A French Touch Salon

The finest in Parisian skin care on the central coast.

A French Touch Parisian Skincare Salon

Emily Katz: Make-Up for the Stars!

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Bonjour, Mes Amis!

Emily Katz HeadshotWe have a very exciting event coming up for you next week, mes amis!  One of Elle’s Beauty Genius MakeUp Artists Emily Katz is coming to A French Touch Salon this Monday, the 23rd, to discuss how to maintain a beautiful you with skin care and make-up tips adored by Hollywood’s most glamorous.  

Over the past 20 years, Emily has become the biggest and best in makeup and skin care by working with the stars of Lost, Big Fish, Nine Lives of Chloe King, 24, and Anger Management.  She also provides skin care consultations and classic makeup styles for some of Hollywood’s biggest stars, always emphasizing healthy skin and a natural look.

Her simple message, “Stand in your Beauty”, describes a natural and healthy sense of beauty and self that we strive to impart at A French Touch; she describes it perfectly, saying “I strive to bring out the beauty that is in each of us, without creating a mask so that a woman feels like she’s expressing her inner beauty as well.

mitchell

Even a full-on glamour makeup still allows a woman to feel gorgeous and be herself when she knows that sometimes less is more! I love skin, and prefer to let it show through a makeup without looking cake-y or dull.

Beautiful skin…or the impression of it, without heavy looking coverage is what I always strive for. I find it important that we feel beautiful inside and out, and want to support women in doing just that.”

You hit the mark, Emily, we couldn’t have said it better ourselves!  Please go to her website for a fuller appreciation of Emily’s talents and philosophy at http://www.ektruth.com/.

So, be sure to join us at either 11:00 a.m. or 5:30 p.m. for one of Emily’s talks and demonstrations, as she shares her favorite skin care products (she loves Jan Marini, too!), and some age-defying makeup tips that keep your skin looking young, fresh, and naturally beautiful.  She’ll also be offering discounted private consultations, to help you capture the glamour and youthful beauty of the stars for yourself and make it reflect the true, beautiful you.  Call us or email us if you’d like to reserve a seat for you and the special women in your life (and really, what better way to spice up your Monday!).

I’ll see you there, mes amis!

Bisous,

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Exfoliation 2.0: Peels

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Bonjour, Mes Amis!

Let’s kick our exfoliation up a notch to the professional level, shall we?gentle peel treatment

I know I’ve mentioned peels earlier this week, but I want to go through what our peels at A French Touch are like, and what results they’re designed to have.  First, however, let’s get a few misconceptions about chemical peels out of the way.

For those of you who are imagining the skin on your face peeling off like it does after a bad sunburn, I’m happy to say that you’ve got it all wrong!  

gross peel

Only very strong chemical peels have that effect on your skin, but A French Touch prefers to offer gentler, effective peels that provide results without downtime.  We want our lovely clients to be able to jump back into their busy lives, feeling refreshed but not feeling the side effects!  Our Jan Marini-inspired peels penetrate the skin deeper than our home-care products (and certainly deeper than a mechanical form of exfoliation), working to not only clear away the dull-looking top layer of debris, but also to revitalize your skin’s natural glow and beauty.  Jan Marini Skin Research says that peels are one of the most popular aesthetic treatments out there, and are effective in treating acne, acne scars, hyper-pigmentation, photo-damage, lines, and wrinkles.  More radiance and no downtime, what more could you ask for?

Our first, most gentle peel is the Jan Marini 40% Glycolic Acid Peel, which we offer as a one-time treatment, a series of 3 over three weeks (recommended), and as an add-on to your facial.  This peel uses (obviously) Glycolic Acid, which is a product many of us already use in our home-care routines (Bioglycolic cleansers, lotions, and creams for the face and body), just in a  stronger solution.  This peel has zero-downtime, which means you’ll be able to immediately re-apply your makeup and sunscreen and be on your way!  The Glycolic Acid Peel specializes in treating fine lines, uneven texture, acne, and pigmentation issues, even with one application; however, both Patricia and the experts at Jan Marini tell us that these peels, as with most skincare products and procedures, work best with continued application and treatment (read: you get to relax for a peaceful session every week and treat your skin to a little TLC!).

Our new Brilliance Peel takes the Glycolic Acid Peel and turns up the anti-aging magic just a bit!  In this peel, we combine Glycolic Acid with Jan Marini’s new Retinol Plus Mask, which uses Retinol and several other wrinkle-eliminating ingredients to boost cell turnover rates, collagen stimulation, and evenness of pigmentation (this mask is coming soon, read more about it here!).  The combination of these two treatments in one works wonders for your skin because, as the Glycolic acid removes that cement-like top layer of dead skin cells, the Retinol Plus Mask is able to penetrate and absorb even more deepkly into the skin, amplifying the results and leaving you looking lovely!  Again, this peel works best as a series of 3 over 3 weeks, and has almost no downtime.

marini_peel_system_ba_1_6durations

Finally, the Refine Peel is our most intensive peel, and should be done as a series of 3, but 3 to 4 weeks apart, due to the strength of the peel.  Jan Marini says that the Refine Peel is excellent in providing overall skin rejuvenation with less peeling and downtime than more aggressive treatments, and works to visibly combat uneven texture, fine lines and wrinkles, acne, and uneven pigmentation while rejuvenating the deeper levels of your skin.  The application of the Refine Peel is followed by a high-powered Retinol Activator, which synthesizes collagen as it regenerates tissue. Finally, our popular, elegant  Antioxidant SPF33 Sunscreen is applied and off you go! And we top off your experience with our signature Sothys hand treatment and Green Tea with Citrus.

You may see flaking that lasts from 3 to 5 days, easily minimized with our efficient Skin Zyme Mask (see above) and BIOSHIELD home care cream.  In fact,  Jan Marini’s new BIOSHIELD is a rapid recovery complex that was designed specifically to speed up recovery and  enhance treatment results from these peels. Unlike most petrolatum-based (yes, read “petroleum”!) products recommended post-laser, or post-peel,  this formula  delivers Epidermal Growth Factor, Palmitoyl Oligopeptides and Tetrapeptides to stimulate collagen and reduce inflammation and Co-Enzyme Q-10 super-antioxidant to reveal healed, healthy, GORGEOUS skin!   

And there you have it, mes amis!  Our peels are gentle enough for all skin types, but effective, and definitely the most thorough method of exfoliation we can offer you.  Exfoliation is a very important component in your skincare regimen, so make sure you’re exfoliating often; your skin will look healthier, and your other home-care products will absorb so much  more  to reveal your most beautiful skin!  If you aren’t sure which method or peel is right for you, call or email us to set up a free 15 minute consultation with our expert, Patricia.

Alors, bon week-end à vous!

Bisous,

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Exfoliation, DIY Style!

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Bonjour, Mes Amis!

cs exfol

Alright, now you’re thinking “Jessie might be onto something with this whole exfoliation thing, but what should I do now?  Take a pumice stone to my face?”

First of all, please don’t use a pumice stone on your face!  Let me show you all of the fabulous products we have here to gently exfoliate your skin, leaving it glowing, not raw!

The Colorescience Family:

  • Colorescience’s Illuminating Cleanser incorporates tiny beads of natural minerals to help mechanically exfoliate your skin as you cleanse.  This product is perfect for removing your long-lasting mineral makeup, without being harsh on your skin!

The Sothys Family:

  • Sothys’ Desquacrem is the gentlest option, as it is granule-free and can be used several times a week.  This deep-pore cleanserphoto (3) dissolves oil, which facilitates the removal of blackheads to leave your skin feeling smooth and flawless. This exfoliant is often used under steam during the French facial protocol.
  • Sothys’ Gelée Gommante Visage (micro-gel peeling) is a newer exfoliant by Sothys, which uses exfoliating particles to remove the dull top layer. It transforms from a gel into an oil as you massage it in—perfectly luxurious, in typical Sothys fashion!  This product, too, is paraben free, and contains white tea extract to calm your skin.
  • Sothys’ Beauty Garden Gommage Exfoliant works well as a mechanical exfoliant, especially for sensitive skin.  The word “Gommage” actually comes from the word “gomme” which means ‘eraser’ in French; so to complete the analogy, this exfoliant uses all natural ingredients like finely ground walnut shells (no irritants for sensitive skin types!) to literally rub and erase away that dull top layer of skin!  As an added bonus, this product is paraben-free and eco-certified organic.

The Jan Marini Family:

  • Jan Marini’s SkinZyme Mask is an enzymatic exfoliant, which uses the proteolytic enzymes naturally found in green papaya, which serve to digest the top layer of dead skin cells and debris to reveal the healthy and fresh skin underneath.jm exfol
  • Jan Marini’s Bioglycolic products, which include the Bioglycolic Cleansers, Bioclear Face Cream, and Bioclear Face Lotion, all use a tame dosage of glycolic acid (only 12%, so you can use it daily for homecare) to chemically exfoliate your skin.  Glycolic acid gently dissolves the dull top layer, and is mild enough to let you start and finish your day feeling refreshed and renewed (those of you on the Skin Care Management System know what I’m talking about!)

Other Mechanical Exfoliators offered at A French Touch Salon:

  • Spacells:  “A revolutionary facial sponge that not only cleans and removes make-up, but exfoliates and massages your skin, stimulating blood and lymph flow to decrease puffiness, eliminate toxins and promote cellular regeneration. Use daily for softer, smoother, younger-looking skin.”
  • Clarisonic Brushes:  “Unlike spinning devices, this patented sonic cleansing technology works with skin’s natural elasticity, oscillating at a sonic frequency that produces over 300 movements per second. The resulting flexing action created between the outer and inner brushes works to loosen dirt and oil (and dead skin cells), removing deep-seated impurities from pores and priming skin to better absorb topical treatments.”

So, mes amis, you have a few options available at A French Touch, but whichever you choose, remember that incorporating exfoliation frequently and regularly into your skincare routine is essential for maintaining a healthy, youthful glow, and to maximize the benefits of your favorite products!  Tomorrow, come back and I’ll tell you all about the crème de la crème of exfoliation, our heavenly peels!

Bisous,

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Exfoliation: Smooth and Refresh your Skin

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Bonjour, Mes Amis!

I hope you’ve all had a lovely and relaxing weekend, and got to enjoy our extended summer weather a bit (wearing your sun protection, of course)!  I know that nothing leaves me feeling more refreshed and renewed like a long weekend of reading, relaxing, and doing nothing!  Which got me thinking, doesn’t my skin deserve a little time to refresh, too?

Young woman applying exfoliating gel to face, portrait, close-up

So, let’s talk about exfoliation!  We are all, no doubt, familiar with the concept of exfoliation (let’s face it, it’s not exactly new to the world of skin care!), but just to recap, Exfoliation is defined as the act of removing that top layer of dead skin cells and debris that we accumulate over time, which cause our skin to look dull and matte.  But I want to dig a little deeper.  How does one go about exfoliating?  As it turns out, we have three options:

  • Mechanical Exfoliation:  This implies the use of simple friction, by implementing either a tool (a brush, loofah, etc.) or a product with a coarse ingredient (sea salt, sugar, crystals, pumice, etc.) to knock this top layer loose and wipe it off of the skin beneath it.  This is the most basic form of exfoliation, and is an excellent step to incorporate into your weekly skin care regimen.
  • Enzymatic Exfoliation:  We borrow very specific enzymes (all natural proteins) from fruits like pineapple and papaya that are specially wired to break down and digest dead skin cells.  Unlike mechanical exfoliation, using enzymes to resurface your skin actually penetrates much deeper and works to clear debris out of your pores and deeper layers of your skin, as well.

exfol mask

  • Alpha or Beta Hydroxy Acid Exfoliation:  This may sound a bit scarier, but Acid Exfoliation uses naturally-derived acids, like Salicylic Acid (from willow tree bark), Lactic Acid (from milk), and Glycolic Acid (from sugarcane, and which many of us use in our Jan Marini Skin Care Management Systems, anyway!) to provide a deeper, more intensive form of exfoliation.  Similar to using enzymes, these acids (used in our peels and our home-care products) penetrate deep into the skin and pores to remove debris, while also stimulating the skin’s natural renewal cycle—your cellular turnover rate, which can slow with age—to stimulate cellular renewal on the skin’s surface. Glycolic peels have the added benefit of synthesizing collagen in the skin.

But, I have yet to mention the most important part: WHY should we exfoliate?

Exfoliation by itself can give your skin a youthful, healthy glow by removing the top layer of dead cells and debris, which makes your skin more luminous (because we see the living layer, full of natural oils, on top!) and provide a cleared path for oxygen to reach your living cells.  

Woman Applying Facial CreamHowever, exfoliation is, perhaps, even more important to your skin care regimen because it makes the other products you use—from moisturizing creams to anti-aging serums—more effective!

Yes, you read that right, it will enhance the benefits of your other products.  If you don’t exfoliate, the products you apply don’t always penetrate through that dead top layer, and therefore don’t do much for your skin.  However, removing this top layer regularly enables your products to penetrate the skin completely and really work their magic!  

Now that I’ve told you how wonderful exfoliation is for you, check back with me tomorrow to see what products we have at A French Touch to give your skin that easy, at-home renewal it needs!  Then on Thursday, I’ll send you off into your weekend daydreaming about our refreshing and anti-aging peels!

Alors, à bientôt!

Bisous,

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Revolutionary Retinol Mask

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Bonjour, Mes Amis!

young skin

I am a lady who is true to her promises, so as I promised in Tuesday’s post, let’s talk about Retinol!  I’m am willing to guess that many of you have heard about Retinol before—you might even incorporate it into your skin care routine already—but let’s review exactly what Retinol is, and how is works it’s miracles in wrinkle-smoothing, pigmentation-correcting, and surface-smoothing.

It all goes back to Vitamin A, which is a natural essential vitamin we need to maintain healthy skin and eyes.  However, our skin can’t use pure Vitamin A in a topical cream, but it does work after being processed into a closely related substance known as retinoic acid.  When dermatologists made this connection in the late 1960s, they started working with Vitamin A in an attempt to produce an effective topical treatment to common skin ailments, such as hyper-pigmentation and acne.  In fact, in 1973 a Retinol-based product called Retin-A was introduced as the first-ever effective acne treatment.  

Nowadays, however, we’ve come to realize that topical application of Retinol does much more than treat acne; check out what Jan Marini’s high quality Retinol products (like our new Retinol Plus Mask, and the Retinol Plus Cream!)  can do for your skin…

Anti-Aging, Lightening, and Acne 

jan-marini-retinol-plus-before-after

  • Retinol 1%
  • Oligopeptide 24
  • Salicylic Acid

Anti-Inflamatory

  • Aloe
  • Alpha Bisabolol
  • Green Tea Extract

Barrier/Hydration

  • Vitamin E
  • Essential Fatty Acids
  • Shea Butter

Impressed?  We are too!  Think of Retinol as your own personal fountain of youth, and call us when you need a refill!  Retinol once was believed to be unhealthy for your skin during the daytime, because Retinoids are photosensitive (meaning that the active ingredients stop working after too much sun exposure).  For a time, many people believed that this also made your skin hypersensitive to sun exposure, too, but this has been proven to be untrue; the Retinol becomes less active, yes, but it doesn’t do any damage or affect the way your skin reacts to the sun.  Jan Marini presented this at her Educational Forum, saying that using Retinol with proper sun protection was safe and even encouraged, because Retinol is more effective when used twice a day and over a long period of time.  Still not sure if you love Retinol?  Ask Oprah and see what she has to say about it!

At A French Touch, we offer several products and treatments that use topical Retinol to enhance the appearance of skin (we want you to feel toujours belle, inside and out!).  Jan Marini Skin Research has had their Age-Intervention Retinol Plus facial cream on the market for a while, which we highly recommend for home use to brighten and boost the effects of your treatments here!  And, as you read about on Tuesday, the new Retinol Plus Mask is not only the perfect way to relax at home while showing your skin some love, but also the new perfect touch finish to some of our facial treatments.  

mask facial

In our Brilliance Peel, combine a 40% glycolic acid solution with the NEW 1% Retinol Plus Mask.  The glycolic solution works to remove the layer of dead skin cells and debris that cover our skin and give it that flat, matte, dull look, which enables the retinol, aloe, Vitamin E, and so on to penetrate the skin better, and ensures the positive effects I mentioned before even more prominent.

We’re also introducing a brand new treatment, our Retinol Boost Facial, which provides a milder anti-aging treatment option, as it features a professional application of the Retinol Plus Mask and application of Jan Marini’s other miracle products that is sure to leave you floating out of the salon on Cloud 9!

As I said in my last post, we truly want the best for you and your skin, and these Retinol treatments will not only leave you feeling healthy, refreshed, and youthful, but will work wonders for the well-being and appearance of your skin.  As fall starts picking up speed and that ‘summer vacation’ mindset fades, many of us might find that we devote less time to our skin, or ourselves in general.  So challenge yourself to set aside an hour every other day, or even every day, to relax and indulge your skin in some seriously good stuff.  Just because the summer holiday is over, doesn’t mean you don’t still deserve a mini-holiday every once in a while!

Bisous,

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Back to School with Jan Marini!

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Bonjour, Mes Amis!

I hope you’re all having a wonderful week so far!  But, even though we’ve finally made it to September, let’s back up just a bit to the end of August so I can share all of the latest-and-greatest in skin care with you!jan_marini jmsr

As I mentioned in last Tuesday’s post, Patricia went to beautiful sunny Southern California last weekend not only to enjoy the gorgeous weather (with proper sun protection!), but to attend Jan Marini’s annual Educational Forum to hear all about what’s new as we start heading into Fall.  Jan Marini, as I’ve told you in a few of my previous posts, is one of our favorite names in skin care because of her dedication to innovation and the science behind her products.  Jan Marini herself–looking lovely, as always!–was in front of all of the dedicated estheticians that attended, sharing her enthusiasm and excitement for her organization’s continued influence and success in the world of beauty and skin care.

So, (aside from all that I heard about some really cute shoes!) here are some of the new, exciting products and treatments you can expect to see at A French Touch soon, merci à Jan Marini Skin Research:

  • Marini BioShield: Rapid Recoverybioshield

“Until now, the post-procedure market was seriously lacking in immediate post-procedure products that offer positive user experiences to patients. Marini BioShield is the first product of its kind. It is a silicon-based, non-petrolatum product for advanced post-procedure barrier protection and repair. This patent-pending formulation combines targeted growth factors and peptides with hyaluronic acid and CoEnzyme Q10 to reduce downtime and enhance treatment results. BioShield’s near-invisible matte finish protects the skin, speeds recovery and significantly increases user satisfaction by minimizing or eliminating the objections and social impact common to post-procedure recovery.”

  • ret plus maskRetinol Plus Mask:

Due to recent studies that have come out stating that, contrary to popular belief, Retinol products are safe to use during the day as well as the night, Jan Marini has just introduced their new Retinol Plus Mask.  Retinoids work absolute wonders in anti-aging, as they give the skin a younger, softer feeling by speeding up cellular turnover rates.  Jan Marini says that the results from this mask are remarkable and that it’s already “one of my must-have products.”  But we’re going to talk about Retinol a bit more later this week, so stay tuned!

  • Anti-Aging Facial Treatment:mask

Inspired by Jan Marini’s new Retinol Plus Mask and the fact that the majority of dermatologists recommend Retinol as the most effective anti-aging ingredient in home skincare, A French Touch is adding to it’s fine list of services the Retinol Boost Facial, an all-new, all-Jan Marini anti-aging facial. The Retinol Boost facial will include a professional application of Jan Marini’s new Retinol Plus Mask, while incorporating clinically active Jan Marini anti-aging accelerators.  We also incorporate the Retinol Plus Mask in our Brilliance Peel Series, which couples with glycolic acid to refine, soften, and refresh your skin while providing extra collagen synthesis.

We at A French Touch are so excited to be working with such noted pioneers as Jan Marini in the beauty and skin care field, not only because of the fun, enthusiastic energy everyone at Jan Marini wants to share, but also because of the continued improvement and clinical validation of their products.  So, with names like Jan Marini Skin Research, we can say with confidence that you are receiving the very best that we can treat you with!  Alors, merci à Jan Marini, for their wonderful products, et merci à vous, mes amis, for showing your skin some love.

Bisous,

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