"Sun" Proving Your Skin

Everyone is becoming more and more aware of damages that can be caused by sun over-exposure. Some of the consequences are melanoma, hyper and hypo-pigmentation, age spots, premature aging, dehydration, as well as many others.
Here are a few tips to help you protect yourself:

• Always use a sunscreen. A minimum of SPF 30 is recommended for the face, and 20 for the body. Remember to reapply every two hours or so. The sunscreen becomes ineffective within two hours as it is absorbed into the body. If you are worried about congestion, wear mineral make-up instead. Just remember to avoid minerals with fillers like talc.


• Cover up or stay in the shade. Avoid being in the sun for a prolonged period of time. Be aware that some articles of clothing still allow UV rays to penetrate.


• If you do get sunburned, immediately apply a soothing lotion which contains aloe or tea tree to relieve the discomfort. Reapply frequently to keep your skin hydrated and to avoid peeling.


• If you don't want to risk the sun but want the color, try a bronzing cream. They are easier to use than you think. Make sure you exfoliate first; apply a relatively thin layer and massage in. Gently buff off areas like elbows or knees to avoid having darker areas. It is better to use a self-tanner that has an instant bronzer, so you know where you have put it. Make sure to wash your hands well after!

Why Body Bronze?

Slough off your dull, pasty winter skin and step into spring with a just-back-from-the-tropics glow with a bronzing treatment from Le Petit Spa.

Using an all natural ingredient to “bronze” winter skin goodbye, the body bronzing system works because of a natural chemical reaction with amino acids in your skin and DHA, a natural sugar that when in contact with oxygen, turns brown.

No streaking and a completely natural golden tan that lasts for about a week is achieved in just under an hour at Le Petit Spa.

Why Body Bronze?

Two words: Skin Cancer. The sun causes each skin cells DNA to mutate when it is damaged by the sun. Eventually, this mutation may turn into skin cancer. A sunless body bronzing treatment does not harm the skin like the sun can and does not contain chemicals.

What is DHA?

DHA is a sugar that reacts with your skin’s natural amino acids and turns your skin brown. It was discovered by a doctor specializing in diabetic treatments, when his patients were given doses of this sugar and came in contact with their skin, it turned their skin brown.

Benefits of a sunless tanning treatment:

• No sun damage caused to the skin by the sun
  


• Safe, natural color
  


• Moisturizing
  


• Can be used all year long
  


• Skin is exfoliated, smooth and refined.

Does this treatment protect your skin from the sun?

No, this treatment does not contain any SPF in the product. You should always wear a sunscreen on your skin; even when your skin is tanned.

What causes skin cancer: tanning or burning your skin?

The two harmful types of rays to the human skin are UVA and UVB. Think of them this way: UVA stands for “aging”, these are the rays that tan your skin and go deeper into the skin. These rays also are responsible for causing wrinkles as they break down collagen in your skin. UVB stands for “burning” and have been linked to causing skin cancer. Although a burn is extremely more damaging to your skin than a tan, both of these forms of skin damage are damaging lead to premature aging of the skin, pigmentation, and may even lead to skin cancer.

Visit our Tanning page for more information on the Guinot Body Bronzing service at Le Petit Spa.

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"Count Down to Prom" Body Treatments to prep your skin for Prom.

Body Treatments to get ready for your big day!

Body scrubs are a fun way to get rid of dead skin and bacteria that can cause a flare up of back-ne, (or acne on your back!).

Using either sugar or salt, a body scrub service at a spa will smooth your skin, give you a radiant glow and help clear up acne-fast!

Keeping your skin exfoliated will also help to ward off any future breakouts from happening and is a great way to prep your skin before a self tanning cream application.

Tip: Use a self tanning cream that uses DHA. DHA is a sugar that when in contact with oxygen, turns brown and “tans” your skin a golden brown. Never streaky, orange or too dark for your particular skin tone and color.

Guinot Body Bronzing Treatment

Love the look of your skin when tanned, but know it’s bad for you? A sunless body bronzing treatment will give you the sun kissed glow all girls crave during the Vancouver winter, and is totally safe for your skin; chemicals are not used in this self tanning cream, just DHA, a natural sugar that is safe for your skin and body.

Body Wraps

Body wraps are a great way to introduce nutrients, vitamins and minerals back into your body. They soften skin, moisturize and nourish your skin from the outside in with ingredients such as vitamin E, iodine, iron and magnesium.

A body wrap is the perfect compliment to a body scrub; after removing dead skin cells, a body wrap will hydrate and nourish the new, soft baby skin cells on the surface of your skin.

Seaweed body wraps can remove toxins and impurities in your skin as well; especially good for teens who suffer from body acne. Marine ingredients draw dirt, excess oil and other impurities from your pores, making the clarity of your skin brighter and smoother in appearance.

Le Petit Spa offers a 10% student discount when valid student ID is shown to be used on all of our spa services for teens.

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Tanning Beds - The Next "Stop Smoking Campaign"

Tanning Beds are the new "Cancer Stick".

Did you know that after thyroid cancer, melanoma (the deadliest form of skin cancer) is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women ages 20 to 29? Did you also know that skin cancer is probably the easiest form of cancer to prevent by just taking a couple of extra precautions?

On an average day in the US, more than one million people tan in tanning salons; 70% of these people are women between the ages of 16 to 49.

It’s no mystery why we do it: a tan has long been seen as a form of “prosperity” – people that could afford to travel in the early 1900’s would come back with glowing tans; hence, it became a staple to show your status in society. Before that, when noblemen didn’t have to work in the fields and had pale, porcelain skin, a tan identified those who did and therefore were part of the working class. These noblemen were on to something.

Not only has the rate of skin cancer doubled in women under 40 since the 70’s, but the aging effects it has on your skin can start to show as early as 20 years of age!

If that doesn’t scare you, did you know that when you subject yourself to tanning beds, the radiation doesn’t stop at your skin? It travels through your skin, into your blood stream! Yuck! Few studies have been carried out to figure out just how damaging this is…but does it really take a Rocket Scientist to figure it out?

We all know smoking is wrong, we need to get the message out about tanning salons as well; which doesn’t seem to be happening, it’s an estimated 5 billion dollar industry annually a year.

Alternative Methods

Rachelle Green, our favorite “Friends” star sported the Mystic Tanning treatment on an episode of “Friends” and overnight, the spray-on-tanning treatments in the spa industry boomed! Now a days, you’ll find a wide range of tanning services offered at your favorite day spa – all without the harmful effects of the sun.

Le Petit Spa features their Guinot Body Bronzing System for a safe, chemical free, sunless tan to get the glowing skin of “I’m – freshly – back – from – the - tropics” glow.

Chemical Free?

You read it right. This sunless bronzer uses a sugar to give you the golden glow color you desire. When oxidized by oxygen (meaning a build up of gradual color over 8 hours) this sugar reacts with the natural amino acids in your skin to give you a color that is custom to your skin tone, texture and color.

A thorough body exfoliation is incorporated into this service to ensure that your tan develops streak free. The only downside? You can’t shower until the next day as it takes up to 8 hours for your full color to develop.

Which would you rather have? Skin Cancer or not being able to bathe for 24 hours?

Other benefits of Le Petit Spa’s Guinot Body Bronzing:

• No damaging effects from the sun
  


• Safe, natural color
  


• Moisturizing benefits from product
  


• Can be used all year long!
  


• Application by a professional means no streaking and no orange color
  

For more information on Le Petit Spa's Guinot Body Brozning service, click here. Sign up for our monthly newsletter to be the first to know about in-spa promotions, gift-with-purchases, new products and services or special events, or email me with your beauty questions and/or service questions and look for your answer in a future blog!

Le Petit Spa - Body Bronzing Service - A holiday party must!

Le Petit Spa in Vancouver - Holiday Party Must - Body Bronzing Treatment

Getting ready for the holiday party season? The dress, the shoes, accessories all meticulously picked out, everything is perfect right down to the last detail, but wait! Standing in the mirror looking at yourself you suddenly realize that little black dress makes you look paler than the snow lying on the ground outside!

What is a girl to do?

Head down to Le Petit Spa for a Guinot Body Bronzing treatment! This service leaves your skin glowing from head to toe.

How does it work?

The Guinot Body Bronzing system works with your skin’s natural amino acids to gradually build a color that is perfect for your natural skin tone. Never too dark, orange or streaky!

Depending on your skin’s natural chemistry, the color will develop anywhere from half an hour to three hours, with the final color being fully developed within 8 hours.

How does the treatment work?

A Le Petit Spa esthetician will gently exfoliate your entire body to ensure that the tanning product does not streak. The Guinot Body Bronzing product is then applied to your body.

You will be told to bring loose fitting clothing; preferably black or dark in color to prevent any staining of your clothing.

For the remainder of the day you will not be allowed to shower or apply any products to your body; this may interfere with the way the product will develop color on your skin.

Your tan will last from 4 days to a week depending on your bodies’ natural chemistry and how you maintain it.

Benefits of a self tan treatment:

• No damaging effects from the sun
• Safe, natural color
• Moisturizing benefits from product
• Can be used all year long!

Tips to help your tan last longer:

• Exfoliate only once per week – exfoliating too much will remove your tan much faster
• Moisturize – every day to prevent your skin from shedding too much skin, making your tan slough off much quicker.
• Shower or bathe only once per day – this can cause your tan to go literally down the drain!

Interested in a Guinot Body Bronzing service? Click here to find out how to book your appointment.

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