Chill Out LA: Spa, Beauty and Wellness Guide

Narayan Sacred Healing Beauty

So Much Better Than Botox

If you’ve even so much as considered getting Botox treatments to erase your lines, I strongly urge you to make an appointment for Faceology with Narayan Sacred Healing Beauty first. And if you’ve already tried Botox, I implore you to consider this holistic alternative. If the thought of injecting a toxin into your skin isn’t enough to make you rethink your decision, consider these preliminary studies indicating that Botox actually impedes your ability to feel emotions. I say: Yikes!

Narayan’s Faceology treatment is a completely holistic alternative to Botox and other invasive wrinkle treatments like lasers and fillers. It’s based on Vietnamese facial reflexology maps of the face that include the chakras, the meridians, the organs, and the skeletal and muscular systems of the entire body. And it works. Narayan (AKA Kristi Marie Jones) has built on this concept to create a completely holistic protocol for treating the skin, body and soul using her own handmade “beauty blends,” as well as her own healing energy and natural intuitive abilities.

I’ve been a huge fan of Narayan’s beauty blends for years because they’re made from only the purest essential oils and other natural ingredients, all carefully selected to deliver results. The Faceology treatment uses a customized selection of these blends, including the Crystal Clarity Scrubbing Mask, Loving Heart Affirmation Serum and Super Natural Serum (you can check the product descriptions on her website for ingredient details). After cleansing, scrubbing and nourishing the skin with her yummy concoctions, Narayan takes the reflexology concept even further by tapping out tension held in the face with a crystal. I marveled at just how relaxing and rejuvenating being (lightly) pounded on the face and skull with a rock could be!

By the time Narayan was finished, I felt completely zoned out and needed a few minutes to get my bearings before driving home; energy work always does a number on me (in a good way). I took that time to gaze in awe at my face in the mirror. Lines were erased, eyes were bright, and my complexion seemed to glow from within. Pretty amazing stuff.

Narayan offers Faceology and other healing treatments at Yoga Remedy in Sherman Oaks and at her private home studio in Topanga Canyon. Please call 323.683.4224 to make an appointment.

Special Offer: Mention Chill Out LA and take 20 percent off a 90-minute Faceology treatment (regularly $180). Narayan also offers a package of five Faceology sessions for the price of four to get deeper, long-lasting results. 

Do It Gorgeously

DIY Has Never Looked So Good

I have a new hero, and her name is Sophie Uliano. I'd heard of Sophie's first two books, Gorgeously Green and the Gorgeously Green Diet, but had never taken the time to seek them out. I may have been subconsciously put off by the word "gorgeous" in the titles. It just seems like such a high standard to aspire to - really, who as the time to be gorgeous these days? But I was intrigued by the premise of her latest eco-friendly DIY manual, Do It Gorgeously, so I happily accepted an invitation to the book launch event.

As her guests munched on tea and cookies at T Salon, Sophie explained the philosophy behind her book: We can make everything from beauty products to household cleaners to baby clothes more affordably, of higher quality and in a more eco-friendly way when we do it ourselves. Further, doing so is joyfully empowering. She intended to put us to work concocting three of the skin care recipes from Do It Gorgeously. On the menu: Vitamin C Serum, Pomegranate Eye Serum and Gentle Facial Exfoliating Scrub. Sophie demonstrated how to make the three beauty concoctions and then sent us off to work stations equipped with all the proper ingredients, bottles and labels so we could make our own. A half hour later, I was on my way home with a bag full of freshly made, completely non-toxic beauty products that would've cost me a fortune at any department store.

The simplest to make (and one that I've found to be remarkably effective at making my skin glow) is the Vitamin C Serum. Sophie explained that vitamin C loses its potency remarkably quickly, so chances are you're wasting your money on store-bought serums. The best approach is to buy the ingredients yourself and mix it up in small batches to use within a couple of weeks. And you'll save a ton of dough in the process. Here's the recipe:

Dissolve 1/4 tsp L-ascorbic acid (AKA vitamin C - available in powder form at most drugstores and health food stores) in 1 tsp distilled water.

Once dissolved, mix in 1 tsp vegetable glycerin (also available at health food stores).

Pour into a dark glass bottle and store up to one month in the refrigerator. This serum can be used under your moisturizer every morning and evening.

Note: If you prefer to use completely natural ingredients (L-ascorbic acid is made in a lab), you can use Camu Camu powder in place of the L-Ascrobic acid. Camu Camu is a superfruit that's insanely high in vitamin C and is also available at health food stores.

I am endlessly inspired by the tips and recipes in Do It Gorgeously and can't recommend the book highly enough; I'm even buying copies for my friends so that we can pool our resources to buy all of our ingredients and then have beauty product-making parties. If you purchase the book on Amazon.com, 10 percent of the profit will be donated to Canwerlink, an organization that provides free non-toxic housecleaning services to cancer patients.

Remede Spa in San Francisco

A Facial Worth the Flight

The French-born Remede Spa is only located within select St. Regis hotels and resorts, and the nearest to us Angelenos is in San Francisco. When I planned a one-night getaway to the Bay Area with my husband in January, I was determined to check it out, even though we don't usually travel in such ritzy style. My efforts paid off when I experienced what may have been the most exceptional facial I've ever received. And spending the night at the St. Regis was pretty sweet too.

Located in the SoMa (south of Market St.) neighborhood, the St. Regis is next door to the Museum of Modern Art and across the street from the Yerba Buena Gardens. Of course, this being San Francisco, we were within walking distance of pretty much everything. After taking some time to admire the stunning views from our spacious room's floor-to-ceiling windows as well as its many creature comforts - luxury linens, deep soaking tub, rainforest showerhead, two flat-screen TVs - we set out to explore the city. We trekked up and down Market St., through Chinatown and along the waterfront before settling down for a delicious and well-earned dinner at a cute North Beach Italian joint.

I slept deeply and soundly thanks to the cushy bed and blackout window shades before rising bright and early for the trip's main event (as far as I was concerned): my 90-minute Signature Facial at Remede Spa. Remede is a well regarded and distinctly high-end spa with its own line of Laboratoire Remede products, so I knew I was in for much more than your typical steam-and-cream treatment. 

My aesthetician, a sweet young woman with reassuringly gorgeous skin, mainly used Laboratoire Remede's Alchemy products, specially formulated to prevent cellular damage and deliver antioxidants to environmentally battered skin. In addition to the standard cleansing and exfoliating, she applied a "three-minute" Vitamin C peel that made my skin tingle and glow, and a chilled Bilberry peel-off masque that was briskly refreshing. An oxygen cream topped with gauze and warm paraffin loosened sebum prior to extractions (See? No steam, just as I expected). The extractions were a doozy; they seemed to go on forever, but it was absolutely worth it later when I admired my startlingly clear pores in the mirror. Miraculously, there was no trace of redness or swelling, either. 

An hour and a half is a long time for even the most thorough facial, so my treatment was supplemented with tension-melting extras like a warm paraffin foot wrap, extended massage of the feet, hands, arms, neck, shoulders and scalp, and even a deep conditioning hair treatment. After the application of tinted SPF 30 moisturizer, something called Soft Focus that made me look all glimmery and radiant, and a tinted lip moisturizer, I was looking lovely and ready to hit the streets of San Francisco once again. I received compliments on my crystal-clear complexion for a good couple of weeks afterward - a sure sign of a truly exceptional facial.

  

My Top Picks for Radiant Beauty

AKA Amazing Products From Awesome Women

Every once in awhile I come across a local company that offers a truly inspiring product line, and more often than not, that company is owned by a woman (the icing on the cake). I'd like to share some of my favorites. My recommendations are based on these products' unimpeachable ingredients, as well as the healthy and joyous living philosophy that inspired each of these women's creations. 

Golden Path Alchemy - The serums, exfoliants, masques and cleansers in this locally made skin care line are crafted entirely from plants and herbs - you won't find any parabens, pthalates or sulfates here. In the words of co-founder Ashley Beckman,"We combine different techniques and medicinals that span ancient traditions to modern knowledge; therapeutic grade essential oils, a variety of medicinals and herbs, Andean Orchid and Peruvian flower essences, gem elixirs, pure plant oils and extracts come together to awaken, purify, refine, renew, and illuminate the skin and spirit. We choose whole foods for the skin, opting for as little processing as possible. All of the ingredients in our handmade products must be nutrient- and vitamin-rich, completely unadulterated, truly natural and as fresh as can be." Music to my ears (and my skin's pretty happy too).
 

Chivas Skin Care - Another locally made skin care line, Chivas' main product ingredient is goats' milk. And you can be assured those goats are well cared for; they live on the family farm of Chivas mother-daughter team Donna and Lauren and are hand-milked to deliver this vitamin-packed, ultra-gentle and supremely nourishing elixir for the skin. Chivas keeps it simple with a line that includes goats' milk soap, moisturizing creme, bath salts and lip balm. And, of course, everything is free of pthalates, parabens and chemical preservatives. As an added bonus, each product is beautifully scented with essential oils and herbs. Where do those herbs come from? You guessed it: Donna and Lauren's garden. 
 

Nicobella Organics - Of course, we all know that what we put inside our bodies is as important to how we look and feel as what we put on our skin. Nicobella offers what I think might be the only true guilt-free indulgence, at least when it comes to sweets. Nutritionist and company founder Nichole Dandrea has crafted her dark chocolate truffles out of purely organic, vegan, whole-food ingredients, and each flavor delivers a delicious kick of antioxidants. Nicobella's innovative line includes the following varieties: green tea/ginger, pumpkin/chai, banana/sunflower seed, walnut/flaxseed, pure cocoa and blueberry/almond. My personal favorites are the spicy pumpkin chai and the slightly savory walnut/flaxseed. Before discovering Nicobella, I already considered dark chocolate to be a health food, but now I'm even more excited about getting my daily cocoa dose!
 

Naja Tea - Speaking of antioxidants, what better beverage to wash down your chocolate truffles than a cozy (or refreshingly iced) cup of tea? Naja Hayward is a bona-fide tea nut, and she's created some of the most inspiring loose leaf tea blends I've ever tasted. Pink Passion, an herbal tea crafted out of apples, peaches, apricots and hibiscus, may be my favorite, but I'm awfully fond of her Allure white tea (flavored with tangerines and berries), as well as her Sassafras Chai. Whatever your taste, Naja has a white, black, green, white, Rooibos or herbal tea to suit you. If you're toying with the idea of giving up coffee, I'm pretty confident Naja won't have any trouble converting you to tea. And you definitely won't want to mess around with those pre-made tea bags anymore, either.

Winter Dry Skin Care

Ten Skin-Saving Tips for a Long, Cold Winter

Winter is hell on the skin. Dry, windy weather and relentless central heating systems suck moisture right out of the epidermis, leaving it tight, itchy and all-around uncomfortable. Under these conditions, fine lines look deeper, complexions appear rough and flaky, and no one looks or feels their best. Here are ten invaluable tips for banishing your dry skin woes during the most punishing season of the year.
 

1. Turn Your Home Into the Tropics: The humidifier is your best friend this winter. They're not too pricey, so get one for each room of the house that you spend a lot of time in (the bedroom being the most important). Pick up a little one to keep under your desk at work as well. 

2. Guzzle Water Like a Fish: This ubiquitous bit of advice is right on the money at any time of year. Replenishing your body with H2O gives you more energy, benefits your overall health, and will also help keep your skin from becoming dehydrated. Hot herbal tea is a great alternative when the weather turns cold.

3. Moisturize, and Then Moisturize Some More: Stick to pure, unadulterated moisturizers like jojoba oil and Shea butter and steer clear of commercial lotions, many of which actually contain moisture-depleting alcohol - talk about counterproductive. Apply liberally and often all over your body. Slather it on as soon as you get out of the shower in the morning, and keep a small bottle with you during the day to re-apply to your hands after washing, or any other part of the body that dries out quickly. For both facial and body moisturizers, you may want to switch to a richer formula during the winter months.

4. Don't Forget to Exfoliate: Keep a gentle body scrub and a less abrasive facial exfoliant in the shower and remember to use them both once or twice a week. This gets rid built-up dead skin cells and exposes a fresh layer of skin ready to suck up all the moisturizer you're going to apply when you step out of the tub.

5. Supplement with Flaxseed Oil Daily: It's not the best-tasting stuff, but flaxseed oil could be a useful supplement for essentially moisturizing your body from within. What's more, flaxseed is purported to have numerous overall health benefits because it's rich in essential fatty acids. The refrigerated kind generally has a milder, fresher taste than un-chilled oil. If you can't stand the thought of swallowing one to two tablespoons of straight oil every day, you can also pick it up in capsule form. Just about any Whole Foods or health food store should carry both kinds.. (Note: Check with your doctor before taking any supplements, particularly if you're pregnant, breastfeeding, or have any existing health conditions.)

6. Take Oil-Infused Baths Instead of Hot Showers: This may not be practical advice for rushed mornings when you're on your way to work, but a soak in a warm bath amply infused with sweet almond or jojoba oil is a soothing and skin-nourishing way to end the day. Add an essential oil such as lavender or ylang ylang for an even more relaxing treat (Note: Essential oils should always be diluted with a base oil such as sweet almond or jojoba to avoid irritating the skin).

7. Don't Skip the Sunblock: Just because the sun isn't shining as brightly or as often as it did during the summer doesn't mean it won't still burn (and prematurely age) your skin. Applying sunblock, preferably SPF 25 or higher, should be a part of your daily skin care routine all year long. Look for barrier blocks (as opposed to those containing chemical ingredients) that list zinc or titanium oxide as the first ingredient. Remember to apply to all parts of your body that will be exposed during the day: face, arms, neck, etc.

8. Skip the Blow-Dry: If you normally blow-dry your hair, consider alternative styles for the winter months. With the right products, you can still have great-looking air-dried hair – perhaps opt for a tousled, wavy style, or a loose bun. Your hair and skin will both be healthier if you skip the 10- to 20-minute blast of hot air every morning.

9. Wear Soft, Natural-Fiber Clothing: Synthetic fabrics and scratchy wool can be irritating to dry skin, so opt for soft cotton, hemp or bamboo fabrics instead. If you need to wear wool to keep warm, wear a long-sleeved cotton shirt or turtleneck underneath to provide a buffer.

10. Stop Licking Your Lips: We've all been guilty of this assault on our kissers: When our lips feel dry, we lick them. Of course, this only leaves them more chapped. Keep a tube or jar of lip balm with you at all times, and apply every time you get the temptation to lick those dry lips. In a pinch, you can also apply the balm to chapped hands and irritated, over-blown noses.