Don’t ignore it!

The neck and décolleté (chest area) are often ignored when it comes to an at-home regimen. In fact, I have seen certain spa/skin care facilities only treat the face as well. We expose our neck and décolleté to the same elements we expose our facial skin to so make sure and do the following:

Cleanse. If you have a Clarisonic brush I suggest adding time for your neck and chest. Check out the link below for Clarisonic info:

http://iheartskincare.net/2010/05/29/super-sonic/

Exfoliate and Treat. Treat the skin on your neck and décolleté as you would your face. Pull down each product when you treat.

Sun Protection. Have you ever seen a two-tone face and neck? Yep I bet you have, don’t let this happen to you. Make sure you protect both equally.

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100% Pure

I get asked about organic and natural product lines all the time. I found a brand I really like that uses mostly organic and what you would call natural ingredients. 100% Pure is a face and body line using many plant based ingredients and does not contain parabens, sulfates, or fragrance.

So far I have tried a few of the body products and I will report back on the facial items after I try them out. The price point is also very good, one of the most expensive items costing around 35 bucks. You can find the products at Beauty 360 and also on the company website. Try the COCONUT NOURISHING BODY CREAM, super creamy and smells just like summer.

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The Art of the Bath

In the spa industry one of the fundamental treatments is the bath. In fact SPA is centered around taking in the healing benefits of water. The history of bathing for medicinal purposes, social gathering and peace of mind has been around since the Greek and the Roman days. These days we take baths to cleanse but the benefits go far beyond rinsing the dirt off such as:

Soothing achy muscles
Clearing out congestion and relieving pressure from a cold
Relaxation
Detoxifying the body
Taking time for yourself

Of course you do not need to visit a spa to take in these tremendous benefits (although that would be lovely too). At home baths are wonderful -I love to add hydrating bath oils or bath salts, put on a facial mask and really benefit from some nice quiet time. Check out this past blog on at home facials, you can do this all in the bath:

http://iheartskincare.net/2010/06/13/facial-101/

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It puts the lotion on its’ skin

If you are experiencing extremely dry hands, there is a great hand cream I love. My hands literally crack with dryness due to excessive washing combined with my dry skin. It feels like I am living in the Sahara Desert at times.

I love the Eucerin Intensive Hand Repair Cream, it is rich and super moisturizing. It even has AHA’s (alpha hydroxy acids) to help slough off the excess skin that builds up. I love the size of the tube as well because you can stick it in your purse or desk *or both-it is only around 5 bucks. It can be purchased at almost any drug store or market.  Sweet relief… until the next time you wash your hands-Oy.

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Champagne taste?

There is an amazing new week day special at the Resort at Pelican Hill Spa. If you are thinking about getting a facial or massage this is the place to go. During the week you can receive treatments starting at $90.00 for 50 minutes; this is an incredible deal considering this is a five star spa with some of the best therapists in the industry. There is a beautiful full service salon and a spa boutique.

I recently went to the spa for a 50 minute massage; we arrived early to use the amenities and made a day of it. Valet is free, you can use the fitness area, trust me I can go on and on! Check out the specials and the website for more details.

Pelican Hill Mid-Week Specials

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Happy New Year!!

Here are a few New Years resolution ideas for better skin in 2011. Cheers to healthy skin!

1. Wash your face every night before bed –Yes, even on New Years eve after you have been out late partying, no, especially then! Heavy make-up and dirt on your skin will prematurely age you and cause break-outs.
2. Wear sunscreen every day– I can hear you now, “but I don’t need it when I work indoors all day”. Just do it! You get much more sun than you think.
3. Get more sleep – I never realized how much lack of sleep could affect my skin until the birth of my son. A solid 8 hours is good for you in so many ways, even your skin.
4. Exfoliate weekly– We all fall off the bandwagon when it comes to regular exfoliation. Try buying a new product to get excited again, and then you will remember what exfoliated skin feels like. Just keep it up.
5. Smile more– You can see less wrinkles when you are not frowning! After all it is a new year, enjoy!

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Pumpkin-licious!

Just in time for the holidays I wanted to talk about the YOUTH ACCELERATOR pumpkin enzyme peel. I love anything pumpkin (I am baking a pumpkin pie from scratch as I type) and this peel smells exactly like pumpkin!

It is a super concentrated and effective peel removing dead skin and leaving skin vibrant. The peel uses three different types of pumpkin and essential oils and is free of preservatives and fragrance.

Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving!

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In the Buff

 

With summer coming to an end it is time for a treat I allow myself with each change of the seasons- a professional body treatment. Especially after the summer months when the skin on our body has been thrashed by the beach and pool water, sunburns and peeling, and dry cracked heels from wearing sandals (yuck).

The same benefits apply to the neglected skin on our bodies as do to our face when it comes to exfoliating. We can be more aggressive with the skin on our body because it is not as sensitive as the skin on our face. In the spa/treatment center they can scrub you down in all the places we can’t reach ourselves and they typically finish with a nice massage. A few things to consider when booking a body treatment:

• Would you like a full experience or just a scrub down?

You can typically get a treatment as short as 30 minutes which typically just includes a scrub or 90 to 120 minutes which would be more relaxing and include a massage or bath

• Do you mind getting up and going to the shower or would you rather be rinsed off on a table?

Ask for Vichy showers when you book a treatment, they are shower heads above the table and it feels like a massage! You never have to get off the massage table.

• Are you modest?

Don’t worry. Most spa therapists are well trained in draping techniques to make you feel comfortable and covered even if you had one too many ice cream cones this summer.

Don’t forget to continue keeping your skin smooth and soft at home!

• Exfoliate body 2-3 times per week
• Use exfoliating beads in products and add a body buff or loofah
• After exfoliating in the shower, hydrate the minute you get out and skin should be slightly damp so it absorbs

Treating yourself to a body treatment is the perfect way to say goodbye to summer skin and get pampered at the same time.

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Favorite Exfoliators

 

I have recently been asked what my favorite exfoliating products are. These three products are all effective and fast acting. No matter what you use, make sure you choose a product designed for your skin type/condition and remember not to over do it (You know who you are!).

Let’s talk about why we exfoliate:

• Removes excess sebum (oil) on the skin.
• Helps impurities rise to the skins surface
• Sloughs off dead skin cells on top layer of skin
• Allows skin care products to penetrate

 The three products I have chosen can all be used in three minutes and under, plus they deliver terrific results.

 ExfoliKate Intensive Exfoliating Treatment-Kate Somerville

 Amazing for acne, pigmentation, dehydration, combination/oily skin types (not for sensitive skin). You can really feel this product working. This fast acting exfoliation scrubs on a physical and chemical level. Expect to see redness and also feel a smoother complexion in no time at all. (Don’t forget to remove ExfoliKate while watching your favorite show on T.V.- the product continues to work until it is removed!)

 

Daily Microfoliant– Dermalogica

 I love this product for my sensitive skin clients, it is so gentle. Great for people who like to abuse their skin with constant over exfoliation-you can go to town with this scrub and not do any damage. It brightens, helps with redness and achieves a beautiful glow.

 

 At-Home Peel Pads– Kerstin Florian

Great for a dry or dehydrated skin type especially with aging concerns. This is based on a multi acid system that even contains added vitamins and peptides used to retexture dull skin. One time peel pad makes exfoliation simple and fun to use.

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Quick Fix for Chocolate Lovers

We all should be exfoliating our skin, this helps with many skin conditions from dehydration to breakouts and everything in between. As we age our cells turnover at a slower rate and well, they need a little help (more on this later). As our cells build up on the skins surface products we use topically have a harder time penetrating and are not as effective as they should be. To help get your skin glowing again use an at-home exfoliant weekly at night and follow-up the next morning with a sunscreen.

I’m going to New York next week and my skin was looking pretty dull. I used the Mocha Loca 4% chocolate lactic acid peel and it was that quick fix my skin needed. This product has Lactic acid, Chocolate and Organic Coffee to slough off dead skin coupled with powerful antioxidants (Horse Chestnut, Green Tea and Grape Seed Extract). Mocha Loca smells just like chocolate-the only hard part is not eating it!

http://www.sircuitskin.com/home

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