Have the Perfect At Home Spa Experience: GUEST POST

This article was submitted by Cosmetology & Spa Academy. Located in Illinois, CSA is a beauty school with over 30 years of experience in the cosmetology, esthetics and beauty industry.

Creating your own spa in the comfort of your home can be a relaxing and low cost way to reduce stress, take care of your body and most importantly, save money!
You will be required to grab some items in preparation for your spa experience, but it will be much more convenient in the long run. No driving, no waiting and no strangers to distract you from what matters most: taking care of yourself.

Set the Stage
You’ll need to find somewhere to setup your spa, perhaps your bedroom, bathroom or a spare room that you might have. Set the mood by lighting some scented candles, dimming the lights and play some music. Don’t forget to unplug and turn off that phone!
Next, get a vaporizer and use it in combination with the essential oil bergamot. This oil is used in aromatherapy, massage oils and perfumes. The vaporizer will fill the air with the bergamot oil and which will be absorbed by your skin. You'll feel considerably better as it will decrease your blood pressure and heart rate.

Prepare a Bath
Bergamot oil has several purposes and can also be added to your bath. Add 5 to 10 drops of the oil to your bath water and hop on in. You can also substitute in regular bath oils into your warm bath water instead. Soak for around 10 to 20 minutes.
This is a great opportunity to clean your nails with a brush and soap or warmed olive oil. Apply a generous amount of oil to both the nail bed and the hands before rinsing it off. You hair can get an oil treatment during this time as well. With a couple of simple ingredients, you can make your own at home solution.
Mix together a cup of sweet almond oil with a half-cup of sesame and a sprinkling of sweet orange essential oil. If you are feeling adventurous, add in a couple drops of lavender oil. Start to massage this oil deeply into your follicles and then wrap your hair up. You want your hair collect the moisture from the oil treatment for as long as possible. Once you are ready, rinse off and begin your normal hair routine with shampoo and conditioner.

Cleanse Your Skin
The bergamot oil is truly multipurpose and we are going to use it to create a DIY skin cleanser. Start by adding 5 drops to some steaming water in a bowl. Use a towel to create a tent that will lay over your head and the bowl. This will collect the steam and you should inhale deeply for a short few minutes.
Bergamot will help to reduce your skin's potential for any outbreaks and can also help fight against those already afflicting your skin. Your skin will also benefit from bergamot oil when it is added directly to your lotion. Add a couple of drops into unscented vitamin E cream to create an improved lotion for dry skin. This can be used as the start of a fantastic massage oil. You can learn more techniques and secrets like these from enrolling in an esthetics program.

Conduct an At Home Facial
A facial at home can be accomplished with a few simple ingredients and some preparation. You want to start with a light steaming. Select a few herbs and add them to a teapot with some water to boil. Make sure to let the herbal components sit for a while so that the water can absorb the benefits. A few herb suggestions would be mint, lavender flowers, parsley, rose petals and lemongrass.
Similar to the bergamot steam, you want to do the same thing here. Pour this herbal infusion into the sink while adding hot water. Grab a towel and cover your head and the bowl to let the steam come in contact with your face. Keep your face just above it for 5 full minutes. This will clear your pores and smooth out your skin. Then apply a facial cleanser and lean back over your steaming infusion for another full minute. It'll eliminate impurities while unclogging oil and debris.
After the cleanser, you should start to apply your toner. Create your own toner at home with a few simple ingredients. Fill a spray bottle with water, a little bit of milk and a couple drops of rose and lavender essential oils. Exfoliate and apply a mask that meets your skin's needs. Lay back and put your mind at ease as your mask works its magic. Finally, add an organic moisturizer with active ingredients to complete your DIY facial.

Massage at Home
It’s easier than you may think to perform your own at home massage. Mix 10 drops of essential oils together with 2 cups of sweet almond oil. Start to massage this mixture all over your body, beginning with the soles of your feet and moving upwards. Use long and smooth strokes to massage the oil into your skin and relieve any stress you may have. Once you've massaged the oil onto your entire body, wrap yourself in a couple towels to ensure that the oils are fully absorbed.

** Guest Post

Can Your Diet Really Cause Acne? -Guest Post

Over the years, a debate has ranged as to whether there is any relationship between diet and acne and if any, to what magnitude. Dermatologists have differed with those supporting the theory but this has slowly come to change as research reveals that some certain foods could definitely contribute to acne and other health cases.  One of the supporting evidences about the link between acne and diet is that an increase in bacteria, hormones, sebum and hyper production of follicular cells can be directly associated with acne. There are certain foods known to contribute to excessive proliferation of the aforementioned substances in the body and the question that we should ask is whether these really have an effect on your skin condition.

First, it is good to note that diet plays a major role in the treatment of acne. People with some skin conditions or those trying to fight wrinkles and aging process can effectively do it by eating the right diet. With this is in mind, it is obvious that if diet can be used for treatment and rejuvenation of the skin, the same can on the other hand be instrumental in the development of acne.  Before going far however, it is good to answer a few questions so as to establish the truth about this matter.

What causes acne?

Acne occurs as a result of blockage of hair follicles which might be caused by a number of factors. One, the follicles can be blocked by dead skin cells, oil secretions and bacteria and this is evident especially in the facial skin, neck, shoulders, chest and on your back. These parts of the body are known to have many oil glands or sebaceous which help to protect and moisturize the skin tissue. However, dead skin cells can easily block these glands while oil can also accumulate leading to bacterial reaction. This reaction results to inflammation which is linked to acne.

What foods can contribute to acne?

For long, junk foods such as French fries, processed drinks and chocolates have been associated with acne. However, this cannot be taken as a wholesale issue since not all people have reacted negatively with these foods leading to acne. It is however important to point out that some people normally develop acne when they eat these foods owing to the increase of fat in the body which is at some point released through the skin pores leading to some level of blockage. Research has also shown that some people develop acne when they drink milk that is highly concentrated with fats.

Some researchers have also pointed at foods that lead to the production of excess insulin levels as a major contributor of skin inflammation. Such foods include processed sugar and sugary foods that cause an increase in insulin thus leading to endocrine response and hormonal surge. This leads to an increase of pore-blocking cells and excessive activity by oil gland. It is not however conclusive as to whether diet and acne should be linked but it is good to assess your skin and its reaction to different foods. When all is said and done however, you should bear in mind that proper diet leads to a healthy skin and body. 

Molly Garner is a beautician by profession. She is contributing article on behalf of CoLaz Beauty Salon they offer laser hair removal, advanced acne treatments and beauty treatments.

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Editors Notes: 

Hello! 

I hope you enjoyed the really informative post by Molly Garner, I loved reading it and found it really interesting! Do you think diet causes acne?