Six secrets to great skin

During my skin consultations that I have for my clients, I ask each client what their skin care goal is, and almost everybody says they want clear, more even toned skin. Although genetics and environmental factors have a lot to do with the conditions of our skin, there are 6 simple things that everybody can do to head down the road to healthy looking skin. 

1. Wear SPF daily. I don't care if it's cloudy or you only have to walk from the door to the car, sun rays penetrate through clouds and glass, and they can be very damaging to facial skin. Where did that freckle or mole come from? More than likely, it's sun damage. This applies to black women too. Most skin care brands have combined SPF in their products like moisturizers, foundations and lip balms, so there is no excuse.

2. Drink plenty of water. I am guilty of not drinking my 8 glasses of water a day, but if I don't get at least 2-3, my face will tell the story. Dehydrated skin is lackluster, dry, more prone to sensitivity and accentuates flaws and blemishes like a highlighter. So drink up.

3. Get plenty of sleep. They don't call it beauty sleep for no reason because it's during that rest time that your skin is at work repairing itself from all the stress you've caused it all day. Why do you think night creams work so well? That's the only time where you can put something on your face and not have the product fighting against makeup, sun, rain, wind and other environmental factors and it can just do what it was made to do. Plus, having droopy and tired eyes is not a good look.

4. Wash your face at night. Sometimes I'm so tired at night I can barely hold myself up in the shower, but I found the best thing to use even if I'm already laying in the bed: facial wipes. It's a quick fix to the ugly problem of clogged pores. As mentioned above, your skin needs time to rest and rejuvenate at night, but it can't do it properly when trying to fight through layers of sweat and makeup.

5. Exercise. Yes, I know you've heard it a thousand times, but you're going to hear it at least once more. Exercising and keeping your body moving helps your skin by getting that blood flowing and helping with skin cell production. Plus, as many experts say, those feel good hormones are released in the body with exercise and we all know that when you fell good, you look good. You can't help but to glow from the inside out. Yes, it may be a struggle and you may find that you're pressed for time, but start with something, anything. It's good for your health.

6. Find trust in a skin care professional. Now, I don't just say this because I am a skin care therapist, but because it is true. Having someone who is on your side and wants to help you reach your skin care goals can be such a positive thing. Your skin care expert can help you with a regular at home regimen, as well as recommend different treatments that can help jump start skin recovery. If putting your best face forward is important to you, then realize that that having a skin care professional is a necessary luxury.

So there you have several easy steps that you can do that are not only simple, but doable. To find out more about my skin care business, Soul Deep Beauty Skin Therapy, just click on the link.

Free Skin Care Analysis

Do you know your skin type? Do you know the best skin care products to use for your type? Do you have a skin care specialist that you trust to advise you towards healthy skin? If your answer to any of these is "no", then you need to take advantage of this special oppurtunity:

On Saturday, March 5th from 12 pm - 2 pm., I am offering free skin care analysis. It will be a 15-20 minute skin consultation to discover skin type and skin conditions and also help you to come up with a healthy skin care regimen.

You don't want to pass up this oppurtunity. Make the first step towards healthy, radiant skin. Space is limited, so contact me today. For more information about me or my business, go to Soul Deep Beauty Skin Therapy on the web.

Don't know about you, but I need some Vitamin D.

The one thing that I dislike about the winter (besides the bitter cold) is the lack of sunlight. I find myself in a funk lately. I'm more tired than usual, moody and craving carbs. (And no, I'm not pregnant.) When I got off of work the other day it was nothing but sunshine. I stopped at the grocery store to get a few items and when I came out, it was officially night time. Are you serious? That's all the sun I get: 30- 45 minutes?

That's when I remember SAD, seasonal affective disorder. It's pretty much what we call the winter blues because we suffer from a lack of sunlight and our days are shorter. I love the sun. It makes me more active which typically puts me in a better mood. The sun also provides vitamin d, which is essential for strong teeth and bones, enhances the absorption of other vitamins, and it helps in skin metabolism and growth.

The two most common ways to absorb vitamin d are through foods and/or supplements and sun exposure. Foods that are good sources for vitamin d are: milk, cold liver oil, salmon, mackerel, sardines, tuna, egg yolks, beef liver and fortified cereals. Looking at that list makes me realize why a lot of people prefer supplements.

Though sunlight exposure is the best way to absorb vitamin d, you have to be very careful because too much sun (on unprotected skin) can lead to premature aging and the all too common skin cancer. I have read that just five to ten minutes of "summer" sun on unprotected skin like your hands, arms or back is enough to produce the needed amount of daily vitamin d. Some people choose to do light therapy during those fall and winter months where there is less sun.

So how do you know when you might be vitamin d deficient? The best way is through a blood test, but here are a few signs that the test may be necessary:
   - tooth decay
   - lack of energy
   - trouble sleeping or insomnia
   - nervousness
   - diarrhoea

I guess I'll have to sit under a couple of lamps and drink milk until I can get my daily dose of sunshine.

Dare to be . . . a wild thing

At my company, Soul Deep Beauty Skin Therapy, I am not only focused on helping people take the lead in realizing the importance of skin care, but I also want to  help encourage both men and women to take the lead in their own personal lives. Encouragement can help empower, and it's life's little experiences that help get us to our big goals.

I decided to start a "Dare To Be" campaign. This journey will be little baby steps towards living outside the box. Not all steps will be for both men and women (unless that's your thing), but it's just a way to experience things we never have before.

So, my latest "Dare to Be" project involves the call of the wild...animal prints. I'm a plus sized girl, so I have always walked on the side of caution when it came to animal print. (Insert whatever animal related joke here.) But, I do remember having an outfit years ago with a skin tight long sleeve leopard print shirt and a pair of faux leather pants that I loved to wear when I was in high school. Of course I have surpassed the size of both the shirt and the pants, but if I was able to pull it out of the closet and rock it, I would be fashion forward because animal prints are the falls latest trend.

The best way to pull off animal prints is to do so sparingly: a shirt, a dress, a pair of shoes or even a purse one or two at a time of course. I tried a few animal prints out, so check out my pics below.


I saw these at one of my favorite shoe stores and I will be going back to get them.




Make-up play time: leopard





Make-up play time: zebra





Me and my husband at my b-day dinner, me in zebra print.

There is something exotic about wearing animal prints and I must admit I had a little extra swing in my step when I wore my zebra print tunic.

The client form: do you swear to tell the truth and nothing but the truth?

I love meeting my clients for the first time. They're always so excited and eager to get (for some of them) their first facial. Plus, the thought of getting in some "me" time isn't bad either. But, when I pull out my 30 question client form, I sometimes sense a little apprehension. "Wow, this is a lot of information," some of them say, or they just look big eyed at the paper until they're done.

Nobody likes filing out forms, believe me I know, but it is a necessary part of your treatment. As an esthetician, I'm not satisfied with just rubbing cremes and lotions on your face, I'm here to help you develop a skin care regimen that will leave you with self confidence and healthy skin.

The questions are simple; do you blush easily, are you prone to break outs, and the very important list of allergies. But, there are two questions that people often tell little white lies about when they initially fill out the form: how much water do you drink a day, how much caffeine a day and how much alcohol do you consume a week. I don't ask these questions to get all up in your business. I ask them to see if you may be dehydrating your skin from the inside out. Drinking alcohol dehydrates your body and for every cup of caffeine you drink, you should have 2 cups of water.

That is the last thing you want to be is dehydrated. Dehydrated skin is flaky and  more prone to wrinkles and it is a catalyst in skin sensitivities. Case in point: I love jewelry, but sometimes the fake stuff breaks me out. Well, one day I had a stone necklace on. It was bitter cold outside, I was fighting a cold and pure laziness prevented me from drinking my daily intake of water. By the time I got home, my lips were super chapped and I had this HUGE hive on my neck from the stones on my necklace. So I had to walk around the next day with my cracked lips and a lumpy neck. If I would have drank my water like I was supposed to, I wouldn't have had such a reaction to the cold and the fake necklace.

It never really dawned on me that people would have untruths on their client form until I had a client who wrote that she has 7-14 drinks a week. I asked her about it because I thought maybe she read the question wrong. But, she was happy to tell me that she drinks a glass of wine every night, and if it's been one of those days, she has two. So because of that I changed up her treatment a little bit to a deeper penetrating mask to fight the dehydrating effects of alcohol.

Telling little white lies really hurts only you because it stops the esthetician from fully understanding the treatment that fits best for you. There is nothing to be embarrassed about, it is what it is. So, because I like to lead by example, I promise that from now on I will only check off the statement "I exercise frequently" if it's true.

Keep your head to the sky

It was 11:58 pm, December 31, 2009 and I had my glass of wine in my hand, my family by my side and a wishful prayer in my heart: 2010 will be better than 2009. And you know what, it was. Maybe it was just luck. Maybe it was the rule of positive affirmation (what you send out to the universe comes back to you). Or maybe it was just God's grace. Whatever it was, this past year brought me so many good things.

I'm not really into making general New Year's resolutions like, eat healthier or lose 15 pounds by March (even though it's something I need to consider.)
Even though those things are good, I personally prefer to look back and make life resolutions that will help me to grow into the woman/wife/mother/daughter/friend/entrepreneur that I'm destined to be. Here are a couple of lessons I have learned along the way.

-Learn from your mistakes. You are human, you are not perfect, and you will make mistakes. The best thing you can do for yourself after you have messed up is think about what you could have done to make it better and do that instead, if the situation comes up again. If you keep on making the same mistakes, do yourself a favor and take yourself out of that situation cause it just ain't working for you.

- You are never to old. Now, I still stand by my belief that if you are beyond college age, the words "juicy" or "hot mama", should not be printed on your behind. There is an age appropriate rule for certain fashions and social scenes, no doubt. But, there is no age limit to fulfilling your dreams. You're never too old to go back to school, start a business, write a book, get married. Whatever you want to do, don't let your age stop you. Like the late Aaliyah sang, "age ain't nothing but a number."

- Take care of yourself. We usually can tell when something's wrong with us by the way we feel. Our body's whisper to us thru aches and pains and our skin gives us alerts with blemishes, rashes and hives. Don't let small whispers turn into a man on a bullhorn. Take care of your body so that it will take you further in life.

- Pray, then laugh. I'm not saying that right after you say "amen", you bust out in a hysterical laugh. (That might look a little bit crazy.) I believe that prayer strengthens your soul, while laughing despite your situation, confirms your faith in what you just prayed. Believe me, I know that every situation you go thru isn't funny, but when the sad feelings start to subside, laughter truly is the best medicine. Nine times out of ten, when we watch a movie at home, I vote for the comedy because it just makes me feel better. I tell my husband, "I'll watch a drama when I'm not going thru my own."

- Change is good. The only thing constant in the world is change. And I believe that God works thru change. Stop being so stuck on you and your routine that you miss out on the opportunities of life. As you are transforming to become the better you, learn how to go with the flow.

In this upcoming year, and the ones to follow, I'm going to continue to use these life lessons (and add some more as I go). I'm going to continue to keep my head to the sky and be ready for the blessings 2011 has to offer. 3...2...1....

Glam it up!

It's that time of the year again! Just like clockwork, along with shopping and preparing for holiday dinners is the swarm of holiday parties that go along with them. But, don't be overwhelmed, with a few simple make-up tips I can help you glam it up for your next holiday soiree.

Face- Whenever I'm going out and I'm trying to step up my game, I use a facial primer to help the appearance of my foundation look and feel smoother. My favorite primer is Sephora. I also use Dermalogica's Barrier Repair, because it is a non-water, non-oil gel that melts into the skin and leaves it velvety soft.

                                                   
   

Cheeks- I use bronzer everyday because I love the extra boost that it gives my cheeks. My bronzer, by Black Radiance has shimmer to it and it looks great in the sun and in photos. And if I do a natural eye, I step it up by adding a little bit of M.A.C. blush in Desert Rose.

                        

           

Lips- I'm normally a natural girl when it comes to lip color, but if there is ever a time to add a little red on your lips, it's the holiday season. Of course, every red is not for everybody. You may have to experiment to find the right color for your tone. For me, I combine a couple of colors and a gloss to get the right Diva Red and I only do that if I don't put any color on my eyes.

No, that's not me, but this color would look good on my skin, too.

                                            

Eyes- My eyes are my best feature (so I've been told), and I love doing fun things to make them stand out more. My skin complexion can take a lot of colors, so I do metallic and real shimmery eye shadows when I'm stepping out. A smokey eye with a little added shimmer is great, too. This is also the time where you can experiment with different shades of eyeliner. A deep forest green would be appropriate at this time. And, the showstopper to glammed up eyes is, and forever will be, big, bold lashes. If your a simple girl, Maybelene's Falsies Mascara is the must have product to amplify those lashes. But, if you're a diva like me, false lashes are the way to go. You can get them in all types of styles and the ones with rhinestones and feathers are so fun to accessorize with. My favorite is the half eye that gives me just the right amount of flair I need towards the ends.

I love bold colors.

                                                        



Half eye are 2nd row on the top.



Fun lashes.



                       

Baby, it's cold outside.

It sure is, but the sad thing is that the worst is yet to come. So by now, I'm sure that you have (or at least plan to in the near future) winterized your car, and prepared your home for the cold winter nights ahead. But, what have you done to protect your skin from the elements?

 I don't know about you, but my whole skin care regimen changes in the winter time. I go from using lotions and creams to using rich body butters and from using only concealer in my trouble spots to putting on a full face of foundation for better protection.

I also kick up my body exfoliation process to once a week instead of the every other week that I would do during the summer months. So since I go thru my fave body scrubs so quickly, here's a recipe I use for my emergency body scrub. It's super simple and something that most people have in their cupboards anyway.

Brown Sugar Body Scrub

1/8 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup oil (almond, grapeseed or even olive oil will work)                         

3-4 drops fragrance oil or body spray of your choice

1. Place salt in a wide mouthed jar and add in oil. Scent with oil and stir well.

2. To use, dampen body and gently massage the scrub mixture into the skin. Be careful to avoid any scratches or wounded areas.

3. Rinse well with warm water, pat dry with a towel and moisturize skin with favorite lotion or cream.

What do you do to winterize?

Me and my hair: My hair story

One thing that people are always complimenting me on is my hair. I like to change my hairstyle up, alot. And my friends always commend me on not being afraid to try new things. When I told everybody I was going to beauty school, they just knew it was to become a hairdresser. Although playing in my hair is one of my loves, I wouldn't dare take the same risks that I do with my hair in someone elses. I instead went into skin care for now, but there may be a future in natural hair care for me. So, I thought it would be fun to tell my hair story through some cute and hilarious pics.

I was pretty much bald headed as a child. My mama always jokes that she doesn't know how she got a bow to stay in my head. She said it must have been some Velcro or something. But, eventually, it grew.



Me and my Daddy. I'm about 2. 80's baby all day.



Me and my brother. I'm about 6 or 7.



ROFL. 6th grade.

Fast forward to high school and I was always in some form of braids. From casamas to latch hook, I had it down pack. It would take me about a day to wash and braid my hair, but I enjoyed the finished look. I was getting a relaxer at this time from my aunt who did my hair when I wasn't wearing braids. Even back then, I was trying different things. My mama wouldn't let me color or cut my hair until I turned 16, so I had to be creative.

Latch hook braids, 11th grade- '98.





My very first weave. Homecoming 11th grade.
Hubby is going to kill me :)



Don't hate on the 3 french rolls, side swept bangs and hair down in the back. You know you love it.
Homecoming 12th grade.

My second year of college brought about a change in me. I had always seen myself as somewhat of a tomboy, but that year I got rid of the latchhook braids, the huge men sweaters and I started carrying a purse (gasp) and decided that it was time to get in touch with my feminine side but at the same time, still be myself. My first straw set was so on point. I remember the reaction from everybody the first time they saw it. I did some flat twists in the front and the back was the cutest curls I ever seen. This was in 2001 and I had seen it in a hair magazine and just tried it on a whim. At this time I was doing my hair full time because of my work, school and choir schedule I couldn't make it to see my aunt and couldn't afford any other hairdresser. The straw set became my signature style for a minute and I rocked it to the fullest.

I was doing my own relaxers and color and the results were just what I wanted for a while. Then, low and behold I got the "crunch". The chemical burn crunch that made my hair feel, look and smell like a burnt piece of leather. It was awful. My hair would not hold a curl and literally just laid their. I was pretty much color treating and relaxing my hair too close together and I was covering the whole head with color instead of doing touch ups. Big whoops! But, you live and you learn.

Straw set. 2004. Can't tell but I have highlights.

Probably a couple weeks after above pic. You can see the highlights better.
The "crunch" came soon after.

Two years after graduation college, I found myself married and with a newborn. I had stopped coloring and up until my pregnancy had only gotten relaxers twice a year. I went natural pretty much on accident. I didn't have time to get my hair done and I just didn't want to relax my hair. Plus, I had found a hairdresser who could press my hair so straight everybody thought it was a relaxer (thanks Crystal). And I had found a new love: half wigs. When I didn't feel like getting my hair done, I would flat iron the front and put a wig on it. And eventually, I taught myself, how to make wigs out of stocking caps. I learned how to do a closure via YouTube.

Ponytail with some flat twists/rolls in the front.
Summer on 2004, I was prego.

At the baby shower of course. I did a flexi rod set.



After having my son in 2005, I kept my hair chin length for awhile.
I loved my bob with wings.



This was Sept. 2009. This was the longest I let it grow.

But, little did I know that I was still causing a lot of heat damage by flat ironing almost everyday. It wasn't until I was in the esthetician program that I started leaving the flat irons alone too. I did a lot of protective styles like two strand twists and a whole lot of wigs and sew-in's.


Wanted some color, so I did a full weave.

Valentines Day 2010. 

This is one of my half wigs. This was summer 2009.





From October 2009 until October 2010, I went without putting any direct heat to my head. No blow drying and no flat irons. It wasn't until that October that I tried out the InStyler flat irons. But, slick ends and thick roots is not a good look so I put it away real quick.

So my family was used to me wearing natural hairstyles, but when I basically rebuked any type of heat source, I think they got a little nervous. I remember rocking my curly fro one time and my grandma said, "Ohh, the way you had your hair last time was so pretty." Last time. What she mean "last time?" Mind you, the style she was referring to was a wig, but I didn't trip.



Twist Out. April 2010. Original pic on my business cards.



Twist Out. Mothers Day 2011

Flexi Rod Set. Our 5th Anniversary, 2010



Twist and curl. Summer of 2011.





But, in April of this year my husband said he wanted to see my real hair worn straight, so I blow dried it and flat ironed it, and it looked cute, but by the next day, it was all puff. So, I asked my Avon rep, Angela to flat iron it for me and let me tell you, she is real business with her tools. Even though she said I had the thickest head of hair she had seen and my hair was very resistant, it was sooo cute. It had bounce and laid just right. I hate that I didn't get a picture of it, but it probably would have had hubby's hand in it somewhere.

After flat iron.



During flat iron

And that brings me to today. Currently, I'm rocking a straw set, but since the cold weather is a'coming, I will be doing more protective styles. My friend bought this really cute short wig and I'm thinking about jocking. I've always wanted one, but never found one that didn't make me either look like somebody grandma or like Salt-N-Peppa. But, the choices are endless so I'm just gonna have fun with it.

So, let me tell you about my current regimen. I wash and deep condition every 7-10 days. I have 4ish hair. I only say that because I used to be a 4b/c, but after my first (and possible my last) henna experience, my curl has definitely changed. The jury is still out on whether I want to continue with it or not. And I do everything from twist outs, straw sets, puffs, rod sets, flat twists, mini twists, and Senegalese twists. Styles that I hope to conquer are wash and go's (only had one successful one), three strand twists and a Curlformers set that lasts more than a day.




My one day wash-n-go. Week end before last.

 


The infamous straw set. Day 1 on last Monday.
This style can last over a week. Love when it gets all big.

 



Senegalese twists. August 2011.


 

And here are the products that I keep in heavy rotation. Please believe that there are more, I am a product junkie, but these are the ones I reach for most often.

Shampoos:
Pantene Pro-V Relaxed & Natural- Dry to Moisturized

Shea Moisture Organic Raw Shea Butter Moisture Retention
Miss Jessie's Creme de la Curl Cleansing Cream

Conditioners:

Pantene Pro-V Relaxed & Natural- Dry to Moisturized
Miss Jessie's Creme de la Creme Conditioner
Moroccanoil Intense Hydrating Mask (use this as my deep conditioning at every wash)

Styling products:
Miss Jessie's Curly Pudding and Curly Butter Creme
The Original Moroccanoil Oil Treatment
Carol's Daughter Healthy Hair Butter and Tui Moisturizing Hair Oil
Organic Coconut Oil
Raw Shea Butter mixed with Jojoba and Grapeseed Oil

Styling tools:
Hair Pins are a must
I use old stockings to form my puffs
Curlformers (I love the curls I get, but I'm still only getting results that last a day or two)

Hair inspirations:

Web sites like naturallycurly.com, curlynikki.com, youtube videos,
Books, Thank God I'm Natural
Magazines, Hype Hair, Sophisticates Black Hairstyles and Essence.
Women and groups around me- Naturally Flyy Detroit









Dare to be . . . a go getter.

My husband often tells me that I don't know how to to relax. I am constantly moving, if not physically, than mentally. I'm constantly thinking of the next step. But, sometimes because I can tend to over think some things, I go back and forth and sometimes I never make a final decision. It just ends.

But, the last couple of years have been some trying times for me and I decided that life was too short. If I wanted to experience things that I never have I had to start doing things that I've never done. I'm still not one for snap decisions, but I have set a couple of rules for myself when it comes to making up my mind regarding things like big purchases, business ventures and education opportunities. Of course, these rules may not apply to every situation and I don't recommend using them for something that you already know is immoral, illegal or dishonest. (I'm just saying.)

-Weigh the options. I am a list person. I make lists for everything: grocery list, to-do list, wish list. I have so many sticky notes in my planners and calendars I can't see the dates. But, one thing I often do is make a pros and cons list. If the cons list is longer than the pros list, than I scrap it. But, if it's not, I move on to the next step.
- Confirm with a higher power. I believe that prayer works. I may not get down on my knees and bow my head every time I'm faced with a tough decision, but I do pray silently to myself. When I was sitting at the car dealership and they asked me if I was interested in the car, I silently prayed and told myself that I'm going to just open my mouth and whatever came out, that was it. Needless to say, I love my new car.
- Don't let other's opinions influence your decision. When I opened my business this month, it was a surprise to a lot of people. I told everybody that I was thinking about it, but never told them when the decision was finally made. Not because I didn't want to share the moment with them or didn't want to hear their opinion, but I already felt that my mind was made up.
- Give yourself a time limit. My husband is an impulse buyer and I often tell him, "next time, sleep on it." And that's something I do for myself as well. It used to take me forever to make up my mind on something, but now I sleep on it and if I still fell the same way about it the next day, I go for it.
-Once you make the decision, stick with it. Even if it doesn't go exactly as you planned, see it through. There are always bumps in the road, but it's how you recover from those bumps that determines your true strength. Living your life not having to wonder "what if" is so much more satisfying.

What have you done in your life to be a go getter?