Self care & Cellulite Reduction

Skin Brushing

Using a brush with real bristles, brush the skin in upward movements all over body or affected areas. Hand gloves may be substituted as it is ideal for removing dead skin tissue. This method increases the blood circulation. Brushing should be done before the bathing rituals and massage applications. This should be done every day.

Lymphatic Drainage/Cold Water Method

Use a detachable shower-head) Shower with cold water. The firm pressure of cold water will contract the blood vessels and lymph. Massage your skin with the water. Making sure you work inside the ledge, thighs and groin areas. Circular movements (clockwise direction) in abdomen region, then up the inner arms and armpits. (min twice a week during drainage sessions or as often as you can).

Hot Water Method

Bathing in hot water and having the water hot enough that you will sweat, but comfortable enough to lie in. Shower or sponge afterwards to wash off sweat. Hot baths should be done twice a week during sessions.

Bathing methods

Bathing in Epsom salt is ideal, as the salt draws out the toxins in the skin. Use 2 handfuls of Epsom salt and 1 handful of rock salt in bath. You can mix with dry lavender, 6 drops of lemon and 8 drops of grapefruit essentials oils.

Improving cellulite appearance

Fill the bathtub and add 2 drops of each oil: Juniper, Grapefruit, cypress and Mandarin. Mix well in water before climbing in. This mix is mildly astringent and it will temporarily tighten the skin, improving the appearance of cellulite.

If you have dry skin, try premixing the oils with one teaspoon of a carrier oil, along with a 1/2 cup of milk or a tablespoon of honey for added moisturizing benefits.

Essential Oil Bathing

Bathing in essential oils is very beneficial. The oils in the bath penetrate the skin by osmosis. Pinching and gently pummeling the cellulite areas will help break-down the fatty deposits.

Daily Massage

Massage the areas in upward movements towards the heart. Using the pads of your fingers, thumbs and “spongy areas” of the hand. Massage should be done in the morning and when you go to bed. Twice a day, if time permits. Massaging the cellulite areas should also be done during the bathing rituals.

Aromatherapy & Pregnancy

There are some divided ideas on the dangers of certain essential oils used in aromatherapy during pregnancy, but since this time should be a time to enjoy and to prepare for the upcoming birth of your child, it would be wise to rather give some essentials oils a miss.

Aromatherapy can be a great benefit during pregnancy and assists in minimizing some of the discomfort and aches.

There are however some compounds in certain essential oils that have hormone-like behaviour because of their molecular structure and although there is no conclusive evidence on the effect of estrogenic oils it would be prudent to avoid anethole rich oils, like fennel and aniseed during pregnancy.

This list has been compiled with oils that are recommended to be avoided in pregnancy.

Almond – bitter Aniseed

Angelica Root Basil

Birch Black pepper

Camphor Caraway

Cedarwood Cypress

Chamomile* Cinnamon

Clary sage Clove

Eucalyptus Fennel

Fir Geranium

Ginger Hyssop

Jasmine** Juniper

Lavender* Lemon

Lemon grass Marjoram

Melissa Myrrh

Nutmeg Oregano

Pennyroyal Peppermint

Pine Rose*

Rosemary Sage

Stinging nettle Tansy

Thyme Yarrow*

Wintergreen

Chamomile, lavender & rose may be used in low doses in last trimester. ** Jasmine can be used during delivery, as it will ease labour.

Written by Deb Drummond

Exfoliating your skin

Get rid of it. Get rid of the dead skin making your face and body look dull, lacklustre and well, older.

Our bodies are amazing, even to the point of sloughing off and renewing our own dead skin. But the rate at which this happens slows as we get older and as people go from their 30s to their 40s and 50s, decreases from 20 days to up to 40 days. As this natural process slows, dead skin dead skin cells pile up on top of each other (eew!) resulting in skin being thicker, duller-looking and drier. Dead skin also prevents oxygen, moisture and nutrients from reaching your living skin, and then sags and holds onto wrinkles.

So you might be asking, “Where is the radiant skin I used to have?” - Its there; you just can’t see it underneath the dead skin cells. Only by exfoliating will your skin reveal its gorgeous self. Gentle exfoliation using a salt rub with essential oils such as Lemon or Peppermint or my exceptional Coffee Grind Rub, also helps with ingrown hairs. For men, exfoliation lifts your beard up, meaning a closer shave.

Sun Tanning

Lately I’ve been seeing a lot of tan lines on my massage table. This can be a good thing as it means we’re out getting some sunshine. But mostly, it’s a concern. You won’t get cancer from being in the sun - in fact, the sun helps your body make Vitamin D, which protects you from cancer. You should, however, protect yourself from burning and we all know to stay out of the sun in peak hours. There is a lot of controversy over tanning and sunscreens. Sunscreens are often touted as a defense against cancer but in fact may contribute to it. Some chemicals in sunscreen are carcinogenic or toxic. There are new lines of sun products are coming out – one that I like (recommended by Brenda Eastwood, RNCP) is called Miessence Skin Care Line. This is a new, non-toxic sunscreen that won’t lead to cancer. As well, there are a couple of new lines of clothing specially designed for surfers that protect you against the sun. If you’d like to learn more about sunscreens, give me a call and I’ll give you some great resources.

Trouble Sleeping?

I hear so often from my clients that they have trouble sleeping. It is critical to your health and over all well-being to get a sound sleep - just as important, if not more so, than diet and exercise. Did you know that 75% of adults have frequent bouts of sleeplessness? Lack of sleep can cause your normal functions to weaken due to the increased levels of cortisol in your body. There are more reasons for the inability to get to sleep or stay asleep than there is space for in this newsletter. Underlying causes include stress, anxiety, and depression.

You do not have to rely on over-the-counter medications. There are a number of ways that you can help yourself sleep. First of all, lessen the amount of mental stimulation (e.g. Television, computer work) at least one hour before you plan to go to sleep. Do not eat sugar in your dinner or after dinner snack as it causes your blood sugar to spike. Take a high quality, high dose of Magnesium supplement or alternate source of magnesium before bedtime – magnesium directs the calcium in your body to help you relax and fall asleep. Having a massage starts your evening ‘slow down’ process. Rub an essential oil like Lavender, Marjoram, Sandalwood, or Rose on the soles of your feet before bed – within 20 minutes, it will circulate in your body and provide immeasurable calm so you can sleep

Cellulite

I didn't know that...
Summer is here, I can tell because everyone’s car windows are down and kids in bathing suits are running through a sprinkler in their front yard. For most women, that brings up unwanted thoughts of beach and bikinis which brings to mind the dreaded “C” word – Cellulite. Everyone has it. Whether they’re thin or overweight, 85-90% of women have it. Even thin and physically fit celebrities like Pamela Anderson, Britney Spears and Nicole Kidman have it. While its not easy to get rid of and every company out there has THE product to get rid of that cottage cheese skin, (308,000 hits on Google), there are some ways to fight it.

Cellulite is fat that has pushed through cell walls into the middle layer of skin and so shows through to the surface but it doesn’t really matter what it is - What’s important is how do you get rid of it? The secret is to keep the blood vessels open and flowing smoothly. Drink lots of water, avoid salt and processed food (water retention contributes to cellulite problems), kick the coffee and the smokes (because these constrict your blood vessels) and get regular exfoliating massage. In between treatments, practice drybrushing daily and bathe a couple of times a week in Cellulite Salts with Cellulite Essential Oil Blend which will pull toxins from your body. Ask me if you’d like more information.

Couples Massage

When you get a massage you are likely to feel rejuvenated, relaxed, and ready to relax for the rest of the day. The next day, you’ll be ready to take on your world!! Imagine having that same feeling and sharing it with someone you care about.

If you feel restored after a massage, what would happen if you and your partner had one together? What would happen if you two were on the same wave length, at the same time? This is synergy and this is what happens when you have a Couples Massage. Having a massage together creates the common ground of an experience. After a massage at the same time, in the same room, many of my clients have said they feel better about themselves and about their partner and that they are more loving and patient to their kids and everyone in their world. It’s the power of touch and touch is fundamental to human existence.

Babies, particularly in Third World countries, it is said, have died without touch, despite having food and shelter, in what is called “Failure to Thrive”. In relationships where one person doesn’t talk much, touch is a way to communicate, to build good feelings for each other. Ladies, this is also a great way to introduce your man to massage if he is a little apprehensive about it. Nurturing touch is very important for our soul and for our emotional heart, something that often can be lacking in a relationship.

This experience, this synergy, is not just for couples. Anyone can experience this participation in harmony. How would your friend, mom, even co-workers react with a ‘morale-building’ exercise like this one?

Sports Massage

What do Joe Montana, Martina Navratilova and Michael Jordan all have in common? All three are athletes who have reached the top of their sport. What helped them to get through their gruelling practice session was sports massage.* While you may not be a Michael or a Martina, maybe you’ve put your runners away because it’s snowing outside, maybe you have your skis or snowboard waiting on ‘Standby’ at the door. After a day on the slopes or if you’re still running outside, you likely need to give some extra love and care to your muscles. That’s where sports massage comes in.

So often I hear a client say they started to feel a small ache or bit of a ‘pull’ but ignored it thinking it would go away. The issue comes when it didn’t go away. Post-event sports massage, given within 4 hours of exercise, could have alleviated that situation promptly. Rehabilitative massage can also help, but again you need it within a few days at the latest. Ignoring the situation causes increased pain or other overuse injuries.

For athletes or the ‘weekend warrior’, giving your hips and leg and back muscles a post-event and rehabilitative massage is just what you need to keep you on the move. Sports massage aims at recovery, normalizing your stressed muscles and treating any minor muscle tissue complaints you may have. Sports massage is different though; for one thing, it isn’t the relaxing style that you get at a spa. This might cause you to groan and gasp just a little. while this can still be ‘full body’, we concentrate on the area that’s been a problem, the areas that are used in your sport of choice. If you have tight, stiff, sore muscles, or edema (swelling) is evident around certain joints typically caused by overuse or improper body mechanics. The specific techniques involve compression and broadening of the muscles, deep sliding strokes, cross-fibre and transverse/circular friction; ‘picking up’ the muscles brings blood and oxygen to an under-stretched muscle. Sports massage also includes facilitated stretching, helping you get rid of any lactic acid built up during your activity.

Stages of Rehab include several stages such as the primary focus of reducing muscle spasm, then restoring flexibility, and rebuilding muscle strength and endurance.

A little sports massage and you’ll be running out for more exercise.


* quoted from “Sports Massage for Every Athlete” by Michael J. Taylor, LMT