My Blog

Fall Skin Care Exfoliation and Favorite Products

10/17/2011 23:56:00

So here we are full swing into Autumn and it's time we take care of the damage that the beautiful Summer sun has beset upon us. First step would be to go to an Aesthetician who specializes in professional exfoliation treatments such as chemical peels and microdermabasion (not all Aestheticians are educated in these treatments so make sure they have experience and are certified with these advanced modalities). Professional level exfoliation is extremely important because not only does it help your skin with common ailments such as acne,age spots, fine lines etc but once you have that dead layer of skin stripped away your existing skin care will work that much better because it can now sink in and not sit on top of that dead layer of skin.

I am always amazed at how much money I see women spend on skin care at department stores thinking it's going to cure their dry skin, acne,wrinkles etc when really all they need is a good professional exfoliation treatment and basic skin care. LESS IS MORE!

Here is my recommended skin care routine for most skin types

Once monthly professional exfoliation (chemical peels, enzyme peels and microdermabrasion)

Dr Woods Black Soap with Organic Shea Butter (perfect for all skin types, especially reactive skin types)

Gifts From the Earth Earthly Dreams Cleansing Oil (amazing deep cleanser used for first cleanse to remove dirt.oil and makeup for ALL skin types)

Gifts From the Earth Mystic Seeds Scrub (great daily non-granular facial scrub. can also be added to cleanser)

Gifts From the Earth Rejuvenating Eye Serum (amazing eye serum that really hydrates dry under eye skin, works well even with sensitive eyes)

Mychelle Sun Shield Chemical Free Sunblock SPF 28(zinc and titanium based sunblock, excellent for all skin types even acne prone. and YES you need a daily sunblock even in the fall and winter)

Posh Peddler 100% eco-certified Argan Oil ( amazing light oil for ALL skin types used to moisturize the skin both day and night. Acne and cuts also heal faster)

As you can see these products are very basic and cost efficient. All of my facial clients as well as myself have had great results (all skin types) with this very basic home and professional routine. You will find that when you get on a basic home routine and have monthly professional treatments you won't spend as much on trying every new product that hits the shelves because your skin will start balancing out and looking great without the $100 plus skin creams that really don't do much in the first place.

Gifts From the Earth Skin Care (let them know Amber sent you)

http://www.giftsfromtheearth.com/index.php?p=home

Mychelle Sunblock

http://www.vitacost.com/MyChelle-Sun-Shield-SPF-28-Unscented?bv=product-_-4595-_-RLP-_-32317-_-description_link&pd_section=pr

Dr Woods Black Soap

http://www.vitacost.com/Dr-Woods-Shea-Vision-Pure-Black-Soap-with-Organic-Shea-Butter-32-fl-oz

Posh Peddler Argan Oil

http://www.theposhpeddler.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Store_Code=AIC172&Screen=PROD&Product_Code=1PAO2OB

Infra-Red Sauna

10/17/2011 23:08:00

So Ive been going to a locally owned Massage,Yoga, and Pilates Center in Downtown Vancouver for the Infra-Red Sauna called Balanced Bodyworks. For those that don't know about Infra-Red Sauna treatments I have one word "AMAZING"! Infra-Red Sauna is totally different from the usual steam saunas that are found in most health club locker rooms because the IR sauna is not heated by steam and doesn't get nearly as hot and uncomfortable. It heats up to a comfy 125 degrees and even that doesnt feel too hot, just cozy warm. The benefits that I have noticed from using the sauna a few times a week is that i feel detoxed all around, my skin has a glow that not even once weekly peels have given me, when I do sweat it's no longer yucky B.O. sweat and I attribute that to sweating the toxins and crap out of my system. After sitting in the sauna for 30 minutes my muscles are nice and relaxed, almost feels like I just had a massage. My brain fog also disappears and I just feel lighter. There is research that says a person can burn up to 600kcals per 30min session (this is not just water weight, however of course you do sweat while sitting in the sauna you should be replacing lost fluids with at least 16oz of water during your session). I can say personally I have lost a few inches off of my waist since doing the sauna treatments without changing anything diet wise. Overall health wise I have felt so much better since doing twice weekly Infra-Red sauna treatments and would recommend it to anyone who wants to feel healthier and look better. Of course as with anything there are certain contraindications to using an infra-red sauna and each person should make sure that whatever medications they are on or health conditions they may have are not contraindicated.

Here is information on the sauna that I visit in Downtown Vancouver Washington

http://www.balancedbodyworks.massagetherapy.com/infrared-therapy

Re-Starting back in Vancouver

10/01/2011 14:21:00

.So here I am the evening before I am set to re-open ASH Organic Skin Care and Waxing in Vancouver, Washington. As many of you know my family and I had moved to Bend Oregon because my partner got a job with Deschutes County Sheriffs Office. Unfortunately right as I was set to open my business down in Bend we found out that my partners job was no longer. So we packed our stuff up and headed back to Vancouver (a blessing in disguise really)
I immediately hit the ground running as soon as we got back in town looking to for places to re-open the shop. I was so grateful to find a place as quickly as I did and so happy to have very loyal clients who wanted to make appointments with me the minute they found out I had moved back to town.
So all in all this move back has been a blessing in disguise for many reasons. My daughter was able to go back to her old school where she is in a full Chinese immersion program and learning at warp speed, I was able to spend time with and take care of my best-friends mother who was like a mother to me while she was on hospice. Had I been in Bend I would not have been able to spend that those last moments with her which I will forever be thankful for.
On that note I look forward to starting a new chapter in life. Seeing old clients who became great friends during my first go at things and meeting new lifelong friends this go-around.