How to "Winterize" Your Skin Care Regime

Winter weather can be a real challenge to keeping skin hydrated and looking healthy. The harsh outdoor elements take their toll, along with indoor heat and other factors. Skin can easily become chapped, dry, and stripped of its natural beauty and luster. Here are five simple tips to keeping your skin looking fantastic despite the weather outside! And the real beauty of these beauty insider tips? They won't break your beauty bank!

(image from www.graphics8.nytimes.com)

1. Drink lots of water. At this time of the year, especially in colder climates, we often look to our beverages to bring us some warmth. Thus, we are less likely to drink water and more likely to drink hot tea, coffee or cocoa. Do not forget to drink water, and plenty of it during cold weather! In door heating and the elements can dehydrate us, keeping hydrated will not only keep you healthier, but keep your skin looking great.

Winterizing Tip: Furthermore, with more holiday events and parties, we may be more likely to indulge in drinks containing alcohol. This, too, can dehydrate us and our skin, so a great tip is to drink one glass of water for every cocktail you savor at your holiday bashes!

2. Exfoliate. During the winter months and cold weather our skin can begin to look a bit dull. Many of us do not think of exfoliating as we do during the warm weather months as we may (and should!) be using safe self-tanning products that require exfoliation and shaving more often during that time of the year. It is important to still exfoliate, from head to toe to keep skin looking clean, clear and energized.

Winterizing Tip: When it comes to exfoliation (especially with salt scrubs!) make sure that you do that prior to shaving. Not only do you avoid any stinging sensation from the salt on newly shaved skin, you also avoid any irritation from the scrubbing and exfoliation elements on freshly shaved areas. Best of all, you get a better shave when you exfoliate first!

3. Moisturize. The winter months can be tough on skin, and sometimes we need to look at our moisturizer to ensure that it is up to cold weather duty. Most moisturizers do the job year around, but for some of us, our skin requires more moisture, especially when our heaters are running day and night! Many dermatologists recommend applying your moisturizer while your skin is still a bit moist.

Winterizing Tip: A great way to keeping skin moist is to use a humidifier during the months that you are running your heat in your home, especially in your room while you sleep at night.

4. Avoid hot water. I am the first to want to warm up the Jacuzzi or take long, hot showers and baths to "thaw out" at this time of the year. Unfortunately, prolonged exposure to hot water is not good for your skin. That hot water can strip your skin of necessary and natural oils and rob your skin of its natural ability to keep your skin moisturized. While it feels great to soak in a tub with oils and other soothing ingredients added, most of that is simply drained away when you drain your tub. It is better to shower in lukewarm water and avoid excessive exposure to spas and hot tubs that are excessively hot.

Winterizing Tip: A great rule of thumb here is that if you skin turns red in a jacuzzi or shower, it is truly too hot. Cool it down a bit to help maintain the natural and necessary oils your body produces to protect your skin .

5. Still use your sunscreen! You may think that when you see less sun in the winter months, you do not need to apply sunscreen everyday as you do during warm weather months. You are still being exposed to the sun and its potentially damaging rays in the winter. Apply sunscreen to your face and other exposed areas (for some of us, not much else in exposed in this cold weather!) and ensure that you stay on a routine to keep your skin healthy year around.

Winterizing tip: A great product is to find a multi-tasking product that provides sunscreen and powder or foundation style coverage for your skin. This makes applying sunscreen on a daily basis a "no-brainer" and a simple routine!

How do I know all of these amazing tips? I am a retail industry insider with over 15years of retail management experience. My background includes extensive experience in health and beauty products, including managing large volume health and beauty departments and staffing and training beauty consultants. I have been awarded both regional and company-wide awards driving beauty counter sales with one national retailer.

Furthermore, I am an admitted beauty product junkie. I have worked with at least one major beauty company to test products prior to market launch. If you would like me to test your products, or you would like me to blog about your beauty products, please feel free to contact me! I love to try new things and help give exposure to new products and new product companies.

How to Create an Actionable and Successful New Year's Resolution

This is an article that I wrote which was recently published! Feel free to visit the article here as well: http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Create-an-Actionable-and-Successful-New-Years-Resolution&id=1791609

It is again that time to evaluate the year that is coming to a close and to dream of what could be in the New Year that is upon us. Some of us will develop New Year's Resolutions and dream big. Some of us will look with a cynical eye at that process and let another year go by without fulfilling a dream. Unfortunately, the latter approach stems from how so many of us have created those New Years resolutions only to find that we are not successful within months, if not weeks into the New Year.

Here are some basic tips and examples of how to create a New Year's Resolution that you can truly incorporate into your every day life. Go ahead and dream big, you can be successful with a New Year's Resolution! Make 2009 your year to accomplish greatness and use these tips to help loved ones accomplish their desires along with you!

The first step is to decide what is a realistic desire or dream is and to write it down at the top of a piece of paper. You have to define what your goal is. Furthermore it has to be something that you can realistically accomplish. "World Peace" is amazing, and I admire that sentiment. But that is bigger than me, and I need something that I can work on every day that I own and can directly impact.

Then, on this same piece of paper draw a line down the middle of that paper and one half of the page should be titled Qualitative and the other have should be titled Quantitative. The Qualitative side describes the qualities of your dream or desire. How will it feel, how will it change your life, how will it impact those that you know and love? The Quantitative side is how it will be documented, weighed, supported and measured. Once you have brainstormed this on our own, I strongly suggest sharing these ideas with a loved one. You can get their input and ideas, and even more importantly, their "buy-in" to help support your goals! Putting all of this together on your sheet of paper is the foundation to creating an actionable game plan to accomplish this resolution.

Here are three of examples to assist you in understanding how easy this process is, what it could look like and provide some ideas for your New Year's Resolution!

Example 1:
I want to create a budget to save money.

Qualitative factors:
I will have to prepare myself to go without something that may be special to me.
I will sacrifice to save that money.
I will feel better if I have some extra money in the bank, for an emergency or for something fun.
I love my daily mocha at work, but that would be something that I could sacrifice that would save me a lot of money.

Quantitative factors:
That beloved mocha costs $3.95 each day that I work.
I work roughly 260 days of the year.
If I do not buy that mocha each day, I will save $1027.00 with this resolution.
To ensure that I save that money, I am going to set up a bank account into which I will transfer $3.95 for each day that I go without my mocha.
By the end of the year I should have $1027.00 in that account (without any adjustments for interest, of course!).

Example 2:
I want to lose weight this year.

Qualitative factors:
I know that I will feel better.
I will be able to fit back into my skinny jeans.
I will extend my life expectancy and enjoy my family longer!

Quantitative factors:
It is realistic to lose on the average 1 pound per week, so my first goal is to lose 20 pounds this year. I will strive for that first 20, and continue forward once I have hit that goal.
To lose approximately 1 pound per week, I need to cut about 300-500 calories per day.
A daily mocha is about 330-400 calories, depending upon the milk I ask for (nonfat slightly less than whole milk, of course)
If I no longer drink a daily mocha, I will save at least 330 calories per day.
I will track my daily caloric intake in a weight loss journal and add up the calories each day. I will not add anything to my diet that would take the place of those 330 calories!
I will weigh in every Monday and ensure that I am losing my 1 pound each week.
I will enter that weight each week into my weight loss journal and ensure that I am on track to lose my one pound per week.
I will also increase my exercise by using that time that I typically got the mocha and sat to drink it to walk instead; walking each day, 5 days a week for approximately 30 minutes.
I will note that walking each day in my weight loss journal to stay on track with my overall weight loss goal.

Example 3:
I want to focus on family this year.

Qualitative factors:
I know that it will bring my family closer together.
I know that we will have fun together and create family memories to last a lifetime.
I may save even more money by not going out.

Quantitative factors:
As we are a busy family, we will post a family calendar.
We will set each Friday night aside as a family night and put that on the calendar.
Everyone can plan their week around that evening.
We will create a rotation of who gets to select what we do that evening to keep that evening interesting, fun and spontaneous.
That rotation will be noted on the calendar by calling each Friday night by the family member's name and chosen activity, like Kelly's Cooking Night in which we all cook a meal together.
We will also document each evening by taking pictures or video and create a yearlong digital diary of our evenings together.

As you can see, New Year's Resolutions can be fun and can help you create true change in your life. By discovering both the Qualitative or subjective and emotional roots in your resolution AND the Quantitative or objective and measurable aspects in your resolution, you will be far more successful in accomplishing your resolution all year long. You can dream big and still be successful! With just these few statements on either side of my Resolution page, I can craft a game plan that will work, that is actionable, that is measurable and that will help me save money, lose weight and/or improve my family life.

From here, I suggest typing up your New Year's Resolution and laminating a couple of copies. One posted by your mirror so you are reminded of it every morning is a great way to start your day in the right direction. Put one copy by something that is a constant reminder of your Resolution. For example, if you are trying to lose weight, post it on your pantry door. That way you can think about your Resolution before opening that door for a snack! Of course, you will also need to prepare and have your tools handy and in a place that you touch every day. For example, for weight loss, you may need to get a pedometer and a journal in which you can track your calories, weigh-ins and your exercise routine. Keep that on your desk if you check email each day, or in your purse or briefcase so you can track your progress throughout the day.

Finally, don't forget to celebrate the wins. If you lose your first 20 pounds, treat yourself to something special. Maybe a new pair of jeans you have had your eyes on, or a makeup makeover! If you save your budgeted savings, pay off some debt and celebrate your steps toward financial freedom or retirement! If you find that you enjoy those amazing family nights together, create a digital scrapbook as a gift to your loved ones next Holiday season. Make a calendar that spotlights 12 of your favorite pictures together, or create a journal of your favorite pictures for your kids.

Start your 2009 Weight Loss Gameplan NOW!

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Green Gift-Giving!

Looking for eco-friendly gifts for friends and loved ones this holiday! Look no further than Gaiam!



Gaiam is the online destination for people living a lifestyle of health and sustainability. We offer over 4,500 products in categories including; yoga, Pilates, organic cotton clothing and natural and healthy products for your home.

And...as an added benefit, Gaiam is offering great holiday specials to make your holiday shopping not only fit your lifestyle, but your budget as well!



Click here for more fantastic gift ideas from Gaiam:

Gift Guide Landing Page

Vitamin D and Heart Health

I was watching The Today Show this morning and saw a segment on the connection between Vitamin D and Heart Health. Being that I have heart disease in my family, I wanted to do a bit more research.

Reuters reports that, "People with a deficiency in vitamin D may be at increased risk of heart and blood vessel disease, the authors of a new review of current research on vitamin D and cardiovascular health conclude."

Then, I read on a bit further..."Low levels of vitamin D have been linked to heart attack, heart failure, stroke, diabetes-related cardiovascular disease and peripheral arterial disease, the researchers report, adding that studies have also linked inadequate amounts of vitamin D to high blood pressure and diabetes." Yikes.

We all know that an ideal source for Vitamin D is the sun. As little as 20 minutes of sun exposure each day can help the average person boost their Vitamin D levels. However, not all of us live in climates in which we can get 20 minutes of sun every single day, and some of us have sun sensitivities or suffer/have suffered from skin cancer and avoid sun exposure.

Vitamin D supplementation is highly recommended. Even Reuters quotes Dr. John Lee of the Mid America Heart Institute and the University of Missouri in Kansas City ast stating, "vitamin D supplementation is simple, safe and inexpensive".

HERE IS YOUR "SIMPLE, SAFE AND INEXPENSIVE" ANSWER TO VITAMIN D SUPPLEMENTS:


VitaMist Spray Vitamins offers the easiest way to get your daily dose of Vitamin D! Spray vitamins are easy to take, are readily absorbed by your body, and are a fantastic way to keep your heart healthy! Click here for more information or to buy your VitaMist Vitamin D Spray Vitamins today!

Please register in the upper right hand corner of this blog and I can send you FREE information about VitaMist and a FREE sample!

Break the Walking Boredom!

I have been walking quite a bit lately. I love walking, especially at this time of the year in So Cal when it is cooler througout most of the day. I don't have to wake up super early or wait until it is dark to walk in a reasonable temperature!

With all of that walking, however, I have been getting a bit bored...and not feeling that my walks have been as challenging as they could be. I probably need to add some jog intervals, but I am also trying to be kind to sports-damaged knees!

The other day I picked up some ankle weights at Target, this exact pair:


("2 lb. Wrist/Ankle Weights - Pair", $11.99 at www.Target.com)

Wow. What a fantastic difference! I could feel it about half way into the walk, once I hit some hills that I had some extra work to do to lift those feet! I definitely felt more challenged, and can still feel an additional tightness in my calves, my thighs...and...well...my buns, too!

I did have on yoga-style pants that I love to walk in. I say that as I feel a bit like if I were wearing shorts, it may have appeared that I was attempting to break free from house arrest! The ankle weights were a bit on the bulky side, and I could only imagine how they could look like house arrest ankle monitors...ummmm...not that I should know what those look like! :)

I have to say that I am really bummed that I did not get these, as they are adjustable and go up to 10 lbs! This is going on my holiday wish list:


("10 lb. Wrist/Ankle Weights - Pair" $44.99 at www.Target.com)

Speaking of holiday gift wishes, give the gift of health this holiday season! Here is a great gift idea for anyone who is focused on their health and wellness! Green tea has amazing health benefits, and Adagio teas has something perfect for the tea lovers in your life:




Click on images for more information or to purchase today!

Give the Gift of Health and Wellness!

With so many of us on budgets this holiday season, many of us are trying to find gifts that have meaning and purpose. I know that many of the gifts that are on MY wish list are focused on my health and wellness. Those will be gifts that truly continue to give long after they are opened!

One such gift idea: Borba! BORBA luxury skin care products. Skin balance water, antioxidant cleansers, complexion & wrinkle repair, eye creams and more at Borba.com.


(Click picture above for more information or to order today!)

I love to drink lots of water, but admit that I get pretty bored with just water, water, and more water. Borba "Aqua-less Crystalline" packettes are the answer to not only making water more exciting, but also providing you with seriously amazing benefits for your skin! I want the sampler pack for Christmas, which includes four packettes of each Crystalline:

Clarifying Aqua-less Crystalline (4 packettes)
Age Defying Aqua-less Crystalline (4 packettes)
Firming Aqua-less Crystalline (4 packettes)
Replenishing Aqua-less Crystalline (4 packettes)

Make Borba part of your gift-giving solution this holiday season and give the gift of healthy skin to one you love (and to yourself!) BORBA ® - Official Site Drink you way to beautiful skin. Get Internet Specials Here! www.borba.com