Tag: Balans

Adjust Your Winter Skin Care Routine

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As the weather continues to get colder, it is even more important to pay attention to your skin’s needs.  Dehydration and chapped lips can be kept away by choosing products that can better protect you from the cold.  It is a good idea to use an organic product line that is free of harsh chemicals and preservatives that can be damaging to your skin.  At Balans, we use MARIA ÅKERBERG Deepskin Organics from Sweden.

Hydration is essential for a healthy complexion.  Due to dropping temperatures outside and having to crank the heat indoors, many people experience flaky skin and dry lips in the Winter.  This time of year, it is helpful to use a thicker moisturizer.   For sensitive and dry skin try Face Protection by MARIA ÅKERBERG.  It contains chamomile which is soothing and can help heal dry patches.  They also have an amazing vanilla lip balm that helps keep lips soft and supple, Lip Care Vanilla.

If you are not already using facial oils, balms and masks, now is the time to start!  Facial oils help maintain balance and restore your skin’s natural production of oil.  Balms also deliver the healing properties of essential oils to treat your skin but are thick so I prefer to use them at night.  Masks are also a great way to deliver healing ingredients directly to your skin.  There are many to choose from, so look for ones high in antioxidants.  Some products from this line that work particularly well during winter months are Olive Cleansing, Royal Facial Oil Rose,  Face Balm Neroli and their Eye Balm.

These products can be purchased in the online store at http://www.bostonbalans.com, or you can call Balans at 617-450-8333 to schedule a facial and I will customize a routine for you.

The Dangerous Truth About Cosmetic Ingredients: What’s Really in Your Makeup Bag?

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The other day, I was having tea with my good friend, Megan Graham of Megan Graham Beauty on Newbury Street and she asked me what kind of makeup I use. At first I thought this was just simple girl talk, but then she explained that she was concerned about the chemicals in the products she was currently using. The truth is that since leaving my salon job a year and a half ago to join the wellness team at Balans, I really haven’t been using much! That need to “put my face on” is not as strong for me these days as it was for me during those years at the hair salon. I am glad that she asked me because now, more than ever, I am aware now of my environmental footprint and what ingredients I use on my body. Since working with the line MARIA ÅKERBERG Deepskin Organics, I have learned a lot about how important sourcing of ingredients is. This definitely applies to skincare products, but perhaps even more so for makeup. There are a myriad of nasty chemicals lurking in most popular cosmetic brands.

I have compiled a list of 5 of the most dangerous ingredients:

Benzyl Peroxide, Parabens, Sulfates, Silicone and Mineral Oil.

1.  Benzyl Peroxide– This is a popular ingredient in many acne products despite being and eye, skin and respiratory irritant.  It produces DNA damage and may act as a mutagen.

2.  Parabens–  These are highly regulated in Europe because there is evidence that they interfere with hormone function and are endocrine disruptors.  They are widely used in the USA, and other parts of the world as preservatives even though they are known to be toxic.  You may be surprised by how many products you already have contain parabens.  Look out for methylparaben, butylparaben, isobutylparaben and ethylparaben.

3.  Sulfates–  This ingredient is found in everything from car wash, to personal care products, especially shampoo.  Although a known irritant, it is widely used to make products foam. Look out for Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES). 

4.  Silicone– This ingredient is derived from Silica (sand) that has been chemically processed.  In Europe it is classified as an endocrine disruptor. This is a popular ingredient in eye shadows, eye liners, liquid foundation, lipstick and powders used to increase water resistance and to make it spread easier.  Look out for dimethicone and siloxanes.  

5.  Mineral Oil– This ingredient is derived from petroleum just like motor oil and interferes with the body’s natural ability to breathe and release toxins. It is used in many creams and personal care products.  Sadly, Baby Oil is 100% Mineral Oil.  Stop using it!  it is no good for you or your baby.  Besides clogging your pores, it is also linked to Cancer.    

Why Choose Organic Skincare?

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When choosing what products to use on your skin, quality of ingredients matters. It is often times not enough to trust words like, “natural”, “pure”, “green”, “eco-friendly”, “not tested on animals”, “botanical extracts” and “sulfate free”. This is because often times, there are still harmful chemicals and preservatives such as parabens and petrochemicals lurking in the products. The regulations in Europe are much more strict about what ingredients go into products, especially those labeled “organic”.

Balans is excited to be the first in America to carry the organic Swedish skin care line, MARIA ÅKERBERG. These products are of the highest quality. They offer face and body products for both men and women. It is our goal at Balans to educate our clients and increase awareness about the ingredients in the products they choose so that they can understand what they are using on their skin. The ingredients used by MARIA ÅKERBERG are based primarily on organic raw materials using cold-pressed vegetable and essential oils as opposed to mineral oil and silicone.

MARIA ÅKERBERG chooses to use vegetable oils because they are better for delivering essential fatty acids and vitamins to the skin. Your skin is your largest organ and readily absorbs product applied topically. Mineral oil is difficult to break down and sits on the surface of the skin. The company states that it does not use either mineral oil or silicone in their products as “it (silicone) is suspected of being bioaccumulative, it can also form formaldehyde on degradation”.

So what does this mean for you the consumer? We are all responsible for what we consume. For those of you wishing to create a positive environmental impact, I encourage you to choose organic not only when buying foods, but beauty products as well. Recently, the negative effect of the pollution caused by plastic “micro-beads” on our country’s Great Lakes has been in the news. Instead choose an exfoliant made with salt or sugar. For body, try MARIA ÅKERBERG’S Salt Scrub Energy. For face, try the Papaya Peeling. Steer clear of any synthetic ingredients in the products that you choose because the quality and sourcing of ingredients matters.

Why Doesn’t Every Salon Use Hard Wax for Brazilians?

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Why Doesn't Every Salon Use Hard Wax for Brazilians?

Tired of shaving and want to give Brazilian waxing a try? Make sure to have it done with “hard wax”- not strips! This means doing a little bit of homework to find a skilled waxer in your area. I have spent the past 10 years as a waxing specialist in Boston’s Back Bay and I am in awe of how few salons offer hard wax. There are a few reasons for this phenomenon.  At the top of that list is the difficulty level.

It can take an esthetician years beyond school to figure out how to properly perform this service. Keep in mind that every client a waxer works on has different body types and hair growth patterns. Since a Brazilian wax involves removing all of the hair from the bikini line and beyond, there are a lot of delicate areas, sensitive skin and soft curved body parts. Waxing is easiest on a firm flat part of the body. It is much harder to successfully and quickly remove hair on a bent or creased area of the body. Also keep in mind that bikini hair often grows in several different directions. Hard wax is better at removing this type of hair than soft wax with strips.

With soft strip wax, hair needs to be growing in one direction because when the strip is torn off, it has to be pulled against the direction that the hair grows or it won’t lift the hair. Brazilians done with soft strip wax are likely to break hairs not getting the root and leave behind ingrown hairs. With hard wax, the application is a lot different and can be difficult to learn how to do. Hard wax goes on in a circular motion in order to lift the individual hairs into the wax. Once the wax hardens, those hairs are suspended in the wax itself and have little choice but to be pulled out.   When done properly, this method is the most effective and useful for waxing any body hair that is coarse such as bikini and underarm hair.

AWARDS:

2012  “Boston’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

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”.

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

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.