Profile Medical Cosmetics
1415 1st Ave West, Suite #3004 N4K 4K8 Owen Sound, ON, Canada

What is the DIFFERENCE between UVA And UVB rays? In a nutshell: UVB rays are shorter and are most responsible for burning your skin. They are also the rays that have the most evidence/implication in the DNA changes that result in skin cancer. UVA rays are longer in wavelength. They penetrate deeper into the skin and lead to pigmentation, leathery skin, fine lines/wrinkles, texture changes and all the good stuff that people come to see us about. More recent research is in...dicating that UVA rays might play a bigger role in initiating the DNA change cascade that causes skin cancer. It is very much in your interest to have adequate protection against both types. Feel free to ask us how! See more

For anyone who is interested, here is a CMPA statement on use of patient photos. You be reassured that at Profile, consent to share is respected at all times.

What does ALOE VERA in skincare do? We've had a few patients lately who use an aloe-based skincare line. In the spirit of curiosity we decided to do a good old deep dive into the research on what aloe in skincare can do! Our first thought was that aloe is often used to treat burns. The existing medical evidence does state that although it is a common & inexpensive way to soothe a burn (and aloe provides some antibacterial activity) there is no clear evidence demonstrating... improved outcomes of superficial burns when using aloe vera. On to cosmetic use. Holy deep dive into the black hole that is non-traditional medical applications of natural products. While research is currently limited on the benefits of aloe vera gel SPECIFICALLY, it does contain many well-studied vitamins and minerals, such as vitamins C and E. A brief google search will bring up multiple claims that aloe vera can do anything from generate collagen in your skin to heal viral skin infections. Further digging (unsurprisingly) shows that there is a lot more behind that curtain. Often, the literature that is quoted was on study subjects that took aloe orally (by mouth) & not topically (on the skin) The bottom line: It will likely do an excellent job at improving and retaining the moisture levels in the skin. It does contain antioxidants (vit C & E) that are proven to help with multifaceted skin concerns such as pigmentation. If you like it, there is very unlikely to be any harm in using it. See more

Give yourself a BREAK. Don't be afraid to SIMPLIFY. We're doing what we can. We're doing our best. Maybe you just had another day of zoom meetings, and your grocery pickup order was missing some key ingredients, and your toddler has a runny nose so she has to stay home for 10 days from daycare, and your baby has only seen the full faces of her immediate household her WHOLE LIFE and you feel like all you DO is plan food, shop for food and cook food that no one EVEN LIKES bec...ause everyone is so bloody tired of it all?!? It's ok. If you just can't bring yourself to do your skincare routine. It's ok. Not every day is our best and all we can do is be kind to ourselves and give ourselves some grace. We are trying. Sending love. See more

What are the BEST PRODUCTS for my FACE? It's hard to make sweeping recommendations because everyone's skin needs different things. The same person's skin needs will change seasonally (even daily!). In general, it's safe to say that most people would benefit from a daily vitamin C serum as well as regular use of a good susncreen. If you're over 35, adding a nightly retinoid to the regimen is a great choice as well. ... As usual, don't hesitate to get in touch with any questions! See more

UNUSUAL ingredients? Let's LEARN! HoneyBee Venom is used in (mainly korean-brand) skincare with the end goal of decreasing the appearance of wrinkles. A literature review revealed that "The mechanism by which bee-venom serum exerts its antiwrinkle effects is unknown". One 2015 Korean Study used a magnification analysis and concluded that wrinkle count, depth & surface area was reduced after 12 weeks of use. (doi: 10.2147%2FCIA.S84940).... Remember my post about the stressed out snails? Well, bee venom is 'extracted using a soft glass pane that bees are encouraged to sting after they have been attracted to it by a gentle electric current'. It is unspecified exactly what a gentle electric current is. Some sources state that the bee venom works by 'tricking' your skin into thinking it's been stung and thus promoting a healing cascade. This leads one to think that it acts as an itentional irritant with the goal of intentional healing. The Bottom line: If you like it, use it. See more

Take a PAUSE. What am I talking about? Product layering! When applying more than one product you should always wait a bit before layering on your next one. For example, in the morning you might apply a vitamin C serum, then a niacinamide serum, followed by moisturizer and then sunscreen.... WHY? It's good to allow the products a chance to dry a bit before layering another on top. Generally, products 'get along' but they can pill on your face if applied too quickly on top of eachother. It's also nice to take your time when rubbing things on your face because it feels good. We all deserve a little goodness. See more

How can you get FLAWLESS skin? I don't know what this means to be honest. Let's give ourselves a break people. We just went through a hard year, we are still in a pandemic. People are doing their best. ENOUGH with the unrealistic pressure that we put on ourselves. PORES? normal. TEXTURE? normal. Everyone looking like their own UNIQUE SELVES? normal AND awesome. ... Bottom line: Just be your awesome self. Be kind. And wear your sunscreen. Anything more is optional and icing. See more

How can I get a GLOW on my FACE? This question comes up all the time for us. How does one get that coveted glow? It's definitely a multifactorial answer that includes regular sleep, exercise, nutritional and water intake. BUT what if someone is only able to tackle one thing to enhance their goal? Focus on the barrier. Your skin's lipid barrier is something we talk about frequently. Don't overstrip your skin of oils or you can irritate the barrier, don't overexfoliate at... risk of compromising your barrier. Taking care of this barrier feels like a full time job doesn't it?! Bottom line: Be kind to your face. Use only what you need that day in terms of actives. If something hurts, don't use it. Cleanse and Moisturize at the end of the day. Wear your sunscreen. Be kind. See more

Happy Holidays dear friends! It's been a year hasn't it!? We hope that you have the opportunity spend time with loved ones and take care of yourselves. We appreciate your business this past year and we look forward to seeing you in 2021!

Do you need BOTH a SERUM & a MOISTURIZER? I mean let's be totally honest: the only thing anyone really neeeeeeeeds on their face is sunscreen. The rest is entirely up to you and how much time and/or money they want to invest in skincare. Regarding whether you need both a serum and a moisturizer: the answer lies in what these products are specifically geared to do (ie: their ingredients) and what your face specifically needs at that point in time. ... Technically, serums are water based and contain more concentrated ingredients that are designed to exert their effects. Examples include: vitamic C serum, niacinamide serum, Acid based serums, etc. None of these would also moisturize your skin so the answer would be yes, you need both a serum and a moisturizer. What if you're someone who is not too dry, and you are using a serum that has a hydrator such as hyaluronic acid or glycerin in it. This might be enough for you and you won't need an additional moisturizer. The bottom line: it depends. Everyone is different, everyone has different skincare goals and needs. We are here to help if you want any further info or suggestions! See more

What is a CERAMIDE? We've been talking about and recommending products that contain ceramides for a while now. But what exactly are we talking about? Ceramides are waxy/fatty substances that are found in the outer layers of skin. They act as a part of the skin barrier. This means that they work to keep moisture in the skin and to keep allergens and irritants OUT. They are a big part of your BARRIER PROTECTION... We LOVE @skinceuticalsca Triple Lipid Restore because of its high concentration of ceramides. @cerave makes great options too! See more

New Year New...Retinoid? Retinoids are an umbrella term encompassing a family of products (retinols, retinol derivatives etc). They are an EXCELLENT product to include in your skincare regimen. Retinoids play a role in improving skin texture, pigmentation, acne and general signs of aging. How do they work? Your skin needs to convert the product to the active form (retinoic acid). The type of retinoid you choose will dictate how many conversion steps your skin needs to do... to turn the product into the active form. Start low and go slow! We recommend starting at a lower concentration and using them once per week. From there you can increase to twice per week until you have achieved daily use. Once you are using your retinoid product daily you can consider increasing to a stronger concentration or format! We love @skinceuticalsca retinols (it comes in 3 different concentrations - 0.3%, 0.5% and 1%) As usual, don't forget to wear your sunscreen because retinoids can make you more prone to burning (which would reverse all of your efforts anyway!) See more

How to DO THE LEAST this holiday season? We get it! We are also human! Sometimes you just want to minimize your time spent in the bathroom in the evening, sometimes you're just too cozy by the fire sipping your eggnog & listening to some chestnuts roasting to get in there and double cleanse, tone, apply serums, hydrate & moisturize! What do we consider the evening's 'bare minimum'?... 1-Cleanse. Thoroughly and well. If you can't bear to double cleanse then single cleanse, but use a washcloth to gently scrub the face assisting in removing any makeup and sunscreen that you had the energy to apply earlier in the day. 2-An acid toner. Try the Ordinary Glycolic Acid toner. 3-moisturize. Sweet dreams! See more

What does SMOKING do to your SKIN? Smoking speeds up the normal aging process of your skin by contributing to wrinkle formation. How does it do this? The nicotine in cigarettes causes narrowing of the blood vessels in the outermost layers of your skin. This impairs blood flow to your skin. With less blood flow, your skin doesn't get as much oxygen and important nutrients, such as vitamin A. (mayo clinic). It doesn't end there: smoking will slow your wound healing and incr...ease risk for scarring. The vasoconstriction will speed up collagen and elastin depletion. You'll also become the proud owner of smoker's lines around the mouth! Those can be notoriously difficult to treat and will never really go away completely. It's no secret to anyone who is alive today that smoking is a terrible choice for your health. We encourage anyone looking to quit to seek support to maximize their chances of success! See more

What are MELASMA TRIGGERS? Many people find that their melasma improves over the winter and then becomes exacerbated during the warmer months. This makes sense not just because of sun exposure. There are a multitude of Melasma triggers, aside from just UV exposure. It can also be exacerbated by heat, hormonal fluctuations (pregnancy, hormone therapy, oral contraceptives), and genetic predisposition. Rarer triggers include certain medications (ex: photosensitizing drugs a...nd certain anticonvulsants) and zinc deficiency. Melasma is a tricky beast that requires a stepwise treatment process and must be handled with kid gloves. If it doesn't like something that you're doing, it can rebound and return even darker and more aggressive than the initial phase. It is important to seek out an experienced melasma treatment practitioner. Questions? DM us! See more

2020. Not exactly sad to see you go. It's been quite the year and we have a lot to be grateful for. Mainly we are grateful for our lovely clients who make us smile and trust us with their stories and their skin. We wish the best for all of you as we enter into 2021.

Is your skin SENSITIVE or DRY? If yes, it is very important that you take care of those issues prior to upping or adding other actives to help manage any other existing concerns (ex: pigmentation). The sensitivity and dryness could indicate that your skin's barrier is not functioning optimally. If it isn't then you will experience increased trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) which will further exacerbate dryness! Additionally if you are having sensitivity, then adding act...ives will likely only hurt..they won't get to actually exert the effect that they are meant to have. Sensitive and dry? Let's have a skincare chat! See more

Should you use a DRYING CREME on your PIMPLES? Most drying creams have a high concentration of isopropyl alcohol which gives them their 'drying' properties. Is this a good thing? More than likely it is NOT. Why: the alcohol will dry out the uppermost skin layer and can potentially trap the impurities causing the pimple under the skin & make it last longer! To make things worse...if the above happens then it can exacerbate your chances of getting hyperpigmentation in the s...pot! Pimples are a part of life! We recommend pimple patches instead of drying creams. And remember - try your best not to pick! See more