14 min read
It is a common notion in the spa and beauty industries that Ayurveda is secret, mysterious, and exotic. Because of this reputation, Ayurveda is both sought out by some, and feared or dismissed by others. And all too often, Ayurveda is defined as that "oil dripping technique on the forehead," relegating a 5000-year old healing system to one single, albeit, extremely beautiful and effective treatment. Read More
- Published in Holistic
8 min read
pH is an acronym for the “potential of Hydrogen”, or the acid to alkaline ratio existing in all matter, and our 7.365 body pH measurement is the benchmark for measuring our health. The pH scale or chart is typically color coded and ranges from 0 to 14. Anything below 7 is acidic and it compounds itself meaning 10x, 100x, 1000x as it gradually becomes more acidic, and alkaline compounds going up the scale. For instance, battery acid is dangerous at a 1 pH and calcium is highly alkaline at a 12 pH. Our body should be neutral at 7 pH. Read More
- Published in Chemistry
9 min read
Books have been written on skin permeability and obtuse descriptions of the mathematics of permeation and diffusion have been laid before their readers with great erudition. All of this is great if you can understand it, but for the aesthetician struggling with basic mathematics and a limited knowledge of physics, it becomes quite tough. Unfortunately, you cannot get by as an expert in skin care without a really good grasp of this subject, so give this section a good, honest try before you "throw up your hands and run out screaming." Read More
- Published in Chemistry
10 min read
What I truly love about the skin care profession is not necessarily the “how” of treatments, products, and results; but the “why”. This is probably why I am so passionate about teaching. It is not enough in our business to simply be able to make recommendations and deliver visible results to our client’s skin, if we do not know precisely why we are capable of achieving such results. As consumers place increasingly more confidence in our hands regarding meeting their skin needs and concerns, our professional responsibility to meet those needs has grown, requiring aestheticians to have a deep understanding of how those concerns even came to be. That being said, one of the most influential contributing factors to the condition of the skin, at many different ages, is fluctuations in hormones. Read More
- Published in Chemistry
13 min read
Health, whether good or bad, doesn’t just happen right before the symptom! Poor nutrition over a period of years will develop stages of a disease until a symptom appears and reversal of that disease will require lifestyle changes including improved stages of nutritional intake as well as a detoxification program and hormonal balancing over time.Heavy metals in the body are believed to cause illnesses such as heart disease, strokes, diabetes, circulatory disorders, neuropathies, Alzheimer's disease, ADD, ADHD, Bipolar, Autism, Parkinson's, and atherosclerosis, to name a few. Heavy metals and toxins cannot penetrate a healthy cell membrane produced by a healthy and properly nourished body very easily. Read More
- Published in Chemistry
12 min read
Ask, “What is the definition of spa?” and most replies will have something to do with water. Many historians consider the origin of the word spa to define a place where water is applied therapeutically. The most common image used to identify spas in logos or advertising is water; and in a true wellness spa, water is an iatrical (healing) component at the soul of the spa business. We all recognize the calming sounds of water. We know we should drink eight glasses of water a day. Soaking in hot, moving water is recognized widely as therapeutic. Read More
- Published in Chemistry
12 min read
Five years after writing my first article on how the digestive system impacts skin, I find that very little has changed in how those of us within the skin industry are educating clients. In fact, I find very little education being done at all, and I wonder why. Do not misunderstand me, please. Most of us do educate about the products and treatments used in client care, but when our clients walk away from us, what understanding does a client have of the nutrition needed for great skin? Read More
- Published in Chemistry
10 min read
New ingredients are being introduced into the skin care market everyday and with the market being a multi-billion dollar industry, this phenomenon won’t slow down anytime soon. Having narrowed down the hundreds of ingredients, here are the top ingredients to look for in current skin care formulations. Peptides are Here to Stay First and foremost, we must discuss the continued interest of the use of peptides in the industry. Traditional actives formulated in skin care products consist of natural sources such as essential oils, plant-extracts, and vitamins. As helpful as these natural sources can be, they can be limited in their overall effectiveness. Read More
- Published in Chemistry
12 min read
Let’s face it. We live in a high stress world. The daily demands of family and career leave us feeling as if we have little time to keep for ourselves. Additionally, people – especially women – instinctively tend to neglect themselves while catering to the needs of those around them. It is not news that stress and self-neglect manifest themselves physically in many ways. Nurturing one’s self is an intentional process that, once learned, helps us control the stress in our lives rather than allowing stress to control us. Stress begins on an unconscious level, as a worry or a nagging thought that builds-up until physical symptoms begin to show. Read More
- Published in Holistic
8 min read
As a spa professional, it is important to be aware of the effect toxins have on the skin and the internal system. Being aware will in turn motivate you to become knowledgeable on how to select the right products, equipment, and treatments that can have a positive impact on repairing damage caused by toxin exposure. Read More
- Published in Chemistry
