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Odd Beauty

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Did you know that sometimes the beauty industry lies to you just to sell you products?  I know.  Shocker!

As I was surfing around on my Facebook page a friend of mine had posted this video of a crazy beauty contraption that is supposed to reduce wrinkles and make you look younger.  See video below.  Watch the whole 4 minutes.  Trust me!

Facial Flex Video

This video kick started a fun search of wacky and crazy beauty products that I just had to share.  And in David Letterman-esque style, here are the top 10 wacky and crazy beauty products on the market, based solely on my humble yet biased opinion.

Number 10- Beauty Smile Trainer

For those of you who want to turn that frown upside down just insert and instant smile.


Number 9- The F-Cup Cookie


Disclaimer-The “F” in F-Cup represents your desired bra cup.

This, my friends, is a train wreck of a product.  My blog isn’t nearly long enough to discuss all wrongness of this product.  Long to short, apparently long, long ago an Asian doctor determined that the herb Kwoa Krua, found in and around Thailand, had wonderful medicinal benefits such as increased blood circulation, increased energy and could even help to knock out sleep issues.  Fast forward.  Today, Japanese scientists believe and even claim it can unleash the breast beast until your cups runneth over.

Ok, I just wanna know who decided a cookie would be the best transfer vehicle of this herb?  Think about it, there are so many other options out there.  Tea.  Pill. Tincture. Lotion.  But a cookie?  Did you even know that many Asian countries don’t even eat desserts?

Then there’s the choice of cup size.  Have you noticed the size of most Asian women?  Without creating a flame war on racial profiling, I’m thinking a majority of Asian women are quite petite.  A size F chest would cause the average Asian woman to FALL OVER.  She couldn’t hold them up!  Two words.  Hot. Mess.

Number 8 -The Spermine Facial

Townhouse Spa in Manhattan offers Spermine treatment for the face.  Yes, the main ingredient is sperm.  A Norwegian company called Bioforskning (really, that’s what you named your company?) sells sperm based products in the market.

Apparently, this ingredient, Spermine is 30 times stronger than Vitamin E.  The cream is applied over skin and then ultrasound and infrared light is used to help the product penetrate the lipid barrier. The treatment costs $250 for 10 minutes.  I researched the Townhouse Spa website and was unfortunately unable to find the Spermine Facial on their website.   I’m assuming you would have to be ‘in the know’ to get this treatment, as it’s not a normal menu item.

However, lucky you!  You can purchase these Bioforskning products under the name Skin Science from Harveynicoles.com for around $200 a bottle.  Do you think the makers were trying to be funny when naming one of their products Skin Science Bio Quicklift?

If you’re on a tight budget, you can source your own and give it a try.

Number 7 –Bacon Perfume

I know everything is better with bacon.  But really?

Number 6 – The Face Slimmer


Step right up and get your very own Freddy Kruger/Hannibal Lechter Face Slimmer.  Strap on and hundreds of micro droplets of water pelt your face steaming the fat away.  Leaving your face slimmer and making you feel more confident and sexy.  Yours for the low, low price of just $19.99 plus shipping and handling.  Order in the next five minutes and you can get two Face Slimmers, because one just couldn’t be enough!

Number 5- Urlington’s Pickles and Peanut Butter Sandwich Vegan Lip Conditioner

Just. Gross.

Number 4- The Beer Bath

Ok, all you men out there, I give you permission to celebrate.  Heck, go ahead and jump up and down if you want.   Just KNOWING there is such a thing as a beer bath, you can now officially justify it in your own homes.   Although bathing in a tub of beer sounds like every man’s fantasy (among others) it is pretty bizarre labeled as a beauty treatment. Spas in Europe offer this beauty treatment to their customers. Supposedly, the vitamins in the beer bath rejuvenate the pores and relieve muscle tension.  Just HOW is the muscle tension being relieved?  Is it the soaking, or the sipping?   And get this; customers have the choice of soaking in either a lager or a pilsner beer.  I’m guessing the longer you soak and sample, the less you care about WHAT is soaking in your beer.

Number 3-Eyelid Glue

Apparently, in Asian countries, there’s a trending going on that involves Asian women wanting to open their eyes wider.  Due to the fact that Asia, as a culture, has a heavier eye lid, and more of a slant, vs. the almond shape typical to European eyes. Asian women are trying to open their eyes, to almost cartoonish proportions, much like the Anime Japanese cartoons.

How do they do this?  Eyelid Glue.  Follow the instructions and you can glue your eyelids as high as you would like.  And if that’s not working for you, you can clip your eyes, just like you can clip your hair.

Number 2-Snake Massage

A spa owner in Israel has decided that snakes have a calming effect on people.  What people?  Who?  Would YOU get a snake massage?  Hard to imagine that people would pay money to allow snakes to slither and creep all over their backside?

No.  Just.  No.  Hell no.

Number 1-Extreem Eyelash Extensions

Extreme epic fail.

I hope you found these odd beauty rituals as amusing as I did.  However, when in doubt just visit my Sensaria website, www.mysensaria.com/christinebrown.  No outlandish claims.  No lies.  Just effective skin and body products, naturally!

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Last month I flew to Las Vegas for a company meeting.  Between the 2 am wakeup call and the three hour time difference, by 9 am, a time when most people are just waking up, I was ready for a nap!

While waiting for our first meeting to start, a couple of co-workers and I decided to take advantage of the pool at the Monte Carlo.   The stale airplane air and the dry Nevada climate made us realize how incredibly dehydrated we were.  So,  my business partner had a bright idea and reached into her bag and pulled out Sensaria Nourishing Moisturizer and said “Here, let me pamper you!”  She then began rubbing the moisturizer on my feet and legs just like a pedicurist would after a pedicure.  It felt amazing! 

When she was finished, I turned to my other business partner and said “Ok, you’re next!”  For the next 30 minutes we sat around the pool, soaking in the warm sun and pampering one another.  At that moment, I realized, as a culture, we don’t touch each other.   Our society, generally speaking, is very standoff-ish and even considers a hand shake as too much contact!  And I’m one of them!  I don’t typically feel comfortable connecting with people on that ‘touch’ level.  Initially, I felt a little uncomfortable and strange allowing my business partner to massage my feet and lower legs, but after a moment I allowed myself to relax and enjoy the experience.

As I was being massaged, and then giving the massage, something was happening!   I became much more connected to the women.  They were opening up to me.  We were sharing, talking and relaxing all because of the touch factor.

So how does all this connect with Skincare you might ask?  Looking good isn’t just about taking care of the outside, it’s taking care of the inside too.  Connecting is the key.  Invite your girlfriends over for a Pampering Party!  There are few home party plans (remember those ”back in the day” Tupperware parties?) that will help you create a night of relaxation for you and your friends while you try different pampering rituals and spa products.  Sensaria, out of Shelton, Washington is one of them.  They have perfected the home spa experience.  Picture this!  Women gathered around the family room soaking their feet, being pampered head to toe.  Body scrubs, body butters, repair product and maybe even a glass of wine.   They sample spa quality products sold at drug store prices.  Who knew that service was available?

 However, you can plan a night just for you and a couple friends without the home party.  Just allow yourselves to kick back and treat each other to spa rituals but without the spa price tag.

Grab a few bowls from the cabinet, or pick up some dish pans from the dollar store and fill your tubs with hot water.  Scent the water with any aromatherapy oil (I suggest peppermint!) and soak your feet.  Take turns massaging each other’s feet and lower legs.  Download a reflexology chart  from the internet as a guide to help you find pressure points that help relax.  Do an internet search for homemade spa recipes and create your own unique spa treatments.  Something as simple as coffee grounds and sugar can make an amazing foot scrub.  Or, mixtures of honey and egg yolks make a moisturizing face mask.  Have each pampering partner arrive with a fun recipe that you can whip up for your night of pampering.

Next use Sensaria’s 100% Natural Jojoba oil or one of Sensaria’s Body Butter’s (I suggest the Green Tea scent!) and give a relaxing hand massage.  Follow these easy steps. 

  • Step 1:  Support the hand on top of yours during the massage so that she is comfortable
  • Step 2:  Apply a body butter, jojoba oil or lotion to your own hands
  • Step 3:  Start the massage on top of the hand at the wrist.  Using your thumbs, make small rotations and slowly move from the wrist and down each finger.  Repeat several times.
  • Step 4:  Interlock your fingers with their hand and gently push back their wrist several times.
  • Step 5: Rotate each finger gently.
  • Step 6: Gently pinch the webs between each finger several times.
  • Step 7: Massage each knuckle in small, circular movements
  • Step 8: Turn the hand over and repeat steps 2-4, 6 and 7.

 The rejuvenation you and your girlfriends will feel after a night of laughter and relaxation will be unforgettable!  Take some time out JUST for you this week.  When you take care of the inside, it will show on the outside, naturally!  And how much fun is it to share with a friend?

 For more information about naturally-based skin and body products, or hosting your own spa party go to Sensaria’s website.

How to Stay Wrinkle-Free

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Let’s play a skincare version of “Would You Rather…”

Would you rather immerse your body in a bathtub of cockroaches or have wrinkles?

Many women would choose the cockroaches.  Good thing we don’t have to choose…right?

Wrinkles are the nemesis of the aging process and unfortunately NO ONE is immune to them.  NEWSFLASH!  You WILL eventually get wrinkles.  I hate being the bearer of bad news, but, if you prepare (likening it to preparing for a cat. 5 hurricane) you might come out on the other side unscathed.  And without the use of cockroaches!

There are a few key environmental activities that cause aging that we can control.  And some we can’t.  (Insert frowny face here).

Let’s start with can’t.  Gravity.  Can’t control it.  Newton said it exists and our skin, over time, proves it.  We sag…and we sag south…some more rapidly than others.  But unless we live on the moon, we need to just accept that gravity helps with aging.

Muscle use.  Let’s all cheer for facial muscles!  They are a double edged sword.  They allow us to embrace our facial expressions.  They help your kids know when you’re not happy.   It’s those two lines that form between your eyebrows that insure that yes, they are in BIG TROUBLE!  Facial muscles also let your bestie know when you’re happy to see her by the deep commas around your nose and mouth area.  And the other side of the sword?  There is almost no controlling habitual facial expression.  Sorry.

Hormones.  Ahhhhhh, the culprit for everything bad and evil in the world.  You can blame your wrinkles on them too.  Yup, the decrease of the production of estrogen can have effect on the speed of chronological aging

Deep cleansing breath.  No more losing sleep about what we can’t control when it comes to collagen loss and and thinning skin.  Gravity, muscle use and hormones.  Check.

Now let’s talk about what we CAN control!  Raise your hand if you’ve ever been in the sun without sunscreen on?  I know you are ALL guilty!  Now stop it!  Never ever ever ever do it again!  The effects of ultraviolet rays on the skin are the biggest aging culprit that we can control.  It breaks down collagen fibers, it causes cancer and 90% of the symptoms of premature aging in the skin come from UVA, UVB or Ultraviolet light.  Use sunscreen.  Get a hat.  Protect your skin.  You get one shot with your skin…make it count!

Now, who smokes?  Drinks alcohol? Live in a city with any air pollution?  Another huge contributor to wrinkles is free radicals.  Each of these free radicals cause damage to the layers of the skin, which in turn,  breakdown the fibers of the skin, and cause the “W” word…wrinkles.  Reduce or stop bad habits and your skin will thank you!

Water.  Drink it or you will look like a dried up old saddle bag eventually!  Drinking water adds to the suppleness of the skin.  It makes it look plum, which will fill out the fine lines and wrinkles from within.   Oh, and an added benny?  It will help with your dark circles under your eyes too!  P.S.  Drinking Alcohol dramatically dehydrates the skin.  Moderation peeps!

There are a few other urban legends that claim to age the skin quickly such as husbands, jobs, kids, in-laws and stress.  However, studies are inconclusive to the severity of these stressors on the skin. 

So what can you do now, this very second, to keep the wrinkles from cropping up, or at the very least slow everything down a little bit?  Repeat after me.

“I solemnly swear to use sunscreen every time I leave the house.  I will drink at least 64 ounces of water a day.  I will reduce or eliminate free radicals from my life including, smoking (includes second hand smoke) alcohol use, pollution and ultraviolet lighting and in-laws and maybe even my husband.”

All punning and arthropods aside, utilizing these few suggestions will dramatically lessen the effects of the environment on your skin.  Check out the following links to some natural skin products that will protect your skin from the aging process.  Leave a question or two and I’ll even put your name into a drawing for a PRIZE!

Sensaria Daily Moisturizing Sun Protection SPF 28:

What I love about the Daily Sun Protection SPF 28 is that it soaks into the skin without leaving your skin oily or slick.  Perfect for under makeup for everyday use, or at the beach.

Sensaria SPF Lip Balm Trio:

Three yummy flavors.  One spectacularly silky lip balm formula. 

Sensaria Skin Perfecting Treatment:

Put a barrier between your skin and the environment while building back the moisture in your skin.  Doubles as a makeup primer and your skin will feel like silk.

Exfoliate Your Way to Smooth, Sexy, Unbelievable Skin!

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So have you ever looked in the mirror and really (no really…?) liked what you saw looking back?  Wish you had celebrity skin?  Who doesn’t!  As women, when our skin is rockin’, we feel unstoppable.  And almost nothing gives us more confidence than great looking skin…well, maybe other than a new hand bag.

But you CAN have rockin’ skin and you can achieve it by using a skincare treatment that EVERYONE is talking about.  And that my friend is…Exfoliation.

Exfoliating is the process of removing dead cells from your top layer of skin.  But did you know that there are two ways to exfoliate?  Yup!  Chemical exfoliation and manual exfoliation.  So get ready for your Exfoliating 411.  Chemical exfoliation uses acids such as BHA (Salicylic Acid), AHA (Alpha Hydroxy Acid) or benzoyl peroxide that eat away the dry skin.  Manual exfoliation uses small granules or abrasive particles, usually suspended in a soothing cream, which scrubs off the dead skin.  Easy peasy!

Now for the hard part…which do you use?  It’s up to you!  I prefer a more natural approach, so I always recommend manual exfoliation.  Exfoliating benefits most skin types; however those with rosasea or very sensitive skin should go easy.  No worries though, most skin types can tolerate some form of mild scrubbing.

Exfoliating the skin on a regular basis (twice a week), can help improve many skin issues such as clogged pores, black head, white heads, hyper pigmentation and dry, dull skin.  And it’s not just for your face!  Scrubbing the skin on your bod will help with clogged pores or rough skin there as well.

Check out Sensaria’s Microdermabrasion Crème with volcanic pumice that’s suspended in a soothing cream with azulene from the chamomile plant for the face, and for the body, go for the Rejuvenating Salt Mud, which detoxifies the skin, as well as exfoliates it, using volcanic silt, a blend of Japanese mushrooms and wasabi.

Use both twice a week and you’re almost guaranteed to barely recognize the woman with gorgeous skin looking back at you!