This North Vancouver Facial Uses The “Hermès” Of Skincare Products (Win!)

the “Hermès” of skincare

North Vancouver’s luxest dental clinic is also the city’s loveliest medi spa, offering elevated skin treatments guaranteed to leave you glowing (to match that pearly white smile, of course!).

We recently experienced Theory and Essence‘s signature Auteur Facial, offered in two versions: definitive ($350) and advanced ($550). The 75- or 90-minute treatment incorporates what Theory and Essence co-founder and director Naz Shahbazi calls the “Hermès” of skincare.....Read More.

Now Featured in NUVO Magazine

One doesn’t usually see their dentist for a check-up and have a facial treatment during the same visit. Yet that’s what North Vancouver’s new Theory + Essence offers, and plenty more.....Read More.

Transition Your Skincare From Summer to Autumn

We’ve got eight expert tips to create the perfect fall beauty routine

As the weather gets colder and the days get shorter, it's important to update your skincare to reflect the change of seasons. Fall is the perfect time to counter all the damage done to our skin during the sunny months of summer. Hot humid weather causes breakouts, and the upcoming dry, cold winter strips the skin of its oils. People tend to forget that the shoulder seasons are just as important when it comes to taking care of your skin, and increasing hydration and nourishment will restore the complexion and prepare you for the colder months ahead.

Naz Shahbazi (pictured above), spa director of North Vancouver’s dental and aesthetic clinic The ory + Essence, shares tips on fine-tuning our skincare game this autumn...

1. Use a gentle cleanser

It's important to always use a gentle cleanser during transitional months so you won’t strip away your skin’s natural oils and harm the skin barrier. I love Biologique Recherche's Lait VIP O2. This milky cleanser repairs, soothes and brightens the skin without drying it out. I follow up with a second cleanse and for that I love Auteur's Definitive Enzyme Cleanser to unclog pores caused by the summer heat. This enzyme cleanser goes beautifully with a Biologique routine and will visibly brighten the skin and works to lighten hyperpigmentation, which we usually get by the end of summer due to sun exposure.......Read More

Smile High Club

Is it a bit facile to say that smiling is good for us? Like, duh, making a happy face is obviously better than making a sad one. But it’s actually an area that’s been heavily researched. Experts have found that smiley folks have better immune systems, lower blood pressure, and may even live longer.

That’s all very well, but what if you don’t like your teeth or lips, or are self-conscious about your smile? Dentist Dr. Farshid Shahbazi of Theory + Essence in North Vancouver says that’s become increasingly common in recent years. “Social media platforms are now a main form of communication,” he says. “Selfie culture and posting pictures online have caused people and generally young adults to turn to cosmetic dentistry to create beautiful smiles, which at times goes hand in hand with increased self-esteem.”

Dr. Shahbazi says Covid didn’t particularly change people’s approach to aesthetic dentistry—aside from the fact that patients were reluctant to visit the clinic during the height of the pandemic. But the same isn’t true for general aesthetic medicine. “Lips have always been a big part of my aesthetic practice, but when we were moving toward virtual work and school I found that there was a bit of an increase in people focusing on their perceived flaws,” says dermatologist Dr. Angela Law of Dermapure Vancouver. “Some perhaps noticed they had lost volume in their lips. Also, the pandemic was a time when you could kind of hide out after a treatment, so perhaps people were a bit more willing to pursue something they were thinking of.”.......Read More.

Using Scent to Create A Sense of Calm In A Dental Office

Walking down memory lane, I’m constantly thinking of beautiful scents. Whether it is my grandma’s fragrant jasmine plant by the edge of her gate that we used to swing on, or the smell of her orange tree blossoming that always made me smile no matter what mood I was in, it’s always been fascinating to me that I can simply close my eyes and sniff the air in a flower shop or a bakery and feel so many emotions or recall so many memories—and ultimately change my mood and focus on a positive note.

When my husband and I designed Theory + Essence, our goal was to change the perception of what it is to go to a dental office. The look of our North Vancouver space is clean and minimalistic, yet if you pay close attention, you will see understated details everywhere you turn. Patients can immediately understand that you’re in for much more than a routine dental appointment. I also wanted to make sure the space gave off a bright, distinctive, and confident vibe so that when people walk in, they feel comfortable receiving care in the space. I immediately knew that to create such an atmosphere, I needed to incorporate a unique scent to create a feeling of comfort and ease. We’ve worked hard to create an environment that makes our patients feel comfortable, and adding a scent to help our patients overcome the common dental office jitters was a no-brainer.

We use the vitruvi Stone Diffuser in our clinic, and the benefits have been nothing short of amazing. The scents are 100 percent natural, vegan, pure, and cruelty-free, and come in UV-protected bottles to preserve their quality. The simplistic and elegant design complements our clinic beautifully; there was never any doubt in my mind that we wanted only the best for our patients.......Read More.