"When it's cold, you lose blood flow to the skin," says Schumann-Ortega. The result is a dry, dull tone. Facial treatments can increase circulation and rejuvenate a healthy glow. But, Schumann-Ortega cautions, be careful with peels and resurfacing treatments during the winter, as they can do more damage than good with skin that's already taxed from the harsh environmental conditions. Winterizing the Body It's not just the face that suffers in the winter. Skin everywhere dries out, and gets that flaky look and uncomfortable winter itch. Hot baths -- a delightful antidote to the chill -- can further exacerbate dry skin. The solution? Add 10 drops of an aromatic essential oil to the bath to moisturize as you soak. (Lavender is particularly soothing to dry skin.) Then apply an emollient moisturizer -- a product that feels particularly thick and creamy to the touch, like a body butter -- geared for extra dry, rough, chapped, or cracked skin. Apply it immediately after drying off, when the skin can most readily absorb the lotion and restore its barrier. If dryness is still bothersome, indulge in a salt rub and full-body conditioning wrap to remoisturize. And don't forget feet and hands. The feet, hidden by socks and boots all winter long, often go neglected this time of year and need attention, but the most obvious casualties of winter are the hands. Exposed to the elements and the subject of frequent hand-washing during the cold and flu season, hands can turn to rawhide just as holiday parties go into full swing -- not an elegant look for holding onto a champagne flute. This is the season to slather hands with heavy, oil-rich cream at night and cover them with gloves. And don't forget feet: they also require the same special care. Consider a moisturizer for them in the evenings and sleep with socks on. In the morning, your feet and hands will feel soft and moisturized. Your skin care professional can recommend appropriate gloves, socks, and a home-care routine for this process. In addition, treat hands and feet to regular spa treatments to exfoliate dead skin cells, and paraffin treatments to replenish and moisturize.

 

Relax and Enjoy It

In winter, and all seasons, stress can disrupt even the best skin. "We always ask clients what's going on in life, since adrenaline, holiday pressures, and even joy can have an effect on body chemistry," says Schumann-Ortega. The skin reflects it all. "Some clients may come in after four weeks and they look like a train wreck," she says. So do your best to minimize the effects of stress with exercise, meditation, and proper diet. And don't skimp on the self-care. Schedule time for pampering, relaxing treatments. Some final tips: - Drink water. Even when there's a chill in the air and thirst isn't overwhelming, water consumption needs to be high to combat the dry air. - Avoid products with a high percentage of synthetic ingredients (propylene glycol, petroleum), chemical detergents (sodium laurel sulfates), and artificial colors and fragrances. - Employ quality skin care products suited to your skin type. - Check your medications. Illness and ongoing pharmaceuticals can upset pH balance. - Incorporate nutritional supplements into your skin health regimen, such as essential fatty acids, zinc, magnesium, vitamin A, and B vitamins. Winter doesn't have to take its long, hard toll on your skin. Ask your skin care professional about hydrating products and circulation-enhancing treatments to ease the long, dry months of winter. After all, spring is just around the corner.

 

Five Stress Busters for a Joyous Season

Planning a vacation or business trip? Consider packing a small kit of natural remedies before you go. Unfamiliar surroundings, unusual foods, and jet lag can make you vulnerable to viruses, stress, and gastrointestinal (GI) upset. Colorado Naturopathic Physician Michael Sutton suggests the following items: 1. Grapefruit Seed Extract This extract fights and prevents viruses and helps reduce symptoms of diarrhea and GI upset. It can even be used to decontaminate water (4-5 drops extract per quart of water). A few days before you leave, mix 4-5 drops with juice or water and drink it before bedtime, and continue for the duration of your trip. If you do catch a cold or flu, you can drink as much as 8-10 drops, 3-4 times a day. 2. Airborne Available in natural products stores, Airborne is an effervescent tablet containing herbs, antioxidants, vitamin C, and amino acids. It helps prevent and fight colds, as well as motion sickness, when traveling. 3. Melatonin To ease jet lag, Sutton suggests leaving your watch set for the time zone from which you're departing. When your watch shows your normal bedtime, take 3-6mg of melatonin, then go to sleep to regulate yourself quickly and easily to the new time zone. 4. Bach Flower Rescue Remedy To calm nerves and reduce anxiety, place a few drops of this remedy under your tongue when you're feeling anxious, or add 5-6 drops to your water bottle and drink throughout the day. 5. Water H2O is essential to healthy travel. Drink lots of water and avoid alcohol, as dehydration is a major cause of travel-related illness. By packing a few natural remedies and paying attention to your body's needs, you'll be able to fully enjoy your trip. You enter the holiday season with the best of intentions -- looking forward to time spent with family and friends, decorating, shopping, baking. But as soon as you pile holiday activities on top of an already busy life, you're likely to find yourself relating more to Ebineezer Scrooge than Martha Stewart. Consider these five suggestions to keep holiday stress at bay: 1. Determine a Shopping Budget For many, gift giving is an important part of the holidays, serving as a way to express love and appreciation for friends and family. But when the credit card bills arrive in January, you may discover you've extended your holiday stress well into the New Year. Plan your budget in advance, determine what you can spend, and stick to the plan. 2. Create a Time Budget Many will make a shopping budget, but what about making a time budget? Before accepting every invitation this year, decide ahead how many parties you can and want to attend while maintaining your sanity. Make choices about your time commitments based on what you'd really like to do this year, rather than what you think you should do or what you've always done. Don't forget to leave time for yourself. 3. Set Food-Intake Boundaries You'll likely be tempted to eat in excess, and don't be too hard on yourself if you don't stick to your pre-holiday eating standards. But do decide ahead of time just how much you'll deviate from your eating routine. 4. Stick to Your Exercise Regimen Regular exercise is a powerful stress buster. You'll feel better, sleep better, avoid weight gain, boost your immune system, and maintain a positive outlook about yourself. While it may seem like an easy time concession to make, don't give in to the idea. Stick to exercise, and you'll thank yourself for it. 5. Take Time to Rest Take time from your schedule to honor the cycles of the season. The holidays fall during winter solstice -- the shortest day of the year. Learn from nature, and get plenty of rest.



 

• Migraines - Migraine headaches occur when the blood vessels in the brain
  become dilated, usually due to a chemical reaction, such as food
  allergies or a stress response. They often start with visual
  disturbances and quickly develop into severe head pain accompanied by
  nausea, vomiting, dizziness and sensitivity to light. They’re usually
  felt on one side of the head, but can be on both sides. Migraines are
  often managed with medications and avoidance of foods known to trigger
  them, such as red wine, chocolate, aged cheese, and nuts. However, some
  bodywork techniques can also be effective easing migraines or
  decreasing the frequency of these painful headaches.
   
• Tension Headaches - Exaggerated by stress, tension headaches are related
  to poor posture, jaw problems (such as temporomandibular joint
  disorder, or TMJ), and neck pain. Many people describe a headache that
  starts at the base of the skull and then moves in an arc over the ears
  and behind the eyes. Tension headaches are most often caused or
  exacerbated by poor posture, work station positions, and body
  mechanics, creating undue stress on the upper neck muscles.
   

• Mixed Headaches - The term mixed headache is used to describe a tension
  headache that leads to a migraine. Typically, the tension headache
  starts first and the chemicals produced from the pain of it create
  conditions for a migraine to develop. In people with patterns of mixed
  headaches, the best way to avoid the onset of a migraine is to treat
  the tension headache.
   

• Did you know that proper posture is the key to a healthier body? When
  proper posture is not used Circulation becomes hindered, and oxygen and
  nutrients have a hard time flowing throughout the body. Contracted
  muscles are less able to receive hydration and energy, and the tissue
  eventually becomes hard and fibrous. Muscles can pull bones out of
  alignment and cause serious problems and discomfort. The bottom line is
  that poor posture can lead to muscular stress and fatigue, which can in
  turn lead to deficient circulation and compromised immunity and poor
  lymph flow-Which brings us back to frequent illness, headaches and
  digestive issues. Correcting poor posture requires undoing hardening,
  or fibrosis of the muscles that have been habitually contracted,
  allowing them to relax and the bones to move back into place.
  
   
• Experts estimate that 80 percent to 90 percent of disease is stress
  related. Massage and bodywork is there to combat that frightening
  number by helping us remember what it means to relax. The physical
  change massage brings to your body can have a positive effect in many
  areas of your life.

• Besides increasing relaxation and decreasing
  anxiety,  massage lowers blood pressure,  increases circulation,  
  improves injury recovery,  encourages deep sleep,  and increases
  concentration. It reduces fatigue and gives you more energy to handle
  stressful situations.

• Massage is a perfect elixir for good health,  
  but it can also provide an integration of body and mind. By producing a
  meditative state of heightened awareness of the present moment,  
  massage can provide emotional and spiritual balance,  bringing with it
  true relaxation and peace. ,

• The incredible benefits of massage are doubly powerful if taken in regular doses. 

Researchers from the Touch
Research Institute at the university of Miami,  found that recipients
of massage can benefit even in small doses of 15-minute chair massage
or a half-hour table session. They also note that receiving bodywork
two to three times a week is even more beneficial. While this may not
be feasible,  it’s nice to know that this “medicine” only gets better
with frequency.