Tip # 7 of 365 - Your Fountain of Youth

Most people do not hydrate their skin properly, some not at all.  There are a couple key things you can do that won't break the bank. 

1) Toner - all skin needs water moisture and using a toner throughout the day can help as well as cut down on skin over producing oils. Mist lightly over skin mornings before applying serums and or cremes.  Mist during the day, even right over makeup to help with hydration. Mist again at night after cleansing and before applying serums and or creme. (Clarify - steps to skincare are Cleanse, Tone, Serum (some people do not use a serum), Creme (some people do not use a creme)

2) Eat water rich fruits and veggies.  Foods like watermelon or cucumber help the skin hydrate from the inside.  

3) Use a serum and cremes with Hyaluronic Acid. This ingredients helps skin retain water. This ingredient can be made from plants like sweet potatoes so be sure to ask your skincare professional the source of the ingredient.  

XO's 

LGH&B ~ Your Fountain of Youth  

LG-Skincare beauty reviews #1

Date: 11/08/13   Review on a Retina based Skincare Treatment

I am approaching these blog posts from the view point of what I would want to know if reading or watching a video review on products and or services from the beauty industry.  I hope you find these Friday blogs helpful, fun, and worth your time. I also hope you will comment and ask questions.  I love to interact with my readers.

It has been really difficult to select my first item to review because there are so many and I don’t want you to think that just because I selected this item that it is my absolute favorite, because I have a number of favs.  In fact if you saw my bathroom you would probably think I had a beauty product addiction. I just view all these products as making me an expert. Wink! What can I say it is my business to know about products not only for my clients but for myself.  And there is sooooooo much to consider when picking what products are best and why.

Today’s review is on the brand new Arbonne Genius 60 Nightly Resurfacing Pads and Solution treatment.  I love this product!!  It has made my skin smoother and is reducing my forehead lines as we speak.  The bonus to this product is I can even use it on the backs of my hands, elbows and heels to help exfoliate these areas.  It can be tough to apply a mask treatment and leave it on these areas for any amount of time.  With the left over product in the pad, after I used it on my face, it is so easy to just wipe it over the hands, elbows and heels with no mess or wait time.  My heels had started to crack and now at the end of my first 60 days they are pink, soft, less dry, and not cracked. So happy!! This is a 60 day retina treatment that harnesses a plant based vitamin A with great results but less aggressive so every skin type can use it, even teenagers can use this without having to worry about stripping their delicate skin.  It helps with cell turnover to keep skin looking radiant, keeps dead skin and oils from clogging pores, and helps skin with firmness, evens skin texture, and brightness. The only thing I am not a 100% excited about is the texture of the pads that the solution is on, they are a little rough but won’t keep me from using it, the benefit far out ways the roughness of the pads.

This product is only sold through Arbonne Independent Consultants. A Consultant can be found by going on to the Arbonne.com site or (shameless plug – just contact me and I will be your Arbonne Consultant). J Order online, pay $20 to become a Preferred Client and get 20% off the $95 retail price every time an order is placed, may I say the twenty bucks more than pays for its self in a couple orders.  Plus there are some cool membership rewards, like money towards next orders. Get an even bigger discount with the Special delivery option.  *I’ll save my review on Arbonne and their business model for another post. 

From a Professional view, this time of year is a great time to use a retina product.  The sun is less harsh and people tend to spend more time indoors.  Retina products used during summer can cause problems with pigmentation and redness.  While I have not used this certain product over the summer, yet, it is always smart when using retina products to wear a sunscreen, stay in the shade, and did I say wear a sunscreen?  (wink)

 

One last bit of advice. Really curious about this product, buy it, try it, Arbonne has a 45 day return policy any products. I have used Arbonne products now for 7 years and the only things I have ever returned were actually exchanges due to minor packaging problems nothing to do with the product itself. 

 

 

Happy Friday!!!

BE KIND TO EACH OTHER!

XO'S

LG

 PS. The Friday product reviews will not be all Arbonne.  I will be reviewing all kinds of brands.  Come back and read for yourself. If there is a product that should be tried and reviewed by me, let me know.  
 

**All products and services named in this blog are mere suggestions and this blogger is not paid by the companies to make these statements.  Recommendations are on the soul experience of the blogger using these products or services personally and/or professionally.**

New Years Detox...

So you rang in the New Year with a bang, food, drinking, and not enough sleep...

Okay, some people rang it in that way. Never the less most have probably fallen off the healthy life style wagon over the holidays. What now? A quick fix to jump start 2013 and get back on track.

How?

~ Purge ~ Replace ~ Move ~

 

Step 1 - Purge

 

Remove temptation

 

Dump all the unclean processed foods in your house!

Meaning things with Refined Sugars, Dairy, Gluten, Soy, Coffee, Alcohol, and Corn items

Consider donating unopened none perishable items to a local shelter.

 

Detox your Skin and Hair with an at home Spa set like....

Arbonne Seasource Detox Spa Set:

Begin your journey toward detoxification, restoration and total renewal with this five-product sampling of the SeaSource Detox Spa product line, including Detoxifying Rescue Wash, Foaming Sea Salt Scrub, Renewing Body Gelée, Fortifying Hair Mask and Sea Mud Face & Body Mask. It's everything you need for a great start to detoxification. $30.60 per full size product!

Personally I like a bath to ring in the new year. I use Arbonne's SeaSource Soak

Go for a Professional Service to help Detox!

Facials - The benefit will help to clean out pores, exfoliate dry dead skin, bring renewed blood to the face for healthy cell building, and move toxins out.

Recommend: LGHealthnBeauty

Massage - The benefit will help to move toxins out of the areas of your body that have allowed these to build up over the holidays.

Recommend: Massage Envy

 

Day at the Spa!

Enjoy a Facial, Massage, and Mud Wrap or Bath soak

Recommend: Burke Williams

Watch for deals on Groupon or Living Social to get the best bang for your buck.

Also check Yelp for reviews and deals.

Nothing like spending a day for yourself after a holiday of giving to others.

  

 

Step 2 - Replace

 

Replace unclean foods with Whole healthy foods.

Brown Rice, Quinoa, Fresh Fruits and Veggies, Water, Organic honey or Stevia, and Organic Meat

 

Use a smaller plate and smaller portions instead of the holiday loaded up over flowing plate.

 

Consider getting on a health eating program to follow.

Arbonne 30 Day Feeling Fit Kit that will take your first 30 days in the New Year to a whole new level for just $9 per day!

30-Day Feeling Fit Kit includes:
2 Protein Shake Mixes - Chocolate and/or Vanilla
1 Energy Fizz Tabs - Citrus and/or Pomegranate
2 Fit Chews, Chocolate
2 Herbal Detox Teas
1 Daily Fiber Boost

1 Feeling Fit Guide  

Take the guesswork out of getting fit with the Arbonne Essentials 30-Day Guide! It's designed for use with the Arbonne Essentials 30-Day Feeling Fit Kit. Whether your goal is weight management, fitness, or simply healthy living, you can use the included meal plans, recipes and more to keep you on track to better nutrition!

 

www.lghealthnbeauty.myarbonne.com / shop online

 

At the very least:

1 -7 day Body Cleanse

1 - Herbal Detox Teas

1 - Daily Fiber Boost

1 - SeaSource Detoxifying Rescue Wash

Use a Herbal Detox Tea, Daily Fiber Boost, and Multi Vitamin each day after the first 30 days.

 

Step 3 - Move

                   

 

Try a couple of the following as options to move, but what ever you do....MOVE!!

(said with a low military tone)

 

Walk 1 mile per day brisk pace = won't have to change any thing else will maintain current weight.

Walk 2 miles per day brisk pace = will lose 10 pounds in 12 months.

 

Join a gym - get a personal trainer - take a exercise class at a local recreation center

 

Yoga every day 10 minutes morning and 20 minutes evening

This is a great way to start and end your day.

I recommend Rodney Yee AM Yoga and 20 minute Power Yoga DVD's

 

 

I hope my tips will help you start of 2013 off beautifully.

 

BE KIND TO EACH OTHER!

 

XO'S

LG

 

**All products and services named in this blog are mere suggestions and this blogger is not paid by the companies to make these statements.  Recommendations are on the soul experience of the blogger using these products or services personally and/or professionally.**

Summer Glow without the Sun

Have you put on your first pair of shorts and thought...Wow! my legs are white!

Now...the next couple of questions that come to mind are

1. When can I squeeze in some tanning time?
2. Do I risk using a sunless tanner?
3. Should I buy a tanning salon membership for the next month?
4. Maybe I should try a spray tan...?

All very good questions. As a skincare expert I can tell you the fastest way is to get a professional spray tan to help fight the ghost white leg syndrome. But you need to find someone who really knows what they are doing. I have seen it all too many times, a person ends up with orange hands and feet because the person spraying doesn't lighten the spray in this area. Or the person getting the spray tan hasn't exfoliated properly before.

The next best option is the sunless tanner at home. Don't be afraid of this. If you prep your skin properly you will have wonderful results. Keep in mind...sunless tanners can NOT be applied just before you head out the door. Here are the steps:

1. Exfoliate your skin (meaning - shower, do any shaving needed, use a loofah and scrub entire body paying extra good attention to the front/back of hands, wrists, elbows, knees, tops/bottoms of feet)
2. Towel dry your skin
3. Apply sunless tanner evenly and in equal amounts in the areas you wish to tan (for the first couple applications I recommend using a body lotion in equal amounts to be used with your tanner...mix them together in your hand before applying)
4. Wash hands
5. Lightly wipe the areas that are listed as areas to pay extra good attention in step #1
6. If your self tanner says to wait before dressing...I highly recommend you pay attention to this or your cloths may end up with a tan as well.

**The tip of applying your sunless tanner with a little body lotion works for me since I am on the extra white side...and my skin tends to be dry.

The product I use and recommend is:

Arbonne's sunless self tanner

Have a safe and glowing Summer!

XO's
LG

Super Foods...and Anti-Aging

Free Radicals...you may have heard this term when people discuss Anti-Aging.

So what are they exactly?

Free radicals are what damage cells, cause inflammation, and age our bodies.

Antioxidants may be another term you have heard used around Anti-Aging.

So what are antioxidants?
We all know they are supposed to be good for us and supposed to rage war again aging but how?

Antioxidants are the super heroes in the fight against aging and readily available in most of the foods we eat. Antioxidants reverse the damage that free radicals do to our cells and decrease inflammation. These are found in what you may have heard called "Super Foods".

Super foods are packed with wonderful health saving antioxidants!

Now you are probably asking..."What foods?"

You may know some if you just take a few minutes to think about it.

What did you come up with?

Apples, oranges, broccoli, spinach, maybe grapes...

Okay, just a few that you may have come up with.

The key is to better understand where you are getting the proverbial "bang for your buck". Which foods give you the most antioxidants and help fight aging. Let's start with what is called the ACE in the fight against aging...Vitamins A, C, and E.

Vitamin A... Vitamin A is used in the fight against acne and found in topical products like Retin-A. Beware with this one because it is fat soluble and stored in your liver. Too much vitamin A can cause toxicity. As a person ages the daily recommended intake increases so check with your doctor and do not over do when eating foods that are known to have vitamin A.

Sources of Vitamin A:

Fish oil, eggs, liver are commonly known places to get vitamin A. But did you know that pumpkin, mozzarella cheese, carrots, and spinach are sources as well?

Vitamin C...

Probably the first thing that comes to mind are oranges but did you know that broccoli can give you 80% of your daily vitamin C? NEWBEAUTY magazine Summer-Fall issue states that a 1/2 cup of cooks broccoli gives you this. Can you imagine if you have a 1/2 cup of raw broccoli how much vitamin C you are getting. Remember RAW is better! Other places NEWBEAUTY magazine says you can get vitamin C are: red sweet peppers and potatoes.

What is Vitamin C good for?

It is one of the major building blocks for our bodies connective tissue, supports collagen production, and helps build the immune system.

Vitamin E...

Is great to help protect cells again free radial damage and is even thought to help slow the onset of certain diseases.

Where is Vitamin E found:

Nuts, avocados, soybean-based mayonnaise, asparagus and even ground ginger. A great place to use ginger is in cooked vegetables dishes. It adds a wonderful flavor!

Other Super Foods:

Nut - helps with hydration and moisture to your skin cells

Cucumbers and Celery - reduces inflammation, plumps skin cells, and reduces fine lines

Kiwi fruit - repairs damaged skin cells

Tomatoes & Dark purple grapes - helps to prevent sun damage to the skin

Grape Seed oil - use it when cooking instead of olive or other oil. It does not turn into artery clogging fat when heated like other oils and is quickly becoming known for its anti-aging benefits.

Once again, and it can not be stressed enough, raw foods with a variety of colors are the key to healthy beautiful skin and the fountain of youth that everyone seems to think is in some mystical miracle surgical procedure.

"When you are eating garbage, your skin reflects that." Dermatologist Jeannette Graf

So eat a rainbow of foods everyday (raw is best), stay away from the processed junk, drink plenty of water, walk a mile everyday, get good rest, laugh lots, and love with your whole heart.

"Beautiful skin is a way of life and easy to have!"

XO's

LG

*Resources used for writing this blog: NEWBEAUTY (summer-fall 2009 issue) and Office of Dietary Supplements

Men's Daily Skin Care

Okay men...I know most you don't want to think about it but

YES YOU HAVE DAILY SKIN CARE NEEDS.

Especially with; oil control, men have larger pores and oil glands...meaning oilier skin that can become clogged. Then there are the razor bumps, ingrown hairs, and the occasional mishap with shaving...you know the toilet paper on the cut trick that you soon forget about, walk out of the house into the office or business meeting and whoops someone reminders you about the cute white and red TP you have stuck to your chin. Lastly one that most men over look completely...protecting your skin from the sun!

FACT - Men have thicker tougher skin than women,

they have larger pores, larger oil glands, and courser facial hair.

FACT - Men having larger pores and oilier skin means they

need to exfoliate more often than women.

FACT - Men think less about caring for their skin than women.

FICTION - A man who takes care of his skin is a sissy!

So men...here is the best way to have healthy, clean, clear skin that women will love;

Keep in mind that the goal to skin care is to keep your skin at its natural hydration level and to not strip away the acid mantel that helps to protect the skin and us from disease.

There are just a few items you need for daily skin care:

1. wash cloth
2. facial soap (not the soap you use on your body)
3. antiseptic (either an after shave lotion or toner)
4. facial moisturizer with SPF for sun protection

Contrary to popular belief, shaving in the shower is not saving you time or water. I recommend taking a warm shower...men can take a little warmer shower than women because of their thicker skin. But I don't recommend super hot showers because too much heat and steam can dehydrate the skin. Oily skin can become dehydrated and only makes drier skin types worse. Taking a shower before shaving will help to open pores and soften facial hair.

Buy a cleanser made specially for a man's face. The soap used for the body is too harsh for even a man's face. Use the wash cloth with your face cleanser either in the shower or at the skin just prior to shaving. The wash cloth will help with daily exfoliation. This accomplishes a few things; helping to raise the beard hair so you get a closer shave, helps to decrease razor irritation and ingrown hairs, lastly the exfoliation helps with cell turnover to help with minimizing clogged pores.

Buy either an after shave lotion or toner. Both are antiseptic, they help to keep cuts you may have after shaving clean from bacteria, and also close pores that were more open from the warm water. Watch for ingredient labels that list alcohol, this will only cause further dehydration to the skin and could burn when applying to freshly shaved skin.

Lastly, the moisturizer with SPF. Men should find a moisturizer that works for their skin type. Like I stated previously, men tend to have oilier skin but there are the drier skin types as well. So find one you like. Most men don't care for a heavy lotion the key is to find one that works for your skin type but most importantly has a sunscreen (SPF) of at least 15. Even men don't want those dark brown age spots all over their face as they age. The key to stopping those spots...SUNSCREEN! I recommend a sunscreen by Saian, the skincare line I use in my facial treatments. It is oil-free with a SPF of 29 and comes in a great easy to use spray. Perfect size for men to take with them anywhere.

So men...now you know. Trust me when I say women do pay attention to men who have good skincare hygiene. Send any questions you may have my way...I will be happy to help!

XO's ~ LG

lghealthnbeauty@aol.com

Proper face hygiene & washing for healthy skin...

Everyone remembers their mom telling them to wash their face.

But not many of us understood the importance.

Except that it was annoying to hear.

Well I am here to tell you the very same thing..."Wash your face"!

The difference is I am going to explain why it is important.

And I promise not to be annoying.

~~~

Washing your face is a refreshing way to start your day

and a great way to calm down at the end of your day.

It has great health benefits over and above the emotional ones I just stated.

By washing your face morning and night you are removing...dirt, oils, pollution, makeup, and sweat.

Cleanser just 1 time per day is not enough.

The 1st cleanse will take off, makeup, some of the other items

but the 2nd cleanse will go deeper into pores to help lift out dirt, oils, sweat,

and makeup that the 1st cleanse could not reach.

~~~

Remember...this is a morning & night ritual.

~~~

Most people don't realize that their oil glands are most active at night.

People who suffer from especially oil skin should

make sure they are cleansing 2x morning and night as well as

change their pillow cased more often.

~~~

So...always use warm to slightly cooler water.

There is a time and place to use hot water...this isn't it.

Most people stand over their sinks letting the water run down the drain.

I am always looking for ways to help the environment and have great skin care.

So going forward learn to be best friends with a wash cloth.

~~~

Wet your cloth with the water and leave on the side of the sink.

Take your face cleaner...remember in my past blog about having

a cleanser especially for your face, not just regular old hand soap....

Wet your hands and cleaner, then make sure the water is turned off.

Work the cleanser all over your face,

taking special care to be gentle around the eyes.

Use the wash cloth to remove the cleanser, rinse the cloth and repeat a 2nd time.

~~~

Using the wash cloth not only saves on water but it is a manual exfoliant

that skin needs to help sluff off dead skin cells and helps promote new cell growth.

~~~

Don't scrub too hard...a light touch is all you really need.

~~~

The other benefit to using a wash cloth is they are small,

can be easily stored near your sink,

and you are more likely to launder the wash cloth instead of...

reusing like I am sure most people do...using a hand towel 15 times before laundering.

~~~

Guys...using the wash cloth has an added bonus for you when it comes time to shave.

Wash your face as I describe above and then shave.

The wash cloth helps to lift the hair from just below the skin and

will create a closer better shave for you.

~~~

After cleansing...tone (optional) and moisturize.

Cleansers no matter how gentle can still leave your skin dry.

So if you tend to have a drier skin type you may opt to use a toner.

Toners are made to help bring skin back to it's correct PH and moisture balance.

After toning, use your eye cream and face moisturizer.

Your face moisturizer should be correct for your skin type.

Dry ~ Normal ~ Oily

And for day time be sure your moisturizer has SPF 15 or higher.

~~~

There you go...Oh one side note...

try to avoid washing your face in the shower.

Most people think if they do as much as they can in the

shower they are saving water. Actually you are wasting.

Wash your face and brush your teeth...guys, shave, at the sink.

By washing your face 2x/morning and 2x/night you will see

healthier skin in days. Really...it is that simple.

~~~~

Contact me for help to you pick the correct face cleanser, toner, and moisturizer for your skin type.

lghealthnbeauty@aol.com

XO's ~ LG

Understanding Skin Care...

I get a lot of different types of feedback when talking with people about skin care.
Some things I hear are:

• I love taking care of my skin and don't go a day without washing my face...it is a must
• I just use regular old soap if that
• I want to take better care of my skin but products are too expensive
• I am a man and I do not need to do anything extra for my skin it is fine the way it is
• There are just too many products out there for me to understand it all...way too over whelming!

Well...I am here to help with all these mind sets and more.

Understanding Skin Care is very simple.

1. Your skin is the largest organ of your body.
2. It protects you from the environment, disease, and helps keep you together.
3. Your skin is the first thing people see when they look at you.

So...know this:

• You should wash with a face cleanser made for your face
• Wash with a body cleanser made for your body
• Your skin may seem like it is all the same but your face, neck and chest are more delicate then the rest of your skin.
• By washing with the incorrect cleanser for said skin areas you are stripping away the protective layer that helps keep your skin moist and beautiful.

My tips to start you off right are:

1. buy a cleaner for your face (use AM and PM) and a cleanser for your body
2. buy a sunscreen with a SPF of 15 or more that blocks both UVA and UVB rays and wear it daily **if you want buy a sunscreen made for face and another for body. i will explain more on this later**
3. drink six to eight 8-ounce glasses of water everyday

These 3 little steps will keep your skin looking beautiful and help you to age gracefully!

XO's

LG