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The Importance of Skin Exfoliation

October 29, 2015

skin exfoliationSkin exfoliation is often thought of as an activity that you have to do to keep your skin looking youthful. However, exfoliation is also a natural process for your skin to remove its old cells and stimulate the formation of new replacement cells. In other words, your skin exfoliates itself. Scientists even have a special term for this natural exfoliation process – desquamation.

Desquamation often slows down or becomes patchy. Inadequate desquamation leads to dry or blemished skin. Dry skin looks flaky. Blemished skin may include acne, clogged pores, redness, or skin spots. All of these conditions can benefit from actively exfoliating your skin to give it the youthful, glowing appearance that it should have.

Herbal skin care products are particularly powerful for enhancing desquamation. The key is to use natural skin care products that provide deep cleansing that is non-irritating.

Removing Dead Skin Cells

You may not realize that the outer layer of your skin consists entirely of dead skin cells. You are literally covered with them! Normally they have been dead for at least a month. They form a protective layer against damage by microbial infection and by environmental toxins, including overexposure to UV light. Healthy skin sheds millions of dead skin cells each day. Skin shedding maintains an important balance between this protective layer and the formation of new cells to replace the dead ones.

This natural balance gets off kilter when the shedding process slows down due to external damage or aging. Such an imbalance causes your normally protective layer of dead skin cells to thicken beyond what is necessary, which leads to dull-looking skin. This is when taking an active role in exfoliating your skin becomes important for restoring the cycle of shedding and regeneration.

Exfoliating Dry Skin

By the way, skin may begin drying out before it becomes obviously flaky-looking. A simple home test will tell you whether you are forming surface dry skin cells. Take a small piece of clear tape and rub it gently on your forehead. Once you carefully remove it, take a look for any little pieces of flaky skin on the tape. They indicate dead skin cells that are not being removed fast enough by healthy desquamation.

Exfoliation for removing dry skin cells is particularly important before using rehydrating creams. Rehydrating dead cells would make no sense, so they should be removed beforehand. Winter is the season when exfoliation is particularly important, since skin dries out more in cold air that holds less moisture. Even indoor air can be super-dry when it is heated by a natural gas furnace.

Exfoliating Blemished Skin

Skin cell buildup can clog pores, trap oil in follicles, enable acne-causing bacteria, and cause patchy redness. Any of these conditions benefit tremendously from an active exfoliating program with herbal formulas. A mixture of herbs that cleanse, disinfect, and reduce inflammation will invigorate skin in preparation for applying moisturizing and anti-aging products.

Care must be taken to avoid ingredients that are overly drying or inflammatory. These include mixtures of strong anti-bacterial agents and of inflammatory organic acids. Particularly avoid substances such as alpha-hydroxy acids (AHA; e.g., glycolic acid) and beta-hydroxy acids (BHA; e.g., salicylic acid), since these are strong oxidants. They may temporarily reduce wrinkles, although they do so by inflaming cells to make them puff up to look smooth.

Reversing Skin Wrinkling

As the skin’s natural desquamation slows, the accumulation of dry skin cells creates a wrinkled appearance. This is when herbs that promote the structural proteins, collagen and elastin, in the lower levels of the epidermis can trick the skin into acting young again.

Helping your clients with a deep exfoliation through our gentle Jade & Pearl Resurfacing Peel will help slow their skin’s natural aging and help peel away the years of sun and environmental stress.

Followed by the Jade & Pearl Anti-Aging Green Tea Mask, it’s a wonderful approach to staying vibrant and young!

 

 

Top 5 Steps for Detoxing Your Body

October 13, 2015

detox-your-bodyOutdoor fun is especially challenging for your natural detox systems. BBQs, great food and drinks, lots of time poolside or at the beach. All of the enjoyable activities that you love so much take a toll on your body, especially your skin. Chlorine and salt water strip skin of its natural oils. Overdoing exposure to sunlight leads to spots, uneven pigmentation, and even freckles. Heat incubates bacteria in pores and on skin surfaces.

It doesn’t mean that you have to fear the sun, restrict yourself to a vegan organic diet, drink only the purest glacial water imported from the Arctic, and stay out of the pool, lake, or ocean. Instead what it means is simply that it is high time for post-summer detoxing – internally and externally.

Taking the right steps for detoxing your body and your skin will surely do the trick for getting you back on track.

Top 5 Steps for Detoxing Your Body

  1. The first and most important step for internal detoxing is simple: Eat more foods that are rich in detox properties. Start by having more dark green leafy veggies in your diet. Spinach, kale, and beet or turnip greens should be at the top of the list. Even lighter green veggies such as cabbage, asparagus, and kelp (yes, seaweed!) provide powerful detoxing value.
  1. Give a tremendous boost to the power of detox foods with the liberal use of healthful herbs and spices. The top ones include garlic, turmeric, watercress, ginger, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, cardamom, parsley and cilantro.
  1. Detoxing herbal supplements are also important for supporting the cleansing process. The best such herbs add the bonus of boosting the immune system. Examples include Astragalus, Hawthorn, Rhubarb, and Cinnamon bark, among many others. Additional key herbal ingredients for internal detox formulas include dandelion root, burdock root, ginseng, and licorice.
  1. And always, always, always drink plenty of clean, fresh water. Hydration is crucial for internal cleansing.
  1. One more thing – your liver will do a much better job detoxing your body if you cut down on caffeinated beverages, sweets, alcohol, and overeating. All of these thwart your efforts to detoxify your body.

Best Strategy for Detoxing Your Skin – A Detox Soak

Internal detoxing will, of course, help your skin, too.

Indeed, body detoxing goes hand in hand with the use of natural skin care formulas specifically designed for detoxing and rejuvenating your skin by further cleansing from the inside out.

Soaking in a detox bath for 20 minutes harnesses the power of herbs to drive total body cleansing through the skin. Four of the most important herbs and what they do for a relaxing and rejuvenating detox soak are:

  1. Burdock Root, which is known to moisten the intestines and promote bowel movements, resolve toxicity, and have an antibiotic effect
  2. Ledebouriella (Saposhnikoviae Root), which harmonizes the intestines and alleviate bowel issues such as spasms, gas and bloating
  3. Cortex Moutan is known to increase circulation, have an anti-microbial effect, clear the liver and reduce swelling
  4. Mulberry is known to have a detoxifying effect, reduce edema, and help harmonize blood pressure

A detox soak is the perfect complement to changes in your diet and lifestyle for total body cleansing.

Healthy Skin – More Than Skin Deep

Regardless of whatever challenges you imposed on your skin over the summer, reversing their effects takes a multi-pronged effort. Diet, hydration, detox supplements, and herbal skin care synergize with one another to cleanse your body and rejuvenate your skin.

Healthy, vibrant skin is your reward for a healthy, vibrant body.

Natural Pain Relief Herbs ~ The Science Behind Stephania

April 18, 2014

Stephania RootEvery pharmacy offers shelves full of lotions and ointments for pain relief. Fortunately, you don’t have to spend time and money to find a good skin product that really works. Just look for an ingredients list that contains natural pain relief herbs that have a good history behind them and some modern scientific research to back them up. In case you don’t know exactly what to look for, let’s get started by looking at one of the top herbs for natural pain relief, Stephania Tetrandra. This herb is one of the 50 fundamental herbs in traditional Chinese medicine. It is also well-known to modern science.First off, what is it about an herb that gives you natural pain relief? The answer depends on how it works to tackle the underlying causes of pain. Ideally, it should do so in more than one way. In contrast to synthetic drugs, which typically have only one or two mechanisms to treat pain, herbs generally provide a broad spectrum of beneficial effects. Indeed, it is common for herbs to influence pain in many ways.

The Science Behind Stephania

Pain is a sign of inflammation, which is your body’s healing response to cellular damage. Damage is the common factor shared by the aching joints of arthritis, by sports injuries, by sore muscles, and by many other sources of pain.

Scientists now know how Stephania works to alleviate pain from all of these sources, and more. So far we know that this herb does the following:

• Reduces the activity of certain types of inflammation-inducing molecules called cytokines.
• Inhibits superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide, which are powerful cellular oxidizing agents.
• Slows down the formation of internal scarring.
• Hinders the activity of cyclooxygenase enzymes, which are the targets of so many pain medications (e.g., ibuprofen).

The bottom line in all that tech-talk is that Stephania is a pain relief herb backed by solid scientific research. It is no surprise that this herb is well-known in Chinese medicine for relieving the pain of arthritis and neuralgia. It is also no surprise that professional athletes have discovered its benefits for alleviating chronic pain from exercise-induced stress and sports injuries.

Finding Products That Contain Stephania

You might expect that, based on Stephania’s rich history as a Chinese medicinal herb and on its the growing body of scientific research, you would see it as a common ingredient in natural pain relief lotions. However, this is apparently not the case.

Stephania can nevertheless be found in topical formulas as one of more than a dozen herbs that work synergistically to alleviate pain, relax sore and tight muscles, relieve swelling and inflammation, and strengthen muscles and joints. Moreover, this formula also reduces internal bruising and improves circulation.

Jadience Herbal Formulas’ Natural Pain Relief Collection uses Stephania as one of the key active ingredients.

Retail products are available for sale to your clients here.

Find out more about Jade Spa’s Muscle & Joint Therapeutic Massage treatment packages here.

 

Video: Jadience Herbal Formulas ~ History & Formulas

August 30, 2013

For more information on Jade Spa’s Muscle & Joint Therapeutic Treatment Packages, click here

To purchase Muscle & Joint Retail Collection items for sale to your clients, click here

“The Seven Year Theory” – A Timeline of Aging

June 12, 2013

geisha facialAccording to Traditional Oriental Medicine, the body’s energies change at intervals of seven years. As vital energies diminish, the skin becomes prone to dryness and evermore vulnerable to the ageing process. The “Seven-Year Theory” provides a timeline of the ageing process, and from the fourth cycle beginning at 28, the skin starts to become dry. Signs of aging appear from 35, followed by the greying of hair in the sixth cycle from the age of 42. After 49, menopause is accompanied with multiple signs of aging that show more and more on the skin.

Based on this “Seven-Year Theory,” an anti-aging approach can be applied to caring for the skin. After 28, the skin is prone to dryness, which is related to the lack of yin, meaning lack of energy and blood nourishing the skin. When yin and yang are in balance, sangseng (harmony between opposite energies) is achieved in the body, keeping the skin in a good condition.

Jadience Herbal Formulas understands these principles and works to restore the balance lost by those unknowledgeable of how to restore the body’s natural beauty and health. Some fundamentals to understand include:

The Yin-Yang Theory ~ Simply put, it is the concept of two opposing, yet complementary, forces that shape the world and all life. In the Traditional Oriental Medicine view, a vital energy or life force called qi (or chi) circulates in the body through a system of pathways called meridians. Health is an ongoing process of maintaining balance and harmony in the circulation of qi.

The Holisitic Method: The Principle of Sky, Earth, and Human ~ The human body is a microcosm of the universe. Just as the universe is made up of Sky, Earth and Human, we are made up of Mind, Body, & Spirit. When each part of your being functions at its optimal level, you will achieve lasting beauty, longevity, and ultimate health. Just as the universe would not exist without one of its components – Sky, Earth & Human – you will never be able to achieve ultimate health and beauty if any part of your being – Mind, Body & Spirit – is not functioning properly.

The Science of Herbology ~ Proper formulation is key: Our formulas have been renowned for centuries for their proper formulation, which arises from the true understanding of the properties and functions of each herb, and the ways in which the herbs relate to and affect one another. This is the principle of a proper herbal formula, which will ultimately be absorbed by the body in order to rebalance the mind, body, and spirit without producing harmful side-effects.

The Power of Jade ~For centuries jade has been used to preserve and maintain ultimate health and beauty. The precious jade stone has been known for 7,000 years. Jade is considered the royal gem in East Asia, where its worth is comparable to gold and diamonds found in the West.

According to Ancient East Asian Medicine jade heals stressed organs and discharges toxins. Pumiced jade was applied to cheeks for beauty and absorbed into the skin for health. Jade is believed to slow down the process of cell aging and it has the excellent ability to strengthen the body’s natural defenses and healing powers. Jade contains vital elements for the human body, such as minerals, calcium, magnesium and water. In addition, Jade is known as a natural transmitter of far infrared rays in the same wavelength as the human body, which means that jade is easily absorbed by the human body. This is why Jadience Herbal Formulas synergistically combines the wisdom of proper herbal formulas with the powerful properties of jade powder to help restore balance and enable your body to function properly in ridding itself of toxins, staying true to traditional beauty rituals used by Geishas and East-Asian Royalty to deliver the youthful and healthy complexion they are known for.

Take me to more information on Jade Infused Skin Care Products and Jade Spa Facial Treatments and Enhancements available

The Jadience Slimming Method & Best Recommended Regimens

May 10, 2013

1318Over the centuries it has been proven that the most effective and time proven treatments are those treatments that utilize proper acupressure and massage techniques coupled with powerful, effective and time proven herbal formulas. This combination of specific pressure point techniques and herbal formulas will inevitably improve the health of the client as well as the health of the practitioner.

The Jadience Slimming Formulas

Each Jadience slimming products contains East Asian weight loss herbs that fall into a few different categories based on their function in the weight loss plan:

1. Herbs known to speed up metabolism:

  • Work by increasing your qi (“energy flow”) to boost your body’s
  • metabolism
  • Aid in healthy digestion
  • These are also the specific herbs to take if you want to lose belly fat

2. Herbs used to detoxify your body:

  • These particular herbs tend to have a very bitter taste and are meant to curb your appetite
  • They work by cutting back on your body’s stomach acid (an acidic environment in your stomach is what brings about most food craving or the feeling of hunger)

3. Herbs aimed to reduce your body’s stored fat:

  • These types of herbs are known to “transform phlegm,” meaning that they help the body flush out excess fat and prevent excess fat from
    accumulating in the body.
  • They also help flush out unhealthy fluid retention.
  • Each of our formulas contains a proper combination of these herbs to give the safest, most effective and lasting results possible.

 Benefits of proper acupressure and massage techniques combined with powerful herbal formulas and traditional treatment tools…

Throughout history it has been noted that there are two general types of massage treatments.  The first type of massage treatment consists of the practitioner using massage oils or creams combined with a great deal of bodywork, which requires the practitioner to exert a great deal of energy and work during the treatment; this type of massage leads to temporary relaxation.  The second type of massage treatment consist of using proper acupressure and massage techniques combined with proper herbal formulas; this type of massage treatment requires less work and energy from the practitioner, but leads to incredible results for your clients. This type of traditional therapeutic massage, which uses specific pressure points and herbal formulas, changes the actual condition and well-being of your client.

For the Practitioner:

  • Less energy required from the practitioner when conducting a treatment
  • Less stress to the muscles and joint
  • Greater guarantee of client’s return – based on the benefits and implementation of proper treatment programs that your clients will feel.

 For the Client/Patient:

  • Your clients will see an increased function of all bodily systems, with emphasis on digestive system, lymphatic system, circulatory system, endocrine system and metabolic system
  • Your clients will feel increased functionality and decreased stress and tension of muscles and joints
  • Your clients will gain a calm and clear mind and balanced emotions

 

The 3 Most Popular Jade Spa Detox and Slimming Treatments: 

  1. Detox or Slimming Massage with Jade Herbal Warming Pillow Treatment
  2. Traditional Healing Treatment Method (Wrap) – administering traditional body treatment utilizing traditional body wrap procedures.
  3. Weight-Loss Treatment Method (Compression Treatment) – Administering Traditional Body Treatment with body wrap applied using ace bandages and hot towels.

1 Treatment:

  • Leads to complete relaxation of mind and body
  • Quickly rebalances the mind and body, including:
    • Digestive system
    • Lymphatic system
    • Muscular system
    • Immune system

3 Treatments:

  • Lead to complete relaxation of mind and body
  • Rebalance bodily systems by increasing function of organ systems and ridding the body of harmful toxins
  • Rebalances:
    • Digestive system
    • Lymphatic system
    • Muscular system
    • Immune system
    • Cardiovascular system
  • Harmonize and calm the mind and improve/balance emotional well-being

6 Treatments:

  • Lead to complete relaxation of mind and body
  • Rebalance bodily systems by increasing function of organ systems and ridding the body of harmful toxins
  • Rebalances:
    • Digestive system
    • Lymphatic system
    • Muscular system
    • Immune system,
    • Cardiovascular system
    • Endocrine System
    • Nervous System
    • Metabolic System
  • Harmonize and calm the mind and improve/balance emotional well-being
    • Maintenance: 6 Treatments seasonally or when condition is in jeopardy or 2-3 Treatments per month, annually

For Optimal Results:  6 Treatments within 6 weeks, including 1-3 Home Treatments

Find out more and order your Jade Spa Treatments and Slimming Collection