New Sauna Routine

So after my awkward, yet enlightening, sauna experience, I've come up with my own routine.  I only had an opportunity to try it out twice this week, but follow along and maybe we will see sauna beauty benefits together!!

At the gym, I generally run for 20 minutes followed by stretching, lunges, arms...and then it is on to the pampering!

SHOWER

1. Rinse and cleanse
2. Exfoliate face 
3. Dry bristle brush body
4. Wash hair
5. Intense Hydrating Mask treatment- wrap head in towel and leave on while in sauna

SAUNA

1. Stay in for 15 minutes at the very least
2. Lay on the upper level and raise my legs up against a wall (sort of like this, but with a bit more of a bend in my knee)
3. Drink water periodically

BACK TO SHOWER

1. Rinse out conditioning treatment with warm (not hot) water
2. Rinse and wash body

BACK TO THE SAUNA

1. Apply skin cream or oil while in the heat of the sauna

I Dermaplaned! And I think I Might Be in Love...

Awhile back I wrote about the new exfoliation method of dermaplaning in my post, "Do You Dare to Dergmaplane."

This new(ish) medspa treatment promises glowing skin by "shaving" off that top layer of dry, dull skin (and taking off the vellus hair- aka peach fuzz- for an added glow!).

I was hesitant at first, worried that I would be lathered with shaving cream and straight edged.  But that is not at all how it works!

After my skin was thoroughly washed by Christine at the Plastic Surgery Group in Albany, NY, she then painstakingly dermaplaned my skin, inch-by-inch.  This incredibly pain-free experience was not only relaxing but also satisfying as you heard the "scraping away" of dull and dry skin.  On top of the manual exfoliation, a chemical exfoliating peel is added to amplify your glow.

Here are my (no makeup) before and after pics....what do you think...would you dermaplane??

BEFORE

AFTER

AFTER (with natural light)

Email Turned Blog Post

I spend a lot of time emailing friends ideas about skincare products.  And it only recently occurred to me that it might be a good idea to share some of this e-intel with some of you guys as well!  Here's an email I sent to my good friend who feels like she should have started a skincare routine much earlier (the good news is that it's never too late!).  She wanted some ideas on products and wanted me to cut to the chase and to share the good stuff!

Addling links for easy product research!!


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Products:

Retinol:  

Skinmedica Retinol Complex (.25) two times a week and I like it.  

Exfoliate:

Kate Somervilles Exfolikate- really really good.  Pricey but I think it's on the low end of the price scale when you look at products that really pack a punch.  Strong too.  Start off massaging on your skin for about 30 seconds and then leave on for 30 seconds.  You can build up/gauge your tolerance as you go!

Serums:

I just started using No 7 prevent and protect serum- verdict is still out...not loving it.  The texture is too "soft".  I prefer a more liquid consistency and, truthfully, something that smells more stringent.  I reco the K. Somerville Quench Serum.  Look for hyaluronic acid.

Creams:

Obagi is my favorite- but very pricey.  I love the Regenica and the Hydrate.

Cleansers:

I just finished up a bottle of SkinCeuticals gentle cleanser.  It's fine but not sure if it's any better than the Aveeno cream cleanser I just bought.

I went on a Target shopping spree last week and bought a lot of Aveeno products (day creams, night creams, etc).  I REALLY want to be impressed by them, but still not too sure.  I'll let you know at bridge if you are better off going with the good stuff.

And for more retinol intel

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Ok, I know what you all are thinking....  Yes, I play Bridge :)