Category Archives: Beauty

Self-Care During Covid

Camille’s Selfcare Toolkit

Make a list. Coronavirus has upended our lives, leaving many us at a loss on how to fill our days. We can choose between dissolving on the couch, watching Amazon while nibbling on our favorite sin, or stepping up to the challenge by imposing our own routine. The best way to do this is to start your day with a list. If I make a list, not only do I create structure, but I accomplish tasks and feel better at the end of the day. It might include exercise, writing in your journal, or finally cleaning out that closet. It feels great at the end of the day to see all the checkmarks through your to-do list! Warning, try not to make it too long. Limit your list to 3-6 items, so it is moderately easy to accomplish.

Facial Massage. Although you cannot visit one of our talented estheticians at Spa on the Plaza, you can treat yourself to a facial at home. The Lymphatic Japanese Facial Massage is one of my favorite techniques for firming facial muscles and improving circulation. The method reduces puffiness and tones the facial muscles.

It also improves circulation, which leaves your skin looking vibrant. When we train the spa’s estheticians, we use this video and ask them to practice it on themselves home. If you do this every day for 3 days, you will see the difference. Never underestimate the value of good facial massage. Women have been using this technique in Japan taught from mother to daughter for centuries. Enjoy!

Celery Juice. Ayurveda medicine teaches that all good health starts with the gut. If you want to improve digestion, detoxify your liver and boost your immune system, drink 8 oz. to 16 oz. of celery juice in the morning 30 minutes before you eat. My digestion loves it, and its effect is to diminish unhealthy food cravings.

It is delicious and will reduce unhealthy food cravings and brighten your eyes and skin. Watch this video on celery juicing to help motivate you.

Reflection. Like many women, I juggled child-rearing with a career and somewhere in-between finished a Master’s Degree. The wheels have been turning for a long time, and on a deep level, I feel tired. Suddenly I am being forced to take a break, and there is a part of me that is glad. Today I heard the birds sing, and I wondered how many times my busy mind shut out their beautiful songs. So my lesson during this time is to slow down and listen. Take the time to ask this question for yourself, and maybe you will find a too will find a gift in these challenging times.

Growing Young-A Natural Facelift

Aging gracefully has always been my mantra. How you feel is how you look but at fifty five my outside self no longer  reflected my inner self. Who is that fifty five year old woman in the mirror?  Why, I don’t feel a day over twenty four!

I have  always been afraid of getting a facelift.  In the spa we see many botched results and even the so called successful ones can leave a  strange,  frozen expression with shiny, over polished skin.  I wanted better results without undergoing the knife and finally decided on a procedure called Ultherapy. 

Ultherapy is a noninvasive facelift that promises to deliver a firmer neck and jawline over a period of six months. There is no down time, and the procedure lasts about two hours. The laser  impacts the subcutaneous layers of the skin and it feels like small electrical shocks.  The procedure is not for wimps! After twenty minutes I was weeping quietly.  The assistant mentioned that it was better than a facelift. Yes, true, but still it hurt!

The good news is that once the procedure is over so is the pain. The next day I noticed a bit of puffiness around my jawline but it healed within 24 hours and I was back to myself. One week later I can feel the healing and contraction.  Already friends are commenting.

The real therapy is that every  morning for six months I get to look into the mirror for the signs of growing younger. Six months of looking in the mirror,  anticipating a more youthful me, is plenty reason to invest in Ultherapy. Of course if I chose to wake up every morning looking for the beauty in my face instead its flaws, I wouldn’t even need Ultherapy. Now that is an ah hah moment.