Fall Spa Week: Polish, Pamper & Protect Your Skin with Smoothing & Softening At-Home Protocols

Photo courtesy Witches Falls Cottages

The calm before the storm. That's what fall Spa Week feels like, as Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas fast approach. 

What better way to celebrate the start of the holiday season than with a soothing spa treatment--perhaps a hot stone massage? The service places warm and hot stones along specific meridian points directly on the body. The polished lava rocks, which are also used as massage tools during the treatment, increase circulation. Thus, many experts believe that they assist in removing energy blockages that may lead to the development of disease, illness and cancers.

During Spa Week, which begins today, the healing benefits of a hot stone massage and other services can be experienced at a discounted rate of $50. Although the offer only lasts until October 26, you can still continue the spirit of the celebration in the privacy of your own home with smoothing and softening skincare protocols.  

Take a look-see at the following products. They polish (cleanse and exfoliate), pamper (nourish) and protect (shield) your complexion to maintain healthy, glowing skin all year-round. Say "spaaah" and enjoy!

POLISH

SHINE: Altchek MD Daily Exfoliating Cleanser. BEAUTY: Remove impurities and revive dull skin with vitamins C and E, glycolic acid and calendula extract. BEACON: No animal testing.

SHINE: Apothederm Facial Enzyme Exfoliant. BEAUTY: Safflower and sunflower oils, vitamin E and papaya leaf extract help exfoliate dead, damaged skin cells. BEACON: No animal testing. Free of parabens, phthalates and fragrances.

SHINE: Basq NYC Rebalancing Face Cleanser. BEAUTY: Micro exfoliators prompt cellular renewal, while oat root extract serves to keep blemishes and dry, dull skin at bay. BEACON: No animal testing. Free of parabens and phthalates.

SHINE: DeVita Natural Skin Care Gentle Aloe Facial Scrub. BEAUTY: Aloe vera gel, jojoba beads and grape seed extract encourage healthy skin cell turnover without irritating your face. BEACON: Vegan and cruelty free. Contains no FD&C colors, lead, carmine, cochineal, gluten or parabens.

SHINE: Innovative Skincare Exfoliating Enzyme Treatment. BEAUTY: Restore radiance with micro beads and pineapple extract. BEACON: Free of parabens. Supports Stars For Stripes and the National Breast Cancer Coalition.

SHINE: LATHER AHA Facial Therapy with Copper & Borage Extract. BEAUTY: Shea butter, green coffee extract, and jojoba seed and borage oils help slough dead skin cells and even the tone of your complexion. BEACON: No animal testing. Free of sulfates and parabens.

SHINE: Murad Skin Smoothing Polish and Transforming Powder Dual-Action Cleanser & Exfoliator. BEAUTY: Gently clear and tighten your pores, and balance oil production with jojoba beads, hyaluronic acid and pumpkin seed extract. BEACON: No animal testing. 

SHINE: Pevonia Botanica Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser and Clarigel Exfoliating Cleanser. BEAUTY: Jojoba seed extract, grapefruit peel oil and calendula extract eliminate dead skin cells and impurities. BEACON: No animal testing. Free of parabens, alcohol, lanolin, mineral oil, PABA, formaldehyde, artificial colors and sulfates. Supports the Beauty Bus Foundation.

SHINE: Refineé Exfoliating Fruit Cleanser. BEAUTY: Resurface, clarify and smooth your skin with jojoba and grapefruit oils, and glycolic and salicylic acids. BEACON: No animal testing.

SHINE: Robin McGraw Revelation Absolute Glow Purifying Facial Cleanser and Total Renewal Micro Polishing Scrub. BEAUTY: Sugar cane, and lemon and orange fruit extracts stimulate skin cell renewal and reduce pore size. BEACON: No animal testing. Free of dyes and parabens. Supports When Georgia Smiled. 

SHINE: Tammy Fender Holistic Skin Care Epi-Peel. BEAUTY: This three-in-one exfoliator, mask and peel revitalizes your skin and smoothes your complexion with hibiscus and grape seed oils. BEACON: No animal testing. Free of parabens, mineral oils, petrochemicals, synthetic emulsifiers, and artificial colorants and fragrances.

PAMPER

SHINE: Altchek MD DePuff Eye Pads. BEAUTY: Castor oil, aloe vera extract, and vitamins A and E minimize puffiness around the eyes and the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. BEACON: No animal testing.

SHINE: DeVita Natural Skin Care Evening Rich Nutritional Moisturizer. BEAUTY: Deeply nourish your skin while you sleep with aloe vera gel, peptides and hyaluronic acid. BEACON: Vegan and cruelty free. Contains no FD&C colors, lead, carmine, cochineal, gluten or parabens.

SHINE: Pevonia Botanica Stem Cells Phyto-Elite Intensive Cream. BEAUTY: Hyaluronic acid, peptides, and vitamins C and E help increase elasticity and diminish fine lines and wrinkles. BEACON: No animal testing. Free of parabens, alcohol, lanolin, mineral oil, PABA, formaldehyde, artificial colors and sulfates. Supports the Beauty Bus Foundation.

SHINE: Erno Laszlo Hydra Therapy Skin Vitality Mask. BEAUTY: This hydrating mask refreshes and plumps your skin, and reduces the appearance of fine lines. BEACON: No animal testing.

SHINE: iS CLINICAL by Innovative Skincare Youth Serum. BEAUTY: Peptides, beet root extract, and vitamins A, C and E help restore resiliency to loose skin. BEACON: Free of parabens. Supports Stars For Stripes and the National Breast Cancer Coalition.

SHINE: Yon-Ka Paris Alpha Complex Anti-Wrinkle Renewing Complex. BEAUTY: Brighten and tighten your skin to reveal a more youthful complexion with lemon and pineapple fruit extracts, hyaluronic acid and aloe vera leaf juice. BEACON: No animal testing. Free of parabens.

PROTECT

SHINE: Altchek MD Daily Moisturizer Sunscreen SPF 30. BEAUTY: Aloe vera leaf juice powder, oxybenzone, and vitamins C and E help shield, smooth and soften your skin. BEACON: No animal testing.

SHINE: DeVita Natural Skin Care Moisture Tints Vegan BB Cream SPF 15 (Medium). BEAUTY: This three-in-one tint, moisturizer and sunscreen protects and hydrates your skin with zinc oxide, aloe vera gel and pomegranate extract. BEACON: Vegan and cruelty free. Contains no FD&C colors, lead, carmine, cochineal, gluten or parabens.

SHINE: Innovative Skincare Extreme Protect SPF 30. BEAUTY: Zinc oxide, aloe vera leaf juice and vitamin E provide broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection and moisturize your skin to give it a gotta-have-it glow. BEACON: Free of parabens. Supports Stars For Stripes and the National Breast Cancer Coalition.

SHINE: Pevonia Botanica Hydrating Sunscreen SPF 30. BEAUTY: Prevent sunburn and premature signs of aging caused by UVA/UVB rays with zinc oxide, vitamins C and E, and green tea leaf extract. BEACON: No animal testing. Free of parabens, alcohol, lanolin, mineral oil, PABA, urea, formaldehyde, artificial colors and sulfates. Supports the Beauty Bus Foundation.

SHINE: Phytomer Sun Serenity. BEAUTY: Apricot kernel oil, vitamin E and citric acid help restore your skin from the damaging effects of the sun. BEACON: No animal testing.

SHINE: SkinCeuticals Physical Eye UV Defense Sunscreen SPF 50. BEAUTY: Shield the area around your eyes from environmental damage, and prevent fine lines and hyperpigmentation with titanium dioxide, jojoba oil and zinc oxide. BEACON: Free of parabens. Supports the Melanoma Research Alliance.

Photo courtesy Witches Falls Cottageshttps

Dry Skin Woes: Punxsutawney Phil Predicts 6 More Weeks of Winter

Photo by Reinhard Kraasch

Deep freeze... arctic plunge... polar vortex--no matter how you say it, baby it's cold outside.

When will it end? According to groundhog guru Punxsutawney Phil, who saw his shadow when he emerged from his burrow on Super Bowl Sunday, winter will last six more weeks. 

Not to take anything away from the famed furry forecaster, but this news comes as no surprise. Sub-zero temps have gripped the country off and on for the past several weeks, causing the cold weather to wreak havoc on our skin. Symptoms typically include itching, cracking, flaking, irritation and extreme dryness. 

To rescue your face and hands from the elements, we've assembled the latest hydration helpers. These products contain plumping peptides, moisturizing hyaluronic acid, and nourishing fruit, nut and seed oils. They're designed to minimize dermal damage and maximize silky skin--even if you see your shadow.

FACE

SHINE: Alba Botanica Even Advanced CC Cream Tinted Mineral Perfector SPF 15 (Light to Medium). BEAUTY: Prevent sunburn with zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, and smooth your complexion with aloe vera leaf juice, orange peel oil and hyaluronic acid. BEACON: No animal testing and vegan. Free of sodium lauryl sulfate, parabens, phthalates, artificial colors and silicones. Supports Furry Friends Rescue, Farm Sanctuary and Kitten Rescue.

SHINE: CellCeuticals InterActive Moisture Serum. BEAUTY: Peptides, hyaluronic acid and green tea extract strengthen your skin, while olive, apricot and avocado oils promote a gotta-have-it glow. BEACON: No animal testing and vegan. Free of artificial colorants or fragrances, sodium lauryl sulfate, phthalates and parabens. 

SHINE: Coola Environmental Repair Plus Fresh Relief Face Serum. BEAUTY: Stimulate collagen production and cell renewal of stressed skin with aloe vera leaf juice, hyaluronic acid, Japanese seaweed, and licorice and radish root extracts. BEACON: No animal testing. Free of paba, parabens, petroleum and phthalates. Supports Save Our Seas.

SHINE: Hada Labo Tokyo Protecting Day Lotion Broad Spectrum Sunscreen SPF 18. BEAUTY: Avobenzone and three types of hyaluronic acid help shield and soften skin to prevent premature aging caused by exposure to the elements. BEACON: Free of fragrance, parabens, dyes and mineral oils.

SHINE: ilike Organic Skin Care Apple & Lemon Whipped Moisturizer. BEAUTY: Repair age spots, acne scars and dull skin with alpha hydroxy and salicylic acids, and step up suppleness with peppermint and lemon oils. BEACON: Vegan, and no animal testing. Free of artificial colorants.

SHINE: MyBody MyHero Ultra Rich Anti-Aging Growth Factor Cream. BEAUTY: Shea butter, peptides and hyaluronic acid restore radiance to flaky, aging and sensitive skin. BEACON: Contains no parabens, phthalates, sulfates, gluten or dyes.

SHINE: ProBios Transderma A Vitamin A Serum. BEAUTY: Revitalize weather-worn skin with vitamins A and E to create a younger looking appearance. BEACON: Hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic. No animal testing, and free of preservatives, fragrances, oil and alcohol. 

SHINE: Refineé Hydrating Gel Mask. BEAUTY: Argan oil, vitamin E, cucumber fruit extract and dragon's blood extract from the Amazon's croton lechleri tree soothe dermal damage from environmental stressors. BEACON: No animal testing.

SHINE: Swedish Skin Care Prosanol Instant Soothing Spray. BEAUTY: Relieve and repair irritation and itchiness with a pump spray that produces a light mist of nourishing oils. BEACON: Free of parabens, fragrances, synthetic dyes, sulfates and steroids. Supports the National Psoriasis Foundation and Burn Survivors Throughout The World.

SHINE: Veria Innerdosha Soak It Up Highly Hydrating Mask. BEAUTY: Sunflower seed and almond oils, aloe vera leaf juice and hyaluronic acid deeply moisturize dry skin. BEACON: Vegan and cruelty free. Contains no parabens, phthalates, synthetic fragrances, sulfates, artificial colors or GMOs.

HANDS

SHINE: Desert Essence Pumpkin Spice Hand Repair Cream. BEAUTY: Moisturize and mend dry hands with pumpkin fruit extract, aloe vera leaf juice, shea butter and sunflower seed oil. BEACON: No animal testing.

SHINE: Juice Beauty Green Apple Age Defy Hand Cream. BEAUTY: Aloe, apple, lemon and white grape juices, as well as peptides, help address hydration and hyperpigmentation issues. BEACON: USDA Organic certified. Free of parabens, petroleum, propylene and butylene glycol, sodium lauryl sulfates, pesticides, phthalates, artificial dyes and synthetic fragrances.

SHINE: M-61 Vitablast C Hand Cream. BEAUTY: Dehydrated skin disappears with grape seed and avocado oils, aloe vera leaf juice and shea butter. BEACON: No animal testing. Free of sulfates, parabens, phthalates, and synthetic fragrances and dyes. Supports Action Against Hunger.