And just like that, in the blink of an eye, 2010 is now gone!

So here we are, cleaning up the mess that all the festivities left behind, putting away decorations, sweeping away the glitter and pieces of wrapping paper that we didn’t discover until the tree was broken down and pushed to the sidewalk.

Faster than it took us to set it all up to joyfully prepare for the holidays, the season is now just an echo of great times and memories. All we are left with is a brand new year and a bunch of resolutions.

Oh, dear! What is it that I promised to do this year??

Each first week of each New Year we go through the same and, sooner or later, we’re going to have to face the music and try to adhere to what we promised our selves we’d do. Some of us will stick to them and some of us will just sweep them under the rug and pretend those words never came out of our mouths. Some of us don’t even bother to make resolutions for the New Year – and that’s cool too!

But making resolutions is really not a bad thing. In fact, they provide us with a great opportunity to make some much needed changes in our lives or to situations with which we have not been completely happy for quite some time. The key is to know how to choose them and to be really prepared to commit to them. There is really no formula on how to be successful with all of your resolutions, but there are some very simple tips that can help anyone be smarter at selecting a New Year resolution and to make it a reality.

How about staring with something you feel deeply about changing? You name it: loosing weight, stop smoking, eat better, learn a new skill, change careers, and help the community? The possibilities are endless but it is only you who know what your priorities are and where your heart is directing you. You must be committed to make the change.

Some people feel terrified at the simple thought of change. Yes, change can be daunting, scary, it can make us nervous because it means we have to walk into the “unknown”, and we don’t feel very comfortable not knowing what’s going to happen next or what the outcome is going to be each time things or people change around us. Change is unsettling, but change is also, as someone wise said before, the only thing that is truly constant in life. The world changes right in front of us every single second, literally. So, believe me, a New Year resolution is not as intimidating as we would tend to make it sound.

Other things that can help us be successful at accomplishing what we set out minds to do, is to find the support of others who are determined to do the same. Do you want to complete your first triathlon? Join a training group dedicated to do so. Do you want to have better skin or learn how to meditate? Then talk to an expert in the field who can share information with you and put you in contact with others that are trying to do the same. You’d be surprised at how much you can accomplish and also discover about yourself and others when you reach out and communicate your intentions.

Who will hold you accountable if difficulties and obstacles arise along the way? Yourself!! The intensity of your desire to accomplish something should be the driving force to propel you toward your goal. But things may happen along the way that could distract or discourage you. Your car brakes down, your kids get sick, the weather does not cooperate, difficult schedules, etc. It’s inevitable, it’s called “life”, and it happens all the time. Have a plan or strategy to deal with all of the potential difficulties. It is in your best interest to be prepared in order to succeed.

Some people keep journals of their progress – hey, that’s a great idea! How about blogging or Facebooking about your daily trials and successes towards your goal? This is another great way to express your thoughts and emotions, and to be accountable for all of them too! Your setbacks are as important in the process as your successes, and if you trip and fall along the way, just pick yourself up, dust yourself off….and start all over again!

And this time, you’ll be stronger and better equipped than the first!

For the last few months I have mentioned the fact that I currently don’t have health insurance and that the last four months without it have been very interesting. I have learned that I am ultimately responsible for keeping myself healthy and safe so that I don’t have to end up at a doctor’s office or at the emergency room. So far, I have been doing a good job. However….as a cyclist who needs to start seriously training for this year’s events, I recognize the need to have some insurance, even if it’s just so basic that will allow me to be picked up by an ambulance and taken to a hospital should something happen while I’m out there on my bike.

I guess by now you figured out what my New Year’s resolution is. It may not be the most inspired task that I ever undertook, but it is something I must do. I don’t like the current situation of Healthcare in our country and I am against what the health insurance providers have turned the system into but, it’s something I must acquire in order to have peace of mind and continue to enjoy outdoor activities. So, my first step toward my New Year Resolution already took place: I spent a few minutes on the phone with a doctor friend of mine, who gave me some very useful pointers and made me realize that there is no reason to continue procrastinating on this matter. Whether the politics around health insurance issues change soon or not, they should not get in the way of my enjoyment of the great outdoors. I intend to get my self some basic insurance plan before the end of January. That’s my goal – wish me luck!

Efren.

How to restore yourself after the party-hearty season.

Ok, so I have been without health insurance for over three months now and it’s been an interesting time, to say the least. But instead of talking about my days without a protective health policy, I’d like to focus this installment on what we all are about to go through: Holiday Party Season!!!!

As the party season gets underway, we all want to look our best, right?
Believe me; my appointment book is starting to fill up with brow shaping, body waxing, peels, microdermabrassion and the usual facial treatments. This is one of the busiest annual periods for spas, salons and skin care therapists, a great time to meet new clients, as well as better serve our current ones.

While all of these are much needed pre-party treatments to help you look and feel your very best in the ever-scrutinizing eyes of coworkers, friends and family, what about the least pleasant “day after”?

If you have overindulged in any way (staying up late, eating, drinking, smoking, just to name a few examples) – and I am not, in any way, judging what you may or may not do-
You probably want to come back to see me for a recovery plan, as you may need some help to get to feeling yourself again!

There are some wonderful things I can do to detoxify and boost sluggish lymphatic systems and counteracting junk food or very rich food. Here are some ideas that I suggest to specifically address those post-party blues.

Drink much?
One symptom of over-drinking is a headache – at times a persistent throbbing in the temples or an aching forehead. Tightness on the base of the skull, neck and shoulders is another symptom. Sounds familiar? What you’ll need is a fantastic back/neck/shoulder massage, ending with an unbelievable scalp massage. This gentle but stimulating treatment can effectively release tension and encourage blood flow to the congested area. Imagine adding warm towels and aromatherapy throughout the process….Heaven!!

How dry are you?
One alcoholic drink too many can lead to dehydration, which shows up on the skin as a creepy, dull, paper-like texture that feels tight and, sometimes, irritated. Internally, dehydration can result in annoying headaches, unquenchable thirst, achy joints and muscles, and feelings of lethargy. When the body is deprived of water, every metabolic function suffers because water contains thousands of dissolved substances that are used in the body’s biochemical reactions.
Abdominal pain and nausea are other symptoms of dehydration, especially when poor food combination, excessive carbohydrate consumption (yum!), or plain overeating has taken place. When the stomach is empty, it’s only the size of a fist, yet we often try to “shove in” more than our stomachs can comfortably and easily digest at any one time.

I don’t want to sound “preachy”, but DRINK PLENTY OF WATER, PEOPLE!!!
Optimal water levels in your body are critical to maintaining homeostasis (a state of physiological equilibrium). Dehydration of the body results on dehydration of the skin. This can be addresses internally and externally. Your skin can be re-hydrated at several points during a facial, using both product and equipment for maximum benefits. I make a point of selecting humectant toners, serums, moisturizers and masks rich in moisturizing ingredients. Products containing collagen, honey, hyaluronic acid and sodium PCA are the best for skin hydration.

Oxygen infusion facial treatments are perhaps the most effective in treating dehydrated skin. An oxygen machine equipped with a wand that can infuse both oxygen and a hydrating serum into the skin will do wonders on those fine lines around the eyes and mouth areas. Antioxidants are also a must in helping offset the damaging free-radicals that have bombarded the skin. Vitamins C and E, cranberries and green tea are well know for their free-radical fighting powers and are among some of the most potent antioxidants in skin care formulations today. Yes, I do have all of these ingredients and an oxygen infusing machine at my studio, along with some other technology wonders.

Well, the skin on your face is not the only skin that gets dehydrated. Your body skin can equally re-hydrate when treated with moisturizing services such as a full body massage with essential oils, and a milk & honey body scrub and wrap, where you would be wrapped in plastic spa sheets and cocooned in warm blankets, followed by aloe-based moisturizing lotion as you emerge as a new person.

Still feeling queasy?
If you’re still experiencing nausea, it’s time to bring out the essential oils!
Black pepper, fennel, peppermint and spearmint oils are best choices for nausea treatment and can be applied to the body via light massage, drank as tea or enjoyed as aromatherapy in the treatment room. They are known for their settling and calming effects on the stomach.
Make sure not to go and sit in a hot bath, steam room or sauna while nauseated, as heat speeds up the metabolism and forces the body to detoxify too quickly which, in turn, can make you feel even worse.

Too much food!
The best advice available for those of us who overindulge during holiday parties is to take it easy the following days: eat foods that are easy to digest. Fruits and vegetables are full of vitamins and minerals and won’t overwork the digestive system, allowing the body to spend more time end energy on toxin removal. Small portions of lightly steamed vegetables with brown rice and fresh home made juice will replenish nutrients your body is lacking. Avoid commercial juices that are often packed with sugars and preservatives.
A combination of fresh apple, beet, cabbage, carrot, celery and grapes are great body detoxifiers, but they must be ingested right away –never refrigerated – or the drinks will start to lose their vitamin content.

So, just the same way I can help you look your best for the party, making your skin glow, cleaning up your eyebrows and making you feel relaxed, confident and ready, I can, too, help you recover from a busy party schedule. If you wake up with a pounding head, queasy stomach and a mouth as dry as the Sahara Desert, I have some remedies waiting for you. A soothing or detoxifying massage, followed by hot or iced-cold compresses will dissipate your headache. Your body will be scrubbed and cocooned in a milk & honey wrap, while your face skin is drenched with antioxidants and hydrators.
Trust me; you will be revived in no time!

Happy holidays!!

In health and wellness,

Efren Jimenez
Licensed Esthetician
Certified Massage Therapist
Face It! Skin Care Studio
Burbank, CA

Can you believe we are entering November already?

Where has the year gone? What have we accomplished and what are we thankful for during this season?

I for one am thankful for having work that I love and for loving what I do. I am thankful for my family, my friends and all of my clients that support my work and honor me with their patronage. Amazing people! The response received from my first newsletter and blog has been great.

If you received the first newsletter sent out a month ago, I hope you enjoyed reading it and that you found the information and offers to be of great value. I must say that the response to the discounted massage sessions as well as the discounted chemical peel series have been well received and many of you have already made your appointments to take advantage of these great savings! The feedback has been amazingly positive. Thank you for your patronage and friendship! These offers will expire at the end of November, so hurry and make your appointments, if you haven’t yet!

November is the month of giving thanks, a chance to acknowledge all the things we have received –good or bad- and the lessons learned during the year. I find that I have more positive, good things on my list than bad or negative ones to talk about. So I guess 2010 has been a very good year for me.

One of the most valuable lessons I learned this year, after losing my personal health insurance policy, is coming to the realization of being responsible for my own health and well-being. One really can’t comprehend how fragile our well-being could be until we lose that protective assurance that we will be taken care of in case something happened. So many fears and questions start brewing inside. How can one feel peace of mind when that assurance no longer exists? How did we become so dependent on the current health insurance system in the first place? Is it really health insurance or is it more like ‘sickness insurance’ that we buy into? Who is ultimately responsible for our health and safety? Why can’t we be more proactive at doing whatever it is that we need to learn or practice on a daily basis to ensure we remain strong and healthy for many years of our lives, so that we no longer feel that we must depend, we must have ‘health insurance’ for peace of mind?

So I decided that, while this mess between the health insurance companies and the government is sorted out, I am taking full responsibility for my health and wellness. I will make sure to review my nutrition, eating habits, exercise and rest habits to provide my own body and mind with the best possible quality of nutrients. I will read and learn more about alternative medicine that will help me follow a more balanced way of living and working. Traditional Chinese medicine offers a wealth of knowledge and ancient wisdom on how to care for and prevent illnesses. I truly believe health can be achieved, restored and sustained through natural practices such as nutrition, massage and acupuncture or acupressure. Exercise plays a major role in our health and wellness. Activity, movement is what keeps us agile and alert, even as we enter our mature years.

I will keep you all posted on how this new chapter of my ‘uninsured’ life goes.

Stay healthy!

Efren

I feel like a kid in a candy store, really! I am excited to have this new communication channel but don’t know what to talk about first.  So many things to address and topics on which one can elaborate.

While it’s true that almost everyone has a blog (or something similar) these days, this blog represents tangible growth in my practice and in my business structure.  A one-man operation can only do so much and go so far.  But when one reaches out and connects with other talents, great ideas and plans can come to fruition.

Have you seen my new brochure and business cards yet? Have you visited my website www.faceitskin.com lately? They are the fruit of months of work and collaboration with two great talents: Arden Ash and Arvin Hernandez. I am very happy to have them on my corner, helping me take Face it! Skin Care Studio to the next level.

Arden Ash is a graphic artist, fashion photographer and fashion stylist (www.ardenash.com) responsible for the graphic concept of my website, the design of my new brochure and business cards. She is behind the main picture of me in my website’s home page, as well as the rest of my headshots that appear throughout the site and my October 2010 newsletter. I knew she wouldn’t be happy taking just conventional headshots of me for this project. The results speak for themselves!!

This blog and the newsletter could have not become a reality without the direction of Arvin Hernandez, a talented video artist who is also quite skilled in photography, computer technology and social networking. Arvin improved my existing website by expanding sections, updating information and managing both, the blog section and Face It! monthly newsletter.

Their combined talents and efforts have been instrumental in transforming my ideas from simple notes to modern, functional and effective ways of communicating my message to you and potential new clients. I have the feeling this “blogging” will be lots of fun as well as addictive, but I am grateful I have amazing support so I can continue to spend quality hands-on time with my clients at the skin care studio.

The real intention here is to open a channel through which you and I can communicate, exchange ideas, get your feedback and share valuable information. I want you to be part of the evolution and growth of Face it! Skin Care Studio.

So, looking back at the last 11 months, I can say that a lot has happened! All great and positive things, thank goodness! Here’s a quick summation of all the events:

• November: I decided to enroll in massage school. Classes scheduled to stat January 20th, 2010. I purchased a brand-new microdermabrasion machine that allows me to use both, particles and a diamond tip to perform deep exfoliations.

• December: I traveled to Houston, TX to spend 15 days with family for the holidays. This break gave me the space and time to work on ideas for new printed materials, newsletter and blog. Nothing like the madness of the holidays with relatives to stimulate your brain cells, right?

• January 7th, 2010: Car accident messed up my back! My biggest concern was not having a car to drive to school by January 20th. Fortunately, my car was ready the day before school started, Yay!! My chiropractor helped me get my back in shape and ready for school.

• January 20th: Massage school starts – I had no idea what I had signed up for, but I’m so glad I did! I can’t describe the many ways massage school and all the things I learned at the National Holistic Institute (NHI) affected my life and changed my awareness, not just of the human body, but also of how I view and approach life on a daily basis. NHI has perhaps the most knowledgeable, insightful and compassionate instructors in the field. I am so lucky!!

• March: I continue to see clients while I am attending school Monday through Friday, 8:45 a.m. to 12:45 pm. I found myself learning –all over again- to organize and optimize my time! Training and fundraising for AIDS LifeCycle 9 are well underway. I spent time on the bike and at spin classes, and studied for various school tests. I participated in the Solvang Century Ride for the 7th consecutive year. I also had the opportunity to participate as a massage therapy student (along with several instructors and classmates) massaging elite athletes at the finish line of the LA Marathon. We got to apply what we learned in the classroom immediately into practice – on real athletes! WOW! An experience I will never forget!

• May: I move up from Junior to Senior at massage school. The second and last school segment had begun! My roommate Bob produced a stand up comedy show called “Stand Up for The Ride”, in which he and my roommate Hank performed to raise funds for the ride. The show took place on May 30th at Club Cobra. It was a great success! My fundraising efforts skyrocketed!

• June: I took one week off from school to participate in AIDS LifeCycle 9 (The AIDS Ride). This was my 9th consecutive year participating but, somehow, I felt less prepared than ever before. The ride was awesome. Johnny, Shannon, Noah and me had a great time as a team representing The Burn Indoor Cycling Studio!

• July: I managed to complete my 56-hour massage therapy externship sooner than expected thanks to all the gracious volunteers who allowed me to practice my massage sequence on them. Hey, who could say no to a free massage, right? I decided to move my skin care and new massage practice to a new location at the beginning of the month. Our new home is the prestigious Joseph Lamar Salon, on Magnolia Blvd., in Burbank. The actual work towards updating website, brochures, business cards, etc. truly began.

• August: Massage school was approaching completion. I was chosen recipient of the Student of the Month award for leading by example. What an honor! I passed my final test with an A! Yay!! I initiated the process to obtain my Certificate as a Massage Therapist in the State of California.

• September: Massage school came to an end. The most anticipated day (Graduation) took place September 9. This was the culmination of an amazing journey of learning, sharing, helping, facing challenges, and more learning, dreaming and more sharing. My class –Group 50- rocks! I graduated with honors, a 4.0 GPA, and a letter of excellence. On September 13 I turned 45 years young. On September 19th I went back to school to take a one-day advanced hands-on course in Lymphatic Drainage Therapy. One word: AMAZING!

• I am currently part of a study group with classmates who want to take the National Massage Certification Test sometime in November. We meet once a week to review our notes and books. We figured we should do it while everything we learned in school is still fresh in our brains.

• I received and accepted an invitation to be part of the massage team at the finish line of the LA Triathlon on Sunday, October 3rd. I am sure it will be a blast!

Well, as you can see, the last 11 months have been packed with plenty of action and a lot of creative, productive fun. My immediate goal is to stay focused on applying my newly acquired knowledge and bringing new clients into the studio for both, skin care and massage therapy.

Please continue to spread the word about my services. The best compliment I could ever receive is the referral of your friends and family.

Stay tuned: There will be more great news and more growth in the upcoming months.

The way I see it, Face It! just keeps getting better!

In health and wellness,

- Efren Jimenez