Nourish Your Soul Juice at Balans

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Nourish Your Soul Juice at Balans

Excited about the health benefits of juicing but don’t have the time or equipment to make it yourself?  Balans now offers fresh organic and cold-pressed juices from Nourish Your Soul.  Buy them online at https://nourishyoursoul.com/store/.  During checkout, choose Balans as your pick up location.  There is no minimum to buy and no delivery charge either.  Pick up days are Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Nourish Your Soul is a local juice company located in Medford, MA.  They offer organic juices, smoothies, nut milks, and cleanses.  The company was founded by Susan Cabana pictured above on the right.  Susan’s mission is “to empower individuals to achieve optimal health and happiness one breath, sip, and moment at a time”.

DIY Face Mask

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It’s that time of year when the holidays take us by storm.  With plenty of family obligations and less time than we would like to meet them, it is important to take care of yourself.   What is your skin’s defense against the stress of the holidays?    I recommend taking a few minutes just for YOU to relax and do an at-home facial treatment.   This is an easy DIY face mask that uses ingredients that you probably have in your kitchen.

Exfoliating Pumpkin Face Mask:

1 Tbs. honey

1 Tbs. coconut oil

3 walnut halves -( crush them until they are almost a powder)

1/2 Tbs. apple cider vinegar

2 Tbs. pumpkin puree*

*If you are not a fan of pumpkin, you can substitute 1/2 of an avocado.

Take all of the ingredients and mix them.  That’s it.  You are done.  Now, simply take 10 minutes to lay down and relax with this mask on your face.   This anti-aging mask works wonders because it is naturally high in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Zinc.  It is also hydrating, brightening and has anti-bacterial properties that will help clear acne.

Best Waxing in Boston

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What’s the best new trend in waxing to get done in Boston? You may be thinking it’s the Brazilian or the Eyebrow Wax… but I’m going to tell you that it’s the Arm Wax. You may not have ever even thought of waxing your arms before, but once you do, it becomes almost routine. Your skin will feel and look amazing. Waxing removes the hair from the root so you are left with soft and smooth skin for weeks.

What other areas are popular to get waxed? While facial waxing of one’s eyebrows, lip and chin remains the most common waxing, more and more clients are opting to go hair free all over. For example, the Brazilian Wax has skyrocketed into popularity in the past several years. I do not offer that service for men, however, Eyebrows, Chest, Back and Shoulders are popular areas for men to wax.

AWARDS

2012 “Boson’s Best” for Waxing by the Improper Bostonian

2011 “Best of Citysearch” with Beaucage

2010 “The Boston A List” by WGBH with Beaucage

2008 “Best of Boston” for Waxing by Boston Magazine

What is a Facial?

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Getting a facial for the first time can seem overwhelming. What kind should you get? What should you do to prepare? How long does it take? What are extractions? Will it hurt? Might I break out afterwards? These are all questions that may be running through your head as you decide to book an appointment. Relax. This is YOU time. A facial is your time to evaluate what products are working for you right now. Just like you put away your summer clothes and edited your closet for Fall, use this as an opportunity to edit your beauty routine. Rest assured that any questions you have about your complexion or what to use on your face will be answered.

There is a type of facial for everyone. The facials we offer at Balans are Traditional Swedish, Deep Pore Cleansing, Hydrating & Nourishing and Anti-Aging. We use the Sonya Dakar product line because it combines the best that science and nature have to offer. The steps to a facial include cleansing, exfoliating, massage of the face, neck and shoulders, steam, extractions and a mask suited for your skin type. The products used in each of the different types of facials have different types of botanical extracts in them to meet the needs of any skin type. If you are not sure which facial is the best for your skin, schedule a Traditional facial and discuss the other options when you arrive for the treatment.

Still worried about the extractions? Don’t be. Let me start by saying that the benefit you will see with healthy glowing skin is worth a moment of pain during the extractions. Hot steam and an exfoliant open the pores and prep your skin for extractions. During an extraction, the esthetician removes white heads and blackheads from the skin using fingers wrapped in cotton. Expect a little pinch. Your newly unclogged pores will thank you. After a facial you may be red for a little while, but it is similar to the redness you’d get after you go running because it’s from having a healthy blood flow to the surface of the skin. I call it a healthy glow. Get your glow on, and try a facial!

Favorite Pumpkin Bread

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With Halloween right around the corner, we are seeing pumpkins everywhere. Pumpkin bread, pumpkin lattes, pumpkin pie, there’s even pumpkin beauty treatments! What Fall treats do you look forward to? This is a tasty pumpkin bread that I made a couple days ago and brought into work to share with everyone.

Something about the crisp air in the Fall drives me to bake. After going through my pantry however, I realized that I would need to go out and buy many of the ingredients that I only needed a tiny bit of. So off to the grocery store I went. A box mix was the most cost effective option for me. As I looked at the boxes lining the baking isle, I was not surprised to see that many popular brands contained lots of preservatives and chemicals in addition to the fat and calories.

I don’t mind if my dessert is rich, but I can not in good conscience buy a quick-bread mix that is full of chemicals! I chose Libby’s brand because it has no preservatives and uses real ingredients. The package comes with enough ingredients to make 2 loaves and is easy to make. You only have to add oil, water and 4 eggs. I added chocolate chips to mine. To make a lighter version, substitute 1 cup of applesauce for the oil and toss the icing packet.

Seasonal Food

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Seasonal Food

We love fresh seasonal foods at Balans and enjoyed sharing some seasonal favorites with you at the grand opening party. It seems that this time of year as we go though the holidays starting with Halloween, then Thanksgiving and straight through Christmas time there is constantly an occasion in which it is tempting to indulge. We wanted our food choices to reflect our principles of clean eating while still being delicious and inviting. How do you entertain lots of people and offer good nutritious whole food selections? Our talented in house chef, Marie Aspling had the answers.

So what was served at the party?

MENU

Quinoa Harvest Salad
Dijon & Organic White Wine Vinegar Dressing
Organic quinoa, organic black lentils, organic scallions, organic red and green peppers, organic broccoli, organic carrots, organic cilantro.

Oven Roasted & Glazed Rainbow Carrots
Organic red balsamic vinegar, raw local honey, Himalayan salt, white pepper.

Organic Autumn Delight
Organic mixed Fall squash, organic cinnamon, organic nutmeg, Himalayan salt, white pepper.

Oven Roasted Organic Brussel Sprouts
Organic walnut oil, Himalayan salt, white pepper.

Organic Farm Potato Medley
Organic sage, thyme & rosemary, organic red potatoes, organic sweet potatoes, organic red onions, organic garlic cloves, organic olive oil, organic walnut oil, Himalayan salt, white pepper.

Organic Mixed Lettuce & Herbs
Raspberry & organic red wine vinegar dressing, organic mixed lettuce, organic mixed herbs, shaved honey, toasted almonds, organic cranberries.

Assorted fruit, cheese, dark chocolate & gluten free crackers.

Balans’ Grand Opening Celebration!

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Balans' Grand Opening Celebration!

Tuesday October 22nd we celebrated the official opening of Balans Studio. We hope that our guests enjoyed themselves. There is no better way to show our clients, friends and family how grateful we are for their continued support and encouragement than to share with them some of our favorite local and seasonal foods. As the weather gets colder, we often think of comforting foods and familiar tastes. When planning the menu for our guests, it was important to stay true to our natural and holistic philosophy.

Smashbox Mascara Review

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Product Review:

Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara:

Love it. If you’re looking for a mascara that goes on quickly with no messy clumps, this is the one for you. I first recieved this product as a sample from Sephora. I have been using it daily and love it. Because of the shape of the brush, it lifts and separates each lash making it easy to use at home or on the go. As an Esthetician and Make-up Artist, I value this product’s ability to stay on long into night. It is easily removed with makeup remover and will even come off with just face wash.

Simple Snack Bars

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Simple Snack Bars!

These homemade protien bars are quick and tasty.

Make these delicious protien bars at home with only a few ingredients! They taste a lot like Lara Bars. It is easy to create all different flavors depending on what you have on hand in your pantry. These bars were made using dates, trail mix, coconut flakes, and chocolate chips.

Cran-Almond Recipe:

1/2 cup almonds
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup dates

Combine all ingredients in food processor. Shape into bars. They do not require refrigeration, but I like to keep mine cool.

Coco-Nut Bar Recipe:

1/2 cup nuts (peanut, almond, cashew, walnut etc.)
1/4 cup dates
1/4 cup dried fruit
1/4 cup coconut flakes
1/4 cup chocolate chips

Combine nuts, dated and dried fruit in a food processor. Fold in coconut flakes and chocolate chips. Shape into bars. Enjoy!

Age Reversing Sunscreen

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Age Reversing Sunscreen

What if your sunscreen not only protected your skin from future signs of aging but also worked to smooth existing wrinkles and fine lines? Well, that is exactly what Sonya Dakar’s MicroVenom Daily Defense SPF 30 does. This product made it’s debut in the Spring of 2012, and according to Nate Dakar, has “taken sun protection and anti- aging to another level”. It works by combining regenerative apple stem cells with broad spectrum UVA and UVB protection.

Most women do not want to use alot of products at the beach or when sitting poolside on vacation making it tempting to skip steps of thier normal skincare regimen. This new addition addition to the MicroVenom line answers prayers of women everywhere. It delivers the anti- aging benefits of synthetic snake venom with SPF 30.

I often talk with clients about the importance of active ingregients and the quality of the products they choose. Sonya Dakar prides its products on combining the best of science and nature. This lightweight sunscreen won’t leave you feeling greasy and is proof that luxury and effeciency are not mutually exclusive.