Hydrating Toner - A Rave Review from A Tough Audience

Lee Chamberlin

One of my toughest customers has been my own mother. A fountain of support in innumerable ways convincing her to try the Sense skin care line was not easy. I thought I had a slam dunk at Christmas time. The Basic Pack was the perfect gift. It's a rare woman that can resist beauty treatments right?  What could be sweeter than getting a little TLC in the form of spa grade products from your  own daughter?  I was excited at the prospect of how thrilled I thought she would be and imagined she would scamper off to the bathroom right away to try them out. I was pleased knowing that I had given her something that was easy to travel with, packaged to protect from UV rays and bacteria, that would last her months and was nourishing and healing to her skin.When the Big Day arrived with everyone unwrapping their presents I anticipated her squeals of delight.

                                                 Frosty Reception?

Perhaps it was because she had already tried a bajillion products that had disappointed her again and again. Perhaps my claims that the products would heal, nourish, hydrate and balance her skin at a cellular level just seemed too farfetched. Whatever the case, my mother the veteran of spa facial treatments from the top purveyors of said services in the cities of Los Angeles and New York was unmoved. Why should she believe these products would help her complexion when expensive treatments had only provided temporary relief?  How could it be so simple? She had endured steaming, squeezing and laser treatments for all those years and had spent a small fortune on products. In short, I was just her daughter and what did I know? While she assured me she would try them once back in France (much to my chagrin) and only after all her other products had run out,  it was clear I was going to have to wait. And wait. And wait.

 

December 2011 to August 2012

Clary Sage, Green Tea & Grape Seed help refine and brighten the skin

Last week and nearly a year later I finally got this amazing testimonial.

 "The hydrating toner is just that. At last I have found the perfect solution for my skin that truly balances it- and that's a good thing." 

 - Lee Chamberlin, Artistic Director, PIP 

The combination of clary sage, green tea and grape seed extracts help refine and brighten the skin while gently removing excess dirt and makeup. Pores are closed and the skins natural ph balance restored. I discovered in our follow up conversation that she had been using soap to clean her skin. This is a big no no. Soap is drying and clogging and while it might be okay for your body depending on what kind it is I do not recommend it for the face. I had assumed she knew that and had failed to ask more probing questions from the outset. She revealed that she realized the soap had been clogging her pores and drying out her skin which lead to her sebaceous glands producing more oil to compensate for the drying effect of the soap which created more pimples. You can see the round robin effect of drying, clogging and oily breakouts. I asked her how she liked the soap free cleanser and she said "It works well!" It turns out these two products are her favorites. And there you have it -  The equivalent of a rave review from one of the toughest critics in the world. (Love you forever Mom.) 

To Learn More About the late  Lee Chamberlin go here (1938 - 2014) 

Your Teen and Acne - How to Help Them Through Their Growth Spurt

It's happening. Your child has suddenly become a teenager overnight. Voices are deepening and you find yourself looking up instead of down to have a conversation with them. These years are fast paced, filled with growth in all directions and can be challenging for teens and parents alike. One of the most important things for teens is the need to be accepted by the social circles found outside the family.  They want to look their best and good skin is the foundation of that. For parents it's important that their child continue to do well in school and stay healthy. With hectic schedules and nutritious food hard to come by I offer some insights and solutions here on how to make that happen for families on the go.

Pizza and Your Teenager
Who doesn't like pizza? For parents on the run it can appear to be a great alternative to making a big family meal after a long days work. All you have to do is pick up the phone and ask for a delivery! It may not be the ideal choice but we can't expect you or your teens to give up pizza entirely.  
What might be missing from this diet that you both need?
What's missing are the essential minerals magnesium and calcium which play a crucial role in the building of healthy bones and skin. In an earlier post I mentioned a friend who had been taunted with the name "pizza face" because of her pimply complexion when growing up. While pizza and soda might seem friendly, over time fast foods like fries, pizza and soda are acidifying meaning that they cause a ph imbalance in the body. (According to Dr. Christine Wood, the average soda consumption in 13 to 18 year old males is 3 or more cans of soda per day. 10% drink more than 7 cans per day.) For your teen this means a few things: A loss of calcium and magnesium, lowered energy and pimples. The human body is fascinating and clever in it's own way. The blood needs to maintain the proper ph at all costs and this is how it will compensate; The body is going to leach the magnesium and calcium it requires to stay in balance from the bones first. For growing teens this is not good news. This may also be about the time that you notice your teen experiencing rash like breakouts of acne and oily skin. This is so because again magnesium and calcium are needed to keep the skin healthy which they do by helping maintaining the proper ph level. If your teen is feeling tired and you can't get them out of bed before noon on the weekends remember that magnesium helps the body maintain it's energy level. Magnesium and calcium play an incredibly important role in the growth spurt of your teen. Try to restrict the amount of fast food they eat, add fresh veggies like organic carrot sticks or salads at meal times and be sure to add what they need in a easy form. I suggest a chewable form of calcium and magnesium BodyRox Active Calcium. It tastes good too.

Body Rox All Star Sports Nutrition
If your teen is a sports nut and you share that passion with them you can tell them that many top athletes take supplementation in order to perform at their best and enhance recovery time. In addition to calcium and magnesium BodyRox delivers vitamins D, C, riboflavin, folic acid and B vitamins for energy. Vitamin E, selenium, zinc and cartenoids have been added to support radiant skin keeping teens special needs in mind. Make it fun and fact filled and your kids will be sure to follow your lead. Get your teen into life long good habits now and you can look forward to many happy and healthy years together.

Tips: To learn which top athletes and teams use supplementation check out these posts on my companies blog Athelete Update
To learn more about Body Rox Active Calcium visit this link
Ekayani @ Usana.com

Valentine's For the Guys - Mens's Grooming Products that Go Beyond Shaving Kits

Valentine's Day is  around the corner and while the emphasis is placed on the wooing of women what about the guys?

For those ladies already in a meaningful relationship here is a suggestion to enhance your loved ones well being. If you have already given your man grooming products (like shaving kits) try giving him something that will help him Man Up and Moisturize. If your man's poor skin is burning and stinging after a shower and a shave, help him glow and feel better in his own skin with these three easy steps. TLC not included.

Step 1 Start with a Clean Slate
Give you man a bottle of the Gentle Daily Cleanser. It will gently removes impurities from his skin while sealing in moisture. Concentrated he'll only need a dime full which makes your thoughtful gift last and last and last...Paraben free.

Step 2 Exfoliate Before He Shaves

Rice Bran Polisher will help your man have a smoother and cleaner shave. It will support an acne free and radiant complexion because of the papaya and kukui nut oil in it that helps balance the skins ph.
Step 3. Protect and Moisturize
 Help protect  your prince's complexion with daytime protective emulsion. It contains SPF 15 which can help him from getting that weather beaten look. He can also try using olive oil. My grandfather Bernando LaPallo swears by it and he doesn't have a line or wrinkle on his 110 year old face.

TIP: Instead of slapping on an alcohol based astringent on his skin  let him try our Hydrating Toner. Aloe based it seals pores shut. It won't sting his beautiful face. To order these products mentioned here visit my website and look under Personal Care. All products are paraben free.

Glowing Skin - You Manifest What You Eat Mark Eisenhart Blows Us Away

Lately I have been knocking my head trying to figure out a way to illustrate for people beyond a shadow of a doubt that there is a direct link between what you eat and the health of your skin and body.

How to explain that the diseases that plague North Americans is brought on by the choices we make? In spite of the latest groundbreaking research that suggests what my grandfather Bernando LaPallo has been living all his 110 years that diet  do in fact trump genetics, I encounter doubts often. But think about it. Say you have two children that are born on the same day to the same parents but one is fed a diet of processed foods, soft drinks and medications and the other is fed a nutrient rich diet with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Who do you think is going to be healthier?
Well that poor kid who is eating the processed diet is the average American today young or old.
In fact, American children are getting 40% of their calories from fats and sugars in the form of soda consumption and fried foods. Still don't believe that diet makes a profound difference? Then please meet my poster boy for those two Americans I was just talking about. Meet Mark Eisenhart!


Meet Mark Eisenhart - Before and After Nutrient Rich Foods

These two photos are of the same man! His name is Mark Eisenhart. Based out of Oregon he is a vegan athlete, motivational speaker and what he is mostly is healthy! 215 pounds lighter just look at his skin. The photo of Mark on the left displays a washed out, pasty epidermis. Marks photo on the right shows the vitality evident in his glowing complexion. Not to mention his physique!
How did he do it?
Mark switched gradually to a plant based diet transitioning the refined sugars and flours out. He did this over the course of one year. Little by little he cut out red meats and today lives on a completely vegan diet. In 2009 he reached his bottom peaking out at 455 pounds. Drinking, smoking and taking prescription drugs to deal with twenty different diseases brought on by his obesity and other lifestyle choices he knew it was now or never. Mark was sinking fast. In a turnaround which came down to a decision to choose life over death, Mark began meditating everyday asking himself why he was sabotaging his life while introducing plant based nutrient rich foods into his meals. He credits this quiet time with himself along with eating fresh fruits and vegetables for his flourishing health. While a completely vegan lifestyle might not be for everyone, the take away here is the good stuff Mark added to his diet made it possible for him to let go of the not so good stuff. For those who say it's ALL genetics Mark Eisenhart has just called your bluff!
Remember  Eat fresh fruits and vegetables, keep your colon clean and keep a positive attitude. You will see and feel the difference in your life. In case you didn't get a good look at his complexion, here is another shot of Mark. Mark will be speaking at RAWVOLUTION in Santa Monica, Ca.,Thursday, February 2, 2012. If you are in the area go check him out. It's only $10 to hear and see this man in action. Turns out Grampa was right after all. Tips at the end of this post.

For Healthy Tips check out these links!
Grampas Fresh Fruit Salad Recipe

Follow Mark on Twitter