How to prevent exercise acne (video)

In this short video from DermTV, Dr. Neal Schultz explains why many people experience acne as a result of sweating during exercise.:

Sweating during exercise is beneficial to the body for elimination, but not so beneficial for keeping your skin free of blemishes. To reduce the likelihood of acne breakouts resulting from your workout:

• wash face before exercising
• remove makeup before exercising
• tone facial skin before exercising 

Allison B. Kontur

www.BathBodySupply.com

Recipe: 2 in 1 Shampoo & Body Wash

Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

This salon grade shampoo has mild cleansing properties and offers high grade performance with outstanding results. Effective on all hair types, even if used daily yet gentle enough to use as a mild body wash. Gives hair shine and manageability. Aloe Vera and vegetable glycerin to add body and strength to hair while helping skin retain moisture. 

You WIll Need:

8 oz Aloe Vera Shampoo

1.25 (1/4 tsp) Aquatico Fragrance Oil

10 drops D&C Green #5 - Liquid Colorant (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a sterile beaker. When all ingredients are thoroughly incorporated, pour into sterile bottle with push disc cap for easy dispensing.

Allison B. Kontur

www.BathBodySupply.com

Recipe: Marine Facial Cleanser

Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

Our Botanical Facial Cleanser Base exhibits mild foaming action derived from sources like corn, coconut and sugar beets and emulsified to a creamy consistency. It includes Chamomile, Aloe, Cucumber and Japanese Green Tea extracts, each used to soothe, tighten and act as an anti-oxidant on the skin. The addition of seaweed extract proves useful for oily skin to stimulate circulation, deep clean and detoxify while increasing skin hydration and elasticity.

You Will Need:

8 oz Botanical Facial Cleanser

5 ml  Seaweed, Tincture (Organic)

10 drops Cedarwood Essential Oil

15 drops Grapefruit (White) Essential Oil 

Combine ingredients in a sterile container and blend well to incorporate.

To Use: Apply a small amount of cleanser to damp skin using a circular motion to break loose oil and debris. Rinse thoroughly and moisturize as needed.

Allison B. Kontur

www.BathBodySupply.com

Decoding skincare for men

Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

Male skin tends to be thicker and oilier than female skin, with larger pores and less of a tendency to wrinkle until later in life. Men often don't get fine wrinkles like woman, but larger creases and folds in the skin. Until recently, most men regarded a skin-care routine as unnecessary but many manufacturers of skin care products are developing products formulated especially for the male skin.

Following a few simple rules can help build the base for a basic skincare routine for men.

1. Shave correctly. Shaving with the grain will reduce the chance of ingrown hair and keep the skin smoother. When you want a particularly close shave, shave with the grain first to remove most of the hair and then shave against the grain. Just don't do it too often! Shave after showering, while the skin is still moist and the whiskers are softened, and lather well. Rinse the razor often while shaving; debris caught between the blades contributes to nicking.
2. Avoid Detergents, use Real Soap. Use a non-drying soap or soap substitute to wash the face.
3. Exfoliate. Once or twice a week, use an exfoliant after cleansing your face. As dead skin cells accumulate on the surface, they trap oil and dirt which contribute to rough skin and blemishes. Exfoliating prevents dull, bumpy skin.
4. Tone. After cleansing the face and shaving apply an all-natural aftershave or herbal toner to close pores and remove any leftover residue. Don't use products with an alcohol base, which can be drying to the skin and has no real benefit except a slight astringent quality.
5. Moisturize. Avoid products with a mineral oil or petroleum base, which can clog pores. Those with sensitive skin may want to use fragrance-free skin care products.
6. Use Sunblock. Many signs of aging including wrinkles, splotches, brown spots, rough skin and broken blood vessels can be blamed on overexposure to the sun. Using a moisturizer with SPF can help prevent these signs of aging.

 Allison B. Kontur

www.BathBodySupply.com

Skin care tips for men (video)

Do the words 'exfoliate,' 'cleanse,' and 'moisturize' sound foreign to you? If you're a man, it doesn't mean you shouldn't look after your skin. This video from About.com outlines some easy tips to help men keep their skin in shape.

Cleanse - Men's skin is 15% oilier than women's skin.

Exfoliate - 1-2 times per week.

Repairing - Toners with Glycolic Acid or Alpha Hydroxy Acid. Shave regularly with new blades.

Moisturize - Overly dry skin is more prone to acne breakouts, love your lips with lip balm too!

Protect - Sunscreen helps protect against cancer, decrease alcohol intake, increase water intake, bump up your vitamin c and don't smoke!

Allison B. Kontur

www.BathBodySupply.com

How does color theory affect what we buy?

Pure white light, such as sunlight, is composed of the visible colors. Sir Isaac Newton discovered this in 1666 by passing a beam of light through a prism.

Colors act upon the body as well as the mind. Color is light and light is energy. Scientists have found that actual physiological changes take place in human beings when they are exposed to certain colors. Colors can stimulate, excite, depress, tranquilize, increase appetite and create a feeling of warmth or coolness.

Blue often ranks at the top of surveys exploring “favorite” colors. The color Blue has been shown to slow pulse rate and lower body temperature. The implications for product design: blue lends a quieting/relaxing appearance to spa type products.

Green, also one of the most popular colors, is more versatile. While it, too, has a soothing effect, it also represents renewal, youth, and vigor. Green portrays a calming effect and may imply "nature". Many natural and organic products use green in their branding.

Red is full of energy and excitement! It actually raises the blood pressure and makes the heart beat faster. Associated with desire and passion, it’s a perfect color for exotic, sensual, luxury products but not for children's products. Pink – a very light tint of red – is a very calming color, and is a fine choice for branding children's, tweens or teen's products.

Yellow, like sunshine, imparts happiness, hope, and optimism. Studies show that the brain actually releases more serotonin when the eye sees yellow – creating positive psychological vibes. Yellow can bolster creativity and is a great choice for products intended to put a pep in your step or boost self esteem.

Orange is another happy color. More attention-grabbing than yellow, orange has energy and warmth. Orange is not a calm color, so it’s best to bypass it when branding products intended for relaxation. Research indicates its lighter shades appeal to an upscale market.

Purple is an overwhelming favorite of tweens and teens and has been considered the color of royalty for centuries. It is associated with wealth, prosperity, rich sophistication. Branding with purple can lend an air of mystery, wisdom, and respect.

Black is a great accent color, imparting elegance, formality, and sophistication, but too much black can be depressing. Black is the color of authority and power, stability and strength. It is also the color associated with intelligence.

White, on the other hand, conveys peace, simplicity, and spaciousness. It can provide a sharp contrast to other colors. For most of the world this is the color associated with purity, cleanliness, and safety. It is also used to project the absence of color, or neutrality.

Not just for designers and artists, the use of color theory can be crucial for businesses to determine their own branding as well as the message they aim to send through their online presence.

Allison B. Kontur

www.BathBodySupply.com

What color is your brand?

One area of branding we often take for granted is color. But color plays a huge role in how we perceive the items advertised to us as well as the items we buy. In this video, William Arruda from Reach Personal Branding outlines how you can benefit from the power of color. Find out what color best communicates your personal brand attributes.

(Note: We found the accompanying music annoying and muted the volume. Parts of the slideshow move too quickly and may need to be paused if you need time to take notes.)

Allison B. Kontur

www.BathBodySupply.com

2011 Color Trends

While the 2010 color of the year, PANTONE 15-5519 Turquoise, served as an escape for many, Honeysuckle emboldens us to face everyday troubles with verve and vigor. A dynamic reddish pink, Honeysuckle is encouraging and uplifting. It elevates our psyche beyond escape, instilling the confidence, courage and spirit to meet the exhaustive challenges that have become part of everyday life.

Exotic destinations like Africa, India, Peru and Turkey are the inspiration for Spring 2011:

Each season, Pantone surveys the designers of New York Fashion Week to determine the 10 most directional colors. You can download the entire PANTONE® Fashion Color Report SPRING 2011 (as a printable pdf).

"The colors designers have chosen for the spring season present an interesting marriage of unexpected warm and cool tones," said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®. "By cleverly combining complementary colors, those that are opposites on the color wheel, they have created a striking intensity to the palette. These unique color combinations make it possible for consumers to pair existing pieces in colors traditionally associated with fall, with new favorites to punch up springtime wardrobes."

Old Hollywood, Chinese opera, cityscapes and countryside inspired rich, warm colors Fall 2011:

Each season, Pantone surveys the designers of New York Fashion Week to determine the 10 most directional colors. You can download the entire PANTONE® Fashion Color Report FALL 2011

“Designers take a painterly approach to fall 2011 by artfully combining bright colors with staple neutrals, reminiscent of how an artist would construct a stunning work of art,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute^®. “Much like a painter's masterpiece, there is a certain romance to this season's palette.”

For over 17 years, Pantone, the global authority on color, has surveyed the designers of New York Fashion Week and beyond to bring you the season's most important color trends.

Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com

Valentine's Day Special Offer!

Allison B. Kontur

www.BathBodySupply.com

Anti-Aging Tip: Remove your makeup daily

One of the easiest habits to slow the appearance of aging skin, is the simple act of removing your makeup each night before bed.

How to Remove Your Makeup: Anti-Aging Skin Care Tips -- powered by eHow.com

There are all kinds of commercial makeup removers on the market, but we've found one natural product that works every time and is compatible with nearly every skin type. It's so simple, it consists of just one ingredient.

Jojoba Oil is non-comedogenic and by far, the best makeup remover. Available in Golden or Clear varieties, the Golden Jojoba Oil tends to have a slight odor and the refined, Clear Jojoba Oil tends to be odorless. You only need a few drops on a cotton ball or pad. One or two swipes is all it takes to remove even waterproof or long-lasting formulas. Any residual oil can be rubbed in as a moisturizer or wiped clean if the skin feels overly-oily.

Allison B. Kontur

www.BathBodySupply.com

Recipe: Gentle Facial Wash

123rf.com

You will need:

8 oz Botanical Facial Cleanser
0.5 oz Oat Straw, Tincture (Organic)
5 ml (1 tsp) Japanese Green Tea Extract

Combine ingredients in a capped bottle and shake well to blend.

If you would like to add fragrance, use an essential oil of your choice at less than 0.5% (approx 1.25ml or 1/8-1/4 tsp). Fragrance oils have a tendency to irritate sensitive facial skin.

To Use: Wet face. Dispense a nickel sized portion of cleanser into clean hands and rub to start a light lather. Apply to facial skin, taking care to avoid the eyes and lips. Use finger tips in a circular motion to debride akin of contaminants. Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water. Pat dry and apply moisturizer. You may find it useful to use a microfiber cloth.

Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com

Turn back time with Microdermabrasion

123rf.com

Microdermabrasion is a subtle technique when compared to other skin resurfacing procedures. The skin surface undergoes gentle abrasion or polishing, to remove the uppermost layer, by using a hand-held device that blows fine crystals onto the skin or via creams containing fine crystals for manual microdermabrasion.

If you are looking to improve skin texture, microdermabrasion is one of the most popular non-surgical cosmetic procedures. It is a great way to refine the skin and generally takes only 20-30 minutes for a full session. Performed at home with a cream or at the spa by an esthetician, the microdermabrasion treatment process not only exfoliates the outer layers of dead skin, but stimulates new cell growth and collagen production at the same time.

 

Benefits of Microdermabrasion

• Results are seen immediately
• It is a comparatively inexpensive procedure
• Improves texture of skin
• Refines pores
• Diminishes fine lines and wrinkles

In-spa treatments with a trained esthetician can run upwards of $100 per session with 6 consecutive treatments generally recommended to see the desired results. 

At home treatments require anywhere from 0.25 oz - 1 oz Microdermabrasion Cream per treatment at a cost of roughly $1.55/oz  (including shipping fees) when using our professional grade cream. 

Microdermabrasion Cream: De-Ionized Water, Aluminum Oxide Crystals, Glyceryl Monostearate, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Vitis Vinifera (Grapeseed) Oil, Simmondsia Chinesis (Jojoba) Oil, Cannibis Sativa (Hemp) Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglycerides, Vegetable Glycerine, Stearic Acid, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Cetyl Alcohol (Fatty Acid), Diazolidinyl Urea, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Disodium EDTA.

To learn more about microdermabrasion check out this video.

Allison B. Kontur

www.BathBodySupply.com

Why does women's skin appear to age worse than men's? (video)

In this short video from DermTV, Dr. Neal Schultz explains why, even at comparable ages, women's skin appears older than men's.:

• Most men shave daily from about the age of 13 which exfoliates the skin to look smoother. 
• Men have higher levels of testosterone which increases oil levels and the thickness of the middle layer of skin. This delays the emergence of lines and wrinkles. 
• At perimenopause, the levels of estrogen in women fall, thinning the upper and middle layers of skin. This causes a loss of plumpness and lustre.

Allison B. Kontur

www.BathBodySupply.com

Olive Butter for dry, sore cuticles!

Olive Butter is the butter obtained from cold pressed olives. Olive Butter possesses all of the natural qualities of Olive Oil and is similar in feel to Shea Butter. It has excellent spreadability and can be used as a massage butter. It can also be added to soap, creams, lotions, lip balms, body butters, hair pomades, bath bombs and more. Because of it's creamy consistency, Olive Butter can also be used "as is."

Save 12% on all sizes Olive Butter now through 2/14/11

Allison B. Kontur

www.BathBodySupply.com

How to give a hand massage (Video)

One of the things I love about the spa are the complimentary hand massages while I'm receiving spa treatments. Believe it or not, a basic hand massage is not difficult to perform and can help relieve a lot of the tension caused by daily repetitive motion like typing or text messaging.

An appropriate lotion makes a big difference! Some lotions contain too much water to withstand the friction of massage and create "drag" which can be painful. The higher the water content, the faster the lotion will evaporate. A lotion with higher oil content like our Natural Botanical Lotion is excellent for massage as it was designed for this purpose and contains high-GLA botanical oils to help improve the appearance of dry, tired skin.

Tip: Offer a hand massage to your partner to help alleviate tension, improve their (and your) mood and help restore the appearance of dry, winter hands. Try alternating who gives the massage and who receives the massage so that you both can benefit!

Allison B. Kontur

www.BathBodySupply.com

Recipe: Gentle Hand Cleanser

Our Pure Organic Vegetable Castile Liquid Soap is designed to serve as a multi-functional cleansing product, and is truly an all-natural product with excellent foaming.  It can be used as a shampoo, a body wash, a mild hand cleanser, etc.  This product should be used at full strength, it is not a concentrate.

You will need:

16 oz Organic Castile Soap

5 ml (1 tsp) Bitter Almond Natural Fragrance Oil

Combine ingredients in a 16 ounce capacity bottle. Apply a pump closure and shake well to incorporate fragrance throughout base. Some essential oils and fragrances containing citrus components especially may not blend completely with this base. 

Allison B. Kontur

www.BathBodySupply.com

 

We've got the stuff for "Winter Hands"!

© Valentyn75 | Dreamstime.com

Looking at your hands this time of year leaves a lot to be desired. Dry skin, cracked cuticles, not to mention parched! Winter is no friend to hands, one of the most exposed parts of the body (besides our faces). Unless you're getting a manicure, hands don't get a lot of love. 

Thick and rich Shea & Aloe Lotion to the rescue! This lotion base contains shea butter, silk proteins and aloe vera to perk up even the most tired winter hands. A little goes a long way and this non-greasy formula is a simple way to incorporate the benefits of shea butter when you can't use straight shea butter. Paraben-free formula is available in Bulk-Unscented or Custom Scented from our 100+ stock fragrances.

We accidentally ordered too much of this base so we're passing on an 8% discount on our Bulk, Unscented Shea & Aloe Lotion to help reduce inventory on hand. This thick, non-greasy cream is best packaged in jars for ease of use although it can be easily dispensed through a lotion pump.

Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com