SKINCARE TIPS FROM AN ESTHETICIAN
by Andrea DeSimone
1. If a thorough, ritualistic cleanse is performed at night, to remove dirt, oil, makeup and the stresses of the day from your face, it’s not necessary to re-cleanse in the a.m. The oils that produce overnight are very hydrating and balancing so don’t wash them away. You can certainly let water run over your face in the shower, then freshen up with a toner or hydrosol on a diluted cotton pad and follow with moisture.
2. For those of you who prefer a tighter feeling of clean, such as soap users, keep in mind tight is often confused with stripped or imbalanced skin. Check the ingredient list and avoid trigger ingredients like sodium laurel sulfate, petroleum derivatives, parabens and synthetic fragrances, colors or dyes.
3. Keep your hair off your face at night while you sleep. The oils from our hair and our haircare products often contribute to perimeter breakouts.
4. Change your pillowcase often.
5. After cleansing, use a warm damp cotton washcloth as a compress over your entire face. Take a breath, press your checks, forehead, temples, chin and mouth area. Then remove any residual product from cleansing and most importantly, buff and detail the skin for gentle exfoliation. This is a great way to complete your cleansing.
6. Use tepid to cool water while cleansing your skin. If you like a hot shower or bath, splash your face with cool water when you get out of the shower. Your capillaries will appreciate it.
7. If you are heading to the beach or lucky enough to live there, collect some ocean water in a water bottle and use it as a toner. If possible, get it fresh everyday and keep it in the refrigerator. It’s loaded with minerals and the salt helps to absorb excess oils. Use on a Q-tip to help spot treat pimples.
8. If you have a jaw line breakout it may reflect hormonal changes or PMS, but it could also be from a dirty phone. Wipe off your home, work, and cell phones with a little rubbing alcohol on a pre-moistened cotton round. Same advice for eyeglass frames and sunglasses.
9. Learn to love rainy days. High humidity levels are guaranteed to plump and hydrate your skin.
10. Keep your skincare system simple!
WASABI ON THE MENU AT SANCTUARY SPA
Sanctuary Spa at Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain in Scottsdale, Arizona has introduced Wasabi onto their spa menu. A relaxing Green Tea Hand Treatment features an antioxidant-rich green tea and a fresh wasabi hand mask. The Madara Foot Treatment features a fresh wasabi foot mask and restoring Peppermint and Tea Tree foot balm. both treatments are included in the Sanctuary Luxury Facial (90 minutes, $245 U.S.) or can be booked individually as enhancements to other spa services.
GREAT SUNSCREEN - MEDIQUE SPF 45
For those who want to give the skin on their face maximum protection when out enjoying the sunshine, we like Medique Sunscreen SPF 45 from Calgary-based Medique Skincare. We tried it on a recent trip to Jamaica. It's very light, goes on smoothly and its not greasy. One of the best things we liked best about the product is that it's slightly tinted so it looks and feels as if you're applying light make-up -not of that white filmy stuff.
It comes in a travel size and it's unscented. For more info: Medique Skincare
Editor's Note: This is not an ad. Medique Skincare sent us the product to try and we like it.
REIKI
A ancient Tibetan form of energy healing, Reiki is based on the premises that pain and disease are caused by imbalance and/or blockage of life energy. It is believed that a trained Reiki professional can help facilitate the flow of energy to enhance the healing process and boost the immune system. Here are the five principles of Reiki:
• Just for today do not worry
• Just for today do not anger
• Honour your parents, teachers and elders
• Earn your living honestly
• Show gratitude to every living thing
Back to the January TTW Newsletter
SPA TIP OF THE MONTH: THE 30 MINUTE MASSAGE
A 30-minute massage is very nice but since the body will take up about half of that time just to relax it always leaves you wanting more. If 30 minutes is all you have time for, ask the therapist to concentrate on just one area, the neck and shoulders, for instance, where most of us hold our stress. Back to front page
LOOK WHO'S GOING GREEN: FIJI WATER
Leading the bottle water industry, Fiji is launching a new sustainable growth initiative in 2008. Strategies include becoming the first beverage and battled water brand to go carbon negative, reducing packaging and working on a program to save the Fijian rainforest. The company has partnered with Conservation International (CI), a leading conservation organization, to preserve and protect the Sovi Basin, the last remaining area of pristine rainforest in Fiji.
Carbon Negative refers to the fact that through their Sustainable Growth Initiative program the production and sale of each bottle of FIJI Water will actually result in a net reduction of carbon in the atmosphere. To the best of our knowledge, no other beverage brand has made this commitment and typically companies go "carbon neutral" which is the canceling out of the carbon they release into the atmosphere. FIJI says they are going one step further in that their efforts will actually result in a decrease in the amount of green house gases in the atmosphere - a carbon negative footprint.
FIJI hopes to achieve this by accounting for the carbon footprint throughout the entire lifecycle of its products and then investing in a combination of meaningful reductions and carbon-reducing land use and renewable energy projects.
FIJI is natural artesian water bottled at the source in Viti Levu (Fiji islands). www.fijiwater.com
THREE TIPS TO STAY HEALTHY ON VACATION
To decrease the likelihood of becoming ill while on vacation, Dr. Brian Aw, family doctor and travel health expert, suggests that travellers follow three simple tips
before and during your vacation:
• Plan ahead. At least four-to-six weeks before travelling, speak with your doctor or travel health clinic to determine necessary vaccinations and regional health risks. Keep in mind that most vaccinations need at least two weeks to take full effect.
• Boil it, Cook it, Peel it or Forget it. Avoid eating foods from street vendors, unpasteurized dairy products, and raw or uncooked
food, especially seafood. Drink only commercially prepared bottled water and carbonated beverages, avoid ice and use bottled water for brushing your teeth.
• Practice good sanitation. Always wash your hands with hot, soapy water for at least 20 seconds before eating or drinking.
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