How can you tell if your skin is unbalanced? - ecologica Skincare of Malibu

How can you tell if your skin is unbalanced?


Would you be surprised to learn that your skin's pH can determine the appearance of your skin?
If your skin is unbalanced, it's pH levels are either too alkaline or too acidic, it may show signs of premature aging, acne, redness and dullness.
Oily skin that is prone to breakouts can react by becoming inflamed, red and sore due to the skin's pH levels being too acidic. This can actually be caused by over exfoliating or using cleansing products that have a high acid pH.
On the other hand, if your skin is dry and sensitive, chances are your skin may be too alkaline. If your skin is too alkaline, it may be more prone to signs of premature ageing such as deep wrinkles, and crow's feet. Often skincare products like bar soaps and foaming cleansers can raise skin's pH too high.
Like everything in life, balance is the key to healthy, beautiful skin. A neutral pH is 7, with anything higher being alkaline, and anything lower being acidic. Our skin's pH tends to be a bit more broad, with acidity ranging between 4 and 7. A 2006 study published in the International Journal of Cosmetic Science reported that the ideal pH level is just below 5.
Bring balance back to your skin
Because the normal skin surface pH is on average below 5, it's important that the products that are used on the body, face and scalp be the same. ecologica Skincare has been designed to keep the skin's pH levels in balance. Our Soapless Cleanser is a perfect 4.5 pH, designed to maintain good skin health and balance.
Sugar Scrub vs Salt Scrub - ecologica Skincare of Malibu

Sugar Scrub vs Salt Scrub

Summer is here and it's time to shed the old, dry winter skin for gorgeous glowing skin.  Question is which type of exfoliate...salt or sugar?

Salt scrubs when manually applied, salt scrubs exfoliate dead layers of skin and the salt crystals have detoxing benefits as well.  Salt scrubs are best for elbow, feet and less sensitive parts of the body. Conversely, course salt crystals can lacerate the skin and cause extreme irritation.

Sugar scrubs When unrefined and organic cane sugar are manually used as an exfoliate, the skin is replenished with rich nutrients such as calcium, iron, magnesium and potassium.. Unrefined sugar is more abrasive than table sugar but can be adjusted by adding water to the skin first before applying the scrub.

Malibu Sea Scrub by ecologica made with organic sugar and seaweed, (the perfect food source for the body) and a power-load of organic essential oils provides a gentle, nutritional-rich exfoliation for glowing, and healthy skin.

OIL: WHAT YOUR SKIN MIGHT BE LACKING - ecologica Skincare of Malibu

OIL: WHAT YOUR SKIN MIGHT BE LACKING

Did you know that there are two types of dry skin?  For some people, only one of the two different types of dryness is a problem while others struggle with both types at the same time, and it can be confusing to say the least! Even though we generally think of "dry" as meaning lacking in water, when it comes to your skin, you can be either WATER dry or OIL dry. 
Our bodies depend on water to survive.  The first signs of dehydration will be shown on the skin.  It will feel tight, lack elasticity and can be flaky.  This type of WATER dry skin can happen from not drinking enough water, from not taking in the proper nutrients in order to achieve cellular & electrolyte balance and from products that strip the natural moisture from the skin.
Oil dry skin simply isn't producing adequate sebum (the skin's natural oil).  There are several reasons for OIL dry skin; weather, hormonal changes and menopause, a poor diet lacking healthy oils and fish and of course...age.  For years, oil has earned an undeserved negative reputation in the beauty industry.  The reality is that plant-based oils are quickly absorbed by the skin and could be just what your skin actually needs! The skin is relatively permeable to fat soluble substances.  Essential oil molecules are so minute that when they are applied to the skin; they are able to pass through the strateum corneum (the outer layer of the epidermis). From here the oil molecule passes through dermis, into the capillaries and into the bloodstream. This means that these types of oils will go INTO the skin instead of sitting on the surface and will know where they are needed.  There are many essential oils that will actually aid in the secretion of oil, stimulate collagen and promote skin turn-over and skin tone for more youthful looking skin.  If your skin is looking dull and dry, it could be that oil is what it wants and needs.
Vicki Cooper
Developer, ecologica Skin Care of Malibu
(certified Aroma-therapist)
 
Vitamin D & Your Skin - ecologica Skincare of Malibu

Vitamin D & Your Skin

42% of Americans in the United States are Vitamin D deficient.  If you've gone to the doctor recently for a routine exam and they've done a blood panel, their is a good chance that your doctor has told you that you have a deficiency of Vitamin D and will recommend that you take a supplement.  Other than bone health, most people don't associate Vitamin D with skin health.  However, Vitamin D plays an important role in the health of your skin.
Vitamin D contributes to skin cell growth, repair, and metabolism. It optimizes the skin's immune system and helps destroy free radicals that can cause premature aging.  Amazingly enough, our bodies can manufacture Vitamin D through sunlight. The double-edge sword is that the sun and it's ultra-violet rays is what accelerates the aging process causing lines, wrinkles and hyper-pigmentation.  Additionally, sunblocks while being extremely important, block Vitamin D production. The solution is rather simple...supplement your bodies need with a supplement.    
According to the Mayo Clinic, the recommended daily amount of vitamin D is 400 international units (IU) for children up to age 12 months, 600 IU for ages 1 to 70 years, and 800 IU for people over 70 years. 
Other signs that you might be deficient in Vitamin D
~Eczema  
~Rough, Dry and irritated Skin 
~Excessive Sweating   
                                                                        by Vicki Cooper, ecologica Skin Care of Malibu
Your Cleanser Could Be Aging You - ecologica Skincare of Malibu

Your Cleanser Could Be Aging You

Washing your skin  is important in maintaining healthy, clean skin, but using the wrong cleanser can do more harm than good and can result in some pretty significant issues like dryness, irritation and premature aging.  Many cleansers on the market are with toxic ingredients, harmful to the body and that can enter the blood system.

Picking the right cleanser is very important

Ecologica Soapless Cleanser gently removes impurities and restores the natural PH balance of the skin.  This 100% natural ingredient cleanser contains NO harsh soap and penetrates deep into the pores to remove embedded impurities with the therapeutic scent of Lavender and the active ingredient, White Oak Bark.