When Skincare become Anti-Aging

Looking good for your age is more than how you care for your skin. To appear youthful, one's anti-aging plans need to be holistic. While diet and lifestyle affects our skin from inside out, skincare balances out the effects of the environment on our skin.

One of the most important tips for successful anti-aging skincare is to maintain the health of the skin cells. No matter what the season, the goal is to keep skin cells moist by slowing down trans-dermal (through the skin) water loss.

Weather conditions that are challenging for skin health are; low humidity, low ambient temperature, wind, sun exposure. It's no coincidence that Vata becomes a strong energy when we are in middle age. But we can also experience dehydration of the body and skin from environmental dampness as this Kapha energy slows down metabolism and circulation.


Effective anti-aging skincare starts with protection. Excess sun exposure will cause skin dehydration and damage leading to premature aging skin and skin cancer. Safe sun exposure depends on skin cell health (moisture level), the amount of sebum naturally occurring, melanin activity, and other genetics characteristics. The fairer and the drier the skin the more sun protection is needed.

Some sun protection options are

1. SPF
2. Large Brimmed Hat
3. Shade
4. Time limit.

Daily maintenance is paramount to maintaining a youthful appearance. To design an optimum routine you need to know your skin’s characteristics, i.e., hydration and oil levels. The next step is to understand how the key characteristic of your ambient environment are affecting the appearance of your skin. Then you can supplement your skin with products that balance the effectof the elements and maintain a healthy moisture level.

Cleansing appropriately is important. If cleansing is aggressive you will need to work more at bringing skin back to balance. The best gentle cleansing products are milks. But there are some gels that are gentle enough for sensitive mature skin. Bar soap is too alkaline and therefore too drying to skin.

Hydration is having a certain level of moisture in your skin cells. If you skin cells are less than optimally hydrated then they will be shrunken, giving your skin a dry dull appearance. This can be temporary and hydration can be revived when skin is sprayed with an organic hydrosol. So when you are active in the sun bring one to keep skin cells plump and to avoid looking leathery and sun worn.

For more long wearing hydration use a nourishing serum. Ones with expensive goodies like collagen and hylauronic acid are good performers in keeping skin looking good long term. Pure + simple’s Collagen + Elastin Plus http://bit.ly/jYMMka is our most popular product due to it’s performance and its uniqueness.

To slow the trans-dermal water loss, a good moisturizer can make the difference in skin that looks fresh after lunch and one that is lined and tired. Tinted moisturizers can be a convenient 2 for 1 way to put moisturizer and foundation like Pure + simple Flawless http://bit.ly/l6DMgJ

Moisturize with a rich cream to slow down moisture loss and to give skin a soft smooth texture. Pure + simple has 2 creams for those who do not like richness but want anti aging nourishment. Pure + simple Organic Sunflower cream, http://bit.ly/lpH8m6 is the base for the Flawless foundation mentioned above. It is rich but absorbs quickly. Cellular Renewal Cream, http://bit.ly/j3yOBn ,is light but is loaded with anti Aging goodies like green tea and pomegranate.

While summer in Toronto is humid, there are days you feel dry and experience dry mouth. These are the days to load up with moisture. To supplement moisture, use a face oil, like Rejuvenating Face Oil, http://bit.ly/iI6Uh2 , with organic geranium and evening primrose oil, when the weather is arid and windy. Apply after your serum and before your regular moisturizer .

Then carry your hydrosol in a convenient small bottle and spray when you feel tight. Feeling tight or that your skin is unclean means your skin cells are thirsty. This is also a good time to make sure you are drinking enough. Allowing your skin to go dry will not just make you look less attractive but will also slow down circulation impeding moisturization to skin cells and you may experience more cold at the extremities.

Special Facial treatments, like Sea Salt MicroDermabrasion, http://bit.ly/lLvByF , that can increase circulation to skin cells and increase hydrating level of the skin cells. They also give skin a deeper youthful appearance.

Lets use for example a person with Vata skin with a Fitzpatrick 2 skin tone. This is a thin delicate skin that is very light in colour. This person is in need of high oil supplementation either in a face oil or in a rich cream. From her late twenties or thirties she may use Sea Salt MicroDermabrasion to minimize lines and dryness in her skin. From her forties onward a combination of Sea Salt MicroDermabrasion and IPL (Intense Pulse Light), http://bit.ly/kK4mB2 will help to keep her skin looking as young as she feels.

To get he most out of your investment in beautiful skin, it is advisable to exfoliate the skin with Sea Salt MicroDermabrasion. It prepares the skin to respond more effectively to anti-aging treatments like IPL (Intense Pulse Light), http://bit.ly/kK4mB2 , and Microcurrent Face Lifts, http://bit.ly/jDQlVf .

Tired of Anti Aging?

Tired of Anti Aging?

You don’t like what you are seeing in the mirror. Your decide to change your moisturizer or if you really are unhappy, contemplate more drastic measure of cosmetic facial procedures like botox or collagen injections!.

Before you decide on the solution spend more time on the cause. Sure remedying your immediate skin needs locally while you exploring the bigger picture is an excellent start to better looking skin.

The cool, dry air of autumn can challenge our ability to look fresh and feel vital. Yes-- if your skin is under the weather then -- so is your over all wellbeing. Therefore when we experience unattractive skin problems, we need to go beyond the four skin types of Dry, Normal, Combination and Oily.

Our frustrations with our appearance (our face is a large part of that for most of us) is greatly influenced by our genetic make up or -- what we at Pure + simple call -- our Doshas and by our daily skincare and lifestyle.

Those of us who are chronically dry (Vata) and of us who are chronically reddish or sensitive, perhaps acne prone (Pitta) will need very different solutions to the same problem of dry aging skin and to the drier cooler weather.

And to further complicate -- or if you are more positive, to further customize the solution to the individual -- we can consider other factors that influence our health and skin; like our daily stress level, our lifestyle, work habits and of course our diet and lifestyle. Add to this list any medications or supplements we are taking and any afflictions our bodies are tending to.

Therefore the more you understand why your skin is in the undesirable condition (your own personal definition) and the elements in your life that contribute to it, the better the solution will be from skin care to overall changes to your lifestyle and diet.

Something to consider when you begin to achieve your new look is the following example. A woman in her fifties, with dry dull skin, who wants flawless skin but also would prefer to not want to wear make up to help camouflage any “flaws” would have more challenges to achieve her goals than a thirty year old with the same goals. She also will to invest more in skincare and lifestyle changes than another woman with similar variables but less stringent expectations.

Generally most mature skin types will find relief by increasing the moisture content of her skin with a good quality collagen serum and a rich protective moisturizer. The more discriminating can increase the youthfulness of her skin can attain this intention with a few treatments of either Microdermabrasion (we recommend the healthier alternative of sea salt to aluminum) or Intense Pulse Light (IPL) or both. Again it depends on the current skin condition and the expected end result.

Holistic health additions can include simple diet and lifestyle alterations that respond to seasonal changes like eating root vegetables and stews in fall to counteract internal dryness can increase positive results for skin.

Looking for more natural solutions to pharmaceutical medications will lessen the dehydration of skin and most likely to your internal organs, too. Stop dehydrating habits like cigarette smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages will not only increase overall hydration but lessen skin breakouts, sensitivity and redness. You body will also lessen its need for antioxidants due to the lower toxic load.

Phew!

Enough work for now. We will tackle the more challenging solutions that include our mind and emotions later.