This may be your last chance to relax before 2018 officially starts. Then it’s back to school…back to work…back to life…back to reality…

Still looking for inspiration to get the New Year off to a splendid start? Start with you! This is an excellent time to take care of yourself, even if you set aside 10 minutes to do so. You can multi-task to make the most of those minutes.

Relaxing Facial Masks When You Don’t Have Time To Relax

Start with a face mask—even if your skin is pitch perfect, any complexion can benefit from a reparative face mask once a week, especially during the winter months. Our skin requires an intensive reconstructive care product regularly to enable it to recover and reboot its cellular functions. For the severely time starved, Cosmetics 27 Plasma 27 Bio Lifting Cell Restoring Mask, is just the thing! This pre-soaked, pre-cut, single serve sheet mask is packed with high concentrations of Centella Asiatica and Proline to stimulate the skin’s ability to produce collagen. Just open the packet, pop it on your visage, have a cup of coffee and voila!

If you prefer a creamy mask format, try Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm. Yes, it’s a face cleanser, but it is so much more. Massage the balm into your face using downward strokes – this promotes lymphatic drainage. I store mine in the refrigerator: the cool temperature is refreshing and calms puffiness. Remember to apply it to the backs of your hands as well. When you embark upon 40, even if you take A+ care of your skin and have great genes, there is no place that is more revealing of age. The all-natural scent of moringa is also calming to the senses which is beneficial especially on hectic mornings. This multi-tasking treatment can also be used as a lip balm.

Hair & Scalp Treatments for Your Tresses

While your face mask is gelling, turn your attention to your hair and scalp. Christophe Robin’s line of hair treatment products is a must. Period. Especially if you highlight, bleach or chemically process your hair. You can sleep, workout and even golf in them. These intensive moisturizing treatments are magic!

For dry, damaged hair requiring some serious tender loving care, try his Regenerating Mask with Rare Prickly Pear Seed Oil. It contains powerful antioxidants and moisturizers sure to leave your hair frizz free, soft and radiant.

The holidays are stressful. Combine this with crisp, dry air and you’ll find yourself with a troublesome itchy, flaky scalp. If this sounds familiar, Christophe Robin’s scalp detox mask, Cleansing Purifying Scrub With Sea Salt, is calling your name.

Eye, Brow and Lash Treatments

Feeling a little bit of champ-shame about how much you drank (not to mention ate) this holiday season? Copious consumption could leave your eyes puffy and your skin sallow. No problem! Here are a couple of instant eye pick-me-ups that will get you going in the right direction:

Institut Esthederm Lift & Repair Eye Contour Lift Patches are fast penetrating under eye masks that target all concerns of the eye area: bags, shadows, fine lines, sagging skin and swelling. In as little as 6 minutes a few days a week, you can take years off your eye area. They also make the perfect travel companion – try them at the end of a flight, or the morning after a long night out to look “bright-eyed” (bushy-tailed is on you).

While you’re de-puffing your eyes, you can pump up your brows and lashes with Jessica Johnson Classic Beauty Brow and Lash Conditioning Serum. This conditioning treatment is the real deal! It is a two-in-one product for use on brows as well as lashes and contains additional treatment ingredients, including natural marine extract that not only boosts hair growth but conditions and hydrates for strong, lush brows and lashes.

We hope you take the time to indulge in a drop of self-care, not just this week, but all year long. For more tips, tricks and tools to perfect your look, find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!

By: Travel Beauty Editors

Though we are still experiencing chilly weather in the northeast, summer is just around the corner. Many of us will be spending endless hours outdoors in the sun and heat. Whether we are running errands, sitting on the beach, barbecuing, hiking or just day dreaming, it is important to protect ourselves from the elements during the day, and then nourish our skin later in the evening. Here are some of our favorite products to keep you covered from head to toe all summer long.

For face

Whether you are hitting the golf course or preparing to worship the sun, a sunscreen that will protect your skin from the elements is a must. If the sun is out, sunscreen is in order. Sun tends to accelerate the skin’s aging process so for face, I love Institut Esthederm Bronz Repair Sunscreen For Face SPF 15. This French cult favorite is high tech, anti-aging sun care that enables you to enjoy the benefits of the sun without experiencing its harmful effects. There’s real science behind this line of bio-cosmetics that takes a completely different approach to sun care. It works with aging skin’s biology and the sun’s properties, instead of against these factors, enabling your skin to protect itself from the elements. Institut Esthederm’s sun care products are bar none — the best you can find on the market. And because of active ingredients like beeswax and rice bran oil that moisturize and nourish skin, containing anti-free radical properties, Bronz Repair can be used as your daily anti-aging moisturizer all summer long.

For body

Institut Esthederm Sun Care Oil Extreme Sun is the best sun care for body you can find and also doubles as a luxurious body care oil all year long. It ensures safe prolonged sun exposure in severe conditions, including the intense tropical sun. It allows a deep, intense natural tan to develop without any harmful UV damage. Sun Care Oil Extreme is formulated with UV in-Cellium Technology to protect the skin from the inside by strengthening its self-defense systems. This hi-tech sunscreen is extremely moisturizing and can be used to protect hair from the harmful rays of the sun as well, making it a multi-tasking sun care dynamo.

For eyes

During the summer months, our eye area is usually in need of a little more than just a great under eye cream. Consider Institut Esthederm Lift & Repair Eye Contour Lift Patches your mother’s little helper. This treatment contains caffeine, sodium hyaluronate (the same active ingredient found in injectables) and algae extract to wake up your eyes from the inside out. You won’t believe the difference ten minutes make. They are perfect for après airplane travel or for transitioning from work/beach activities to nighttime play. They are an instant eye opener!

For hair

If you plan on sitting out in the sun, playing outdoor sports or even hiking, Christophe Robin Moisturizing Hair Oil with Lavender is a must. Fact: Your hair and scalp can burn in the sun. This leave-in hair treatment contains SPF 6 to protect your crown from getting scorched and moisturizes your hair in the process. It even provides for a convenient way to style your hair while on the beach or by the pool that keeps it off your face. I apply it in sections and then braid my hair. For short hair just apply and slick hair back. Trés chick! When you wash it out at the end of the day, your hair will feel silky, smooth and nourished.

Après sun

Whether you finished your day a little crispier for the wear or not, remember to treat your skin to some extra added tender loving care. Cosmetics 27 Baume 27 is great as an après sun moisturizer. It is cooling and calming, especially after a day outdoors or in the sun. During the summer, this balm is particularly well suited as a restorative and reparative nighttime face cream. It quite literally slows down the oxidation or aging process as it protects against free radicals, one of the main causes of aging. Don’t forget to massage into your décolleté as well.

Not just lip service

Be sure to pick up B. Kamins Laboratories SPF 20 Lip Balm. In extreme cold, wind or sun, lips are usually the first place to suffer. Just a few minutes of exposure to extreme weather can lead to days of chapped, cracked lips. Reapply your lip balm frequently to keep your lips comfortable and protected all day and night.

By: Alyssa Barrie Weiss, Twitter: @AlyssaBarrie

A woman’s relationship with her hair is often a tumultuous love affair. She’s satisfied, unsatisfied, fulfilled, unfulfilled…she breaks it off (pixie cut, anyone?), tries to change her lover (highlights, perms, flat irons) and sometimes only finds relationship bliss with the help of a good therapist (mine is Lina Arrojo of Arrojo Studios). With Spring in the air, I thought now would be an ideal time to tackle the issue of thinning hair.

A Love/Hate Relationship with My Hair!

I’ve often loved (thank you, Lina) and occasionally hated (thank you, genetics) my hair. Then a year and a half ago, after two kids, one MBA and a very exciting entrepreneurial venture, my hair and I starting having some major relationship troubles. My hair was leaving me – for the shower drain, my hairbrush and the back of my wool coat. Anyone who’s experienced hair thinning knows what an unsettling, upsetting experience it is.

A Trip to Philip Kingsley’s Trichological Clinic

After much fretting and lamenting, I remembered that beauty is my business, and I got proactive. I visited the Philip Kingsley Trichological Clinic in New York City. In addition to the transcendental scalp treatments I received, I also received invaluable healthy hair and scalp diet and lifestyle guidance from trichologist Elizabeth Cunnane Phillips. I never skipped a protein-rich breakfast again and stocked up on hair-healing supplements. My quest for healthy hair also led to my discovery of Phylia de M. products.

Along Came Phylia de M.

I read in beauty book after beauty book that this new, organic hair and scalp care line produced extraordinary results for those suffering from thinning hair. I could not get my hands on them quick enough! I started with Condition and Connect, adding in Re-Connect after a month or so, as directed. The short and long term results were extraordinary. Immediately, I noticed an improvement in the overall look, feel and texture of my hair. Since I would massage Connect and Re-Connect into my scalp with my fingertips, I also noticed an immediate improvement in my nails – they were less dry, less brittle and started growing like weeds. I was fairly certain this boded well for my mane.

Eyebrows, Nails and Hair – Oh My!

The first place I noticed significant hair regrowth was my eyebrows, where I also applied Connect and Re-Connect. I was genetically blessed with my mom’s big eyes, and I had full brows to match. I then proceeded to pluck my brows into oblivion in the 90s, when Kate Moss made us think we all could pull that off. Years of tweezer detox later, I still had brows that didn’t quite pass the ideal brow length pencil test. It took a few months, but after diligent daily application of Connect and Re-Connect, my brows started to go all the way…to the end of my big eyes.

At Last…New Baby Hair

Now, this was all very exciting stuff, but I purchased these products to treat the hair on my head. Though I saw a significant improvement in the overall health of my hair rather quickly, regrowth on my scalp was harder to gauge. I kept spraying and praying though, and sure enough, I started to see new little hairs sprouting about 2 months in. Elizabeth at Philip Kingsley had taught me how to distinguish new hair growth from broken hairs: new hairs would be tapered at the end, broken strands would not. A subtle distinction though this was, it became very clear upon close inspection: I knew these little hairs were newbies. These baby hairs are still there today…and have grown long enough so as to not stick straight up when I part my hair. Progress!

The Science Behind the Products

Phylia de M.’s science defines scalp & hair care as an integral part of optimum total health. The brand’s proprietary formula restores the body’s inherent ability to grow its best hair and help activate and maintain hair’s vital role in maintaining overall well being. In other words, Phylia is focused on getting to the root of the problem. Hair is a barometer of one’s health; internal disease and dysfunction are reflected in the condition of the scalp and hair. Whether we are conscious of it, (and whether it’s fair or not) we certainly cast aspersions on someone with thinning, greasy, stringy and/or fried hair, no?

By: Claire McCormack

When cold, crisp winter weather makes our hair and skin freak out (i.e., break out…dry out…frizz out…), we make sure to stock up on our favorite multitasking product from Japan. No one can sing the praises of Vine Minus Ion Care Water better than Travel Beauty’s hair care expert, Ishi.

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Where do I begin? Vine Care Water is negative ion water that was first developed in Japan for NASA to clean the lenses and mirrors on space bound vehicles and satellites. Bacteria cannot live in a pH 12.5 environment, so it was made as a germ-killing cleanser. Negative ion water is 170 times more absorbent than water, so on its own it provides moisture. Used in conjunction with hair and skin care products, negative ion water works as a driver – so it boosts the effectiveness of products used subsequently.

Negative Ion Water Benefits for Hair Care

The negative charge of the water is attracted to – and bonds to – hair.  It helps strengthen fine hair, making it feel thicker. It boosts the strength of conditioners, treatments and styling aids to amplify the benefits of these products. It can also be mixed with your shampoo or conditioner at a rate of 10%, or can be sprayed onto hair, roots to ends, before leave-in conditioners or styling aids are applied. This is a fabulous tool for thick, curly hair as well; read more here about how to use it.

Negative Ion Water Benefits for Skin Care

Care Water works well as a moisturizing skin toner or clarifier (most products that clarify tend to dry the skin). Many of my clients have had success clearing up some forms of acne with Care Water as well. Layered with other products, it boosts the benefits of those products. Here’s an easy experiment to give you an idea of what Care Water does:

• Put a few drops of oil into water. You will see it separates.
• Then spray the oil and water with Care Water.
• You will see it actually reduces the size of the oil drops so that the water and oil mix together.
• This is the same way Care Water breaks up and clears away oils on the skin.

Negative Ion Water Benefits for Scrapes & Cuts

Sprayed on scrapes or cuts, Care Water cleans the wounds (by killing bacteria) and moisturizes, therefore promoting healing. It’s currently being used in research at burn hospitals in Japan with very positive results.

Negative Ion Water Benefits for Teeth

Care Water also works for brushing your teeth – both cleansing and whitening. Read all about our smile-cleaning secrets here. Don’t swallow it, though! It is not for internal use. The pH is too extreme for that. Care Water is the ideal multi-tasking travel companion. You can find this cure-all wonder water in travel size here at Travel Beauty.

You’ve been shampooing your hair your entire life. And conditioning almost as long. You can do it with your eyes closed. With one arm tied behind your back – right? Still, at Salon Ishi we get asked for shampoo and conditioning advice every day. It makes sense actually, since clean hair and scalp are directly related to healthy hair. So, since you asked, here are some shampoo and condition FAQs.

Q: Does the shampoo and conditioner I use really make a difference?

A: Yes. It’s in your own best interest to consider your own hair type and condition when choosing products. Is your hair fine? Colored? Dry? Oily? Pay attention to your hair’s needs and give it some assistance with products that target what you need. If your hair is on the finer side and you color treat your hair, go with Caretrico Type S Shampoo and Caretrico Privy Treatment Moist Sleek conditioner. If you hair is thick, dry and/or color treated, Caretrico Type H Shampoo and Caretrico Privy Treatment Slim Through is the way to go.

Q: Are expensive products really better?

A: Yes, in general. Generic, drugstore brands are serving the broadest possible audience at the lowest possible cost and in order to do so are more likely to use harsher cleansers and fillers. Salon products are developed with hair health in mind by companies whose very existence is devoted to hair care. Their focus, product offerings and ingredients reflect it.

Q: How often do I need to shampoo and condition?

A: In all likelihood a lot less than you’re currently doing it. Shampooing hair too often can cause conditions that seem to require more products (dryness, oiliness, brittleness, etc.). Cleanse less often and allow your hair’s natural oils to hold in moisture. As a general rule, we say shampoo once or twice a week. It may take your hair a few weeks to adjust to this new regimen but it’s worth it in the long run. And if you’re shampooing less often, you can afford to get the highest quality shampoo and conditioner.

Q: But what if I exercise every day?

A: Consider simply rinsing your hair with water and applying a little conditioner just to the mid-lengths and ends. Or, try using conditioner as the cleanser: work it in and rinse it out well.

Q: Do I always need to use conditioner after I shampoo? I feel like conditioner just makes my hair oily.

A: Yes, you should be conditioning after every shampoo. If your conditioner is making your hair oily then apply only to the mid-length and ends, switch to a different conditioner, rinse better (a likely culprit), or see the above two questions and wash less often.

Q: I’m trying a new brand and it’s making my hair _______________ (brittle, break off, oily, gummy, etc.). What do I do?

A: Stop using it! Strawberries are healthy but some people are allergic to them. Similarly, not every product works the same way for every person. Experiment with different products and you’ll become a discerning consumer.

Q: Do those “2-in-1” products work? (the shampoo and conditioner in one)

A: Not effectively for most people. The fact is, shampooing is primarily for cleaning the scalp and to a lesser degree the hair. Conditioners are primarily for the hair that’s been around longer – the midshaft and ends – that need attention. So there’s a very good reason you have 2 separate steps for cleansing the hair.

Shampooing and conditioning are important for healthy, great looking hair. This is one of those areas where we all think we know everything since we’ve been doing it so long. But there’s always room to learn and improve. And sometimes small changes make a big difference. At our salon, we have used the Caretrico shampoos and treatments (conditioners) for many years with great results and many of our regular customers will make a special trip to the salon if they run out. We highly recommend them.

Have other questions? Please ask them in the comments section and I’ll get back to you just as soon as I can.

Find Brent Lockhart on Twitter and Instagram @brentlockhart