beauty / personal care
Organic
Facial
Treatment
By Curzio Caravati
Your daily skin care regimen is very important. When the inquiry is made as to your actual routine, one of the most common responses I hear is “Well, I use just soap and water.” As an educated skin care provider, I’d like to explain why this regimen is inadequate.
The skin is our primary defense against the invasion of offensive substances. To work effectively, the skin depends upon the natural lubrication provided by the sebaceous glands called sebum. Sebum is the fatty acid delivered to the surface of the skin via the pores. Ideally, sebum would coat our skin surface leaving it slightly acidic. The use of soap and water (both alkaline) actually strips off our protective acidic coat and breaks down our defense barrier. In time, this over-cleansing stresses the skin leading to the over production of sebum which begins a vicious circle of undesired consequences.
The more sebum we produce, the larger and more numerous our visible pores become, particularly in the chin to forehead regions known as the T-Zone. When excess sebum hardens in the pores, blackheads are formed. Now, we have visible pores, unsightly blackheads and an oily shine. Try as we may to self correct this problem, professional intervention is the best way to regain control over the situation. Enter the facial… a practical and effective therapy to evenly enhance sebum flow, reduce pore size and prevent blackheads.
In the first phase of a facial treatment, the skin tissue is softened. A steamer is used to help liquefy the fatty acids and increase sebum flow. The activation of the skin surface is also designed for a deeper infusion of nutrients and moisture retention in the following phase.
Infusing the epidermis, the top section of the skin, is a real challenge because the epidermis is paper thin, and the molecular structure of the skin cells is designed to shield “offensive” ingredients. That’s where organic skin care products can be more effective. Selected hypo-allergenic ingredients are accepted and infuse deeper into the epidermis, resulting in greater skin hydration, less fine lines and a more even skin tone.
The second phase of an organic facial features a serum application, and a masque massaged into the skin. This is more nutritious than any massage oil. Finally, this is followed by a second masque layer, and is finished with customized moisturizing treatments. How does an organic facial differ from any other type of facial?
The definition of an organic facial can be very confusing as any product can be labeled as “organic”. You can research what is truly organic by simply reading the ingredient list and asking questions. Unfortunately industry regulations for customer protection (FDA) is currently limited to sun screen. Even worse, you can find an “organic” label on a product that only contains 20% of organic ingredients.
There is a great difference between skin care products made with wholesome ingredients and those manufactured with organic elements manipulated into chemical compounds. Often these manipulations require chemical preservatives, and other series of ingredients that should be avoided. Read the ingredient list: If it starts with water as the first ingredient, and includes very long words, that should tell you that the organic elements have
been diluted.
I personally believe that wholesome, undiluted, biodynamic and organic ingredients are delivered to our skin with more effective results. Although one facial will make little difference, especially if you don’t follow a proper daily regimen, my clients have noticed dramatic improvements when they begin using truly organic skin care products.
So, what can you do to put your best face forward? As a minimum, I recommend a daily exfoliation of the T-Zone. Once the exfoliation product is washed off the face it’s important to pad the skin dry to remove the alkaline element of water. Then you should always saturate the skin with a toner. The toner helps the skin find its natural acidity and increases the infusion of the moisturizer. You will save a lot of money by using less moisturizer if it’s applied immediately after the toner.
Lastly, for best results, I recommend the use of several masks and moisturizers which can be mixed with a variety of serums. Diversity in your skin care products is just as important as in hair care, wardrobe selection or menu planning. You don’t eat the same meal every day; why would you nurture your skin with the same products for years? Explore the possibility of a new youthful appearance by treating your skin to an organic facial and a new regimen of organic skin care products!
Curzio Caravati is an aspiring Renaissance Man with interests ranging from bio-dynamic horticulture to beekeeping, aromatherapy and organic skin care. He is a licensed esthetician at Equinox, the Body and Soul Boutique (www.lovequinox.com) Contact him for consultations at Equinox, or by email at curzio@lovequinox.com.
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