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!

An ingrown hair is when a hair grows sideways or curls back into the skin.  If the pore the hair grows in is clogged or blocked the hair is forced to grow irregularly.  They are most common in areas we shave or wax, and in people with curly hair.    Some symptoms of an ingrown hair are itching skin, red bumps, small pus filled papules, and sometimes even a rash.  Ingrown hairs can sometimes cause discomfort and can even lead to infections or scaring.  If you see an ingrown hair, you can use a warm wash cloth on the area and tweeze it out. This may cause a slight discomfort, but you want the ingrown hair out so it won’t lead to infections.

None of us want any of these symptoms, so you may ask…How do we prevent these awful ingrown hairs?  Easily!  The most effective way to make sure to keep your ingrown hairs away is to exfoliate… Exfoliate…EXFOLIATE!  Exfoliating is simply a method of sloughing off the layer of dead skin cells that can build up on your skin.  You can exfoliate in OR out of the shower, and it’s best to focus on the area you shave or wax regularly.

We have many products and services here at Kimberly Spa to help keep away those pesky ingrown hairs, and help keep your skin feeling soft and smooth.  My personal favorites are the Full Body Exfoliations, and the Sugar scrubs! We also have detox bath gels, and scrubby gloves to help exfoliate the skin.

  So remember, before and after you shave or wax, EXFOLIATE!

My favorite way to do it is with a Total Body Exfoliation…I just LOVE it!  It sluffs off the old, dead skin cells and hydrates my skin at the same time.  Plus, regular skin exfoliations speed up the skin renewal process allowing healthier skin cells to take their place.  It is a great way to relieve stress, and encourages natural blood flow.

Salt scrubs are perfect for rough, coarse skin that needs a little extra love.  Sugar scrubs are best for sensitive skin.  Try adding a little aromatherapy oil to your scrub…it’s a great way to enhance your treatment.

• Stressed?  Try adding Lavender, Chamomile or Sandalwood to ease
• Poor Memory?  Add some Rosemary.
• Postnatal Depression? Adding some Bergamot, Chamomile or Neroli to help lift your spirits.
• Anxiety? Cedarwood, Lavender and Bergamot are soothing and calming.
• Mental Fatigue?  Adding a little Peppermint makes you feel like you’ve just had a 15 minute power nap!

Schedule your appointment for a Total Body Exfoliation today…and you can be the next one saying “See ya later Alligator”!!

The holiday season is creeping up on us quick!  This time of the year can cause a lot of stress.

While everyone knows that stress can take a toll on a person physically and psychologically, it also can lead to other problems, such as acne, brittle nails or even hair loss.  When you become stressed, your cortisol level rises.  This in turn causes an increase in oil production, which can lead to oily skin, acne and other related skin problems. Professionals have also found that stress has a negative effect on the barrier function of the skin, resulting in water loss that inhibits the skin’s ability to repair itself after an injury.  Scientist’s and Doctor’s have said that skin rejuvenation procedures such as Facials, Pedicures, Massages, etc. can help lower your stress levels.  When people feel more attractive and more confident in their appearance, they tend to perform better in other areas of their lives (work, family life, social life, and marriage or personal relationships.)

Here are some tips to help lower your stress level this Holiday Season!

Tip#1 – Drink lots of water! – Its not just good for your body but its great for your skin!

Tip#2 – Take time for yourself! – Call up your sitter and schedule a Spa day!  It’s a fun and relaxing way to lower your Cortisol levels! Plus, who doesn’t love to be pampered?

Tip#3 – Ask for help! – Nothing is better then getting stuff prepared together!  Friends and family are great listeners and are always good to have around!

Tip#4 – Have fun! – Turn up the radio while cleaning or cooking and dance away! (Make sure your blinds are closed! lol)

Tip#5 – Follow your skin care regimen! – This will help control the oil production and will keep your face looking gorgeous!  Ask your Esthetician if there is anything else you should be doing/using!

Happy Holidays!

 Take into consideration the darker the chocolate the better. Dark chocolate also contains vitamins D and E which are great for your skin and body. In a study woman who took a ½ cup of cocoa with 329 milligrams of antioxidants a day for 12 weeks saw:

• -protection from harmful UV rays
• -42% reduction in skin scaliness
• -30% reduction in skin redness
• -16% increase in skin density
• -13% increase in skin moistness
• -11% increase in skin thickness
• -25% reduction in UV light induced skin reddening compared to tests conducted before the study

Overall, chocolate will leave the skin feel smoother and more moisturized. Your skin will appear less scaly and red after exposure to ultraviolet light. (Be sure you are still wearing your daily SPF!!) Chocolate helps increase blood flow which makes it look more refreshed and smooth.

Think about this while purchasing that bag of candy for Halloween.  That way when you sneak a snack, you won’t feel so guilty!

I’ll never forget the day I discovered eye shadow. I was 13 years old attending 7^th grade at my Jr. High school. Yes!!  I had graduated from the Little Leagues to, what I considered at the time, “The BIG leagues!”

Just a few weeks before I started 7^th grade, I went to a garage sale in one of my friends’ neighborhoods. The lady holding the sale was a cosmetologist. She had “used” make-up for sale and I found a brown eye shadow that I thought was so crazy dark that I decided to buy it for 5 cents!

It really wasn’t until about the 2^nd week of school that I got brave and decided to wear it. I would always show up for school early so I could sit on the steps leading to the front door of the school and chat “with the people”. That day, I had so many compliments about my make-up that it just lit me on fire! I had other girls asking me what I used and how I did it. From then on I fell in love with change.

I have the most awesome job around. I get to help others with a “positive” change to themselves. But sometimes when I suggest to clients that we could do a certain treatment to promote a change in their appearance, they react with a bit of apprehension. Once I describe the benefits and the positives of what the treatment will do, they get on board.

Sometimes “change” takes more than a few days, or even weeks before you see a difference. But typically with what we can do at Kimberly Spa through treatments and/or make-up… you will see a change the minute you look in the mirror! It can be as little as adding a brow pencil to define the brows… or it can be a series of Facials!

I love my job, I love positive change and I love helping others discover their “fire”!

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.