Sleekskin® Aesthetics of Scottsdale AZ offers facials, waxing, make-up applications, and skin care products.

Full-service personal custom skin care management and skin care treatments for women, men, and teens.

2 Detox Bath Recipes to Naturally Flush Out Toxins

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There’s nothing more relaxing than submerging into a warm bath at the end of the day. But what if a simple soak could do more than just ease tension and sore muscles?

With the addition of a few natural ingredients, we can, in fact, take our baths from relaxing to wholly detoxifying, helping our body remove a large percentage of the toxins we’re exposed to on a daily basis in the form of pesticides, heavy metals, flame retardants, and air pollution.

While it’s easy to assume we don’t come into contact with too many chemicals in our normal day-to-day lives – and therefore don’t need to detox – studies suggest otherwise. READ MORE

A Holistic Esthetician’s Guide To Dewy, Radiant Skin

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Who doesn’t want glowing, healthy, youthful skin? With the right treatment from the inside out as well as the outside in, incredible skin is achievable for everyone no matter what issue you may be struggling with.

As a holistic esthetician, I address the root cause of my clients’ skin issues and provide a customized protocol to completely transform not only their skin but their entire body. The following guidelines are the most powerful ways I have found to get healthy, flawless skin READ MORE

Beauty Sleep Explained by Debbie Davis of Sleekskin Aesthetics

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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.

 

Probiotics and Skin – What’s the Connection?

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It seems that we have been hearing a lot lately about the benefits of adding probiotics (the good bacteria) to our diets. Another word creeping in is “microbiome”.

The microbiome can be defined as “the combined genetic material of the microorganisms in our intestinal tract”. They protect us against germs, and break down food to produce energy and vitamins. In short, they literally control our health!

So this subject is not as boring as you may have thought! The interconnectedness of our gut, brain, immune and hormonal systems is real. Just ask any woman who has an unwanted break-out the week before her cycle about the way hormones can affect the skin! This brings us to the link between inflammation (a by-product of bad gut flora) and the burden it places on the liver to process our hormones correctly. Balancing hormones begins in the gut, so it best to foster the best gut health possible.

According to Dr. Nigma Talib, Naturopathic Dr. and Aesthetician, as one balances the good bacteria, the skin becomes smoother, more hydrated, fine lines and wrinkles begin to disappear, and skin tone improves. Most people are aware that probiotics can be added to our diet through Greek yogurt and supplements (30-50 billion is good), but topical use of probiotics in skincare products have been shown to enhance the skin’s defense barrier and increase its immune response. Whether you are dealing with acneic, aging, or sensitive skin, probiotics help with decreasing inflammation,activating immunity, and decreasing water loss.

Using probiotics to fight acne has shown real promise as an alternative to harsh, stripping ingredients, as well as a preventative! This can lead to faster healing and clearing. Lessening inflammation means lowering reactivity-this becomes important for rosacea and other inflammatory skin conditions. I am now adding in some wonderful masks and moisturizers with probiotics to my facials, as the skin care industry makes these products more available. Just ask your skin care professional about them.

So what are some additional ways to enhance our lives and diets with good probiotics?

  • Eating clean! Reducing your intake of processed and sweetened foods, adding in naturally fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kefir, kombucha, and yogurt. Other great choices include eating more fiber- bananas, blueberries, beans, cruciferous veggies like broccoli and kale.
  • Eat less animal products
  • Lower stress
  • Get better sleep
  • Limit antibiotics
  • Sweat!

Your journey to more beautiful skin just got a little easier!

Please call 480-315-1364 (no texts to this number) to come in for your complimentary consultation about a customized recommendation for your at home regimen. —Deb

Sleekskin® Aesthetics
10900 North Scottsdale Road, Suite 207
Scottsdale, Arizona 85254