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Mindfulness. The missing ingredient in your beauty regime.
June 22, 2020
We’re busier than ever before, working harder and longer hours and spending more and more time online without taking a break from our phones and tablets, trying to achieve a perfect life in an imperfect world. The mindfulness movement encourages us to slow down and take time out, to rebalance, to be present and aware of our thoughts, physical sensations and everything around us, without judgement. It’s a simple way to improve physical and mental wellbeing; you don’t need to be a yogi or find the time to meditate every day to become mindful. Even small moments of being present can be very helpful in reducing stress and anxiety, which leads to younger, healthier skin.
Here are several ways in which mindfulness can become part of your beauty regime, adding a little me-time to your morning, evening or weekend beauty ritual:
Slow down when applying beauty products
Instead of thinking about your beauty regime as a task on your morning to-do list, think of it as an act of self-care that you look forward to. Take the time to slow down as you apply your skincare products and think about the texture and how the lotion, oil or cream feels on your skin.
Gently massage the product into your skin, which also increases its effectiveness. Focus on your breath and your sense of smell as you inhale its fragrance. By making the process of application part of a rejuvenating ritual, you’ll clear your mind and your senses.
Observe without judgement
By rushing through your routine, you might be adding to the stress of your day, which impacts the health of your skin. Take the time to really observe yourself and your skin, taking note of any changes to your skin’s appearance and texture, without being critical or getting into a negative mind space. Observe yourself mindfully without judgement, visualizing that as you breathe out, you’re releasing negative energy, and as you breathe in, you’re absorbing positive energy. As you do this, think about something you’re positive about (whether it’s a personal quality or physical attribute or an act of kindness you’ve done or plan to do) and tell yourself that you’re enough, just as you are. By incorporating mindfulness, you might find persistent issues such as breakouts or dryness begin to clear up on their own as your stress levels begin to lower.
Choose natural ingredients
Embracing a mindful approach means giving more thought to the products you use, including what chemicals they might contain. Opt for products containing natural ingredients that nourish your skin, and take the time to appreciate their benefits as you apply them.
For example, lavender can help with relaxation, frankincense for stress and anxiety alleviation while lemon and peppermint work well as a pick-me-up. By using natural herbs and oils, you’ll help protect your skin from the free radicals that lead to wrinkles and fine lines.
Add a meditation session to your weekly mask
You don’t need to spend hours meditating to reap the benefits of meditation. Even a couple of minutes each day being present and quiet during your beauty regime can help manage anxiety. A weekly mask treatment can help you relax into a longer meditation session as your mask works its magic – nourishing your mind as you nourish your body!
Use essential oils
As you move through each step of your beauty regime, add a blend of essential oils to your diffuser to help you relieve any anxiety or stress about the day ahead. Choose essential oils that can help you set the mood – whether it’s to relax or energize you. At the end of your routine, breathe deeply and relax your body and mind.
Use your mindful beauty regime as an opportunity to think through any challenges calmly, set goals or practice a better way to respond to problems. Take a moment to express thanks for everything you’re grateful for and go forth feeling balanced, grounded, and in control.
With 58% of women reporting that their beauty routine helps them relax, including mindfulness into your beauty regime may be the best way to influence your state of mind and have a positive impact on your skin’s appearance.
If you’d rather enjoy a mindful environment while experiencing a spa treatment or if you have a cosmetic issue that’s making you uncomfortable or causing anxiety, we can recommend a solution tailored to your skincare needs. Contact us for a no-obligation, free consultation to discuss the relaxing beauty treatments and cosmetic solutions available at Gates Medispa. We’d love to help you on your health and wellness journey.
We discussed the common signs of sun damage, from wrinkles to freckles or sunspots. While you might be able to live with some small skin imperfections, if your skin condition is impacting your self-esteem, there are several treatments that can treat and prevent the symptoms of sun damage. Best of all, you can do them over your lunch break. Here are three easy ways that you can treat sun-damaged skin. Laser Just one or two laser treatments can remove sunspots. At Gates Medispa we offer LimeLight (IPL) treatments and Laser Genesis for sun-damaged skin. While both are non-invasive treatments that usually take no more than 1- 3 sessions, excessively sun-damaged skin might require more treatments. The Cutera LimeLight improves skin tone and surface imperfections linked to ageing and photodamage from exposure from the sun. It can be customized for different skin tones and conditions and be performed on many areas of the body – especially those heavily exposed to the sun such as the face, hands, shoulders, back and arms. It works by removing layers of the skin with precision, encouraging new skin cells to form. You’ll experience a mild pinching sensation over the session, which usually takes between 30 minutes and an hour. Laser Genesis is another way to reduce the appearance of sun-damaged skin, as well as fine lines and wrinkles, with no downtime. It works by heating up the upper dermis to stimulate the production of collagen—a long-chain amino acid and the most abundant protein in the human body. This helps improve the appearance of wrinkles and skin imperfections by increasing the skin’s elasticity. Ironically, the 10-20 minute treatment feels almost like lying in the sun, as you’ll feel a quick, warming pulsing of light all over your body. AFA/Clay Peels Sun damage decreases amino acids in your skin, leaving it susceptible to the signs of ageing. AFA clay peels are ideal for ageing skin or pigmentation irregularities caused by sun damage as they deliver antioxidants and amino acids deep into the skin to improve the appearance of sun-damaged skin, improve water retention and exfoliate for a smoother, softer complexion. They provide 3 times more antioxidants for the skin than AHAs, promoting a healthy skin environment and reducing irritation, with zero downtime. Usually, you’ll need to come in between 4-6 times for your AFA clay peel for best results. Microneedling with SkinPen When it comes reversing sun damage and treating aged skin, microneedling with a SkinPen shows fantastic results. SkinPen/Microneedling literally creates controlled wounds or micro-injuries in the skin. Small needles penetrate the skin to trigger the skin’s remodelling process and stimulate new collagen and elastic tissue. While the SkinPen needs to be applied three or more times in one area, you’ll only notice a slight pricking feeling over the 15-20 minute treatment. Depending on the level of sun damage, you’ll usually need 2-3 treatments. More Info If you have any more questions or would like to find out more about the treatments and procedures available at Gates Medispa for sun damage, come visit us for a no-obligation, free consultation. We’d love to help you on your health and wellness journey.
The beauty industry has historically been women-centred, and the fact that it’s worth USD 62 million is mostly due to a women-led obsession with beauty. But in many countries, men are seeking beauty treatments too – and have been for a very long time. In fact, recent figures show that men present a multi-million-dollar growth opportunity for the beauty industry. Gender-neutral beauty? As men and women age similarly, it shouldn’t be surprising that beauty treatments are becoming more gender-neutral. The sentiment that men shouldn’t care about their appearance is waning with more and more men looking after their skin or seeking out beauty treatments. According to a recent beauty consumer report, nearly 40% of adults aged 18-22 have shown interest in gender-neutral beauty products and treatments while the Asia Pacific market is one the fastest-growing regions for men’s grooming and cosmetic products. Here are three of the most popular reasons why more and more men are being drawn into the beauty arena: Treat Or Prevent Wrinkles While Botox began with a massive female market, it became so popular with men (increasing by 27 percent since 2010) that media outlets named the trend “Brotox”. With a few injections, Botox can minimize muscle contractions for up to six months, making it a preferred treatment reduce or preventing wrinkles around the eyes and forehead. And with more men raving about Botox on Instagram, Botox is becoming even less taboo and more normalized for men, who are stopping by for treatments on their lunch break instead of slinking into the clinic under cover of darkness. Hair Removal Men can have excessive hair on their bodies, and like it just about as much as women do. For many hairy men – laser hair removal is a must, allowing immediate results that continue to improve with subsequent treatments. For others, laser hair removal is an easier grooming regime than shaving, eliminating issues such as razor burn or ingrown hairs. Laser hair removal is appealing to men uncomfortable with hair on their back, chest, stomach, buttocks, legs or neck. A growing male customer base worldwide includes bodybuilders who want to enhance muscle definition or cyclists who want to eliminate chafing and irritation – or save a hairsbreadth of a second in cycling time. It also hurts up to 40% less than waxing. As more and more men opt for relatively painless laser treatment, laser hair removal looks set to go mainstream. Body Sculpting It’s not just women who struggle with body fat. Body contouring procedures like Cool Sculpting can help a guy who might be in the best shape of his life but can’t shake some chubby pockets of fat – no matter how much he works out. While men most commonly use Cool Sculpting to target love handles, the chest, abdomen and double chin are popular treatment areas. During CoolSculpting the fat pocket is placed in a suction applicator, which delivers cold temperatures which rupture and destroys fat cells. While treatment takes about an hour, there’s little or no downtime and stubborn body fat could be gone in a single session! Although men have a long way to go to catch up with women when it comes to beauty treatments, there’s a growing demand for a more non-binary approach to beauty, whether it’s skin products, make-up or beauty treatments. At Gates Medispa, all treatments and procedures are gender-neutral and discreet. If you have any more questions or would like to find out more, come visit us for a no-obligation, free consultation. We’d love to help you on your health and wellness journey.