Many of my patients, after enjoying the past hot and sunny months of summer, want to book a peel. I like to wait until the end of fall to perform a peel. Give your skin a moment to adjust to the cooler, drier air. We want to keep intact the acid mantle of the skin, giving us a little more armor to endure the change of the seasons. In the beginning of the fall your skin may feel drier, this dehydration creates fine lines to show and can create a “blushing “ to our skin. The blushing also results from the cool, dry air.
Masks are key to pampering our skin through changes in the environment. Homemade yogurt masks at home can be amazing. Professional hyaluronic and peptide masks are great to strengthen the skin. The hyaluronic acid helps to add more water to the skin that the drier environment is pulling out. Peptides will rebuild our defense mechanisms from these environmental stresses. Another fall go-to product is omegas or lipid based oils. Many products that are lipid based can be low quality and can become unstable. A few drops of high-end rosehip oil can be added to your hydrator. I trust Luzern’s rosehip oil. An even better way to add lipids to the climate of your skin is to take high performing omega and antioxidant supplements. This will create a “skin body guard” against fall stresses.
Once we balance our skin with extra water, lipids omegas and anti-oxidants, we can add a daily exfoliator that’s right for you. An enzyme cleanser is a good choice for lighter exfoliation, lactic for a moderate exfoliation, and a retinol for more of an upper moderate exfoliation could be a potent tool towards skin health.
“If your skin is ready to have a medical grade peel to prep for the holidays and lighten any solar pigmentation from the summer, make sure your technician preps your skin AND most importantly; creates an individual post-care plan for you.”
If your skin is ready to have a medical grade peel to prep for the holidays and lighten any solar pigmentation from the summer, make sure your technician preps your skin AND most importantly; creates an individual post-care plan for you. This will be key in getting advanced results. Make sure to follow directions and stay on track throughout the process. Be patient with your results. If you just slightly flake instead experiencing a heavily shed, it doesn’t mean you aren’t receiving the best results. Your skin is doing what it needs to do. The skin is smart! Some patient’s skin is “digested off” while the peel is performed vs. post shedding. The beauty of a peel is the process of the chemicals allowing all the other supportive ingredients into the lower layers of the skin. Think of it as irrigating the skin, or fertilizing it with important skin food! Patients not being well educated on the peeling process as far as the amount of shedding that may or may not occur has created an over aggressive response by technicians, to make their patients happy by creating unnecessary and at times harmful over exfoliation to give an illusion to their patients of better results. Another perk of a peel is that it allows the post care products to provide super- charged results. Make sure to take advantage of the weeks after your peel to continue the benefits provided by the daily use of your products.
We may not be able to control the atmosphere outside but we can control the atmosphere of our home. Use a shower filter that purifies and softens water. You can find great showerheads that filter out chlorine, hydrogen sulfide and create ph.-balanced water. Put an aromatherapy humidifier on your bedside table. They’re much easier to maintain than a conventional humidifier but still add some much needed moisture to the air.
It’s essential to find a skincare expert that knows your individual skincare needs, and can guide you on a path to create a healthy climate for your skin during every season.
Photo Courtesy Of LVBX Magaizine
Check out my article published by TGIF Guide with Meagan Bell!
http://tgifguide.com/miabella/
Mia Belle Skin is a beautiful skin care oasis in downtown Beverly Hills. I was promptly greeted upon my arrival by Mia, and lead to a light filled plush room with a cozy facial chair and dark blue bench. I crawled under the sheets to my warm haven for the next hour.
Mia asked me a few questions about my skin and determined the products and treatment methods she would use to attack my skin concerns. She suggested that the radio frequency machine, one of the latest technologies in skin care, would help plump the eye area which I am closely watching for signs of wrinkles. I much prefer natural collagen boosting methods to fillers when possible. Mia answered all my questions and is a skin care expert trained in all the latest techniques and products, I am excited to book my next appointment and continue improving my skin!
If you’re interested in trying the same treatment I did or want to consult with Mia on improving your own beautiful skin, give her a call! Be sure to tell her Megyn from TGIFguide sent you :)
Mia Belle Skin, 9615 Brighton Way #416, Beverly Hills, CA 90210, (213) 422-4346
Glow October 13 2016
Want to achieve the Hollywood Glow that you see on the red carpet?You can get your skin in shape and glowing by supporting your skin inside and out. You can achieve a face that the camera loves under any light with a few top tips from me below!
1. Start from within! My go-to skin supplement is "Bend Beauty."
It's packed with anti-oxidants and omegas. After a month your skin will have a natural internal defense against harmful rays from the sun and you will a notice an improvement in the appearance of the size of your pores, creating a beautiful texture. Your skin will be nice and plump with the right, balanced amount of lipids. This formula helps defend your skin from environmental factors, which is super important for us living in Los Angeles.
2. Hydrate.
A majority of people have little water content within their skin climate. Dehydration causes fine lines and a lack luster complexion. Drink water high in enzymes and electrolytes. It's even more effective to eat foods high in water content like cucumbers and watercress. Topically apply a hyaluronic acid morning and night to feed your skin with high performing hydration. My favorite is Luzern's "Rehydrate."
3. Skin Gym.
Getting a monthly skin treatment is very important to keep your skin in tip-top shape. It's natural for our skin to have different needs month to month due to stress, weather, hormones, etc. I work from a place of inspiration versus inflammation. Treatments that work with the skin's own phenomenal ability to stay beautiful are the best if you want to stay youthful and natural looking.
4. Know your ABC's!
Support your skin with vitamins A, B, and C. These are the building blocks to strong skin.
Vitamin A supports proper exfoliation, builds collagen and helps to diminish fine lines.
Vitamin B increases the production of ceramides and fatty acids, major components of your skin's outer protective barrier. This creates a calm environment for the skin and prevents water loss. It also evens out skin tone by preventing melanin transfer, helping to creating a beautiful glow.
Vitamin C helps protects against oxidants, balances pigment by being a natural tyrosinase inhibitor. It also supports production of collagen type 1.
5. Tone your muscles.
To create your most photogenic, Hollywood glam face, you have to create clean lines by having a defined and toned architecture. Due to internal and external factors, our muscles weaken and the layers of our face start to loose their once strong and vital connection to each other. You can receive treatments like the Bio-Lift, or DermalBonding at my clinic to keep these layers strong and to retrain and tone the skin and muscles of the face. You can purchase a NuFace devise and use on a very regular basis to help achieve toned skin and muscles at home.
Whether you're walking the red carpet or just want to feel camera ready at any moment, you can feel confident by just giving a little extra love and time to your face!
Photo courtesy of LVBX Magazine
Growing up, I loved old Hollywood. I was watching a documentary and saw Bette Davis dipping her face in a sink full of ice cubes. This was a tried-and-true beauty ritual of many actresses and actors, including Paul Newman. I right away ran to the freezer; grabbed all the ice cubes I could find and tried it for myself! It felt shockingly cold, but it was invigorating and gave me an extra “glow”. Okay, granted I was in the 1st grade, but it did make me feel very glamorous. Maybe it’s the Swedish in me, or growing up in the cold Santa Cruz Ocean, but I’ve always loved the powerful feeling of the cold.
Today, Crotherapy, ice baths and freezing facials have been gaining more and more popularity and media attention.
So why does the cold feel so good and how does it create health and beauty?
Let’s start with our beauty sleep.
Sleep cool. Over a 24-hour period, our body temperature naturally peaks and declines. While we sleep, our bodies naturally cool down. Helping your body get to that lower temperature faster can encourage a deeper and more restorative sleep time.
This deep sleep will allow your body to release more melatonin, one of our best anti-aging hormones. Another perk! Studies show that sleeping in a 60-67 degree room makes you burn more calories than while awake, and can inspire your body to burn more calories the following day.
Air conditioning can create a dry and dehydrating environment, so I recommend keeping a bedroom cool by opening windows, sleeping naked, using light bedding, running a fan, and keeping your feet out of the sheets. You can also purchase a “cooling pillow” to help naturally draw the heat away from your body.
Cooling ingredients in skincare create comfort and beauty.
Sensitive skin especially loves feeling relief from heat and discomfort. Whether it’s caused by rosacea, post treatment inflammation, eczema, dermatitis, etc., there are products that can deliver the cool! Peppermint, violet-Viola Odorata Extract, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, and menthol are extremely effective. When topically applied to the skin, menthol produces a cooling sensation by blocking a current along the nerves responsible for detecting temperature, triggering a response in nerve endings that makes the body think it’s cooling down. Cooling ingredients can also improve the flow of blood to the skin causing a temporary plumping effect. Love the plump! Starting to see now why cold is such an essential beauty tool?
Another point to consider when it comes to the power of cool; many products heat up their ingredients to be able to mix them to achieve a certain texture or to bottle the product more efficiently. This, just like when we over heat food, can kill vital nutrients and change the product on a molecular level. Do your research on how your product is created.
CryoFacial: Next level skincare.
This is the “Bette Davis ice dip” on steroids!
Benefits:
–Reduces inflammation, which supports our own anti-aging mechanisms.
–Relieves edema/swelling. AKA puffy face.
–Makes your pores look tight and your texture smooth and firm.
–The treatment creates a vascular reaction that enhances the penetration of products, creating better hydration and performance of topically applied vitamins and nutrients.
It not only stimulates collagen but also the Queen of Youthful Skin: elastin.
Cold promotes cell repair, making it a game changer for healing, especially post-procedures. The treatment flushes your skin with healing blood and nutrients making it feel revitalized.
How it works:
Therapies that use cold temperatures stimulate circulation.
The cold causes the blood vessels to contract and then dilate. This improves the oxygen and nutrient supply to the skin’s surface, making it appear more youthful.
Skin cooling increases the amount of neurotransmitters in the nerve fibers. This speeds up the metabolism and enzymatic cellular processes.
Therapies that use cold stimulate the release of good growth factors, including cytokines. The signs of aging in the skin can be attributed to a breakdown of collagen and elastin, which gives way to fine lines and wrinkles. Studies show that when the surface of the skin is cooled during cryofacials that the layers beneath are disrupted, and respond by increasing production of elastin, collagen and anti-aging growth factors. This results in brighter, firmer skin as it regains elasticity.
The anti-inflammatory responses of the skin by this cold are also a very effective in caring for chronic skin conditions such as psoriasis, dermatitis, and eczema.
Self-care.
You can do many things at home during your beauty routine to benefit from the effects of cold.
Don’t want everyone to know you just injected your lips?
Ice rollers have been popular in Asia and Europe for years, and are now gaining popularity in the States. Retailed Cool Globes are filled with water and gel that you keep in your fridge or freezer and can be used to relieve inflammation in general but are very beneficial following clinical procedures such as lasers and injectables, especially for the extra vascular lip area. Just lightly roll the globes over the entire face and neck or just apply in a specific area.
Big night/Big pimple? Use an ice cube!
Ice reduces the redness by diminishing swollen tissue and any possible weakened capillaries. It can also help to reduce the production of excess oil and acne-causing bacteria. Wrap the ice cube in some gauze soaked in witch hazel for 3-5 minutes.
Too much fun in the sun?
Soaking in a cold ice water bath can provide instant relief. Not only will it alleviate the heat and swelling, but also slightly numb the pain and soothe irritation. Add a cup of apple cider vinegar or an oatmeal bath recipe with some organic chamomile oil and you will feel instant relief.
Have morning after eyes?
Cold Eye Rollers to the rescue! Because blood pools around the eyes and causes dark circles, specially designed cold eye rollers can restore a healthy appearance by reducing swelling and inflammation. Applying a great eye gel with vitamin K will give you even better results.
Keeping it cool.
Simply keep certain products like gel masks, eye treatments, toners and spritzers in the fridge! You can also create your own mask. Try making a mask consisting of Greek yogurt, cucumbers and strawberries. Using cooled products is a simple way to make your skin feel amazing and awake. It can also add to the life and vitality of many products.
Go ahead, enjoy these last days of summer, and just remember to stay cool.
With grace,
Mia Belle
Photo courtesy of LiveBoxMagazine
Why does our skin love cold treatments so much?
A few reasons:
It reduces inflammation, edema and pore size. It stimulates collagen and promotes cell repair.
A CryoFacial will flush your skin with blood and nutrients making it feel vital and cool!
