Rosacea Triggers

Today I got the lovely news that I have Rosacea. This skin disorder typically begins after age 30 and the tell-tell signs are redness on the cheeks, nose, chin or forehead that may come and go. Eventually the redness becomes ruddier and more persistent. In other words you look like a hot mess, and not like the picture! I had a feeling this would be my diagnosis but I was in denial and wanted to stay there. I had been using very aggressive products with a bunch of retinals and AHAs to combat this 'condition' I felt I had, only to find out that I was using the exact opposite of what would be helpful. So today I have been studying up on what causes rosacea and what triggers it. According to the National Rosacea Society, there are 16 million of us being diagnosed. With summer in full swing, (heat and sun being big triggers) I thought I would share what I have learned from my doctor and from the wonderful world wide web!

1. Hot Temperatures. This can be anything from a hot bath, sauna,  exercise, or too much sun. The one thing the dermatologist stressed to me is that I NEED to be wearing my sun screen even if I am not going outside. People with rosacea are very sun sensitive. 
2. Skin Care products that cause stinging or redness. Stay away from drying cleansers, retinols, alpha hydroxy acids, glycolic acids, and the like. Be kind to your skin and use hydrating cleansers and anti-inflamatory cosmetics and moisturizers. 
3. Vitamin D. A new study is being considered now. One study group found that patients with rosacea had an average vitamin D level 25 percent higher than the healthy individuals in the group. Something to consider. I am faithful with my daily D3, but now that it is summer and I am getting more D naturally I think I will back off of it for a bit and see if that helps.
4. Beverages. Alcohol, especially red wine, (excuse me while I sob into my pillow for a bit), beer, bourbon, gin, vodka, or champagne. Hot drinks including, hot cider, hot chocolate, coffee or tea. Ok, my tea is usually luke warm by the time I drink it so I am safe there, but my wine, oh, this could be problematic. Have to work on that one. ;)
5. Foods. Wow! The list of foods that I found really shocked me. Here is the complete list. (Note that not all foods effect all people with rosacea the same way. The recommendation is to keep a food diary and make note when you get flair ups).  Wouldn't you know it, chocolate is on the list along with spicy foods!! OMGosh! Life is not fair! 

Okay, my pity party is over now. I just thought I would share this little tidbit that I learned today. I will be on the look out for more information on the subject. Gratefully, I have found a new skincare line that will be aiding me in my skin's recovery. Lira Clinical, as I mentioned in last week's post ,actually has an anti-inflamitory line which is specifically what my dermatologist suggested.

Let me know if you have had anything that has worked particularly well for you or any of your family members that may have had to deal with this disorder. I would love to hear it. Please share this with a friend or to Facebook or any place your like to share.

Thank you for stopping by my blog.

Have a great week!

Sincerely, 

Michon :)

State of the art skincare!

What else would I rather do than go to a class on skin care on my day off? Not much. Well, maybe... a day at the beach could win out now and again. But honestly I had a fantastic day Monday at the Grand Sierra Resort learning about all the newest, most innovative, natural and cutting edge products on the market as of December 2012! Yes! Brand new and nothing else in skin care like it anywhere! I would like to highlight just a few of the magnificent ingredients that will now, be the only things I will be putting on my face.

• Mastiha is an ancient arabic gum that is antibacterial, anti-fungal and contains antioxidants. It is not hard to imagine why having such an amazing product in your skin care line would be beneficial. 
• Collodial Gold and Silver are minerals that are highly beneficial to the skin. They stabilize the collagen, stimulates the glands, are anti-bacteral, kill viruses and speed up healing. 
• Copper is a mineral that strengthens the blood circulation, improves elasticity and is also anti-microbibial. 
• Teprenone is an anti-aging ingredient that it designed to keep your telomeres from shortening. Telomeres are the end of the strands of DNA for your skin. (imagine that little plastic end of your shoelace that protects them from fraying). Those are what telomeres are to your skin. 
• Plant Stem cells are primary cells from which life is born. Stem cells have the capacity of self-renewal and producing identical cells.
• Progeline and Cyclopeptide-5 are the newest peptides on the market. These peptides communicate directly with the cell and slow the aging down by reducing the toxic protein Progerin. 

If you are a person that enjoys using quality products on your skin and you enjoy products you can't get at Walmart you need to look into this line. The price point is very comparable to anything you will get at the high end stores but the ingredients are far superior and clinically prescriptive. So at the end of the day I have to say that I feel incredibly lucky. Lira Clinical has some amazing products that I am taking back to the studio with confidence that I am doing the absolute best thing I can with the technology available at the this time for my clients skin. 

If you have any questions or would like to hear more about this amazing new skin care line please just drop me a line and I will hook you up with free samples. 

The product will sell itself to you! It is amazing!
Thanks for stopping by my blog!
Sincerely,
Michon :)

Remembering Dad is Beautiful Thing

We all know the saying, "Anyone can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a Daddy."
Daddy's are special. And fathers are, without a doubt, the hardest working members of the family. At least that is how it is at my house. Not only does mine work 40+hours a week, but on the weekends he is also our gardener, mechanic, plumber, electrician, handyman and the escort, for whichever female is most in need of male attention... (with 3 daughters and my mother living with us, my poor husband is drowning in estrogen). So we tend to spoil Daddy a bit around here. Dads are not only hard working but also equally hard to buy for. So I came up with a few ideas for you, from cheap as can be, to a little more expensive but not over the top. Starting with the more expensive possibilities...

• Soaring NV~ We did this a few years back and totally surprised him! We bought him a glider ride over Tahoe. A glider, or sailplane, is a type of aircraft that does not have an engine. Usually an airplane tows the glider aloft, to pull it into the air. At the desired altitude, the glider pilot releases the towline, and begins to glide. Hence the name "Soaring NV"! He had an amazing ride and was ready to do it again immediately!  Gift certificates are available online and they are a super nice local company, located in Minden. This is a gift sure to keep him on cloud 9 for a while! 
• V& T Railroad or the Nevada State Railroad Museum are both great options that many folks in the area forget about. We loved our trip to Virginia City last year on the V&T line. Plan on having lunch up in VC and plan on bringing an umbrella and extra water. It gets hot. But climbing the hill from Carson to Virginia City feels so nostalgic in that steam locomotive that your "historian dads" are going to feel like they have gone back in time. This is a super fun trip for the whole family if your man is into trains and times of old. 
• Truckee River rafting is a great way for you to pull your dad away from the chores of the weekend and the heat of the day. Have him floating down the river to cool off, with the cares of the world behind him! Make sure you wear cloths and shoes that can get wet when going on this trip. Double, Ziplock all your phones/cameras in baggies if you must have them with you and trust mom to guard them, (she will likely, and mysteriously be the least wet person in the raft). This weekend will be crowded so jump online today if you want to book this! 
• Dash for Dads if your dad's idea of a fun day includes a healthy run, this is the event for you! This is a 5K Walk/Run for Adults and Kids to raise awareness for Prostate Cancer.  This run/walk encourages healthy living for all ages with a special focus on the special men in our lives.  Dash for Dads will be held at the Sparks Marina. Registration is from 7am - 8:30 am. Race starts at 9. Check the link in the title for more details. 
• Massage is the ultimate in relaxation! If your man is one that works hard and plays hard this is a very reasonably priced option for you! Peggy at Image Artistic only charges $40 an hour and she is amazing! Nothing tells you, you are loved, like being massaged from head to toe. Gift certificates are available at the salon Tuesday through Friday. Drop in and get him some relaxation time he can't refuse! 
• Pinterest page for Father's Day!  Okay, I have to admit! Of all the things listed above there are a TON of things on this page that I plan on incorporating into my man's day! From simple to more complex, you need to check out this page! Fun stuff resides!! 
• Do some chores for him. This is my least favorite option but sadly IT IS the one we are all doing this year for him. We have 3 acres of weeds that need tending to and he is only one man, and we of course are super girls so we are going to band together to help make his life a little easier. It is  the cheapest one, but honestly it is also the one that he will value the most. He knows we hate it, so it must mean that we really love him.

Those are my best tips for last minute Father's Day gifts here in the Reno area! I hope you enjoyed them and found them helpful in some way. I would love to hear what you are doing to treat your Daddy-O to some goodness this weekend. Leave me a comment below. Share this post with your friends that are at a loss! ;)

Thanks for stopping by! 

See you next week, 

Michon :)

Summer Hair

I think with the 96 degrees being predicted this coming weekend it is safe to say summer is here at last! Yeah! I love to get out and walk and run a bit in the warmer weather. I did my first 5K in years last weekend, the Run or Dye 5K. Maybe you saw all the crazy looking, dyed people running around town last Saturday? (“Color stations” are placed on the route and volunteers were there throwing dyed cornstarch at us).

 Anyhow while running it I was watching these women with that ever so popular “white” platinum blonde hair and thinking “OMG! This is not going to end well!” Well, sure enough, I had stained armpits still and some red looking stain left on my hair after my first shower. My hair is not platinum so by the second shower the red is gone from my hair. (Not the pits though! I may be wearing long sleeves to work all week). Anyhow this whole thing got me thinking about all the fun things we do in the summer and the havoc it can wreak on your expensive hair color. Here are my best tips on protecting your tresses while enjoying your summer.

• Running/walking is one of the most popular sports this time of year. The thing to think about when doing any sports is the constant tension you are putting on your hair when it is in a ponytail all the time. Make sure you are using cloth bands and not rubber, and be sure to not to wrap them too tight. When hair gets wet it swells and can cause breakage if you are putting rubber bands or wrapping the cloth ones too tight. Try an occasional braid to give that same hair a chance to recover now and again. 
• Sun and surf are very damaging to your hair. If you are highlighted, be sure to use a leave-in filler in your hair to protect it from further damage, my favorite on is Pureology’s here. If you are sporting red or any rich brown colors you want to be sure that your leave in protection has sunscreen in it. These products will save your hair from getting over-processed or washed out with all the UV rays it will be soaking up. This one is brand new on the market and amazing!
• Swimming in chlorinated pools is death to your hair if you don’t take special measures so protect it! First thing you need to do is get your hair saturated before jumping in the pool. Even better, if after wetting you add a conditioner for increased barrier and then a cap. If a cap is not practical at least wet it well, cover with conditioner and braid it to protect it. Also do not over use swimmer’s shampoo. This type of shampoo is very high on the pH and is designed to “strip” your hair of chlorine, which in turn, of course will strip your hair of color as well. So use weekly at the most.
• Camping is a great summer activity that our family loves. Remember going with your family as a kid and your mom always had a bandana on her head? Bandana’s are great for protecting your hair from the camp fire smell saturating it too much and also from the those pesky no-see-ums that show up at night and bite at your scalp. Spray bug spray on the bandana instead of directly on your hair to protect your hair and scalp from the direct assault of deet. Bandanas are very retro and back in style baby! ;)

I know there are many more sports that I am missing here but the issues with cycling, hiking, golfing and boating will all be a repeat of what I have said above. You get the gist right? 

Oh, and Color Me Rad is coming up in September so if you missed the fun Run or Dye 5K you might want to jump in on this one. I would suggest platinum girls wear a baseball cap and I did actually see one woman run by me with her hair in a plastic processing cap under her baseball cap to protect every last inch of her beautiful blonde! Here is the short list of marathons/running opportunities around the Reno/Tahoe area this summer. Whatever you do for enjoyment this time of year make the most of it! It is a short 3/4 months before we may see snow again! 

If you have suggestions for how you protect your hair during your summer play leave us a comment below. And please be sure to forward this or email it to any of your friends that you think would enjoy this article. Have a great week! 

Michon :)

Raw Beauty

One of my favorite things about this time of year are the Farmer’s Markets that crop up all over! With the plethora of fresh fruits and vegetables abounding it is the perfect time to clean up my diet and start eating healthier. Eating raw is getting more and more popular. I am seeing green smoothies on Pinterest daily now! Besides whittling away at your waistline, eating raw also has some big benefits for your skin that you may not have known about.

• Orange and Yellow fruits are high in beta-carotene an ingredient in Vitamin A which is good for your skin and your eyes. They are also rich in Vitamin C, zeaxanthin, lycopene and other antioxidants that fight the aging process in our skin. 
• Spinach and other green leafy vegetables are rich sources of iron, calcium, potassium and magnesium as well as vitamins A, C, E, K and many of the B vitamins. The high fiber content helps the body eliminate toxins and carcinogens. Elimination is by in far one of the most important things for clear skin. 
• Red fruits and vegetables are rich in in lycopene which is a carotene that protects from ovarian and prostate cancer as well as heart disease. Lycopene has also been shown to reduce sun-related skin damage. 
• Purple fruits and vegetables are know for their flavanois which is a class of anti-oxidants. These have a postitive effect on the skin structure and protect against UV rays. Flavanois are also known to improve elasticity by increasing collagen production. 
• Kale if you haven’t heard, is the new wonder veggie. Yes, I know it is green but I am giving it it’s own category as it is being hailed the “new super food”.  This super food helps to detoxify enzymes in the liver that play an important part in neutralizing carcinogenic substances. Another key element in kale is isothiocyanates. These have been linked to inhibit carcinogenesis that cause cancer cells to actually shrink. Kale also ranks highest among all vegetables in its concentration of carotenoids, beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin. Want to read more? Here is a fascinating page I found on all the bennies of kale. 

I know without a doubt when I am being good and I fill my plate with 75% fruits and veggies and leave only 25% or less for the meat and carbs... I lose weight. But now upon further examination, the fact that they all benefit your skin so much is just an added bonus!

Here is a link to the best farmer’s markets here in Reno. I am not sure why they are not including the one at the Summit Mall,  I beleive that one is on Tuesdays and Saturdays from 9am to 3pm weekly. I for one, am excited to start eating fresh and enjoying the abundance of my own garden as well as the farmers market. It is nice to see so many joining the gardening movement.  I have a ton to learn but it is a fun process, especially since my kids do most of the work.
haha ;)
And yes we are planting kale!
Please feel free to share any markets that may not be on the list. Or share your favorite, fresh recipe. I will be sharing more recipes this summer as well. So stay tuned!
Thanks for stopping by,
Michon :)

Spa Toscana Review

I am sharing a review with you this week. A review of one of the best spa’s in Reno! Remember a couple of posts back when I talked about what I was going to get my mother for Mother’s Day?
Well, a spa day was the gift that won out. So today we went with a couple of other girlfriends from the salon and played hooky all day! I have to tell you it is without a doubt the most opulent spa I have ever been in! Here is a short list of the best parts of the experience.

• The price! So my pedicure was a hefty $65 with a 10% tip that they added on automatically for me. (nice of them, I thought) So the bill at first glance is a pedicure for $71 and some change. That is a little on the high side I thought, BUT you also get a day pass to the entire spa for that price! So if we do a little math... the day pass by itself would run you $36 if you are a local and you have a player’s card from them. So if we subtract that from the pedicure it comes to only $35.50! No way you can beat that price if you plan on spending the rest of the day relaxing anyway.  

• Outside entrance. I loved that I could enter from the outside parking area without ever going through a smoke filled casino to get to the spa! The parking is right outside the main entrance to the salon/spa making it easy access with nothing polluting your lungs or hair before you arrive! Good planning Peppermill! If you have an appointment anytime that day you can check into the spa as early as you wish before your appointment! They open at 8:00 a.m. and close at 10:00 p.m. 

• The Caldarium. This lovely facility hosts an indoor pool (for those of us allergic to the sun), waterfalls, cool/hot tubs and showers that are an experience in and of themselves! Children under the age of 12 are not allowed. There is an outdoor terrace for sunbathing for those looking to catch some rays in the peace and quite of the spa. The beds in the Secret Garden are awesome and completely adjustable. They are filled with the rhythms of the soothing spa iPod/music that is attached to each bed, with earphones. Honestly I could have slept there all day! 

• Refreshments. At first glance this doesn’t look like much but honestly if you didn’t want to order up something special from the very nice menu of spa cuisine you could make it through your day easily with the goodies they have available on this little snack area. Fruits, nuts, dried berries, juices, coffee, teas, and fruit infused waters are everywhere on every level. We even found the cookie room on the 3rd floor! Yes cookies and tea! Who needs lunch, really? 

• The Finishing Touch. As you can see my mother is looking very sad that our day is over but my review is not. The end of the day the experience just gets better. The showers are stocked with shampoo, conditioner, body wash, shaving cream, lotion, disposable razors and of course towels and washcloths. Then you go into the salon area and you have blowdryers, flat irons, curling irons, hairspray, deodorant, mouthwash, mints, disposable brushes with mirrors attached, hair gel and lighted makeup mirrors.  It was really so sad to leave... :(

So this is my first of many spa reviews. I will be checking out other spas here in Reno and offering up my recommendations. I highly recommend this spa to anyone! Go try it out! 

If you have been to a spa here in Reno that you thought was over the top I would love to hear about it. 

Please leave a comment below and let me know what your recommendations are. 

I really think I could be a spa reviewer full time. 

Do you think there is such a job? 

Pedicures and a Give-away!

Most of us think of a pedicure as a simple process of applying fresh polish to those tacky toes. But there is actually a purpose to this process that is often understated. The health and protection of your feet and skin need to be kept in mind as you prepare your tootsies for this season. Whether you are a do it yourself at home pedi or a salon maven, these are the tips to keep in mind for a season of toe baring bliss!

1. Use a pumice stone.Walking around in our flip flops all summer does a number on your feet. It dries your feet out causing that lovely sandpaper feeling on your heels after only a couple of weeks. For some it will eventually lead to cracked and bleeding heels. The best way to combat this occurrence is to use a pumice stone on your heels. Sand them gently every day in your shower to keep the build up from occurring.  
2. Protect your heels. If you can sleep at least half the night with a pair of aloe socks on, your heels will love you for it! Cover your feet and especially your heels with a thick coat of body butter and put your socks on before bed. 
3. Clean up the cuticle. Push back the cuticles with a fresh orange-wood stick or a metal cuticle pusher only after they have been soaking or when you get out of the shower first thing. The skin will be soft and easy to push back. Be very careful in doing this that you don’t end up breaking the skin. This will prevent your cuticle from getting overgrown and peeling away.
4. Trim the nails. Toenails are very susceptible to becoming ingrown if you do not tend to them. By keeping the nails at a shorter length but not too short you will decrease your chance of creating an environment for painful, ingrown nails.  
5. Be salon savvy. Play it safe when you go to a salon for a pedicure. Watch to see how thorough the pedicure spa is being cleaned. I prefer it when the salon runs bleach or some other EPA sterilizer through a short cycle with the jets on between clients. But many will not take the time to do this. Ask or watch to be sure.
6. Save the shave. If you are not sure about sterilization of the foot spa, don’t shave your legs right before a pedicure. Bacteria can live in the pipes. Your skin is a strong barrier that keeps bacteria out. Shaving creates microscopic cuts on your legs. Shave after the pedi or do it at least 2-3 days before. 
7. Massage. Need I say more? The one thing you can’t really get at home if you are the DIY type, is the relaxing massage that you can get at the salon. The massage helps to move the fluids around, preventing cankles or fluid build up in the legs. And we all know that massage is a wonderful stress reducer. 

Enjoy your season of sandals and sand! Hope you get time to head to Tahoe and enjoy the lake with pretty new toes sometime soon. I know I plan to! Have a great week. 

Thanks for stopping by the blog. 

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free pedicure!