Tag Archive for: skin care products Aurora

good habits a perfect pinky aurora spa

Another year is upon us. And for some, we are facing the “new year, new you” mentality with trepidation. Getting back into a routine after the crazy schedule of the holiday season can definitely be daunting. We, as humans, are naturally creatures of habit. If we can form some good ones then we can hopefully maintain them for the duration of our life. Let’s form some good habits together by learning what steps we need to take to achieve our best self!

Exercise

Lack of exercise can contribute to many diseases and issues. So it’s extremely important to get active everyday. Not only does regular exercise improve brain function and help our mood, it allows us to stave off many chronic illnesses. Something as simple as a 30-minute brisk walk can hugely reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes and many forms of cancer. Partnered with a healthy diet, exercise can also help maintain a healthy weight and reduce the risk of obesity, which is dramatically affecting our world today. So get moving!

Healthy Diet

We all know that a balanced diet includes a good amount of vegetables, fruit, whole grains and protein like lean meats and nuts. But it’s hard to be good all the time, especially over the holidays. Now that the holidays have wrapped up for another year, it’s time to create a good diet for ourselves, limiting refined sugars and saturated fats. Minimizing these types of foods is necessary to maintain optimal health and keep excess calories at bay.

Sleep

Your body needs rest just as much as it needs good food and exercise. A solid 7 to 9 hours per night should keep you mentally alert and ready to exercise. Rest can also be achieved through other methods throughout the day. Take a few minutes and do some deep breathing, meditate, or even take a hot bath with an essential oil like lavender to promote relaxation. Poor sleep is linked to weight gain, hormone fluctuation, poor mood, and chronic conditions like heart disease and diabetes. So unplug those devices, turn off the TV and head to bed.

Hydration

Put down that soda, and grab a bottle of water instead. Water contributes to the proper function of our organs and tissues and maintenance of bodily functions. Our muscles receive essential nutrients from water, helping us to move efficiently. Water aids in digestion, especially helping those suffering from constipation, IBS, or other abdominal issues. Water flushes toxins from our body, and is the best defense against wrinkles and the aging process of our skin. Seriously, it’s literally a life-saver!

Joy

Honestly, enjoy your life! Surround yourself with positivity. We all need and enjoy the support of friends and family. Contentment gives you a good night sleep, which in turn gives you a positive outlook on your day and attracts people to you. Socialization helps with depression, anxiety and stress. For some, it can be difficult to find joy, but you must remember that your mind and emotional state are so tremendously important in helping you achieve your goals and feeling good.

Hopefully these steps will guide you to be your best you. In addition to these tips, an annual physical with your doctor is always a good idea to make sure you are at your most optimal performance. Remember to spend time with those you love, those who make you laugh, and those who support you and your life! Happiest of New Year’s to you!

We welcome your questions and feedback. You can connect with us via email or telephone. And don’t forgot to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for the latest trends and special offers!

Til next time,

Phyllis

 

sweets and skin care issues over the holidays a perfect pinky day spa aurora

As we head into the festive holiday season, gatherings with family and friends will start to fill up our calendar. Lots of delicious meals and seasonal cocktails will be enjoyed by all! And in every home, at every party, and in every office, there will be decadent holiday treats. Cookies, cakes and candy canes will stare at us from the table waiting to be consumed. But did you know that overindulging in refined sugar not only wreaks havoc on our system, but can also ruin your skin? Processed sugar can not only cause breakouts, but is often the reason we develop skin conditions like rosacea, psoriasis or premature wrinkles.

Skin Troubles Caused By Sugar

Inflammation sugar is one of the worst foods to cause inflammation, since it is so highly acidic. Eating something high in sugar causes your insulin levels to rise in an effort to stabilize your blood sugar levels, thus causing inflammation. This process can exacerbate existing skin conditions such as psoriasis, rosacea, eczema and acne. And to make matters worse, the stress hormone cortisol then boosts oil production, giving the inflammatory condition, specifically acne, a greasy environment to grow. Yuck!

Wrinkles – collagen is a protein found in the skin that keeps it looking supple and youthful. When sugar attaches to collagen, the collagen starts to breakdown on a cellular level. This creates dull, dehydrated skin, and in turn, leads to premature wrinkles.

Dehydration – when your skin appears dull and sallow, as opposed to bouncy and perky, it’s likely due to eating too much refined sugar. Since sugar is a dehydrating agent, it can suck the water out of your skin. This leads to puffy, dry skin and under eye circles.

Our diets should be well-balanced. Avoiding refined sugar is important for our skin and bodies. Eating appropriate amounts of grains, fruits and vegetables, and protein all help in achieving a diet rich in essential vitamins and minerals. Our skin is our largest organ. We need to take care of it. Throughout the holiday season and onward, limit your sugar intake as best you can. We all indulge once in a while so don’t beat yourself up. Just remember that limiting processed sugar will lead to fewer cravings, better digestion and glowing skin.

We welcome your questions and feedback. You can connect with us via email or telephone.  Don`t forgot to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for the latest trends and special offers!

Til next time,

Phyllis

skin care with essential oils a perfect pinky aurora day spa

Growing Old Gracefully: Essential Oils Can Help!

Let’s face it. We all want to grow old gracefully. There are so many products pitched to us from various forms of media, it becomes increasingly confusing what to pick! Nature can actually help in making these decisions. Essential oils are in fact a natural solution to help us achieve the best skin we can. They aid in wrinkle control, skin tightening and help skin to look fresh and flawless! Let’s look at some of the more prominent essential oils for the task:

Rose oil

Rose oil, or rose hip oil, has anti-oxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties- the perfect trifecta! It promotes a youthful looking skin since it aids in cell renewal, thus reducing the appearance of scars. This oil is rich in vitamins A and E, and it boosts collagen, creating a firmer skin texture.

Lavender oil

Not only does it have a relaxing aroma, lavendar oil is the perfect essential oil for toning and firming the skin. It aids in balancing sebum production, due to its antibacterial effects. These antibacterial properties can help to heal cuts, burns and other areas of skin repair, such as smoothing wrinkles and fine lines.

Pomegranate oil

Arguably one of the best essentials oils for tightening the skin. It has been a favourite of many for centuries. Acting as a powerful remedy to help a multitude of skin issues, even skin cancer. When applied to the skin, pomegranate oil reduces inflammation and even the appearance of sun spots.

Grapeseed oil

This oil aids in maintaining balance, which creates a firmer skin texture. It contains many regenerative components to promote skin cell production, and acts as a natural astringent. Thus it is added to many cosmetic products. Natural astringents make your blood vessels and tissues contract, which stimulates blood flow. Grapeseed oil is technically a carrier oil so most essential oils can be added to it.

Neroli oil

Neroli oil contains a natural chemical called citral. This chemical aids in helping new skin cells to form and reduces large skin pores. It is widely used as a general anti-aging oil. And is a key component in a multitude of anti-aging creams and masks. With the ability to increase skin elasticity while continually smoothing fine lines.

It is important to note, essential oils should never be applied directly onto your skin. Diluting them is necessary. Anywhere from three to fifteen drops of an essential oil can be added to a carrier oil. A carrier oil, also known as a base oil, is one that helps dilute the much stronger essential oils and literally carries those oils onto the skin. Grapeseed oil (as listed previously), olive oil, coconut oil, or avocado oil, are all examples of carrier oils, just to name a few. It is also a good idea to do a skin patch test on the inside of your arm to see if there is any allergic reaction like redness, swelling, rashes or itchiness.

Let’s promote our health and vitality and conquer aging skin together by putting these oils to use!

We welcome your questions and feedback. You can connect with us via email or telephone. Don’t forgot to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for the latest trends and special offers!

Til next time,

Phyllis

Beauty Benefits of Tea Tree Oil

There are many beauty benefits of tea tree oil.  It has such a wide range of benefits that it really is an essential product for any home.  It has become an active ingredient in so many cosmetic products for reasons such as its natural antiseptic qualities and its anti-inflammatory abilities.  Tea tree oil is a natural substance derived from the tree known as Melaleuca which grows in Australia and is therefore also referred to as Melaleuca oil.  It has been known to have strong antiseptic qualities formerly since the 1920s, however the native peoples of Australia have been using the oil for thousands of years prior.

The following are ways to help use the oil as a possible part of your skin care regimen:

Acne

Since tea tree has anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties, it aids in killing bacteria that creates acne.  The oil removes toxins by being absorbed into the skin on just about any body part (i.e. face, back, extremities).  Add a few drops to some raw honey and apply to your pimples for about 4-5 minutes, then rinse with warm water.  This may help reduce/eliminate acne.

Skin Infections

This oil is amazing in treating various foot infections such as toenail fungus or athlete’s foot as well as skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis.  Using a dropper, apply a few drops in and around the fungal toenail once or twice daily for approximately a month. This should aid in clearing up the problem.  For topical problems, like eczema, use a cotton swab with a few drops of tea tree to dab on the affected area.  Tea tree works wonders to help kill theses parasites and infections.

Cuts and Abrasions

For relieving painful and irritating skin trauma such as a cut or even razor burn, tea tree oil can help to alleviate the discomfort.  Since the oil operates similar to witch hazel, added together they can soothe the abrasion.  For a burn, add several drops of tea tree oil to two teaspoons of witch hazel and apply this mixture with a cotton swab.  For a cut, take two drops each of tea tree oil and lavender oil in jojoba oil and apply onto a clean cut followed by a Band-Aid to prevent infection.

Warts

With antiseptic and anti-viral properties, tea tree oil can be effective in killing warts.  The oil helps stunt their growth and dry them out so that, if you are diligent enough, they will fall off naturally.  Apply a drop of tea tree oil to the wart and cover it over night. Remove the band aid in the morning, clean the area and repeat the process for about one to four weeks for the wart to fall off.

Daily Routine

Adding a few drops of tea tree oil to your cleanser or moisturizer is a great way to add extra hydration to your skin while keeping the bacteria at bay.  Create your own gentle make up remover as well.  Try 1/4 cup canola oil with 10 drops of tea tree oil and mix.  Place in a tight lidded glass jar and store in a cool dark place.  To remove your makeup, saturate a cotton pad and swipe all over face.  Rinse well and follow with toner and moisturizer.  This mixture is also great to rub on dry cuticles.

Essential oils are a wonderful addition to any home, but not many are quite as versatile as tea tree oil.  With so many wonderful uses and beauty benefits of tea tree oil, it is an essential addition to anyone’s daily routine.

We welcome your questions and feedback. You can connect with us via email or telephone.  Don`t forgot to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for the latest trends and special offers!

Til next time,

Phyllis