Astro Glam - Your Astrological Path To Beauty by Kim Kamilla January 30 2019

The One Instagram Account You Need To Follow (And No It Is Not A Yoga Influencer) November 15 2018

When Energy Work Becomes an Essential Part of Your Beauty Ritual April 17 2018

FIRES December 11 2017

Self-Care during changes to your environment is essential to your well-being.

We have been experiencing extreme fires in Southern California. It’s been heart warming to see our communities band together and care for one another. Even if you live miles away from the fires, the air quality is very straining to our health. There’s ash all over peoples homes, inside and out. The air is extremely dry. This has affected people’s immune systems, sinuses, energy levels and skin. Many patients have been coming in with lips so chapped that they’re bleeding. Many have such intense pressure and discomfort in the sinuses that they cant sleep well at night.

Whether you are around a natural disaster like this or if you travel to a different climate where it’s extremely dry, there are thing you can do to help stay healthy.

First you want to try and improve and control the quality of the air in your home. Blast air filters and humidifiers. Add frankincense to your aromatherapy humidifiers. This is a great oil to clear up your sinuses.

Now try and improve your internal environment. The brand “Host Defense” has a superior supplement containing chaga and reishi for lung health called “Breathe.”  Chaga and reishi is well known for its support of skin and lung functioning. In Eastern medicine they believe that the lungs have the strongest relationship to the skin than any other organ.

Up your omegas! This will help keep your skin juicy and protected.

Super-hydrating IV drips can also be beneficial. Add enzymes to your water and chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is a supportive antioxidant for the skin.

 Keep your showers and baths cool and short! Long, hot baths and showers dehydrate our skin. Add some Epson salts to your bath to help detox or oatmeal to help hydrate.

Making home masks with Greek yogurt and tons of Manuka honey will also help soothe your skin.

For topicals, I’m loving Luzern’s “Urban Defense Day Lotion.” It’s packed with protection against a toxic environment. It’s anti-pollution formula helps to neutralize the effects against pollutants such as smog and heavy metals.

I also have my patients mix old school Aquaphor with a bit of Luzern’s lip treatment to help heal their lips. Lip treatments alone will be too harsh.

I’m not a fan of strong massage or suction on the face, but a nice lymphatic drainage or a Nova Sonic treatment will clear out toxins and help “drain” your sinuses. If you have a Foreo, Nuface or Clarisonic at home, make sure and treat yourself. It will get the blood and lymph flowing which in turn will help to get nutrients and oxygen to the skin.

 I’ve lived through a few major fires in my life. They can be very transformative- not only to the land but to our body, mind, heart and spirit.

Let’s focus on keeping safe and healthy and allowing for the changes this will bring. I remember after the fires behind my house over a year ago, I went hiking with Casey Ann Hickey. We were blown away at the beauty and strength of what was growing out of the soot and debris. Vibrant green, purple and orange life just flowing out of the soil. That Spring the Hollywood Hills look like I was back in New Zealand.

If you want to help support these communities rebuild, please look into donating to Gentle Barn. www.gentlebarn.org

I know people involved with this group. You can be assured that your money will be used with integrity.

Wishing everyone a healthy and hopeful week. x

The Future of Skincare December 10 2017

Hello beauties!

I’ve been traveling around the world to experience and learn how the future of skincare will change the landscape of women’s health and the way we all care for our skin from head to toe, inside and out! I’m beyond proud of some of the amazing pioneers in our field. We are creating an advanced and trustworthy way to create true, protective and lasting benefits for the health of our skin. The way we treat our skin and our self-care beauty rituals will be entering into a new paradigm shortly. I look forward to taking these steps and sharing my knowledge with all of you!

I don't use the word HEAL. September 04 2017

ALIGNMENT vs. HEAL

I try to never use the word “heal” in my practice. I don’t believe that anything needs to be healed. Everything is always as it should be in the given circumstances. If something isn’t function the way you want in your body or in your life, you must decide to create a way to inspire a change. But nothing is truly broken. Most likely when a patient comes to me because they want to “heal” something, it’s due to a misalignment of energy. It’s an energy crisis. If you simply find what’s draining the energy and/or inspire the area with outside energy and data, the body will respond. Our bodies want to be in alignment and flowing with energy. That’s the state it strives to be in. The body knows what to do in ways we cannot (always) comprehend. To make an example of the power of words as an intention: if you want to meditate on biohacking a disease or a personal experience, if you start off by saying that you want to "heal" it , you are tuning into the idea that something is weak or wrong. You're giving the power to what you don't want versus the aligned state you want to embody.This also translates into our personal lives. If I feel that my life isn’t flowing or vibing right, I just focus on the frequency of alignment and then I just get out of the way. It never ceases to amaze me what the human body and the universe is capable of imagining for us. The beauty and strength that is possible in our lives is spectacular!

Go makeup free and allow your skin to glow. February 11 2017

Want to rock a naked face?

Sleep in a few minutes longer every morning and let your true complexion shine.

We wear makeup to tweak things about or complexion. It’s not about “fixing” something unpleasing; it’s more about creating a strong, supportive climate for your skin. Imbalances can be a sign of weakness or disease. We can have our own desirable complexion by creating smooth texture, balanced pigment, and a healthy glow.

For a smooth texture, we want tight pores and plumed skin. First we need proper exfoliation. Retinols are a great go-to for almost any skin type. My ReFab product is a beautiful blend of retinols and TCA to create optimal exfoliation and support without undesirable irritation. If you can’t find a vitamin A that your skin loves, try an enzyme cleanser. I use a powdered enzyme with vitamin C a few times a week. You can also add a high quality salicylic cleanser just a few times a week to help with keeping your skin extra clean, pores toned, and lessen blackheads. Next, we want to make sure our skin is nice and plump! This will “fill” in fine lines, and make our under eyes and mouth area more youthful looking. Collagen serums, hyaluronic, and hydrators that prevent water loss will support this.

At Home: EGG WHITE AND SUGAR LACTIC MASK
I love the instant tone egg whites give to the face! I’ve been playing around with masks since I was a kid. I will share with you some of my favorites.

At Home: EGG WHITE TONING MASK
Whip up ONE EGG WHITE with 3 TABLESPOONS OF MILK. I prefer goat’s milk. Then softly fold in 2-2 ½ TABLESPOONS OF SUGAR. Feather onto the skin and leave on for 10-20 minutes. You will need to rinse off with warm water. I follow with a few passes of an ice cube over my face. Great before a big night or after one.

Pleasing pigment. Some of us are lucky to have a “fresh freckled” look, while others can have splotchy hyper and/or hypopigmentation. Vitamin C is a slow but effective way to support balanced pigment and should be used daily.

Arbutin is a great ingredient that is gentle but effective. It lightens the skin without thinning it out or causing redness and irritation. This spring I’m launching a treatment stick that you can apply over heavier pigment areas to lighten and reverse hyperpigmentation. You can also go the more aggressive route by using a very high hydroquinone from your dermatologist. It’s not my first choice because it’s bleaching versus changing how the skin truly acts. It’s also important to check your hormones. Some pigment is a result in hormonal surges. As far as clinical treatments go, I have historically seen that the skin responds better to peels versus lasers. Especially for darker skin types or mixed women, like me.

At Home: EGG WHITE BRIGHTEN MASK
Whip ONE EGG WHITE, 1 TEASPOON LEMON JUICE and 1 TEASPOON TUMERIC POWDER. Apply for 20 minutes and remove with warm water. If you’re applying before bed, you can gentle wipe off, apply your hydrator and go to sleep.

A healthy glow versus flushed, compromised skin. We want assure that we have healthy lymph and vascular systems, strong immunity to irritants, and a strong and thick collagen bed. To support this I have patients on a 12% B3 serum. B3 improves skins immunity functions by supporting the Langerhans cells. It helps to treat rosacea via creating this stronger immunity in the skin. It strengthens bold flow and can detox the skins of many irritants. It also promotes collagen synthesis. It also helps to regulate hydration in the skin. Sometimes flushing and rosacea can be a sign that there’s an improper balance of water in the skin.

If you aren’t getting results from homecare, check for allergies, issues with your gut, or anything that could be causing a histamine reaction.

Home Mask: NOURISHING EGG WHITE MASK
Whip together 1 EGG WHITE, 1/5 of an AVACADO, 1 TEASPOON GREEK YOGURT and a DROP of HONEY. Leave on for 15 minutes and remove with cool water.

Finally, find a great hydrator that will give you a veil of protection and will drip feed your skin all day with what your skin type needs.

Makeup can be fun way to express ourselves. Something to add to our already beautiful and healthy faces. But I promise you; it can also be an interesting shift to your routine to skip it sometimes. For some women, it can actually create a feeling of liberation. When things become routine, we sometimes lose sight as to why and how it became routine. Choice is Queen. Have fun with your face!

MIA-BELLE

Summer Safe Exfoliation! July 05 2016

Want to achieve sufficient exfoliation without using chemicals that will make your skin more sun sensitive?

Derma planing is a manual exfoliation technique used to gently and effectively remove the outermost layers of dead skin cells from the face using a customized medical grade blade. Utilized by a medical practitioner, it can also remove vellus hair or the “peach fuzz” on the face.

It improves texture and lightens up the appearance of hyperpigmentation. This type of exfoliation is suitable for sensitive skin because it’s not aggressive or harsh on the tissue.

There’s no downtime, your products will penetrate more efficiently and your makeup, especially bronzers, will go on smoother.

Dermaplaning is a Summer-Smart choice because chemical peels create heat in the skin and can create an ongoing flaking, making your skin more sensitive to the sun.

I prefer this treatment to other manual or physical exfoliation treatments like microdermabrasion. With microdermabrasion, you’re creating pressure with a vacuum that’s bringing up heat and leading to erythema. With dermaplaning we use a gentle blade on dry skin with light pressure, leaving the skin more resilient against the summer sun and heat.

With smart skin choices, you can have a healthy glow all summer long!

"How to Be Smart in the Sun!" My article published my LVBX Magazine 6/23/16 June 28 2016

Being in the sun is an important and enjoyable part of many people’s lives. You don’t have to give up the outdoor activities that you love, just stay protected and educated.

We want to protect our skin to avoid inflammation, hyperpigmentation, and oxidation from UV radiation that activates matrix metalloproteinase (MMP), enzymes that beak down elastin and collagen. Mineral SPFs are becoming very popular among consumers. I recommend Zinc Oxide as a healthy and effective option. Zinc Oxide is a healing mineral with anti-inflammatory properties that is used for sun protection. It helps to reflect both UVA (aging) and UVB (burning) rays, making it a broad-spectrum sunscreen ingredient. Upon application, zinc oxide particles sit on the outermost layer of your skin, where they scatter and absorb ultraviolet radiation, protecting your skin below. In non-nano particle form, it is considered to be safe for all ages and skin conditions. It’s important to make sure the zinc oxide in your sun protection is NON–nano zinc oxide. A nano particle will enter the blood stream but a non-nano will not. Chemical sunscreens, containing nano particles, will enter the bloodstream and that is why DNA altering ingredients like oxybenzone have gotten such a bad rap.

Powdered sun protection, such as Colorescience, is a great option because it’s not sensitive to the heat. Liquid sun protection degrades in heat but the powder stays stable. I keep a tube in my car and apply to my hands while I’m driving. It’s also great since we have to reapply our sun protection throughout the day, we can just powder up versus having to layer on liquid sun protection every 90 minutes!

Did you know that you can also drink your sun protection? Internal sun protection has been mainstream in other countries and it’s now becoming known here in the United States.

Introducing antioxidants like zeaxanthin and lutein are effective at neutralizing free radicals generated by sun exposure and their unique properties help filter out harmful rays. Further sun protection can be provided by EPA which reduces your skin’s sensitivity to UV rays and significantly reduces UV-related skin inflammation.

In clinical trial results from Bend Beauty’s supplement, participants using “Bend Anti-Aging Formula” saw a significant increase in skin resistance to UV burning and damage. At four weeks of use the increase was 39% and increased to 83% after 8 weeks of use.

Drink up, powder up, and enjoy the summer all while staying healthy and beautiful.

-Mia Belle

Photo courtesy of LVBX Magazine

COOL BEAUTY June 24 2016

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!