Cooler weather can make our hair dry, lifeless and dull. Who wants that? No one. Here are a few tips to keep your hair from hibernating this winter.
When you turn the heat on in your house, it dries out the air, also drying out your hair. To bring some moisture back into your locks, wash and condition your hair with a moisturizing shampoo. Clary Color shampoo and conditioner is perfect for fine to medium hair, and Z-11 shampoo and conditioner works great for thick and course hair.
Some of you may be familiar with or heard of the double cleanse. This isn’t an OCD bathing ritual; it’s an important step in the care and cleansing of your skin, namely your face of course.
The purpose or ideology behind the double cleanse is that you are using an initial cleanse, usually done with an oil based product, to actual break down makeup and debris (visible or not) from the surface of the skin. After the first cleanse is complete you move on to the second cleanse where you are able to massage with the cleanser to remove any impurities from deeper within the pores.
Let’s fine tune the steps and make some suggestions….
Some products here at the Skintourage that we find effective are:
This process is done in the evening to prepare the skin for its detoxing and repairing stages done during sleep. In the morning using only your cleanser will suffice. To begin the double cleanse you will start with dry hands and dry face. Emulsify dime size amount of the oil in your hands and begin to massage onto face. Immediately you will notice all makeup begin to break down. Unless you want to people to think you’ve gone mad by rubbing your makeup all over your face, this should be done in private. Once you feel that all makeup is broken down you then can remove oil and residue with a damp or dry cloth.
Now that all makeup is removed you are able to start with the cleanser of choice for your skins needs. Keep in mind that cleansers, much like shampoo are on the skin for a very short uneventful amount of time. To short of a time to remove any impurities the way most people use them. Be sure to use a mild cleanser, if most cleansers do anything its strip any moisture and natural oils from your skin. That equals irritation, dryness and in some cases overproduction of sebum (oils), none of which anyone wants. Choose your cleanser carefully. The tight, dry or itchy feeling after you cleanse is not a good sign.
When properly cleansing the skin you need to apply a small amount of cleanser and emulsify in hands. The face should be slightly damp as well as the hands as you begin to massage and knead the skin. No pulling tugging or stretching, this is slow and gentle. You are kneading the skin to help purge the pores. Don’t forget the neck, and even décolleté. This cleaning process should last anywhere from 1- 3 minutes. Rinse skin with hands or cloth. Follow with toner to remove any remaining residue. Optional to follow with facial scrub as recommended, then be sure to apply all necessary treatments and moisturizers.
This may seem over the top, extreme or time consuming, but trust me your skin will thank you for it. Plus you’ll thank yourself when receive complements on your glowing skin!
By: Lisa Johnson, Esthetics Instructor
Just as the seasons change, so do our trends for makeup. This fall is no exception. From vampy goth looks to natural fresh skin, this fall is all about the artistic side of makeup. Some of the looks are bold but don’t forget that the classic looks are timeless and always in style.
Here are a few of the most popular looks for fall 2012:
FACE –
Fall faces are in one word “flawless”. Skin should be natural but polished. The look is one of less, but still perfection. It should be slightly contoured, keeping very monochromatic in color. Fresh skin is in!!! (MUA, Amber Bowen)
CHEEKS –
This fall cheeks are all about a flush of color! Rosy cheeks are back. Just a bit of color on the apples of the cheeks, not the regular contoured blush.
EYE SHADOW –
Eyes are very exciting for the fall. Can we say, Drama Drama Drama? Lots of amazing color! Green, gray, and bright blues are the go to colors. Multi toned with accents of gold make eye shadow a fun way to spice up a look. (MUA, Evony Wells)
If eye color isn’t your cup of tea, you are in luck! Smokey browns are just as in style! Any hue is acceptable from brown to khaki. The key is to make sure that the color is blurred out to give it that smokey appearance. (MUA, Morgan Black)
EYE LINER –
Eyeliner is graphic this fall, bold in shape and in color. Bright blues, greens, and traditional black are the colors seen most on the runway. Liner is angled with sharp lines and big exaggerated curves. It’s all about artistic looks. (MUA, Noelia Boyd, and Morgan Black)
MASCARA –
Traditional mascara is always in style. This fall bright blue and green mascara can also be seen to give a pop of color to even a soft makeup look.
BROWS –
Brows are groomed and tamed. Using a pencil and shadow to add color makes any brow stand out. To keep the brows in place it is all about the brow gel. (MUA, Murrell Collins)
LIPS –
Lips are a major focal point this fall. Mulberry, Black Cherry, and Deep Plum are the rage. This vampire inspired look is beautiful, but don’t forget to add blush so you don’t feel and look washed out. It’s a powerful look and should only be worn by the daring. (MUA, Murrell Collins)
If the vampy look isn’t your thing, red is always a great substitute. Matte and glossy reds can make a bold statement without the washed out look you can get from the deep violets. (MUA, Evony Wells)
By Emmy Downey, Esthetics Instructor
This nut may fall close to the tree but its powers reach far beyond the sand. Smear it, cook with it, eat it – there’s almost nothing it can’t do. We’re talking rich, raw, pure virgin coconut oil – the godly grease that seems to be the hottest thing to drop lately. From the outside in and back again, here are 10 ways to indulge in this tropical multi-tasker:
By Jennifer Hubbard, Esthetics and Nails Instructor
Everyone gets those nasty little blackheads or whiteheads that come up. You push and squeeze to try to get all that built in dirt out and all that happens is half of it comes out and your left with a sore area and possibly a scar. Well this blog will teach you how to properly extract them without leaving that scar.
The first thing you want to do before any extractions is take a warm shower or steam your face. You can best see blackheads and whiteheads right after this because the steam helps open up your pores. Make sure the lighting is good and use gloves when extracting.
There are 3 different ways to properly extract. You can use Q-tips, cotton/gauze or an extracting tool. All of these are used by professionals and if used correctly will help you avoid those dreadful scars.
Q-tips: When using Q-tips to extract you want to make sure you are wearing gloves. You will use 2 Q-tips and place one on each side of the area needed to be extracted, and roll the Q-tips down and then up towards the blackhead. Wipe off the area with the Q-tip and throw away then wipe the area with a toner best suited for their skin type.
Cotton/Gauze: Make sure you are using gloves and wrap a piece of gauze or cotton around your index fingers and follow the same procedure for Q-tips, using your index fingers.
Extracting Tool: With this tool you will place the hole of the extractor over the area to be extracted. Press down with the extracter and give it a little wiggle. Using this procedure you should be able to remove the debris without leaving any scars.
Now you can go and remove those random, stubborn blackheads and help your clients skin become more beautiful.
So…… Let’s talk about eyebrow color. A frequent question I am asked is “What color should I use to fill in my eyebrows?” There are several rules to follow, and then as always in beauty the ways to break them. Let’s break it down by hair color.
Black/darkest brown tones: Filling in eyebrows true black can look amazing if done right (back to that in a moment), but the easiest or most desired option is to use a dark brown color. Choices of application being powder, pencil, or gels (optional). The main thing to look at in the color is that there isn’t much red in the brown. Reddish browns look very off on the eyebrows. You are looking for neutral tones, not going to warm or cool in the underlying tonalities. If you decide to go for the black, make sure your color is black-black. If the color is off the brows will look smudgy and grayish, not pretty.
Medium brown w/ or w/out highlights: This type of hair color needs to stick with again neutral brown, this time just a little lighter. Brows tend to look better darker than lighter. They are the face framers; they define the eye, and give expression to the face. Everyone should examine what their eyebrows are doing right now! Avoid the reddish undertone for these brows as well.
Light brown, dark blonde: The key color word for this hair is taupe. Taupe colors are your best friend. Again, lean to the darker side. If they are to light they will look gray and powdery. We are trying to match the darker hair, so highlights are somewhat disregarded.
Light to pale blondes: Key color here again is taupe. Some blonde colors are to golden or even to red. These could be ok of you are of the strawberry blonde variety or you have put in highlights and/or lowlights of the red or copper family, but they are still a little weak or off for my taste. I still recommend taupe.
Gray/Salt & Pepper: You guessed it, Taupe. By far the most flattering color for gray, salt & pepper or white hair. These again should not be to warm or gray.
Red Head: Now just because you’re red doesn’t mean go all out lipliner red, oh wait, I’ve done that. That’s for later…Seriously though, find a neutral reddish color on the darker side of the hair color. or go with the neutral brown or darker taupe.
Aside from the mentioned above you can go all out with bright color, glitter, or the complete opposite of your hair color ie. Dark hair light brows, light hair dark brows. Whatever you feel comfortable with. Using gel brow color or colored mascaras can slightly alter the color to suit your needs and hold the hair in place.
Viola!!
Beautiful brows
By: Jennifer Hubbard, Esthetics and Nail Instructor
Ever had a pesky mosquito flying around you, land on you and then “OUCH” it happens, you’ve been bit?!?! The anticoagulant (a substance that prevents coagulation (clotting) of blood) helps mosquitoes while they feed. However, this injection of insect fluids is also the reason why mosquito bites itch. Along with the anticoagulant, the mosquito saliva will enter some of the insect’s own proteins and binding to the skin cells. As an immune response, histamines will be released, causing a swelling where the mosquito bite is located. With the release of histamines we all get an allergic reaction and feel an itch whenever we get bitten. This response is natural and is part of your body’s way of protecting itself. As the swelling grows the pressure on your nerve cells in that area increases. This increase in pressure gives that itchy feeling. Once that happens you search for some medication to try and stop the deadly itch, but you have none. Here are some great home remedies to try and the benefits of each:
Dampened Green Tea Bag
with inflammation.
Oatmeal Bath
Honey
Scotch Tape
Aloe Vera
Battery
Preparation H
Rubbing Alcohol/Witch Hazel/Tea Tree Oil
Baking Soda/Toothpaste
Basil
Clear Polish
Aspirin
Listerine/Vicks Vapor Rub
Then you will be very excited about my latest research venture. I tend to get stuck on a subject and research it to pieces. That sometimes includes emailing/calling or some may imply harassing a company to obtain information. I came across these “Beauty Sampling” or “Makeup of the Month” type programs that excited me to no end, so of course I needed to know who is the best . My research has led to the compiled list I will add shortly, as well as taking a turn into free sampling you can obtain from various companies. There were many other options that I came across besides the ones in the list including Indi companies, very specialized programs, and ones that are awesome but tormenting by not being available in the U.S. Generally the company has you fill out a questionnaire about yourself so that they can send a more customized selection for you. Most are monthly subscriptions or with options to skip a month, send as a gift or buy 3, 6 or 12months at a discount. Yeah!! I know
Here is what I came up with.
Good Reviews
Bad Reviews
Natural Eco Friendly Boxes
Miscellaneous
Fabulous out of Country Boxes
Review Sites
Free Sample Sites
Reflexology is an ancient healing therapy that utilizes energy “pathways” on the body. The idea behind reflexology is that if an organ is not working properly then issues will manifest in the pathways that coordinate with that organ. Reflexologists can manipulate and massage the coordinating points found on the feet, face, hands, and even face. Due to this, we can usually determine the underlying cause of a breakout due to the area of the face that is broken out.
Some of the most common areas of breakout areas include:
Forehead- indicates stress
Around mouth and chin- indicate hormonal issues
Underneath the cheekbone- coordinates with colon issues
See below for a more detailed description of the reflexology points on the face and how to assist in clearing those pathways.
The Skintourage would like to send a big “Congratulations” to one of our members, Christen Brummett. This is Christen’s last official post. She will, however, continue to write for the blog from time to time. She will be attending OSU Medical School this fall. The Skintourage is excited for Christen and wishes her the very best. Look forward to reading some amazing medical related articles in the future.
GOOD LUCK CHRISTEN!!!
Everyone gets those nasty little blackheads or whiteheads that come up. You push and squeeze to try to get all that built in dirt out and all that happens is half of it comes out and your left with a sore area and possibly a scar. Well this blog will teach you how to properly extract them without leaving that scar.
The first thing you want to do before any extractions is take a warm shower or steam your face. You can best see blackheads and whiteheads right after this because the steam helps open up your pores. Make sure the lighting is good and use gloves when extracting.
There are 3 different ways to properly extract. You can use Q-tips, cotton/gauze or an extracting tool. All of these are used by professionals and if used correctly will help you avoid those dreadful scars.
Q-tips: When using Q-tips to extract you want to make sure you are wearing gloves. You will use 2 Q-tips and place one on each side of the area needed to be extracted, and roll the Q-tips down and then up towards the blackhead. Wipe off the area with the Q-tip and throw away then wipe the area with a toner best suited for their skin type.
Cotton/Gauze: Make sure you are using gloves and wrap a piece of gauze or cotton around your index fingers and follow the same procedure for Q-tips, using your index fingers.
Extracting Tool: With this tool you will place the hole of the extractor over the area to be extracted. Press down with the extracter and give it a little wiggle. Using this procedure you should be able to remove the debris without leaving any scars.
Now you can go and remove those random, stubborn blackheads and help your clients skin become more beautiful.
