as it  manifests  itself.  The emotional aspects of stress is just one part, but that is the one that

 catipultes physical symptoms and negative  behavior patterns.

Feelings of anxiety, constant worrying, anger, sadness, depression, irritability and general restlessness

are symptoms of high stress levels. These symptoms manifest themselves by way of headaches, back

pains, tightening of the chest, heart palpitations and disease. Also skyrocketing blood pressure, stomach

ailments and loss of sleep. I don’t know about you but when I see people, including myself , starting to

lose sleep, things can get out of control pretty quick.

 The crying jags start, when we over or under eat, start smoking, increase alcohol intake, see

 an increase in drug abuse and then it hits our relationships.

                                That’s when you call time out and say enough is enough.

an even keel, result in great physical and emotional well being. The other parts of the health equation

 include the intellectual, the social, the environmental, the occupational and the spiritual. The sum of

all these parts is a healthier and happier individual.

The benefits of wellness are endless. When people feel good it shows in every aspect of  life starting with

 being happier, enjoying a renewed sense of health and well being, having more energy, brighter eyes

 and smile, more productivity in the workplace, fewer instances of not feeling well, and the list goes on

and on.

Stress is the number one buzzword of today. The economic climate has taken its toll on everyone,

 making better health  a neccessity, not a luxury. Stress leads to a myriad of physical and emotional

problems and seems to gather speed from there. And that my friends is where Willow Bend Wellness

Spa comes in.

Hands down, this wellness center is a feast for your senses. From waterfalls and bamboo, to muted colors, calming music and plush surroundings, I felt the stress begin to lift itself from my shoulders upon walking through the doors. This is a center that lends itself to everyone, in the name of health and wellness. The services are endless and feed your soul from the inside out.

Pipeless European Touch

At the spa at willow Bend we use Pipe-free Pedicure seats which will prevent our clients from getting any infections. State of the Art European Touch circulates water up through a contoured footplate in the Tub not like the typical pedicure chair that have Jets. Often Jets are more difficult to clean because of the Bacteria that may remain in the pipes. I often advice my clients of this Crystal Clean pipeless technology, also to treat the nail & prevent any infections by cleaning underneath the Nail regularly. By keeping the toe nail short, filing them straight & by using Tea Tree Oils which is a natural antifungal.

ohhhh How we Love the Pipeless Pedicure Chairs!!!!!!!!!!!

Victoria Francis – Nail specialist

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Last blog we talked about being gentle to our skin. It logically follows that learning how to be gentle to your face is one of the most important parts of any skin-care routine. There is no way you can ever hope for soft, smooth skin when your face is being irritated every time you take care of it. Irritation-free skin is the goal.

We do many things to our skin and buy an assortment of skin-care products that can cause serious irritation. Yet it is far easier than you may think to eliminate these skin-”care” culprits. With that in mind, here is a list of typical skin-care and makeup ingredients and specific cosmetics products and tools to avoid or use cautiously. The skin can react negatively to all of the following products, procedures, and ingredients.

Irritating Skin-Care Steps and Products

• Abrasive scrubs
• Astringents containing irritating ingredients
• Toners containing irritating ingredients
• Scrub mitts
• Facial masks containing irritating ingredients
• Loofahs
• Bar soaps and bar cleansers

Irritating Ingredients (These are of greater concern when they appear in the beginning of an ingredient list.)

• Acetone
• Alcohol or SD alcohol followed by a number (Exceptions: Ingredients like cetyl alcohol stearyl alcohol are standard, waxlike cosmetic thickening and are completely nonirritating and safe to use.)
• Ammonia
• Arnica
• Balm mint
• Balsam
• Bentonite
• Benzalkonium chloride
• Bergamot
• Camphor
• Cinnamon
• Citrus juices and oils
• Clove
• Clover blossom
• Coriander
• Constarch
• Eucalyptus
• Eugenol
• Fennel
• Fennel Oil
• Fir needle
• Geranium
• Grapefruit
• Horsetail
• Lavender
• Lemon
• Lemongrass
• Lime
• Linalool
• Marjoram
• Melissa (lemon balm)
• Menthol
• Mint
• Oak bark
• Orange
• Papaya
• Peppermint
• Phenol
• Sandalwood oil
• SD alcohol
• Sodium C14-16 olefin sulfate
• Sodium lauryl sulfate
• Thyme
• Wintergreen
• Witch hazel
• Ylang-ylang

These ingredients are extremely common. You would be surprised how often they show up in skin-care products for all skin types. Don’t believe us? …. Go check some of the products you have on hand and see for yourself. If these ingredients are present in skin-care products meant for everyday use, they introduce a constantly irritating insult to the skin and causing dryness, rashes, increased oil production, redness, and breakouts.

REMEMBER, skin doesn’t have to hurt, tingle, or be stimulated even a little to be clean. (If the skin tingles, it is being irritated, not cleaned. The major rule for all skin types is, if a product or procedure irritates the skin, don’t use it again.
Live with Passion!

Esthetically yours, Concetta, aka Connie FBI, and Rania

Even though we will find steady evolution of lasers and delivery devices into more user-friendly and ergonomic devices, most of the latest advances in the last couple of years have come from a realization that it’s a combination of different modalities of treatments that are making the most remarkable improvements in skin conditions rather than one particular type of laser treatment alone. The combination of various laser modalities with some skin care and cosmeceuticals can produce results that surpass the sum of their individual parts. For example, skin rejuvenation in patients which sun damage and acne can be pretreated with microdermabrasion to enhance topical drug delivery and surface optics of the skin, then follow with applications of the drug Levulan activated with the light blue light and further treated with pulse dye followed by a consistent regime of the skin care and cosmeceuticals.

Next blog, LASER 201.

Connie B.

Lately, we have had several clients who request manicures after removing their acrylic nails. These clients often ask why their natural nails are paper thin and how can they make their nails stronger and healthier. Well…let me let you in on some nail professional secret that you can use at home.

The first secret is simple. Keep a nail strengthener, base coat and clear top coat on your nails at all times. By doing this, your nails are protected so they can grow out on their own. In time, they will be stronger without much daily care. Nails usually take about six to nine months to build up their strength, so be patient.

Another secret to keeping your nails stronger and healthier is correctly shaping them. The shape you choose is up to you. Be sure to use the right nail file that works best for you. I would recommend buying a two sided nail file that has a coarse side to shorten the nail and a medium side to shape it. After shaping your nails, gently buff your nails with a buffer. Buffing too much can take off extra layers and damage your natural nails so take it easy.

Finally, use cuticle oil every few days to keep moisture in your nails. Just smear a little around your cuticle before you leave the house in the morning and you’re set.

Different brands of nail products work differently on different people. A brand that works great for one person may not give the same result on someone else. With that being said, after many years of working in this industry, I have found what works best for most people and what we use here at the Spa at Willow Bend. Below is a list of nail products that I recommend and:

- Nail Strengthener: Nail Tek Level II Intensive Therapy for soft, peeling nails

- Base coat: Orly Bonder Base Coat

- Top Coat: Seche Vite Top Coat

- Cuticle Oil: Creative Solar Oil

So remember by doing these few simple steps at home, you can keep nails stronger and healthier in between your visits to the spa!

Nail Specialist,

Linh