There’s no escaping the truth; winter is here. The days are shorter and the sweaters have come out of the wardrobe. It’s not unusual for people to get the ‘winter blues’ – which is a condition many people in the northern hemisphere are afflicted with due to lack of sunlight during the colder and darker winter months. The good news for everyone is that massage therapy can help increase health happiness for everyone during the cooler months of the year. Here a few reasons why…
Massage May Help to Banish Seasonal Affective Disorder As we’ve mentioned, Seasonal Affective Disorder – sometimes known as the winter blues – is a problem for many people when there’s less natural sunlight. This is because sunlight causes the brain to release a feel-good chemical called serotonin that improves our mood. When there’s less sunlight, less serotonin is produced, which can lead to low mood, lethargy and feeling like it's difficult to get out of bed in the morning. In some people it can even cause depression serious enough to warrant visiting a doctor. It’s not a happy place to be, but the good news is that booking regular massage can help to lift a low mood. A regular massage session will help to relax stressed minds and bodies, as well as releasing the serotonin and endorphins, the same chemicals produced by the body when you’re happy. It Can Give Your Circulation A Boost Massage therapy may also help boost circulation during a time of the year when nobody wants to get up and go outside for a run. Everybody knows that getting regular exercise helps keep circulation running smoothly, and also gets the oxygenated blood pumped around our bodies faster. A lack of movement in the winter months can result in feeling sluggish, and poor circulation can lead to lethargy, aches and pains. Here’s where a massage has extra benefits; it can help blood to pass through any congested areas and boosts overall flow, which also helps the lymphatic system to remove waste that builds up. At the same time, massage is well known to help decrease blood pressure. It May Help Your Body to Fight Off Minor Infections For anybody that’s prone to suffering from colds during the winter season, massage might be useful for prevention. It’s been found that massage sessions can help to boost the effectiveness of the immune system, helping to fight off the normal bugs and viruses that circulate this time of year. A gentle massage of the area around the lymph nodes also encourages white blood cells to circulate, and as massage increases blood flow it also stimulates the white blood cells to start fighting any infection in your body. These are just a few of the many benefits that massage therapy can bring during winter. Of course, there’s also the feel-good aspect of a warming hot stone massage, delicious aromatic massage oils, and even just the act of taking time out to look after yourself when you need it. We all know how important it is to choose the right skincare products. If you get your products right, they will leave your skin looking and feeling at its best. They can help to improve skin condition if you have acne, dry skin, and sensitivity or if your skin is starting to show signs of aging. There is such a wide choice of products on the market that it can be hard to decide which one to try. Here are a few tips we’ve put together to help you select the right skincare products for your needs.
What’s your skin type and what does it need? We recommend having a professional consultation to truly determine your actual skin type and pick up on any specific needs you might have overlooked. An esthetician will take a really close look at your skin and help you to decide what the priorities are for your skincare routine. She may tell you something about your skin that you don’t know - for example, even if you think your skin is just a bit dry, it could be because it’s sensitive too, and you just didn’t realize that you were using products that irritated it? Changing your products to a professional range that’s specially designed for your skin type could make all the difference. Why go professional? There are commercials everywhere for skincare products and they all promise beautiful skin. Some are cheap and available from drugstores anywhere but the professional ranges are more expensive and exclusive, so why would you opt for a professional product? Drug store and department store beauty products can be sold by anyone, because they normally contain lower levels of active ingredients. They are cheaper because they can be easily mass produced and have a very long shelf life. Buying from a salon, spa or esthetician means you get an extra level of recommendation – you’re not just buying from an advertising agency’s copy but you’ve got the benefit of the esthetician’s experience and training in helping you find a suitable product as well as a better quality product with better active ingredients. Estheticians carefully research their product lines, and are educated on ingredients, how to use the different products, and will educate you on how to best take care of your skin. What’s in a cosmeceutical? Cosmeceuticals, sold by licensed estheticians tend to contain higher concentrations of active ingredients – only medical grade products sold by doctors are legally allowed to contain more active ingredients. Professional skincare companies put a great deal of money into researching cosmeceuticals; they use hi-tech ingredients like peptides, enzymes, plant stem cells and vitamins. They also benefit from the most advanced latest delivery systems. If you want to do something fantastic for your skin – book a session with a professional esthetician to get to know your skin properly. You don’t always have to book a facial to get professional product recommendations, although this will give your esthetician a complete look at your skin. Most estheticians offer product consultations and can create a customized plan for your skin based on your concerns and their expertise. |