Scan Magazine
| Health and Wellness
| Column / Beauty Profile Finland
Scandinavian Health and Wellness Coffee – black gold or a toxic sleep killer? You can imagine my disappointment, as an avid coffee drinker, when I realised that once I cut my coffee assumption in half, my sleep drastically improved. I frantically started researching, and I made a startling discovery: caffeine has a half-life of six or seven hours, and a quarter-life of 12 hours. This means that if you drink a cup of coffee at noon, a quarter of it is still circulating around your body at midnight. That’s like chugging a quarter of a Starbucks flat white when you go to bed, expecting to fall asleep. Nordic countries consistently have the highest coffee consumption per capita in the world; Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Sweden are all in the top ten. Is there a link between sleep problems and our coffee culture? You’d need a very thorough study to find out, but the fact that caf-
feine radically decreases the quality of deep sleep has already been proven. In my experience, the less good-quality sleep I get, the more I reach for that lovely, black drink – which only decreases the quality of my sleep even more, leading me to become increasingly dependent on my fix. But there are, on the other hand, also an array of health benefits from drinking coffee. It’s good for the liver, it improves energy levels and reaction times, and it may decrease the risk of developing Alzheimer’s and dementia. Then again, doesn’t sleep provide those very same benefits? I still love coffee. I love the taste of it, the smell of it, and the sound of my coffee machine brewing. Perhaps it’s about balance. And maybe, just maybe, if Scandinavians cut their coffee intake just a tad, they would find themselves more well-rested in
By Heidi Kokborg
the morning – and instead of depending on coffee to get through the day, it could be something simply but truly enjoyable: an actual coffee break.
Heidi Kokborg is a journalist and health coach from Denmark. She runs her own online business and writes a column for Scan Magazine about health and wellness in Scandinavia. Web: www.heidikokborg.com
Advanced facials and skin therapies L-Beauty is a well-established beauty salon in Helsinki, founded by cosmetologist Liina Kärmas nine years ago. It specialises in the latest facials, which help to solve different skin conditions, and always strives to achieve optimum results. In 2021, the salon was granted the Phorest Client Experience Award. By Mari Koskinen
| Photos: L-Beauty
Kärmas works in the salon alongside two other highly skilled beauty professionals. Two of them specialise in facials and other beauty treatments, and one in nails and lashes. “We have moved to larger premises located right in the centre of Helsinki, with easy access to both parking and local and national transport services,” Kärmas explains. “The new, spacious premises make it possible for our clients to have treatments together with friends.” L-Beauty’s most popular treatments include effective facials that help to fix potential skin problems, micro-needling, cosmetic laser treatment and chemical peels. “We are constantly upgrading our equipment and bringing in the newest and most efficient
treatments for our customers,” Kärmas says. L-Beauty also imports natural and effective products by well-known brands, such as Eco Minerals, Medik8 and Elleebana. While the clients are mostly women, more and more men are becoming interested in taking care of their skin and fixing skin problems. At this time of year, Kärmas
Cosmetic laser treatment is one of the popular treatments at L-Beauty.
recommends investing in your skin care. “It’s the perfect time for making use of the different skin treatments. Some of them leave the skin more sensitive to UV radiation, and right now the skin has time to heal well before the summer season,” she explains. Web: www.l-beauty.fi Facebook: LBeautyHelsinki Instagram: @lbeautyhelsinki
Liina Kärmas (left) always aims for the optimum results for her clients.
February 2022 |
Issue 139
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73
