Gluten-free Facials and Skin Care * Kasia Makes National News

A little "Food for Thought" on Gluten-freeFacials and Skin Care

After a long day of work with my incredible clients and great team, I sit down at the front desk and flush through legging emails and close out the day's books.  This week I linked to a favorite industry magazine new release for July.  As I started to read the first article I clicked on (naturally I was pulled towards the "Gluten and Skin" article).      After I got 3/4 down to the article, I was DELIGHTED and SURPRISED to see that our company was noted as a top "Gluten Free Spa/Skin Care" resource and service provider!

You can see the article here - or find the quick read below.  

What are your thoughts on gluten and skin care?

Gluten-free Friendly Skin Care

They may sound like rather sobering names: Cyclodextrin, Avena Sativa, Triticum Vulgare Starch, and for some, these are just that—scary. Yet these are in fact products of common foods, bread, pizza and pasta that many of us crave. But they have also become the culprits of one of the latest afflictions worldwide—gluten intolerance.

Gluten is a protein found in grains such as wheat, barley, rye and a hybrid of rye and wheat (triticale). While for many people these are simple nutrients, for others they can wreak havoc in their lives, compelling the body to attack and destroy itself little by little. Why do these foods matter to you as a skin care professional? Because gluten sensitivity is not only a matter of what people put in their mouths, but also what they put on their skin—it turns out that grains where gluten is found are commonly used for cosmetics, lotions and other beauty products.

The spread of the gluten ban

More and more people are now finding that they have some sensitivity to gluten and are opting for a gluten-free diet, while others are ridding gluten from their lives completely. That may mean no more salon or spa treatments, especially facials—because the products come so close to the mouth—or purchase of beauty products, unless these are clearly gluten-free. According to the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness, the main organization that brings attention to the gluten intolerant disease known as celiac disease—gluten causes the immune system to damage the small intestine and prevent proper absorption of essential nutrients—one in 133 Americans suffers from the condition.

“Conventional medical wisdom is that there is no risk to celiacs unless the patient gets the product in their mouth or an open sore,” says Dr. Ron Hoggan, editor of the Journal of Gluten Sensitivity. “Yet my daughter tried a cream that contained oats and developed a rash that stayed until she stopped using it.”

Salons and spas that offer gluten-free treatments

FACES Mobile Spa in San Francisco, CA Gluten-free Sensi-Facial with consultation for those with gluten sensitivity or allergy   Facial (60 min, $110; 90 min, $145) Back Facial (60 min, $125; 90 min, $165)

Atmosphere Day Spa in Baltimore, MD Passion Facial Peel to clean, purify and protect (30 min, $75)

Kasia Organic Salon in Minneapolis, MN Skin Brightener Mask to treat sensitive skin and rosacea (60 min, $85)

Clinical Aesthetician for Hormone & Anti-Aging Center in Albuquerque, NM Gluten-Free Facial to soothe sensitive skin (60 min, $95)

On demand gluten-free beauty

While experts are still debating whether gluten can indeed be absorbed through the skin—some argue that gluten molecules are too large—gluten intolerance has been reported to cause rashes, inflammation and blisters on the skin. Yet what truly matters is what the client wants, and if no gluten becomes their new motto, then offering gluten-free treatments on your menu and gluten-free products in your retail area are certainly worth considering.

The face is the area of most concern, since products applied on it can easily come into contact with the mouth; therefore gluten-free facials will be among the treatments more sought after by this new and seemingly increasing segment of the population. Liliana Aranda of FACES Mobile Spa in San Francisco, CA, is gluten sensitive and offers strictly gluten-free facials and treatments. “The positive response was overwhelming,” she says. Her treatments focus on soothing inflammation and bringing moisture. She says that her protocol can be altered to include a firming mask, and that she is working on adding acne and facials to cater to men’s specific needs. If gluten-free products are soothing to the skin, they can also be cosmeceutical and help with anti-aging treatments as well.

Skin care assessments are crucial for finding out about allergies in general and sensitivity to gluten and soy—clients with some sort of health issue may react unexpectedly due to diet or medications. This is helpful to determine the right facial and products to address their skin concerns, but it can also give you an idea of how many of your regular guests would benefit and appreciate the addition of treatments that cater to their specific needs.

Ingredients to watch for

Wheat and oat derivatives are common in skin care retail and professional grades—barley is sometimes used and rye is rarely used. Oats are gluten-free, but can be contaminated with wheat during processing. Lactic acid is an interesting ingredient because most celiac sources list it as gluten-free, yet some forms are wheat derived. A good tip to remember is that just because a product does not list the buzzwords (wheat, barley, rye, etc.), it does not mean the product is gluten-free.

Some skin care companies now offer gluten-free labels, and verifying those with product manufacturers can be worth your while as well.

Gluten-free friendly

If gluten can be harmful to some, gluten-free can be beneficial to all, so keep that in mind when marketing your latest gluten-free treatments. Market your new services to local doctors and support groups and watch as your clientele expands. Aranda says that word of mouth has been a strong tool, then adds, “my next step beyond social media is to promote my protocol via doctors and nutritional experts with whom I have connected over the last few months.”

Kris Campbell is CEO and a formulator for Tecniche, a skin care line dedicated to sensitive skin. She is a certified oncology esthetician, and works with Morag Currin to address the skin concerns of clients who are undergoing cancer treatments. Campbell trains professionals, writes for trade publications and speaks at industry events about conditions faced by people with health challenged skin.

Add this Salad to your Diet for a Healthy Glow! (recipe inside)

Summer Pumpkinseed Salad for Glowing Skin

There are lots of reasons raw veggies are great for you. One reason besides the obvious nutrition factor?  Radiant skin!  By adding this Pumpkinseed and Herb Salad to your diet just once a week this month can help give you an extra healthy glow.

Here are some of the skin-care benefits with eating this easy salad:

Kale is packed with protein, iron, antioxidants, and loads of vitamins. Fresh herbs are all great, but specifically, parsley is known to help fight bloating, cilantro is cleansing, and mint is great for digestion. So much of the time, foods that benefit your digestion also help your skin.

Pumpkin seeds (and pumpkin seed oil) are high in zinc, a mineral that’s essential for getting glowy skin. Studies have shown it helps prevent and treat acne, as well. Hempseeds are high protein, contain all 9 essential amino acids, and are rich in omega-3s. Omegas are key to hydration. Finally, avocados are an amazing healthy fat, which helps make your skin look like you get weekly facials.

PUMPKINSEED AND HERB SALAD

This will make a big salad for one All ingredients organic (ideally)

1 bunch curly kale Handful parsley Handful cilantro Small handful mint 1-2 Tbsp pumpkinseed oil Juice from ½ -1 lemons or a splash of apple cider vinegar ¼ tsp Himalayan or sea salt ½ avocado, roughly chopped 1-2 Tbsp hempseeds

Fill a large salad bowl with washed and torn kale leaves, removing the hard stems. Add the parsley, cilantro, and mint leaves. Add 1 tablespoon of the pumpkinseed oil (more if you’re making a huge salad to share), and add the juice of half or a whole lemon. (You can also substitute raw apple cider vinegar for the lemon.) Sprinkle with about ¼ teaspoon fine salt.

Wash your hands, and then massaging the kale with both hands, mixing and squeezing the kale and herbs, so you fully coat it all with the dressing, and the kale breaks down and softens a bit (which will make it easier to digest).

You can add a small handful of whole pumpkin seeds, and a tablespoon of nutritional yeast, which is high in vitamin B12. (A deficiency of Vitamin B12 can be a cause of dry skin and eczema.)

10 Reasons to Eat Pumpkin Seeds

1. Pumpkin is one of the foods recommended for weight loss and to help reduce cholesterol!  It can also help with treating gastrointestinal disorders such as constipation, and indigestion.   Pumpkin is loaded with fiber and it helps to lower the amount of bad cholesterol (LDL) and helps to regular blood sugar levels.

2. Pumpkin is super low in calories! In fact, 100 grams (about a half of a baked potato) is just 26 calories. It also has ZERO saturated fat or cholesterol.

3. Pumpkin is very rich in dietary fiber, anti-oxidants, minerals, and vitamins.  It contains 246% of RDA of Vitamin A!   Vitamin A is also essential for your vision and studies have shown that it can help to protect against lung and other cancers.

4. Pumpkin is also a great source of B vitamins which help with cell growth and help to support a healthy metabolism!                                                                   

5. Pumpkin is a rich source of minerals like copper, calcium, and phosphorus.

6. Pumpkin is also helpful for reducing inflammation.  Did you know that regular consumption of pumpkin can help protect you against arthritis and joint inflammation!?  In fact, pumpkin seed oil has been found to be equally as efficient for arthritis as “indomethacin” (a commonly used drug).

7. Pumpkins have a light diuretic effect.  This helps with flushing out toxins and other waste from your body, giving you more energy and leaving you feeling refreshed.

8. Pumpkin flesh also has something called L-tryptophan, which helps trigger feeling of happiness and well being.  Eating pumpkin regurarly can help you to keep your spirits high and can help to prevent depression.

9. Eating pumpkin seeds will give you healthy and glowing skin (and who doesn’t want that!) It will also help to keep your skin hydrated and those wrinkles at bay.  This is because it’s high in vitamin A, C, and E.

10. Pumpkins are loaded with Potassium and Zinc.  Research has proven that diets rich in these minerals can help to prevent the onset of cardiovascular diseases and high blood pressure, help to improve bone density, and also boost your immune system!

Reference:  Raw Food One Duck

Underlying Reasons for Rosacea and Other Skin Culprits!

Is your skin known to react to new facial products often?   I see this often in our guests dialog of "healthy skin care" home regimen.  Skin and youth marketing is well and alive - making it harder for women to decifer what products are right and appropriate for them - uniquely.

One message that is hit hard and taken too far is the use of abrasive products, such as glycolic acid, exfoliating products, that could be compromising your skin’s natural defenses. These ingredients tend to irritate your skin and to add to the list, alcohols, fragrances, dyes, scrubs (including microdermabrasion glycolic acid, and salicylic acid to name but a few.

No two peoples’ skin is created equal. You may have a strong barrier, and skin reactions many be coming from nutritional choices.  I advise to take a close look at daily food choices and if you notice any reactions 2-5 days later.  Take out the magnifying glass and examine the ingredients that are contained in the products your eat and put on your skin every day.

Beware Do your products contain harsh abrasive ingredients such as microdermabrasion crystals, aggressive grain granules  or preservatives, such as parabans?

If you use these products daily or switch between abrading products every day, you may simply be making your skin sensitive. If you use too many acids on the skin, use scrubs and exfoliate, plaster on moisture cream, then chemical foundation on top of this – is it any wonder your skin is dry! You may think all you need to do is to scrub and moisturise, but actually you need to be promoting natural skin function, which can be improved by stopping moisturising so as to increase natural cell turnover in a healthy way.

When it comes to effective skin care, I recommend using products that cleanse, prep, and create an environment that will allow the skin's bio-availablility to efficiently take in the invested ingredients.  Give your skin nutrients by giving skin ingredients it recognizes and needs, rather than the chemicals that disrupt it.

Facial lotions and creams may contain certain types of phthalates — endocrine-disrupting chemicals commonly found in personal care products, such as nail polish, soap, perfume and hair spray. Common ingredients like phthalates change skin function, disrupt its barrier and can create havoc. This could be ONE reason you experience a reaction. Synthetics and chemicals are linked to a number of health concerns, including an increased risk of diseases such as diabetes, they can pass through the skin and into the blood stream.

Rosacea -Treat From the Source

Understand underlying reasons for Rosacea to help achieve optimum results!

   Determine which type of rosacea and where inflammation is seen....

Upper Digestive - starts on nose but can spread to other areas of face, often due to hard alcohol consumption.

Mid-Digestive - found along the nostrils extending out about an inch often due to acid-reflux or stomach inflammation.

LowerDigestive - often seen on outer cheeks and forehead, due to Candida, IBS, Celiac and other inflammatory conditions of small and large intestine can also appear as a mixed picture with all over redness due to other parts of digestive tract inflammation.

UPPER

MID

LOWER

Our team is available for consultations for any hair and skin reactions you may be having. Contact us with any questions or concerns!

Shop Online - and invest in safe, effective, and age-defying products. 

Summer Exfoliating Tips for Luminous Skin

Exfoliating for luminous skin…

Exfoliating is extremely important ritual in order to slough off the dead skin cells that can make our skin appear dull, increase stagnation and blocked pours that in the end – leads to adult increase of acne . This becomes increasingly important as we age due to turnover of the epidermal layer slowing down. The end goal is to increase cell turnover and stimulate production of new cells. Skin care actives from moisturizers and serums are then more bio-available to absorb more easily.

 

Over exfoliating

There is always a flip side to “all good things.”   Women often over exfoliate, which then turns into too much of a good thing! Over exfoliating will actually speed up the aging process and create an inflammatory response resulting in dryness, irritation, redness, and prone to acne breakouts.

Over exfoliating also makes your skin more susceptible to UV rays. UV rays cause premature aging by damaging the elastin fibers in our skin causing wrinkles and sagging in the skin

So what’s a girl to do?

There are lots of options to get the benefit of exfoliating without over doing it.   We recommend finding the right fit for you and your personal skin type.

Key Exfoliating Suggestions for Health – Luminous Skin

1. Spa Services: Chemical exfoliation using fruit acids or enzymes. Ask  your esthetician what is best for your skin type.

At Home: Physical exfoliation with scrubs or brushes or cleansers like ReNew Vitamin C with AHA’s -  penetrate the skin, dissolve and shed dead skin cells.

2. ALWAYS wear sun protection

3. DO NOT exfoliate daily

4. Healthy diet rich in vegetables and protein!

Contact our team today for healthy skin options for natural, brightening solutions. 

Our top two natural and organic skin brightening everyday products!

Renew AHA + Vitamin C Exfoliating Cleanser

Packed with 85% certified organic, 99% natural and vegan ingredients, the soap-free formula harnesses a rich blend of natural exfoliating agents, including gentle Jojoba beads and AHA fruit acids, and uses anti-inflammatory botanicals to transform skin without drying or irritation.

Resurface + Cleanse:

• Contains 5% Alpha-hydroxy Acid (AHA) to gently exfoliate

• Soap-free formula

• Citrus extracts and multi-fruit acids refine and brighten

• Willow Bark: (nature’s salicylic acid) has anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial elements

• Also doubles as a pore-refining antioxidant mask

Glow:

• Algae Extract: a regenerative sea mineral that provides a radiant glow

• Red Tea: a high-powered antioxidant that combats free radical damage and accelerated aging

• Gotu Kola: reduces redness, inflammation and promotes healing

• Neem: anti-aging botanical that reduces inflammation and offers cellular protection

 Learn more and purchase this facial cleanser that stimulates new cell growth - promoting brightness and clarity!

Incredible Health Benefits with our NEW Strawberry Lemonade Green Tea for Summer!

Check out our new addition to the family!  Strawberry Lemonade Green Tea!

Our rich, hand-crafted loose leaf teas unite the finest ingredients with Fair Trade and Artisan practices, creating luxe, small batch blends using time-honored traditions to ensure freshness and one-of-a-kind quality.

Blended with completely natural ingredients and no artificial coloring, preservatives or flavoring, our teas contain real dried fruit pieces, nuts, herbal tisanes and botanicals, resulting in amazing flavors and aromas. Bonus: Each four-ounce tin makes 50 cups of tea.

Key Benefits

A light, fruity blend of strawberry and fresh lemon! Green tea benefits are derived from antioxidant flavonoids and polyphenols, which prevent free radicals. Green tea combats free radicals and helps promote healthy, smooth skin.

Health benefits attributed to Strawberry + Lemonade  Green Tea:

• cancer prevention

• strengthens immune system

• healthy hair and skin

• repairing skin damage

• fights rheumatoid arthritis

• lowers stress

• polyphenols block conversion of calories into fat

• protects the liver and kidneys

• strongest antioxidant as a berry extract

• boosts the immune system

• significant anti-cancer effects

• reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases

• improves diarrhea and indigestion

Link:  Incredible Summer Recipe with our new STRAWBERRY LEMONADE - GREEN TEA!  

Top Makeup Contouring Tips to Bring your Face Shape into Balance

Top Makeup Contouring Tips  to Bring your Face Shape into Balance 

As a veteran stylist and mineral makeup artist, I intuitively am looking at my clients unique facial structure.  It's part of my professional 'duty' to assist the guest in choosing the best hairstyle, color, and makeup persona to their unique needs.  If you do not have a professional that is aware of tactics and how to do this, the follow tips will be useful for you!

What is Facial Contouring Contouring is the art of highlighting and shading.  By contouring properly, you can alter your face shape and features.

The Golden Rule of Contouring

1. Makeup applied that is lighter than the skin tone will make an area more prominent.

2. Makeup applied that is darker will make that area draw back and recede.

Easily Alter your Facial Features

Round Face Objective:  

To make the face look more oval, apply a bronzer a shade or two darker than your skin tone in a "3" shape alongside your face: on your temples, the hollow of your cheeks, and your chin.

Prominent Forehead Objective:

Shade around the outer edge of your forehead along your hairline to minimize the area with bronzer.

Flat or Wide Nose:

Shade alongside your bridge starting from your inner brows. Then highlight right on the center of your nose.

Droopy Cheeks:

Apply a highlighter just above your cheekbone all the way to your temple. Use a blush directly on the cheekbone, then use a bronzer in the hollow of the cheek, underneath your bone.

Amp it UP! 

If you really want to make your contouring stand out, use a glossy highlighter, which will reflect the most light. (We love La Bella Donna's "Candlelight" for this effect).   Then grab your bronzer with a matte finish, which will absorb light and create a stark contrast.

Contact our team today to learn more about our chemical free and prestige mineral makeup line, La Bella Donna.  This line has all the tricks to contour and make your face pop and glow!  

Reference: Total Beauty

Spring Kidney Cleansing Smoothie and Juice Recipes!

Hello Informed Beauty - I truly believe the winter curse has broken!  It's perfect time to hit the reset button in our internal + external beauty regime.  Check out these GREAT SMOOTHIES that help to clear and support your oh-so-important  kidneys.  

Being that our kidneys are an important detoxification organ, it’s important that we learn to nourish them with the right foods. There are many beneficial herbs and foods we can include to support kidney health, and what better way to cleanse and support our kidneys than by juicing!

Here are 6 simple and delicious juice recipes that will help support the health of your kidneys and provide mild diuretic properties to help flush the kidneys of unwanted wastes.

Let’s get juicing…

Watermelon Flush

• 4 cups fresh watermelon, roughly chopped

• Handful of fresh basil leaves

*Note: This recipes works well in a juicer or blender.

Parsley Purifier

• ½ cup fresh parsley

• 2 celery ribs

• 1 carrot

• 1 cucumber

Dandy-love

• 3 dandelion leaves

• 1/2 green apple

• 2 celery stalks

• 1/2 lemon

• Chunk of broccoli stalk

Radiant-Radish

• 2 cups radishes, chopped

• 1 celery rib

• 1 cucumber

• 1/2 lemon

Mean & Green

• Handful of spinach

• Handful of kale

• 1/2 green apple

• 1/2 lemon

• 1-inch piece fresh ginger

• ½ cup fresh parsley

Cruciferous Goodness

• 1/2 head red cabbage

• 1/2 lemon

• 1 cucumber

• Chunk of broccoli stalk

• ¼ cup fresh cilantro

All these recipes can be pressed through your juicer and enjoyed any time of day to cleanse and rejuvenate your kidneys and support overall health.

Thank you Guest Post: Young and Raw - http://www.youngandraw.com/6-kidney-cleansing-juice-recipes/

90% of all food allergies are caused by 8 common foods! Do you have these symptoms?

Eight common foods are causing 90 percent of all food allergies! Do you have any of these symptoms?

This may surprise you, but eight common foods – milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, soy, wheat and shellfish – cause 90 percent of all food allergies. Chances are, half of those items make common appearances in your daily diet. They could, however, be jacking up your cortisol, decreasing your immune strength, and keeping you from achieving your wellness (and weight loss!) goals.

Allergies versus intolerances While the cause of true food allergies – the kind that produces severe or anaphalatic reactions — involve IgE antibodies in the immune system, food intolerances can arise when we consume the same foods day after day with little variety. This dietary stagnation causes the body to become “sensitized” to the food. In common parlance, the terms “allergy,” “sensitivity” and “food intolerance” are often used interchangeably, but sensitivities and intolerances are not true IgE allergies.

Food sensitivities or intolerances usually involve a different set of immune system antibodies called IgG antibodies. Symptoms are less intense and typically do not appear immediately, but rather within 12–48 hours, after eating the offending foodstuff. Heartburn, headaches, difficulty getting out of bed in the morning, looking tired even after sufficient sleep, an inability to lose weight, bloating and relentless water retention can all be related to food sensitivities or intolerances.

Because the connection between the symptom and a specific food can be difficult to pinpoint, those who suffer these discomforts often go on feeling worse and worse as their immune system takes a constant beating.

Many of us with food sensitivities don’t even realize how bad we feel until the problematic foods are removed from our diet. Then suddenly getting out of bed becomes easier, our energy, mood and concentration improve and joint pain, headaches and sinus congestion disappear. Here’s a handy chart on common symptoms associated with food sensitivities. You may be nodding your head to more than a few of these side effects:

Symptoms commonly associated with food intolerances/sensitivities

Digestive: Gas Bloating Abdominal cramping Loose stools Indigestion or heartburn Constipation GERD (reflux) Blood in the stool Lactose intolerance Inflammatory bowel disease Irritable bowel Syndrome

Skin: Eczema Psoriasis Acne Hives

Mental/Emotional: Irritability Anxiety Depression Food cravings Insomnia

General: Joint pain or stiffness Arthritis (rheumatoid) Fatigue Difficulty getting out of bed in the morning Headaches Migraines Malaise Weight gain Water retention Puffy eyes Dark under-eye circles High blood pressure Cellulite Difficulty losing weight

Nasal/Immune system: Sinus congestion Ear congestion Post-nasal drip Seasonal allergies Hay fever Asthma Chronic ear infections Itching in the ears Itchy mouth Runny nose Watery eyes Sneezing

Identifying your trigger foods To get to the bottom of your symptoms, I recommend that you do a 14-day elimination diet where you remove the most common food allergens from your diet to give your body a break, alleviate stress off your immune system, and detox overall. Slowly re-introducing each food after a 14-day break can allow you to connect particular symptoms with your food choices.

All that experimenting with different foods may sound like a major inconvenience, but the results can be invaluable. I recall one patient who had suffered with headaches for 20 years – they were gone after just two weeks of avoiding wheat. Another woman had bleeding from the bowel for two years – it was gone after one week on a dairy-free diet.

Uncovering food sensitivities is a powerful process to explore. But what you do with the information you gain is up to you. Once you’ve determined the effects of particular foods on your health, you have to decide whether or not you want to continue eating them.

Check out Dr. Oz's Elimination Diet HERE!

Plan B for determining your food allergies If you don’t want to do a 14-day elimination diet you can consider IgG food allergy testing. Although I encourage you to go through the process of food elimination and reintroduction because it’s so effective, you can choose to have a blood test to identify your IgG food allergies instead. This test identifies the presence of IgG antibodies to certain foods. Positive results to certain foods should be followed with the removal of those foods from your diet for a period of two to six months.

Guest Post:  Natasha Turner, N.D., is a naturopathic doctor