Fantasia Salon / Spa and Wig Specialists

As humidity levels rise, it might be a good time to pay attention to your skincare regime. Managing your skin during the summer can sometimes be a challenge particularly for those with extreme skin conditions like acne or excessively oily skin. The heat and environmental toxins can all play a role in the overall look and feel of the skin. Humid weather can exacerbate a variety of skin problems.

You can’t escape entirely from the humidity unless you stay inside, and that would be a travesty as summer is all too brief in Minnesota! Here are a few tips and strategies to help restore and balance your skin so you can enjoy summer fun!

Use a clarifying facial wash or cleanser. SkinCeuticals has an excellent skin care line which we sell at Fantasia. Clarifying cleansers help to unclog pores that are working overtime during the hotter months as skin sweats more often.

Drink plenty of water! This is good for your overall health anyway in addition to flushing out toxins and keeping your skin well - hydrated.

Use an exfoliating scrub at least once per week. Try different scrubs to remove dull skin cells and increase circulation in the process. If you can afford it, think about having some microdermabrasion treatments at the salon or treat yourself to an anti-aging facial.

Use a toner with glycolic acid to further help remove pollutants and toxins. Again, I would recommend SkinCeuticals.

Use a light moisturizer with SPF protection on a daily basis. This will leave skin supple, smooth and well-toned. If your skin is oily, make sure you are using a light moisturizer. Apply it sparingly.

Use a eye gel before bed. This can help reduce puffiness and any tenderness in the eye area as well as have you waking up with bright eyes and smooth skin.

Use botanical products and essentials oils which can help you stay cool. Anything based in chamomile and lavender will be soothing and cooling. Cucumber and aloe-based products are rejuvenating and restoring.

This is a no-brainer, always wash off your makeup before bed. Your skin needs to breathe overnight and can detoxify naturally without the blockage of makeup. Eat lots of water-based foods. You will get vitamins and minerals from your daily diet but you can stay hydrated with less water if you consume lots of water-based foods.

Be sure to use a shower filter to filter out the chlorine which can be very damaging to your skin. Keep your skin well protected when swimming and showering.

Exercise early in the morning. You can enjoy the benefits of exercise without worry of overheating or dehydration if you exercise early.

Humid summer weather can affect your skin in many ways. It can be more likely to breakouts and can become imbalanced. Use the right products for your skin type and follow a healthy regime to create a healthy and vibrant summer glow!

I have previously written about microdermabraison and what a wonderful treatment it is for anti-aging and to help correct damaged skin. In case you are unfamiliar with this treatment, it’s sort of like “sand blasting” the face with fine crystals. I know that may sound nasty and harsh; but it is in fact, a relaxing spa treatment. It is done with a machine in a salon/spa setting. While there “home treatments” you can buy, it is much more effective when done with a machine in the salon/spa.

However, when talking about microdermabraison, there is another benefit which can be derived from it that I have not talked about which could be huge for some people.

If you have had issues with acne, and find that you are left with brown spots or your skin appears to be pitted, you could benefit significantly from microdermabrasion treatments. As long as your skin is now blemish free, you would be a good candidate for microdermabrasion. Depending on how severe your spots and pitting are, would determine the number of treatments you would need to have. At Fantasia, you would have a consultation with our esthetician who would help you determine how many treatments might be necessary for you to achieve noticeable results.

Microdermabrasion is a non-surgical, non- invasive way to help your skin to begin to heal itself. Without getting technical, microdermabrasion removes the top layer of the skin, exposing the new skin underneath. Done repeatedly, after awhile, you will be amazed at how good your skin can actually look.

If you have been feeling like you wanted to hide under a rock because you skin is so pigmented and scarred, this is something affordable, with no recovery time, that you should take a serious look at. No need to worry any longer, there is hope for your damaged skin!

Fighting the ravages of aging is a huge business today. In fact, women are spending nearly $13 billion per year on non-surgical facial solutions. Let’s examine some of the most popular treatments.

Microdermabrasion is very popular. It is a treatment which helps clean out the pores and reduce pore size. It works is by utilizing tiny rough grains to buff away the outer layer of skin to reveal younger, more supple layer of skin. There is minimal recovery and no down time.

You can look at before and after photos of women who have had a series of microdermabrasion treatments and you will notice a difference. Specificially with sun-damanged skin, age spots and fine lines and wrinkles.

Then there are the peels, from chemicals to fruit acids. Deep peels can dramatically reduce visable signs of aging. Peel means just what it says. You literally “peel” off a layer of skin to reveal a new you.

The photofacial is another non-surgical solution. This is the intense pulse light treatment which helps to develop collagen. It’s not a laser. The photofacial uses light technology to deliver precise amounts of light energy through the skin’s surface. This reduces the pore size and gets rid of dark pigment spots, brown spots, as well as red marks on the face. One can expect a total rejuvenation with this treatment and it only takes 20 minutes to see results.

So, if you are looking older and more tired than you would like, don’t despair! You can have some or all of these non-surgical facial solutions and take years off your face.