<!–[if !vml]–><!–[endif]–>

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

Light based technologies have revolutionized aesthetic procedures and medicine. Lasers are the pinnacle of these technologies. Because of the brightness and intensity but significant improvements in a wide variety of cosmetic conditions that are also afforded by other light sources such as IPL’s (Intense Pulse Light Systems), LED’s (Light Emiting Diodes) and other LLLT (Low Level Light Therapy Modalities), AFT (Advance Fluorescent Technology) the new generation of lasers.

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.

“Thou shalt always treat thy skin gently or it will complain loudly that something is wrong.”

Your skin is the protective armor that keeps the elements and other invaders from entering the body. We protect most of our anatomy with clothing, but our faces are left painfully exposed to everything. It’s no wonder the skin on our faces acts up now and then. Sensitive skin is probably the most “normal” type of skin around.

Learning to be gentle to your face is one of the most important part of any skin care routine.

The average woman uses at least 12 different skin care, makeup, and hair care products a day, with each one, on average, containing about 20 different ingredients. That means her skin is exposed to 240 different cosmetic ingredients on any given day.

Many products that are advertised as making the skin look instantly younger when placed over the lines on the face contains irritating ingredient and with repeat use, they could actively make the skin more wrinkled.

Treat your skin as gently as you possible can. Whether you think of your face as oily, dry, or mature, you will need to be gentle with your skin and avoid things that cause irritation.

Irritation takes a toll on all skin types. It can cause an assortment of problems, from redness to dry patches, blemishes, rashes, cracks along the side of the nose and corners of the mouth
and eyes, flakiness, increased skin, sensitivity, other skin disorders and a reduction in the skin’s immune/healing response.

Concetta and Rania, our fabulous aestheticians, will be happy to sit down with you for a thorough skin analysis and determine the best plan of action for your particular skin needs. Come and discover the difference at The Spa at Willow Bend!

Live with Passion!
Esthetically yours,
Concetta-aka Connie FBI- and Rania

Most spas offer a kind of Hydrotherapy, but do you know what is Hydrotherapy and its many functions?

Hydrotherapy is defined as the application of water in its three forms (solid, liquid, or vapor) to the body, either externally or internally, in the treatment of disease or trauma.

The practice of Hydrotherapy may also include the use of herbal and chemical preparations applied in conjunction with applications of water, such as with the use of plasters, poultices, masks, wraps, and baths.

The goal of hydrotherapy is to normalize the quantity of blood circulating through a given area, during a given period of time, by manipulating factors affecting circulation. The benefits of Hydrotherapy includes boost of immune system, relaxation, pain relief of sore muscles, bursitis, fibrosis, gout, congestion of respiratory tract, fever reduction, cold, flu, rheumatoid arthritis, colic, headaches, irritable bowel and many others.

Ancient Egyptians, Hebrews, Persians and Hindus all used water in the treatments of disease as do their descendants today. The Romans invented the ducts for the use of hydrotherapy. The word SPA is an acronym of “Sanitas per Aqua” which means healing through water, a Roman belief.

Unfortunately, the medieval ages slowed down the treatment of “healing through water”. However, in the 1800s Father Sebastian Kneipp revived the use of hydrotherapy. Nowadays, hydrotherapy is used extensively in Europe, especially in Germany.

Here at The Spa at Willow Bend, we believe in the use of Hydrotherapy, and I craft the baths according to the individual needs of our clients. Come and check our hydrotherapy treatments, you will see the difference!

Acrylic nails has been popular for many years. Every female desires long beautiful nails especially within our modern day culture. When I was younger I remember going with my friends in Florida to get our nails done for the Junior prom. I was so excited about getting a full set for the first time. This was suppose to be Nail Heaven, a dream for teenagers, NOT!!! I was in the nail shop when i notice the nail tech using a drill on my natural nails which i thought was normal at first. The drilling became more & more excessive removing layers off my nail bed (nail plate) this is the skin on top of which the nail grows. She drilled beyond this leaving the last layer of my nails very sore & red, this is when i realized something was just not right!!!. I was in so much pain. She continued drilling toward the cuticle area permanently damaging a finger nail – to make it worse the full set Acrylic was applied making my finger nails burn more because of the powerful chemicals. When It came time to remove the Acrylic Full Set it was so pain full, I barely had any natural nail left because of the excessive drilling & chemical powder. I was always in to beaulty but this is what motivated me more to attend Cosmetology School. This is where I found out that Acrylic is so harmful for your natural nail & high in toxins. Using the drill is not even recognised by the Board of Cosmetology on the natural nail even though many nail shops practice this. The idea that Acrylics makes your nail grow quickly is also a misconception because when it comes to removing them they will leave your nails weak, brittle with ridges. At the Spa at Willow Bend we specialize in Natural Nails, Over the years I have developed a technique to give the natural nail the same appearance as having an artificial long nail (personal preference) but more healthier. We use top brands that will leave your nails healthy & long without any damage. We also use the best brand of polish (OPI & Sparitual) that will last for weeks. Come & experience a unique way that differs from the average nail shop. The difference between the Nail Tech Vs Nail Specialist at the Spa at Willow Bend is the knowledge, Research, Practice & continued education that we take pride in.

So don’t hesitate any longer book an appointment soon!!!!!

For those with brittle damage Nails, Necessary for Nail Growth – Calcium & Magnesium, Vitamin D3, Vitamin B, E & Biotin regular manicures.

Victoria Francis

Hola! Soy Connie Braden, Laser Technician at Luminaire Laser Center inside The Spa at Willow Bend. I have been working in the spa industry since 1985. I want to share with you that I have been seeing many changes since then. I want to thank Dr. Lam and his mother, Mrs. Carol Lam, for inviting me to be part of this incredible project. When I was asked to help open the spa, I was determined to make it a huge success. Finally, after a long awaited opening, The Spa at Willow Bend gives a new meaning to the idea of high-end luxury. This spa sets a new standard in this thriving industry. Outside of superior services and top-notch technicians, you will first notice the beatuiful architecture and design along with the soothing and comfortable atmosphere. These feautres enable us to be the number one spa in Texas. I like to call the spa “Espa at Willow Bend” because the letter “E” in Espa represents the word “education”. This is a very important element in The Spa at Willow Bend philosophy. Teaching the staff to elevate their understanding, intuition and techniques to a far superior level within the industry. The sky is the limit for learning. I would like to invite you to experience some of our world-class treatments. You will relax and regain your sense of equilibrium. Next week I will explain to you some of the effective laser treatments that I perform. Come see how you can “Attain Nirvana at The Spa at Willow Bend”!

Connie B.

Next week we, the staff of The Spa at Willow Bend, will start to write our own blogs. We are excited and a little stressed since we will be following in Dr. Lam’s steps in the “blogging world”. Stress most of time is related to bad emotions, situations, but stress actually helps us to move from one place to another. We as humans, are creatures of routine and if we don’t have an extra “push” which in most of the time is “stressful” we will be stagnated in the same place. Thank God for those “pushes”…this way we always keep going and moving towards a different place in life.

Every time we move, we learn something different… I love the way Fernando Pessoa a Portuguese writer says about learning…he says that he is not ashamed to change opinions, because he is not afraid of thinking and learning. And this is what is going to happen, in the following days, we will be in the process of “learning how to blog” but once we are more relaxed and familiar with this “art of blogging” we will be able to share our knowledge and receive feedbacks. We want to educate our clients, as well we want to share our knowledge and our opinions.

Thank you for stopping by…welcome to our new journey….

Waleska

I have had the pleasure of knowing a bright and charming young man who has touched all of our lives. Unfortunately, our beloved Daigo is returning to his native Japan. He has been a tremendous addition to the staff at the Spa at Willow Bend, and I am certain that all of us will miss him dearly. Well educated and fluent in Portuguese, Spanish, Japanese, and English, Daigo brought a joy to our little spa family for the short time he was with us. Today is Daigo’s last day so I would encourage everyone who reads this blog to please offer him our very best wishes to a successful life in the Land of the Rising Sun. Daigo, we hope you return to visit in the future and grace us with your presence again. You are always welcome back here!

Here’s a blog about blogs. I was speaking with Victoria Francis, my nail specialist, today about her concern in taking over my blogs coming up. She was mentioning to me that she really did not know how she could fill all those blog entries. I said, “You have been doing nails close to 10 years. I am sure you have a wealth of knowledge that you would like to share with others.” I gave her examples, including the types of nail polish, the type of wax treatments, calluses, cuticle care, etc. That started her thinking and all of a sudden she had about 20 ideas.

Oftentimes, we assume too much knowledge on the part of the consumer. I call that the “curse of knowledge”. I have to always remember that when i hire new staff. We cannot assume anything. In that spirit, I wanted to explain to you, the readership, why I have this blog. The goal is for my staff, who I think is the best in the world and the most knowledgeable, to impart those years of wisdom to you. We are not into “salesmanship”. It is about knowledge and education. At heart, I guess I am a frustrated professor. I love writing and speaking and I have imparted that culture to my spa staff. I think they will start getting into becoming an educator of sorts. An I am very proud of that.

In order to get that information to you more handily, I think what would be important is to give you that knowledge regularly and consistently. Therefore, I have asked that a specific day be dedicated to a certain type of spa knowledge. For example, every Tuesday would be about nails and every Wednesday would be about massage. To tell you the truth, I don’t know what my staff has set up. That is up to them. In order for you guys to appreciate what the blog is about in case you forget Tuesday’s is about nails, I would have a title for the blog like “Cuticle Corner” (Okay, my nail specialists don’t care for that name that I came up with but they will probably come up with something more creative). However, I really like “Kneading Knowledge” for the bodywork/massage section. Heaven knows if my staff will.

Anyway, I wanted you guys to know not only the mission of my spa but also the mission of this blog and why you should read it and learn from it. I hope you enjoy it.

The terms “med-spa”, “medi-spa”, and “medical spa” make me want to throw up. I used to be on the Medical Spa Professional Alliance’s teaching docket, but I have truly grown weary of the idea of a med-spa. Every corner you see a “med-spa”. Do we offer “med-spa” services like laser hair removal and other laser services? Yes. Then how are we not a med-spa? Okay, I want to lay out in no uncertain terms my vision for the spa.

Think of this. When you go into a spa for relaxation, do you want to hear the whirl of the laser hair removal machine next door or a lady yelping from some waxing or the beeping noise from a Pixel treatment? The answer should be no. Do you want to feel as if you have entered a “clinical” environment? I think not. Now, what if you want to have these services? Would you like to get dressed again and walk through to another office, then get undressed again? No. So how did I solve this riddle?

Basically, I divided the two sections of my spa into the “Spa at Willow Bend” which occupies the front end of the center and the “Luminaire Laser & Skin Care Center” at the back divided by a glass door. That way, you have to walk through the quiet of the spa before you get to the Laser and Skin Care Center where you can get all of the therapeutic treatments like waxing, laser hair removal, IPL, fractionated skin care, cellulite and skin tightening with Accent XL, oxygen facial therapies, microdermabrasion, dermaculture, and spray (or better used term application) tanning.

Then, am I just “pampering” myself in your “spa”. No. Again, you need to read my blog from yesterday to get a better idea of my position on that thought. I think that all of my services in my spa are ultimately “therapeutic”. They serve a different end than what a “med-spa” does. They are meant for you to RELAX & REVITALIZE yourself using Asian techniques: chinese herbs, Shirodhara treatments, and modern techniques of manicure, pedicure, hydroinfusion, body sudatonic treatments, foot detox, great massage and reflexology, etc. Can I encapsulate all of these terms into a synthetic philosophical construct? Yes, my spa is a wellness spa. It encourages mind-body alignment. It is time for yourself. It is using ancient and modern therapies to bring the mind and body into better unity. You will feel the difference in a very short time. I have therefore partitioned out the “med-spa” from the “wellness spa” and created a ying and a yang if you will. You can have the best of both worlds.