This month's skin fitness food is SPINACH.
Good old spinach is not as trendy as kale but it has a lot to offer for a very reasonable price. Here's why it's great for your skin: As the largest organ of the body, skin is full of lipids (fats), proteins and DNA, all of which breakdown from oxidation (exposure to oxygen). Spinach is not only a great source of antioxidants, it also contains folate, which can help reduce skin cancer risk by repairing the DNA in sun-damaged cells.
Click through for some great recipe ideas like Mediterranean Spinach with Pine Nuts and Raisins.
http://www.vegkitchen.com/…/healthy-versatile-spinach-10-t…/

Stretching first thing in the morning has several health benefits and is well worth the few moments it takes.  

​The benefits of morning stretching include:

1. Increases circulation give you more energy. Who doesn't need a little more of that in the morning?
2. Better balance and coordination throughout the day, so you're less likely to trip or spill your coffee.
3. Relieves back and neck stiffness. For many people stiff back muscles and neck muscles can eventually turn into debilitating pain.  A few moments of stretching now might prevent pain down the road and even reduce the likelihood of future back injuries.
4. Better posture.  You are more likely to sit and stand up straight during the day when your muscles are relaxed and lengthened in the morning. Good posture looks great on everyone.
5. It feels So So good!  

We're frequently inspired to write bad Yelp reviews when things go wrong, as a way of venting our frustration and exercising punishment on the business who wronged us, but we don't always bother to comment when everything is great and we're happy with the service we receive. Every time I get a positive review from a client it makes my day.  The desire to help people feel good about themselves is what motivates me every day and knowing that I succeeded in that goal is like a boost of energy, and a happy reminder of why I love my job so much.

If you're happy with one of your service providers, whether it's your esthetician, your manicurist or your car mechanic, I encourage you to Yelp about them or post a review on their Google page. Your positive review can not only help their business, but writing it will probably make you feel good too, and will definitely make them smile.

Skin feeling a little dull and blah?  A little exfoliation might be all you need to brighten things up.  Using a gentle scrub at least once a week will sweep away dead skin cells and improve circulation to cheeks a rosy glow.  Just be sure to choose a scrub that is finely milled, like natural pumice, for example. Ground up fruit pits or oatmeal can be fairly coarse and either scratchy or simply not very effective.  I also recommend avoiding plastic micro-beads.  Micro-beads were all the rage for many years but not only do they not work very well to slough skin, they're also polluting our waterways and being eaten by fish (ugh).

Worried about scrubbing your sensitive skin?  Don't. Even sensitive skin can tolerate a bit of scrubbing as long as you don't press too hard.  Rember to be gentle.  Let the product do the work as you gently move your fingers in a circular motion while applying virtually no pressure.  Sensitive types may also want to avoid scrubs containing glycolic acid as they may sting you.

A couple of my faves:
Laboratoire Remède Sweep
Bora Lea Skin Therapy Exfoliating Micro Scrub ...Obv!

If buying another skincare product isn't an option, the good old fashioned wash cloth works pretty well too and is definitely better than nothing.  Just be sure to use a clean one each time so you don't spread bacteria and cause a break out.

Perhaps it's a response to the maxi-beard trend or maybe, as some columnist have said, "it's the noremcore of pubes." Don't get me started on normcore though.  Whatever the stylistic influence, the latest trend in women's bikini waxing is something that looks like a 70's style bush in the front, but is bare as as a baby's bottom underneath and behind.  A reverse mullet? A modified Brazilian? Actually it's called the full bush Brazilian. 

Basically it's as close to a full bush as the 20-somethings are comfortable with, having matured in the age of pubic hairlessness.  In fact, many have been waxing it all off since they were in their late teens, so this "let it (almost) all grow out" trend might be seen as a rebellious return to nature for the children of the internet porn generation. 

Can this full bush Brazilian REALLY be the new thing, you ask?  Even American Apparel mannequins are are sporting merkins now (see picture), so yes, yes it can.  More and more of my clients are requesting it, and you can too.  Just ask for it by name at your next waxing appointment; "full bush Brazilian, please!"

Most of us know this sad reality already, but now there is science to back up the fact that we look better when we get a enough sleep.  During the day our skin is working hard to defend itself against UV rays, pollution and bacteria but during sleep skin function changes dramatically into repair mode, to remove cell debris and rebuild damaged areas.  A recent study from Case Medical Center in Ohio found that the skin of sleep-deprived test subjects actually aged faster and more noticeably than their well rested counterparts.  The skin of those categorized as "poor sleepers" had significantly more visible wrinkles, uneven tone and loss of elasticity; all the signs associated with aging.  Other studies are finding that exposure to artificial light during sleep is disrupting sleeper's circadian rhythms, stopping cells from releasing the chemicals that trigger their natural repair processes. 

To get most of out your sleep and keep your skin looking it's best no matter how many (or few) hours of sleep you can get per night, turn off your TV and dim any sources of light in your room, including that smart phone.  The darker the better, it seems. Using a night cream can also help.  Unlike protective day creams, night creams are designed to take advantage of skin's sleep-time repair cycle.  Night creams can even boost the rate of cell repair that happens during sleep so that more happens in less time.  Look for skin care products specifically labeled as "night cream" or "night repair" to take advantage of those benefits.

Hooray for blueberry season! Not only are blueberries packed with wrinkle-fighting antioxidants, but they can help regulate your skin's oil production to reduce acne breakouts. Toss a hand full on your morning cereal, or just eat them straight up. Yum!

Colds & flue are sweeping through. Here are a few tips to help you avoid getting sick:

1. Wash or sanitize hands often. Everything you touch at the office, the mall, in the club may have been touched by someone who just coughed in his hand or wiped his nose. Ewww.

2. Don't touch your face (esp. eyes, nose, mouth) when you're around a sick person, after shaking hands, or have been touching surfaces in a public place...like the door or the pen you just borrowed.
3. Don't smoke. Smoke irritates the airways, making you more susceptible to infection.

4. Don't share or re-use glasses/dishes/utensils if someone in your household is sick. Avoid cross contamination & reinfection.

5.  Throw away dirty tissues after each use.  Seems obvious, I know, but you'd be surprised how many stash a dirty tissue under their pillow or leave them in a pile next to the bed for someone else to pick up!

Now go wash your hands!

My new serum is almost here! Essential Youth Serum with CE & Ferulic Acid. I hate to brag (cough) but this stuff is an anti-aging must...seriously. Stay tuned y'all.

The question of tipping comes up a lot with new clients at the salon so I thought I'd address it here to make it less awkward for people who aren't sure.  Most of my colleagues seem to agree that tips are welcome and appreciated.  They are a way of letting us know that you're happy with the service we provide.  So, unless your esthetician or the salon says they have a no-tipping policy, you should feel free to tip your facialist or waxer 15~20% of the service total, just as you would your hair dresser, nail tech, or massage therapist.  I have yet to see anyone, even a salon owner, be offended by a tip.