Who knew we had so many spa chefs among us? When we asked on Facebook what your winter essentials are, one of our readers, Karin Rose, was quick to share that she made her own little serum. Bravo! Thankfully she was willing to share her recipe so that we may all be able to salvage our skin this winter. No fancy tools needed – just some jars and your hands. You can customize the serum by adding specific essential oils to address your skincare needs. Let’s meet this wonderful woman.

Hi there,

My name is Karin Rose. I make my own face products.

I make my face serum a little different each time depending on the weather, my skin, and my supplies at the time. That said, I taught a class recently and here’s the recipe we used (all women in their late 30s to mid-40s).

Karin Rose’s Moisturizing, Anti-Aging Face Serum Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 teaspoons Virgin Coconut Oil This is one of the oldest and most trusted moisturizers
• 1 teaspoon Rosehip Seed Oil This promotes collagen and elastin levels for firmer, smoother skin.
• 1/2 teaspoon Apricot Oil It’s good for dry, dehydrated  skin and promotes anti-aging.
• 1/2 teaspoon Vitamin E Oil Vitamin E promotes the healing of blemishes and scars, and also fights against wrinkles.
• 2 1/2 teaspoons Jojoba Oil This oil is very structurally similar to human sebum, providing natural moisturizing protection.
• Optional essential oils: Frankincense, Geranium, Lavender

Materials:

• 1 ounce Amber Glass Bottle with a glass dropper
• Teaspoon measure
• Clean baby food jar (or similar)

Directions:

1. Measure 1.5 teaspoons of virgin coconut oil (VCO). If it is solid (75 degrees and below), then place it in a clean small glass jar (e.g. baby food jar or smaller) and warm it in your hands or on a sunny windowsill while you gather the other ingredients.
2. Pour VCO  into Amber Glass Bottle.
3. Add the Rosehip Seed Oil, Vitamin E Oil and Apricot Oil into the Amber Glass Bottle.
4. NOTE FROM KARIN: Add up to 5 drops of Essential Oils total (any combination). Use Frankincense Essential Oil to counteract dullness, Geranium Essential Oil to help restore naturally oily or dry skin back to normal) and use Lavender Essential Oil to stimulate healthy new cell growth.
5. Top off the bottle with the Jojoba Oil (leaving a little bit of space at the top for mixing).
6. Cap the bottle and slowly roll and turn end over end to mix.

To use:

1. Wash and rinse face as you usually would.
2. Spritz face with hydrosol or floral waters (see Stephanie’s DIY Rose Toner) (NOTE FROM KARIN: rose, geranium or carrot seed waters are quite lovely).
3. Apply 1-2 drops of the face serum to clean fingertips and lightly spread it all over face and neck.
4. NOTE FROM KARIN: Always use an oil-based serum on a damp face. The oil works by trapping the moisture. It doesn’t clog pores as long as you use the minimum amount your skin needs. I have “normal” skin (neither oily nor dry) and I only need 1-2 drops in the mild winter in San Diego.

Do you have a fun Spa Foodie recipe to share? Email it to daily @ spaweekmedia.com and we just may feature your secrets too!

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Confession: This is my beauty dresser.

Sure, I’ve told you that part of my job means being inundated with cremes, serums, toners, makeup, oxygen in gel form, etc… but I never did claim to keep them neat! Admittedly, from time to time, things get out of control and it looks as though Allure Magazine has exploded on my dresser.

However, that is not the point of this blog post.  The point is, you’ll notice a beaming ray of organized yellow sunshine on the bottom left hand corner, otherwise known as the Elizabeth Grant Vitamin C Hydra-Moist line. It’s the set of products that has emerged from the depths of my dresser top to the highly coveted forefront, and with good reason. I’ve been using this product line every day lately, and my been skin’s la-la-loving me for it! THE CLOSE UP:

It came in this sweet faux-pony hair pouch that I use ALL the time now:

And here’s what it looks like as as a basic set, in excellent lighting (get the whole thing for $59):

My morning and evening routine as of late has included a number of these products: The Hydrating Cleanser, the Concentrated Serum, the All Day Cream, the Eye Radiance, the Illuminating Eye Pads, a few others here and there… and my skin has been obeying, radiating and illuminating like the tubes say. It’s the kind of vibrancy that makes me feel comfortable going without makeup. The products absorb quickly, contain just the right amount of fragrance, and are also quite convenient for traveling. They’ve helped smooth my skin, minimize the appearance of blemishes, and all in all, make me look much like that ray of happy brightness amidst my scary-looking dresser top.

In the yellow spirit… here’s my EG Vitamin C-doused self on the subway:

And rocking the eye pads before a wedding (nevermind the teeth whitening tray and collagen lip plumping strip…):

Just like Vitamin C in a tall glass of OJ helps cure colds and stave off illness, it also has a similar effect when it comes to repairing and preventing skin damage. How does C do it all! Here, Elizabeth Grant’s Beauty Director and VP of Global Direction, Margot Grant Witz, shares:

6 Skin-Enhancing Benefits of Vitamin C:

1. Clears up hyperpigmentation, brightening and lightening your skin.
2. Reverses the effects of sun exposure and sun damages.
3. Blocks pollution, free radicals and other environmental gunk floating around.
4. Most women by age 25 have accumulated enough sun damage to create freckles and dark spots that can easily be reduced with Vitamin C treatments.
5. Even if you’re a religious sunscreen addict, you may suffer from uneven skin tone that can be evened out with Vitamin C treatments.
6. Re-energizes tired, ruddy, problem skin back to life.

Browse through Elizabeth Grant’s Vitamin C products and treat yourself to a helping of the stuff!

And just in case you’d never take a recommendation from someone whose counter top looks like the above, I JUST moved… check out the new home for my stash in the bathroom! So neat, so clean, so logical! Yes, I do feel slightly more civilized now.

P.S. If you’re wondering where my EG products went – that’d be my bedroom. ;)

Last night I officially became a spa chef! I Bobby Flay’d it up in my kitchen with my favorite flavor of the season – pumpkin. I am a pumpkin fanatic. Nothing says fall like pumpkins to me. Childhood memories of carving silly faces. But, I especially love the smell.  The power of pumpkin doesn’t stop there – they can be very beneficial to human skin. I embarked on a journey creating the perfect at-home pumpkin body scrub recipe using all ingredients that are good for your skin. Most of them you’ll already have if you’re in the fall baking mood. I just had to buy the pumpkin puree which only costs around $3.

Why these ingredients? Pumpkin is full of Vitamin A, C and zinc. Honey is an amazing product for your skin because it is an antibacterial, hydrates and smooths your skin as well as provides anti-aging antioxidants. Cinnamon is a natural astringent. Brown sugar helps minimize pores. After some experimentation, I reached the perfect measurements:

1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup granulated brown sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp honey

Don’t be alarmed that the brown sugar or cinnamon will turn your pumpkin a darker color. Feel free to play with the amount of sugar for the right amount of scrub you want. I like a good scrub so I added some white granulated sugar to enhance the texture.

Warning: While you may be tempted to eat it, I warn you it is very sweet! Best to just leave it for your skin to enjoy.

I did my usual shower routine but instead of body wash I used my new pumpkin scrub. My bathroom smelled delicious! When I got out of the shower my skin felt like a baby’s bottom. I was very impressed by the softness. This scrub is great for getting rid of dead, dry skin.

Pumpkin is chock full of vitamins and is a rich source of nutrients and antioxidants to help your skin achieve a healthy glow throughout the season. I suffer from dry skin during these brutal New York winters so I’ll definitely be using this again.  I say don’t limit this recipe to just your body. You can add more honey to create a moisturizing face mask.

Yum!

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Los Angeles is a busy and stressful city. Everyone is on the move and the traffic is enough to drive anyone crazy! (We don’t know how you do it.) West Coasters, don’t forget to unwind next week - you’ve earned this. We’ve got over 50 spas participating in the LA area, and Simply Porceline Spa is one of our little Beverly Hills secrets that we are sharing with you.

Merle Celine-Muller, who did three of years full time schooling in Beauty Technolog and has over fifteen years experience as an Aesthetician, has created this little oasis to help Los Angeleans escape the hectic day-to-day and come relax with personal service. Merle, born in South Africa, gives you one-on-one attention by performing all the facials herself with products from her very own skincare line, Simply Porceline.

She worked with chemists to create a quality skincare that uses botanical extracts and natural derivatives. None of the products are tested on animals. The products don’t use ingredients that may clog pores or irritate your skin.

During Spa Week, they are offering the following treatments for $50:

• 60 Min Deep Cleansing Facial, with Extractions and an Ultra Moisturizing Rubberized Masque
• Microdermabrasion and Oxygen Treatment with a Soothing Lavender Masque
• Signature Pain-Free Full Leg Wax and Perfect Eyebrow Shaping

Simply Porceline
372 South Maple Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
310.777.8309

There can only be a few reasons Carrie Bradshaw and the ladies of Sex and the City defied the aging process while living New York for all those years. One is the magic of television, and two is the free-radical fighting facials at Fresh.

Carrie: Season 1, left and Season 6, right

Your skin (and love life) can take a beating living in a polluted city like NYC.  Think about it: cigarette smoke, car fumes and whatever that mystery cloud is coming from beneath the sewer drain. It’s a scary place out there for your skin! When dirt, dust and smog come into contact with UV rays, they create what are known as “free radicals.” Now that may sound like some hot new indie band that Samantha has VIP tickets to see, but in fact, free radicals actually attack your skin. Want to know how you can ward off these toxins and look just as good as SJP and her BFFS?

Fresh is here to the rescue during  Spa Week. Fresh’s three Facial Experiences are designed to protect against aging caused by free radicals. They smooths fine lines, deliver potent antioxidants and stimulate collagen synthesis. Air and water pollution (and the occasional Cosmo) can cause fine lines and wrinkles and not to mention, can suck your skin dry. Fight back a one of our 5 Spa Week locations in New York, Texas, California and Nevada. Fresh’s $50 treatments promise to leave your skin refreshed and invigorated… like a girls’ weekend in the Hamptons.

• 45 Min Umbrian Clay Purify & Balance Facial Experience
• 45 Min Black Tea Age-Delay Facial Experience
• 45 Min Ancienne Ultimate Age-Delay Facial Experience