Why Are You Getting So Red in the Face?

When you were young, a flushing of the skin was considered attractive. The pink disappeared as fast as it came.

As a young adult, the redness can still not be tempoary. It can now appear when you are being emotional, using irritating skincare products, eating spicy foods or drinking alcohol.

As you age, the causes of the redness grow to heat, extraneous exercise and consuming hot foods and drinks, cigarette smoke and other chemical inhalants. You may even suffer redness when stress or lack of sleep. The medications prescribed to you can be another trigger.

Also as our age advances, the redness becomes more chronic and at times seems to make our faces puffy looking.

Redness is more widespread in the summer due to the higher heat and humidity exacerbating the other triggers for redness. Summer heat and sun exposure can easily increase the area of redness and the length of time of the redness.

Puffy red cheeks may be unattractive and take attention away from the beauty of your eyes. But the real reason to act is because you want to correct the situation the redness is warning you about.


Why do we get red?

How prone we are to redness is genetic. Those of us who are predominately Pitta or have a Pitta imbalance will get red from a trigger more easily than those of us who are predominately other doshas.

The skin appears red but the redness is really in the dilated capillaries that have not return back to stasis due to inelasticity or weakness.

How do we prevent or reduce redness?

We should reframe from doing the things that cause our capillaries to dilate. Most of them are within our control. We can start by reducing our consumption of spicy and hot foods, and of stimulating foods like caffeine and alcohol. Dilated capillaries cause dehydration of the body due to poor circulation.

Avoid white sugar, cigarette smoking and stress as they can over stimulate the adrenals and cause dilation of the capillaries.

In addition to dilation of blood vessels, Cigarette smoking adds toxins into the blood stream and depletes the body of vitamin C, which helps keep skin and capillary wall elastic.

Detoxification can reduce redness as it removes toxins from the organs so that excess toxins in the bloodstream can be filtered. There are many ways to detox - from fasting (http://www.webmd.com/diet/fasting), to herbs/teas ( go to Thunas for a customized blend http://www.astoriamills.ca/thunaherbals), to manual detoxification with Chi Nei Tsang (http://www.chineitsang.com/cnti/About.html ). Also when organs are too toxic to function properly, toxins can be offloaded into bloodstream. An overloaded blood vessel can remain dilated leaving skin chronically redness and hyper sensitive to heat.

Don't use aggressive skincare. Find skincare for rosacea and sensitive skin at (http://bit.ly/ijPIwu) Too much chemical peeling and continual use of irritating ingredients like retinal or AHA in skincare products can result in chronic redness. Don’t trading acne or wrinkles for red ness.

Avoid other ingredients that cause skin irritation and allergies like petroleum derivatives like propylene glycol, sulfates like sodium laurel sulfate and Vaseline (Petrolatum) and mineral oil (Paraffidium) in cleansers and creams lotions.

Extra help for summer heat can come from your diet. Eat sweet juicy fruits like melons, papaya, and grapes. Eat salads and raw vegetables with lemon juice based dressing instead of vinegar. Eat cooled or cold foods and drinks. And enjoy sushi.

Carry an Organic Lavender Hydrosol with you to keep skin cool and inflammation away. Get a pocket size at http://bit.ly/j1h4ia. Keep a bottle of Organic Witch Hazel Hydrosol http://bit.ly/jxu2O5 in your refrigerator to give you a quick pick me up.

Exercise indoors or in shade. Cool skin down immediately with the chilled hydrosol to reduce redness.

Now you can enjoy the warm weather!

Beautiful Skin in the Summer

Summer is fast approaching with its changes in weather conditions. To achieve true proactive anti aging skincare, you need to keep your skin healthy and moist. So to do this naturally and well you should change your skincare routine in response to the higher temperatures and humidity of summer. This summer it is forecasted to be more hot and humid than normal.

The net benefactor of the summer weather are those who are Vata http://our-metamorphosis.blogspot.com/2009/04/ayurvedic-doshas.html dominant. Summer's humidity and heat are perfect for a Vata who's main characteristics are cold and dry. so Vata skin types need to do very little to balance skin in relations to the weather. Vatas can choose to lower heaviness of their cold weather moisturizer. Since Vata skin is thin and dry, sun protection is a must to prevent further long term damage and dehydration to their skin. Choose between a natural sunscreen with minerals with a sun protection factor of 30 or a hat with a wide brim.

Vatas need to watch out for dry windy days. On those days it is advisable to pump up the moisture of skin by adding a face oil after the serum and before the moisturizer and for extra dry skin take time out for a relaxing mask. Carry a hydrosol http://www.pureandsimple.ca/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&page=shop.browse&category_id=551&Itemid=27 to use when your skin is dehydrated throughout the day. Drink more and warmer liquids along with avoiding dry foods will keep skin more moist looking. This will keep Vatas thinking and behaving more grounded as well.

The warming weather is also great for Kaphas http://our-metamorphosis.blogspot.com/2009/04/ayurvedic-doshas.htmlwho have thicker, oilier skin. The warmer weather stimulates a quicker metabolism and circulation which improves moisture and hydration of the skin of extremities like hands, feet and face. Kaphas tend to be believe they do not need to do much with their skin due to its oiliness. And while Kaphas do tend to have the potential to age more slowly, if Kaphas that do not care properly for their skin, they will find their skin will look the most unattractive with orange peel textures to deep wrinkles and leathery reptilian looking skin.

Rainy days can be cooler causing Kapha skin to become acneic or suffer surface dehydration. On those days make sure you use a good hydrating lotion. Kaphas should drink pau d’arco tea to counteract the tendency for increase in candida http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candidiasis

Summer is an unsettling time for Pittas skin and personality as the hot humid climate unbalances their elemental energies of fire and water. Pitta skin care needs to promote cool and calm.

Make sure skin is hydrated and moisture loss is minimize to lessen redness, acne and other unhealthy skin conditions. The goal is to keep skin calm and less red. This will in turn prevent broken capillaries and acne.

Cleanse with a gentle gel cleanser. Make sure you have your organic chamomile hydrosol http://bit.ly/kmjh4X to cool skin throughout the day. Use a serum to ensure healthy hydration levels http://bit.ly/kPGGdV and a light moisturizer http://bit.ly/aFfyEJ to slow down moisture loss.

So the goal of your summer skin depends on the type of skin you have. Balance your skin to the weather conditions to ensure continually moist smooth skin. Skin that is moist will suffer less damage from the environment.

Is Your Liver Making You Angry?

Most of us know that the liver is one of our body’s main filters. But it is much more than that.

Mantak Chi in “Chi Nei Tsang, Ci Massage for Vital Organs” better explains what the liver does for us.

“The liver store large quantities of blood, minerals and vitamins. It prepares carbohydrates by breaking them down into more simple sugars. It is incharge of protein and amino acid production… It also produces bile salts, which are distributed by the gallbladderinto the small intestines to aborb fats from food consumed. It produces wood chi as well”

He also helps us become aware of how the affects our appearance and behavior in the following from the same book,

“If liver chi and blood are health, balanced and abundant, then the nails will be health, vision clear and nerves calm, and sinews and tendons will have sufficient energy.

The positive quality of the emotion in wood is kindness tempered with intelligence. A person with this quality tends to be coolheaded, discreet, relaxed, clearheaded, creative, progressive, constructive, conciliatory and willing to work with others.

The negative qualities of wood phase’s emotions are anger, violence and making big plans without knowing what you e doing. A person with these qualities tends to be opportunistic, short tempered, ar hotheaded, loud, tight, pressured, rough, obsessed, stubborn, pedantic, formalistic, competitive, and antagonistic.”

A weak or over loaded liver can affect the function of the reproductive organs and cause infertitlity and impotence.

An over stressed liver affects Kidney function as anger can cause fear

A struggling liver can be detected when there is yellow in the whites of the eyes. Dark circles around the eyes. Vision can become blurry.

Another symptom of a toxic liver is a pronounced vertical wrinkle on the right side of the area between your eye brows.

Skin tone can be yellowy, orange.

Sore stiff tendons with chronic pain in the neck shoulder area can be another clue to the state of your liver. Massaging the nape can relieve headache pain.

Daily care of the liver includes eating green and bitter foods like bitter melon, dark greens, and dandelion greens and roots.

The gallbladder likes regular meals at consistent times to prevent clogging of the liver ducts with gall stones, which are hardened bile.

You assist the function of your liver by massaging the area below your right rib cage. Soreness or hardness in this area will indicate the need to do Chi Nei Tsang here daily.

You can supplement the daily care of your liver with herbs like Banyan Liver Formula. Find it at http://www.banyanbotanicals.com/prodinfo.asp?number=1181

If you have neglected you liver longterm and you have many of the above symptoms try the Liver Gallbladder Flush by Hulde Clark. Find it at http://www.drclark.net/en/cleanses_clean-ups/liver_cleanses/advanced_livere_cleanse.php

How to be Radiant without Redness

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How to Survive Summer Heat when you have Sensitive to Rosacea Skin.

While summer is a welcomed reprieve from the long still cold of winter, it is not so true for those who suffer from the heat.

For those of us with Pitta imbalances, the heat makes us tired, irritable and it can be seen in our red and puffy faces. And to really make summer life more frustrating the redness can be the accompanied with acne.

What causes this Pitta Imbalance?

In Ayurveda, Pitta is heat. We all have this in our individual make up. Those of us who genetically have it in abundance can claim to be a Pitta - secondarily or primarily.

It is only an imbalance when we suffer from unhealthy or unwanted symptoms of this heat energy. Any one can suffer from a Pitta Imbalance. And a primary Pitta does not necessarily suffer from a Pitta Imbalance

Over abundance of Internal heat that imbalances Pitta can be caused by a stress out or aggressive lifestyle, an unbalanced diet of too many heating foods, medication, alcohol, caffeine, smoking, menopause, extreme exercise, a high level of toxins and aggressive skincare and over sun exposure.

Air conditioning can give us some reprieve as it cools down our bodies but the dehydration just worsens the appearance of our skin.

So how can we improve our plight in such an otherwise delightful time of the year?

From the list of causes, it is wise to start with diet. Any book on Ayurveda will list the foods for Pitta. They are cooling and alkaline foods which are great for any summer meal. Star foods are cucumbers and melons. Substitute coconut oil for your salad oil. You can cook with it but eat as much raw food as you can. Favour lean light proteins like white fish. If you want your omegas then eat either low salt smoked salmon or go for sushi. Avoid high oil foods including meats, salt and acid foods like vinegar. Replace it in salads with lemon or lime juice.

Raw foods can be a challenge as Pitta imbalance can come with digestive problems. Usually if you suffer from rosacea or redness in the cheek area your body is telling you,”you do”. Pittas are also more sensitive than other Dosha dominant types so are more prone to allergies. Make cucumbers more agreeable by removing the seed section.

The best solution would be to get advice from a naturopath or an alternative allergist. I am currently experiencing great reduction in my food allergies and great improvement in my digestion with Dana Zangari, a Registered Holistic Allergist and Nutritionist. You can find her at http://www.pandechiropractic.ca/Dana-Zangari/dana-zangari.html

To decrease stress and other extreme behaviors, find relaxing exercise like Yoga or Tai Chi and find time to do daily meditation.

Try to avoid excess sun and heat exposure by choosing shadier and greener paths to your destination.

Once you have lessened the macro causes of your internal health, you can start to repair the visual damage this energy has caused by reducing the redness and puffiness in your skin.

Redness in the skin is an indication that your capillaries are dilated and your circulatory system is not working properly. This is due to the capillary walls being dry and inelastic.

This compromised circulatory situation results in less moisture and nourishment being delivered to the skin cells in the area- in turn this causes more inelastic capillaries and more redness.

The puffiness and acne is caused by the inactive circulatory and lymph system. The result is excess toxins and fluids left in the area which causes localized edema and breakout when stress or body heat -as in PMS- is increased.

The ideal solution is a facial treatment that will turn around the situation. The best facial to quickly reverse the dehydration redness spiral is our Deluxe Lumi-Lift Facial. It will stimulate circulation and drainage with micronized current while improving skin hydrating with galvanic current improving the effectiveness of our own collagen gel mask . While you may breakout after the first facial due to the increased circulation and hydration - the end result is both less redness/puffiness and less breakouts. Another bonus of this facial is better facial tone and less wrinkles. It is not a one off deal though if you want long term effects. Depending on your skin condition and the results you want you will need to have a series of the facials weekly. It can vary from 3-10 per week. http://www.pureandsimple.ca/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=103&Itemid=42

For those who are more timid to try new things you can choose any facial treatment that will clean your pores, hydrate up your skin and include a good face massage like our Super Hydrating Facial. The hydration effect of this facial is pumped up with a collagen sheet mask and oxygen treatment. Again if you are doing these facials with results in mind you will probably need to do a few of thsi facials weekly for 3 weeks or more. http://www.pureandsimple.ca/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogsection&id=5&Itemid=42#SuperHydratingFacial

Then get advice from a knowledgeable skincare expert on creating a daily care routine. Beautiful healthy skin comes with a seasonally adjusted daily regiment that includes gentle cleansing, hydration and protection. A must-have item for all that want hydrated skin throughout the year, is our facial serum Collagen Elastin Plus. It is not only our best selling item but it has the most loyal client following.

This serum with a suitable moisturizer for your skin type will keep your skin hydrated without a lot of fuss throughout your day. http://www.pureandsimple.ca/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&page=shop.browse&category_id=553&Itemid=27

For more detailed advice on the above please feel free to contact me or any of our professional staff.

Sleeping for Beauty

Sleeping for Beauty

Most of us “alternative healthees” accept the importance of healthy diet, exercise and natural skincare as precursors to good health and personal beauty.

For my seasoned clients, holistic skincare also includes rest and relaxation.

On entering the age of wisdom or Vata (spirit), did you expect to be free of the need to look "good"?

Actually taking care of our looks can be beneficial to our overall health.

Personally without the growing signs of aging on my face, I would probably inadvertently overwork my body to poor health. i.e. I am writing this at midnight; fueled by an organic green coffee happily consumed too late in the afternoon.

I follow healthy diet, exercise and grooming regimes but my lifestyle is negatively impacted by my workaholic tendencies. So my understanding of "Face Mapping" from Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine helps me to listen to my dehydration wrinkles, my overly sensitive skin and my puffy eyes, so that I begrudgingly schedule in rest and relaxation.

While my diet and skincare helps me cover up short term abuses – my haggard face screams at me, when I over do it; so my long term health is not irreparably affected.

When my feet are swollen, it’s "just" edema but when my eyes are puffy, I listen and curtail my nights at the computer so that my Kidney energy can regenerate. While I need to address the immediate needs of my eyes' dry delicate skin with a good eye cream;-- only adequate sleep will revive my kidney function and relieve my edema (get rid of my puffy eyes) before it becomes a diagnosable disease.

When I was diagnosed with digestive problems, I merely avoided the foods I was allergic to. I experienced some relief but nothing close to good digestion. But when I learned that the stubborn red, puffy cheeks and adult acne could be caused by a weakened spleen and low kidney energy; I finally found dramatic improvement to my poor digestion and my skin’s appearance.


One more example. I have had dry hands and feet since I was young. It was so unimportant to me that I did not even regularly apply cream to moisten them. But the dry skin on my face finally had me pursuing relief. Again it was my poor tired kidneys. So I finally listened to my dehydrated skin, ---relaxed and rested my mind body spirit more often.

But workaholics and high stressed people can experience poor sleep. And for those of us going through peri-menopause, decreasing Estrogen can intensify poor sleep and dehydrated skin.

So how can we end the cycle and increase our ability to get a good night’s sleep?

Lets start with what we suspect could be affecting our sleep.

If you have a tendency to overdo it with work; your over worked adrenals can disturb a good night’s sleep. The adrenals can also be the problem if you consume too much coffee or white sugar. So using coffee or sugary snacks to force your body to work longer will make your adrenals weaker in the long run.

If you are awakened by being too warm or in a sweat and you are in your forties of fifties; then suspect peri-menopausal symptoms. There are studies that indicate that in many cultures that eat a vegetarian based diet experience fewer or no peri-menopausal symptoms. I found that a vegetarian diet reduced my hot flashes and my resumption of meat comes with corresponding degrees of hot flashes. My TCM advised me that my hot flashes affected my kidney energy, so more incentive to change my diet.

Other problems that could disrupt our sleep are stress related. Chronic dehydrated skin; waking to urinate or waking with a thirst ; --can indicate low kidney function. The kidneys determine the body's hydration levels. Overwork and aging can weaken Kidney function. I recommend getting the help of a naturopathic doctor or TCM to boost Kidney function. But in the mean time make sure you consume enough healthy clean fluids like water fresh juices, soups and herbal teas to keep the kidneys in good working order.

Those of us who abuse our bodies with over work and then in our fatigue give into cravings for refined and fatty foods that challenge our liver can also experience disrupted sleep. Again I recommend getting the help of a naturopathic doctor or TCM to help us detox our livers and other elimination organs. But in the meantime eat a liver friendly diet of low fat and no refined foods.

While you explore how you can improve your sleep, you can give you body some rest and relaxation with exercises like yoga, tai chi and a meditative walk.

So – you see-- “Nothing moisturizes our skin like a great night's sleep”.