Posts Tagged ‘serum’

Calming your skin with Phytomer Accept

Itching, burning, flaking, dehydration, redness, inflamation… These are all signs of sesitive/sensitized skin or a normal skin having some sort of reaction. How do you know if you have sensitive skin? You will experience one or more of the above symptoms all the time if you are not using a proper skincare regime. Your skin will probably react to almost any kind of product or makeup (in some cases even with water!). Solution: Phytomer’s Accept range.

Phytomer is a high-quality, French, marine-based skincare line. Accept is a sub line which is made to calm, soothe, and protect a sensitive/sensitized/reactive skin. The following regime is ideal for working to soothe your skin short-term and work to build up your skin’s long-term immunity and resiliency.

Cleanse with Accept Neutralizing Cleanser morning and evening.
This cleanser will reduce irritation and inflammation. Contains Corallina Officinalis which is a vasoconstricting, calming, soothing, and decongesting sea algae.

Tone with Rosee Visage morning and evening after cleansing. Rosee Visage may also be used alone as a makeup remover & toner in one.
Main ingredients include OLIGOMER®, which delivers an optimum dose of trace elements and minerals to strengthen the epidermis as well as softening rose water.

Exfoliate with Peeling Vegetal 1-2 times per week.
This non-abrasive exfoliator goes on like a mask and uses ingredients like papain (an enzyme from the papaya) to gently loosen and disolve dead skin cells.

Apply Accept Desensitizing Mask 2 times per week or whenever you have a flare up or reaction.
This mask contains purified yeast extract which is an anti-irritant and anti-inflammatory ingredient. It also contains Laminaria Digitata wich is a soothing and defense boosting sea algae.

Treat with Oligoforce Soothing Enforcement Serum under your moisturizer morning and evening.
This serum contains all the same excellent caming and soothing ingredients as the rest of the accept line, but in a higher concentration to really boost your skin’s immunity.

Moisturize with Accept Neutralizing Cream morning and evening.
This is a vasoconstricting, calming, soothing, decongesting moistuirzer which also reduces irritation and inflammation.

Last but certainly not least, be sure to use an SPF every single day to protect your skin against harmful UV radiation.

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To Tone or Not to Tone – That is the Question!

As an esthetician I have been asked time and time again whether or not it is necessary to use a toner.  And the answer? 

Well, lets start from the begininning… Toners originated as alcohol-based, astringent-style liquids applied usually with a cotton pad after the cleansing step.  Cosmetics tended to be more oil-based and were not easily removed by cleanser alone.  The alcohol in the toner would help to cut through the oil-based makeup for ‘squeaky-clean’ skin.  The problem is that alcohol is very stripping and drying to the skin and can lead to long-term imbalance and sensitivies.

Cosmetics nowadays are less and less oil-based and therefore those harsh toners are no longer necessary.  Also, for those who wear a heavier makeup or an oil-based makeup there are some pretty great oil-based cleansers available (Dermalogica Pre-cleanse) which remove makeup completely while soothing and softening the skin.  Toners now are made to compliment your skincare regime in many ways including soothing, softening, hydrating, and purifying.  Also, toning after cleansing leaves your skin damp which allows your next step (serum or moisturizer) to penetrate better.  Many toners can also be spritzed right on top of mineral makeup to help set, as well as refresh the look.

My all time favorite toner is Dermalogica (yes, Dermalogica again) Multi-active Toner.  I noticed, while in the facial room at work, that every time I soaked my client’s cotton pads in Multi-active Toner the cotton pads would become unbelievably soft and silky – just immagine what it does for the skin!

How and Why Serums Should be Used in Skincare

We did a little survey last week, and the results were pretty interesting: 36% of the responders were not aware of what the purpose of a serum is, and only 40% of responders actually use one.

Keep in mind that this is based on a sampling of Spa Boutique’s customers that on average are women ranging from 30-55.

It makes sense that some people don’t know about serums. TV, magazines and drugstore brands don’t really advertise them, and that’s where most people get their skin care knowledge and advice from.

So what exactly do serums do and why should you use one?

What is a serum?

• Serums are light,  fluid emulsions that have high concentrations of active ingredients
• Those active ingredients are usually smaller in molecular size and absorb more rapidly and deeper into the skin
• Where a moisturizer should be tailored to your skin type (normal, dry, oil, combo, sensitive) the serum can focus on the skin condition (dehydration, redness, aging, sensitized, dullness, hyper pigmentation) giving you flexibility and adaptability in your skincare routine
• They boost your current skin care routine and allow you to focus in on a specific issue and resolve it

How do you use a serum?

• A small amount is put on clean skin, before you apply your moisturizer
• They can be used under masks for deep penetrating results and will  boost the mask if they are compatible
• Usually they are designed as a treatment. If you’re dehydrated but still combo to oily: keep the rest of your routine the same, but throw in one bottle of Phytomer Hydracontinue Hydra-nourishing Serum. Use up the whole bottle, it should take about a month, and the dehydration should no longer be a problem.
• While boosting ones can be used every so often, there are ones that can be great to use year round. A common result people are looking for is “brightening the skin“. This can be achieved by consistently using a serum that lightly exfoliates and increases cell turnover. A great one is B Kamins Cellular Renewal Serum.  This is something that can be used all year long and generally improves the texture and tone of the skin.

As with any other skin care product, the absolute best results will be seen with consistent use. Everyday.

Most professional lines will carry a serum for pretty much everything. If you are looking for targeted results, then it’s definitely a product you should consider adding in once and awhile. Make sure that it will be compatible with your moisturizer as both will be sitting on your skin and you want them to work together.

Have you found a serum that you love? Have you ever been disappointed by one?  Share your story in the comment section.

Visit www.spaboutique.ca to see complete lines of some of the best skin care, hair care and make up products available.