Take a peek at my latest article published where I share advice on getting the perfect peel!
We predominately peel or exfoliate to help speed up cell turnover, to even out pigment, improve texture, soften micro-scarring, and to regulate the water and oil balance in the skin. The trick is to find the best skin plan in clinic and at home to achieve your desired results, while keeping your skin strong and vital.
Too much?
It’s not uncommon the hear horror stories about uber aggressive lasers and peels that left faces severely damaged. Or moderately unsatisfactory results, where the skin pigmented and lost a high amount of water content.
There is a time and place for strong peels. I perform a lot of strong peels either pre or post facelift procedures. If a patient neglected their skin and gets a lift, the skin and muscles look toned, but the appearance of the skin will still not look youthful.
It can also be a proper choice with particular acne or hyperpigmented patients.
Granted, if you take a more aggressive route, it is a process, and you can have some temporary adverse effects, but under the proper care, the result can be successful and safe. The key is to follow the aftercare and to make sure you are committed for the long haul.
Whether at home or under professional care, over exfoliating can create the illusion of smooth skin, but it’s not always adding to your skin health. Your skin can only recover so many times in its life. The “wound to heal” route has its limits and its dangers. Many times, skincare providers over peel to give their patients a sense of instant gratification, but ultimately, this takes away from the long-term integrity of the patient’s skin.
Too little?
When the skin isn’t turning over fast enough, this can exasperate acne, rosacea, pigment, and aging concerns.
With acne, slow turnover adds to blocking the hair follicle and “trapping” excess dirt, bacteria, and oils on the skin’s surface.
Rosacea is a very controversial subject in the industry, so I choose to keep my thoughts and treatments of the issue private between my patients and myself. That being said, it is mainstream practice to encourage rosacea patients to gently exfoliate.
Hyperpigmentation is a major concern of many of patients. Being based out of Beverly Hills, California, I have patients from diverse backgrounds, but we all have to deal with living in an environment consisting of strong solar exposure and heavy pollutants. With pigment, so many systems are at play. Your circulatory system, immune system, and barrier defense mechanisms, your hormones, diet, and stress levels, are also at play.
Exfoliating can be very beneficial in treating pigment.
That being said, since so many factors are at play, choosing the proper way to treat the pigment with exfoliation has to be individualized. A slow and steady treatment of chemical and physical exfoliation is historically the most advantageous.
Some patients are prone to hyperkeratosis; a thickening of the stratum corneum on the face and/or the body. This is very common to see on the elbows and knees.
KP – keratosis pilaris, is also very common. It’s a benign skin disorder. It causes numerous small, rough bumps around the hair follicle. I see this mostly on the upper arms and buttocks.
These concerns need to be addressed with proper ongoing physical and chemical exfoliating options.
Physical vs. Chemical
Physical exfoliation such as; dermaplaning, dermabrasion, scrubs, brushes, and shammy cloths are a great way to exfoliate for people that have allergies or sensitivities to chemicals, pregnant women, and for patients who don’t have the downtime to “peel.” It’s great anywhere on the body, but especially the back, arms, and hands. It’s instant, and you can take advantage of the barrier’s state, and infuse in beneficial serums, etc. As long as you repair the barrier and care for the skin responsibly post treatment, there are little undesirable reactions to be concerned about. Small knicks from the planing, or too high of suction on a vacuumed dermabrasion machine – which could cause bruising or weakening of the connective tissue – can be easily regulated by your technician.
Chemical peels are mostly solutions that will penetrate the skin to deliver ingredients that will target specific concerns. Don’t let the word chemical phase you. Chemical does not mean toxic!
From Thoughtco.com:
Question: What Is a Chemical?
Short answer: Everything is a chemical.
Long answer: A chemical is any substance consisting of matter. This includes any liquid, solid, or gas. A chemical is any pure substance or any mixture. It doesn’t matter whether it occurs naturally or is made artificially.
I could go on for hours (don’t worry, I won’t now!) on how misleading the branding of “chemical free” is! Water is a chemical! So if you read “chemical free” on a product, they are either lying or have ZERO knowledge of chemistry. Either way, I wouldn’t put my trust in that company.
Back to peels. Chemical exfoliants range from light fruit enzymes to phenol. The key to peels can be its ability to deliver ingredients to the lowest layers of the skin – where it needs to go, to create a true change in the climate of your skin.
Too traumatic of a peel can most commonly cause hyper/hypo pigmentation, or micro-scarring.
The bummer about stronger peels is the downtime. Luckily, there have been advances in peels where they’re left on for a few hours, where a lot of the digestion of the skin needed to take place occurs. Then a homecare product will keep infusing the skin with the necessary ingredients to get the desired results.
Heavy exfoliation is most often not necessary. Unfortunately, many patients are actually disappointed and don’t think they have had a good result unless heavy peeling occurs. This has lead to the creation of potentially “dangerous” peels that just add more phenol, or other corrosives to the mixture.
I’ve stopped using the term “peel” with many of my solutions. I believe it’s a bit outdated. The best solutions I use would be termed as: an application of beneficial ingredients that may create some flaking. That doesn’t have a tight ring to it, but I believe in respecting the patient’s intelligence and informing them of why I’m doing something. The best applications of peels should be thought of as treatments versus the old school term of a peel.
A mentor of mine, Ole Henriksen, told me that aestheticians would never use the word peel in the ‘80’s. It was a big no-no. It would scare the patient. Then in the ‘90’s when med spas took over, they wanted the aggressive connotation so they could create more wounding and charge more.
If you want to achieve true, vital skin health, you have to be a full and responsible participant. Understand the risks and rewards. Find an individualized skincare provider that treats you as a patient and not a number. Follow your instincts! You may not be an expert in skincare but on many levels, you know your skin better than anyone else. Find a provider that truly listens to you, and together you can create beautiful skin.
Today we’d like to introduce you to Mia Belle.
Mia, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My passion lays in creating true vitality for myself and wanting to share what I create with my patients.I started off in branding, working with lines from the image to the science and chemistry of the product. I found such a strong disconnect between the doctors, chemists, practitioners, and patients. There was also a lack of being able to synergistically apply traditional and alternative dermatology to the treatments and products being offered. There were so many breakthroughs regarding formulations, technology and other findings, but nobody was putting it all together.
After working for a major Beverly Hills dermatologist, I decided to create my own practice where I could give the most advanced and individualized care to my patients. So many practices are all about the bottom line, with constantly changing staff and generic skin health plans.
There are so many exciting advancements in whole body health and I continue to study and travel the world to provide the best treatment and product options for my patients.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
My major struggle is to re-educate my patients! There are so many outlets that give biased and or completely bad skin health advice. Many patients have had catastrophic results from treatments that should have never been offered to them, Others have become disillusioned by products that give them little to no results. Fillers, lasers and Botox have become so overused and a common part of peoples “beauty routine.” Many people do not know the full and long term effects to these procedures, and I’m seeing more and more undesirable side effects from them. It’s still very taboo though to openly talk about this subject for many of us practitioners since it’s such a big money making machine for the industry. I do believe more people will start speaking out and we can start to offer better options for the patients.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with mia belle skin – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
It’s so important for me to create an authentic relationship with my patients. We both are investing in each other and I’m so grateful for all of them. I’m told that I give exceptionally individualized care. I make sure to know not just everything about my patients medical health but also their lifestyle, genetic make up and what their optimal results can be. I strive to create very bespoke and result driven treatments that create not only the best skin health for my patients but also the most youthful and beautiful aesthetic. To do this you need to really understand the structure of the face and all of the factors that can create true vitality starting from the bones to the epidermis. I’ve trademarked this philosophy as “DermalBonding.” You can’t just treat on factor in the wholistic practice of aesthetics.
I’m also proud and grateful that I’m able to reverse many undesirable results from surgeries and other facial treatments. It can be devastating to people to have their faces look distorted. Not looking like what you feel is your real self can have deep psychological effects on a person.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
Hoping to keep up with my travels to offer the best in health treatments and to create a global dream team of vitality experts! I also hope to broaden my reach on women’s health issues. I’ve been a women’s health advocate since high school. About a year ago I added the ThermiVa treatment to my practice. It targets a plethora of women’s health issues and has given me a platform to let women know that there are a lot of safer and less invasive ways to deal with the issues they are suffering with. The lack of advancements and education in women’s health is shameful. So many women live in pain and a compromised quality of life and they don’t have to! The ThermiVa treatment is truly revolutionary and a blessing to many women!
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
Baths can be much more than just relaxing!
Baths can be truly therapeutic. I want to share with you some of my favorite baths. A recipe for headaches, cleansing, and beautifying as well as emergency baths for sunburns, leg cramps, and feminine health.
Headache Relief:
Essential oils are concentrated plant essences that have the power to inspire balance to our body and mind.
I want to share an amazing bath elixir that will help relieve energy draining headaches. Headaches can be caused by anything from seasonal allergies to anxiety and stress. Hormonal fluctuations, menstrual cycles, and lack of sleep can also cause headache tension.
The essential oil lavender is a commonly known choice to relieve stress in general but when you’re targeting a headache, we should get a bit more specific. Many of my patients suffer from sinus congestion due to internal and external stressors. Below is my favorite concoction for a treatment bath that relieves headaches due to congested sinuses.
Mix the following together then slowly pour into a warm bath.
–Peppermint oil – 10 drops
–Eucalyptus oil – 5 drops
–Sesame seed oil – 1 Tbsp.
Make sure to relax for 30 to 40 minutes to allow for the oils to do their magic. The eucalyptus oil helps decongest the airways and the sinuses while peppermint oil provides pain relief. Be aware the eucalyptus oil is a very strong, so take care not to splash the bath water in your eyes – it may cause irritation.
Beauty Bath:
Goat’s milk is one of my favorite beauty gifts from Mother Nature! When I was a little girl, a local healer told me to drink a glass of goat’s milk a day and that I would always stay young. I still add it to my shakes and I love using it on my skin. It’s an ingredient that has become more popular in the past few years. It creates a transforming beauty bath when you immerse yourself in a tub filled with warm water and 2-4 cups of organic goat’s milk.
It will help soften and smooth your skin. Milk contains lactic acid, an alpha hydroxy acid that can help loosen the bonds that hold onto old, dead skin cells. Your skin will feel silky smooth and look brighter! A milk bath helps exfoliate your skin without any scrubbing, so if your like me and can’t handle dry brushing or harsh scrubs, you don’t have to worry about irritating your skin but will still get the smooth results.
You now have a clean canvas so your products penetrate the skin more effectively, so your moisturizer does a better job of keeping your skin hydrated. Milk also contains fats and proteins that can help boost your skin’s moisture even after you’re done soaking.
It’s also uber calming! The proteins whey and casein found in milk, as well as the amino acids, lactic acid and vitamins A, D and E, all work together to help reduce redness and itchiness. Great emergency soak if you get a dose of poison oak on a vacation!
Total Detox:
Epsom salt is rich in both magnesium and sulfate. Magnesium and sulfate can be easily absorbed through the skin and taken up into the bloodstream, so it’s an excellent external way to detox and get out any harmful and unnatural substances.
This bath stimulates your lymph system and encourages increased oxygen and blood flow to your body. Sulfates stimulate the pancreas to form digestive enzymes necessary to detoxify the body. The soak also neutralizes toxins, protecting the body from heavy metals.
Magnesium in the Epson salts are uplifting to our mood because deficiencies in magnesium can cause significant damage to nerves, which manifest in symptoms associated with depression. Magnesium salt also promotes gastric activity in the intestines, which provides a laxative effect. The stimulation of movement in the gut and colon further promotes detoxification processes.
The Sulfates are beneficial for the health of joints, skin, and nervous tissue. Sulfates also bind toxic impurities in the liver to render them less hazardous.
Spend at least 40 minutes to soak in the tub. Allow 20 minutes of treatment to pull toxins out of your body through the skin. The second 20 minutes allows for the absorption of minerals to occur. 1- ½ cups for a full bath.
Quick Cramp Relief:
A muscle often locks up for no apparent reason; the root cause is a chemical signal from the nervous system that tells the muscle to contract. You’re probably running low on potassium, magnesium, and calcium – the minerals that help to regulate activity in your nerves and muscles. Many people that suffer from chronic cramping know to sip on some tonic water before bedtime because it contains quinine. This can be beneficial to sip on but also can be used as a soak. A Tonic Water bath a great way to help you get through the night f you’re on vacation or traveling for work. Head straight to the mini bar and grab a few tonic waters and add it to your bath. You should feel a bit of relief shortly!
Sunburn:
Apple Cider Vinegar contains antiseptic properties that kill germs and relieve pain. It also helps to balance the pH of sunburned skin and reduces the blisters after burning. It acts as an astringent that shrinks or constricts the blood tissues which in turn reduces the inflammation caused by sunburn, creating instant relief. Apple cider vinegar acts as a wonderful cooling and moisturizing agent that makes the skin release the pent-up heat.
Apple Cider Vinegar or ACV to us hippies is rich in B-vitamins, Vitamin C and trace minerals, making it nourishing to skin.
Added benefit: it will also make you smell sweeter! It will help kill the bacteria that contribute to body odor and create an environment where odor is less likely to thrive in the future.
For sunburn relief, add 2 cups of Apple Cider Vinegar to a full bath and soak for 10 -20 minutes.
FEMME Bath:
Baking soda baths are a useful remedy to fight against many feminine health issues as it maintains a pH balance in the body. Anything that upsets the pH of your vagina will worsen the situation. Substances like semen or menstrual blood are Alkaline. A sitz bath with baking soda, which buffers pH levels, can help reduce the pH of your vagina and decrease the irritation.
A full bath can also help soften your skin and also remove chlorine from your skin and hair.
Add 3 tablespoon to sitz bath- about 2-3 inches high in water or 6 tablespoons to a full bath. Soak for 20 minutes.
I hope these baths inspire you to take the time for self care and relaxation for you to create the true whole body health you deserve.
~My article was also published by LVBX Magazine.
Among the sundry disappointments of 2016, it was supposed to be the year I was going to stop picking zits and cruising for blackheads. From January 1 forward, I was never going to fall asleep without washing my face, and I was going to do a detox mask at least once a week, followed by a hydration mask, followed by some sort of spray made out of ocean water and ground up dinosaur bones. It was the year I was going to be a grown-ass woman and fall in step with Alicia Keys’ no-makeup movement.
But of course, you know how that story goes. Life gets in the way, and you can’t help but touch your face after eating fries (or help but eat fries, period). The inevitable disappointment of your acne not magically disappearing after a single mask rattles your confidence in the entire skincare industry, and besides, popping zits is disturbingly pleasurable.
Enter Mia Belle, who’d like to have some real talk about the way we treat our skin and stop our obsessions with quick fixes. The paramedical aesthetician set up her practice in Beverly Hills a year and a half ago and has built up a super devoted clientele that can’t get enough of her holistic approach to treating skin in a way that is highly specific to you and your lifestyle. Raised in the South Bay near San Jose, Mia grew up a “hippie at heart, but also a big geek,” fascinated by beauty products and aromatherapy, but with an abiding interest in physics and and chemistry in school; it was these two seemingly separate interests that formed the tracks upon which her career path would follow.
After high school, Mia attended the famed Esalen Institute in Big Sur, where she studied energy healing and massage, and then followed that up with courses at UCLA on chemistry and what goes into creating skincare products. All the while, Mia was pursuing her love of travel while expanding her education, consulting with renowned skincare specialists in Montreal, Paris, London, Norway and Iceland. She went on to work in some of the top dermatology centers in Los Angeles, such as Ole Henriksen and Lancer Dermatology. But after working closely in an industry that was increasingly becoming enamored with fillers and lasers, Mia became more committed than ever to what she views as the most effective way of treating your skin: holistic methods that change your skin on a molecular level. What does this mean, exactly? Well, for starters, it begins with your bone marrow: “You have to think of the bone structure first. When you age, the bone starts to thin, then the muscle starts to shift off the bone, and then the fascia tissue and the muscle starts to weaken, and then the fat on top of the muscle gets thinner, and then the epidermis isn't working right, and then the dermis, so you have to hit all of those layers of the face. You have to think of what's going on each level that is hitting it. It's just like a house. You don't want to just change the paint on the house and then you have a foundation and pipes that don't work.”
This philosophical backbone of Mia’s practice, coupled with her insistence on focused, attentive relationships with her clients, draws a stark parallel to a dominant “medspa” skincare industry focused on quick, short-term results. She’s been featured on Oprah, Extra and Access Hollywood, and she talked with Girlboss recently about her unique methods, how she goes about building such strong relationships with her clients, things you can do to keep your skin from hating you when you travel, and what’s in store next:
So, you’re a little bit of a renegade when it comes to skincare, and that’s a lot of what sets you apart. The industry is pushing botox, and you’re pushing bone marrow health. As a business person, how do you get people on board with your methods when there are so many experts advocating for lasers and injections?
Everyone's doing Botox and filler at 19, and crazy lasers that do nothing for you. They make you look great for a month and then it makes you look horrible six months later. That was my reason for opening up my own clinic; [at the previous places I worked it was always] "Everyone get everything done every other week, and just sell, sell, sell." I didn't feel like it was right, so that's why I opened up my own place. I think the number one thing that I do is I really try to educate my patients about what I'm doing and why and empowering them to figure out to intuitively take care of their health on every level. I don't just say to someone, "Stop eating this. Do this." I tell them, "Listen to your body. Let's try this, let's try that." I make them be a part of it. I think that's how I gain their trust and how they get their results.
It really is a holistic process of the skin. You're taking into consideration the genetic background of somebody, their stress levels, their lifestyles, their hormones, their food, everything. For me, what I felt was missing was that no one had an imagination, no one was into making the treatments and products super individualized, which is so important. Because someone comes to me with rosacea, say, and every product line out there has these two things you're supposed to use, and every derm tells them there are two lasers you're supposed to use. But in fact, everyone has to be treated in such a different way.
Dermal Bonding is something you developed for your practice. How do you describe it to prospective or new clients?
Obviously, when people come in, they want to aesthetically look better. That's the number one thing. They don't want to have the fine lines, or they feel dry or they have acne. I know it's a broad term, but it's just for me to be like, “OK, so you have acne, but why?” Because it's a symptom. If you have blackheads, why do you have blackheads? You're not holding enough water or you're not holding enough oil or it’s a hormone thing or it’s a blood thing. You have to not just treat the symptom of things; you have to really go after the cause or you're not going to change the skin on that molecular level.
That being said, it is harder as a business model in a sense, because you have to commit more time with me. We're going to try to really change your skin. It's not going to happen in one session.
Do you sense that other people are following your lead and that there could be a shift in the way dermatology practices go about treating patients? Or are you pretty much a lone rebel out there?
I'm very fortunate because I work for myself, so I don't have to answer to a doctor or a corporation. I will say, there are one or two doctors here in Beverly Hills that are plastic surgeons that actually kind of are on the same page. Together, we're trying to create a new voice in the industry, because the fact of the matter is that filler is horrible for your face. People don't want to say that in our industry, because it's such a big money maker and everyone gets mad at you. People don't want to say lasers are really ineffective, but they're so ineffective. But again, you're talking against your colleagues and you're talking against these big companies.
I think you have to be delicate about it. It’s all about education. You have to educate people. I'm lucky because being in Southern California, especially Beverly Hills, my patients are savvy. That's why they like working with me. They've gone through all the BS. They could go anywhere, they could pay anybody, they could fly to Paris for their treatment, but they come to me because they respect the fact that I do make an individual choice for them. I empower them with education and so then they get it, they get what I do.
What have been some of the biggest challenges of building your business, and specifically, one that goes against industry norms?
Again, it comes back to education. People will read something online and they think something's great and every big company is going to advertise that same laser, or every person's going to do it on TV. I don't know if it's a challenge, but I think the most important thing that I've found in making my business successful is being able to build a true relationship with somebody and having that trust. If you work in a corporate setting with what I do with service and health, it's really hard to create that trusting relationship in those atmospheres. You have to create a relationship with somebody that's actually authentic and not just me flashing smoke and mirrors, or a red carpet facial that makes you look pretty for two seconds. In the past, that’s what people would do, right? I think it's about building a really authentic, invested relationship with the right audience.
You’re a one-woman show—you book all your own appointments, handle all of the business aspects of things, and of course, create treatment plans. What happens when this grows to a point where you can’t do it all?
Rather than me having a bunch of people work under me, I'd rather educate other new skin care professionals, because I don't think of it as a competition. I think the more of us that are doing good work, the stronger it makes the industry. I'm going to start educating and doing classes and things like that for other estheticians all around the world. I just got back from Australia where I trained people in Sydney for a week, actually. I think people in my industry who are first drawn to it really do want to help people and they want to give people results; that's why we're in the industry, right? My passion lies more is empowering other people.
Speaking of Australia, that’s a long-ass flight. How do you take care of your skin when you’re traveling?
It's about protecting it from environmental stresses. When I was in Australia, the ozone layer is depleted and the sun there is like nothing I've ever experienced in my life. You have to take stuff like that into consideration. I always make sure that I have a veil on my skin so I'm not getting the dry air and the germs. And of course, sleep. Sleep is so number one. Get it while you can. Try to sleep on the plane. Try to take a little nap in the Uber. You want to just take little cat naps if you can, because otherwise your body doesn't have time to repair. It's a lot of stress on your body when you're traveling. You're switching time zones, you're changing electromagnetic grids on the planet, it's a big deal on your body.
Any advice you can pass on to girls looking to strike out and start something on their own?
Just do it. I really, honestly believe that if you have passion for what you do, that if you're good at what you do and you come from an authentic place, you will attract patients or clients. It's so hard to have your own individual voice when you work under other people. I think clients and patients are so hungry to be with technicians or doctors that really believe in them and that have an authentic agenda. I do. It's priceless and you will be successful if you stay true to who you are, always. That's your brand. Your authenticity, that's your brand.
I shared some skin-saving tips to get your skin through the winter for LVBX Magazine. XO
~Winter can be harsh, but beautiful. It’s important to feed our skin what it needs with the change of the seasons.
In the Winter, we need to help protect it from the cold, dry air by creating a superior barrier, strengthening the dermis and epidermis, and target keeping in hydration and our pigment balanced.
There are a lot of go-to ingredients to feed your skin for winter, but my favorites for homecare are: time-released peptides, anti-oxidants, transforming growth factors and niacinamides.
Here’s why…
Niacinamide:
–Energizes our cells
–New collagen synthesis
–Regulates epidermal ceramide synthesis which benefits the epidermal barrier
–Supports fully functioning stratum corneum
–Increases blood flow to the cells, increasing the nutrients to the cells
Resveratrol:
–Anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, protection from UVB rays by protecting collagen
–Protects telomeres from shortening
–Reduces lipid peroxidation
–Reduces production of melanin
–Protects from UV-A damage
–Stimulates longevity proteins called sirtuins
–Reinforces capillaries by boosting cutaneous microcirculation
–Helps maintain optimal level of hyaluronic acid to preserve suppleness and elasticity
TGF-8 growth factor:
–Equalizes skin tone and pigment
–Controls proliferation, cellular differentiation
–Strengthens proper skin functions
Time-release Peptides:
–Signals collagen production
–Promotes thicker, stronger skin
–Reduces inflammation
As far as diet goes, add more omegas and anti-oxidants to keep your skin stronger and supple head to toe. Warm up with tasty adaptogen teas to boost your immunity and mood.
You can also support your skin by running your humidifiers to combat the extra dry air. Infuse some palo santo for immunity support or nutmeg for any aches and pains. If you want to indulge in a bath, add some goat’s milk and a few drops of rose hip oil to hydrate.
Enjoy this wonderful time of year and let’s get ready to ring in the new year with strong and beautiful faces.
MIA-BELLE
You are what you eat, so eat beautiful!
There’s some powerful ways you can tweak your diet to help support feminine health. The most important additions are probiotics, detoxifiers, hormone balancers, destressers, and bladder supporters. I wanted to share with you some simple and organic ways to create a healing environment for our highly-responsive lady parts.
PROBIOTICS
Beneficial bacteria are essential for the mouth, digestive tract, and vagina. When beneficial bacteria are in balance, optimal health is achieved and maintained. In the gut, friendly bacteria help maintain the integrity of the intestinal lining and emerging evidence suggests they also boost immunity, this discourages harmful bacteria from thriving which will help ward off UTIs.
Probiotics also help protect against a number of vaginal infections. Friendly bacteria, in particular; Lactobacillus genus produces natural disinfectants that help maintain an optimal pH and a healthy balance of beneficial microorganisms in the vagina by excluding harmful bacteria and other pathogens.
Friendly probiotics inhibit the adherence of harmful bacteria responsible for bacterial vaginitis. To introduce these helpers into your diet, you can eat fermented foods like kimchi or miso soup. You can also drink low sugar kombucha teas, or add a powdered probiotic supplements to your smoothies.
DETOX
Next think of good detoxifiers to add to your recipes. Garlic has great antibiotic properties and is easy and tasty to add to many meals. Oregano is also a powerful and tasty choice. Dandelion greens can be chopped up and used as a garnish or an addition to a sauce, or they can be eaten raw or cooked to minimize their somewhat bitter flavor. You can also use the dandelion root, stems and flowers to make a delicious and super-healthy tea. Keeping your immunity up will maintain strength and balance. BALANCE is key to feminine health. Our body is a delicate and magically mutable being that needs to be cared for. Imbalances lead to everything from yeast infections to painful menstrual cycles.
HORMONES
Hormones are major! When estrogen production lowers, the walls of our vagina thin and bacteria can cause painful and chronic health issues for us. It can also cause sex to be very painful and in some cases, unbearable. Upping your intake of estrogen inducing foods will help support whole body health. Japanese yams, flaxseeds, chickpeas, and tempeh are great choices. You can try Nuatrapthy tinctures that up your estrogen by DesBio; they are very safe and stable. Another convienent option can be snacking on health chews called “Beauty Bursts” that use plant based estrogen.
STRESS
Stress can really create chaos and imbalance in our bodies! Adaptogens greatly improve your body’s ability to adapt to stress. They’re my first go-to for patients when they’re going though an extra stressful period in their life. Adaptogens can have many benefits but they specifically reduce stress, both mental and physical. Adaptogens help you adapt! The most popular options are:
Ashwagandha: Super de-stressor
Holy Basil: best for emotional stress
Maca: strengthens the libido and sexual functions
Ginseng: rejuvenates the mind and body
CRANBERRY
Queen of the bladder supports.
Cranberry helps to prevent and treat urinary tract infections due to the antibacterial effects of Hippuric acid contained in the berries. It also contains proanthocyanidins, which further reduce the adhesion of E.coli bacteria to the bladder walls.
Reports show that drinking cranberry juice or taking cranberry supplements prevents bacteria from developing into an infection in the urinary tract.
Active compounds in cranberry work to fight against bacteria, including E. coli. Studies show the beneficial substances in cranberry juice could reach the urinary tract and prevent bacterial adhesion within eight hours. But I suggest instead of waiting till you feel symptoms and taking a high dosage, you introduce a small amount on a daily basis to prevent and support your health. Im a huge fan of CranActin. It’s a great and fast acting supplement. You can also get “Just Cranberry” juice from many health food stores. I love this product because there’s no added sugars. Many cranberry juices are super high in sugars. The Just Cranberry juice can be a bit diluted so it’s not so bitter. I add some lemon and a few drops of stevia. It’s delicious!
I strive to only put into my body that which will make it stronger. Mother nature has given us all we need to become wonder women! It just takes a shift in our thinking and on our shopping list to make a real impact on our feminine health. We deserve it!
Photo via LVBX Mag
Beauty and fashion maven Louise Roe shared the bridal bootcamp we created for her!
http://louiseroe.com/2016/09/13/pre-wedding-skincare/
~As you guys might already know, my wedding is just a few weeks away! I’ve had my final dress fitting and am keeping up on my workouts and healthy eating leading up to the big day, and I’m also taking extra good care of my skin to get ready for all the photographs and memories we’ll be making. Today I’m dishing on some pre-wedding skincare secrets that, in my opinion, are truly life-savers for anti-aging and for lifting your skin. My good friend Mia owns Mia Belle Skin in Beverly Hills, and she always has the newest and most effective skincare treatments that the industry has to offer. In the town where Botox is king, she helps people avoid it completely by offering natural, non-invasive ways to keep your skin youthful. Read below for info on each treatment, and make sure to book an appointment with Mia if you live in LA!
Bio Lift: This treatment uses Bio-Dynamic advanced Micro-Current energy to lift and tone the muscles of the face. It’s a pain free alternative to therapies like Ulthera and they help assist in face lifts lasting longer. Volume loss is not the major factor in the beginning signs of aging, but actually muscle laxity. The muscles sag first, then the skin. Fillers can help create an illusion of lifting but its usually not a volume issue for younger women, but its the muscle losing it’s tone. Keeping the muscles toned creates that beautiful jawline and high cheek bones that looks great in photos. Mia recommends to start with these treatments 2-3 months before a big event or wedding
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This is also the BioLift, but with a smaller roller designed for the eye area. This treatment is a great alternative to botox and can be a quick lift that can last for about 4 weeks. Mia says that is a favorite with brides who might not want to experiment with Botox before the big day. Lifting the brow makes us look happier and more refreshed, this is especially helpful for brides that are stressed and not getting enough sleep while planning their wedding. On certain settings, she can even help fix bad results from Botox or filler!
This the cool fusion facial. Mia uses her custom blended beauty whips to prep the face with hydration and vitamins, delivering a luxurious, cool mist to the face. This creates an anti-inflammatory response in the skin, taking down any edema-puffiness, especially around the eye. It releases a phenomenal anti-aging response, stimulates collagen and tightens up the pores giving you and amazing glow and canvas for make-up. Many of my brides do this between 1-3 days before the wedding.
xx,
Louise
Thanks for your support Louise and trusting us with your beautiful face!
xx,
Mia
I could write endlessly about all good things we can do to support our skin inside and out. The truth is, EVERYTHING we do affects our skin. Here are a few practical ways you can help to create the strong and youthful skin you deserve.
FROM THE INSIDE:
Finding the right supplements for you is key! You have to keep in mind that what worked wonders for your friend, may not work well for you. It’s all about trial and error. You need to find an omega anti-oxidant mix to start. I recommend a product called Bend Beauty. It helps to support your skin by protecting it from environmental stresses internally and externally. Adding probiotics to your routine either through a supplement or foods keeps your gut happy and in turn, your skin. I prefer goat’s milk keifer. Goat’s milk has long been thought to have anti-aging benefits. A must if you live a hectic, high-caffeinated lifestyle is to take a great adrenal support. I take mine at night to help distress my body and allow me to have a proper beauty sleep. Gaia Herbs has a formula called Adapt and Balance that works well for me and many of my patients.
Drinking the right water is a game changer. I’m lucky enough to have a service that delivers fresh stream water full of naturally occurring minerals. It’s important to not overdo it with alkaline water. It’s very trendy right now. We want a balance of acidic and alkaline states in our body. If you drink alkaline water, you have to stop one hour before you eat, and wait two hours after eating. Otherwise, it will be much harder to properly digest your meals.
If you have seasonal allergies, another internal way to support your skin health would be to take a natural form of an antihistamine like quercetin. This can really provide you with relief!
FROM THE OUTSIDE:
It’s important to create a healthy home environment for your skin. Let’s start with the air you breathe! It’s important for most of us to have an air purifier running at all times in our home. There are toxins coming off the fabric on our furniture, curtains, mattresses, paint, neighbors cigarette smoke, and off many floor coverings, to name a few toxic culprits. I’ve even recommended to some of my more sensitive patients to get a purifier for their office spaces.
Bedroom: Humidifiers are very beneficial while you sleep but can be a hassle. There are now simple and decorative mini aromatherapy humidifiers that run for up to 8 hours. Place it close to you on your bedside table and you can add your favorite aromatherapy oil to add to your beauty sleep ritual. The sheets that you sleep on should be silk or satin. You can find great sheets on line that are beneficial to your skin. The fabric won’t pull on your hair and there are even pillowcases that have copper, anti-bacterial properties and collagen.
Laundry room: Make sure that you stay away from toxic detergents to clean your sheets and clothes. Choose eco or green dry cleaners. You can buy dry cleaning “at home sheets” that can save you a lot of money and are lower in toxins than traditional dry cleaning services.
Bathroom: Shower filters help to keep your hair and skin soft, clean and the ph. balanced. In many cities the water is very hard and toxic. There’s a very affordable and fashionable shower filter line called “Sprite.”
Immediately after you get out of the shower you should apply your body products. Very few lines are high performing or truly non-toxic. Kayo bodyline is outstanding. Super clean and the remodeling and vitamin serums give real results.
Car: I keep a pair of Bloxsun sun protection gloves in my cars at all times! They’re uber comfortable, thin and nude colored. You barely notice them–very comfortable. It’s safe to keep powdered SPF in your car, because it’s heat resistant. It’s smart to apply to exposed areas that are being hit by the sun, like the ears.
Avoid toxic, perfumed car air fresheners. They can case headaches and are stressful to your respiratory system.
Creating healthy skin is truly a wholistic venture. Being aware of your surroundings and protecting yourself is key. It may feel like a little work at first, but can become a simple, natural way of living. Self-care should be a beautiful and joyful art!
You can check out this article at LVBXmag.com
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
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