers, overall weight loss that you seek, now is the time to establish a new mindset and some healthful habits.

    Here are a few basic tips:

    • Drink: Water flushes toxins out of vital organs and carries nutrients to your cells. Even mild dehydration can drain your energy and make you tired. The Institute of Medicine determined that adequate intake for men is roughly 3 liters (about 13 cups) a day. For women it’s 2.2 liters (about 9 cups) a day. If you’re in humid environments, you exercise, breastfeed, or drink caffeinated beverages, your water intake needs be increased.

    • Keep it clean: The most successful diets are those that are not too restrictive and complicated. Maintain a balance between calorie intake and calorie expenditure. I’m a big fan of the “eat clean” rule of no pre-packaged, sodium or sugar packed, reconstituted food – if it doesn’t come from nature, don’t eat or drink it!

    • Eat: To optimize metabolism and energy do NOT skip meals, and your mom was right about breakfast being the most important! Fruit, vegetables, grains, and legumes (foods high in complex carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins and minerals, low in fat, and free of cholesterol) should make up the bulk of the calories you consume. The rest should come from low-fat dairy products, lean meat, poultry, and fish.

    • Unwind: The stress, sleep and weight relationship is strongly connected. Build in stress relieving treatments, exercise and stress reduction techniques into your daily routine. Taking even just five minutes a day to focus on your breathing and clear your mind really helps!

    • Move: Find what exercise discipline works for you, from hiking with Fido to joining a roller derby team to tap dancing your way to the top – you won’t do it unless you like it! Fun and enjoyment can be found together while breaking a sweat.

  • You’re the Master

    In the new year, people often make resolutions. “This is the year,” we often tell ourselves, “for a big change!”

    Perhaps the most common NYR: to find a new job. A better job. Or just a job. Of course, in our current economy, this resolution may be somewhat tempered by the cold reality of less hiring. Still, employees may aspire to something… better.

    It’s easy to conclude that the problem may be your employer. Just as there is no perfect mate or perfect marriage, there is no perfect workplace, and there is no perfect boss. If you can land another offer, it’s possible that a different job and a different company culture may suit you better—in which case, go for it, congratulations, and I wish you every success!

    But here’s my news flash for the New Year: creating your own greater job-satisfaction may be possible right where you are. It requires that you see yourself differently, and see your job differently. When you do this, it is possible that you will create different results in the corporate culture around you.

    A woman I know, a writer, spent many years working in ad agencies and PR agencies. She described feeling like a large, agile, trained, captive killer whale at a place like Sea World. “I live in a cement pond and perform tricks for food,” she told me one day over a martini or two.

    You may know how this story ends, as these stories always end: the trained killer whale bit her trainer in two. Bad whale.

    This is the problem with how most of us think of our jobs. We are conditioned to seek external rewards and incentives.

    But get this: Dan Pink, author of four best-selling books on motivation, says “Tangible rewards tend to have a substantially negative effect on intrinsic motivation.” Money, in particular, he says, tends to de-motivate. It’s never enough.

    In fact, Pink says “meaning is the new money.” What people really need in order to achieve and succeed is a sense of connection to something beyond self-interest. Something more meaningful.

    In 2012, try looking at your work with new eyes. The word that’s got my mind buzzing is “autotelic,” meaning that the activity is its own reward, and the goal is self-fulfilling.

    We’ve all had the experience of having our restaurant meal served by someone who genuinely seems to take joy in bringing us our food. Sure, this inspires us to tip well. But the truth is, people who love their work aren’t doing it for the tips.

    We’ve all felt the difference of being greeted and assisted by a customer service person who genuinely addresses our concerns, attentively and effectively. Their task may sound like a nightmare job: handling our luggage at the airport, or working at the DMV. Again, this is because whoever that person is finds some intrinsic pay-off in the job itself. These people work with pride, and a sense of joy.

    Do you?

    If you’re disconnected from your job, it’s human nature to say that this is because it’s not a good job. So, you play Farmville instead of working. You re-tweet and text and FB instead of working. Maybe you, oops, how did that get there?, may even find yourself slipping some office supplies into your gym bag. You paste magazine photos of beaches inside the drawer of your desk, thinking, Some day, some day.

    Some day is now. You may be experiencing disconnection, and dissatisfaction, because you’re waiting for rewards, like my friend Shamu, waiting for a fish to be tossed to her from the side of her sad cement pond.

    Find your meaning now. Where is it? The answer may surprise you.

  • Get Pushy

    It’s a brand-new year, and the best way to keep that feeling of urgent, alive freshness and newness is to push yourself. Start by setting some goals for your business, beginning with education.

    I always say that everything of any consequence happens outside our comfort-zone. The worst thing about being on auto-pilot is not that it’s boring; it’s actually dangerous to your business. By doing things the way we’ve always done them, we put ourselves at risk. This may surprise you, because “standard operating procedure,” and “business as usual” feel so safe.

    Why is the comfort-zone dangerous? Because it makes us lazy. We lose our speed and agility, which means we cannot respond to opportunities (or threats). It might be okay to become soft and slow if the world around us were not constantly changing. But it is.

    So as a professional, it’s essential to constantly question and challenge how you do things. It’s great if everything is working for you right now. The best way to continue your success, though, is not by standing still. Start by reading every word of the IDI newsletter, which will be coming your way every six weeks. It’s sizzling with ideas, breakthroughs and breaking news. To ensure you receive this newsletter, sign up for our email list here: http://dermalinstitute.com/us/contact/email_signup.html

    Next, attend an IDI class. For more than 25 years, IDI has defined what it means to be a modern skin care professional. One area in particular where many skin therapists need development is the business of our business — in other words, how to position, organize and operate your business from a financial standpoint, and how to successfully market your business. Retailing in particular is an area where lots of therapists need help. Check out what IDI has to offer in these key areas, and be sure to take full advantage of our Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/Dermalinstitute), Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/dermalinstitute) and other tools.

    And, the most important push to make in 2012 is the push outside the sphere of your own self-interest. This is true of all of us. We all create a nice, safe, warm little bubble for ourselves, and we tend to get stuck there.

    Push beyond the bubble to engage with others, meaning others in need. One year ago, I created joinFITE, a global initiative to empower 25,000 women entrepreneurs worldwide. The experience has been and continues to be astonishing, for everyone involved. I invite you to join us.

    Or, choose something else. There may be another local, national or international cause which feels urgent and vital to you and your customers. What’s most important is that the cause you select connects your business with your community. Whether this cause is offering shampoos and haircuts to homeless people, rescuing abandoned pit-bulls, or planting an organic vegetable garden in the heart of the inner city, do it because it makes your heart skip a beat, and it makes you want to do more.

    Then push it.

  • A New Year’s Resolution for the Healthiest of Skin!

    With the holiday and New Year celebrations taking their toll on our skins, now is the time to talk damage recovery with your clients. Here’s to a New Year’s resolution for the healthiest of skins!

    1. When your clients look in the mirror and their skin is shouting “I’m tired!” give it a great pick-me-up by using a skin brightening microfoliation containing Rice Bran Powder, which will create a fantastic luminosity to the skin. Follow with a 10 minute “super skin feed” using a multivitamin face masque. Once the masque is removed, apply a skin firming booster. The organic silicones in this type of product act like an invisible “support tight” over the skin and the mesh-like base also creates a super canvas for a great make-up application.

    2. Since alcohol is so dehydrating to the body and makes the skin more sensitized, make sure your clients carry a calming mist in their bag. This will not only add much needed hydration to the skin’s surface but it will also calm and reduce the redness. It can be easily spritzed over make-up.

    3. When nights out become mornings after and skin looks dry and dull, treat it to an overnight, oil-based serum to replenish lost lipids and moisture and rebuild collagen. Apply in the evening and let the essential oils work with the body’s own circadian rhythms to leave skin silky soft and luminous.

    4. How to handle the tell-tale dark circles around the eyes? In Chinese medicine, shadows under eyes are indicative of stress on the kidneys and liver (which makes sense after lots of parties and late nights). You can’t instantly get rid of dark circles, but helping the body detox, rest and revitalize through good nutrition and exercise will all help greatly. For a temporary quick fix, use products that contain anti-inflammatories and optical light diffusers, which are often combined in a light concealer make-up base and act as a multitude of ‘microscopic mirrors’ that deflect the light and decrease shadow lines.

    I wish you a happy and wonderful New Year!

  • Holiday Season Skin Survival

    Heather HickmanHow to have fun AND ensure your skin makes it into the New Year in one piece!

    I hate to be the one to break it to you, but only Rudolf can carry off the “red nose” look with any semblance of finesse. So, if your clients are suffering from glowing noses and rosy cheeks this winter, it’s time to provide a few home truths and crusade for party season skin survival.

    A good place to start is triggers and tripwires that may be the root cause of redness and sensitivity; here are a few main ones that you may come across this holiday season:

    1. Alcohol: Although we know it is not the cause of Rosacea or sensitivity, alcohol, especially in excess, dilates blood vessels, making a red face look redder. In a survey of 700 Rosacea suffers published in the “Rosacea Review,” certain alcoholic beverages saw a higher percentage of redness occur after consumption; these include beer, red wine, vodka and tequila… so maybe skip the shots? Also try turning down the “one for the road” (or “road soda” as they’re known in my circle) and alternate drinks with a tall glass of water. And don’t forget your designated driver!

    2. Diet: If you pig out this season, remember that heavy meals put a strain on your system in general, especially your digestive system. This will result in a higher blood flow to the digestive system, and in turn, a higher residual blood flow to the face. Smaller meals spread throughout the day will help to avoid the strain. And remember: Simple Carbohydrates. Are. Not. Your. Friend! They enter the bloodstream quickly, causing hyperglycemia. This rapid influx of sugar into the bloodstream is a potent vasodilator.

    3. Smoking: Strange things happen to some people at parties, a couple of glasses of wine and they’re outside having a sneaky cigarette giggling like teenagers… you know who you are! Smoking has so many adverse effects on the skin it’s hard to know where to start, but skin dehydration is one of them as well as the depletion of Vitamin C and how this affects collagen production, and of course collagen supports the capillaries. Find an alternative. Have a carrot, chew a matchstick, dance a holiday jig, just don’t do it! If you’re a committed smoker, it’s never too late to quit… New Years’ Resolution… pinky swear?

    Now before you start posting comments about me being the “Queen of the Party Poopers,” I’m not saying don’t have fun this holiday season – far from it – I’m just saying do it in MODERATION, your skin will thank you for it in 2012!

    Happy Holidays!

  • Cold Weather and Skin – a Dangerous Combination!

    Sharon MaxwellAre you suffering with that winter itch, the kind where you want to just scratch your skin off?! The skin becomes dry and irritated as we face wind, central heating and low humidity. The harsh weather can strip the skin’s natural protective barrier, creating gaps in the outer most Stratum Corneum layer, allowing water to escape (dehydration) and irritants to get in (sensitivity). The dry environment may be responsible for the itchy sensations, as the inflammatory response kicks in and releases histamines. It can exacerbate inflammatory skin diseases such as rosacea, eczema, ichthyosis, and psoriasis, which suffer an impaired barrier function. Just like the eyelids, the skin on the lips is extra thin and sensitive, which can suffer greatly during the harsh winters, resulting in dry cracked, sore lips. The winter dryness looks bleak, but what can we do to alleviate these symptoms? Try this:

    • Back to Basics – start with a creamy, soap-free, acid balanced cleanser, a hydrating spritz with humectants, and a protective moisturizer with SPF15-30.
    • Supplement with a hydrating serum or masque that includes a high dose of Hyaluronic Acid (which holds 1000 x its own weight in water).
    • Target sensitized skin with calming complexes such as oats, Bisabolol, Ginger and Red Hogweed, which reduce those uncomfortable sensations.
    • Treat skin while you sleep with a peptide serum rich in Argan Oil that provides fatty acids, plant sterols, Vitamin E and Ferulic Acid to reinforce the barrier lipid layer.
    • Reduce the temperature of your bath and shower, use bath oils, and apply body moisturizer immediately after your shower (within 3 minutes).
    • Do not over bathe, over strip, and be too harsh with the skin. Treat it gently and with respect!
    • Avoid licking lips, as digestive enzymes and bacteria in saliva can damage the lips. Use a nourishing lip balm with Shea Butter and Avocado.

  • Oh, the Weather Outside is Frightful!

    Holly SherrardOh the weather outside is frightful… at least in the Canadian great white north! Chapped lips, flaky skin, dehydration and sensitization are all symptoms people face when the temperature drops. When clients seek our advice to treat their winter skin, it gives us the chance to create insanely great treatments and alleviate uncomfortable skin conditions!

    So what can you do during a winter skin treatment? Start by offering clients a warm drink upon arrival, such as an herbal tea or mulled cider in celebration of the holiday season. Heated neck pillows, which soothe muscular stress from holiday shopping bags and alleviate cold winter chills, are perfect to get clients relaxed. They may also enjoy changing into a heated wrap, robe and slippers before climbing into a warmed bed.

    During the treatment, we must always customize according to what skin conditions we see – skin treatments are not one-size-fits-all. When it comes to exfoliation for example, consider your options. Professional exfoliation removes dull surface cells and prepares the skin for optimal penetration of active ingredients. Mechanical exfoliants remove surface flakes, while chemical exfoliants, such as Lactic Acid, have multiple effects such as increasing hydration and decreasing pigmentation.

    For skin that is sensitized, use ingredients such as Red Hogweed, Oat Kernel and Ginger to reduce inflammation and redness. To reinforce the barrier lipid layer, look for Colloidal Oatmeal, Evening Primrose and Borage Seed oils.

    Massage techniques will vary according to clients’ needs and wants. Although a deep, stress-relieving massage may feel wonderful on a dry, aging skin, a sensitized skin will benefit more from Chinese Acupressure. No matter the method of massage chosen, keep in mind the physiological and psychological benefits of touch – decreased stress and anxiety, positive effects on brain waves, breathing and immunity and pain reduction. Our touch is the perfect gift for a client to receive.

    Body treatments should include ingredients like Ginger and Wasabi, which have warming and anti-inflammatory properties and plant oils like Olive and Grape seed to minimize evaporation of water, which can lead to body chills.

    We never want a client to feel like they have simply been steamed and creamed with lotions and potions, so it is important that we leave them with home care advice to maintain excellent results from the treatment. Be sure they know about these important steps for at-home treatment of their skin:

    • Dry body brushing is one of the best ways to remove dead, dry skin cells, improve lymphatic circulation and increase cell turnover. This technique should be done daily in the direction of lymphatic flow.

    • Shower once every other day and use warm (not hot) water. Use mild cleansers only on necessary areas, and minimize the length of time in the shower or bath. While skin is still wet, apply conditioning oils such as Vitamin E, Grape Seed, Olive, Kukui Nut or Apricot Seed Oil to prevent water loss. Follow with a rich moisturizer with conditioning ingredients such as silicones, Shea Butter, and Evening Primrose Oil.

    • For clients experiencing dryness and dehydration on the face, ensure they use a mild, acid-balanced cleanser. Layer hydrating ingredients onto the skin such as a toner enriched with Hyaluronic Acid, a serum or concentrate to minimize inflammation, a moisturizer and daylight protection.

    • Drinking plenty of water will maintain hydration levels internally; however it does not always solve epidermal dehydration.

    When the holiday bustle leaves our clients feeling overwhelmed or stressed, make your environment delightful and ‘let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!’

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