skin care by Monica Bentz
Facials
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skin care by Monica Bentz
Facials |
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Q and A
$75 Beautiful skin happens when you know the answers. This is a question and answer session about your concerns. Let me analyze your skin to develop a regime specifically for your needs and lifestyle. Synergist $80 In taking better care of you, one change in your routine could make all the difference. This facial is the catalyst to happier, healthier skin. Oh So Sensitive $100
Chemical free, allergen free, for the most sensitive and/or reactive skin.
Posh $140 Heavenly relaxation melts your cares away. Your skin emerges radiant. Perfect for the weary. Bed of Roses $200 True luxury. Peaceful, nurturing, rejuvenating. Indulges your body from head to toe; lifting your spirit and leaving you with a feeling of pure pleasure. My signature facial! Maintaining Healthy Skin Soft, Smooth, & Glowing Basic Skin Care This is all you need to 'get by'. It is simple, easy, and goes a long way to preventing problems now and in the future. It consists of: 1. Cleanser - for obvious reasons 2. Retinol - regulates moisture, exfoliates, builds 3. Sunblock - prevents cancer and aging 4. Facial, 4 times a year - with each season Optimal Skin Care Optimal care is skin care (and health) at its finest. Feeding and nurturing the body inside and out. It is anti-aging as well as preventative. It utilizes: 1. Anti-oxidants - to prevent damage 2. Epidermal Growth Factors -to repair skin 3. Peels - to resurface and reveal new growth 4. Good Nutrition - the foundation for health 5. Exercise - strengthens and eliminates toxins 6. Rest - to repair the body 7. Essential Fatty Acids, Multivitamin, and Probiotics - necessary in our imperfect world Invasive Skin Care Invasive care is performed by a doctor in a medical setting. It includes face lifts, augmentations, Botox (a.k.a. Dysport), collagen injections, and laser resurfacing. These procedures can give incredibly positive results if they are done for the right reasons, by a skilled practitioner. They require much compliance by the patient as well as a time and money investment. If you are considering of these procedures, give yourself a good foundation and a running start to recovery by getting under the care of a good aesthetician. Utilizing the right holistic, not medical skin care, and preparing the skin with peels will make all the difference to achieving an excellent outcome verses regrets and so-so results. Negative Skin Care An unhealthy lifestyle leads to unhealthy skin. What you put in and on your body will reflect on the outside. Parabens, synthetic hormones, certain plastics, and chemical sunscreens break down into xeno-estrogens (fake estrogen). There is much controversy with xeno-estrogens. It has been linked to low sperm counts and breast cancer, but is still being studied. Until more information is available, I believe it is best to avoid using these things. In addition, chemical sunscreens have also been linked to destroying coral reefs, so this is an environmental issue as well. Exercise, while great for the body and soul can be counter productive if done too much or if you do not have fun while doing it. It's an interesting fact that if you are not enjoying yourself while exercising, the body thinks its in the 'fight or flight' mode and elevates its cortizol levels (stress hormone). Cortizol is wonderful at what it is intended to do - get us out of a dangerous situation, but prolonged production breaks down collagen 10 times more in the skin than in the rest of the body. You can see the effects in serious athletes over 30. Topical and internal steroids also yield the same results. So be active, but have fun doing it! Just like cortisone, antibiotics have their place. Long term use can destroy our good micro-flora that life in our intestines, which help us to break down our food and absorb nutrients. Topical antibiotics, prescribed typically for acne and rosacea, disrupt the micro-flora that live on our skin, keeping everything in balance. To counteract these side effects, take a multi-strain probiotic supplement, and eat live-culture yogurt. Both can be applied topically to the skin as well, but be sure to thoroughly remove the yogurt after 10 minutes of masking. Hydroquinone, a controversial lightening agent, is found in many lightening products. It works by completely shutting down the production of melanin in the skin, thus eliminating dark spots. The U.S. is one of the few remaining countries that still allow this product on the market. It has been linked to cancer in multiple studies. Plus since it shuts down the body's immune response, once a person discontinues using it, their melanin production sky rockets, causing re-bound hyperpigmentation. A much better alternative is to use natural, plant based lighteners such as licorice, L-arbutin (shown to be 80% as effective as hydroquinone), bearberry, azelaic acid, L-glutathione, L-ascorbic acid, tetrahydracurcum, retinol, and D-gamma tocopherol. We all know that processed food is bad for us, but I have to address this point, because after all, we are what we eat. To live long and healthy we need good fuel. So a good rule of thumb is to avoid boxed, canned, or prepared food. It takes more time, but you're worth it! Also, if you are not having a bowel movement AT LEAST once a day, then you must add more fiber to your diet. You can do this either through a supplement or by changing your eating habits. Want More? I hope this has been helpful, but I'm sure it has surfaced many questions. Please feel free to contact me for more information. To get specific information regarding your skin concerns, you can make an appointment for an analysis to begin the path toward beautiful, healthy skin. |
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Available for Appointments Wednesday - Saturday 510-847-1705 Located inside Viveur Salon @ 1662 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley, CA info@AestheticWellness.com Last modified: 2/3/10 |
