Blog Post For Laura Skin Care Petaluma, CA

Is Hard Water Bad for Your Skin?

Laura Pagliaroni Skin Care Aug 09, 2023 Comments Off

When it comes to skincare, one thing you may not have considered is the water you’re using to clean your skin.

This may not be a concern, unless of course you’re cleaning your skin with hard water.

Find out if using hard water is bad for your skin.

Hard Water Effects

If you have a lot of mineral deposits, calcium, and staining your sinks, plumbing fixtures, and clogged appliances, it’s a sure sign of hard water at work.

Since hard water contains high levels of minerals, including calcium and magnesium, it not only clogs plumbing but destroys water-based appliances over time. Using hard water costs big money in appliance replacement like coffee makers, dishwashers, washing machines, and hot water heaters.

If it does damage like that to appliances, what can it do to your skin?

Hard Water and Your Skin

Although hard water isn’t dangerous to your health even with its high mineral content, it does leave behind a soapy residue on your skin. This residue can clog your pores, leading to skin inflammation and worsening skin conditions like eczema or acne.

Hard water also tends to strip natural oils from your skin, leaving it feeling tight and dry. Tight, dry skin is a stepping stone to fine lines and wrinkles.

In the short-term, hard water dries out skin. It may feel itchy, look flaky, and more prone to acne flare-ups. Along with itchy skin, your scalp may also feel itchy and hard water leaves hair looking dull instead of vibrant.

With consistent use and over time, all these active minerals in hard water promote free radical damage which breaks down skin’s natural framework of collagen. Collagen breakdown results in loose, sagging, older-looking skin.

Hard Water Defense

The easiest way to get rid of hard water is to install a water softener. If you do, you’ll notice an immediate difference in your clothes, hair, and skin. If that’s not a possibility, here are some interim hard water hacks:

Use soap-free, gentle cleansers and body washes on skin
Shorten shower time keeping the temperature moderate not extremely hot or cold
Dab skin dry instead of rubbing to decrease chance of flaking and over-drying
Apply a rich, moisturizing lotion after every shower while skin is still damp

Wrap Up

While hard water certainly presents challenges for your hair and skin, there are things you can do to minimize its effects.

By keeping water temperatures lukewarm, using soap-free cleansers, and using rich, skin-loving moisturizers, you’ll beat the effects of those hard water minerals.

For more expert advice and treatments, contact the skincare professionals at Laura Skincare in beautiful downtown Petaluma.

Serve Up Flaxseeds for Beautiful Skin

Laura Pagliaroni Facial Jul 20, 2023 Comments Off

There are a lot of fairly easy things you can do to have youthful-looking, beautiful skin.

Wearing sunscreen is a big one. A consistent skincare regime is also important. Keeping skin hydrated and moisturized goes a long way to achieve your skincare goals.

Another key ingredient to skincare success is enjoying a healthy, balanced diet. A very simple way to ramp up nutrition and give skin a healthy boost is to add flaxseeds to your daily diet.

Discover Flaxseeds

Flaxseeds are small, brown or golden plant-based seeds full of antioxidants, fiber, and a healthy source of omega-3 fat (similar to fish oil).

Going back literally thousands of years, flaxseeds have played a significant role in Asian Ayurvedic medicine practices.

Flaxseeds are so healthy because they are high in antioxidant-rich compounds like lignans, ferulic acid, tocopherols, and phytonutrients.

Today, flaxseed is available in many forms from tablets to powders to oils to ground seeds. Thankfully, these options make it simple to add to a healthy, nutrition-packed diet.

Benefits of Flaxseeds

Although not specifically endorsed by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA), flaxseeds have been found to improve overall health. Some overall benefits of flaxseed include:

Antioxidants fight back against free radical damage
Lowers “bad” cholesterol levels and blood pressure
Reduces risk of cardiovascular disease
Reduces risk of some types of cancer
Lowers risk of diabetes
Promotes healthy brain tissue
Protein helps support healthy muscle mass
Eases arthritis symptoms
Reduces severity of hot flashes
Promotes regularity

Skin-Specific Benefits

Anti-inflammatory properties prevent rashes and skin irritations
Balances estrogen levels, reducing excess sebum production that causes acne
Restores skin’s pH balance
Wards off fine lines and wrinkles
Promotes a smooth complexion
Helps keep skin taut and lessens sagginess
Helps retain skin’s moisture

Adding Flaxseeds to Your Diet

Flaxseeds have a delicious, mildly nutty taste. The taste is comparable to a mixture of sesame and sunflower seeds.

Adding a daily dose of these healthy seeds is very easy.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

Sprinkle on top of yogurt, oatmeal, or low-fat cottage cheese
Add 2 tablespoons in with your favorite smoothie
Add to granola, trail mix or cereal
Mix into muffin or bread batter
Sprinkle in with your green salad

To go easy on your digestive system, eat ground instead of whole flaxseeds.

Before adding flaxseeds to your diet, check with your healthcare professional if you have allergies to seeds/nuts, are pregnant or breastfeeding, have breast or uterine cancer, using meds to lower cholesterol, blood thinners or other anti-inflammatory drugs.

Wrap Up

For a simple way to improve your skin, all it takes is 1-2 tablespoons of flaxseed added to your favorite snack or meal each day.

For one-on-one help with chronic skin conditions or recommended treatments, call the skincare experts at Laura Skincare in downtown Petaluma.

What is LED Light Treatment?

Laura Pagliaroni Facial Jul 09, 2023 Comments Off

If you’re looking for a non-invasive yet effective treatment for chronic skincare issues or taking your anti-aging efforts to the next level, consider how LED light treatment might help you reach your goals.

What is LED Light Treatment/Therapy?

LED (Light Emitting Diode) therapy has been around for generations.

First discovered by a Nobel Prize winning scientist, Niels Finsen, in 1903, LED therapy was used to treat soft-tissue injuries, arthritis, and chronic pain conditions.

Fast forward to the 1980s when more research and expansive testing concluded that pain treatment was just the tip of the iceberg for this innovative therapy.

Since then, LED therapy has been used and widely acclaimed to treat not only tissue-related conditions, but found to be healing for chronic skin conditions, including those related to aging.

By using LED therapy in varying degrees of light-emitting wavelengths, light penetrates into deeper layers of skin to produce desired results.

Types of LED Light Treatment

LED light treatments involve the use of either red or blue lights, depending on the skin treatment.

Red LED Light Therapy

Red LED treatments are effective because the wavelengths of light focused on the skin easily penetrate the epidermis, or outermost layer of skin.

Once the light penetrates the epidermis, underlying cells are stimulated by the light as are the collagen proteins found just below the epidermis.

An increase in collagen production helps skin look smoother, diminishing the appearance of those fine lines and wrinkles.

Blue LED Light Therapy

Blue LED treatments are most effective in resolving chronic skin conditions such as scarring, rosacea, or acne because they target glands found in the deeper layers of your skin.

The treatments help to decrease oil production for acne, in addition to healing damage found deeper within the skin layers and tissues.

Skin Conditions Treated

LED light therapy is a helpful tool in resolving skincare issues such as:

Acne
Scarring
Rosacea
Eczema
Sun Damage
Increased collagen production for firming
Reduction in appearance of wrinkles, fine lines, and age spots

How to Get Started with LED Light Treatment

The most effective LED light treatments are performed by a professional who really understands how to treat skin conditions.

The treatments take less than 30 minutes, are painless and there is no downtime. LED therapy is safe as it contains no harmful UV rays like the sun.

A professional can set up a treatment schedule and if necessary, an after-care plan to give you the most beneficial healing and resolution of the specific skincare issue.

Wrap Up

When trying to resolve a chronic skin condition or looking for a refresh of tired, aging skin, consider adding LED light therapy to your treatment plan.

To find out if LED light therapy might be beneficial for you, contact the professional skincare estheticians at Laura Skincare, located in historic downtown Petaluma.

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