Tag: skin care

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.

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.

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.

Healthy lifestyle = Beautiful skin

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Healthy lifestyle = Beautiful skin

I love what celebrity skincare expert, Sonya Dakar, said about the importance of working with your esthetician on creating a skincare routine that truly works for you.

“We call it bootcamp- it’s a fitness. I compare it to the gym. If you work on it, you sweat, you have a great body. If you work on your skin, you achieve beautiful, healthy skin.”

This idea of looking at your behavior in order to get to the root of your skin’s needs, gets results that last. If you want brighter and more glowing skin, it is crucial that you have a diet filled with the proper nutrients that your body needs to function. Similarly, if you want to build muscle, you would eat certain foods. Many of us lead a busy life, but it is still important to detoxify your body often and maintain your level of stress. When the body becomes acidic, due to stress or poor diet, you feel tired, bloated, and anxious. This often shows up on the skin as breakouts, dry patches, and sensitivity.

Getting your body moving, eating well, and regular beauty routines will make you look and feel better. Yoga, pilates, cardio, and strength training are great ways to build a strong core. These activities will improve the elasticity of the skin all over your entire body. Foods rich in antioxidants and Vitamin C also improve the look and elasticity of your skin. Some foods to incorporate into your diet are dark leafy greens, broccoli, bell peppers, berries, and lemons.

Your skin is your largest organ and it can absorb nutrients topically. The Berry Mask from Soyna Dakar is one of my favorite anti-aging facial products. It not only smells good but delivers antioxidants directly to your skin. It meets eco-friendly principles and is free of parabens, sulfates, petrochemicals, artificial fragrances and dyes. It is important to choose beauty products wisely- the ingredients in a product matter.

This is why I believe that a healthy lifestyle equals beautiful skin. At Balans, we can help you achieve this balance. We take the guess work out by offering services that address every every aspect of designing a healthy and workable lifestyle.