scottsdale skincare Archives • Page 28 of 28 • Sleekskin® Aesthetics of Scottsdale AZ offers facials, waxing, make-up applications, and skin care products.

Detoxifying Tea Blends For Healthy Skin, Digestion & Energy

April 25, 2017 by debbiedavis

By now we know that a cup of tea provides far more benefits than simply warming the soul. Made into brews, tonics, and even lattes, our teas have become vehicles for potent remedies for nearly every complaint or imbalance.

Our daily brews and potions provide endless reward for what ails us at the moment and often far beyond. These combinations are no exception. Using multipurpose adaptogenic, energizing, and cleansing herbs, these blends promote digestion while also supplying a dose of caffeine-free energy and skin-soothing nutrition. READ MORE

The Adaptogenic Green Juice You Need For Thyroid Health

April 12, 2017 by debbiedavis

I can’t tell you how many questions I get from my clients—is green juice the devil if you have a thyroid condition? Many of us have heard that cruciferous vegetables can cause goiters, or that you shouldn’t eat raw cruciferous vegetables if you have hypothyroidism. Meanwhile, research has shown that broccoli, kale, spinach, and leafy greens help to boost glutathione levels, which support thyroid function.

No wonder people think navigating nutrition for thyroid balance is confusing!

Back in the 1950s, scientists looked into the goitrogenic properties of certain foods, or their ability to produce a goiter by suppressing thyroid function. Cruciferous vegetables were implicated because their raw glucosinolates (the precise phytonutrients that are cancer protective) might inhibit the intake of iodine. If that’s the reason, you’re missing out on a whole host of benefits from eating cruciferous vegetables on the possibility that they might knock out iodine. The far more sensible approach is to ensure sufficient iodine levels. READ MORE

The Ultimate Guide to Golden Milk, Everything You Need to Know

February 8, 2017 by debbiedavis

What is Golden Milk?

Golden Milk is based on the traditional Ayurvedic recipe that has been savored for centuries and used to support the mind and body in a number of ways.*

Making Golden Milk from scratch only takes about 15 minutes — if you have all the ingredients already on hand — but in today’s busy world, sometimes even that can feel like an insurmountable task. That’s why we created our own convenient version, which honors the Ayurvedic roots of this nourishing drink — and acknowledges the realities of our overscheduled lives.

Gaia Herbs Golden Milk is Certified Organic, with natural sweetness from Dates. It’s vegan and gluten-free with no GMOs or soy. Golden Milk is a convenient modern spin on a revered ancient drink. READ MORE

Beauty Sleep Explained by Debbie Davis of Sleekskin Aesthetics

January 24, 2017 by debbiedavis

It’s the New Year and you no doubt have many ideas about what you’ll improve upon in 2017, do more of this and less of, that etc. Many of you reading this are high achievers, your minds and bodies constantly “on the go”! This is a way of life in 2017. But do know how to “power down” when it’s time for sleep? Do you suffer from what the yoga community calls “monkey mind”, your thoughts a constant chatter going from one thing to another when you settle in for the night, or worse, when you wake in the middle of the night? Special care should be given to your nighttime rituals and skin care regimen to maximize your body and skin’s natural healing time.

Let’s start by talking about this “8 hour beauty secret” called sleep and how it relates to your skin. Rest allows the body to relax, detoxify, regain its strength, to re-set and to re-order the brain. The hot topic of sleep deprivation is more relevant now than ever. Research is showing that lack of sleep is linked to signs of aging and more serious health problems that include high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke. A trend report article in this month’s American Spa Magazine speaks of the unique processes that happen in skin during the day (protection -oriented) versus the night (repair- oriented). This is a good time to emphasize the importance of makeup removal and using superior products at night to optimize the time when the skin heals, repairs and detoxifies!! A common complaint that I hear is that fatigue wins out over nighttime skin care. My suggestion is to keep it simple and don’t wait until you are settled in for the night. After you finish some nightly chores, go right in and cleanse your face. You don’t want the free radicals from all the air pollution to “have a party in your skin”, damaging your healthy cells!

During sleep the ingredients in your products actually absorb better as the permeability barrier is lowered. The skin uses moisture when we sleep and the body flushes toxins through perspiration. This dehydration is why we need a richer cream at night to make up for this water loss. If we don’t get enough hours of sleep, the skin will show this poor water balance with the ever-popular under eye circles and bags, and dryness that only accentuates visible wrinkles! This brings us to the fact that uninterrupted sleep is crucial for repair and the manufacture of collagen. Remember last month’s article on collagen? Our youthful look is directly related to this protein found in our connective tissues, which does reduce as we age. If we miss even two hours of sleep, this boosts two influential hormones (cortisol and insulin) which signal a stress response in the body that will impair our collagen production. We make the most collagen at night during SLEEP! Stress hormones raise inflammation and lower immunity. This can increase skin sensitivity and even give way to conditions such as acne, eczema, psoriasis, and dermatitis. There is actually a new term in the aesthetics world called “inflammaging”- get the picture?! Tissue renews at a faster rate when the brain releases human growth hormone, which is at its highest level during sleep. You want to get as much of this hormone as you can, as it is called the youth hormone! Getting 7-8 hours of as much uninterrupted sleep will be the best boost for HGH (human growth hormone) levels.

If you’re interested in trying an exceptional night cream, Sleekskin’s Telomere Intensive Moisturizer includes three rich butters-shea, cocoa, and mango to feed the lipids in your skin as you sleep. This remarkable “Fountain of Youth” moisturizer stimulates elastin, smooths fine lines, tightens, firms, and fortifies. This cream contains three TM ingredients to extend your skin cell’s lifespan, stimulate collagen, and resist the natural aging process. To read more you may go the products section of this site.

Tips for Good Sleep Hygiene

1) Try to establish regular hours for sleeping and waking.

2) Get as much natural sunlight as possible.

3) Get moving and don’t sit for more than an hour.

4) Limit caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, and big meals at night.

5) Establish relaxing bedtime rituals-warm baths, soft music, reading, light stretching,or drinking a warm beverage (terrific recipe link for this at the end!)

6) Create a calm and tranquil sleep environment. Darkness is best as is omitting electronic devices from the room.

Sleep deprivation, whether chronic or intermittent will lead to a dry and lifeless complexion. So this year vow to get better sleep, because in the words of skin care director Michael de Stephano, “Exhausted is never anyone’s best look”. !

Please see this wonderful article on the newest “it” drink for health-Golden Milk, here. Not only will it relax you ,but it will enhance your health in many ways.

Skintrition Tips from Sleekskin Aesthetics

October 30, 2016 by debbiedavis

Thanks for your interest in “Eating Pretty”, to borrow a phrase from author Jolene Hart! It’s never too late to clean up our habits to create healthier bodies and skin.

I’m just listing the most important ideas that come to mind to help make some very significant boosts to your complexion and well-being.

1. HYDRATION

A good rule to strive for is drinking 1/2 your body weight in ounces per day. This can be water, herbal tea or non-caffeinated, non-alcoholic beverages. My favorite is Green Matcha tea mixed with Rooibos Tea (I get it flavored with vanilla and orange-yum!). Green tea is loaded with health benefits, but it is important to drink water as well to offset the caffeine content and stay fully hydrated. Eating hydrating foods are superb to keep the skin supple and glowing. Cucumbers, celery, watermelon and other water-rich foods can be eaten each day. The rage at the moment is Bone Broth for collagen building too! Soups are the “new juice” this winter, and a great source of hydration and nutrients. When you increase your hydration, you can help normalize your weight and basically help every cellular and bodily function!

2. FIBER

The focus right now is on Gut Health-what goes on there has everything to do with how our skin looks and feels! Keeping things “moving and decongested” will be tied to how much fiber you take in each day-strive for eating whole fruits, vegetables, and salads in their raw state as much as possible. Eat the rainbow as they say, and you will be doing a good job. Beans, lentils, sweet potatoes and quinoa count!

3. NO SUGAR (and things that turn to sugar in the bloodstream)

Sugar is dehydrating, acidic and super aging to the skin! A good way to sweeten things is with Stevia, it is plant-derived, all natural, and doesn’t boost your glycemic index. This is important because excess sugar is stored as fat and also contributes to a fancy term called Advanced Glycation End Products (AGES). These encourage cross-linking of sugar and protein in the skin which is commonly known as WRINKLES 🙁

4. HEALTHY FATS

Fact- glowing, beautiful skin needs good quality fats. These are raw nuts, avocados, coconuts, fatty fish like salmon and sea bass, and olive oil, instead of corn and vegetable oils (these types of oils oxidize and create free radicals which lead to premature aging).

5. LESS DAIRY

Tests have shown that some of the growth hormones in dairy can trigger acne. Fermented dairy (Yogurt and Kefir) are good for gut health. Good subs for milk are any of the nut milks, like almond or coconut.

6. GREENS

The obvious choices are the dark green leafy veggies like spinach, kale and arugula (good acne-fighters). Collard greens are full of chlorophyll and magnesium which help fight under-eye circles and brighten skin tone. Why not sneak in parsley and cilantro any time you can into salads, soups, stir-frys and wraps as they are wonderful cleansing agents and take heavy metals out of the body too (amazing right?)

7. VITAMIN C

Vitamin C helps us keep up with the Sleekskin Motto: “Radiant Skin from Within” to give us collagen and fight aging! I drink fresh lemon juice and water each morning. For a collagen boost I started mixing in a collagen powder called Dermal Matrix that I buy at Sprouts.

8. LIVER CLEANSING FOODS

The liver detoxifies our bodies and breaks down fats, so we want to keep it as “un-burdened” as possible for optimum function. Some excellent choices for this include artichokes, asparagus, cruciferous veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels Sprouts, and sea veggies like nori and kelp. That morning lemon juice is fantastic for the liver!

9. ANTI-INFLAMMATORY FOODS

These reduce skin redness, dullness, acne and wrinkles. Add in more foods with high antioxidants such as berries, cherries, and grapes. Also foods that high in Omega 3 fatty acids, like salmon and nuts. These all lower the inflammatory response in the body. Adding spices like turmeric and ginger are also good!

Collagen Skin Cleanser Smoothie

1/2 of a pear

1 lime

1 cup cucumber

5 parsley leaves

a handful of mint leaves

3 drops of vanilla

1 cup of water (or coconut water)

*add in stevia for some sweetness

Blend and enjoy!

Please visit my web site for more information on skin-loving treatments, services and products at www.sleekskinaz.com

“Remember, how old you are is your business, how old you LOOK is mine!”

Call me today!

Yours in Beauty, Debbie Davis at Sleekskin Aesthetics

480-315-1364 – www.sleekskinaz.com – sleekskin@aol.com