There’s no doubt about it, the number of compromised, problematic skins we are seeing is on the increase. Our clients’ lifestyle, diet, work/home environments and stress levels are damaging many skins, making skin disorders more common than ever before.


The secret is that tackling problem skins begins from the inside. The skin is created, supported and nourished from within so if it is showing signs of dysfunction, you need to look to the internal cause not just treat the symptoms topically.


Cystic acne is an example of a condition created entirely from within and therefore only able to be healed from the inside. Absolutely nothing can be done topically to treat this distressing condition.

These photos demonstrate the dramatic results you can achieve with cystic acne if you address the cause not just the symptoms.

So what sort of internal factors can be contributing to your skin's problem? Firstly, nutritional deficiencies play a major part and unfortunately, if your dry skin or acne is the result of a lack of certain vitamins or minerals, you will not be able to address this without first correcting the deficit. No amount of topical application of skin care products alone will be able to heal the problem.

A good example of that is acne. Studies have shown that acne sufferers are much more likely than non-acne sufferers to be deficient in the following vitamins and minerals:

• Vitamin A deficiency – makes infection more likely.
• Zinc deficiency – healing is impaired and sebaceous flow increased.
• EFA’s deficiency – comedones are more likely to form.
• Vitamin B5 deficiency – fat droplets build up in the sebaceous glands.
• Vitamin B6 deficiency – the body’s uptake and sensitivity to androgens is increased.
  
  

Eczema sufferers are also more likely to be deficient in certain nutrients and this makes the skin weaker and more vulnerable to inflammation and topical irritation.

So it is easy to see why we are doomed to failure if we do not address these nutritional deficiencies. Unfortunately it is becoming more and more likely you will be suffering from a lack of one or more of the important skin nutrients.

Some key skin nutrients, like beta-carotene and vitamin C, can easily be obtained through the diet by increasing your client’s intake of fresh fruit and vegetables. Other nutrients like zinc, B complex and EFA’s (Essential Fatty Acids) are best supplemented to ensure there is an adequate intake for healing skin.

There are also many things in our modern diets that can contribute to the problems our clients’ experience. Being aware of these problem foods can go a long way to helping correct the issues. Some of these problem foods are obvious like alcohol. You just need observe what happens to someone with fine, fair, sensitive skin who drinks alcohol to know that it is one of the most inflammatory things they can do and it definitely makes skin redder.

There are lots of other ‘hidden’ foods that could be ‘stoking the fire’ and contributing to the problems you may be experiencing. Heating and congesting foods and drinks become an issue for those of our clients who are genetically sensitive to them.

On the positive side, more and more of our commonly eaten foods are managing to find their way onto the growing list of foods that contain phyto-chemicals that heal and rebalance the skin.

It is also important to take a holistic view of the skin. What other influencing factors could be contributing to the problem?

Examples of irritants are chlorinated pools, hot spa pools, air conditioning, certain chemicals, soaps and shampoos to name just a few. Rosacea is an example of a condition that is greatly affected by external factors and these need to be considered in the treatment of this disorder.

In the Beauty Industry it has become common for us to look at the skin as an isolated part of the body rather than considering the big picture. The best way it was ever explained to me, is the skin is the best refection of your internal health.

This is so true of skin conditions as they are seldom due to only one factor. For example, the development of dermatitis can be a combination of a skin weakened by nutritional deficiencies being exposed to irritating chemicals and fuelled by inflammatory foods.

We also need to consider all the factors that could be undermining the health of the skin. The work/home environment, exercise, sleep, stress, diet, product application, overheating, and the list goes on.




Thanks to Janine Tait, for the inspiration for this post.

Day after day I get the same questions – “How exactly does IPL work?”, “What is  IPL?”, “Will I ever have to shave or wax again?”, “How many times will I have to come back?”, “Is it really permanent?”, “Will it help prevent or work on my ingrown hair?”, “I have dark skin; can I get IPL hair removal?”, and “Does it hurt?”.

There are so many facets of IPL hair removal to understand, that it will be difficult to fit them all into one article.  The intent of this is to give you a start on things to think about; a brief look into what is the truth behind IPL. Like I say to my nervous clients, “Relax, the anticipation is far worse than the actual treatment…” Are you ready?

First question – "How does it work?" Regardless of laser or IPL, we are using light energy to destroy a hair bulb by a process called photothermolysis. Let's break that down from its latin form. Photo meaning light, therm meaning heat and lysis meaning to destroy. Simply put, we are using light and heat to destroy the follicle. The goal is to use the right amount of light energy to heat and destroy a hair follicle. The light energy is absorbed and transformed into heat energy by an object referred to as a chromophore. A chromophore is a light absorbing target.

In the case of hair reduction, our chromophore is the pigment in the hair follicle. Did you ever walk barefoot onto your driveway or the beach on a sunny day and just about burn the heck out of your feet? That's because the pigment in the asphalt or the sand had absorbed all of that light energy. Energy is a constant – it changes forms, but never really goes away. So all of that light energy from the sun had been absorbed and changed into heat energy. Using light energy from laser or IPL works in a similar manner; the pigment in our hair absorbs that light energy, heats up quickly, and burns to the point of destruction of the hair bulb. The tricky part is to only destroy the hair bulb and not damage the surrounding tissues.

On to question number two… what is IPL?
IPL stands for Intense Pulsed Light. The concept is simple, we are using a lamp (like a flash on a camera), delivering an unbelievably intense pulse of light energy to affect a change in a target… still photothermolysis, still targeting chromophores – just using a whole spectrum of light wavelengths to do it. 
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IPLs typically have a larger spot size – the size of the area being affected by the individual pulse, and the light that they produce is highly divergent. The light from an IPL treatment is a whole host of wavelengths  and contains both visible and invisible light. On that note… if you or someone you know has had laser hair removal and they saw a bright flash of light, they most likely had an IPL treatment, not laser. The reason the IPL isn't safe or effective for darker skin is because of all of the different wavelengths of light. Remember we said that typically the longer the wavelength the deeper the penetration. Since IPLs have a variety of wavelengths, the shorter wavelengths may not penetrate to where they are needed, the bulb of the hair; they get snagged in the upper layers of the skin in red and brown pigments. The energy from those short wavelengths can get picked up by the pigment in the skin of darker individuals. That pigment in the skin will do the same as the hair follicle. It will grab that energy, heat up, and cause damage. Except instead of damage at the bulb where we want it, we'll cause damage in the skin, where we don't want it. The result can be as minimal as a slight burn or blister, which will heal in a short time, to an extreme of hyper- or hypopigmentation, or even a scar for a lifetime.


Since we typically only destroy or damage the hair bulb in the anogen phase, multiple treatments are necessary. Remember, it's not permanent hair removal, it is permanent hair reduction. The bulbs that we destroy will not produce hair. However, new hairs may grow, fine or vellus hair probably won't be affected and hormonal changes may cause growth of new hair that will need attention according to the client's desire. Shaving and tweezing will be greatly reduced and the dark, thick hair that the client has may be gone for good. However, some fuzz or a "lone wolf" hair might still be around long after several treatments. Follow up or touch up treatments may be necessary some time down the road.

By now you may be saying to yourself "I had no idea there was so much theory and science behind something as simple as hair removal." Waxing or electrolysis seem to be easier to understand… none of this science and physics stuff. 

Education is the key. The more knowledge you have and the better prepared you are at understanding the in's and out's involved in a IPL treatment,you will be better equipped in what hair removal option is the best for you.  Until next time, happy hair removal.

For more infomation about IPL, check out our IPL page for all our FAQ's

Toxins are excreted to the surface of the skin overnight via the sweat ducts. One of these waste by-products is urea, the same substance in urine. So literally your skin excretes waste on your face overnight, so that's WHY you need to use a cleanser in the morning! Just splashing water will not do it. 

Leaving sweat, urea, skins oil on the skin may cause breakouts, congestion and free radical damage which accelerates aging. You don't want to be walking around with toxins, waste products and urea on your face all day, do you?

So after you brush you teeth use a lovely refreshing cleanser and start the day fresh and clean! Your skin will thank you for it!

Cleansing your skin the morning not only feels great and washes away all the debris collected on the skin from the night before, after you have finished your morning routine - Cleanse, Tone, Moisturise and Sunscreen, this also helps your foundation to sit on your skin leaving a much smoother application for the day ahead!




Thanks to Jana Elston for this post. 

​Cosmetics: smooths, boosts radiance, clarifies, evens skin tone, improves skin texture, moisturises, hydrates, protects, conceals, highlights, softens, conditions, lubricates, cleanses, tones, refreshes, clarifies, deodorises, absorb excess skin oil, removes impurities


Cosmeceuticals: strengthens skin, strengthens/improves barrier, reduce redness, reduce appearance of rosacea, anti-irritant, minimise blotchiness, unclogs pores, removes congestion, controls breakouts, purifying, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, increases skins elasticity, firming & lifting, prevents signs of ageing, anti-ageing, reduces the appearance of fine lines & wrinkles, regenerates damaged skin, stimulates skin repair, heal, penetrates into the skin to act, fades or reduces the appearance of hyper-pigmentation.


What makes the difference is the quality of the raw ingredients & the quality of the end product. Professional only products rarely advertise to the mass market, they rely on RESULTS & word-of-mouth, not on marketing. So they HAVE TO PERFORM & deliver DRAMATIC results FAST.


Professional-only products usually have an extensive range that can be tailored to individual skin types, conditions or concerns. They are professional-only for a very good reason. It takes a thoroughly trained, qualified skin therapist to understand the skin in detail, the complex biological mechanisms & how these are affected by the environment & lifestyle. Only a qualified & trained therapist can confidently develop an effective treatment plan using professional-only products that will deliver results.


Cosmeceutical products can now be purchased just about everywhere. I have seen some impressive formulas in pharmacies, not surprisingly, since cosmeceuticals ARE a marriage of cosmetics & pharmaceuticals. These days, cosmeceuticals are not restricted to professional products only. Many department store, supermarket & pharmacy products contain ingredients that fall under the classification of cosmeceuticals such as retinol, B3, vitamin C, hydroxyl acids, peptides, growth factors, etc. High percentages are no longer a differentiating factor, nor is the delivery system. Encapsulation technology has been around for decades. Some pharmaceutical products do have high percentages of active ingredients & department store products have been using active ingredients & advanced delivery systems for some time.


Whenever you hear people talking about cosmetics, they generally refer to make up. The FDA defines cosmetics as make-up & as products designed "for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness, or altering the appearance without affecting the body's structure or functions". So soaps, shampoo, deodorant, fragrances, make up, etc are classed as cosmetics.


However antiperspirants that stop you from sweating, toothpaste that whitens teeth, or anti-bacterial soaps as well as SPF 30 or 50+ sunscreens are classed (by definition) as cosmeceuticals.


Dr Albert Klingman who first used the term cosmeceutical, however researching it, Raymond Reed, founder of the U.S. Society of cosmetic chemists, who created the concept of "cosmeceutical" in 1961. The American dermatologist Albert Kligman popularised term “cosmeceutical” in the late 1970s. In the 1980, he went on to research Vitamin A & its effects on acne, sun damage and premature ageing. This is when Retinol & its use in skin care was born, which has revolutionised how we treat skin today.
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Dr Alber Klingman defined Cosmeceuticals as skin care products combining cosmetics and pharmaceuticals ingredients. They are more active than basic skin care products that cleanse & cover up imperfections, but not as active as prescription skin medications. Cosmeceuticals are regarded as skin care products with active ingredients claiming to have medical benefits.

Thanks to Jana Elston for inspiration for this post!