It was about 4pm on the Thursday before Good Friday when Gary rolled up on his motorcycle to get his mini Sense facial. I was excited because Gary was my first guy who was actually looking forward to getting a free facial and product demo. While I appreciate the guys who tried and had a - what - the - heck - I'll - try - anything - once- attitude, Gary was different. He said he'd always found them relaxing though he wasn't too sure why it was important to take care of his skin. Undeterred by horrendous traffic and braving an hour and a half snarl in the midtown tunnel Gary is clearly a guy who appreciates health and a little pampering. And why shouldn't he? Skin is the bodies largest organ and is a direct pathway between the pathogens in the outside world to our inside world of organs, blood, bone and tissue.
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| Looking like a pirate Gary is ready for his closeup |
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| My Sense Easter Set Up |
Healthy Skin is Healthy
Regardless of what skin you are in, every skin be it oily, dry, normal or combination skin has six basic needs. Here's the Run Down
1. Hydration A balance between water and oil or the alpha lipoic film protects the skin from bacteria, fungus and keeps skin supple. Eww fungus.
2. Proper Nutrition; Skin reflects the state of the body. You cannot give what you have not got. You cannot expect your skin to look it's best if you are lacking or deficient in antioxidants and DHA and EPA Omega 3 fatty acids. As I spoke with Gary I discovered that he thinks something is fishy with fish oils which are the usual go to source for Omega 3s. I informed Gary that they can be obtained from the vegetarian sources of flax, hemp or chia seeds or oils. Sprinkle chia seeds on your salad or add a tablespoon of these oils to your smoothie. CoQ10 is another very important nutrient for maintaining skin as production levels decrease after age 35. This will help maintain a healthy cell turnover. Foods or supplements like grape seed extract and organic blueberries, strawberries or whole grapes that are ripe and in season combat free radical damage on the skin arising from smoke, smog and greasy diets. (p.s. Usana makes a mercury free triple distilled fish oil with lemon for the fishy after taste)
3. Anti Oxidants
Using facial products that contain topical nutrition helps give the skin the ammunition it needs to protect against the ravages of free radicals arising from environmental stress. In other words, the midtown tunnel that Gary was sitting in for an hour and a half was a free radical cocktail of car, bus and motorbike exhaust that was entering his body via the trans - medium of his skin.The skin is the third lung. We don't want that. Vitamins A, C, grape seed, whole grape to name a few work together in a synergistic fashion to protect.
4. Anti aging ingredients are a good thing to start using in our late teens. This is when the aging process begins so using products that help repair the skin, keep it strong, hydrated, elastic and promote cell renewal is what we are looking for here.
5. Protection can be achieved but avoiding soap and soap based products. Soap unfortunately has the effect of drying out the skin and has in the majority of cases undesirable parabens and even pesticides in them which will only destroy your skins ability to produce collagen. Try using a skin primer like Christopher Drummond's Rosemary Skin Prep. It smells great in a peppery kind of way and is toxin free.
6. Exfoliation keeps the pores clean and unclogged from blackheads and dead dull looking skin. Allow the products you are using on your skin penetrate and heal more effectively without the barrier of dead skin. Let it breathe with a gentle routine every week. You will look younger and will also avoid nicking and cutting your skin while shaving.
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| Gary got the Full Treatment with the Sense Deluxe Pack |
Hey, Gar - Lookin' good! -Karen
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