Red Light Therapy

December 10, 2023December 10, 2023 ~ Loreeebee ~ Leave a comment

Are you familiar with red light therapy? Supposedly it is amazingly good for lots of ailments, including joint and muscle pain, fertility issues, autoimmune conditions, depression, improved circulation, muscle repair, improved skin health (scars, wrinkles, stretch marks, acne, psoriasis, eczema, rosacea, collagen production etc), and even hair growth.

How Does it Work?

Infra-red light benefits us by stimulating or energizing the mitochondria (AKA power plants) within our cells so they work more efficiently.

RLT naturally stimulates your body’s own production of ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate), a key element in cellular regeneration. It’s been identified as a great way to aid in faster healing, immune boosting, anti-aging, mood enhancement, muscle recovery, and much more.

How Safe is it?

Unlike the radiation from the sun and tanning beds which feature UV light, red light therapy utilizes different, harmless wavelengths within the light spectrum. Used as directed and short-term, red light therapy appears to be safe with no known side effects. The therapy is non-toxic, non-invasive, and not as harsh on your skin as many topical skin products.

Red light therapy is becoming so popular it is now available in many forms. You can consult with a dermatologist, beauty salon, or other skin care specialists. At-home, self-administered products are also becoming more prevalent with lots to choose from.

PlatinumLED Therapy

PlatinumLED Therapy has been in the business for twelve years, a ring leader of sorts. They claim to have twice as much power as their competitors with FDA-approved, advanced technology, using six wavelengths of light. The BioMax systems offer four sizes for targeted therapy.

HigherDose Infra-Red (IR) Therapy

HigherDose is another company jumping into the red light therapy market. They offer two sizes of mats, (one more portable than the other) a sauna blanket, a face mask, a neck enhancer, as well as other options including supplements to enhance the IR process.

Have you tried it? Would you? If you are interested, do your research first to see which company and products are best for you and your intended use.

Yanel Cosmetics, Healthy and Nutritious!

December 8, 2023December 8, 2023 ~ Loreeebee ~ Leave a comment

How can cosmetics be nutritious you ask? Well, Yanel Cosmetiques, or @Yanelcosmetiquesolide as they are known in Quebec, has found a way to create makeup and skincare products from healthy, vegan food.

How I Discovered Yanel Cosmetics

On a girls’ weekend to Montreal recently, we wandered into a vegan Christmas market on Ste Catherine Street. Most of the products sold were, you guessed it, food. I discovered the Yanel booth and was quickly impressed with the young lady(Anna) at the booth promoting their products.

What impressed me? A few things but mostly her sincere attempt to navigate the English language when she spoke and understood very little of it. Inspired (my guess) by my interest in healthy, natural products, between the two of us we managed to decipher the ingredients from French into English. Upon further investigation on my part, I believe this young lady is the entrepreneur behind Yanel Cosmetics.

The other thing that impressed me about these products was the short list of ingredients and the fact that I recognized what each one was. No ingredients with 45 letters in them and none that were not natural, everyday ingredients. What a concept!

I don’t know about you but I like to know what I’m putting on my face, especially with all the skin issues I have been experiencing lately. I purchased a universal stick for lips, cheeks, and eyelids, a 3-in-1 balm (makeup remover/cleanser/mask), and a nourishing foundation.

About Yanel Cosmetics

This quote about the history of Yanel comes directly from their website:

The founder of Yanél, Anaju Enciso, has always been interested in the challenges of environmental protection. But it wasn’t until she decided to become a mother that she consciously adapted the values of the zero waste movement. As a consumer, she was looking for natural and organic cosmetic options, which were very expensive and over-packaged.

Determined to create an alternative, she trained in cosmetology and specialized in the extraction of plant pigments. With this knowledge, she started making her own makeup and beauty products for her family. Then, she received positive comments from those around her, which motivated her to have her products tested in her network. Again, she got exemplary feedback. This is why she thought about the exciting possibility of creating her own cosmetic brand: Yanél, a word that comes from Tének, one of the languages of Mexico, which means “abundance” and represents the richness of the Earth.

What are Yanel Cosmetics Made of?

The surprise ingredient (to me) was carrots, for their rich source of carotene. Here’s a list of other ingredients, at least of the products I purchased:

Foundation: organic carrot extract, sunflower seed oil, zinc oxide, jojoba oil, sunflower seed wax, cetyl alcohol, tocopherol (vitamin E)

Universal Stick: cocoa, sunflower seed oil and wax, cetyl alcohol, shea butter, tocopherol (vitamin E)

Balm/Cleanser/Mask: organic calendula, olive oil, jojoba oil, sunflower seed wax, vegetable glycerin, cetyl alcohol, stearic acid, tocopherol (vitamin E)

Although I did not purchase powder (it is predominantly for oily skin) they are made with spinach and beets, amongst other healthy ingredients.

Features and Benefits of These Products

The list of features and benefits was also taken verbatim from the website. All products have the same features:

Benefits of the Foundation: (from the site with a few grammatical modifications)

Your complexion will be brighter and more radiant thanks to the presence of beta-carotene, the plant pigment present in carrots, which ensures a healthy glow. Beta carotene cures acne, improves the complexion, soothes redness, and repairs skin (scars, psoriasis, eczema, etc). The combination of beta carotene and zinc oxide protects the skin from UVA and UVB rays from the sun (SPF 20) as well as blue light from screens.

Your skin will be hydrated and revitalized thanks to jojoba oil which balances the acidity of the skin and the production of sebum, slows down water loss, and promotes the production of elastin and collagen. In addition, it is healing, anti-inflammatory, and anti-infectious to the skin. The ingredients contain antioxidants as well, which prevent premature aging by fighting against free radicals.

Benefits of the Universal Stick:

Unfortunately, the English version is not (yet) available on the site. My translation (please correct me if I missed something) would read as follows: flavonoids and natural pigments in cacao regenerate and protect skin against free radicals. The flavonoids also regulate cellular activity, protect against signs of aging, and promote cell renewal. Antioxidants and phytosterols also provide regeneration. Cacao is also rich in caffeine which tones the skin.

Benefits of the Balm: (from the site)

Thanks to the powerful anti-inflammatory active ingredients of calendula, your skin will be relieved and softened. It will bring softness and elasticity to your skin. Calendula protects against cell degeneration and fights against free radicals that cause premature skin aging. It thus contributes to limiting the appearance of wrinkles, fine lines, or pigment spots. Also, it acts as a filtering agent against the sun.

Your skin will be soothed and nourished, it will regain its suppleness and tone thanks to the goodness of olive oil, which also promotes cell regeneration, eliminates impurities, and preserves the skin barrier. Also known for its antibacterial effect, olive oil prevents the proliferation of bacteria due to its disinfectant properties.

I’m sure you can see why I was so impressed.

Repair Skin Damage, Five Ways to do it

March 22, 2023March 24, 2023 ~ Loreeebee ~ Leave a comment

This article was originally posted on Higher Dose, and adapted for use as a guest post here on Loreeebee…

You might not wear your heart on your sleeve, but you definitely have an organ that is outward-facing. *Drum roll* Your skin.

As your body’s largest organ, your skin requires a lot of attention because it’s literally the body’s barrier, protecting you from external factors. Even though your skin is your body’s protector, external factors such as sun damage, stress, free radicals, poor nutrition, lack of sleep, pollutants, and the natural aging process all put wear and tear on our skin.

Even though our skin endures a lot every day, there are many ways to both repair and prevent further damage.

Here are our favorite ways to give your skin a healthy DOSE of TLC.

Self-Care to Repair Skin Damage

Multi-step self-care routines can seem daunting and unnecessary, but what if we told you they were actually essential for your skin’s health? With one-third of your body’s toxins being excreted through the skin, your skin is constantly working to help transport toxins out of your body to keep your system refreshed. Skin impurities like acne, rough texture, and poor complexion can be a result of buildup on your skin, so taking some extra time to detoxify your skin will help keep things popped, snatched, and glowing.

Step 1 | Detoxify

Detoxifying your skin starts with stimulating your lymphatic system and then pushing out toxins with a DOSE of infrared. A lymphatic facial helps to drain waste from the lymph system, promoting better circulation and less water retention. Following up a lymphatic drainage massage with an infrared sweat is the ultimate cleanse, clearing out buildup and increasing blood flow for a fresh face.

Step 2 | Fight Inflammation

When you apply heat to the skin, cold must follow. Therefore, post-sweat, opt for cold therapy to get the heat out of the skin and quell inflammation. Cryo facials are an excellent way to tone and tighten the skin while shrinking pores and strengthening your body’s immune response. If you don’t have access to a cryo facial, spend up to three minutes in a cold shower, or consider an ice roller that you keep in the freezer.

Step 3 | Nourish

Once the skin has detoxed, it’s time for restoration, rejuvenation, and recovery. Follow up any treatment with proper hydration and nourishment in the form of serums, creams, and oils that lock in moisture and keep inflammation down. Clean products that are high in antioxidants like vitamin C help support the skin’s recovery process, fight and prevent oxidative stress, and encourage collagen production.

Chill out with a Cryo Facial

Cryo facial is a type of cryotherapy that focuses on soothing, stimulating, and refreshing your complexion using cold temperatures to enliven the skin.

Rather than using exfoliating creams or chemical peels that can irritate the skin, a cryo wand is used to blow cold air on your face in concentrated, circulated motions. The freezing temps and vaporized liquid nitrogen instantly shrink enlarged, oily pores and increase circulation to your face, leaving you with a fresh-faced, cool glow. These facials also encourage collagen regrowth and cell repair — giving you long-term anti-aging protection.

Get a Face-full of LED

Immerse your skin in the benefits of blue, red, and near-infrared LED light energy.

The sun emits a full spectrum of light to help our bodies function throughout the day. While blue light signals cortisol production to help us be more productive, red and infrared light suppress cortisol and increase melatonin to promote better restoration and recovery.

However, because most of our jobs keep us indoors and exposed to artificial blue light from our screens AM to PM, our bodies stay in a prolonged state of stress. More stress means less melatonin, which means worse sleep and inflamed skin.

This mood-enhancing, skin-restoring treatment provides the skin with healing light sources, taking no longer than 30 minutes. Near-infrared LED light energy stimulates cells to regenerate and heal, leaving you with an even skin tone, a clearer complexion, and fewer wrinkles. Plus, it’s a great way to de-stress by stepping away from your screens to give those frown lines a break!

Repair Skin Damage with a Microcurrent Facial

Your body isn’t the only thing that needs a workout.

Microcurrent technology, which is touted as the ultimate non-invasive facelift, can be used from head to toe to tone and tighten skin from the inside out.

Using low-voltage current, microcurrent sends frequency deep to stimulate the muscle as well as promote cell growth in the skin. Similar to physical exercise, this facial / body workout activates the lymphatic system, encouraging proper drainage aka no facial puffiness or water retention. Microcurrent, which is virtually painless, also oxygenates the skin, invigorating the proteins that signal repair and ease inflammation.

Not only are results immediate but long-term treatment can undo fine lines and wrinkles and keep the skin smooth without paralyzing the muscle (like Botox and other injectables).

Read the labels

There are many, many beauty products out there that claim to prevent and reverse skin damage. How do you know which ones work?

Always look for clean ( with no endocrine-disrupting ingredients) beauty products like:

Niacinamide to minimize dark spots and hyperpigmentation.
Azelaic acid to lighten dark spots from acne and repair sun damage.
Topical retinoids like Vitamin A in these products reduces fine lines and improves skin texture.
Vitamin C to improve collagen production and boosts skin firmness.
Alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) to reduce hyperpigmentation

And, of course, drink lots of water, wear a long-lasting (natural) SPF, and eat lots of antioxidant-rich whole foods. Your skin will thank you.

Show us what you’re doing to take care of your skin by tagging us on Instagram @higherdose.

This article was originally posted on HigherDOSE.com