Guest column by: The Chefanies

Brighten, tighten, and awaken your skin with this breakfast-inspired Fanny Facial scrub. Now of course you can use this scrub on your whole body, but with that summer vacation coming right up, I thought a little tushy toner was right is oh so many ways.

The coffee in this scrub is the main cellulite buster, as caffeine increases fat metabolism. By applying it topically, the coffee absorbs and removes that excess fat and liquid that has been hiding in your skin. It can also help prevent and diminish the problem of varicose veins.

The oatmeal is a great exfoliant for people of all skin types. A touch of milk provides moisturizing benefits. Cocoa contains fatty acids to help your skin stay nourished.

You kitchen is on your side after all… cellulite begone!

INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup Coffee Grinds
1/4 cup of Brown Sugar
1/4 cup of Oatmeal
1/4 cup of Olive Oil (or enough to moisten your mixture)
2 TBS Unsweetened Cocoa
2 TBS Salt
2 TBS Milk

DIRECTIONS
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix together until at desired consistency. Add more coffee grinds or olive oil to make it more or less moist.

Put your mixture in a Tupperware and head to the shower. After your body is wet, rub in circular motion around your bum and thighs for 1-2 minutes. Sstep away from the water or turn it off for a minute while doing so. Then rinse. It’s mild enough to use every day.

BONUS – Get the pro spa service: The Center for Pain Relief & Wellness in Babylon, NY is offering a 60 Min Anti-Oxidant Anti-Cellulite Mint Coffee Scrub for only $65 as part of our May spa deals.

The Chefanies is the blog of 2 Stephanies cooking up a healthy storm using fresh, seasonal and organic ingredients. We focus on everyday cooking that is impressive enough for entertaining and hearty enough to enjoy solo. Go to thechefanies.com for more!

What’s worse… breaking laws or breaking out? For this aspiring ESQ, it’s debatable.

Dear Michelle,

Here is my dilemma… The added stress, increased caffeine, and long hours of studying for the bar exam next week are taking a toll on my skin (not to mention the subconscious picking I catch myself doing!!). My skin seems extra dry, my pores seem larger than usual, and my chin is breaking out!! Do you have any easy at home cures I can employ to make this situation any better?? HELP!!

Love,

Dry Delinquent (Jamie Randall)

I decided to send this question to my newest employee in the Social Media department at Spa Week (she started Monday) to bounce some ideas around. She comes from a spa background and happens to know a thing or seven. Expecting a few bullet points back, she blew my mind and came back with the full blown jurisdiction you see below. Readers, it is my pleasure to introduce you to… your newest Spa Week Daily blogger crush… Stephanie Cavataro!

Dear Dry Delinquent,

Spa Week Daily holds you in contempt–Your skin is out of order!

You have neglected trips to the spa to make time for case studies. The proof- Exhibit A: your dry and neglected skin. It is the recommendation of the Spa Week Daily court that you remain remanded to your study-sanctuary and complete the following homemade beauty remedies:

One: Sit on your hands! Picking and scratching blemishes will cause scars—not to mention infections from bacteria transferred from hand-to-face. To fight infection, reduce inflammation and speed up the healing process try applying Manuka Honey as a mask 1-2 times per week. Manuka Honey is a great organic way to promote new cell turn over to leave skin supple and glowing.

Two: For dry patches, apply Safflower Oil Before bed. Dr. Oz says it has the same hydrating qualities as olive oil – but you won’t smell like a salad all night. Avoid petrochemicals (like baby/mineral oil or Vaseline) on the face. These man-made products can clog pores. To exfoliate rough spots, mix 1 part Safflower Oil and 2 parts regular sugar and apply as a homemade scrub to get rid of dull skin and flakes.

Three: Fight dry skin from the inside out. Swap out a caffeinated, sugary soda for Coconut Water. It’s full of electrolytes and potassium (twice the amount of a banana).  Coconut Water fights bloating brought on by late night study binges. It helps rehydrate faster than plain water while giving you natural, organic energy.

You can get Safflower Oil, Manuka Honey and Coconut Water at grocery stores like Whole Foods, without breaking the bank or straying too far away from your text books.

Case dismissed.

Best bar wishes,

Stephanie (and Michelle)

Obviously we here at Spa Week endorse going to a real spa whenever possible. But real life, time, and money all conspire to keep us from heading to the spa as often as we’d like–so it’s nice to have spa-like touches in your bathroom at home! Check out these spa-inspired bathrooms featured on Apartment Therapy for spa touches to add to your own bathroom:

Try going monochromatic – varying tones on tones can help even small spaces open up and feel spacious.

Jars and bottles with chrome and silver touches look sleek and clean. Just make sure to pair them with fluffy towels and other cozy touches.

Rustic elements, like these raised bowl sinks, can feel very luxurious! To keep from feeling too “country”, choose 2 or 3 rustic elements and keep everything else simple.

Fabulous spa bathroom pics courtesy of Apartment Therapy

Every once in a while, we all get those awful bags under our eyes. After a late Saturday night out, I woke up yesterday (way past brunch time) to a very unattractive, very puffy eye area. I tried ice cubes, but just ended up wearing my shades all day as I ran my errands. What I really needed were Eye Slices, these awesome disposable eye-treatment pads that work like hi-tech cucumber slices. With the active ingredient being Aloe, they soothe and rejuvenate in just five minutes. They get rid of all of the redness, puffiness, and irritation. Eye Slices come in their own case and best of all, they can be used up to 10 times! These are going in my nightstand.