MY FAVOURITE SKINCARE PRODUCTS FOR FALL
Ahh, Fall. Warm sweaters, cozy blankets, hot chocolate, and fuzzy socks. There are so many things to enjoy about Fall. However, Fall weather can be unkind to our skin. Fall requires us to update our skincare products and routines to help hydrate and protect our skin.
If you’re like me, your hands get very dry and may even crack as the colder weather sets in. This is why one of my new favourite skincare products is ‘Hello Pumpkin Hand Rescue’ from Walton Wood Farm. This hand rescue creme is thick and super moisturizing. The scent is amazing! In addition, Walton Wood Farm products use natural ingredients and exclude harsh ingredients such as SLS, Paraben, and Phthalate, They are vegetarian/vegan-friendly, gluten-free and are never tested on animals. The icing on the cake is that they are a Canadian company.
To keep the skin on my face hydrated, I love ‘Ultimate Boost Serum’ from AlumierMD. This serum is perfect for those with combination skin, oily skin, or dry skin. Used morning and night, it is perfect to use as a booster under your moisturizer. It addition to its moisturizing properties, it has anti-aging benefits and works to reduce fine lines and wrinkles. AlumierMD creates medical grade skincare products, meaning the concentrations of active ingredients are typically higher than in non-medical grade skincare brands. The entire line of AlumierMD products is fantastic. ‘Ultimate Boost Serum’ , as the name implies, provides that extra boost of hydration so necessary in the colder months.
Another of my absolute favourite products for fall is our ‘Pumpkin and Clay face mask’ exclusively made for Self by one of our favourite companies, Northern d’Lights. Pumpkin has many benefits when used in skincare: it is full of fruit acids which are excellent exfoliants; it has beta-carotene which is a great anti-aging ingredient: it has vitamin C, an essential for sun damaged skin; and it has zinc for acne prevention. Our ‘Pumpkin and Clay face mask’ is a hand-made limited release made for us every Fall. In October, we use it for our annual pumpkin facials. It is also available for purchase. Northern d’Lights is a Canadian company which produces high-quality bath and skincare products (tip: the bath truffles are superb any time of the year).
I absolutely adore the Pomegranate SheaLip Balm from Saltspring Soapworks. This lovely product takes care of and prevents the discomfort of dry, chapped lips. The creamy texture is lovely and it is a larger than most other lip balms. Saltspring Soapworks is a Canadian company based in BC. Their products are handmade using natural and organic ingredients when possible. The products do not contain parabens or sodium lauryl sulfate.
Try some of these must-have products for Fall. I promise you will not be disappointed!
Comment with below your favourite products for Fall!
WHAT ARE BATH TRUFFLES?
by Olly Jones
Bath truffles are “like” bath bombs and a bath taken in a wonderful heaven of silky skin and melting your worries away. Once you try the Northern d’lights bubble bath truffles you’ll never think twice about going back to other bath products! When I’ve given bath truffles as gifts, some say that they don’t know what they are or how to use them so this is for those who either love or have no clue what these wonderful truffles are!
What are they?
Bath truffles are a moisturizing bath melt and a opulent and quite lavish bath bomb wrapped up in a splendidly small truffled shape (1 oz). No bigger than a cookie dough scoop, they’ll leave you fresh and moisturized for days, feeling cleansed and spotless after every bath without fail , you should expect bubbles in your bath!
How do you use them?
You should just hold the truffle , or break it down in your hands, under the running tap water as the tub is filling (to create bubbles this is a nessecary step!!) and relax, watch as they fill the tub with bubbles and a sweet aroma!
Extra sweet information!
If you’re not convinced yet, just wait! These bundles of heaven in truffle form only contain the following ingredients: sodium bicarbonate, citric acid, sodium laurel sulfoacetate, cocoa seed butter, shea butter fruit, and mango seed oil. They also *May contain* the following; Aroma, Mica and botanicals. And they are made by a Canadian company in Saskatoon, Northern d’lights. The founder/owner/operator/etc. is Karston Wiebe, you should take the time to check them out on Facebook, Etsy and other social media platforms!
5 REASONS TO ADD PUMPKIN TO YOUR FALL SKINCARE
The arrival of fall means pumpkins. Lots of pumpkins. We carve them, we eat them, we even add them to drinks. But did you know that pumpkins are also great for skincare? Let’s look at 5 reasons you should add pumpkin to your skincare this fall.
FRUIT ENZYMES
Fruit enzymes help remove dead skin cells, revealing smoother, brighter skin, and helping to speed up the cell renewal process.
VITAMIN C
Vitamin C provides antioxidant protection, helping to protect your skin from environmental pollution and UV rays. It can help heal, reduce scarring, prevent and reduce wrinkles, reduce dark spots, and increase the production of collagen.
BETA-CAROTENE
Beta-carotene also provides antioxidant protection and anti-aging benefits.
AHA’S
AHA’s, or Alpha Hydroxy Acids, help exfoliate dead skin cells and stimulate cell turnover,
ZINC
Zinc, along with other benefits, can help soothe and relieve redness and irritation.
With so many benefits for the skin, it is no wonder that pumpkin is considered a super skincare ingredient.
WHAT ORDER DO I APPLY SKINCARE PRODUCTS IN?
As an aesthetician, I get asked quite a bit about the correct order to apply skincare products . It is a source of confusion for many people. Moisturizers, serums, cleansers, exfoliators, oh my! Let’s end the mystery of ‘The Order of the Products’.
1 - Cleansers
The first step is to cleanse the skin. Don’t rush this step - for some cleansers, it takes time for the active ingredient(s) to work.
2- Exfoliators
Exfoliators follow cleansers, whether it is a physical exfoliator, such as a scrub, or a chemical exfoliator. Follow the specific exfoliator instructions for how to use it.
3 - Serums
Next up are serums. Some serums are meant to be applied only in the morning and others only at night. Often, serums can be layered on top of one another. For instance, most* of the AlumierMD serums can be used in any order.
(* excluding Everactive C&E+Peptide, which is the first serum applied in the morning, and Alumience A.G.E. and Vitamin Rich Smoother, which are applied last in that order)
4 - Eye Products
Eye creams and serums are applied following serums.
5 - Moisturizers
An essential part of skincare, moisturizers are the second last product applied to the skin.
6 - Sunscreen
Last, but certainly not least, are sunscreens. Reapply throughout the day as per instructions. Many people skip this step, especially in winter. However, wearing sunscreen daily, all year, is one of the most important things you can do for you skin.
TOP 3 MYTHS ABOUT CHEMICAL PEELS
1 Chemical peels all cause your face to be extremely red and painful.
Anyone who has watched ‘Sex and the City’ remembers the episode where Samantha got a chemical peel to freshen up her appearance. As she walked out of the clinic after the peel, she caused a young child on the street to scream at the sight of her red, raw-looking face. The next evening, with her face no-less hideous looking, she attended a party where she elicited many gasps of horror from people at the look of her face. In addition, the episode showed her in physical pain from the peel.
The truth is that there are different classifications of chemical peels (light, medium, or deep) and only the deeper peels will cause you face to look like, as Carrie said, ‘beef carpaccio’. Light, or superficial, chemical peels do not cause your face to look like raw meat or become painful to the touch.
The chemical peels offered at Self are light peels from AlumierMD, a medical-grade skincare line. Your skin may be red for a few hours (typically no more than 12) and your skin may flake in certain areas over the following days. There is minimal downtime with these peels.
2 Chemical peels are a ‘one size fits all’ treatment
Not all chemical peels are the same. There are different peels for different skin conditions. Light chemical peels typically consist of alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), beta hydroxy acids (BHAs), and retinol.
Examples:
Acne prone skin is treated with our BHA 20 chemical peel from AlumierMD, which contains salicylic acid, a BHA.
Sensitive skin is treated with Renew 30 from AlumierMD, which contains lactic acid, an AHA.
We have a range of peels from AlumierMD to treat different skin conditions.
3 You will need to hide inside for days.
With lighter chemical peels, your face will only be red for a short while (most often an hour or two, no more than 12). While you may want to stay inside the day of your treatment, you do not need to avoid the outside world. Rest assured that you will not scare little children as Samantha did. However, it is extremely important that you wear sunscreen on the treated area in the days following the peel ( ***sunscreen should be worn daily, all year long).