Holiday Stress Remedies

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This is the time of year when everything starts to get a little hectic.  Between the holidays and exams I would bet that your stress level is reaching its peak. 

Stress is the leading cause in skin problems.  Everything from acne to wrinkles can be boiled down to stress.  So, what can you do to elevate some of it?

My personal favorite is the bubble bath.  There is nothing like sitting in a warm bath to soothe the nerves.  Add some lavender oil and salts and/or milk powder and you will feel instantly at ease.  Lavenders great because it is known for its calming and soothing properties, but another good choice is chamomile.  Salts remove toxins from the muscles and relax them.  Milk powders are a great addition because the lactic acid removes the dead skin and leaves the skin super soft.   

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And if you really want to relax, get some candles, turn off the lights, and just sit back and enjoy.  If you find that you can’t turn your mind off, I recommend putting some music on or grabbing a book. 

Personally, I like to have a glass of wine while soaking too, but be careful cause it can make you a little woozy.

Another way I like to unwind is yoga.  If I’m having a rough day and feeling tense, there is no better therapy.  When doing yoga, it is almost impossible to think about your awful day because your mind has to refocus on the position you’re trying to endure.

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I enjoy Bikram yoga the most, which is done in room heated to about 105 degrees, it’s usually dark too.  But anyway, it feels great!  You sweat out the day’s hard work and it leaves your muscles stretched and strengthened and your mind at ease.

If these things don’t work, try treating yourself to a spa day.  Get a massage or a facial or both.  Let someone else melt away your tension. 

But whatever your therapy is, do it because this time of year can get crazy and you don’t need to go insane with it.

If you have different ideas, feel free to share what you like to do to relax.

The Unsightly, Ingrown Hair

This week I want to tackle the age old problem of the ingrown hair.  The unsightly blemish can be painful and leave knarly scars.  They usually infect areas such as the face, neck, underarm, and pubic region.  

Both men and women get them, but men usually only suffer from ingrown hairs on their face and neck due to frequent shaving.  Women tend to get them in more sensitive areas like the bikini line, but without further ado let’s examine the facts.

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What is an ingrown hair?

An ingrown hair occurs when the tip of the hair grows back into the skin instead of remaining on the surface.  The area can become irritated and/or infected, which can result in a pimple on top of the infected hair follicle.  And unfortunately, they rarely travel alone, when there’s one there is usually more to follow.

What causes ingrown hairs?

The primary cause of the ingrown hair is improper shaving and/or waxing.  Shaving against the growth of the hair can be irritating and cause them to form.  Also waxing can be too irritating for some and exacerbate the problem.

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How do you treat an ingrown hair?

There is no cure for the ingrown hair, but there are creams that have AHA’s (glycolic or lactic acid) and/or BHA’s (salicylic acid) that help prevent and treat them.

Another good way to treat them is with witch hazel and tea tree because they have soothing and antibacterial properties.

When trying to remove the ingrown hair at home, make sure the area is cleaned and then use pointed tweezers to try and remove.    

          

How do you prevent ingrown hairs?

·         Don’t shave too closely

·         Exfoliate regularly with a brush or scrub

·         Don’t wear tight clothing after shaving or waxing

·         Don’t shave against the growth of the hair

·         Avoid hot showers and exercise directly after waxing or shaving

How to: Treat Post-Summer Skin

This is the time of year that should be spent treating post-summer skin since the sun spent the last few months damaging it.  Your tan is probably faded and you will start to notice that your skin looks different.  It will most likely seem a little duller, a little drier, and a little more uneven; so how do we fix this?

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One way to start is to give yourself a facial or go get one.  Spend an hour or so pampering your skin in five easy steps.

Step One:  Cleanse 

Use a milky or creamy cleanser to wash away and soften the dead skin.  This will leave the skin clean, but also nourished because you won’t be stripping away its moisture with a foamy cleanser. 

Step Two:  Tone

Try using a light refreshing mist as opposed to a harsh astringent with a high alcohol content because that will leave the skin dry.  A mist will restore the skin to a balanced state and remove excess residue left behind by your cleanser.

Step Three:  Exfoliate

I suggest using something non-abrasive and that won’t leave the skin red and irritated.  At the moment I’m really into enzyme peels because they digest the dead skin cells as opposed to sluing them off with a mechanical scrub, which can be too stimulating and vigorous for the skin.  

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Step Four:  Mask

You’re going to want to do a mask, one that doesn’t dry, but moisturizes.  Yogurt, avocado, honey, bananas, and milk are good home remedies.  If you decide to make one here’s a website with good recipes, http://www.ehow.com/how_4509647_homemade-moisturizing-facial-mask.html. 

Let mask rest on the skin for at least 15 minutes to allow it time to penetrate into the skin.

Step Five:  Moisturize

The last step is to moisturize, preferably something with an SPF of 15 or higher.

These five easy steps will renew your skin, leaving it bright, moist and ready for winter.  If you have any specific concerns or want to customize your facial even further to address specific concerns like hyperpigmentation or rosacea, then feel free to ask. 

Winter Skin Care Tips

The winter wind is starting to blow in and you’ll need to make sure you’re ready to protect your skin.  With the changing season you’ll need to switch-up your skin care routine.  Between the bitter winds outside and dry heat inside, the skin is going to be craving extra moisture and will definitely need some soothing.

An easy way to do this is changing your moisturizer to something a little heavier, perhaps an oil-based cream as opposed to a water-based cream.  Look for oils like avocado, almond, or seed oils because they won’t clog your pores.  Another good thing to look for is hyaluronic acid because it draws and traps moisture to the skin.

Avoid harsh and abrasive products that leave the skin red, dry, and irritated because it will only get worse in the winter.

A few little tricks I like to do in the winter…

Turn my humidifier on in the winter to help add some moisture back to the air

Wrap my scarf around my face to try to protect it from the frosty winds, if I don’t I’m usually left with a raw, red face

Sleep with a hydrating mask on once a week to give my skin that extra mmff.

Don’t take super hot showers and sit in their forever (even though it feels really good) because that dries you out

I’m also a huge fan of the moisturizing and soothing effects of carrot seed oil, I’ll occasionally put it on in the morning before applying my face cream, so I feel protected

Another thing to remember besides taking care of your face is protecting your hands.  Your hands are usually just as exposed as your face and will need some extra TLC (tender love and care) too.  If you can, treat yourself to a manicure and indulge with a paraffin treatment (hot wax) because it will leave your hands super soft and hydrated.  I also like to use heavy creams on my hands, preferably something with Shea butter in it.

My new favorite hand cream at the moment is Whoopie Cream by a company called Farmhouse Fresh.  It’s a Shea butter cream that smells like Whoopie pies!!  Soo yummy and sweet, like vanilla icing, it’s perfect for the holiday season.

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If you have any other tid-bits you like to do in the winter, feel free to share!