Massage – Techniques and History | GUEST POST

Hello!

Just a quick forward before we get onto the post: this is actually a guest post from the Spa themselves. Who better know about massages than the ones that provide them, hey? 

I hope you enjoy it and who knows, you might learn a thing or two, I know I did!

:D x

Massage is a health treatment that was around for quite a while. Even the ancient Egyptians used it as a way to relieve stress and to increase the overall function and strength of the body. Today, it is one of the best practices for dealing with numerous physical problems and issues. It has become an important part of modern culture and many people use it for relaxation. Massage has a particularly good therapeutic effect. It helps us to increase our metabolism and eliminate all the toxins which are stored within our body. Besides that, it is good for lymphs, blood, it helps with the reduction of swellings and improves the trophic of the tissue. First and foremost, it influences our skin, given that the pressure is put on it, by removing epidermal cells and it increases secretion activity of glands as well as elasticity of the skin. Besides that, it has a special, analgesic impact. In other words, it reduces the pain. Furthermore, it reduces the stress and fatigue; it has a relaxing and spasmolytic effect. Also, it increases the circulation of blood in body and reduces future fatigue. If you ever wish to have a good massage, Uptown Spa & Beauty salon is just the place for you.

Basic techniques for massage are effleurage, petrissage, friction, tapoment and vibration. We always apply one of these moves but the massage always starts and ends with effleurage. People usually start taking massage in order to resolve many issues with their body such as lumbar and cerebral syndromes, neuralgias and neuritis, posttraumatic contraction of the wrists, local swelling, injuries of the ligaments and muscles, different paralysis, arthritis etc. Side effects of the massage might be bleeding, tumors, skin diseases, acute diseases and inflammations.

As previously mentioned, massage is the older, known to man, physical therapy. Its origin is unknown. Some say that it originates from Arabic word Mas which means gentle pressure. Other sources say that it is from Greek word massein which means to squeeze. It is possible that the French invented it because in French language word masser means to rub in. At the beginning of the fifth century, Greek physician Hypocrite, known as the father of medicine, wrote that it is possible to fasten loose joint with rubbing and to loosen the joints which are too stiff. Besides that, he discovered that the massage can influence the muscle and bone tissue and influence the growth. Galen, physician of the Roman emperor, prescribed massage to injured gladiators but also as a part of preparation for arena fights. In ancient Rome, it was used in medical, sports and combat purposes as well as in daily life. Romans nurtured hedonism and everything that pleased their senses. So, in that regard, it is no wonder that massage was so popular in their culture. Even the great Julius Cesar was treated with the massage and it was regarded that it helped a lot with his epilepsy. Unfortunately, during medieval times, it was deemed as unfit way of treating people. But in renaissance it resurged and progressed up until today when it is commonly used.

A Beauty Discount Card + Giveaway! | BEAUTY

Hello!

""What? You've got to be kidding," I hear you say. "Yep," I say, "and it couldn't be easier.""

We all know a day trip to the Spa is a lovely treat. Treating yourself to a manicure is a, well, treat! As these are treats, it's nice to do something of the sort every once in a while (or many times in a while), yet what if I told you that you could get a discount with that treat. "What? You've got to be kidding," I hear you say. "Yep," I say, "and it couldn't be easier."

 

When I first found out about the FabYOUless card, I did what most people would do: go on their website. On there I put in my postcode and noticed that the closest place I could use the card is a mere 10 minute walk away. How convenient! 

" it's nice to know you're not hurting your wallet as much when you get that fresh new mani pedi! ;)"

With FabYOUless you could be getting a great deal with your fortnightly manicure. Best of all, it's a whopping 25% off, or 50% (if you look at it in terms of 2 for 1). To top it all off, there's a giveaway! Not 1, not 2, but 10 FabYOUless cards to give away... (yep, 10!).

a Rafflecopter giveaway

"the closest place I could use the card is a mere 10 minute walk away. How convenient!"

Discounts are always a good thing, and it's nice to know you're not hurting your wallet as much when you get that fresh new mani pedi! ;)

Tell me, what's your favourite treatment to get done? A Facial, massage, manicure? Leave a comment! Also, don't forget to enter that giveaway! :)

*Giveaway closes on the 25th of April 2015

Natural Teeth Whitening Kit: Review

Hello!

 Let's get this out there: it is not easy taking photos of teeth. We can now continue..

The teeth whitening kit by Natural Bliss (available here) comes with 3 little pots and a sheet of paper with instructions of how to use it. To be honest, all you need is a toothbrush and you're good to go. It doesn't take too long to do and with a bit of one direction playing in the background to dance along to, the waiting game takes almost no time at all! 

The kit comes with 3 pots with a different ingredient in each. The curcumin didn't do anything special for me, in fact, I almost thought it made my teeth less white. Sodium Bicarbonate is a well know DIY teeth whitener (no surprises that this was a great ingredient) and the willow carbon also worked amazingly well. I'd say the carbon did more for me than the sodium bicarbonate - see the photo below:

Step 1: Apply the Sodium Bicarbonate to your teeth and leave for a bit
   -for me, this worked well but I think my teeth looked extra clean because of the double scrubbing I did, the ingredient in particular was not the miracle

Step 2: Wet a bit of the carbon power and apply evenly, leave for 2 minutes
   -this was the ingredient that stood out for me. I could really tell the difference after the first use of this product. It may be the stark difference between the dark carbon that made me feel my teeth were whiter, or they were actually whiter. Either way, I liked the carbon!

Step 3: Apply the curcumin on to teeth and leave for a while
   -as mentioned previously, I feel like this counteracted the carbon and honestly didn't like it. I also thought it was annoying that it stained my toothbrush. It just didn't work for me. 

Step 4: Brush your teeth clean with water
   -this is where you can taste the curcumin and it's gross. Okay, can you tell I was NOT a fan of the curcumin at all?

Not going to lie, after Day 1, I was super impressed with the teeth whitening kit. My teeth were looking great: super shiny and lovely. The thing is, looking back now I think they might just be that way because I scrubbed my teeth about 4 times, and if you brush your teeth four times within the space of 10 minutes they're bound to look cleaner, right?

After Day 5, I feel my teeth were not as white as they were after Day 1. Contradictory to the whole idea of the kit? Yes. I still feel if I was to use just the willow carbon, the effect would be different. The first two ingredients are definitely worth it - and you're likely to have the sodium bicarbonate at home, so all you need to get is the willow carbon.
None-the-less, the kit is worth it for the willow carbon, and it lasts about 15 days - with each cycle of teeth whitening meant to last 5 days, you can do it 3 times! (yay maths!)

Overall, not bad but I wouldn't say it made a HUGE difference. If you suffer from staining you're more likely to experience better results. If you, like me, have a pretty even(ish) teeth colour and just want a couple of shades whiter teeth, this may not be your best bet.

Do you whiten your teeth? If so, what do you use?