November 28th, 2011 / Skin Care

Written by, Malaika Thompson, Licensed Esthetician

WHAT IS A VITAMIN EXACLY?

A vitamin is an organic compound required as a nutrient in tiny amounts by an organism. A compound is called a vitamin when it cannot be synthesized in sufficient quantities by an organism, and must be obtained from the diet.

HOW DOES THIS RELATE TO YOUR SKIN?

Your skin is the fingerprint of what is going on inside of your body, and all skin conditions from psoriasis to acne to aging are the results of your body’s internal needs. Lack of vitamins can make the skin lifeless, blotchy and dull. If you feed your skin from the inside and the outside, it will benefit!

VITAMINS THAT ARE GOOD FOR SKIN

-Vitamin A-
Strengthens the protective tissue of the skin and helps to prevent acne and to reduce excess sebum (oil) production. It is also a powerful antioxidant that flushes out toxins and free radicals from the body to reduce wrinkling and fine lines.

-Vitamin B Complexe-
There are 12 of them, the most essential include:

Vitamin B1 AKA Thiamine
Enhances circulation and is a powerful antioxidant.

Vitamin B2 AKA Riboflavin
Essentail for healthy skin, Hair and nails. Acne is a symptom of Riboflavin deficiency.

Vitamin B3 AKA Niacinamide
Helps the skin to retain moisture.

Vitamin B12 AKA Cyanocobalamin
Is one of the most important B vitamins as it helps the body produce red blood cells and keeps your nervous system working properly thus helping to prevent stress!
Low levels of B12 can cause anemia and depression.
Creams containing B vitamins can give the skin an instant healthy glow while hydrating cells and improving skin tone.

-Vitamin C-
Helps to counter the damaging effects of the sun, smoke and pollution. Topical Vitamin C promotes collagen production.

-Vitamin D-
AKA THE “sunshine” vitamin as this is where we obtain it from. It assist in the absorbtion of calcium and phosporus which contributes to the formation of healthy skin and strong bones.

-Vitamin E-
Is an antioxidant that improves healing and tissue repair. Topical vitamin E helps to reduce wrinkles and makes the skin look and feel smoother. When combined with vitamin C it is highly protective against sun damage.

We must remember to take a multi vitamin everyday, it will supplement most of our daily requirements, and ensure greater longevity of all our organs including of course the largest organ of all- your skin!

QUALITY BRANDS TO CONSIDER FOR OPTIMAL BENEFITS

For the oral adminstration of Vitamins I recommend Shaklee. It is considered the number one natural nutrition company in the U.S and has been established for over 50 years. visit www.shaklee.com for details and/or to order.

For the topical application of most if not all of the essential Vitamins required to ensure beautiful and healthy skin in the near and far futur consider Alchimie Forever Swiss Antioxidant skin care lineavailable for purchase (with free shipping and handling) at both the Dupont and Downtown MINT locations.

September 29th, 2011 / News, Skin Care

Written by, Malaika Thompson, Licensed Esthetician

Free radicals are unstable molecules that are roaming free inside and outside of our bodies.  Antioxidants capture, prevent and repair free radical damage inflicted on on our cells.  Some antioxidants are produced by the body but others must be supplied by diet and skin products.

Studies have demonstrated that the skin is the last organ to receive antioxidants from food and dietry supplements, so it is of the utmost importance that in addition to maintaining healthy diets, we care for our skin by following a consistent skin care regimen and seeking regular treatments from skin care professionals in order to preserve a youthful complexion and problem free skin as we grow older.

Some of the most powerful and common antioxidants found in skin care products include vitamins A, C, and E.

• Vitamin A is known to fight lines, wrinkles, and acne. it can greatly improve the condition of our skin. one of the best known versions of vitamin A is found in the prescription formula “Retin A”.

• Vitamin C is richest in citrus fruits, tomatoes, peppers and greens. This important vitamin attacks free radicals, including those from overexposure to sunlight. it helps the skin by supporting the production of collagen.

• Vitamin E’s richest natural sources are vegetable oils, nuts and grains. It helps your skin to retain moisture, prevent scarring and treats discoloration.

September 1st, 2011 / Skin Care

Written by, Malaika Thompson, Licensed Esthetician

As we age, Our skin becomes drier, collagen and elastin fibers that keep the skin firm weaken.  In turn, the skin looks loose, becomes thinner, and loses fat causing it to look less plump and smooth.  Over time wrinkles and hyperpigmentation develop and growths may appear.  Also, our skin’s healing process slows down.  While these gradual changes over time may sound formidable and unavoidable – in fact many of these attributes of mature skin can be prevented.

Heredity and gravity are the main causes of the unavoidable changes that occur in our skin as we age.  Yet – there are a number of the aforementioned changes to our skin that are directly caused by sun exposure.  How wrinkled your skin becomes depends largely on how much sun you have been exposed to sun in your lifetime.  Other controllable factors include diet, smoking, pollution, and how you care for your skin.  As we head into the last weekend of the summer – just remember that it is never too late to benefit from the lifestyle changes that may help your skin.  Use sunscreen, quit smoking, drink plenty of water and eat healthier!

The increased dryness of our skin as we age can result in flaky, itchy skin, especially in cold, dry, windy climates.  Milder cases of dry skin can be managed with adding moisture to the outer layer of the skin. Many moisturizers contain ingredients such as alpha hydroxy acids, urea and lactic acid to reduce scaling and assist the skin in retaining hydration.

Bathing with cooler water and using mild soap can also help to relieve dry skin. Hot water is more irritating to dryer skin. After bathing and before drying off immediately apply moisturizer to seal in hydration. Also remove your makeup every night before bed, a clean face is more willing to accept treatment and moisture.

Treatments that address the underlying causes of aging skin include retinoic acid, which improves the surface texture of the skin and increases collagen production. AHAs and Vitamin C also help to stimulate collagen production.

Cosmetic brands that have been proven to dramatically address the underlying causes of aging skin, decrease dryness and irritation and promote a more youthful complexion include Alchimie forever’s:

- Gentle Cream (Excimer) cleanser — (apply 14 times a week for best results)

- Protective Morning (Yttrium) Cream –(apply 7 times a week for best results)

- Calming Evening (Kantic) Cream –(apply 7 times a week for best results)

- Intensely Nourishing (Kantic+) Cream –(apply 7 times a week for best results)

- Royal Cream Moisturizer (for men) — (apply 7-14 times a week for best results)

- Antioxidant Relief for the feet and hands — (apply as needed)

- Age Defying (Diode) Serums 1 & 2 –(apply 14 times a week under moisturizer with/and sunscreen for best results)

- Gentle (Excimer) Antioxidant Refining Scrub — (apply 2-3 times a week before the Brightening Moisture Mask for best results)

- Brightening Moisture (Kantic) Mask — (apply 2-3 times a week after the Gentle Antioxidant Refining Scrub for best results)

Also Jan Marini is an excellent brand to consider incorporating into your daily skin care regimen in order to achieving dramatic corrective and preventative results in the treatment of dryness, dehydration and all other issues associated with aging

July 28th, 2011 / Health & Wellness, Skin Care

July 12th, 2011 / News, Skin Care

Written by, Malaika Thompson, Licensed Esthetician

Skin cleansers work as emulsifiers to remove dirt, excess natural skin oils, bacteria, cosmetics and exfoliate the surface skin cells.  Which in turn helps your skin breathe and attain the correct nourishment if followed by toning and moisturizing.

When considering a cleansing agent for daily use determine your skin type and pick a cleansing agent suited to your skin – a good cleanser will not disturb the ph balance of your skin and keep it feeling nourished and fresh.  If you’re unsure of your skin type consider booking a facial appointment and consult with an aesthetician.

For those with oily skin, the importance of cleansing is doubled, as they may want to remove excess oil from oil glands but not the fat that waterproofs the skin. Therefore, cleansers meant for oily skin have a certain amount of astringent present instead of an oil-base that helps rid the extra oil and prevents clogging of sebaceous glands that can lead to skin disorders like blackheads and acne.

Those with dry and sensitive skin need to choose a cleanser that protects the oil content of their skin since the extra foaming variety suited for oily skin will only strip the skin of natural moisture and dry it. Such persons need to pick a cleanser that has oil-balance properties to re-hydrate and moisturize the skin after the ritual.

Cleansing and Skin Care tips

• The best way to begin cleansing your face is by washing your hands thoroughly to prevent transfer of bacteria to your face
• Begin with the hairline and work your way down with gentle sweeping movements over the face, lips and down the neck
• Massage the cleanser gently onto the face with light movements of the fingertips and leave on for absorption and deep cleansing for about a minute
• Next, with the help of a clean cotton makeup pad, wipe away the visible dirt and pollution with your hands and if there is any cosmetic residue, wipe it downwards towards the neck
• Rinse your face using cool water to splash it. The temperature of the water is very important, as too hot or too cold water can cause flushing and increase broken capillaries, if such exist on your skin

Additional ideas from beautytips.ygoy.com

• Be sure to cleanse at night! Skin cell regeneration (the process where fresh, new skin cells replace old, dead skin) happens at a faster rate at night so the simple act of cleansing before going to bed will ensure that this process occurs in a healthy and optimal manner

• Cleansing and skin care tips are meant to increase the lifespan of beautiful skin and help in detoxification of unhealthy toxins in the body. Always follow up with a good toner and moisturizer. Cosmetic brands that are sure to provide promising results include Alchimie Forever’s Excimer Purifying Gel Cleanser for normal to oily skin and Alchimie Forever’s Exciser Gentle Cream Cleanser for normal to dry skin

June 13th, 2011 / Health & Wellness, Skin Care

Written by, Malaika Thompson, Licensed Esthetician

Reduce under eye puffiness, dark circles and wrinkles with this simple green tea treatment:

• Steep two green tea bags in warm water for a maximum of two minutes
• Place the tea bags in a Ziploc bag and then cool in the refrigerator for 20 minutes
• Place them over your eyes as a compress for 10 minutes

Green tea contains an anti-inflammatory, called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), that reduces the fluid build-up which causes under eye puffiness, dark circles and wrinkles (aka crows feet).  The cool tea bags also assist in alleviating puffiness.

For maximum benefit, MINT Aesthetician, Malaika Thompson recommends you buy the green tea in loose-leaf form and place the green tea leaves in a separate non-bleached green tea bags.  Higher quality loose leaf green tea can be easily found online, through sites such as Relax, Sip & Enjoy and in authentic east Asian stores.  The higher quality green tea has much more of the EGCG, which not only helps with under eye puffiness, dark circles and wrinkles but also can be consumed to give you all the antioxidant properties of green tea.

To extend the benefits of this treatment follow with the application of Alchimie Forever’s Rejuvenating Eye Balm (for her) or Tightening Eye Contour Gel (for him). These are loaded with powerful antioxidants which include, blueberries, jojoba, alfalfa and grape seeds (for her) and alchemilla, apple, jojoba, basil, and maté (for him) that effectively target under eye puffiness, dark circles and wrinkles.

From Malaika Thompson, MINT Aesthetician

May 20th, 2011 / Skin Care

Time spent at the spa is not only a chance to rejuvenate, but it is also an opportunity ask the experts for their advice about how to take better care of yourself – especially your skin. Two MINT estheticians have ideas for your consideration:

From MINT Esthetician Malaika Thompson
Vitamin C Serum

Incorporating Vitamin C Serum into your daily skin care routine is a simple and effective way to promote a healthy complexion regardless of your skin type and condition. The way in which Vitamin C Serum can benefit facial skin includes; tightening the pores, stimulating collagen production, brightening the complexion (thus promoting a healthy glow), preventing skin cell oxidation (thus significantly reducing and preventing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles), diminishing hyper pigmentation (discoloration), reducing and preventing breakouts as well as increasing the skin’s elasticity and cell turn over rate. Cosmetic brands that provide promising results include Alchimie Forever’s Diode Serums 1 & 2 and SkinCeutical’s Phloretin CF and C & E Ferulic Serum.

While Vitamin C Serum is vital to promoting healthy and attractive skin, so is receiving a facial every four to six weeks in order to thoroughly clean out your pores through the extraction of black heads and oil deposits.

From MINT Esthetician Maya Brooks
Simple home care remedy for blemishes

Mix honey with cinnamon powder and apply paste on blemishes before sleeping and wash away the next morning. The combination of honey and cinnamon has been used in Asian & Ayurvedic medicine for centuries. Cinnamon is one of the oldest spices known to mankind. The two ingredients mixed together have unique healing abilities and have long been used as a home remedy.

The essential oils in cinnamon and the enzyme in honey produce hydrogen peroxide and create the ability to stop the growth of bacteria as well as fungi. Both are used not just as a beverage flavoring and medicine, but also as an embalming agent and as alternatives to traditional food preservatives due to their effective antimicrobial properties.

April 22nd, 2011 / Skin Care

How are you planning to celebrate Earth Day?  Maybe you have a weekend hike in the works, are attending the EPA event on the Mall or are volunteering to clean up one of our local watershed areas.  But when it comes down to it, we can’t show our appreciation for mother earth by doing these things everyday.  Outside of the obvious ways you do your part, by recycling etc., Maria Smith, the Spa Director at MINT, has another suggestion for how to pay homage to our environment – choose a plant based skin care system, such as Alchimie Forever.

Mother Earth isn’t the only one who will benefit when you choose a completely renewable skin care product.  Plant based products have been proven to be incredibly effective at improving the health of your skin, the scientific basis behind the Alchimie Forever line is outlined on their website.  Confidently choose a plant based product and use it with the following tip from MINT Esthetician, Malaika Thompson:

Exfoliate twice a week at night after cleansing: It is preferable to exfoliate at night because you don’t want to expose your skin to the sun right after it has been stripped. Bare in mind that exfoliation ensures that products will work more effectively because it removes dry dull skin cells so the nutrients from products such as serums, masques and moisturizers can actually sink into your skin rather than sit on top of it. Check out Alchimie Forever’s exfoliating option with state of the art ingredients.

November 15th, 2010 / Around DC, Health & Wellness, Skin Care

A couple of great skin care tips came to my attention in a recent blog post from Well+Good NYC. When you’re at the gym, you want to work out your body; not your skin. While sweating purifies your skin, leaving the sweat on your face can cause breakouts (it is bacteria after all). A simple tip here is to wash your face after you workout – RIGHT after you workout – and never break this rule. They also suggests it’s better to start with a clean face. Sure you want to look good at the gym, but studies show exercising in make-up means bacteria combines with the dead skin on your face and will clog pores.

Now, how to wash your face… gentle cleansers, tepid water (too cold and it closes your pores), pat dry (don’t wipe) and don’t dry your skin completely (air dry to keep it from getting tight), and calm your skin with toning spray. Check out the blog for more details.

March 16th, 2010 / Skin Care

According to Dr. Maoshing Ni, “Citrus is considered a superfood for healthy skin. Many studies have confirmed the healing properties of oranges, which are attributed to a wide array of phytonutrients that function as antioxidants, including flavanones, anthocyanins, polyphenols, and vitamin C. These antioxidant nutrients help protect you from the ravages of free radicals, which alter the chemical structure of your cells. When free radicals damage enough cells, especially in the skin, signs of aging soon appear…”

In addition to the great benefits on the inside, citrus fruits are also great for skin on the outside! Citrus fruits naturally exfoliate and slough away dead skin.

For Spring, MINT’s all-natural seasonal facial is a blend of lemons, limes orange and grapefruit. This facial is only available for March and April. So refresh today!

Tags: citrus facial, citrus skin, facial dc, facials, natural facial, organic facial