The Art of the Cleanse.

By now, you probably understand that gently cleansing your facial skin one to two times per day removes pollution, dirt, excess oil, sunscreen, makeup, and unwanted substances you’ve accumulated throughout the day. Water alone cannot get rid of that kind of grime, no matter how ‘clean’ your skin looks. 

 We’ll spare you the science lesson (unless you want one, go here → lab muffin beauty science, we love her and respect her point of view https://labmuffin.com/how-to-choose-gentle-cleanser/ ). Suffice to say that cleansers need surfactants to do their jobs effectively and there are many kinds of surfactants out there. Ideally, you’re using a mild one so as not to damage and inflame your skin.

 Master-level cleansing can yield even better results for your skin and maximize your investment in cleansers with great ingredients.

 Follow these five steps to earn your masters in cleansing:

_01 Grab your cleanser and check for these ingredients

(excerpted from https://labmuffin.com/how-to-choose-gentle-cleanser/ )

Ones to avoid: Harsh surfactants with both these characteristics include:

• many soaps (e.g., “sodium XXate” – sodium laurate, sodium cocoate, sodium tallowate)

• sodium lauryl sulfate (aka SLS)

Scan your label looking for these much gentler surfactants. Bonus points if they have more than one of these, which is a good thing:

• sodium laureth sulfate (SLES), especially in combination with cocamidopropyl betaine (CAPB)

• sodium cocoyl isethionate

• alkyl sulfosuccinates (“XX succinate” in an ingredients list)

• alkyl sarcosinates

_02 Use tepid water

The hotter the water, the more it strips your skin.

_03 Remove your makeup before you cleanse

• Many women who wear makeup do a double cleanse. Once with a balm or creamy cleanser and a second cleanse with their ‘cleanser.’

• You are working to remove grime and irritants, you have to get the makeup off before you can properly cleanse your skin.

_04 Do not use soap or bar soap

This where pH comes into play, your cleanser should match your skin type, and the higher the pH, the harsher the cleanser is. It should be below 6. Googling can usually help you figure out what yours is. Soap always has a very high pH.

_05 Do not scrub aggressively

Ferocious cleansing for an extended period of time might feel beneficial or therapeutic, but all it will do is leave your skin red and angry. Lather with tepid water, emulsify your cleanser in your hands, apply all over face and neck, focus gentle circular motions at your t-zone and u-zone, rinse, pat dry with a clean towel.

Congratulations! You’ve not got a(nother) master's degree! Not sure about what cleanser to use? Ask us the next time you’re in. We love to impact your at-home care because it amplifies the aesthetic care we’re giving you.

Pssst: our top-selling, and our go-to cleanser at the Studio?

GM Collin, PURACTIVE+ CLEANSING GEL

Pssst: our top-selling, and our go-to cleanser at the Studio?

 GM Collin, PURACTIVE+ CLEANSING GEL

It contains SODIUM LAURYL GLUCOSE CARBOXYLATE,  which is approved for use in certified organic cosmetics by both Organic Food Federation and EcoCert, COCO-BETAINE, and LAURYL GLUCOSIDE, which are glucose and coconut or palm-based surfactants that are very gentle, respect the ph of the skin, and will not strip the healthy oils from the skin’s surface. 

Neck Rejuvenation Without Surgery

We all notice that with maturity, the neck can become lax, and wrinkles start to appear. As the skin thins, underlying muscle structures become more visible. Just like with the skin on your face, your neck and décolleté area show the signs of aging as time passes. However, this skin may be quicker to show these effects because it’s thinner than the skin on other parts of your body, and it’s also an area that sees a lot of sun exposure, which further damages the skin and cell structures.

Many men and women think this thinning skin makes them look older than they are and certainly older than they feel. What they don’t realize is that the scalpel is not the only method for achieving improvement in this area. Other good options exist that are much less invasive. Our current favorite is dilute Radiesse, and we have been seeing good results with minimal downtime. 

Radiesse is a sterile dermal filler that was initially approved by the FDA in 2006. It is made from synthetic calcium hydroxylapatite, which is a particle that is naturally found in the body. These particles are suspended in a sterile gel carrier. Radiesse has well documented bio-stimulatory effects that cause an increase in collagen and elastin.

As the lower face and neck start to give way, Radiesse is one of our favorite go-to products. Our technique suspends the particles in a sterile saline mixture and places this solution under the skin like a thin veil. Because we use a round-tipped cannula, there is usually minimal bruising and a high level of safety. To get the best effect, we recommend receiving this procedure three times, spaced apart by 4-6 weeks. We have noticed an improvement, however, with just one treatment. Winter is the perfect time to get your neck in shape because we want you to feel good about your neck again!

Radiesse Neck Treatment SPECIAL. FEBRUARY - MAY 2020 ONLY!

 Receive your first Radiesse neck treatment for $350 ($50 off, normally $400)

Your second for $325 ($75 off, normally $400)

Your third for $300 ($100 off, normally $400)

Tweakments: Non-Invasive Mini Services That Youthify on the Sly

While some tropes about ‘frozen face’ and ‘bursting with filler’ still exist, today’s preferred aesthetic and the type delivered by top-notch medical professionals, (RNs, PAs, and MDs) rely on treatments that are much more subtle and sustainable.

Botox, Newtox, and fillers can offer a sly tweak that brings just enough change to  achieve that more youthful look without obviously looking like you’ve had ‘work.’

Today, these treatments are referred to as ‘tweakments.’  They are the opposite of the ‘tight & puffy’ look of overly frozen and filled faces and are instead a gentle approach with genuinely natural-looking results.

When you’re ready for a fresher look and are already using the right skincare, a tweakment restores a youthful look almost immediately. One of Dr. Julie Seaman’s clients recently said this: “My friends were questioning me about my amazing skin (their words, not mine. Thank you, Leah!), but they kept pushing for information. Since I’m 45, they wanted to know what my secrets were. I told them I only had three secrets, skincare, Botox, and a skosh of filler. They almost fell over because they had no idea! They couldn’t believe there were any needles involved and that injectibles could look so natural.”

A Tweakment regimen typically includes a combination of skin peels, microneedling, med-facials, stellar skincare, and injectibles from a pro known for their advanced knowledge of facial structure -- like Julie and Krissy. The combo is the ultimate youthifier.