03/15/2012 In Product Knowledge by bien-être

photo sources: dr. bronners, mmn.com

You already know that I have tons of love for Dr. Bronner’s products.  I use them for everything from cleaning our floors to shaving my legs (TMI?) Anyway, I thought I’d pass along their wonderful monthly special: 15% off all body and hand pump soaps and hair care products!

Dr. Bronner’s is organic and fair trade. The active cleansing agents are gentle and pure, free of synthetics, perfumes, SLS, dyes and parabens. They are also very effective and cost effective! If you haven’t already tried these amazing products, let this monthly special be your excuse.

On another note, I use Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds to mop our concrete floors since many of the other floor cleaners are toxic (for pets, children, environment, and the list goes on.) This products is heavily concentrated and pine scented (think natural pine sol.) I recently came across this fabulous mom-blog and found that the blogger uses my beloved Sal Suds to clean her dishes, counters, floors, even laundry!! WOW – here is her post on making an easy dish detergent with Sal Suds. Hopefully it will inspire you.

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02/21/2012 In Non-Invasive Skin Care Techniques that Work, Product Knowledge, Spa Community by bien-être

Bien-etre is featured on Discover SD again for the month of February! They love our Osmosis Stem Cell Facial almost as much as we do, and told their readers as much. Thanks for the love Discover SD, and for those of you who haven’t yet tried the Osmosis Pur Medical Skincare Line…do it! It’s a medical grade line formulated with the help of Dr. Ben Johnson. The ingredients are all organic and work by calming inflammation while boosting the health of the skin’s natural functions.

From Discover SD:

In a rejuvenating stem cell facial offered at Bien-Etre Spa, the skin is healed using the Osmosis Skin Care line also sold at the spa and online. Used on even the most sensitive of skin, nutrients within Osmosis Skincare are non-inflammatory and still highly efficacious. Osmosis addresses every aspect of skin damage including collagen/elastin production, scar tissue build-up, loss of skin nutrition and growth factors, and DNA damage. By using advanced ingredients, Osmosis is the first to offer DNA repair strategies using Zinc Finger Technology. Available products at Bien-Etre include the Osmosis Quench Moisturizer, Clarify Serum, Deep Clean Cleanser, Calm Serum, Catalyst Serum, and the Purify Cleanser. For more information, visit bienetrespa.com.

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12/14/2011 In At Home Spa, Product Knowledge by bien-être

photos via: Restoration Hardware, bien-etre spa, healthyoga, manduka

Feel free to copy or drop some hints of your own!

Manduka Eko Natural Rubber Yoga Mat – did you know that many yoga mats are made of plastic by-products that can expose you to potentially harmful off gassing? Natural Rubber is the way to go when choosing a yoga mat that you plan on using for a long time. Manduka is my favorite brand for its durability, comfort and eco-sense.

Yoga Class Passes – Yoga classes are a great way to get a workout and relax the mind at the same time. They can be expensive, so a yoga pass – or monthly membership – is a wonderful gift for the yogi in the family!

Sanitas Topical C – is the perfect stocking stuffer or gift because there are so many ways to use it to benefit your skin. Topical Vitamin C can be used as a lip balm, eye treatment, diluted to make a perfectly protecting moisturizer or spot treated to rapidly heal minor scrapes or irritated skin.

Soft Spa Robe – who doesnt love a good comfy spa robe? My favorites are the organic cotton waffle weave and these microfiber beauties.

Malie Organics Plumeria Body Cream – smells exactly like Plumeria blossoms of Kauai…wait, that’s because they are made from Plumeria blossoms in Kauai. Blended in a base of organic coconut oil, this body cream leaves skin feeling soft and silky…and forget perfume – your covered!

Osmosis Catalyst Serum – For the wrinkle-conscious on your gift list. This special serum uses Zinc Finger Technology to repair DNA damage and assist in the production of proteins and antioxidants within the cell. It’s a patented combination of amino acids and key co-factors that will improve wound healing, lighten pigmentation, reduce visible capillaries, and stimulate collagen production through a revolutionary process.

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12/02/2011 In Product Knowledge by bien-être

The Holiday Season also marks the beginning of cold season…and we don’t just mean the flu. Cold weather affects your skin differently. As temperatures go down, we start to use our heaters indoors, which can pull moisture from the skin’s surface. Fun in the snow can mean sunburns, windburn and raw, runny noses… all of which need extra care.

Here are some of our favorite cold-weather skin savers:

Badger sunscreen and lip balm – traditional sunscreens can contain less-than-lovely synthetics that can actually cause more inflammation than than a sunburn. Sunblocks with natural zinc or titanium dioxide are best, and Badger does a wonderful job of including only gentle, non-irritating and natural ingredients that do not feel too sticky or heavy on the skin. We like the unscented SPF30.

Badger’s cocoa butter lip balms are also a must when frolicking in the winter wonderland. Traditional lip balms and chapstick contain hydrogenated and petroleum based ingredients that coat the skin, leaving it feeling more dry than ever. Cocoa butter hydrates, protects and nourished the delicate skin on the lips and around the mouth, giving you relief from chapped lips and preventing their return.

Malie organics Body Cream – Organic coconut oil from the island of Kaui, Hawaii is the base for each lotion and the scents are heavenly, yet non-synthetic. Use after each shower and as needed throughout the day – take special care of hands and feet!

Sanitas Vita C Serum – we love to layer this serum under our daily moisturizer for added hydration, healing, and antioxidant protection. Highly concentrated vitamin C, squalane and hyaluronic acid pack a powerful punch for your skin’s winter needs.

Dry skins needs regular, gentle exfoliation. We love to use gentle Sanitas facial scrubs on the face, neck and decollete once or twice a week during winter to keep skin smooth and encourage the absorption of vitamin serums and moisture products applied daily. For an at-home spa treat, apply our honey butter mask after scrub is rinsed, rinse clean after 15-20 minutes and finish with moisturizer of choice.

*Don’t forget to Dry Brush! Dry Brushing, as mentioned here, is one of the best things you can do for the skin all over your body. Dry brush before each bath or shower for optimal skin radiance.

Bien-etre Honey Butter Mask Recipe:

1 tsp Raw Organic Honey
1 tsp Organic Cocoa Butter
2 drops essential oil of choice: Rose for dry and mature skin, Lavender for troubled skin and Chamomile for pregnancy and sensitive skin.

Blend all together in the palm of your hand and apply to clean, damp skin (with hair pulled back out of face)

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11/16/2011 In Product Knowledge by bien-être

We came across this lovely little write up in our American Spa Magazine yesterday and wanted to share it with all of you! Osmosis Pur Medical Skincare is the newest product line for bien-etre skincare studio and it has been difficult to keep in stock and on the shelves – in other words, clients love these products!

Osmosis founder and formulator Ben Johnson believes that the best results come from increasing the level of health of the skin – hmmmm…this theory sounds familiar. The “old school” method of skincare is to damage the skin in hopes of stimulating the natural healing processes and get a boost in collagen. This may appear to work in the short term as your skin will feel tighter, softer and wrinkles will appear decreased – it is a false result. These short term effects are really the side effect of edema (swelling) of the skin caused by inflammation and a stripping of the outer layers of skin to reveal baby skin underneath – which is “immature” and not prepared for the harsh elements we face everyday.

So, if that’s the old school method, what’s the new school of thought? Working with your skin’s natural processes to:

• boost healthy collagen
• encourage proper proliferation (the natural exfoliation process)
• thicken the dermis (a thin dermal layer is the cause of many skin imbalances like hyper pigmentation and visible capillaries)
• increase blood flow and the exchange of nutrients from dermis to epidermis
• encourage DNA repair at the cellular level

Osmosis products contain bio-available ingredients like comfrey to calm, pineapple enzymes to cleanse and soften, retinaldehyde to thicken the dermis, stem cell growth factors to repair damaged DNA, zinc finger technology to increase permeability of active ingredients and many other gentle and technologically advanced skin goodies. Osmosis significantly helps with Acne, Hyper pigmentation, Rosacea, Wrinkles and Loss of Elasticity, and Scarring.

Shop Osmosis Products and receive 11% off all month long with coupon code THANKFUL11 at checkout.

And for you locals who haven’t already tried it, ask about our new Stem Cell Facial Treatment highlights the Osmosis Stem Cell Growth Factors, LED Light Therapy and Retinaldehyde Peel all in one powerfully effective facial!

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