The Pros’ Guide to Pampering - Real Simple Magazine

From the Editors of Real Simple Magazine

Perhaps no month begs for the spa experience more than February. Before you grab your coat, here’s what top beauty experts do at home to look and feel better.

* Hair moisturizing mask: To get her hair looking soft and shiny, Ji Baek, owner of the Rescue Beauty Lounges in New York City, wets her head and applies a handful of hair mask cream that’s rich in shea butter, avocado and organic essential oils. Next, Baek wraps her hair in a plastic bag for 20 minutes (heat helps masks penetrate deeply into the hair shafts), then rinses.

* Pore-purifying facial: Los Angeles makeup artist Taylor Chang-Babaian loves to give her face a deep cleansing. Chang-Babaian takes a warm shower then uses an electric facial steamer (available at beauty-supply stores) to begin unclogging pores (putting your face over a pot of steaming water for five minutes will also work). She applies a purifying mask with marine clay to dislodge oil and debris.

* Tall drink for really dry skin: When her skin is feeling tight and moisture-sapped, Ashunta Sheriff, a New York City makeup artist, rubs a freshly cut lemon half over her complexion (the fruit’s natural acids remove flakes and smooth skin), then steams her skin over a pot of warm water. Next, Sheriff slathers her face and neck with extra-virgin organic coconut oil.

* Beneficial brush-up: Persephenie Lea, the Los Angeles-based creator of Persephenie Studio, a line of body-care goods and custom perfumes, dry-brushes her skin before her morning shower. “It helps increase circulation, sloughs away dead cells and makes my skin look healthier,” says Lea. Starting at the soles of her feet and working up, she uses a soft-bristled body brush and long, smooth strokes, taking care to avoid sensitive areas and broken skin.

* Hand and foot healer: When manicurist Elisa Ferri finds her feet feeling rough, she uses a coarse emery board to smooth them, then massages with a thick salve containing petrolatum and lanolin to hydrate skin. She slips on a pair of cotton socks and pads around the house while the product goes to work. When Ferri’s hands and cuticles are dry, she applies olive oil.

* Head-to-toe works: Teddi Cranford, a hairstylist for Bumble and Bumble in New York City, exfoliates with a scrub for the face and another for the body. Cranford then draws a bath and adds Epsom salts and a long pour of olive oil. While Cranford soaks, she combs a treatment through her hair.

* Sleep-inducing soak: Makeup artist Helen Macaulay slips into a steaming bath after a long day on her feet. She adds several drops of relaxing essential oils (available at health-food stores), like jasmine, rose and neroli. “After bathing, I slather my skin in sweet-almond oil,” she says.

Copyright 2010 Time Inc. REAL SIMPLE is a registered trademark of Time Inc. Used by permission.

Check out some of bluebasins bath & body’s natural skin care products:

• Facial Masks
• Facial Steams
• Facial Scrub
• Body Scrubs
• Foot Products
• Luscious Shea Butter Body Butter

Refresh your face with this cucumber-yogurt mask

Yesterday I noticed that my facial skin did not look up to par. So I decided that I would use an old fashioned recipe I know with the base ingredient of cucumbers. Now even though I’ve know of the wonders of cucumbers, such as its cleaning and cleansing properties which helps your skin tremendously making it soft and supple, I’ve never really tried it till last night.

So here’s what I put in my mask:

Recipe:

1/4 seedless cucumber

2 tbls plain yogurt

1/2 tsp honey

Directions:

1. First cut two slices of cucumber and set aside. These will be used to rest on your closed eyelids.
2. Dice up the remainder of the cucumber and place in a food processor to blend. Blend till it becomes saucy like texture
3. Pour into a bowl and mix yogurt and honey completely.
4. Take some out of the bowl and smear gently on face, covering face completely.
5. Lie down and place the two cucumber slices on closed eyelids and rest for 20 minutes.
6. Rinse!.

When you rinse you will see how radiant your skin looks. While I rested, I played some soothing music to deepen my relaxation. Instead of water for my rinse, I used some cold chamomilemy tea to close my pores and extend my treatment. My face looked wonderful.

Try this recipe tonight and leave your comments!

Natural Face Masks Pack on Goodness

A Potent Make-it-Yourself Face Mask for Radiant Skin
by: Sheryl Walters

Face masks are a good way to thoroughly cleanse and nourish the skin on a deep level. There are many natural skin care facemasks on the market, but you can easily make your own at home… and you will probably find that it is even more nutrient dense and chemical free than what you can buy in the shops.

Here is a powerful facemask to nurture and pamper your skin, making it smooth and vibrant. It is packed full of antioxidants and beautifying properties to ensure radiance.

Natural Skin Care Ingredient number 1…Chocolate

Chocolate has recently been rediscovered to be one of the most nutrititous foods on the planet. Raw chocolate in its purest form has the highest amount of cancer fighting, disease busting, premature age destroying antioxidants on the planet.

While chocolate used to be known to cause acne, it has since been recognized that the milk in chocolate (or a whole list of other ingredients that make up your average chocolate bar) is the cause of acne. In fact, it has recently been discovered that putting milk in powerful foods such as tea and chocolate keeps the antioxidants from being absorbed.

The Mayans and the Aztecs called chocolate the food of the Gods. In addition to its high levels of antioxidants, it contains ingredients that regulate mood, increase libido, and leave us feeling peaceful, relaxed, and full of love.

If you can get raw chocolate powder, it is best. If you can’t get it, simply use pure, unsweetened cocoa powder.


Natural Skin Care Ingredient Number 2…Avocado

Many anti-aging skin care products use avocado oil for its anti-aging properties that create youthful, glowing skin. It defends against carcinogens and other elements that can cause disharmony in our skin.

It is also rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which is anti-inflammatory (inflammation is one of the biggest causes of aging) and is a potent moisturizer. Avocados increase the elasticity of the skin.

Natural Skin Care Ingredient Number 3… Green Tea

Green tea is consistently being hailed as a powerful antioxidant, and is one of the people of Okinawa Japan’s secrets for longevity and vibrant health. Putting it on directly on the skin is equally potent.

Natural Skin Care Ingredient Number 4…Honey

Honey is a great anti-bacterial agent, will open up the pores, and will deeply cleanse and detoxify the skin. It will also make the mask sticky.

If you want your mask to be strictly vegan and raw, you can use agave nectar, which has similar properties.

Natural Skin Care Ingredient Number 5…Oatmeal

Oatmeal naturally exfoliates the skin to remove dead skin cells, leaving it soft and smooth.

Oatmeal is also well known for its healing properties.

Mix them all up

Mix one mashed avocado, 3 tablespoons of raw chocolate powder or cocoa powder, 2 dessert spoons of honey, and 2 tablespoons of oatmeal. Infuse green tea in a small cup of hot water and let it cool. Add a splash to the mixture, or enough to make it into a paste.

Treat Your Skin

Apply on the face, gently massaging it so that oatmeal can start exfoliating the dead skin cell layer. Leave it on for about 20 minutes and rinse off with luke warm water.