A New Year's Recovery For Healthy Skin

Here are some basic tips for skin recovery for the New Year. 

1.  Since alcohol is so dehydrating to the body and makes the skin more sensitized, you should make sure you carry a calming mist ( i.e. Rosewater is great) in your bag. This will not only add much needed hydration to the skin’s surface but it will also calm and reduce the redness. It can be easily spritzed over make-up.

2.  When nights out become mornings after and your skin looks dry and dull, treat it to an overnight, oil-based serum ( you know how I always preach to choir about the need to use a good serum which contains anti-oxidants to fight free radicals) to replenish lost lipids and moisture and rebuild collagen. Apply in the evening and let the essential oils work with the body’s own circadian rhythms to leave your skin silky soft and luminous.     

3.  How to handle the tell-tale dark circles around the eyes? In Chinese medicine, shadows under your eyes are indicative of stress on the kidneys and liver (which makes sense after lots of parties and late nights). You can’t instantly get rid of dark circles, but helping the body detox, rest and revitalize through good nutrition and exercise will all help greatly. For a temporary quick fix, use products that contain anti-inflammatories and optical light diffusers, which are often combined in a light concealer make-up base and act as a multitude of ‘microscopic mirrors’ that deflect the light and decrease shadow lines.

References:  International Dermal Institute.

Homemade Recipes for Great Skin at Home

Recipes/Instructions for Healthy Skin care at home

In between your professional skincare treatments, here are some tips on how you can maintain your youthful appearance, keep your skin hydrated and acne free.

Why:

Giving yourself a facial is a rejuvenating experience that you will want to have weekly, so schedule some time in each week to spend on just yourself and your beauty regiment, including time for a facial. There are ways of giving yourself a facial that are better than others, so follow our steps here and give yourself some great face time!

How:

1. Take off jewelry, including earrings. Some of the chemicals in natural substances do not blend well with metals, so you are better safe than sorry.

2. Clear your hair off of your face with a headband or scarf. In college we use to cut the bottoms of old t-shirts, twist to double them and voila! Instant headband you don't mind getting dirty with facial muck.

3. Wash your face so that there is no makeup left behind.

4. Follow the instructions to the tee… timing is often everything with facial masks, so set a timer.

5. Enjoy the time, sit back and relax.

Here we go, recipe numero uno and don’t worry if you make a mess the first time.  Bye the way, it’s good enough to eatJ

Homemade Recipe:

1.     Acne Facial mask:

Puree in a blender or food processor 1 chopped, ripe tomato, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of instant oatmeal or rolled oats. If mixture seems too runny, add more oats. Apply to skin for 10 minutes and rinse with warm water.

BYE BYE ACNE:

 

It's More than Just a Facial - You must Relax

Did you know the impact of Stress on your skin:

THE STRESS CYCLE

The way stress affects your skin is that when you're tense, your brain releases cortisol, a stress hormone, into your bloodstream. That tells the oil glands to ramp up production, leading to breakouts. Stress also dilates blood vessels, which causes redness and aggravates rosacea.

Another side effect of stress on your skin is that your skin becomes dehydrated, sensitive, and more susceptible to damage. Besides causing lines from furrowing your brow, stress also makes you look markedly older.

We already lose 1 percent of our skin's collagen supply every year after we hit age 20, but stress can accelerate that. Younger women are are getting wrinkles early and older women are still fighting acne. These issues are caused in large part because people are more stressed out than they were even five years ago.

Some wrinkle/acne triggers are relationships, money, work, and family, and according to leading Dermotologist, Dr. Howard Murad, there is a rise in "cultural stress--the feeling that women expect perfection from themselves in all areas at all times. We all know that stress is unhealthy for your heart and brain, but it's just as bad for your skin." Repairing it works best with a dual-pronged approach that incorporates internal and external fixes, i.e, intake of essential nutrients topically especially on your face ( Vitamins A, C and E) and internally through food and supplements.

Take advantage of this unique opportunity to not only treat your skin because it's more than just a facial, there is incredible lymphatic massage of your scalp, neck, shoulders, arms and hands. Just imagine 60 minutes of healing, hydration and self-indulgence at Nurturing Touch Skincare, An Oasis for skin nutrition. Holiday savings: Treatment only $75.00 ( Normal value $130.00). Gift certificates are available.

Peace, Healing and Hydration,

Charlotte

"Did you know" tips for Dry Itchy Skin in the Winter

8 reasons for dry itchy skin in the fall and winter. Cold air, harsh winds and other seasonal factors can lead to dry skin in the fall and winter. 8 tips from a leading dermaesthetic company:

1. Cold dry air has less moisture than warm dry air. During winter using a heavier lotion or cream can help your skin retain moisture longer especially for rougher or extra dry areas.

2. Strong winter winds can strip your skin of it’s natural lipids which are the most important parts of the skin barrier and keeps the skin from drying out.

3. The heat in your house can be drying as well.

4. The heat from a toasty fire can toast your skin. Dead skin builds up quicker in dry heat.

5. Hot showers can feel great but it’s actually bad for your skin

6. Coffee and chocolate can dry your skin from the inside out.

7. Winter clothing can dry your skin and leave it itchy.

8. Ultra violet rays are ever present even during the winter months so you are always at risk for sun damage.

4 Secrets to Healthy Looking Skin (Shhh - tell only your best friend)

1.  Which way do you sleep - on your stomach or on your back.  The best way is to sleep on your back, preferably with your head elevated.  This reduces the puffiness most of us see in the mirror each morning.  You might want to invest in a form-fitting pillow that will help keep your head upright.
2.  Please don't smoke.  The heat and smoke of the cigarette itself will constrict your blood vessels and cause wrinkles.  Overuse of the muscles used to draw in the smoke can cause just as many wrinkles and smoking as you surely know is a risk factor for lung cancer.
3.  Don't use alsohol-containing products on your face.  Products containing alcohol tend to dry out the skin, even oily skin.
4.  Don't wash your face more than twice a day, unless you exercise.  In that case, be sure to wash away any sweat that could be drying to your face as it evaporates.  Please consider a non-soap skin cleanser.

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

What do you see when you look in the mirror?  What do you hear yourself saying to the "you" that's looking at you?  Is it a struggle to stand boldly before the throne of grace and declare that you are beautiful, powerful, confident and deserve the very best that you create for yourself.  Are those positive thoughts dancing all around you, crawling up that crooked spine and making it straight, taking those shoulders that were leaning forward and pushing them back creating stronger images of the shadow and casting doubting thomas to the abyss. 

Do you hear these words: worthy, happy, amazing, loving ringing in your ears.  Are you flushing out the toxins of " I can't, I need, I should" and replacing them with " I can do all things, I have everything I need, My life is worth living".  If you aren't seeing this in yourself and these thoughts are not eminating from your heart and soul which controls your thought process, then you are not feeding yourself the proper self nutrition to change your behavior, to empower yourself, to achieve your dreams.  your future is shaped by your imagination so imagine where your journey can take you.  Inspire your world and live the life you love.  LET GO, BREAK OUT, WARRIOR, OH BEAUTIFUL WARRIOR - Amen.

Let me "touch" you

As an esthetician, part of my treatment includes the performance of massage primarily on the face, neck and shoulder area.  Today, evidence based studies have proven that massage provides therapeutic benefits.  Massage which is a form of touch therapy is known to "unlock" clients stress response patterns.  This often resuts in the revelation various emotions, mostly verbal.  Lots of aaahhhhs and ooohhhss, that feels so good, or that's a really hard knot - I get that all the time. There is much power and healing in touch therapy and some of the symptoms that touch may alleviate are:
1.  Stress, tension and difficulty sleeping
2.  Psychological distress such as anxiety, panic and low mood/depression
3.  Physical symptoms such as pain, nausea and breathlessness
4.  Adjustment to a different/changing body
5.  Sleep disturbance
6.  Side effects of chemotherapy on health and skin
7.  Anything elsee that affects quality of life such as fatigue, feelings of despair.

Needless to say, there is more to touch than meets the eye.  As you experience your facial, you will also experience the detoxification and relief of toxins that block healthy stimulation.  "Let me touch you", your face and body will be revived.