Posts Tagged ‘dry skin’

Behind Beauty: How To Get Glowing Skin in 5 Easy Steps!

One look that never goes out of style? Glowing Skin! After a long, drying winter, it can be a struggle to restore your natural glow. With these 5 Skincare Secrets from our esthetics team, you’ll soon have healthy glowing skin. Discover the best things to eat for your skin. As well as how to exfoliate, moisturize and nurture yourself. Plus, the best ways to add a touch of tan and our biggest secret to staying a glow…

What To Eat for Glowing Skin?

Carrots, with their abundance of beta carotene (the nutrient that gives them that yellow orange colour) are fantastic for giving your skin a healthy glow. While eating bags can cause your skin to turn orange due to a beta carotene overdoes, adding a handful to your lunch will help to brighten your overall skin tone.  Also rich in Vitamin A, Carrots work to protect against sun damage. They help to keep skin and hair strong and hydrated.

Cold Water Fish, especially Wild Salmon. Filled with Omega-3 fatty acids that work deep within to strengthen your cells. By improving your overall cellular structure, Omega-3s help prevent wrinkles, acne and lock in moisture. They’re also thought to help decrease the risks of disease, help fight inflammation and even increase lifespan. While the science may not be in on all of these claims, swapping grilled wild fish, such as trout, salmon, sardines, herring, or mackerel is a delicious way to shake up your week.

Berries, Green Tea, and anti-oxidant rich foods work to counter the cellular stress from Free Radicals. Adding anti-oxidants to your diet helps to keep your skin, body, and mind healthy.   For more information, check out our post on antioxidants here.

Make Sure To Exfoliate!

Another great way to rejuvenate your skin is to opt for an exfoliating masque. A slightly more intensive treatment, a masque offers additional benefits, such as deep cleansing, improved skin tone, and tighter skin. It’s key to follow the directions laid out as different masques require different lengths of time. Try applying a masque during a long bath once a week. The warmth of the water helps to open the pores allowing for better absorption. I love  choosing a masque with an exfoliating element as it accomplishes 2 things at once!

Exfoliation is very important, especially in the Spring. Winter, dries out your skin, causing an increase of dead skin cells on the surface. By actively removing them, you bring the younger, fresher skin to the surface. An accumulation of dead skin cells can also lead to break outs. Depending on your skin type and sensitivity, you should be exfoliating between 2-3 times a week. Opt for a deep cleansing scrub for oily skin types and a lighter, sugar based one for sensitive types.

When it comes to facial exfoliation, a Clarisonic Mia can revolutionize your routine. With its gentle brushes, it easily removes makeup and leaves skin feeling refreshed.

Celazome Clinical Skin Care Enzyme Exfoliating Masque
Eminence Rosehip & Maize Exfoliating Masque
SpaRitual Look Inside Organic Scrub Masque
Pangea Organics Japanese Matcha Tea with Acai & Goji Berry Mask

Moisturize & Nurture Your Skin

Canadian winters have been known to last through till June. Those spring snows and cold winds can dry out your skin just as badly in April as in December. Make sure to use a moisturizer that suited to the weather in your region. To keep your beauty routine from falling into a rut, choose a body butter with a light spring fragrance instead of the heavy winter spices. A shift in fragrance can help you feel like spring has sprung, even under 3 feet of snow. Skin feeling tired and dull after being cooped up all winter? Add a nutrient rich serum into your routine. Choose a serum that is rich in vitamin C, A, or E.  Serums work deep within the skin to improve the health of growing and newly formed skin cells. It takes around 28 days for a new skin cell to reach the surface. By treating those cells early, when they arrive on the surface they will be brighter and smoother. A skin cell will remain on the surface for about 12 days before sloughing off. This means a skin cell has a life of approximately 40 days. While turnover rate can slow as you age, if you continue to treat your skin through it’s entire life cycle, you can help delay the signs of aging.

VivierSkin C+E Repairing Antioxidant Serum with L-Ascorbic Acid USP & Vitamin E
Laboratoire Dr Renaud Omega-3 Lipid Replenishing Serum – Sérum relipidant Omega-3
Vivescence Nutri-Energy Revitalizing Vitamin Complex Yonka Hydralia – Hydrating Concentrate

Add A Touch of Tan

Spending most of winter indoors can leave yous skin rather pale making it such a challenge to resist that first sunny day… Sun damage is the number one cause of premature aging. Recent research has found that tanning beds can be just as dangerous as direct exposure. The darkening of your skin occurs when your cells are stressed by UVA and UVB rays. In order to keep from getting burned, your cells attempt to darken your skin tone by producing melanin. However, the chemical process involved in producing Melanin damages the cells and creates free radicals. This can accelerate the growth of moles, freckles, and skin cancers. Instead, opt for a touch of glow by adding a self tanner to your routine.

There are a variety of products available to slightly darken skin tone over time without the cellular damage. Looking for less of a commitment? Try the St. Tropez “Wash Off” line. These products are more of a “Body Makeup” then a true self tanner. Perfect for adding just a hint of colour to refresh winter weary skin.

Claim Your JOY!

Ever notice how much a Bride seems to Glow? There’s something magical about being happy.  It transforms wallflower into prom queen and Plain Jane into Princess Grace. Take some time this Spring to recapture your JOY by spring cleaning your life.

Between work, family, and housekeeping- it often feels like there’s no time for YOU. And it’s true. Take a moment to list the priorities in your life. Where do YOU fit? Did you make it ahead of cleaning the oven or fall somewhere below making sure you have ice cubes? Over time, you’re own hobbies tend to take a back seat to getting the kids to soccer practice or the pile of dirty dishes on the counter and YOU keep falling lower and lower on the to-do list. Women especially tend to choose the activities that will “better the household” over those that better themselves. By neglecting to nurture ourselves, we end up struggling to nurture others.

If your kids are active in lessons and classes, try booking something for yourself at the same time. Most community centers offer classes for adults as well as kids. Or, find a nearby coffee shop and dive into a good book or take 20 minutes to journal. High school students looking for a few dollars are eager to pick up an hour or two of after school babysitting, even on a weeknight. Give yourself a permission to hit the mall, gym, museum, or even an early movie with the girls. Try adding a “Me” stop to your errands.  Feel like you never get to that certain store? Plan it into your running around. It may seem like an indulgence to make a special trip to the bookstore, but if it happens to be between the dentist and groceries? Treat yourself a quick peek. Leave the office and have lunch out once in a while. Sometimes, even the smallest break from your routine can lift your spirits.

Almost as important as maximizing what makes you happy, is identifying things that are making you miserable. Is there something that is bringing you down? Be proactive about improving or changing your situation. Can’t stand the chair at work? Ask HR for a new one or buy one yourself. Feel like you haven’t had an adventure in a while? Start planning your next vacation. Sure, it might be 6 months before you can go… but there’s a lot of fun to be had in the dreaming. Hate being single? Ask a friend to set you up on a blind date or try out a new dating service. By seeking solutions, you’ll start to find yourself seeing the situation in a more positive light.

As always, just for being a follower of our blog, enter coupon code BLOG10 for 10% off your next purchase! Also, remember to follow us @spaboutique on Twitter, like our Facebook  page, and check out our boards on Pinterest! You could be the lucky winner of one of our many contests!

Skin Care Secrets

Dry, Itchy, Flaky, Red Skin? Must be Winter.  Whether it’s the Cold or the Wind or the never ending Wet – by the time we get to February, my skin is in desperate need of a little TLC. Fortunately, it doesn’t take a lot of effort to prevent winter damage, and there are several fantastic products to help repair your skin too!

Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize!

If you’re aiming to prevent the damage, the first good step is to moisturize, moisturize and moisturize! Ironically, washing your hands is one of the quickest ways to dry them out. Try finishing your hand washing routine with your favourite moisturizer.

We like Eminence Vanilla Mint Hand Cream (2oz).  For a fantastic all over body lotion, give Pangea Organics Body Lotion (8.5 fl oz) a try.  Chockfull of organic goodness, it leaves your skin feeling smooth and protected.

If your skin is extremely weather-damaged skin, our estheticians recommend GM Collin Bio Organique Treating Serum: Serum Traitant (30ml).  As the cold can cause all kinds of damage on the skin, they also recommend a visit to your local esthetician who can properly assess the damage.

Men, especially those working outside, experience winter damage and flaking on their hands.  Our team recommends Jack Black Intense Therapy Hand Cream with Vitamins A & E (88 ml). Jack Black tested this hand cream with golfers, carpenters, and chefs. It heals dry, chapped, cracked skin and works to repair tough, calloused skin and cuticles.

Don’t Stop Sunscreen-ing

Even on the greyest of days, sunscreen can make a HUGE difference to the health of your skin. UVA and UVB rays can still cause damage, especially if there’s light reflecting off clouds, snow, or buildings.

When choosing a sunscreen, even in winter, it needs to be at least 15 SPF in order to protect from UVB rays. It’s also important to make sure the product you choose protects from both UVB and UVA rays. If you have fairer skin, or tend to burn easily, choose a sunscreen with a higher SPF.

Try one of our favourite sunscreens:

Laboratoire Dr Renaud Moisturizing Anti-Wrinkle Suncare SPF 15 – Soin hydratant anti-rides FPS 15 (50 ml) Oil Free, this sunscreen is sweat resistant AND protects against sun damage, pre-mature aging, and other photo-induced aging issues.

Eminence Tropical Vanilla Body SPF 32 (5oz) Filled with organic ingredients, this sunscreen is safe for the entire family to use. A combination sunscreen, it protects against both UVA and UVB rays. Plus, the hydrating shea butter and lovely vanilla scent are utterly indulgent.

Obagi C System SunGuard SPF 30 (90 ml) This ultra sheer sunscreen is fantastic to layer with the rest of your routine. It protects against both UVA and UVB rays and has the added anti-oxidant benefits of Vitamin C.

Create Kissable Lips

Finally, it’s really important (Especially with Valentine’s Day right around the corner) to keep your lips kissable! Lips are particularity vulnerable to chapping. It’s important to exfoliate and protect your lips to minimize weather damage.  My lips have a tendency to chap and split after about 2 minutes outside.  I’ve grilled our estheticians for the best ways to repair and prevent winter lip damage.

Start with Jane Iredale Sugar & Butter Lip Scrub & Plumper (3 g). This scrub has an exfoliant on one end and a plumper on the other. It’s a great double duty product for a woman on the go. We love pairing it with Jane Iredale Lip Drink SPF 15 (5.2g). A fantastic colourless lip balm, its lemon scent is great for her or him (and perfect for your purse)!

Now, the gentleman in my life, (nameless for his own protection), is horrible at taking care of his lips. Preferring to be chapped over a lip balm as he finds too “Girly”. However, the guys on our staff have all been raving about Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm with Natural Mint & Shea Butter (7 g).  So, I insisted he try it. Sure enough, it soothed and relieved his irritated lips in no time. With it’s masculine packaging, this is a balm he’ll actually use!

Don’t let the fierce elements damage your skin. Take the proper precautions, moisturize, keep using sunscreen, and make sure your lips are protected. Our esthetics team often gets asked how to heal and repair winter damage. As always, the answer is simple, it’s much easier to prevent damage than to repair it.

As always, just for being a follower of our blog, enter coupon code BLOG10 for 10% off your next purchase! Also, remember to follow us @spaboutique on Twitter, like our Facebook  page, and check out our boards on Pinterest! You could be the lucky winner of one of our many contests!

Vivescence – Swiss Ingenuity At Your Finger Tips

At Spa Boutique, we are please to announce the arrival of Vivescence. Canadian owned and Swiss manufactured, Vivescence believes the key to younger looking skin is to produce an extremely active product line.

Vivescence is a brand built on perfection. They control every aspect of their product. In fact, they even own the Award Winning State-Of-The-Art Laboratory in Switzerland where all of their products are synthesized and manufactured.  Working with experts in all aspects of cosmetology, researchers, engineers, biologists, pharmacists, and more, they strive to produce products that will provide real, visible results for their clients.

Truly “Cosmeceutical”, combining cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, Vivescence uses the latest scientific developments to slow down aging. An extensive line, there are several products geared towards a specific need or skin type. They were one of the first companies to isolate the stem cells from Swiss Apples that help make their anti-aging products some of the most active on the market.

“My skin feels great for this time of the year!” Nancy Mudford, owner of Spa Boutique, raved, “I can really feel it working as soon as I put it on.”

Nancy has been trying Vivescence for the past 4 weeks. She is completely in love with the SkinLess Refining Smoothing Treatment. Great under make up, this serum reduces the appearance of pores, tightens skin, and minimizes shine. Like most of us, she worries about winter dryness. So, she combined the SkinLess Refining Smoothing Treatment with the HydraTotal Gel Cream. Leaving her face feeling smooth and soft, even in January!

Each line offers a concentrated serum to complement their lotions, gels and masks. If you can only invest in one product, grab the serum for your skin type. They have the highest concentration of active ingredients without a prescription and deliver optimum nutrition and care. Designed to mix and match depending on age and skin type, the products can be combined to meet your exact needs.

Need more moisture? Add a HydraTotal product to your routine. Looking to brighten dull, stressed out skin? Try the Nutri-energy Re-energizing Vitamin Concentrate.

Oily skin? Acne? The Matifying Skincare Treatments, Hydra Mat, Hydra Mat Lift, and Pure Mat Water, are designed to regulate sebum and leave your skin feeling clean.  This line, especially the Pure Mat Water, works to matify, cool and leave your complexion clear. It’s a fantastic cleanser that targets acne. Finally, an oily skin treatment that hydrates and won’t leave you feeling dried out. Perfect for oily or acne prone skin.

As we age, our skin’s needs change. Vivescence focuses on generating products that offer visible results and long-term change for any skin type.

Looking to add a little Vivescence? Here are our top 5 Must Try Products:

1.     Vivescence Crystal Patch Regenerating Eye Contour Treatment – great for travelling (no more jet-lagged eyes!), relaxing before a big event, or pumping you up Friday night after a long week at work (A Spa Girl Personal Fav!)
2.     Pure Mat Water – a cleanser that works to fight acne, matify, and hydrate
3.     Cell Perfect Concentrate – worried about aging? This serum promotes the development of collagen and works to rebuild the dermis. It’s a fantastic product for achieving lift and tightness.
4.     Nutri-energy Re-energizing Vitamin Concentrate – A fantastic night cream, it feeds your skin. Phenomenal for high stress times and revitalizes dullness.
5.     HydraTotal Gel Cream – anti-aging, pure hydration, heaven on the skin. Available in several different weights depending on your preference.

 

 

  Plus! Purchase $250 in Vivescence products from www.spaboutique.ca and receive a Hydra-Replumping Kit (7pc) Plus a Metal Cuff Bracelet FREE! An $80 Value! *One Gift per order, not valid with any other promotions, available while quantities last. Substitutions may occur. Limited time offer.

 

 

 

As always, just for being a follower of our blog, enter coupon code BLOG10 for 10% off your next purchase! Also, remember to follow us @spaboutique on Twitter, like our Facebook  page, and check out our boards on Pinterest! You could be the lucky winner of one of our many contests!

 

Getting Up Is Hard To Do – 3 Quick Ways To Enliven Your Morning!

I am not a morning person.

Not even an afternoon person.

If anything, my body is designed to be stay in bed till 3PM- Rock Star person. Of course, just as I’m about to launch into “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” – my alarm starts blasting, setting off the dog, and dragging me back into the real world…

Part of my New Years resolution is to do all of those self-improvement things you’re supposed to do now that I’m a “Grown-up”. This means getting up at a reasonable time… in the morning. Ugh. To be completely honest, I wasn’t having a lot of luck until I started bribing myself out of bed.

1. Blast out of Bed

I switched all my blasting klaxon alarms to songs that make me happy.  Instead of hitting the snooze button 20 times, I’m dancing out of bed at the first alarm!

2. Shower like a Goddess (but, you know, responsibly)

A blazing hot shower is ALWAYS a critical part of my routine and I love steaming up the frozen bathroom. I know it’s bad for me- and I really am trying to quit. Especially this winter, I’ve really noticed my skin drying out. I cornered one of our estheticians and her first recommendation? Turn down my shower. Noooooooooooooo! Here’s the sad truth, hot water breaks down a lot of the natural oils causing your skin to dry out. The heat damages your outer, protective layer of skin. Plus, it also breaks down the keratin in your hair, leaving it dry and dull.

If I have to cool down my shower, I decided I’m going to can still heat it up with some sassy products! Want something invigorating; grab Eminence Soy Blueberry Body Wash fantastic scent, lathers great and totally gives you a wake up boost. Looking for a quick burst of energy? This calls for John Masters Organics Blood Orange & Vanilla Body Wash. I love Citrus in the morning. It’s fresh and leaves the whole bathroom smelling clean.

 3. Butter your Bod

Winter cold can easily sap away the moisture from your skin and I love the feeling of putting on a really decadent body lotion. Especially one with Shea butter. Containing Lots of Vitamins (A & E) as well as anti-oxidants, Shea butter is a fantastic way to restore dry skin. I’m currently using the Whish Body Products Coconut Three Whishes Body Butter. The coconut scent reminds me of summer (which really helps to forget that freezing grey day outside!) If I’m feeling adventurous or want that extra boost of confidence, I’ll opt for Booty Parlor Flirty Little Secret not only does it smell fantastic, but the firming agent leaves my legs feeing amazing (and able to pull off that pencil skirt!)

I may not be a Rock Star (yet!) but by the time I leave the house, I’m starting to feel like one.

 

As always, just for being a follower of our blog, enter coupon code BLOG10 for 10% off your next purchase! Also, remember to follow us @spaboutique on Twitter, like our Facebook  page, and check out our boards on Pinterest! You could be the lucky winner of one of our many contests!

 

 

Discover… Pangea Organics

Spa Boutique is excited to announce the newest addition to our growing organic family, Pangea Organics!  A natural line that believes beauty should be organic, cruelty-free and nutrient dense. Concentrated formulas eliminate filler so  your skin feels only the best botanicals, oils, and nutrients nature has to offer.

With so many award-wining products, it’s hard to know where to start! We recommend checking out the Italian Red Mandarin with Rose Lip Balm. The light rose and citrus scent is a perfect way to gear up for Valentine’s Day! This 2008 Natural Solutions Beauty With A Conscience winner, and Real Simple Magazine Pick is packed with essential oils. This Lip Balm protects and soothes while providing a deep level of hydration. Also available in Pyrenees Lavender with Cardamom and Egyptian Fennel with Grapefruit & Sweet Orange!

The Canadian Pine with White Sage Hand Soap is a fantastic way to begin introducing Pangea Organics into your home. Winner of The Healing Life Styles and Spas Earth Day Award, talk about a soap that is not only antiseptic but hydrating and refreshing too! Available as a Bar Soap or Body Wash, the pine scent leaves your sink or shower naturally fresh. 

Discover Pangea Discovery Kits! With a wide range of skin options, from combination, dry or blemish prone, there’s a start set for everyone.  Each 6 piece Pangea Organics Discovery Kit includes a Facial Cleanser, Facial Toner, Facial Cream, Facial Scrub, Facial Mask and Eye cream in a convenient sample size.  Each product comes in a different scent- a great way to get to know their entire line!

Oily skin? Try the Oily to Blemish-Prone Discovery Kit; hydrating without adding surface oil. The weightless hydration and sebum-control calms surface inflammation. As part of your morning, this kit provides a fantastic foundation for make-up!

Looking to renew dry, damaged skin?  The Normal to Dry Discovery Kit uses nutrients and botanicals to provide superior hydration as well as work some anti-aging magic!

Combination Skin? We’ve got you covered! The Normal to Combination Discovery Kit offers the best of both worlds. With nature’s best anti-aging, purifying and soothing ingredients, this kit replenishes dull, dehydrated or sun damaged skin.

Great news! Pangea Organics are considered safe for pregnancy (even the scented ones!) due to the concentration levels of their essential oils.  Pangea Organics produces their products with as many Vegan ingredients as possible. The products selected for Spa Boutique are Gluten-Free. All Pangea Organics products are cruelty free and have a shelf-life of up to 12 months once opened.

As always, just for being a follower of our blog, enter coupon code BLOG10 for 10% off your next purchase! Also, remember to follow us @spaboutique on Twitter, like our Facebook  page, and check out our boards on Pinterest! You could be the lucky winner of one of our many contests!