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!

This month I’ve featured our pumpkin facial, not only because it’s seasonal, but because it’s another way to add antioxidants to the skin. In addition to nourishing the skin, the acid made from pumpkin breaks down the “glue” that holds dead skin cells together in the outer layer (epidermis), gently revealing the new, fresh layer. Pumpkin is a rich source of antioxidant, as evidenced by the rich orange color.

So what are antioxidants? Anti-oxidants are molecules that can prevent or interrupt the cycle of oxidation, which leads to cellular destruction. Oxidation is the toxic by-product of the fuel-generating process that our bodies perform daily, which produces free radicals, often referred to as oxidative stress. Free radicals are the pirates that de-stabilize cells, and eventually lead to cellular breakdown. Like the carcinogenic black smoke that is produced at a campfire, our bodies generate toxins (free radicals) under increased stress illness, and now there is research to suggest that exercise can significantly increase free radical production. Sun is a major source of free radical damage. Antioxidants have the ability to neutralize free radicals and keep our immune systems on track.

In my esthetics practice, I recommend antioxidants to all of my clients, because stress, and oxidative stress, are obstacles to healthy, beautiful skin. Ideally we get an ample supply of anti-oxidants from a wide variety of foods, especially fresh vegetables and fruits. However, to maintain optimal health in a stressed lifestyle, I believe it is to our advantage to supplement a vegetable-rich diet with mega-doses of whole-food based antioxidants. They can be found in many forms. My personal favorite is Juice Plus, a capsule form, because of the ease and convenience. I also use Dr. Tony O’Donnell’s Radiant Greens and Pomegranate Plus, both of which are considered super foods. In short, antioxidants boost the immune system in a very immediate, measurable way.

In the past five years there has been a growing trend to use antioxidants on the skin – and for a good reason! Applied topically, antioxidant serums protect the skin from free radical damage from the sun, stress and other environmental assaults. Vitamin C was one of the first to be used, but it is the least stable, so expensive Vitamin C serums, often packaged in brown glass bottles, begin to lose their potency the minute the airtight seal is broken.

At Abundance, I have been using idebenone, a synthetic form of CoQ10 delivered in a time-released formula from PRIORI Skin Care, with impressive results. We use it in conjunction with other elements of a well-rounded skin care program to significantly change the texture and color of the skin. Each skin care line now uses their own formulation of antioxidants in various deliveries – cleansers, moisturizers, serums and masques.

So this fall, enjoy the rich, bright colored (the redder the better) fruits and vegetables because they are full of life-giving anti-oxidants. A single apple contains over 40,000 different phyto-nutrients, none of which you can get from a manufactured vitamin tablet! If you would like more information about our antioxidants, feel free to give us a call or stop by the salon – we’d be happy to share with you.

Peels works by using one or more alpha hydroxy acids or AHAs (acids made from sugar, milk and various fruits and vegetables) to loosen the chemical bond that holds the dead skin cells together. By doing this very, very gently over a 6-8 week period, there is no “down” time or adverse side effects. At the end of the series, your skin is remarkably smoother, firmer, pores are minimized, and it appears visibly brighter, reflecting more light. For maximum results, it is generally considered safe to do two peel series per year.

During the past year, we introduced two very progressive new peels from PRIORI Skincare, the Skin Perfection Facial and the SuperCeutical Facial with Idebenone. Although I love the five skincare lines that we use at Abundance, I continue to be amazed at the results I see with the PRIORI Skin Perfection Facial. It uses a proprietary blend of AHAs, primarily lactic acid, which has a significant brightening effect on the skin. One of the additional benefits of lactic acid is that it deeply hydrates the skin, which means that your skin care products can penetrate much more deeply, delivery a better result. We offer the PRIORI peel treatments in conjunction with the GentleWaves LED Photomodulation treatments for a beautiful firmer, tighter and more luminous skin in eight weeks. A regular annual peel habit can help to minimize pre-cancerous cell build-up.

Products matter! All the facials in the world can’t make up for a consistent home care program. Consistent use of the new cosmeceutical products will produce dramatic results when used twice daily at home. Each of our five skin care lines feature anti-oxidants and anti-aging treatment products to support skin’s recovery from environmental damage.

We are excited about the press this week for our CoffeeBerry skincare line. The CoffeeBerry Night Complex was featured in Oprah magazine and the CoffeeBerry Day Complex was featured in US Weekly.

So welcome to Fall. Enjoy the season and don’t forget your sunscreen!

Chrysann