Faces By Fern

Sun Damage Facials

Did you look in the mirror one day and see some ugly brown spots on your face, where they never were before?  

Why are they there, what does it mean, and what can you do about it?

Excess sun causes our skin to produce melanin as a protective reaction to the sun’s burning assault on our skin.  

Melanin, the pigment that gives skin its color, acts as a barrier to further damage by absorbing ultraviolet light.  A suntan results from this attempt by the skin to protect itself.   You can think of these as a band -aid your skin creates.

Referred to as hyperpigmentation, those dark spots on your face  were caused by the sun damage you got between ages 9-18, and now, 20 or 30 years later, you have uneven skin tone. 

What once was a burn or a tan is now a scar on your skin, and these scars been slowly rising to the surface of your skin ever since. 

Free Radicals, Spin Traps and You

Everyone has heard of the damaging effect free radicals have on our skin and in our bodies, accelerating aging and leading to damage on a cellular level.

Free radicals are unstable, unpaired electrons which attack other cells and lead to the disruption of these living cells and harm our DNA.

In some cases, our body's immune system produces its own free radicals to kill viruses and bacteria.  Most free radicals, though, are created from outside sources like pollution, radiation and cigarette smoke.

A few free radicals aren't a big deal for our bodies.  But after years of accumulation, they attack our bodies as we age, resulting in damage and destruction of our elastin and collagen.

5 Anti-Aging Strategies

Clients often ask me what they can do to counter-act the signs of aging on their face.

Here are 5 things everyone can do:

Use Vitamin C

Vitamin C is essential in rebuilding collagen which makes the skin look firmer and plumper.

Use after cleansing, before moisturizer.  Vitamin C is both an antioxidant and collagen booster. 

Begin with one application in the morning, every other day, and slowly move to using daily.  You may use morning and evening.

As an esthetician, I not only treat the skin, I treat the spirit. I believe that many people are lonely, and are starving for some human touch. I provide that non-threatening, nurturing touch, without an agenda, to my clients. This truth was brought home to me when recently, as I was saying goodbye to a new client, I did what I usually do: I hugged her. She hugged me back, but took a while to let go. I felt her need, and continued my hug until she was ready to end hers. This is what I do for others, and in turn, I too am nourished.

Skin Tags

Skin Tags may be linked to sugar intake & increased insulin levels. Why? When you eat foods high in carbohydrates like pastries, white rice and white potatoes, your body creates insulin to remove the sugar from the food.

"Skin tags are small, soft, finger-like lesions most commonly found on the neck and under the arms.  They are skin-colored and benign."  Shelley Burns, Skin Deep, May/June 2010.

People with 30+ skin tags indicates increased risk of type 2 diabetes. Solution? Focus on low-glycemic foods: apples, berries, brown rice, pears, vegetables & multigrain and multi-seed breads. 

You may need to visit your dermatologist to remove existing skin tags if they are a source of discomfort, but you may be able to prevent new skin tags by decreasing your sugar intake, and thereby, decreasing your risk for insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. 

Faces by Fern is a relaxing skin care studio where gentle and effective skin care is practiced using products formulated to support your skin's natural desire to heal itself, with ingredients derived from plants and fruits. 

Healing products and a soothing touch at amazing prices - call today for your skin treatment and find out what the buzz is all about!

 

From Dreadful to Delightful - Enjoy Your Facial!

A young woman contacted me recently to describe her one and only experience with an esthetician.  She said it was a HORRIBLE experience!  Not only was she made to feel awful about her problematic skin, but the treatment hurt!  In my book, that's a big NO-NO.

This woman was looking for someone who would get her skin to a healthy state, and to be kind and gentle about it.  When I heard her story, I cringed.....Her experience is one I've heard about from other clients.

An esthetician with a haughty attitude or condescending manner can forever turn someone off to getting healthy skin. 

Someone with this experience will look daily into their mirror, grimace at their reflection, and yet feel helpless about how to change their condition.

As your Esthetician, I am your Skin Coach - that's my purpose and focus. 

I am here to help with your skin issues and to acheive healthy skin for you.  I do this with a number of effective, botanical products.

However, all the best products in the world do not make up for a heavy hand and a dismissive demeanor.  As your skin coach, I am here to support, advise and direct you towards YOUR healthiest skin.

After her appointment with me, I asked her how she felt about her facial.  Her response was, "That was NOTHING like my last facial.  I feel awesome, so relaxed and my skin looks amazing!  Thank you so much - I loved it!"

That's what I'm talking about!  A happy client, a good experience, a great result.

Now, it's your turn!  Contact me for your healthy skin treatment at facesbyfern2@gmail.com, or see my Make An Appointment page tab above.

 

 

Natural Plant and Fruit Compounds

The science of skin care is awesome - and, I love that I can share it with you!

During October, I'm offering a Cherry-Chocolate Anti-Aging Facial, using products which contain only the purest, natural plant and fruit compounds, offering healthy benefits to you!

From nature's "kitchen" are found nutrient-rich ingredients like shea butter, licorice, beta glucosamine, vitamin B, calendula and horse chestnut to cleanse.

Extracts of cherry, blueberry and red wine extract nourish and balance. 

Active flavonoids from lush, rich cherries search out and destroy damaging free radicals for effective exfoliation.

And for dessert (!) - a revitalizing chocolate mask to preserve the vitality of mature skin cells and to nourish and tone tired skin.

Top that all off with copper and green tea moisturizer to protect from pollution, air conditioning, heating and excess sunlight.

Ready to try it?  Click on "make an appointment" tab above to contact me. You will also see there my complete menu of services.

Let's get in the fight together with some great science and powerful ingredients!

 

 

Smarter Skin Care

This blog is full of good information, presented in an easy to read manner.  Enjoy!

The Derm Blog:  http://thedermblog.com/

"Surprise Beauty Secret: Just Add Olive Oil" via Health.com

Beautiful skin from within

By Diana Cerqueira

Women whose diets are rich in olive oil have less skin damage and wrinkling, says Lisa Drayer, RD, author of The Beauty Diet: Looking Great Has Never Been So Delicious. For big beauty benefits, "cook with it instead of vegetable oil and use it on bread instead of butter," she advises.

Go to the website to look at the slide show and see all the different products they promote. Can't wait to go home and cook with some olive oil, love all natural anti-aging ingredient.

Cut and paste this url into your browser: 

http://living.health.com/2010/08/19/surprise-beauty-secret-just-add-olive-oil/

Aromatherapy Body Polish

Dead cells make our skin dull, lifeless and rough. Removing these dead cells increases the cell renewal process and gives your skin extra shine and glow.

Scrubbing enhances the absorption capability of your skin and improves blood circulation at your skin's surface, making this a nourishing and healthful treatment.

Just as a professional facial can leave your face glowing and fresh, a body polish will leave your whole body smooth, soft, and vibrant, exposing the fresh, healthy skin below.

After a full-body polish, you'll feel energized, pampered and refreshed.   It removes stress and is great for the imperfections caused by sun damage, stretch marks, blackheads and clogged pores.