-Apply sunblock at least 30 min. before going into the sun

-Avoid peak hours of sun of sun exposure between 10-4

-Reapply sun protection every two hours especially if sweating or swimming

-Wear hats and sunglasses

-AVOID tanning beds

It may seem like a little extra work, however, taking these few simple precautions will help you’re skin to stay looking young and vibrant.

You don’t know what Vitamin-c does for your skin? Well, here’s the scoop:

It’s not a huge secret that Vitamin C is good for the body but some people don’t know that it is also a very effective antioxidant that helps boost your skin’s defense against free-radicals. Free-radicals are unstable molecules that age the skin. The effect of too much sun, alcohol consumption, high altitudes are all major causes of free-radicals. Vitamin C strengthens the structural support and resiliency of your skin by increasing the production of collagen.

The Magic C Facial begins with your Esthetician cleansing and examining your skin. They will then put the appropriate enzyme mask on your skin under steam for about 10 minutes. Once the enzyme mask is removed with warm water, the magic begins! Your Esthetician will begin the first step to your vitamin c boost (amazing smelling scrub). She will work the scrub on your face for about 5 minutes or until she feels the dead skin has all been removed. She will then apply the Activator to the skin and continue to massage your face for about 5 more minutes. When the activator is applied, you will feel a warming sensation. This warming sensation is the vitamin c being forced down into your skin! The product is then removed and an appropriate hydrating mask will be applied to get your skin ready for the world again! Your Esthetician will also apply the appropriate eye cream, moisturizer and SPF! You will leave Kimberly Spa feeling refreshed and all around amazing! The facial also includes Kimberly Spa’s signature foot treatment as well!

Good news, Kimberly Spa also has a retail products that you can purchase to use at home to continue fight those nasty free-radicals! We have the Microderma Crystal C system by Agera (scrub and activator), Collagen-C Young Skin Complex by Visual Changes, ‘C’ Complexe Serum and  “C” Évolutive Eye Gel by Pevonia. Ask you Esthetician which of these amazing products will work best for you and your skin!

Call or Book your Kimberly Spa Magic-C Facial online now to get your skin rejuvenated and ready for summer!

As everyone knows, the first color of the rainbow is red.  Red is the brightest color with the longest wavelength in the visible light spectrum, which is why it is often used as a healing light.  It increases healing and tissue growth in the skin and other organs.  NASA first discovered this, when astronauts with wounds, healed when exposed to the same red light that was used to grow the plants on board.  Later, this light therapy became known as LED (light emitting diode) therapy, which you can find right here at Kimberly Spa in the Photo Rejuvenation Facial!

But the benefits of red don’t stop there.  Red foods are also great. They contain lycopene, which may reduce your risk of prostate, cervical and lung cancer.  It’s also an antioxidant that can help lower blood pressure and LDL cholesterol, support joint tissue, and keep regular gastrointestinal health.  So… red light is great for the skin, red food is good for the body…but what about those who’s favorite color is red?

Red is commonly associated with courage, strength, vitality, ambition and may help overcome negative thoughts.  However, too much red can lead to impatience, aggressiveness and anger.  That is why most decorators will use red as a design color sparingly…as an accent, or only one room in the house.

Sum it up to this…for a little more vim and vigor…for a little extra spunk…red is the color for you!

Fall is an awesome time to concentrate on reversing any damage that has been done during those harsh summer days.  Or maybe you have acne scars that you are self-conscious about…microdermabrasion is a non-invasive treatment that exfoliates the dermis (outer layer of skin) and gets rid of those pesky dead skin cells.  Your skin becomes smooth, has more of an even texture, and there is NO down time…and that is after just ONE treatment!  Just imagine how fresh, smooth, and luminous your skin will look after the recommended 4-8 weekly treatments!

One of my favorite things about micro’s (for short) is that it stimulates collagen, which is responsible for keeping the skin hydrated and helps prevent fine lines & wrinkles.  It also helps to increase cell turnover aiding in the removal of blackheads & acne scarring.

Microdermabrasion is (in my humble opinion) one of the BEST things you can do for your skin without using lasers or botox…or, needless to say, ”going under the knife”!

My own father was very reluctant to get spa treatments when I became an esthetician 15 years ago.   He is an “old-school” kind of guy…raised in an era when men never got these types of treatments.   At first, I had to talk him in to it…but now he is not only comfortable getting treatments, he actually looks forward to them!   He leaves feeling refreshed, with unclogged pores and with  younger, healthier looking skin.

A first-time male client (age 50+) who had never been into a spa before describes his experience…”I had a good feeling as soon as I walked in to Kimberly Spa.   It was luxurious, and comfortable…while still being clinically professional.   They earned my trust.”

Ladies, if you have a boyfriend, brother, father, spouse or just a good male friend who is curious about what a “spa experience” is all about…share our “Look Good~Feel Good” secret and send them to Kimberly Spa!   They will love it just as much as you do, and it will be an experience they’ll never forget!

In order to choose a correct sunscreen, you need to understand the differences between UVA and UVB rays.  UVA (ultraviolet-A) are long-wave solar rays that are less likely to cause sunburn; however, they penetrate the skin more deeply and contribute the most to photo-aging.  Recent studies also show that UVA increase UVB’s cancer-causing effects.  UVB (ultraviolet-B) are short-wave solar rays that are more likely to sunburn; however, these rays are considered the main cause of basal and squamous cell carcinomas as well as significant cause of melanoma.

Now that you’re armed with UV information, let’s talk about the why some sun protection is called sunscreen or sunblock. Their main purpose is right in the name and most UV protection has a combination of both types.  Sunscreens chemically absorb UV rays and sunblocks physically deflect UV rays.  Sunscreens have always been a means to protect against UVB but until recently they provided little to no UVA protection. While some ingredients such as octylcrylene and benzophenones have improved sunscreen’s defense against shorter UVA rays, the ingredient avobenzone (Parsol1789) works against all UVA wavelengths.  Some other key ingredients to search for when choosing a broad-spectrum sunscreen include:  titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, or mexoryl.

The last piece to our puzzle is SPF (sun protection factor).  Who really knows what this means?  Against popular belief, SPF does not mean stronger protection. It measures the length of time you’re protected from skin reddening from UVB rays, compared to how long it takes the skin to redden without protection.  Keep in mind that there is not a comparable standard in measurement for UVA rays.  If it takes 15 minutes without protection to begin reddening, using an SPF 15 should prevent reddening 15 times longer, however, this only applies when you are not swimming or sweating.  If you are swimming or engaging in vigorous activity please use water-resistant sunscreen, towel-dry before applying more, and re-apply every 45-75 minutes.   Studies have shown that the average person only applies half the recommended amount of sunscreen, doesn’t apply it often enough, and doesn’t wait the recommended 15-30 minutes to go outside.  No matter how you look at it, sunscreen should be applied often and liberally!

So the next time you’re standing in front of shelves filled with options for sunscreen, you will feel confident in choosing one that will meet all requirements to offer you the best UVA and UVB protection.

I remember back in high school, it was the week of prom and all of the girls just had to be as dark as they could get.  I can still distinctly remember the ones who went into a spray tanning booth.  The real give away was when they would wave at you… the palms of their hands were so discolored and streaky that you would question if they were dirty or not.

Ever since then I haven’t been too fond of spray tans… then I found out there was an alternative, St. Tropez Airbrush Tanning.

With St. Tropez, you get a more natural looking tan with even results.  This “airbrush tan” is applied in precise amounts and it’s customizable, you can decide if you only want certain areas to be tan.  Whereas with a “spray tan,” a booth will spray your whole body making your already tan areas darker and it will miss small areas here and there.

Since the St. Tropez solution is a natural brown color (verses an orange solution that is used for Spray tanning), you won’t look like a walking carrot!  St. Tropez works with your skin… not against it.  Your skin allows the solution to get as dark as you naturally would. Granted, the orange hued girls at my school gave me a small chuckle, I wish they would have known about the difference in solutions.

I, personally, feel EVERYONE should convert to airbrush tanning.  The poor people that have to suffer with discoloration have been humiliated enough.  It’s time to say goodbye to orange and say hellooooo to bronze.

How interesting that all of the women that have crossed over “the change” tell you all the wonders of menopause – no cramps, no bloating, no monthly visit from Aunt Flow…sounds great, right?  But what about the ACNE???  No one mentioned this to me!  Will my little pink estrogen pill help with that too?  Sadly …no.

At least 10% of women suffer from menopausal acne.  Hormonal changes during menopause, are a lot like the ones we experience during puberty.  And I don’t know about you, but please put that at the top of my list of times I do not want to revisit.  Our skin has glands that produce oil, known as Sebum.  Although our skin cells die and regenerate, during hormone changes this becomes exasperated.  Therefore, we end up with more oil and dead skin cells than we want or need.  Hair follicles will be more likely to become clogged with dead skin cells and Sebum during our hormone rages, thus causing pimples.   So what do we do to end these frustrating little bumps?

   1. Washing your face twice a day is a great start.  Use an exfoliating  scrub regularly to rid skin of excess oil and dead skin cells. 

   2.  Speak with an esthetician regarding a facial experience that will work for your skin condition.  

   3.  Don’t forget to eat a healthy diet full of calcium and fiber and drink 8 to 10 glasses of water daily – remember the freshman 15 – no one wants to re-live that! 

   4.  Most importantly during this time be kind and pamper yourself! 

And then remember, sometimes a change of life can be a beautiful thing…even with a few bumps in the road.

Have you experienced any bumps in the road?  Please share!

-Christy