Spas are cashing in on the oxygen facial, but is it really worth it?

Oxygen therapy is found in spa treatments and moisturizers. Let’s not forget the “Oxygen Bars” of years past.

So what is an oxygen facial? Some treatments involve hyaluronic acid being sprayed on by a wand the size of a pen that adds oxygen. Oxygen facials promise lifting, firming, tightened pores, and the stimulation of collagen. Treatments vary from spa to spa. Some places offer a variety of serums that are chosen based on your skin type and what is trying to be achieved.

There is a debate among dermatologists if these facials actually work. “Dr. Christopher B. Zachary, a professor and the dermatology department chairman at the University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine, bluntly labelled it “snake oil.”

The concept that high-pressure oxygen would do anything to help the skin is such nonsense as to be laughable

Other dermatologists believe that over time these treatments have the potential to slow down the aging process.

Madonna is the most popular celebrity who swears by these facials. She is reported to have one before every performance even when she is out of the country.

We’ve tested these facials and have come to the conclusion that if they are done correctly (proper equipment and product and a knowledgeable hand) these facials offer instant results. If they prove to not work over time, we suggest to have one the day before big events such as a wedding or Christmas party. The immediate results lasts for days.

If you want to try to add a little oxygen to your at-home products we suggest:

Sothys Oxyliance Perfect Serum, Sothys Oxyliance Crème
Peter Thomas Roth Oxygen Mist
Dermelect Detoxifying Oxygen Facial Commission
Philosophy Oxygen Peel Kit

The spa pedicure looks immaculate and is a wonderful pampering experience.

Here’s what you need to do one at home:

A foot bath (preferably one with jets, but a plastic dish drainer or large bowl will work too).

A foot soak. This is very important. A good foot soak makes for a great pedicure. You want one that deodorizes, hydrates and comforts the feet. Try: BABOR Feetness Refreshing Bath. It’s great for tired feet.

A cuticle remover if you have thick and/or overgrown cuticles. This helps dissolve the excess and makes the nails look neat and clean. Try: Trind Cuticle Remover.

Tools: Nail file, 3-way buffer, cuticle pusher, cuticle nipper (Try: Tweezerman Student Cuticle Nipper), and foot file (Try: Bliss Diamancel #11 Tough Buffer).

A great way to have all the tools you need at a fraction of the price is this amazing kit from Tweezerman. Tweezerman Pedicure Solution Kit.

A foot scrub is very important to finish off the buffing. After you’ve used the foot file a scrub will just ensure that everything is smooth, and will leave feet fresh and up your circulation. Try: Barielle Cucumber Foot Scrub.

A foot cream, cuticle oil, base coat, nail color and top coat. The best foot cream: AHAVA Mineral Foot Cream. You’ll also need some Kleenex to separate your toes.

Step One
File nails. It’s easier to file nails when they are dry and they don’t shred. File in one direction straight across to prevent ingrown nails and you can round the corners slightly.

Fill the foot soaker with warm water if you have hard callus and cracks, cool water if you’re swollen and sore. Otherwise, choose a temperature that you find comforting and relaxing. Apply some cuticle remover to the cuticles and you can also use it on callus to help soften it. Soak for a few minutes.

Step Two
Push back cuticles and trim off the excess being very careful not to cut any live tissue. You are only trimming the dead skin.

Step Three
Buff feet with foot file concentrating on callus and corns. Over buffing can cause discomfort to be sure to keep checking your progress. Follow up with the foot scrub. Use good pressure to get the blood flowing and get off the last bit of dry skin. Be gentle on the tops of your feet. Rinse off the scrub.

Step four
Use the 3-way buffer to buff the nails smooth. Start with the roughest side and finish with the softest side. Watch that you don’t over buff the nails or they can get thin and break. Follow up with cuticle oil. Massage the oil into the cuticles and nails.

Massage foot lotion using long movements toward the heart. Focus on the nails and cuticles and hard callus.

Step Five
Wipe the nails off with a damp cloth or the edge of the towel you’ve been using to get the oil off the surface of the nails. This will make the polish stick better. String the Kleenex through your toes so they are separated. . Apply base coat, two coats of polish and topcoat. Let each coat dry in between.

We are hearing all about stem cells from both the medical field and the beauty industry. But what exactly are stem cells and what will they mean in our beauty products?

According to The Royal Society:

Stem cells are the master cells of the human body. They can divide to produce copies of themselves and many other types of cell. They are found in various parts of the human body at every stage of development from embryo to adult. Stem cells taken from embryos that are just a few days old, can turn into any of the 300 different types of cell that make up the adult body.

Stem cells were initially developed to treat wounds and burns. Stem cell research is now being used in the beauty industry (from companies like Christian Dior) to possibly grow or preserve our skin. The cosmetic companies have been researching the adult stem cells, which act like reserves so when the body needs to make repairs the stem cells are called in to get the job done.

In skincare stem cells have been used in two ways. The first type claim to stimulate dormant stem cells in adults to reproduce resulting in new, undamaged skin. The second type are used to protect the stem cells in the skin to ensure they are at their healthiest when they reach the surface of the skin which in turn may slow down the aging process.

Both types work on the upper layers of the skin.

New ingredients in skin care such telomerase may convert dormant cells into new skin cells. Dior’s Capture XP R60/80 uses “Stremsome” to smooth wrinkles, protect the stem cells and strengthen the skin.

Many other companies such as Voss and Sisley are using stem cells in their products. There is some controversy in the medical field, but women everywhere are running to the cosmetic counter to get their hands on this new range of products.

This could very possibly be one of the best anti-aging solutions yet.

So many people get married in June, July and August so here is a beauty countdown to ensure that will look fab on your big day.

The first thing you should do is book a trial makeup at a salon or spa. Try to go a salon that offers all of the services you’ll want before your wedding. It’s too hectic to be running around to different places for different things. Go through magazines and look at pics on the net to find makeup looks you like. This gives the makeup artist an idea of what you want and she can customize it for your tones and colors. It also to bring a swatch of the color of your dress. You’ll also want to go in with the hair color you will have on the big day. Hair color changes will change the entire look. (Remember this for your trial hair up-do as well). You should book this appointment 3-4 weeks in advance. Bring a camera with you and have someone take your picture so you can bring the printout to the salon on the day of your wedding. When I do bridal makeup I write out the colors I’ve used and put that in my client’s file, but not all artists will do that. I also suggest buying the lipstick they used on you so you can do touch ups for pics and the reception.

The next thing is to book your trial up-do. Tell your stylist if you are going to have highlights or lowlights put in before the wedding, but it is usually best to go in for the trial with the color you’ll have the day of. While you’re there ask about when you should get your last trim before the big day, and when you should wash it. (A lot of the time up-do’s work best when hair is a little bit dirty). Also ask her how to take it out. When I got married my up do was quite elaborate and had tons of hair spray and over 75 bobby pins. I was given very specific instructions on how to take it out without breaking my hair. You should book this appointment at least 3 weeks in advance. It is often quite helpful to both your makeup and hair trials on the same day so you get a complete picture of how it will look. Take pics of your hair from all sides. Remember to bring the pictures with you in case the stylist needs to refer to how she originally did it, or make adjustments as needed.

Next up, is your skin. Book a facial 2 weeks to 10 days in advance. It is common to have breakouts after a facial and you want to have enough time to heal them.

Give yourself a body treatment 3 days before your big day. Do a body scrub using gentle circular and upward movements. Rinse well and immediately follow up with lotion. Try: Bliss Lemon and Sage Body Scrub and follow up with Caudalie Nourishing Lotion.

2 days before have your mani and pedi and any waxing such as underarm or eyebrow. You may also want to try eyelash tinting so your eyes really pop. Write the color of polishes down so when you come the day of for you makeup and hair, they can do touch ups. If you got your nails done somewhere else, buy the polish they used so you can touch up yourself.

The Bride’s Maid Luncheon: I’ve done a lot of weddings where the bride treats their bridal party to manicures and pedicures. Many brides will either pay for it all, a portion of it, or hire the esthetician and the girls can decide if they want to have services done, and the bride provides food instead of paying for the services. If you decide to take your girls to a spa and have a spa day, make sire you tell the spa it’s a bridal party and ask if you are allowed to bring food and champagne. Some spa will provide free champagne as part of your package and also give you catering options.

Many brides like to whiten their teeth as well. If you using an at home kit instead of going to the dentist, be sure to follow package instructions very carefully, and do this 2-3 weeks in advance so sensitivity has time to go away.

Try to get the groom in for a “MAN-icure” not only to treat him, but also because you’ll have pictures of the ring exchange, the cake cutting and the photographer may want to get artistic shots for your album. Another great treat for your man is a professional shave.

Choose your perfume in advance and try to get the lotion to layer it the day of so you smell nice all night. You also may want to get a clinical strength deodorant such as Secret, test it out in advance to make sure it works. Pick up some blotting sheets to shove in your purse to soak up shine at the wedding. You don’t want to cake powder on if you’re in pictures and they are handy.

Be sure to remove all of your makeup before you go to bed. You don’t want to leave for your honeymoon broken out. I suggest leaving a box of makeup remover wipes by your bed with your moisturizer so if you’re exhausted you can still clean up. Try: TESS Wipeout Blemish Reducing Facial Wipes and to soothe skin after a night of champagne try: Cellex-C Sea Silk Oil-Free Moisturizer.

Waxing can be intimidating and can also vary from salon to salon. I find it hard to find a good wax and as an esthetician I’m probably harder to please than anyone else. So here are my waxing tips:

1. Most salons have done away with the pre-waxing cleansing. With salons trying to pump out as many services as possible the pre-wax treatment can be seen as too time consuming and not necessary for the outcome. However missing the pre-wax cleanse can cause breakouts, ingrown hairs and irritation, because hair is slippery from our body oils and the wax doesn’t grip it as effectively. I know estheticians have turned to baby powder to combat this problem, but you’re better to have clean skin going in. If you’re going during or after work, wash in the morning but skip the lotion on the areas you’re having waxed. Bring a travel pack of face wipes or baby wipes with you to remove deodorant right before you leave for your appointment.
   
   
   

2. Help out your esthetician. Bruising can occur because the skin wasn’t stretched properly when the wax was ripped off. Bruising can also occur because the wax wasn’t pulled off parallel to the skin, but rather straight out. Wherever your being waxed, help out by pulling the skin taut in the opposite direction the wax is being pulled off. Don’t be afraid to ask if you can help and how, but I know I’ve often been told “don’t worry, just try to relax,” and then bruised.
   
   
   

3. Trim your bikini line. If you don’t go bare down there, trim the hair you want to keep. This helps because the area will be more visible and you don’t risk those painful stray hairs from being pulled. I suggest picking up an electric beard-trimming razor with guards. This is much easier and faster than trimming with scissors and the guard ensures that the hair will be clipped evenly, looking the best. The other thing to remember about the bikini line is to be specific about what you want. The standard bikini wax is generally not enough for the average woman. Somewhere in between the standard (which isn’t standard) and the Brazilian lies the European wax. Most salons don’t offer it or call it that on their menu; you have to ask for it. You have to tell them you want the in-between and show them where you want hair removed.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. The oil or lotion they put on you after your wax is not necessarily the best after care. It works for the time between your wax for a couple hours until you get home, but you should invest in some good at-home after care. I suggest Tend Skin and a soothing face cream. (A face cream will tell you if it’s non-comedogenic, or won’t clog pores, a body lotion won’t). What I use: Pevonia Soothing Sensitive Skin Cream. It reduces redness and sensitivity.

5. Take preventative measures. Take Tylenol or ibuprophen 45 minutes before you go, this will help pain and swelling. Also, try not to wax 3 days before or after your period, you are most sensitive at these times.