ATTENTION ROSACEA SUFFERERS: YOUR MICROBIOME IS CALLING How protecting the bacteria on your skin could help prevent flare-ups. This week Dr. Brei and NuVsio got published in THE STAR across newsstands. We couldn’t be more proud! I was asked to share my knowledge and expertise on rosacea and skin microbiome with Sabrina Maddeaux, a fashion/beauty expert and columnist. According to the Canadian Dermatology Association, rosacea affects more than 3 million Canadians. Rosacea can be treated, but it can’t be cured. Typical remedies include topical and oral drugs, like antibiotics, and sometimes light therapy. Many sufferers will try just about anything to control it. But what we need is to take care of our skin microbiome as an unbalanced microbiome can amplify skin conditions including eczema, psoriasis, acne, and rosacea. That means understanding these microbiota could have huge implications for the beauty industry, which is why La Roche-Posay and other skincare brands including Valmont, Dermalogica, Dove and Canada’s own NuVsio are turning their focus to this area of research. If your microbiome becomes compromised or unbalanced, your skin may suffer. “Cleansing is the worst step in our entire skincare regimen,” says Elena Brei, a PhD researcher in water technology and founder of Canadian skincare line NuVsio, aimed at supporting the skin’s microbiome. “You should be washing once a day, at night. When we cleanse our skin in the morning with any kind of detergent or cleanser, it’s really an unnecessary step. Just rinsing the skin with cool water is enough to remove any excess product.” While Brei’s stance on cleansing may seem like heresy in the age of double-cleansing, she has an even stronger dislike of physical exfoliants, which can damage the skin’s protective barrier. “A bead in a scrub or polish is as big as a truck, if a skin cell is as big as a tennis ball. If you have a field of tennis balls 20 layers deep representing your skin cells, that truck is probably going to crush quite a few. That’s what a scrub or polish does to our top skin layer, which can really wreak havoc.” NuVsio products contain prebiotic minerals harvested from North America’s ancient sea beds, glacial deposits and the Canadian Shield. The brand’s star product is the purifying mineral mask, featuring a concentrated mineral blend.   To read the full article please click here Wishing you a healthy and glowing complexion,

This week I had an opportunity to contribute once more and be a part of 700th episode to a wonderful podcast at Skin Care Talk Radio. I was asked to elaborate on Clay Mask Education and share my knowledge and expertise on the Science behind Facial Masks. I break this down in terms of historical basis and scientific basis. Listen to Dr. Brei’s explanation here and let us know your thoughts. Wishing you a healthy, glowing skin, Dr. Brei, PhD NuVsio Founder Listen to the podcast now: Clay Mask Education

Recently Organic Authority in partnership with Navago Shop has put together an article about adult acne: how to clear it, naturally. And Organic Authority has generously asked for Dr. Brei of NuVsio to contribute, again! If you thought you’d left your acne years behind you but are seeing more breakouts than ever, you are not alone. In adults between the ages of 20 and 40, up to 55 percent battle adult acne. Even those who never had acne as a tween or teen can see blemishes once they hit 20 or beyond. While many factors come into play, that old standby acne skincare from your teen years may be aggravating the problem. It’s also not just the time and money spent looking for ways to conquer breakouts that can be taxing. Adult acne has also been linked to lower self esteem. A 2017 study showed that 70 percent of acne patients in their 30s were most bothered by their appearance, over twice that of any other age group. This age group also reported their acne had a greater effect on quality of life. This may surprise you, but one of the most common causes of continued adult acne may be the products you use to get rid of it. Yes, those conventional acne treatments usually contain some pretty harsh ingredients that are meant to dry the skin. While acne prone skin is often oily, that is not always the case, especially with adult acne. Plus, drying out any skin type with strong ingredients, including extra oily skin, leads to even more breakouts. While both men and women are affected by adult acne, women tend to make up the largest group of sufferers due to the ongoing battle with hormones related to the monthly cycle, pregnancy, pre-menopause, and menopause. If you see breakouts during ovulation or the onset of menses, this could be due to shifts in estrogen and progesterone. Stress reduction is another important factor in keeping the system running smoothly and hormones in check. Getting your beauty sleep and regular exercise are great first steps. YOUR ADULT ACNE SKINCARE PROTOCOL Now for the good stuff … how to get your skin back on the path to clear, healthy, and radiant. Craft a simple protocol for your own skin type and use it regularly for best results. Here are a selection of natural products recommended by the Founders behind the clean, indie brands on Navago, to get

Wondering what is the hype around “skin microbiome”? A recent article published on cbc.ca addresses the question of Skin Microbiome and sheds some light on its importance in our skin care routines. Here a few questions I was asked prior to the publication. “Can you quickly explain the job of the fungi and bacteria on the surface of the skin, aka the microbiome? Why are those found on the skin?”- It’s a symbiosis, we have evolved with them and they’re everywhere.  It’s similar to a butterfly and a flower field, one works with and evolves with the other,  the microbiome was simply too small and unseen for us to notice.  Their job is still under research, but the big picture is that they crowd out bad bacteria and viruses and make it difficult for them to take root.  The skin on the surface has not antibodies or white blood cells, they’re under the skin as such on the surface of the skin our body uses oils and the microbiome to stay healthy. “I have read that people who live together would have similar microbiomes. Have you come across this? Can you explain why this might be? Is it related to environment?” It could be possible, it’s related to the closed environment we live in.  We’re constantly shedding skin and “skin swapping” in our offices and homes.  Think of the dust in your house being mostly shed skin and that skin falling on your body in microscopic quantities, you can see how a microbiome swap is made on the skin. “How would skincare products disrupt the microbiome?” They either bring on board destructive surfactants (detergents and soaps), preservatives, and/or additives as many skincare products are blends of water and biodegradable bacterial and fungi food sources ( think cellulose derivatives, oils etc..). Also their main ingredients such as fragrance may be harmful to your natural state.  The oil in your skin is microbiome food, if you disrupt that by adding silicones or other exotic chemistry you can again disrupt the microbiome. “Do products with a pH around 5.5 help to maintain the pH of the microbiome?” The oil in you skin and it’s fatty acids are what help, this is why skin is slightly acidic. Adding artificial pH modifiers with the hope of getting to a healthy pH is a bit of a false correlation to causation assumption. Low pH does not give a healthy microbiome, but a healthy microbiome

Whether it’s acne and redness, eczema or dark spots, we all face a beauty woe or two from time to time. Stopping by to show us her favourite products to help with some of the most common beauty issues is green beauty expert Michelle Biolodeau, who has solutions for everything from acne to eczema. And yes, NuVsio Purifying Mineral Mask was featured as one of her faves for treating skin conditions related to the skin microbiome unbalance, including acne. NUVSIO PURIFYING MINERAL MASK Similar to our gut’s microbiome, there are microbes on the surface of the skin that are beneficial to our complexion. Acne can often be caused by a disturbance in the microbiome, so bringing the biome back into balance is key and that’s where this mask can help. Use twice a week as a proper mask after cleansing, or as a nightly cleanser itself. View the video below: Read the full article here: thesocialctv Wishing you a healthy, glowing skin,

How protecting the bacteria on your skin could help prevent flare-ups. This week Dr. Brei and NuVsio got published in THE KIT magazine across newsstands. We couldn’t be more proud! I was asked to share my knowledge and expertise on rosacea and skin microbiome with Sabrina Maddeaux, a beauty/style expert and columnist. According to the Canadian Dermatology Association, rosacea affects more than 3 million Canadians. Rosacea can be treated, but it can’t be cured. Typical remedies include topical and oral drugs, like antibiotics, and sometimes light therapy. Many sufferers will try just about anything to control it. But what we need is to take care of our skin microbiome as an unbalanced microbiome can amplify skin conditions including eczema, psoriasis, acne, and rosacea. That means understanding these microbiota could have huge implications for the beauty industry, which is why La Roche-Posay and other skincare brands including Valmont, Dermalogica, Dove and Canada’s own NuVsio are turning their focus to this area of research. If your microbiome becomes compromised or unbalanced, your skin may suffer. “Cleansing is the worst step in our entire skincare regimen,” says Elena Brei, a PhD researcher in water technology and founder of Canadian skincare line NuVsio, aimed at supporting the skin’s microbiome. “You should be washing once a day, at night. When we cleanse our skin in the morning with any kind of detergent or cleanser, it’s really an unnecessary step. Just rinsing the skin with cool water is enough to remove any excess product.” While Brei’s stance on cleansing may seem like heresy in the age of double-cleansing, she has an even stronger dislike of physical exfoliants, which can damage the skin’s protective barrier. “A bead in a scrub or polish is as big as a truck, if a skin cell is as big as a tennis ball. If you have a field of tennis balls 20 layers deep representing your skin cells, that truck is probably going to crush quite a few. That’s what a scrub or polish does to our top skin layer, which can really wreak havoc.” NuVsio products contain prebiotic minerals harvested from North America’s ancient sea beds, glacial deposits and the Canadian Shield. The brand’s star product is the purifying mineral mask, featuring a concentrated mineral blend.   To read the full article please click here Wishing you a healthy and glowing complexion,

Recently Organic Authority in partnership with Navago Shop has put together an article about teen personal care products: what to buy and what to avoid. And Organic Authority has generously asked for Dr. Brei of NuVsio to contribute. A 2016 study by the Center for Environmental Research and Children’s Health at the University of California Berkeley showed a significant decline in hormone disrupting chemicals in study subjects just days after eliminating products that contain them. While many skincare lines designed for kids are marketed as gentle or natural, a quick glance at the ingredient listings on these products tells a different story. Harsh cleansing agents, petro-ingredients and silicones, and artificial fragrance are found in most of them, even those that claim to be unscented. Teens still have delicate skin and the goal is to gently cleanse away excess oil, dirt, and debris without stripping the skin of natural oils or moisture that helps it stay healthy. But chemical-laden mainstream skincare has a different effect on teen skin. “Using expired products can be just as dangerous as using products with toxic ingredients.” “Most chemicals that we apply daily to our faces and bodies, including teenagers, can compound over time and cause issues of imbalance that we ultimately see as a dry, oily, itchy, irritated, and red (inflamed) complexion,” said Nuvsio founder Dr. Elena Brei. “As a result, many teens and adults feel the need to cover up with makeup to look better.” If your teen is washing and moisturizing daily and experiencing upset skin, take a look at the products they use. Avoid ingredients from the list below and encourage a healthy diet to keep skin looking clear and healthy. How to Play It Safe: Nuvsio Mineral Mask & Enriched Balm Concentrate Facial Treatment is the perfect way to introduce your tween or teen to natural skincare. For the full article click HERE

Today we're going to talk about a really important topic and that topic is health. And what you need to be your very healthiest, your best and lead a healthy lifestyle. So when we think of health we have a really good idea of what are the two most important pillars of Health are. And those are exercise (what you exude), as well as nutrition (what you take in). When we exercise we keep our body strong we can ward off bacterial infections and diseases. What we take in can also help our bodies be healthiest by fighting diseases and bacteria, but also we can consume healthy bacteria to take care of our gut micro flora (probiotics, prebiotics, postbiotics). But what about our skin's health? Don't neglect your body's largest organ! Skin is a living and breathing organism. And what if I told you that your body is not your own, but is overrun by billions of tiny microorganisms. And what if I told you that this bacterial community is just as big if not bigger than your own body cells. This implies that we should really take care of these little buggers, because some of them are really good for you, and some of them can actually protect you. We are aware of our body's microbiome and our flora and fauna inside of our guts. Let's do the same for our skin microbiome. We need to take care of our skin through skin care that will nurture and support your essential skin microbiome. For example, at NuVsio we are more than aware of the importance of your skin's microbiome. This is why we designed our two products (Purifying Mineral Mask and Mineral Enriched Balm Concentrate) to help your skin be at its best. It is almost like a support system for your skin. Our skin is already a great barrier for keeping the outside things out and inside in. However, harsh preservatives, chemicals, cleansers, and detergents can compromise our skin barrier, leading to skin inflammation and irritation. NuVsio helps your skin barrier to function as it was intended by helping to establish a healthy protective bacteria, through a 'second skin' protective layer, for a healthy looking and radiant complexion. Thank You for watching, Wishing you a healthy and happy skin, Dr. Brei, PhD NuVsio Founder

We are very excited to share with you that we have been published in MANTRA magazine! It is a source for Yoga, Health + Wellness, conscious lifestyle, mindfulness, beauty, fitness and organic cooking/nutrition. Pick up your March/April issue today, which is currently on news stands, and can be found at Whole Foods, Sprouts, Target, Costco, Barnes & Noble, and many more.   Our Cruelty-Free, Vegan, Clean and Green HERO Collection is available here. Thank you for all your support and helping us grow. If you would like to see us in your area, talk to your local eco spas and boutiques. Wishing you a healthy and glowing skin, NuVsio

Out with the old and in with the new. It’s finally time to trade up and toss out some of your vanity’s most guarded treasures. Start regarding your makeup bag and bathroom counter as face food that inevitably spoils, meaning all your products should be armed with an expiration date. So in the spirit of spring cleaning, we’re zeroing in on our complexion cures and makeup must-haves that have passed their prime and need to be replaced or sent out to pasture, with the help of Dr. Elena Brei, a research scientist and NuVsio Skin Care Founder. Powdered makeup products Generally speaking, the average shelf life of your cosmetics is much more forgiving than your skincare products. Those powder-based products, such as shadows and blushes, can stay stocked in your makeup bag for quite some time. Dr. Brei points out that “since powders have no water added, they have a long shelf life measured in years. Dispose of them as they stop performing due to lumping and agglomeration.” Foundations and concealers On the other hand, your favourite liquid foundation and concealer have an expiration date of approximately one year. If they’ve separated into layers, or the colour has mysteriously lightened, you’re way overdue for a new tube. Lipsticks and lip glosses That lip gloss you’ve been using since high school needed to be tossed a year after purchase (sorry!), while your go-to lipstick can stay put in your makeup kit for up to two years. We know the fear of a coveted shade becoming discontinued is real, but it’s just a risk you’ll have to take for the sake of sanity. Mascara and liquid liners In the case of products that “come in contact with your mucous membranes (eyes especially), they have a short shelf life. Be very cautious with your eye makeup, especially mascara. I hesitate holding onto any liquid makeup product for longer than three months and gravitate toward products that have sanitary containers (i.e. squeezable tubes and pumps vs. jars),” adds Dr. Brei. But if you’re looking to hoard a little bit longer, refrain from pumping the mascara wand, as that motion allows air to get trapped inside, ultimately causing an unfortunate buildup of bacteria. Telltale signs of your makeup products reaching the point of expiration can be an unfamiliar smell, look or feel. Keep in mind that you should be paying extra attention to your makeup brushes, as these tools are breeding grounds for acne-causing bacteria. Ensure that