Live Happy Healthy and Balanced

The above clips were taking from a dear friend and local expert, Dr. David Wu, of the Well Fit Center's weekly newsletter. Dr. Wu is a board certified chiropractor who's practice is located in Diamond Bar, CA. He helps people better understand that wellness isn't just about treating the pain but about the over all health of your life. A man of ethics and integrity when there is so little in this world...I am proud to know this amazing human being and happy to say that there are more professionals like this in the world who are helping us all live happy, healthy, balanced lives.

Thank you Dr. Wu!

XO's

LG

Beautiful Health skin inside and out!

www.lg-skincare.blogspot.com

(for more information about Dr. Wu and chiropractic please visit www.wellfitcenter.com and tell them LG referred you.)

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

Windy Days...watch out!

Be proactive on windy days and protect, hydrate, cleanse.

1. protect - use a good moisturizer on windy days. night cremes tend to have a little more moisture to them which gives you extra protection from the elements. on windy days try using your night creme instead of your day cream. *if your day cream has spf and you use your night creme make sure you use some type of sunscreen to replace your normal on. or layer your night creme over your standard day creme.* and lastly use a lip protector to help keep your lips from chapping.
2. hydrate - wind can rob your skin of precious moisture through evaporation, so be sure to drink extra water on windy days. this does not mean extra caffeinated or alcoholic beverages...these too dehydrate you.
3. cleanse - with the wind whipping around extra dirt, dust, and pretty much anything from trees and flowers around in the air you skin will need an extra good cleansing before bed. i recommend to all my clients to wash 2 times at night. this applies to windy days as well...double cleanse but be sure to take some extra time during the cleansing phase to allow your cleansing product the time it needs to clean your pours. count an extra 30 seconds when cleansing each time and that should do the trick.

Always protect your skin at night with a good night time creme especially after a day of being out in the wind.

Hope you enjoy my tips and find them easy and useful!

XO's

LG

Brown Sugar is your friend!

So recently I tweeted about home treatments of brown sugar and honey lip scrub and a brown sugar body scrub. Here is the step by step for you create these wonderful treatments at home:

Natural Brown Sugar/Honey Lip Scrub:

• pinch of brown sugar


• pinch of honey

Mix together to create a paste between your fingers and rub lightly over lips. Rinse with cool water. Yes licking it off would be just as effective but the acids in your saliva will dry out your lips...so try try to use the water and not your tongue.

Natural Brown Sugar Body Scrub:

• a cup of brown sugar

Before you start your shower water, step into your tub with the cup of brown sugar. Rub small amounts over your body, taking extra time at elbows/knees/heels. You do not need to rub hard. Then rinse off in the shower. The sugar will dissolve and not cause your drain to clog.

Why natural brown sugar vs brown sugar or white sugar...? Natural brown sugar is the first step of processing from the sugar cane plant, it has a higher molasses content, and higher mineral content. Another benefit is the natural glycolic properties. Glycolic is great for anti-agin, it's hydrating, and helps to normalize skin and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

I hope you enjoy your home treatments!

XO's

LG

(Skin care and cosmetics ingredients dictionary by Milady)

Rainy Day Skincare...

So this morning in what is normally, sunny southern California, the weather is on day 3 of rain. Haven't seen much of the sun, but lightening and rain with wind gusts are prevalent. Quite unusual for this area. It is a nice change of pace but definitely causes more indoor activities then outdoor ones.


As I write today's post, I am enjoying my morning coffee with the patio door open. I can hear the rain water falling off the roofs and trees around my home. Actually the door is open because I woke up to pesky ants all over the kitchen and bathroom floors and had to spray. Rainy weather always brings those darn ants out. So really I am airing out my house from the ant spray fumes. It did however get me to thinking about indoor activities and its affects on the skin. Which is the idea behind today's post.


What are typical things you encounter being indoors: Heater, fireplace, bug spray fumes, with the house being closed up all the things that you put into the air from cooking to the whole getting ready/doing your hair/spraying perfume, all affect the skin. So on a day when you feel like there is nothing to do, you are cooped up inside due to rain or snowy weather, take some time to care for your skin. Cleanse, Exfoliate, Detox, Hydrate, and Protect.

Men's Rainy Day Skincare:

1. Brush your teeth. It is always best to brush your teeth before cleansing or shaving your face. Tooth paste can irritate your skin.



2. Cleanse your face 2 times removing the cleanser with a wash cloth. Work the wash cloth against the hair growth to help raise the hair above the skin providing you with a closer shave. Remember your neck in this step. *Arbonne's RE9 for men REVeal Exfoliating Facial Scrub and Cleanser is great. There are exfoliating beads in the cleaner. You will love this!



3. Take a 5 minute hot shower. This will allow the steam to open your pores. Use a body scrub to help exfoliate. Guys take it from me...there is nothing sexier than a man who has soft skin! Take extra time to scrub your knees, elbows and heels. Do NOT use the body scrub on your face. *Arbonne's SeaSource Spa Foaming SeaSalt Scrub will help you with this and has a nice earthy scent. Will help to exfoliate and pull toxins out of your skin.



4. Shave. Now that you have exfoliated and your pores are open, you will find that your shave will be closer and your skin will be smooth and soft. Super Sexy! *Arbonne's RE9 Men's Shave Gel



5. Tone after shaving. It is important to close your pores and rebalance your skin's moisture after shaving. *Arbonne's RE9 men's Toner



6. Moisturize and Protect. *Arbonne's RE9 Men's Moisturizer w/SPF

Women's Rainy Day Skincare:

1. Brush your teeth. It is always best to brush your teeth before cleansing your face. Tooth paste can irritate your skin.



2. Cleanse your face 2x at the sink *I use Arbonne's RE9 Anti Aging Creme Cleaner*



3. Take a 5 minute hot shower, allowing the steam to open your pores. During the shower you can use a facial and body scrub. *For this I use Arbonne's RE9 REVeal Facial Scrub and Arbonne's Awaken Sea Salt Scrub. If you have super sensitive skin or suffer from a skin condition that prevents you from using a manual scrub you should use an Enzyem type mask for this step. Saian's Enzyme Mask would be a perfect choice.



4. After the shower pat dry...do not wipe. This helps to keep the moisture on your skin. Towels can rob your skin of its moisture and even though you would think that the added moisture in the air from the rain balances that out, there are still plenty of other things in your environment that are stripping your skin of its moisture. (sheets, towels, clothing...)



5. Apply a pore cleaning mask. Clay masks are great for this! Follow the directions on y our mask. *I use Arbonne's RE9 Deep Pore Cleansing Mask. This mask is good for oily/acne/and even dry skin types. The fact that Arbonne's products are Ph correct (5.5 Ph) allows this mask to be great for all skin types.



6. After rinsing off your mask, Tone, Serum, Moisturize, and Protect. Remember to use your ring finger when applying/working around your eye area. *I use Arbonne's RE9 Toner, Transforming Lift Serum, RE9 Eye Creme, and RE9 Day Creme w/SPF. Those of you who use the Saian skin care line: Herbal Toner, Saphir Serum, Moisturizer, and Oil Free SPF 29 Sunscreen Spray.

Men & Women...Remember after exfoliating it is doubly important to protect your skin so moisturize and use an SPF! Drink lots of water too. Your body will continue to flush toxins and the water will help expel them.

For a customized Skincare regiment, contact me today!



*Any products listed in the skincare regiments can be purchased via my website or by phone:

www.lghealthnbeauty.myarbonne.com or (951) 204-2459. All forms of payment are accepted.

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

Psoriasis, Eczema, Rosacea or just sensitive...

A lot of people suffer from different type of skin conditions. And when working to keep your skin looking and feeling its best you must understand some common skin types and conditions.

The first being sensitive skin that is due to nerve ending being closer to the surface of the skin and the three common skin diseases people deal with:

• Psoriasis (a chronic, non-contagious skin disease typically appearing red, silver scaly patches and accompanied by itching. Believed to be brought on by stress, excessive alcohol or smoking, and possibly spice food)
• Eczema (a form of dermatitis that includes itchy, dry, red, rash like, crusting or flaking, and possible cracking of the skin and brought on by medications, food, allergies, chemicals, caffeinated beverages, alcohol, smoking, viral infection, or change in seasons)
• Rosacea (a chronic condition characterized by facial redness and inflammation, usually begins across the cheeks and nose, or forehead, and can progress down the neck or up through the scalp. Believed to be brought on by extreme temperates, spicy foods, caffeine, alcohol, or foods high in histamine - aged cheese, yogurt, beef, bacon - and medications or allergies)

All four of these conditions must be dealt with a little TLC. (Tender Loving Care)

When cleansing your face certain products and methods (ie. manual scrubs or anti aging products) can only activate your skin problems and make them worse. So here are a few tips to help.

1. Contact a professional to help diagnose and manage your condition. An Esthetician can create a skin care regiment to help minimize the effects of irritated skin but they can not diagnose medical conditions, they are however educated to know when you should be referred to a Dermatologist or Doctor.
2. Stay away from the things that are believed to trigger the condition. If you just have sensitive skin take care by using lukewarm water and lighten your touch...too hard of pressure when cleaning can cause skin to become irritated.
3. Do not use manual scrubs (wash cloths, loofahs, any product that has cleansing beads, sugar or sea salt scrubs). These items can be too abrasive, irritating, and can inflame conditions.
4. Do not use anti aging products. These products typically are formulated to help cells turn over faster. This can do the same as in #2...irritate and inflame the conditions.

So you may be asking yourself, "How do I exfoliate then? There is so much focus on exfoliation to help keep skin young, soft, and healthy." It is call Enzymes. Previously I have posted a blog about exfoliation and the 2 types, manual and chemical. In this case enzymes fall under chemical and are recommended for sensitive skin including people who suffer from Psoriasis, Eczema, or Rosacea. Enzyme masks work only on the dead skin cells. Once the enzymes have metabolized the dead cells the process stops leaving the living cells intact and your skin looking young, soft and healthy.

**Note: There are different types of enzyme masks. Some can be more active on the skin then others. It is important to contact a professional to help you choose the correct one for your skin type.

XO's

LG