Your gams are ready for your thigh-skimming Christmas cocktail dress. Now it’s time to get your skin a-glowing.

Everyone thinks of exercising their body when they hear the words “fitness” and “getting in shape.” While exercise is, of course, extremely important to overall well-being and health, during the holiday season it’s beneficial to get your skin in shape to look and feel fabulous. To find out some easy ways to freshen the face and body, Patricia Diamant, esthetician at The Gainey Village Spa, discusses the most beneficial spa treatments to bring out the holiday glow.    

First, an all-over body scrub is an important step on the road to looking festive and fabulous. Use a sugar or salt scrub on arms, legs and stomach to exfoliate dry, tired summer skin. By sloughing off dead summer skin, fresh new skin is ready to receive the products you put on it, like body glitters and moisturizers, which will apply easier and absorb better, giving you a glow from head to toe. Shoulder-exposing dresses will show off healthy skin’s natural shimmer and shine (and remember to do your pushups to get the arms in shape).

A general facial will steam the face to clean out and detox the pores, circulate and improve the blood flow to the skin (as exercise does), and exfoliate and hydrate the skin. A facial will also oxygenate the cells. Facials are great to do regularly—not just before a big event—to keep the skin healthy and are a must to get you on the path to strong skin.

To further the benefits of your facial, try dermaplaning and/or a microdermabrasion. Dermaplaning uses a specialized blade over the skin, and provides amazing exfoliation and de-fuzzing so your cheeks, chin and jawline are smooth and free from hair. The face is instantly brighter and smoother due to the elimination of dry skin, which causes the face to look dull and aged. By exfoliating dry skin cells, dermaplaning also provides better absorption of face products and serums because the dead barrier has been removed. It is imperative that a licensed esthetician who is trained in dermaplaning performs this treatment.

Microdermabrasion has all the same benefits of dermaplaning without the hair removal. Microdermabrasion utilizes a specialized machine that has tiny grains to buff away the surface layer of skin. This skin-smoothing technique is a lighter version of dermaplaning and is a better option if you will be in the sun the next day.

You take care of your body through exercise all year long; don’t forget to get your face in shape, especially during the event-heavy holiday season.

TO LEARN MORE
Village Health Clubs and Spas www.villagelubs.com

For more information on holiday skin care and skin treatments at The Gainey Village Spa, contact Patricia Diamant, board-certified esthetician, at 480.609.6980.