Are you often confused by the big words listed in the ingredient decks of your favorite products? Or maybe you recognize them but wonder what benefits they are to your skin. Over on the Cult of Reason website I made a whole page of the ingredients in CoR products so you can nerd out and learn a bit about what makes the products so effective. These ingredients were curated by me and are a culmination of my twenty-plus years of skincare experience and research. Some ingredients are tried and true, used in effective preparations for years, while others are cutting edge lab-made goodies designed to be stable within the formula. And while you’re there, navigate over to the blog for deep dives into the science of skincare. Happy nerding!
Stuggling with dry, dehydrated skin? I've got you!
You’re in luck because I’ve just posted my first blog entry over at my sister website for Cult of Reason Skincare. Get ready to learn how to repair your struggling skin barrier with layering and cycling products. Sign up for the newsletter to get more in depth information, 15% off, and free stuff!
Cult of Reason Skincare launches at Monarch
After four years of formulating and testing, Angela Hugghins launches Cult of Reason Skincare at Monarch featuring a three product collection.
Meet Cult of Reason Skincare. Skin’s new best friend.
Cult of Reason skincare cuts through the noise and hype of the skincare world to give people products that are uncomplicated and effective – no deciphering labels or ten-step routines. Cult of Reason is clean, simple and straightforward, with ingredients that are intentional and readable. Most importantly, they actually work. Plus, the products are non-gendered because skin is skin.
This esthetician-formulated line was born out of a love of the chemistry of skincare and a desire to create a line that challenges the status quo. With carefully selected suppliers, high quality ingredients and a true understanding of how skin works, this streamlined product line is transparent and thoughtfully crafted. Cult of Reason makes loving your skin easy.
The line features three powerhouse products: Grit, Quench and Shield.
Grit: an exfoliating sulfur cleanser that leaves skin soft, soothed and refined.
Quench: a snow mushroom serum that deeply hydrates thirsty skin.
Shield: Cloudberry + Rosehip Oil serum energizes the skin and fights signs of aging,
An esthetician with 20 years of experience, Angela Hugghins was born for the skincare world. Even as a child, she was concocting face masks and giving makeup tips. Her grandfathers would wait patiently as the 6-year-old spruced up their nails and hair, while giving them (totally made up) beauty information. In 2016, she opened her own brow and facial studio, Monarch Brow and Facials in Carrboro, NC. This thoughtful, refined skincare line is the manifestation of this long-held passion.
Join the newsletter for in depth skincare science and product nerdiness. Plus get 15% your first web order when you sign up! Or navigate over to the Cult of Reason blog for A’s to many common Q’s. Https://cultofreasonskin.com
Micropigmentation by Angela featured on Chapelboro's Glowing Review
Thanks again to Ali for this fantastic article on what to expect when coming for brow micropigmentation at Monarch. Follow the link to Chapelboro.com
The Monarch Signature Glo2 (formerly Oxygeneo) Facial featured on Chapelboro!
I’m so excited to share Chapelboro’s Glowing Review of the Monarch Signature OxyGeneo Facial! I had the pleasure of introducing this clinical level facial to Ali Evans of at WCHL/Chapelboro. Please pay a visit over to their website to read her review and check out her other Glowing Reviews, as well. She gave the Lash Lift and Tint a try last year, which you can also find in her blog archives.
Thanks, Ali!
Saline Tattoo Lightening for Brows
Feel like your brows turned out too dark, or maybe you’re ready to move on from tattooed brows altogether? We’ve got you covered! Lighten up existing brow micropigmentation to better suit your changing complexion and/or hair. Saline can help! Not a fan of the tattooed brows you paid for? Saline is here for you.
In two to five sessions, tattoo pigment can be lightened to near complete removal or ready for corrective pigment. Saline is often preferred to laser for removal as it will not turn the titanium found in many cosmetic ink formulas into a ashen color.
Angela is trained in the Li-FT® Lightening technique taught by renowned artist Teryn Darling of Girlz Ink in Las Vegas.
Li-FT® is an all natural, safe yet powerful and effective hypertonic saline lightening solution that contains no chemicals and no acids.
Li-FT® Saline Tattoo Lightening Solution is tattooed into the area of the unwanted permanent makeup, microblading or body tattoo procedure by using conventional tattoo methods. When Li-FT® is soaked into the skin, the natural effect of Osmosis begins to take place. Li-FT® is a hypertonic solution, therefore it contains a higher amount of salt than the body contains…this enacts the process of Osmosis which starts to move the pigment upward to the outer surface of the skin…then removed by the skins natural healing process.
In addition to the natural power of salt and the Osmosis process, Li-FT® utilizes both lemon seed and orange seed extract for their powerful fading and exfoliation properties. With all this natural power, Li-FT® remains gentle to the skin and to ensure good healing and the integrity of the skin. Also included are Aloe Barbadensis and Calendula Extract.
Li-FT® lightens and in many cases completely lightens old pigment/ink that has been sitting in the skin for years and years.
TLDR: Micropigmenation Ultra Mega Basics
If you landed on the original micropigmentation basics page and saw many, many words and ran screaming, here’s the cliff’s notes version for you.
Micropigmentation is an umbrella term used to describe many techniques of brow tattooing, including microblading, powder brows, and hybrid brows. It’s all tattooing, but using different tools.
We’re working fairly shallow with needles in the skin to better control the color as it ages over time. Too deep lasts longer, but changes to scary colors. You can expect fading over the years, but an annual refresh keeps you looking fly. If you’re lucky, meaning your skin is a golden child, you might get a couple of years between refreshes.
We do it in two sessions, very occasionally three for persnickety situations, spaced 8-12 weeks apart.
You’ll get an aftercare kit and instructions to take home with you on the day of your initial appointment. See below photo.
Consultations on a date prior to your initial appointment are encouraged, but not required UNLESS you have had previous microblading, shading, or any other tattoo work in your brows. Please be honest because I will know immediately if you’ve had work done before.
Please don’t consume any alcohol 24 hours prior to your tattoo appointments. Stop all blood thinners like aspirin, ,ibu, fish oil, prescription thinners, CBD, weed for three days prior. Refrain from cardio exercising the day of your appointment.
You won’t be able to sweat or swim for a week after your sessions so please get that cardio in before so your brows don’t heal with uneven results.
To book your free consultation, follow this link to the Monarch booking page.
stages of micropigmentation healing and aftercare instructions
Monarch Signature Facial: Glo2 (formerly OxyGeneo) Illuminate
Glo2 Illuminate: featuring Vitamin C and Kojic Acid
Go2 Illuminate unifies skin tone, improves pigmentation, and rejuvenates the skin.
This luxurious treatment is based on an innovative Glo2 OxyPod technology – combining breakthrough concepts in biology, chemistry, and technology within a single capsule.
The Glo2 Illuminate OxyPod includes Kojic Acid and Vitamin C for an even skin tone effect, as well as Opuntia fruit Extract and Carrot extract for moisturizing and smoothing the skin.
Utilizing the powerful vitamin C serum completes the treatment effect with powerful brightening ingredients such as Tree Bark extract and Amina acid derivatives, and moisturizing ingredients and nutrients like Triglycerides, Jojoba and Argan oil complex and Vanilla and Horsetail extract complex.
Book your Monarch Signature Glo2 Facial today!
Monarch Signature Facial: Glo2 (formerly OxyGeneo) Revive edition
Glo2 Revive: featuring Red Algae
Glo2 Revive refreshes dull skin, reduces fine lines and improves overall skin texture and appearance.
This exfoliating treatment is based on an innovative Glo2 OxyPod technology – combining breakthrough concepts in biology, chemistry, and technology within a single capsule.
The Glo2 Revive OxyPod includes Red Algae, a powerful antioxidant with an anti-aging effect, and Caffeic Acid and Retinol, known to treat the signs of aging and assist in skin cell turnover.
The Reviving Serum completes the treatment effect with additional ingredients that encourage collagen production and reduce signs of aging, like Peptides complex and Edelweiss, as well as nutrients and vitamins such as Jojoba and Argan Oil complex, vanilla and Horsetail extract complex.
Book your Monarch Signature Glo2 Facial today!
Monarch Signature Facial: Glo2 (formerly OxyGeneo) Hydrate edition
Glo2 Hydrate: featuring Blue Spirulina
Glo2 Hydrate treatment refreshes and revives dry and dull skin, leaving it moisturized, glowing, and replenished.
The Glo2 Hydrate Blue Spirulina treatment is based on an innovative Geneo OxyPod technology, combining breakthrough concepts in biology, chemistry, and technology within a single capsule.
The Glo2 Hydrating OxyPod includes Blue Spirulina, Niacinamide and Lactobionic Acid, working together to hydrate, replenish and improve skin’s moisture retention abilities, resulting in a glowing, refreshed, and younger-looking complexion.
The Hydrating serum provides a complementary refreshing, reviving and hydrating effect that supports and maintains the results achieved by the Hydrating OxyPod oxygenation treatment, with a unique hydrating complex and active ingredients such as Vitamin E, Vitamin B, Hyaluronic Acid, Aquaxyl, Marula Oil, and Riboxyl.
Book your Monarch Signature Glo2 Facial today!
The Bohr Effect -- Glo2 Facials in depth
The Bohr Effect in Action
Increased levels of CO2 on the surface of the skin will send signals to the body to send oxygen rich blood to the affected area. “The Bohr Effect causes the muscles and tissues to release more oxygen when CO2 levels rise. This helps deliver oxygen to metabolizing tissue. This process is important because it enhances delivery of oxygen to the muscles and tissues where metabolism is occurring, and carbon dioxide is being produced, delivering oxygen where it is most needed.”
Learn more about the Bohr Effect via Vimeo.
Book your Monarch Signature Glo2 Facial today!
The Glo2 Facial Benefit (Monarch Signature Glo2 Facial)
Starting with the first step, Geneo’s patented OxyGeneo technology oxygenates the skin from within, triggering the body’s natural process of increased oxygen levels internally, while optimizing exfoliation and enhancing absorption throughout the rest of the treatment.
EXFOLIATION
Targeted ingredients in their dormant state in the Geneo OxyPod are more potent than in serum form. When the Geneo OxyPod ingredients react with the Geneo Primer Gel, they create a gentle, non-invasive exfoliation, while triggering oxygenation INSIDE the skin.
OXYGENATION
Geneo’s patented oxygenation process triggers the body’s natural,physiological process increasing oxygen levels internally. Oxygen is carried to the surface of the skin where the increased levels of oxygen prep the skin for maximum absorption throughout the rest of the facial treatment.
NOURISHMENT
Geneo OxyPod contain highly effective ingredients in their suspended state, such as Vitamin C, Ferulic acid, Niacinamide, Kojic acid,and Bamboo charcoal that are specifically formulated to benefit the skin for each of our Geneo facial treatments. The OxyPod ingredients are more effectively infused into the recently oxygenated and exfoliated skin during our OxyGeneo process.
OXYGENEO APPLICATION
Geneo’s OxyGeneo treatment is used to target and diminish skin concerns over time and can also be used in conjunction with a variety of additional cosmetic procedures. This can enhance overall skin tone and texture to promote glowing and youthful-looking skin. The Geneo facial is a three-step treatment which includes a patented primer gel, OxyPod, and treatment serum to address each step of the system, OxyGeneo, ultrasound and neo-massage.
OxyGeneo combines the unique synergy of oxygenation and exfoliation infused with essential active ingredients to improve the overall look and feel of the skins texture. It is deemed to be an enhanced option to traditional facial methods by maximizing the body’s production of O2 cells from the inside out. What makes Geneo’s technology so unique is that it is a gentle, non-invasive treatment that can be customized to any skin type, season, age, and gender. The Geneo device itself offers a creative approach to skincare solutions, and is used to target a variety of skincare needs such as acne, dehydrated skin, uneven skin tone, fine lines and wrinkles.
Book your Monarch Signature Oxygeneo Facial today!
Why Oxygenation?
A NEW PLAYER: Glo2
3 TECHNOLOGIES, 1 INNOVATIVE SKINCARE PLATFORM
Every Glo2 facial delivers highly effective ingredients through the Glo2 OxyPod technology and Geneo serum, combining nourishing ingredients with 3 clinically proven technologies.
STEP 1: OXYGENATION
OxyPods Create Oxygen — WITHIN The Skin — Not Just On The Skin
The oxygenation process promotes exfoliation and enhances the penetration of ingredients into the skin. Our unique, natural Glo2 OxyPod, which holds a specific combination of active ingredients in their suspended state, reacts with the Primer Gel, creating a gentle, non-invasive exfoliation. Their synchronized effect is based on innovations in biology, chemistry and technology. The resulting bubbly, CO2 rich environment on the skin’s surface, triggers the body’s natural, physiological process of increased oxygen levels internally. When the oxypod and primer gel combine, desincrustation occurs as increased levels of oxygen are carried to the surface of the skin. The skin is then softened and prepped for extractions and other corrective treatments.
STEP 2: ULTRASOUND
Ultrasound Waves Stimulate And Condition The Skin For Treatment
In the next step of the facial, Ultrasound heat waves stimulate micro-vibrations in the skin, delivering instant smoothing results on the surface. Small vibrations increase the permeability of the skin's innermost layer of the epidermis. The basal cells in this layer, continually divide, pushing older ones up towards the surface of the skin, where they eventually shed. Lending to beneficial cell turnover.
STEP 3: NEO-MASSAGE
Finish With A Relaxing, NourishingMassage
The facial finishes with the Neo-Massage step, locking in the power of Glo2 and increasing circulation. The neo-massage step delivers instant reduction in redness and puffiness as well as diminished appearance of acne, while further deeply infusing the active ingredients of the Glo2 Serum. The massage head also provides increase blood flow while relaxing facial muscles and pressure points to diminish unwanted expression lines.
Why Oxygenation?
A question that you may be asking yourself is, why oxygenate the skin when we come in contact with O2 every second of our lives? Oxygen is disseminated through our lungs to touch every inch of our bodies, including our integumentary system. Just like all of our organs, our skin needs to breathe to absorb the essential vitamins and nutrients to survive. For instance, a wound relies on oxygen to maintain cellular function, create new blood vessels and stimulate growth factors, to heal the skin. After a long flight, you may be wondering why your skin is left dry and dehydrated, its because lower oxygen levels negatively impact our skin. Our skin desperately needs oxygen to function properly and to maintain healthy properties. Direct contact with oxygen touching our skin is only so effective, as true results come from leveraging the body’s internal production of O2.
Book your Monarch Signature Glo2 Facial today!
Monarch Signature Facial: Glo2 Balance edition
The GLo2 Balance facial works especially well to detoxify and deep-clean oily, combination and blemish-prone skin types. It’s antibacterial, antimicrobial, antiviral and antifungal properties make it the choice for acne-prone skin. Powerful antioxidants deliver beneficial ingredients to the skin to improve skin texture and appearance without the downtime associated with other exfoliation and dermabrasion systems.
Each Glo2 Balance Facial delivers ingredients in 2 ways
Every Glo2 facial delivers highly effective natural ingredients in two ways: through the Glo2 OxyPod technology and serum. When the facial begins, the power of the all-natural ingredients found in the unique OxyPod interact with the Primer Gel and start Glo2’s patented oxygenation process, bringing the body’s naturally-occurring oxygen to the skin’s surface. In this step, our patented Oxygeneo technology combines with exfoliation, resulting in a bubbly, CO2 rich environment on the skin’s surface. Triggering the body’s unique, natural, physiological process of increased oxygen levels internally, the skin is prepped for maximum absorption.
In the next step of the facial, Ultrasound waves stimulate and condition the skin for treatment. Ultrasound waves stimulate micro-vibrations in the skin, delivering instant smoothing results on the surface, this step increases the permeability of the skin’s protective layer and enhances the absorption of the Glo2 serum’s active ingredients.
Charcoal, Nature’s Detoxifying Champion
The key ingredient in the Glo2 Charcoal Facial OxyPod is bamboo charcoal. Bamboo charcoal adsorbs impurities due to its super-porous structure. Just one teaspoon has the surface area of a football field. Millions of pores within the charcoal act as a magnet to trap and draw out impurities from deep inside the pores of your skin. It also gently exfoliates to remove dead skin cells without drying skin.
Other natural active ingredients in the Charcoal OxyPod are:
Camu-camu extract which comes from the berries of a bush found in the Amazon rainforest. It is one of the highest sources of Vitamin C in the world, more than 30x that found in an orange. Vitamin C helps protect the skin from UVA and UVB rays, stimulates the production of collagen and reduces hyperpigmentation.
Mandelic acid which is naturally derived from bitter almonds. It works by gently exfoliating the skin. It loosens the bonds that hold dead cells on the surface of the skin allowing, them to shed more effectively.
Glo2 Balancing Serum
The facial finishes with the Neo-Massage step, locking in the power of Glo2. The neo-massage step delivers instant reduction in redness and puffiness while deeply infusing the active ingredients of the Balancing Serum.. The Glo2 Balancing Serum completes the treatment with powerful detoxifying and hydrating ingredients, providing nutrients, antioxidants, and vitamins to further nourish and improve the appearance of the skin, reduce pore size and provide strong antibacterial detoxifying properties. Ingredients include salicylic acid which is derived from the bark of the willow tree; kojic acid which is made from several different types of fungi; vanilla and horsetail extracts; jojoba and argan oils, and shea butter.
Rediscover Clean, Blemish-Free Skin
No matter your age, or skin-type…if you have acne-prone skin, then the Balance Facial is for you. The Glo2 Balance Facial removes dirt and impurities, fights acne and balances oily skin.
Book your Monarch Signature Glo2 Facial today!
Monarch has been nominated!
Monarch has been nominated in two categories for the Best of Chapel Hill Magazine 2018 awards! Please cast your vote for Best Waxing Salon and Best Spa by April 5th. Thank you so much!
http://bit.ly/bestofCH18
