You might have heard that oxidation was a bad thing, and wondered why we use oxygen in our products and treatments. Allow us to clear the ‘air’!

The key is knowing the difference between oxidation and oxygenation. It’s true that oxidation is a no-no, but oxygenation is a definite ‘O’ yes!

Oxygen is necessary for proper cell metabolism. As you age, your ability to diffuse oxygen to surrounding tissues decreases considerably. Therefore, processes like collagen and elastin production and waste removal are getting compromised. Oxygen levels in 30-year-old skin can be up to 70% lower than in 12-year-old skin. (Imagine the levels in 40-year-old skin!) Oxygenation is adding or treating with oxygen to help bring those levels back up, resulting in younger-looking, more radiant skin.

One more plus about oxygenation is that it kills surface bacteria, which helps to keep future breakouts to a minimum. That’s why our spas use “pre- and post-extraction oxygen cream” instead of steam: because it disinfects the skin, while steamers are actually breeding grounds for bacteria.

Oxidation (the bad guy) is the loss of an electron from the oxygen molecule, which creates instability ending in free radical damage—just like when a sliced apple browns. To prevent oxidation, you need antioxidants. Imagine a car engine where oxygen is the fuel and the free radicals are the exhaust. Antioxidants would be the “air filter” that cleans up the exhaust. Taking antioxidants as supplements and applying antioxidants topically to the skin assists the body in neutralizing the damaging effects of oxidation, such as dull, sallow skin.

To make a long story short, you need both oxygen and antioxidants to get that one-way ticket to glow. Your best bets for getting both are our spa’s Triple Oxygen Treatment™ (which uses a pressurized oxygen spray that’s passed through a customized blend of antioxidant vitamins) and any of our Triple Oxygen products.