Why Winter Hydration is Important

Feel that chill in the air? Winter is well on its way. And while many of us look forward to sweater weather with relish, you wouldn’t know it by looking at our skin. Between the icy outdoor air and the desiccating indoor heat, it’s no surprise that the biggest beauty gripe of the season is dry skin. However, what most see as a minor inconvenience could hold serious consequences for your complexion years down the road. In the fight against premature aging, winter hydration is just as important as summer sun protection.

While the cold alone isn’t enough to signal a four-star beauty alarm, the drop in humidity compounded with around-the-clock heating are solid clues that its time to step up your skin care regimen. To keep your home cool in the summer and toasty in the winter, your air conditioner dehumidifies the air to control the climate. While this saves you from constantly bundling up when it’s cold outside, it also throws your skin into a state of panic.

Like a sponge, your skin absorbs moisture from the environment to keep its cells healthy and functioning. It also creates a lipid (fatty) barrier to maintain optimal moisture levels even when the humidity fluctuates, like during the winter. Between this lipid barrier and sebum—natural oils secreted by the sebaceous glands—the skin helps combat trans-epidermal water loss, or TEWL. If these natural defenses are compromised, the skin’s cells can quickly lose vital moisture, dry out and die. Over time, dead cells can build up, creating a dull appearance and blocking topical ingredients from reaching the healthy cells below.

What threatens the skin’s natural defenses? Anything that strips its lipid and sebum barrier leaves skin vulnerable to dehydration. Talc-based cosmetics, common cleanser detergents like sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and topical irritants, like alcohol and benzoyl peroxide, that can cause inflammation all pose a threat to skin’s delicate moisture balance. Chronic barrier abuse can lead to cracked, broken skin, contributing to signs of premature aging. With skin immunity and repair function in jeopardy, lines and wrinkles can easily follow.

Fortunately, you can prevent the type of winter damage that can lead to premature aging with topical ingredients that work with the skin’s barrier to minimize moisture loss. In addition to natural emollients like shea butter, moisture-enhancing ingredients like jojoba oil, liquid crystals and heavy water can work wonders on both seasonal and persistent dry skin.

Jojoba oil comes from the jojoba shrub, found throughout the southwestern United States and Mexico. Jojoba oil acts similarly to human sebum, conditioning the skin and helping to trap in moisture. Combined with other key moisturizers in a formula like CosMedix’s Hydrate+, this highly prized emollient encourages healthy hydration, especially in skin stripped of its own natural oils.

While jojoba oil helps hydrate skin by locking moisture inside, liquid crystals, like those found in Emulsion, help support the natural liquid crystal matrix of dermal tissue and cell membranes. Existing in a state between liquid and solid, liquid crystals help enhance the absorption of topical hydrators that might otherwise remain on the skin’s surface. Because all cellular components in the body exist in a liquid crystal state, liquid crystal skin care products communicate with the skin’s cells to help correct concerns like moisture loss.

One ingredient you’re not likely to hear a lot about is heavy water. However, with a list of benefits that includes ionizing radiation, boosting immunity and fighting acne bacteria, this little known substance is a skin care powerhouse. Heavy water, or deuterium oxide, is water enriched with deuterium, a hydrogen isotope found naturally in the ocean. Denser than water (hence the name), it’s more resistant to evaporation, making products rich in this moisture-binding ingredient, like Mystic, dry skin must haves.

By targeting moisture loss from outside and within, multi-active hydrating products like those in CosMedix’s chirally correct skin care line can help eliminate winter dryness and prevent the aging effects that build with time. Used in conjunction with a skin care regimen customized to your skin’s needs, corrective hydrators can help you give dry skin the cold shoulder this season and every season.

Cosmedix Facials and Products are available at Suede Salon Spa and Body.  Call today to schedule your Complimentary Skin Consultation.  856-985-0700

Holiday Skin Must-Haves

The holiday season is fast approaching.  And while we enjoy the camaraderie, giving, receiving and joy, we tend to focus on the never ending to-do list - the cooking, baking, preparing and getting everything just right--only to step back from the mirror to gaze upon the look of neglect.  Staring back at us is a tired, wrinkled, puffy-eyed face that is supposed to be in a holiday dress smiling like June cleaver by the end of the week.  Add traveling halfway across the county by car or plane, and the damage to fix increases tenfold. 

 

There are scientific explanations for why our skin goes berserk at times. A large cause is the stress hormone cortisol, which is responsible for blood pressure regulation, immune function and inflammatory response. During times of chronic stress, like the holidays, cortisol can reach prolonged high levels, causing impaired cognitive function, elevated blood pressure, blood sugar imbalances and breakouts. Add cold weather and dry indoor heating, and a plan for healthy skin becomes imperative.

Fortunately, Suede Salon Spa and Body carries CosMedix to make it easy for you to face the holiday hustle and bustle with a radiant glow. The CosMedix Correct Kit is an easy, four-step skin correction routine that’s appropriate for everyone. Approved by the FAA, this travel-sized kit contains everything you need to cleanse, protect, hydrate and correct your skin on the go.

Starting with Benefit Clean, a chemical-free, shea butter-rich cleanser formulated for all skin types, the Correct Kit removes dirt, impurities and even stubborn waterproof makeup to cleanse and prime skin for correction. To undo environmental damage and protect the skin, Affirm antioxidant serum then infuses it with over ten active antioxidants.Hydrate+, a chemical-free, hydrating sun protector, soothes and protects the skin from the elements. Lastly, Define refinishing treatment helps to combat the multitude of concerns—from fine lines, discoloration and uneven texture to breakouts, dehydration and loss of elasticity.

While the Correct Kit will help you achieve a flawless complexion, there are a few must-haves to include in your holiday/winter regimen. Opti Crystal not only combats signs of aging around the delicate eye area, it also hydrates, smoothes, sets concealer and reflects light away from fine lines, puffiness and dark circles. Used on the lips, Opti Crystal is a nourishing treatment that also helps prevent vertical lines and rehydrates even the driest chapped lips.

If you need a bit of extra winter hydration, send Rescue balm to the, well, rescue. This soothing at-home treatment mask not only rehydrates lackluster skin, but also infuses it with antioxidants to save it from the damage of too much travel, lack of sleep and stress. An immediate pick-me-up, Rescue balm is perfect anytime your complexion needs a little help. It’s also great for dry hands, feet, elbows and knees.

Lastly, when all else fails—when you’ve waited too long, traveled too far and stressed too much—head to your nearest Suede Salon Spa and Body for a quick, no-downtime Today’s Peel. Designed to immediately revive, exfoliate, soften and correct multiple concerns, chirally correct CosMedix treatments like Blueberry Smoothie, Pomegranate Peel, Benefit Peel and Purity Peel will get your skin in shape without the wait. So, with the holidays approaching, the to-do list a mile long, and too little time to spare, reach for the Correct Kit and rest assured that help is on the way.  Call today for your Free Skin Consultation 856-985-0700.

Suede Holiday Specials

Buy $100 in Suede Gift Certificates and Receive a $25 Suede Reward Card
Valid Jan 1-31, 2014

Buy $200 in Suede Gift Certificates and Receive $50 in Suede Reward Cards
Valid Jan 1-31, 2014

Buy $250 in Suede Gift Certificates and Receive $50 in Suede Reward Cards
Valid Jan 1-31, 2014

December 16-21, 2013 Buy One Get One 50% off Retail Products,
excluding Cosmetics, Hair Tools, Extension Bar orJewelry

Peels with the Power to Change the Skin and the Results to Prove It

The Proof is in the Peel

Few cosmetic treatments can change the skin’s appearance more dramatically than a professional facial peel. From correcting troublesome conditions, like acne or hyperpigmentation, to simply giving the skin a rejuvenating “lift,” peels exist for a variety of purposes. However, navigating the bloated peel market all alone–and the claims that each product makes–can be a daunting task. If you’re considering a facial peel, the myriad choices available can seem overwhelming without a solid benchmark for comparison. And for most people, that benchmark is the proof that a product performs as promised.

For Suede Salon, Spa and Body's , proof is easy to come by. Suede's Estheticians are known for their ability to create  a healthy complexion without irritation, Suede only uses peels that back up their product claims with hard evidence for years. And with a proven collection of non-wounding peels for all skin types, you won’t have to scour the earth to find the right treatment for your unique concerns.

For those looking to correct superficial flaws and revitalize the skin, Today’s Peels offer a gentle, no-downtime alternative to harsh chemical peels. Instead of forcing the skin to repair itself with damaging chemicals, Our peels work with the skin’s own chemistry to encourage healthy exfoliation and renewal. Using chirally correct ingredients–ingredients purified at the molecular level for maximum potency with minimal irritation risk–Today’s Peels require no prior preparation, yet are powerful enough to dramatically diminish the appearance of fine lines, dark spots, oily and acne-prone skin.

Blueberry Smoothie $75
Combining antioxidant blueberry extract with stimulating L-lactic acid and blue corn meal, Blueberry Smoothie is a powerful yet gentle exfoliating peel and scrub. An exceptional blemish treatment, this light peel effectively corrects an assortment of superficial skin concerns, from sun damage to multiple degrees of discoloration. So impressive are its results that Blueberry Smoothie is among Suede's top-selling treatments.

Pomegranate Peel $75
Designed to even out the top layers of the skin, Pomegranate Peel infuses the skin with powerful antioxidants while stimulating collagen to smooth over rough skin and correct uneven texture and tone. Combining 15 percent L-lactic acid–a chirally correct alpha hydroxyl acid derived from milk–with some of nature’s most effective free radical fighters, including red wine resveratrol, pomegranate seed oil and astaxanthin–a marine carotenoid 500 times more potent than vitamin E–Pomegranate Peel is remarkably gentle catalyst for change.

Benefit Peel  $100
Benefit Peel truly is a peel for all skin types. Utilizing encapsulated retinol, this stimulating antioxidant peel is especially effective at neutralizing hyperpigmented, problem and prematurely aged skin types. In fact, in recent clinical testing, 91 percent of Benefit Peel recipients reported brighter skin, more uniform tone and less apparent wrinkles in just six weeks.

Purity Peel  $125
A unique blend of five chirally correct acids, Purity Peel is the answer to oily and acne-prone skin. Made with 10 percent encapsulated retinol and over four percent salicylic acid and L-TCA complex, this maximum strength clarifying peel effectively exfoliates problem skin, unclogs pores and eliminates toxins and impurities with amazing results. In clinical testing, over 95 percent reported clearer skin and fewer and less severe breakouts in just four weeks.

Call today for your Complimentary Skin Consultation and learn what peel is best for your skin type.  856-985-0700.

Clear Skin 101 with Suede Salon Spa and Body

Clear Skin 101

By Drew Pizzini

Whether you’re heading back to school or just hanging out with friends, don’t let breakouts bring you down. Take back control of your complexion with commonsense tips and uncommonly effective products from CosMedix. It’s time to clear up problem skin and greet the day with confidence.

Be Disciplined

While most acne sufferers will see a difference in the first couple weeks of their skincare program, it can take up to 28 days for your skin cells to turn over. Getting your skin in balance requires time, consistency and discipline. Establish a regimen of cleaning and treating your skin twice a day to eliminate pore-clogging excess oil and cellular debris. Using an exfoliating cleanser, like Purity Clean from CosMedix, is an important first step toward clarifying the appearance of problem skin. As lactic acid gently removes dead skin, soothing botanicals–including aloe vera, peppermint and lavender–calm visible irritation and unsightly redness. This powerful formula also preps the skin for additional correctives, like CosMedix’s blemish-fighting Clarity serum. Combine your home regime with a Professional Facial will ensure your ability to have bright, smooth and healthy skin.  The type of facial will depend on your skin's individual needs.

Don’t Pick

Scratching, pinching and squeezing might feel like the right thing to do, but avoid giving into the temptation. “Popping” blemishes can lead to permanent scarring, increased irritation and redness. Additionally, dirt and bacteria from unclean fingers can find their way into pores, making matters worse. A soothing facial mask, like Clear, can keep pores clean help create a more comfortable complexion. Packed with problem-solving salicylic acid, sulfur and willow herb, A 10-minute application in the morning can absorb excess oil and put you in the fast lane to clearer looking skin.

Keep Clean

To minimize the spread of bacteria and other impurities, be sure to wash all pillowcases, towels and makeup brushes weekly. If your skin is particularly sensitive, look for a detergent that’s free of irritating dyes and fragrances. When you’re out and about, avoid over-cleansing your skin, especially with harsh cleansers that contain sodium lauryl sulfate or alcohol. These common additives can rob skin of vital moisture, prompting it to produce more sebum–natural oil that conditions the skin–than normal, increasing the risk of clogged pores and breakouts. Try to also avoid touching your face, and keep long hair tied back throughout the day.

Don’t Sweat It

After exercise, be sure to use a mild cleanser to wash away sweat, which can attract pore-clogging impurities and lead to body acne. For persistent blemishing, turn again to Purity Clean. In addition to lactic acid, it also features tea tree oil, which acts as a natural astringent. An exfoliating back scrub or loofah can also help slough away potentially pore-clogging dead skin and debris; however, exercise caution when using exfoliating products with an abrasive surface to avoid irritating the skin.

Call today for your free Skin Consultation 856-985-0700.

AVAILABLE FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY

Signature Facial $89.00
Anti Acne Treatment $116.00
Purity Clean $38.00
Clarity Serum  $36.00
Clear $42.00

Esthetician Sharon Pichoto: Intro to Skin Care 101

Good Skin Care starts with proper nutrition.  Sometimes those late nights of studying and not always grabbing the right food can take its toll and wreak havoc on your skin.  CosMedix Skin care offers supplements that can be taken in the morning before you start your day:  Clarity provides powerful internal defense blend of detoxifying cleansing and supportive herbs to help acne.  Balance is a complete green formula with 44 unique fruit and vegetables which boost your energy!  Restore is a proprietary blend of herbs and probiotics to detoxify the colon.  Most importantly drink lots of water!  Half your weight = the amount of ounces you should drink each day.

Keeping a daily skin care routine “simple and affordable” is easy with the following regiment:

Cleanse in the morning and evening.  Going to bed without cleansing will age your skin 7 days!  Select a cleanser that is gentle enough to remove makeup but will also be effective for your personal skin type.  CosMedix Benefit Cleanser is great for most skin types while Purity Clean is perfect for oily/congested skin.

Tone for added protection against clogging pores. Spray a cotton ball with toner and simply swipe your face.  Benefit Balance is gentle enough for all types while Purity Balance works well with clogged conditions. 

Enhance your cleansing by using the Clarisonic brush, which will clean your skin 6 times better than you can manually!

Moisturize to protect and hydrate according to your skin type.  CosMedix Mystic provides hydration without the greasy feeling.  Phytoclear works as the best moisturizer for those “hormonal breakouts”.  Hydrate+ is a light moisturizer with and added protection of SPF 17. 

This simple routine will only take you 3-5 minutes morning and night.  Create the habit within 21 days and see the results.  Suede Salon Spa and Body offers Complimentary Consultations to help you jump start into a Skin Regiment that works best for your skin type.  
Book Today 856-985-0700

Cosmedix Products Sold at Suede Salon Spa and Body:

Clarity Supplements $30.00
Balance Supplements $48.00
Restore Supplements:  $34.00

Benefit Clean $34.00
Purity Clean $34.00
Benefit Balance $34.00
Purity Balance $34.00

Mystic $36.00
Phytoclear $58.00
Hydrate + $46.00