As early as ancient Egyptian Civilizations bathing has been an essential element of one’s health, appearance, and peace of mind. Bathing is one of the most accessible, exotic and rewarding beauty rituals that you can perform. Showering will get you clean, but fully immersing your body in water is true bathing. For me it is a perfect end or beginning of my day. After a bath filled with lavender and chamomile I feel beautiful, healthy and renewed. Loving and caring for the body is an obligation and bathing was one of the first ways people began to respond to caring for the body. Bathing will help you reap the following benefits:
Next, prepare your tub. Draw water that is very warm but not hot. Water that is too hot will actually do harm to the skin. Add natural ingredients to your water such as pure essential oils, salts, herbs, and plant oils like jojoba, avocado, almond, and apricot. It is important that you use live natural ingredients as they help to keep your skin healthy and alive. Natural soaps, herbs, sea salts, and clays are also helpful. Bathing is a healing activity, so you especially want to avoid synthetic fragrances, harsh soaps and other bath additives that will strip moisture from your skin and create a toxic bath. Once you have prepared your bath, dry brush your skin to help get rid of dead skin cells, and to open the skin so that it can absorb the water, and additives in your bath. Soak for 20-30 minutes, taking deep breaths, which help rid your lungs of toxins. Relax and appreciate the water, and the benefits of the natural ingredients in your bath. and then use a natural sponge or cotton washcloth to clean your skin. Massage your skin in a circular motion. You should also use a foot file to remove old skin from your heels. Pat your skin dry, and, starting at your feet, apply moisturizer while your skin is still damp. One of the best moisturizers is raw, unrefined shea butter. When applied to the skin, it’s rich fatty acid and vitamin a content will help to seal moisture into your skin. This step will help to prevent dryness and cracking and helps to keep your skin from aging. Your mind, body, and spirit all gain strength from bathing. Rediscover the art of bathing. Akwa Day Spa Brussels
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Your alarm clock sounds, and you’re up like a flash. You get yourself going and then systematically ready everyone else in your family. After breakfast, you’re constantly on the move: working, cleaning, chasing, driving, cooking, bath-time, bedtime …go, go, go until finally, your head hits the pillow. After running your palace, your body is completely exhausted, yet there you lie. Mind spinning and swirling, trying to plan out tomorrow’s agenda. You can’t sleep. Does this sound familiar? Do you need some help relaxing and getting some well-deserved, or in my case, super-needed, beauty sleep? Give aromatherapy a try. What could be easier than putting a diffuser with a carefully chosen, relaxing scent beside your bed and taking some deep, soothing breaths of aromatic splendor? Sounds nice, doesn’t it? It’s a simple indulgence which offers sweet rejuvenation as its reward. Find some inner peace, and drift off to dreamland by enjoying these fragrances at bedtime: Lavender. Lavender is popular in perfumes and relaxation products for both children and adults. Why? Because it has such a calming effect on the nervous system and can leave your muscles relaxed and tension-free. Added sniff bonus: It’s great for your digestive system and has natural anti-depressant qualities in its fragrance. Chamomile. You’ve probably heard about chamomile tea, but the aroma itself has fabulous drowse-inducing qualities. Sandalwood. Also known for relieving nervous tension, sandalwood will help your mind and body relax so you can score a date with the elusive Mr. Sandman. Sage. It’s not just a yummy stuffing ingredient! Sage has a calming effect and can soothe you to sleep. And they’ve been blaming the post Thanksgiving coma on the turkey all these years. For shame. Jasmine. Jasmine is found in perfumes, but also can lull you into a sweet slumber. Added sniff bonus: Jasmine also has an aphrodisiac quality to it. If you’re looking for a romp before a rest, try this scent first. There are different ways that you can use aromatherapy. Your chosen method is a matter of personal taste. Some women like to add a few drops of these oils to a relaxing bath, while others like a diffuser beside their bed. Other options include massage (I’m thinking jasmine…wink, wink), misting some in the air, sprinkling some on your pillow (you can get some specifically made for this so it won’t stain) or some eye masks even come with fragrance beads sewn right in. If you’re an on-the-go gal who could use some extra help getting to sleep, give some consideration to aromatherapy. There are a variety of scents that can aid you in grabbing the ‘zs you need tonight, so you can keep up with your daytime routine tomorrow. Get a whiff of some fragrant serenity and you’ll be getting your beauty rest in no time. Beauty & Wellness Blog What is a skincare serum? A skincare serum is a thick liquid-like, (generally) oil-free product with a high concentration of active ingredients and is often moisutrizing, although is not necessarily a moisturizer. They are often used after cleansing and before applying moisturizer or night cream as a sort of supplemental product. They’re commonly used in targeted skincare for anti-aging, anti-oxidation, hydration and plumping, brightening, evening skin tone and to help with acne. Some claims say that the molecules in serum are smaller than in lotion therefore they penetrate the epidermis (top layer of skin) more readily and quickly, but I haven’t found scientific evidence to back-up that claim. Generally speaking, cosmetics companies are free to use the term however they please (there’s no regulation) but this is the general lay person’s definition of a serum versus, say, a day cream or face balm. When do you use a serum? If you have a specific skin problem you would like to target or would like the benefits of a very light moisturizer coupled with, say, a brightening effect (which you would get from a Vitamin-C serum). They are not a necessary part of skincare but can be beneficial and effective if chosen with care (at 16 you probably don’t need an anti-aging serum) and used properly. If you’re seeking out high levels of specific ingredients in non-prescription skincare, you’ll be better off finding and using them in a serum than a regular face cream. For example, if you’re after pumpkin enzyme, probably get it in a serum or mask rather than buried halfway down the ingredient list in a lotion. Where do you use a serum? Serums can be applied to the entire face, neck and décolleté region. Why do we use them? Because serums offer a concentrated, quick-to-absorb dose of ingredients that are often more potent or active than those found in moisturizers or creams because there’s less of the bulking out ingredients (water, propylene glycol, oil, etc.). How do you use a serum? You can apply it to a clean face by massaging in the recommended amount with clean finger tips. Key tip: Once you massage it in, if you have the time, let it fully absorb (five or so minutes) before applying your next product for maximum effectiveness. Schoonheidsinstituut Akwa If you’re counting on skipping meals and keeping your calories down to next to nothing as a means to lose weight, you’re not doing yourself any favors. In fact, you could be turning your body into a fat-storing machine, at least, until it decides to quit on you. Your body needs a healthy diet, rich with the good stuff (vitamins, minerals, proteins, fiber) and even some fats and carbs. If you’re depriving yourself of these key ingredients to health, you’re on a slippery slope to wrecking your body, from the inside out. Starvation diets are a bad idea, all the way around. The negative effects greatly outweigh any weight you may lose in the beginning. If you’re getting less than 800 calories per day, over time, you’re body will begin to revolt. Ugly Consequences of Starvation Dieting - If you’re not getting a healthy combination of foods, rich in the good stuff, your heart, liver and lungs, as well as other organs, will start to take the hit. They’ll start to go wonky, and if you don’t take the hint, they’ll give up altogether - You’ll be prone to binge eating things that are completely unhealthy for you. If your body is starving it WILL, eventually, talk you into eating a whole pizza over a salad and then cake and then candy bars. - You’ll begin to gain weight. Your body will freak out and, in an effort to save itself from starving, start to convert any calories you consume into fat, and store it Bye bye energy. If you’re not fueling up your car, it won’t run. If you’re not feeding you body, it won’t run, either - Your brain needs food or it won’t play nicely either. Robbing your body of food decreases your glucose levels. Blood glucose is the brain’s breakfast, lunch and dinner. A hungry noodle is an angry noodle. In return for the lack of brain-food, you can expect: headaches, fainting spells, rashes, depression, hair loss, decreased libido and irritability. I know this isn’t painting a very pretty picture, but that’s totally the point. Your body needs sustenance. There’s a significant difference between portion control and starvation dieting. Eat three healthy, good-stuff-filled meals per day, around 400 calories each, with smart snacks like nuts, fruits, veggies, cheese or yogurt in between. This keeps the metabolism working and you’ll eat your way to your goal weight without damaging your beautiful body. Beauty & Wellness |
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Pascale Loveniers Archive
Maart 2018
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