BEAUTY
bacne (back acne) are
no exception and some
find the summertime particularly daunting for this
reason. Not only because
it’s a season of skimpier
threads but also because
bacne (and chacne,
chest acne) is often aggravated by body heat
and sweat. Unremoved
sweat on the skin can lead
to breakouts, which is impossible to avoid when
showers aren’t handy. Solution? Pack an anti-bacterial floral water mist and
spritz your body down as
needed. Be sure to use a
pure hydrosol (plant water) that does not contain
alcohol. You want to purify your skin without dehydrating and irritating it.
Some personal favorites
include: organic Peppermint and Immortelle (aka
Helichryse) hydrosols.
Bumpy Arms, technically
known as “Keratosis Pilaris” but endearingly called
“Chicken Skin,” are red
bumps found on our upper arms that can make
many clients shy about
going sleeveless. Make
long sleeves an after-
thought by applying an
oil-rich cream religiously.
Keratosis Pilaris is aggravated by dryness and irritation of the hair follicles
so is best treated by nourishing and soothing skin.
Look for heavy moisturizers containing calming ingredients such as Camellia oil, Chamomile and
Aloe Vera.
Dry patches that show up
on our shins and forearms
can be an unwanted reminder of a winter past.
Sometimes skin tissue can
become so dehydrated
that it takes on a snakelike appearance that just
begs to be shed. Simply
moisturizing is not enough
to remove these scaly
patches. Instead, rehydration must be done in
combination with intense
exfoliation. A way to do
this is by daily dry brushing. Before your morning
shower, use your dry brush
in circular motions moving towards the heart to
slough away stubborn skin
build up. Not only does
this remove dead cells,
it also increases blood
flow and prevents water-
retention, reducing the
appearance of cellulite:
Double score!
If you’re planning some
cottage sun-bathing before you close it up for
the fall, being ingrownfree prevents red pustules
that can show up in your
intimate areas. Caused
by dead skin buildup,
ingrown hairs appear
when our hair follicles are
blocked and covered,
causing hair to grow inwards. This is why they
most often appear in our
body’s folds such as the
bikini and underarm regions. Not only can this
lead to inflammation and
infection but they can
also be painful! Apply an
oil or lotion meticulously
to ingrown-prone areas
both morning and night
for sexy, smooth ingrownfree skin. Make sure you
use a petrolatum-free
product as petro-ingredients (often labelled as
“mineral oil”) have been
found to be common
pore-clogging irritants as
well as possible carcinogens.
Kristen Ma is the co-owner of Pure + Simple Inc., a group of Holistic Spas with
its own line of Natural Skincare and Mineral Make-up. She is an Ayurvedic
Practitioner who has studied in Canada, the United States and India. She
is also a Certified Esthetician with eight years of practical experience,
having worked in Canada as well as Australia. Most recently, Kristen has
authored “Beauty: Pure + Simple” which was published by Mc Arthur
and Company. Kristen has written on the subject of Holistic Beauty for
Vitality Magazine, Blink and Jasmine. She is also a regular contributor to B
Magazine, Tonic and Sweat Equity Magazine.
For more information on Kristen, please visit www.holisticvanity.ca.