Juice Plus is simply amazing!  Each adult serving (2 red caps, 2 green caps), is a therapeutic, whole food-based dose of antioxidants – the equivalent of 12 pounds of 17 specific fruits and vegetables that are dehydrated to comprise a unique nutritional formula that is difficult to beat.  The product is made using an award-winning process of dehydrating the ingredients at low temperatures to preserve the enzymes and phytonutrients, keeping them alive until they go to work in the body to provide therapeutic amounts of antioxidants.  The enzymes and phytonutrients contain the instructions that tell the body how to break down and utilize the food for energy.  Unlike multiple vitamins, which are often unable to be digested or utilized by the body, Juice Plus is “bio-available”, meaning it goes straight to work, which is the measure of how easily it is utilized by the body.

Juice Plus has now earned the honor of being the most researched and independently tested supplement in North America.  The product is sold in a 4-month supply because it takes 120 days for the body to completely replace all of its blood cells.  To experience the full benefit of Juice Plus, it should be taken for at least 4 months.  However, in the journal Current Therapeutic Research (1996), antioxidants levels were found to quadruple after 28 days.  A further study at King’s College in London concluded that in as little as 7 days, Juice Plus supplementation raised blood antioxidant levels in the ranges associated with reduced risk of disease, as published in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics in late 2000.

Researchers at the University of Arizona measured the impact of Juice Plus on the immune system.  The Juice Plus Immune System Study analyzed key components of the immune system to determine whether Juice Plus could improve multiple immune functions.  After 80 days, researchers found significant improvements in the activity of T-cells, B-cells and natural killer cells and in the levels of cytokines.  These results were published in the journal Integrative Medicine in 1999.    Additional studies have found that taking Juice Plus can lower homocysteine levels and reduce vascular restriction, both of which contribute to improved heart health.

So there’s plenty of evidence that Juice Plus can keep us healthier, and our bodies functioning better.   But what does that have to do with skin?  For the past 10 years, skin care research has targeted topically applied antioxidant ingredients in skin care products to help protect the epidermis, the skin that we see and feel.  However, by taking Juice Plus, you can improve the quality of your skin from the inside out by growing better skin.  Internally consumed antioxidants protect against the free radical damage that cause stress, which s the same type of damage that is responsible for the inflammation that leads to wrinkles.  In the past we have had other antioxidant products as a part of our skin care line-up, but they required mixing a powder into a water.  Over the years, Juice Plus remains our favorite, not only because of the compelling research, but because it is convenient, and therefore it is more likely to become a long-term habit.

We recommend Juice Plus to all of our skin care clients, but know that you are getting much more than support for beautiful skin!  For more information, call 650-560-9600.

Cellular Recovery Serum is PRIORI’s latest product in a new line called Target Skin Therapy.  In a nutshell, it contains a living microbe that repairs damaged DNA for superior anti-aging results. This technology is unparalleled in the skincare industry today.  For a more in-depth description, please read on. 

DNA is the key to all life, all cellular metabolic activity and the most important element in determining our health and appearance.  However, UV light and other sources of toxic free radicals can damage DNA, and if left unchecked, this damage leads directly to premature skin aging, cell death, and even skin cancer.

Antioxidants (such as Idebenone) provide the cell’s first line of defense against damage caused by oxidative stress from free radicals (sun, stress, poor nutrition, alcohol, prescription and non-prescription drugs).    Cell repair mechanisms, such as DNA repair enzymes, provide the second line of defense to reverse damage already caused by free radicals.  The DNA repair enzymes have the ability to target and excise the damage in the DNA.  Once the damage is removed, the DNA has the ability to self-repair and return to its normal, healthy state.

PRIORI’s DNA repair enzymes utilize 3 natural liposome encapsulated DNA repair enzymes from botanical and microbial sources to repair cellular damage.    It contains key antioxidant and anti-inflammatory ingredients for soothing and calming the skin, and hyaluronic acid for superior skin moisturizing.    Studies have shown DNA repair enzymes have been shown to diminish the effects of harmful UV radiation, accelerate the improvement of fine lines, wrinkles and uneven skin pigmentation, and reverse cellular DNA damage.

The new Cellular Recovery Serum is a lightweight formula that is applied to the skin immediately after cleansing, once or twice a day depending on the skin condition.  We recommend Cellular Recovery Serum along with one of PRIORI’s two Idebenone formulas in order to take advantage of both first and second lines of defense in anti-aging.

Cellular Recovery Serum can be used successfully with any skin care line to enhance its performance.

At Abundance, we’ve been singing the praises of hyaluronic acid for years, so we were pleased to see it get some public recognition in the article “Skin care’s new favorite ingredient: hyaluronic acid” by Alene Dawson for the Los Angeles Times.  According to Dawson, hyaluronic acid is the skincare industry’s newest buzzword ingredient ~ it has a smoothing, plumping effect that makes it a worthy addition to cosmetics; also, because it is naturally occurring and is identical whether human, animal or synthetic in origin, hyaluronic acid is a safe and effective ingredient for fillers such as Botox, Restylane, Perlane and Juvederm (which contain varying thicknesses of hyaluronic acid).  For more information on injectables and fillers, please consult our in-house Facial Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Greene.

Dawson’s source, Dr. Nowell Solish, Director of Dermatologic Surgery at University of Toronto, seems to disapprove of cosmetic companies riding the coattails of hyaluronic acid because, when applied topically, it doesn’t absorb into the skin and correct winkles, but simply fills, plumps  and smooths skin to reduce the appearance of wrinkles.  We emphatically say… What’s wrong with that?!  For people who aren’t in the market for fillers or noninvasive anti-wrinkle treatments such as glycolic/alpha-hydroxy acid exfoliation or GentleWaves LED Photomodulation, we see no problem whatsoever with instantaneous, albeit temporary, improvement in the skin!

Abundance has several products touting hyluronic acid ~ Epicuren’s Moisture Surge and DNA Skincare’s Zen Therapy Gel are almost pure hyaluronic acid and are used as a hydrator under your moisturizer, or as a stand alone moisturizer for oily skin… but we also like to use them as a foundation primer because it leaves a super smooth finish.  TRUE Cosmetics’ Skin Tints contain hyaluronic acid, making it more of a tinted moisturizer than a liquid foundation, and believe us when we tell you it lives up to the hype!  TRUE also uses hyaluronic acid in their Transforming Mineral Mist, which is used to set mineral foundation, making mineral powder more wearable for dry skin and those with a heavy-hand, but also serves as a refreshing pick-me-up anytime (think:  airplane… desert…).  PRIORI’s new Cellular Recovery and Epicuren’s Phyto Placenta Serum also contain this “buzzword” ingredient, although we prefer to think of hyaluronic acid as buzzworthy.

I want to share with you the buzz that’s happening at Abundance.  The feedback we’re receiving on the Advanced AHA peel has been phenomenal!   After one treatment, clients see a significant difference in the quality of their skin – so much so that although peels are generally done in a 6 to 8-week series, we can offer this as a stand-alone treatment.   Because this peel is so gentle, we have even chosen it as the primary treatment to use with our popular collagen-building GentleWaves LED photomodulation treatments.

So what is Advanced AHA?

Advanced AHA Cosmeceuticals are one of the three PRIORI lines.  It’s the latest advance in AHA technology from Joe Lewis, the nation’s top skin care formulator, utilizing a novel (proprietary) LCA complex that combines lactic acid and a multifunctional essential skin vitamin complex (Vitamins A, C and E and pro-vitamin A) in a time-released formulation to enhance product performance and results.  It’s the first step in the PRIORI skincare collection designed to restore basic skin health and fitness, the foundation of any skincare regimen.

Over the past five years, we’ve had the privilege of having the most progressive anti-aging lines at Abundance, but PRIORI’s Advanced AHA peels out-perform them all without redness, flakiness, or downtime.  After 6 to 8 peels, the skin is corrected, hydrated, lines diminished, with a beautiful, even skin tone.  In addition, the sophisticated new technology allows us to treat even the most sensitive skin without adverse reactions.

Week after week, I hear feedback such as:

“I can see a change in my skin after one treatment …”

“My pores are smaller.”

“Even my husband noticed my skin!”

“I love how Advanced AHA feels on my skin.”

We invite you to come in and experience this extraordinary peel treatment.  We know you’ll love it!