dry skin – East Village Spa Blog

Choose the best type of lotion for dry hands and body

Winter is always rough on hands, but between the extra handwashing we’re doing (we HOPE you re too!) and the excessive cold snap, our hands are downright painful. Here are a few tips to find the best type of lotion for yours hands and body.

Shea Butters: the MOST hydrating

Any of our Farmhouse Fresh lotions labeled as a “Shea Butter” are going to offer the richest hydration. These are best for dry, cracked hands and heels, elbows. Supple butters and vitamin E-packed jojoba and soybean oils calm even the severest of dry skin, without a hint of a greasy feel. We love these at night or right after washing hands.

Shop Shea Butters

Body Milks: Quick absorbing full body hydration

Farmhouse Fresh body milk and steeped milk lotions pour over you like milk and absorb quickly, making them ideal for applying to hands and body, as they’ll absorb faster, these are great after a shower or bath.

The Sweet Cream body milk is a slightly thinner consistency and is VEGAN but not nut free, infused with a blend of natural oils that provide lasting softness to skin: Vitamin E-rich Rice Bran oil, Jojoba Seed oil, Sweet Almond, Avocado and Sesame.

The steeped milk lotions feature freshly steeped coconut milk is blended into the lotion for velvety softness. They do contain non-vegan ingredients that vary per scent (i.e. honey.)

Shop body milks

Body Oils: The versatile hydration you didn’t know you needed!

Body oils are for far more than giving or receiving a massage! These versatile products are excellent for use right after a shower or bath, when lotion feels cold on warm skin. Oils absorb well in a full body application. In addition, these soak into cuticles to hydrate and help you avoid painful, infected cuticles. If you wear Shellac or gel polish, oils are also best to keep the nails hydrated underneath. You can even use just the tiniest amount to smooth unruly hair or beards too.

Love taking a hot bath in the winter? Consider adding a tablespoon or so of these oils to the bath, especially if you soak in epsom salts. This will help keep your skin from drying out. Just be careful getting out of the tub!

shop body oils

Moon Dip: Age Defying Mousse

Moon dip hand and body mousses are new to our spa and we love them! Formulated to include firming peptides, these do double duty to hydrate and provide anti-aging support with a light, powder finish.

Shop Moon Dips

Handwashing relief kit: A bit of everything!

Our three assorted handwashing relief kits include a Honey mask that has fruit enzymes to “digest” dead skin and reveal softer skin that’s ready for a rich shea butter hydration. We also include a CND Solar Oil cuticle oil to help keep cuticles healthy and free from painful tears or infection. These kits are a best-selling gift at www.shopeastvillagespa.com.

Shop Handwashing Relief

Not sure which lotion is best for you? Visit www.ShopEastVillageSpa.com for great scent descriptions and more!

shop now!

5 best-selling products of 2020

I asked Kelly, our spa director and web store genius to compile a list of our top selling retail products from the last year. When we saw the mix of items, they absolutely made sense as products many of us use! I have every single one of these products in my home right now!

1. Kneipp Lavender Bath Salts

Kneipp Lavender Bath Salts available at www.ShopEastVillageSpa.com

The blend of pure essential oils found in Kneipp Relaxing Mineral Bath Salt can help you decompress and unwind after a stressful day. The unique crystalline structure of the thermal spring salt naturally absorbs more Lavender essential oil for a highly concentrated, effective bath. When added to warm water, the familiar floral aroma fills the air, mentally transporting you to serene lavender field in Southern France for a moment of tranquility. Take time to quiet the world around you and prepare for some much-needed beauty rest.

Kneipp Mineral Bath Salts contain hand-processed, natural thermal spring salt sourced from a 250-million-year-old ocean buried 1500 ft below the Earth’s surface. The ancient thermal brine is free of chemical additives and environmental influences, producing salt in its purest form, uncontaminated by the pollutants of the modern world. The high concentration of trace elements and minerals that naturally occur in our deep-sea salt gently cleanses and softens the skin as you relax in the tub.

View in store

2. East Village Spa Lacrosse Ball

We love lacrosse balls for DIY trigger point release and myofascial massage. Our licensed massage therapists love showing their guests exercises for home care. This is an inexpensive tool that you can keep at your desk or even in your purse or gym bag.

A review published in the International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy found that self-myofascial release may: increase joint range of motion, help muscle performance, decrease fatigue after exercise, decrease soreness after exercise.

Shop Lacrosse Balls

3. Rhonda Allison Mandelic Au Lait

A hydrating, lightweight moisturizer, Mandelic Au Lait is a highly versatile blend of superior antibacterial ingredients and soothing elements making it an excellent choice for a wide variety of skin issues, including acne and rosacea skin types.

Apply Mandelic Au Lait to face and neck and let absorb. May be worn day and night, over other serums and correctives and layered under SPF when used during the day

Shop Rhonda Allison

4. Farmhouse Fresh Honey Heel Glaze

A scrumptious bottle of love for heels and toes. Our team personally loves it for dry, chapped hands too! This divine honey-based serum seals in moisture and brings rich color back to tired feet. It’s been called the Instant Pedicure. Simply brush on and rub into feet for chalkless bliss – no more white ashy look!

This golden jar is a true guilty pleasure from the first moment you let it breathe – fragranced with velvety cinnamon notes, sweet cloves and actual honey.

The finest of moisturizing elements have been incorporated from genuine honey, and aloe leaf juice to pineapple and papaya fruit extracts. Honey Heel Glaze is ultra-smooth, non-greasy, and addictive in every way.

Shop Honey Heel Glaze

5. Eurospa Shower Mist in Eucalyptus Mint

We carry Eurospa shower mists in 5 scents, but our top seller in 2020 was the Eucalyptus Mint scent. Pure Eucalyptus Oil is infused with fresh, tingling Mint essential oil. The quality and purity of these oils are what deliver such wonderful scents. In addition to transforming your shower into an at-home spa experience, you will also receive the full benefits derived from these aromatic oils.

Mint oil is the perfect home remedy for nausea and headaches. Mint also provides relief from stress, depression and mental exhaustion. The fresh tingly sensation will awake your senses, and help combat anxiety and restlessness. Mint stimulates mental activity, clears the mind, and increases focus on cognitive tasks. Your shower transformed from a daily task to an escape that offers benefits you will enjoy all day long.

shop Eurospa

What are your favorite products from www.ShopEastVillageSpa.com? We offer quick shipping in the U.S. as well as free parking lot pick-up and in-spa browsing for those who are local to Des Moines. Have questions? Our online store is backed up by a team of licensed experts who all use and love our products. We’re happy to help over the phone at (515) 309-2904 or via e-mail at [email protected].

Skin care for your body

Is the skin on your body feeling dull, dry, or experiencing breakouts? We have services that can help! If you’re just feeling stressed and wanting to indulge a bit, we can manage that too! Combine one of these body services with a manicure, pedicure, or even a foot massage for a really decadant alternative to a vacation.

Hawaiian Full Body Skin Rejuvenation

You read that right! This hour of bliss starts with a deep cleanse for the skin on your back, arms, leg, hands and feet with 5 different Hawaiian fruit acides and extracts that smell like a trip to the islands. This will prepare your skin for your esthetician to massage in an exfoliating cream peel, then provide light circulatory massage techniques that nourish your skin with hydrating oils. Ths service gently exfoliates surface dead skin cells. Your skin will also feel smooth, brightened, firmed and toned. You thought a skincare treatment for your face was relaxing? This is divine and just in time to bare skin for summer.

Book Now under “Facials” in Web Store

Aromatherapy Body Scrub

Start by working with your massage therapist or esthetician to blend a custom-scented aromatherapy massage oil to use with our milk and sugar scrub for a 45 minute full-body exfoliaition. This scrub will soften skin, boost circulation, and relieve stress. As our gift, you’ll receive the remainder of your aromatherapy massage oil and a whole jar of scrub in the same scent to enjoy at home!

Book now under “Body Scrubs” in Web Store

We hope to see you at the spa soon, but we understand a spa visit isn’t safe for everyone right now. Whether you’re staying in due to an underlying health concern or you’re quarantining because you’ve been exposed or have recently traveled or attended a large event we have great options for you to enjoy a bit of the spa at home. Visit our online spa shop for DIY facial kits, yummy body scrub scents, bath salts, and more! We thank you for keeping yourself and those around you safe!

Updating your winter skin care

After a few weeks of 60-degree “winter” weather, I think we can’t complain about the cold and wind we’ve experienced the last few days. I personally can tell I’m due for a change in my skin routine. My hands are cracking and my lighter moisturizer just isn’t cutting it for my face. Our Managing Esthetician, Camille Arbegast, shared some tips for changing up your skin and body care routine to account for colder, dryer temperatures and less time in the sun.

HYDRATE YOUR SKIN

Camille shows off her winter favorites from Rhonda Allison

Rhonda Allison Ultra Hydration Cream: This is by far our #1 best selling product when the weather gets cold and windy. This moisturizer uses the purest form of Hyaluronic Acid which can increase the skin’s moisture by 300%. The best thing about this moisturizer is that it doesn’t feel super heavy and leaves the skin feeling nice and smooth.

Rhonda Allison Cucumber Spritz: This product is great all year round, but in the winter when skin tends to feel “tight” from dryness, especially in stuffy offices, a mist of the cucumber spritz throughout the day will help you feel more hydrated. Plus, it is a good way to perk you up in the middle of a work day!

Rhonda Allison Drops of Essence: These hydrating drops are a healing, heavy serum that will help to soothe chapped winter skin with high concentrations of lavender and geranium essential oils. They can be effective for skin burns (including wind burn), cold sores, and even help with the appearance of scars.

REVERSE SUMMER DAMAGE

Winter is the perfect time to brighten skin and reverse pigmentation that may be lingering from the summer’s sun exposure. We have two concentrated corrective serums to power treat pesky dark spots:

Rhonda Allison ChronoPeptide A uses the purest form of Vitamin A to brighten, strengthen, and firm the skin without the irritation found in some commonly prescribed vitamin A products.

Rhonda Allison C Stem Cell is a 20% Vitamin C serum that not only helps lighten pigmentation, but increases hydration, reduces redness, and minimizes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

DON’T FORGET YOUR BODY!

Farmhouse Fresh Honey Heel Glaze: This mask is for more than just feet and is one of our best-selling spa products. Brush on this hydrating, soothing mask on dry hands, elbows, knees, heels, wrap with plastic wrap, socks, or gloves, and let let it gently exfoliate and hydrate dry skin. We incorporate this into our signature services and many of us personally use this product. You can wash it off or put it on before bed for an overnight miracle fix for dry skin!

Farmhouse Fresh Shea Butter Scrubs: These are the most hydrating body scrubs we carry. Unlike salt scrubs which can irritate dry, cracked skin, shea butter scrubs are gentle, not TOO abrasive, and will leave your body feeling hydrated like you’ve just applied lotion. We carry 3 delicious scents. Camille recommends a weekly full body exfoliation. These are also great to help prevent ingrown hairs after a wax.

CND Solar Oil: Cuticle oil is important year round, but in the winter, dry cuticles can become painful and picking at your cuticles and nails can lead to infection. Apply a few drops of CND Solar Oil after your shower or before bed to keep cuticles soft and help you resist the temptation to pick!

Stop into the spa anytime to ask our front desk for advice on the best hydration products for your needs or click here to book yourself a hydrating body scrub or facial at the spa!

3 counterintuitive skin care facts your esthetician wants you to know

Our estheticians want to shed light on a few common misconceptions about skincare. It is easy to see why people get confused because these ideas are sometimes completely counterintuitive!

Myth: The best way to treat excessively oily skin is by drying it out.

Truth: While it seems like drying out oily skin is the best route, skipping moisturizer or using a harsh toner to try to dry skin can actually strip natural oils from the skin causing the skin to over-produce oil to protect itself. The best option to hydrate oily skin is a serum or gel moisturizer. These products will absorb quickly and skin won’t “panic” and produce even more oil.

Serums or gels, like the Rhonda Allison Blushed Wine Gel are great light moisturizers to hydrate oily skin.

Myth: Acids are harsh chemicals and aggressive on skin

Truth: The acids we use in skincare are naturally derived and vary in strength and benefit. For example, Hyaluronic Acid, which may sound scary, is naturally occurring in the body in synovial (joint) fluid and in the eye. This acid is used in products to plump and hydrate skin and some medical professionals recommend this for wound and burn healing. Lactic acid is derived from milk and is beneficial for dry, mature skin and is often used to exfoliate without over-drying. Some acids are more potent, but just because a product or ingredient is labeled an “acid” doesn’t mean it is scary.

Cassie getting a light facial peel using a variety of acids from our esthetician, Cammie.

Myth: If you have true acne, you need a good facial (or body) scrub to help unclog pores.

Truth: True acne occurs when excess skin cells, oil, and debris clog pores, potentially leading to infection. Using a mechanical scrub over acneic skin may spread bacteria and increase inflammation, worsening the problem. Depending on the severity of the acne, a chemical exfoliation (don’t let the word “chemical” scare you!) is best. For example, glycolic or salicylic acids, applied topically as recommended by your esthetician or dermatologist, will help to break down skin cells and excess oil without spreading bacteria or increasing irritation.

Gritty scrubs like those pictured can spread bacteria and further inflame acneic skin. — Gritty scrubs like those pictured above can spread bacteria and further inflame acneic skin. It is best to stick with an acid based exfoliation instead of a manual exfoliation during a breakout.

If you have questions about your skin care or want to find out whether or not something you read online or heard from a friend is accurate, ask your esthetician! To schedule a facial for an in-depth consultation and treatment, click here.

Top 5 products your skin needs this winter

It happens to all of us…you finally settle on a great skin care regimen and your skin feels awesome. Then the dry winter air strikes and it seems like your products are no longer working like they should. To get the best skin care results in the winter months, Camille Arbegast, our managing esthetician, shared 5 tips:

1. Switch up your cleanser. A gel based or acne cleanser may have been what you needed during the humid summer months, especially if your summer activities lead to dirt and debris on your face. In the winter when skin is more irritated, a switch to a soothing cream or hydrating cleanser may be the ticket to calm down skin that feels itchy and tight.

2. Use a microdermabrasion scrub. This scrub can be more abrasive if used dry, or gentler if used in the shower or by adding water. It is ideal to slough off dead skin so you are better able to absorb moisturizers, serums, or masks. Do not over-do it though! Once to twice a week is all you need to exfoliate!

3. Try a hydrating mask designed to nourish and replenish skin. This is a great switch for a hydrating boost, especially if you have regularly been using a drying mask like a clay mask. Derma E’s Hydrating Mask with Hyaluronic Acid can work as a face or hand mask. And Farmhouse Fresh’s Honey Heel Glaze is like a miracle mask to soften and hydrate dry feet and hands.

4. Use a proper moisturizer designed for the face. Hydrating day and night creams are great for daily moisturizing. Look for ingredients like hyaluronic acid which draws moisture to the skin like a magnet. Avoid creams with pore-clogging petroleum derived ingredients like mineral oil or paraffin.

5. Don’t forget your cuticle oil! Dry cuticles are not only unsightly, but tears around the nails can lead to pain and even infection. Use cuticle oil morning and night to keep your nails and the skin around them healthy. And don’t forget gloves to help protect skin from dry, windy winter weather. Cuticle oil and protecting nails with gloves will also go a long way to preserve a CND Shellac manicure so you can get a full two weeks wear! Dry, brittle nails and cuticles make it easier for the polish to chip.

Tag: dry skin