I believe so much in the therapeutic properties of massage that, for a limited time only, I am offering ½ off to anyone wanting to experience these benefits first hand, including former clients of Kim’s. Read on to find out why massage is so beneficial.

Research on Massage Therapy continues to show an increase in it’s medical, physical, and emotional benefits. Each system in the body is aided by massage. It improves the skin by encouraging tone, elasticity and skin nourishment. It also aids normal glandular functions.  Here are some other examples.

• The Skeletal System: Massage relieves stiff joins and assists in proper body alignment
• The Muscular System: Reduces tension, stiffness, fibrosis, adhesion's in fibers and maintains flexibly
• The Circulatory System: Improves cell nutrition and cell oxygen supply, decreases blood pressure
•  The Nervous System: Stimulates nerves, relieves insomnia, promotes a state of well-being
• The Lymphatic System: Improves circulation, flushes out toxins and metabolic wastes

Receiving regular massage also helps the body's homeostatic functions, decreasing the amount of time needed to recover after exercise or injury, which is often caused by muscle stiffness. Now that summer has arrived, a Glo massage is a great way to improve body, mind and health.

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Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acne
by Sarah Larson, L.Ac.
Topic: Acupuncture

Acne is the most common skin disease; it affects people of all races and ages, and of both genders.  For some people it is a moderate annoyance, for others it affects their entire life. Traditional Chinese Medicine has a long history of treating acne.

Chinese Medicine views acne as a condition of heat in the Lungs. When one has too much heat in the Lungs (which control the skin), acne forms.  The approach to treating acne is to cool the heat, clear the lungs and to try to lessen the external discomfort and redness.

Dietary therapy is an easy, effective thing that one can do to lessen symptoms of acne. Increase foods such as squash, cucumbers, watermelon, celery, carrots, cabbage, and fresh fruits. Decrease fatty, oily and fried foods, spicy foods, coffee, alcohol, sugar and smoking. Reduce stress as much as possible. Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal formulas are two additional modalities for treating acne.

Acne Tea
1 Beet top (the greens of a beet)
4 Dandelion leaves

Wash ingredients well. Bring 5 cups of water to a boil. Pour over greens and let steep for 10 minutes. Drink one cup of the concoction twice a day.

Watermelon rind can also be rubbed on acne during acute outbreaks.

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Summer Skincare Concerns
by Farah Husain, Licensed Esthetician/Makeup Artist
Topic: Skincare

Many think that because they aren't "sun worshippers" they don’t have to be particularly concerned about skin cancer or sun damage. I don’t like to scare people, but the fact is that nothing could be further from the truth. Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer amongst women in their 20’s. Research shows that four out of six people will experience skin cancer first hand over the course of their lives. Not only does sun damage threaten your life, it also ravages your skin.

Sun exposure leads to unevenness in skin tone (i.e. "spots"), sagging, ruddiness, fine lines… The list goes on and on, and none of it’s pretty! Just to drive the point home, I’m saying unequivocally that how much sun you get and whether you take precautionary measures will undoubtedly determine how young or old you look. Period.  

So what are the best ways to protect yourself?

First avoid being outside during the peak hours of sun exposure which are between ten and 3 p.m.  You should also wear a pharmeceutical-grade sunscreen 365 days a year. Pharmaceutical-grade suncreens assure that you are truly getting the amount of protection labeled on the bottle. The FDA doesn't yet have a really consistent way of being able to regulate sunscreens. I recommend an SPF of 20-30 daily and something a bit higher when spending an extended amount of time outside. I don’t trust lotions or foundations combined with sunscreen. I think they’re great for additional layering, but not for your primary sun protection. 

Don’t forget to reapply your sunscreen if you get wet or are sweating. I also think it’s a great idea to wear a high concentration Vitamin C serum underneath your sunscreen to help negate anything that might get through. Wearing a big hat and Jackie O. glasses doesn’t hurt either, especially for you gardening enthusiasists. Intelligent and sassy! 

Please save yourself and everyone else a lot of grief by staying out of the tanning beds. There is absolutely no "safe tan" unless it’s a fake one. It's like I tell my clients, you take the turkey out of the oven when it turns brown because IT’S COOKED. Please don’t do this to yourself. Your life is so much more important than that! We all want you to stick around.

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