Spa Etiquette

Alot of us love the idea of getting a relaxing massage or a much needed facial at a spa, but the thought of actually walking into one of those posh spas for the first time can be daunting. Don't fear newbies, I'm here to walk you through. Here are a few spa etiquette tips that'll save you from embarrassing situations.

Book In Advance

Most spas are too busy to accept walk-ins. Call ahead of time to let the receptionist know of any special needs you may have (allergies, medical conditions or pregnancy). This simple tip ensures that your therapist will be fully prepared to accommodate you.

Don't Be Shy. Request a Male or Female Therapist

Many women feel uncomfortable having a male massage therapist. Most therapists know this, so requesting a female is not a problem. Remember. Spas are for relaxing, and you will not be able to relax if you are worrying about a strange man touching you.


Ask About the Spa's Cancellation Policy

Many spas have a 24-hour cancellation policy. Make sure you know in advance what the policy is so that your credit card is not charged for a partial or full payment if for some reason you can not make it.

When Life Gives You Lemons...

Make lemonade. How cliche', right? Well, it's true. When it comes to beauty, lemons can be used in many different ways. In fact, fresh lemons can help improve your skin? Here are 3 ways to add a touch lemon-y sweetness to your beauty regime:

Lighten dark spots

Lemon helps to lighten the skin naturally due to its bleaching properties. Squeeze one lemon into a small bowl to prepare enough for one treatment. With a Q-Tip, apply the lemon juice to the darkened area and leave on for an hour.

Tighten pores

 

Honestly, it's impossible to permanently shrink large pores, but you can tighten them and reduce their appearance for a short time by using a lemon.

Lemon Facial Mask

1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice
two tablespoons of flour

two tablespoons of plain yogurt

Apply to the face

Allow mask to sit 10 to 15 minutes

Rinse with warm water

Soften dry darkened elbows

Mix fresh lemon juice and baking soda to make a thick paste, apply to dry elbows. Place your elbow in the lemon and twist the lemon for several minutes. Rinse and dry. Do this daily until the dark patches disappear.

Hope This Helps

What Is Threading?

Threading is an ancient beauty treatment that got its start in the Middle East and India centuries ago. This unique hair removal technique is thought to be the most accurate way to remove unwanted facial hair, and is considered to be less painful and longer lasting than waxing.

How It Works:

Threading is a two minute service that requires about two feet of cotton thread. One end of the thread is held in the practitioner's teeth. The middle of the thread is looped through the index and middle fingers of the other hand. Through a twisting motion, the practitioner uses the loop to remove a line of hair (or one hair at a time for preciseness). This process takes out the entire hair follicle, so effects last for as long as 6 weeks.

Let's discuss the pros and cons of threading.

Pros

• It's fast. The entire procedure may take two minutes or less for both eyebrows.
• Very sanitary and hygienic. Each thread is thrown away after it’s used. Only the thread touches the skin, so there’s no danger of passing on bacteria that can cause breakouts.
• It's great for people with sensitive skin or people who are using chemicals such as Retin A or acne medicines such as Differin gel.
• The effects may last 6 weeks. If you do threading regularly the hair follicle will eventually stop producing hair.
• You don't have to wait for hair to grow a certain length because threading removes the tiniest and finest hair right from the root.

Cons

• It may be hard to find a practitioner if you live in a small town.
• Improper threading can cause hair to break. If more eyebrow hair than you wanted is removed, then you’re stuck with that look for at least 6 weeks.
• It only works on facial hair.
• It will hurt. (Most hair removal procedures do.)
• Can cause folliculitis, a bacterial infection in the hair follicles
• Can change skin pigment.
• Not something you’d do at home. 

 Have you had this procedure. If so, what do you think of it?

 

Happy Monday

                    I've given up coffee for the moment...

                                   boy do I miss how it made me feel.

At Home Beauty Peels

Most women are looking for an affordable solutions to having younger, healthier skin. Most of us would like to successfully erase some of those fine lines and other imperfections such as acne, acne scars, large pores, blackheads, and sun damage. The problem is, many of us won't or can't pay thousands of dollars for plastic surgery, and sometimes, the trip to the spa can only yield results that last up to 72 hours. So, what's a girl to do? Try an at home peel. Doing your chemical peel at home is convenient and cheap. 

 Check out a few of my favorites.

Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Daily Face Peel

Powerful, yet gentle enough to use daily, this mixture of antioxidants and botanicals really packs a punch by stimulating collagen production and improving skin density and firmness . The micro-exfoliating pads can be used on your face, neck and décolleté to reduce the appearance of fine lines and dark spots. It can even treat and soothe acne and rosacea.

To try: $28 for 10 individual packets, dgskincare.com.

Peter Thomas Roth Un-Wrinkle Peel Pads

A daily swipe of these pads over your face and neck can reduce the appearance of fine lines. The peptides, amino acids, and exfoliators will restore skin elasticity while opening your pores to prep skin to better absorb your nightly serum or cream, and the essential fatty acids will help to strengthen skin cells and boost moisture.

To try: $45, peterthomasroth.com.

Philosophy The Oxygen Peel

Need a quick boost? Try this three-minute peel. After one use your skin will be brighter, more hydrated. If used weekly, the capsules will camouflage everything from sun damage minor breakouts.

 To try: $50, philosophy.com. 

As with any chemical treatment, it is important to start out slowly, especially if you have dry or sensitive skin.

Hope This Help

Quick Fix Thursday

 

I swear, sometimes it's the minor things in our daily beauty regimes that irritate us the most.  Have you ever had the type of morning where everything goes wrong? You chip a nail, get a run in your stockings or accidental burn your forehead with the curling iron. Argh! I can't help you with the run in your stockings but I can get you out of a few last minute beauty faux pas.

 

Bad Reaction to a New Face Cream

What You Need To Know:

WARNING! Allergic reaction! Wash off the product right away with a mild, fragrance-free cleanser. Cool your skin with a washcloth to soothe inflammation and take an oral antihistamine such as Benadryl to reduce itching. Apply a 1 percent hydrocortisone cream. DO NOT apply any other product to your skin until the irritation subsides.

Overzealous With Your New Exfoliant

What You Need To Know: 

You removed more than just dead skin cells, you removed the healthy cells underneath. Ouch!  Cool your skin for a few minutes with a washcloth to soothe irritation.  Apply a soothing moisturizer such as Aveeno Ultra-Calming Daily Moisturizer SPF 15  to calm the area. DO NOT apply a moisturizer with fragrance and PLEASE DO NOT exfoliate. Doing so will burn and sting already sensitized skin. For the next 72 hours, avoid the sun, and let your skin heal before you apply makeup or put anything containing chemicals on it.

Hot Wax Burn

What You Need To Know:

Wax burns are usually first degree burns and should be treated as such. Ice it. Wrap ice in a cloth and apply it to the burn right away to cool down the temperature of the skin. Next, apply a 1 percent hydrocortisone cream to the affected area to calm the redness and swelling. Keep the area moist by regularly applying a moisturizing ointment such as Aquaphor. Take an anti-inflammatory drug such as ibuprofen. 

Pluck Your Skin and Your Brow Hair

What You Need To Know:

Apply pressure to the area with a cold washcloth to constrict the blood vessels and stop the bleeding. Then dab on an antibiotic ointment such as Neosporin to prevent infection. Put a bandage on it to keep the spot moist and protected.

Hope This Helps

Give Your Booty A Facial. No Really.

Having a nice, smooth, supple badonkadonk is important. Facials aren't just for the face. I can't stress this enough, take care of the skin on your entire body! How can you drop that thang like it's hot if it's dry, neglected and hasn't been slathered with lotion since you were an infant?

What You need To Know:

 Coffee Grinds:

As we age, our body produces less collagen and elastin. The result: thinner, drier skin. Coffee (a known diuretic) grinds are a great ingredient to exfoliate your bum with because caffeine constricts blood vessels to make skin appear tighter. Caffeine pulls excess water out of the cells and temporarily minimizes the appearance of cellulite. Yay!

What You Need:

2 cups of coffee grinds
1/4 cup sea salt
3 tbsp of olive oil
2 tbsp honey

Directions:

Mix the ingredients together and get to scrubbing.

Hope This Helps

Cayenne Pepper:

Cayenne pepper is very potent. It encourages circulation, therefore increasing cell turnover to improve the skin's texture, smoothness and appearance.

What You Need:

¼ tsp powdered cayenne pepper

½ cup oatmeal (for texture)

½ cup full fat milk (the lactic acid in milk act as an exfoliant)

Directions:

Mix the ingredients together and get to scrubbing.

Support The Cause

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and I want to do my little part to raise awareness. I believe that women should do everything they can to prevent the disease because the facts are downright scary. Each year it is estimated that nearly 200,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and more than 40,000 will lose their battle. Here's a few ways you can show your support.

Sephora will donate $1 from each Pink Eyelash Curler sold to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.