KEEPING YOUR SKIN CLEAN AND HEALTHY

It is always important to cleanse our skin both morning and night. While rinsing the day away, use a non-toxic, pH balanced facial cleanser. Professional products avoid stripping and drying the skin out. It is especially important right now to cleanse your skin gently without using aggressive scrubbing and exfoliating products and devices. They will dehydrate and damage the barrier layer of your skin. You want to keep your skin protected and well-hydrated. Drink a good amount of water not only to keep your body healthy, but also to keep your skin hydrated. It also helps to prevent wrinkles! And ladies, we all know that makeup needs to be washed off nightly, but did you know not doing so actually ages your skin? We certainly don't want that!

F EELING A BIT STRESSED THESE DAY S?

We often hear, "Even though we cannot control what is going on in the world, we can control how we respond to it." It's true and sometimes hard to do. Some of you know I was to attend a Mindfulness-Based Aesthetics training with my oncology educator in the State of Washington this month. It is a program that is currently used in hospitals and cancer centers all over the U.S. Due to COVID-19 it was cancelled but is being rescheduled for the end of October! I am really looking forward to learning those techniques so I can share all with you!

So what can we do to try to control our response to the added stress? We all know that diet and exercise can help to maintain our immune systems. But optimal mental and spiritual health is equally important. Our brains are closely connected to every organ in our bodies, especially the immune system. Stress can cause body inflammation and make us vulnerable. There is a lot of evidence that over time stress reduction can train the immune system. Some of the ways we can do this is through Yoga, Tai Chi, and mindfulness techniques such as Meditation. This is a good time for extra self-care. Put on your PJ's, some calming music and try some stress-reducing techniques. Your mind, body and spirit will thank you!