Love is in the air, particularly in LA.  You can see blooming trees everywhere.  In February!  Isn't that amazing?  Every year I love to post a love story that has touched my heart.  Read this year's love story at the end of this Newsletter.

Here is thought of the month:

It is not how much we do,

but how much love we put in the doing.

It is not how much we give,

but how much love we put in the giving.

~ Mother Teresa ~.

For Dry skin

Showers and baths add moisture to your skin, but they can also dry it out by removing the skin's oily lipid layer.  Hot water robs oil faster than warm water.  Please use warm water when you cleanse your face and limit yourself to one short (under 15 minutes) warm shower or bath a day.

There's no need to wash again in the morning.  Just rinse your face with water when you wake up.  

For acne skin

Dirty skin does not lead to acne or blemishes.  Frequent and vigorous washing can irritate your skin and make acne worse.  So can scrubs and soaps with harsh chemicals.  Instead, wash acne-prone areas twice daily with a mild soap and warm water.

If you wear makeup, use an oil-free foundation.  To help close your pores, splash your face with cold water before applying your foundation.   Also, no matter how tired you are, wash your makeup off before bed. 

Squeezing pimples or blemishes just creates more problems.  Resist the temptation.  It will only delay healing and increase the risk of scarring.  Squeezing pimples may also push infected material into the skin, where it can cause additional inflammation and scarring.

Easy, fast, cost effective:

To improve your skin tone, mix carrot juice with yogurt (not fat free).  Soak a cotton ball in chamomile tea and then apply mixture all over your face.  Leave on for 10-15 minutes and remove with cold water.  For a double effect, steam your face over a pot of simmering chamomile tea before you apply the mask.  Cover your head with a towel and breathe in the steam for 5-8 min.  This is great for your sinuses as well!

 
Oh, those dark circles under our eyes!

They drive us crazy.  We all know that we need enough sleep to begin with, but what else can help?  Treat your skin while you sleep.  Just before bed, lightly wet a washcloth with cold water and place over your eyes.  By morning, you should see an improvement.  Apply cucumber slices or cool tea bags (no herbal tea, only black tea, and freshly made) to your eyes.  Cucumber slices are famous for their ability to reduce puffiness, and the tannin in tea has been found to reduce swelling and discoloration.  Leave on for 10 min.

Q: Is Jojoba oil beneficial for the skin?

A: Pronounced "hohobah" it has long been known as a unique plant of the Sonoran Desert.  This oil penetrates deep into the skin and does not clog the pores - it is almost chemically identical to sperm whale oil.  It is an expensive vegetable oil.  Always look for cold pressed oil, which is extracted from the seeds of the plant.  Do not be confused by the ingredient listing of just "jojoba oil"- which is extracted with solvents and high heat.

The line of skin care products offered by Facials by Karina uses only products with cold pressed oil, which is not heated to high temperatures or refined with solvents.

We are also offering pure jojoba oil which can be used for hair loss prevention.

A: Sodium Beannzoate and Caprylyl Glycol are inhibitors of microbial growth.  They are practically nontoxic and are non-irritants to the skin and eyes.  They have been used in cosmetics.

Q: I see Pantothenyl Alcohol as an ingredient in skin care products. Is it the same alcohol found in vodka?
 

A: Pantothenyl Alcohol is another name for Vitamin B5.  As part of Coenzime A, it is present in all living tissues and is therefore a normal constituent of healthy skin.  As early as 1946, experiments in Vit B5 have shown extremely rapid healing following burns of second to third degrees and after plastic surgery and skin grafts.

We are offering a wonderful Vit B moisturizer.  It's lightweight, oil free and is great for acne skin.

A few months ago I visited Hearst castle in San Simon for the first time.  My breath was taken away by a beautiful love story.  This is very romantic story is full of fascinating events.  Marion Davies, a famous Hollywood actress was William Randolph Hearst's mistress for over 30 years.  It was widely considered the "worst kept secret in Hollywood" that she lived with him in California while his wife Millicent resided in New York. His wife would not grant him a divorce so that he could marry Marion.  It's a very well know fact that the Hearst Newspaper tycoon was helpful in her career, but check this out...

By the late 1930's, Hearst was suffering financial reversals.  It was Marion, a very sharp and savvy business women, who bailed him out of financial trouble by selling off $1 million of her jewelry.  Without her, the Hearst Corporation might not be where it is today.

How many women will do that?

There were some very interesting and dark episodes in their lives. Hearst was extremely jealous and possessive of Marion, even though he was married throughout their relationship.  Davies was aboard the Hearst yacht when film producer Thomas Ince took ill, and died.

You can read more....

Marion retired from the screen in the late 1930s so she could be with Hearst, as his health was declining.  When Hearst lay dying in 1951 at the age of 88, Marion was given a sedative by his lawyer.  When she awoke several hours later, she discovered that Hearst had died and that his associates had removed his body, as well as all of his belongings and any trace that he had lived there with her.  His family had a big formal funeral for him in San Francisco.  Marion did not attend.

I found very interesting posting "The true story of Marion Davies" on My Space if you are interested to know more. 

Karina Kara

Holistic Facials by Karina