Getting Jaded!

    There’s a new tool on the block that really isn’t new at all—the jade roller. These rollers have been used in China for centuries and can be used daily to help preserve the skin's youthful appearance. If you have been in to Skin Zen Acupuncture & Esthetics, chances are you felt a cool, rolling motion during your facial known as the Jade Roller. :)
Benefits of Jade Roller-
Aids in closing pores
helps tighten and firm the skin
reduces puffiness
releases blocked sinus congestion
plumps wrinkles
relieves stress
reduce inflammation
aids in lymph drainage
gives a youthful glow
tones facial muscles
aids in removing toxins from the skin by circulating the lymphatic system

Incorporating acupressure, Acupuncture, or massage can boost these effect!


Not only that, but the Jade stone itself hold healing properties.

Jade stone healing power: Solid to translucent. "Very Lucky Stone", peace, serenity, memory, increases vitality, encourages harmony, inspires wisdom, prolongs life. . Each with its own slightly different use. Green: Health, wealth, longevity stone. Ancient Chinese used it also for courage, wisdom, justice, mercy, emotional balance, stamina, love, fidelity, humility, generosity, peace, harmony, lungs, heart, thymus, immune, kidney and blood detoxification and the nervous system. It is a very popular gemstone projecting universal love, health, wealth and long life. One of the most pure and serene stones, it carries the "wisdom of the ages". Combining the powers of heaven and earth it can inspire you to make clear choices quickly, leading to the path of true joy and abundance. Can treat disorders of the heart and spleen. Brings out the deep peace from within. Dispels negativity. Powerful in balancing emotions. Encourages change, heroism. Promotes idealism and beauty. Increases fertility, longevity.  Brings needed energy. Facilitates healing, meditation, Considered a "Dream Stone." Benefits female discomfort. (http://www.creativegiftsofhealing.com/stoneguide.htm)

The benefits of the Jade roller are amazing. Take one home next time you are in to take advantage daily of all the effects listed. I use mine every night before bed. It is a very relaxing way to wind down at the end of the day!

Seaweed...in your bath??

Its that time of year….its getting cold out… your skin is starting to get dry…and you body is feeling a little stagnant. The perfect fix is easier than you think. Have you tried taking a seaweed bath at home? It is as easy as buying dried seaweed and adding it to your hot bath. The properties and benefits of  seaweed are out of this world!

The lymphatic system washes and filters waste products from your body's cells and tissues, carrying these wastes to elimination organs such as the kidneys, liver and skin. The lymph system can get congested and stagnant over time. Seawater can be used to cleanse and rejuvenate the body. A weekly seaweed bath can stimulate lymph circulation and help return your lymphatic system to optimal performance.

Seaweed supports detoxification and the elimination of excess fluid in body tissues. Its electromagnetic action releases fluid from congested cells and dissolves fatty wastes, according to "Healthy Healing." Other benefits to the body's lymph system include boosting immunity, raising energy levels and promoting stress relief.

Seawater contains many trace minerals that support the endocrine system. While soaking in a seaweed bath, your body can absorb these nutrients directly into its bloodstream, which provides nourishment and promotes healing. Brown seaweed varieties have a high concentration of iodine, which facilitates detoxification, stimulates metabolism and boosts thyroid gland activity. The high vitamin K content in seaweed boosts adrenal gland activity to balance stress and reproductive hormone levels.

Researchers say seaweed bathing promotes increased circulation of blood and lymph flow and has been used as an anti-cellulite remedy. The increased circulation can even help your body burn fat! J

Thalassotherapy also helps heal surface wounds, firms the skin, improves skin tone and helps the skin retain moisture.

Whoa! So go home run a nice warm bath….and for goodness sakes add some seaweed to it for all of these benefits!

 

Is Group Acupuncture for you???

Group style acupuncture is growing increasingly popular across America… And for good reason-- We are in desperate need of affordable, preventive and holistic care.  Beyond the obvious (acupuncture given in a group setting), it is a way to receive care that in many ways transcends the benefits of  private  treatments.

 Just as with anything that is done in a group, the effects can be amplified. The results can actually be more effective both on the physical and on the mental-emotional level.

The cost is greatly reduced, making this an incredibly affordable way to practice self-care, to recover from pain/injury, or treat any of the other imbalances that acupuncture is known to help. Here it is sometimes less than what most people spend on coffee and snacks during one day!! 

FAQ about group acupuncture:



Is there any privacy or does everyone get to hear what I say? 

Answer: Our room is very peaceful and calming with music playing as well as a “white noise” machine going. This makes it a little more difficult to be heard unless talking is loud. If you are a very private person that is coming in for something you do not want people to know anything about you may want to have a private session first to do a private full interview.

Do I have to take clothes off? 

Answer: No. Just your shoes and socks, and maybe a sweater of jacket if you are wearing one. you will want to wear something comfortable like workout clothes.

Is it as effective as a private treatment?

 Answer: Yes!! Jessica uses the same techniques and attention as she does in a private session.  

What if I can’t relax with others in the room? 

Answer: 

Because Acupuncture itself is deeply relaxing along with the relaxing environment , people usually don’t have too much trouble letting themselves relax but for some people it make take a few group sessions to get used to.

  How often do I need to come? 

Answer: Depends on what you are being treated for. Sometimes people come in 2 times per week for a couple of weeks, then decrease to once per week, then down to a “tune-up” schedule of what works for them (usually once per month or per season).

Now through December 1st we are offering an intoductory price of $10 so everyone can try it out! If you are one of those people who has always wanted to try acupuncture this is a good way to get in for only $10 to see what you think.  Jessica has group acupuncture sessions every weekend. Our Facebook and Twitter feeds can keep you up to date on the times or you can contact Jessica@skinzenpdx.com 

CRAVING local businesses!

Last night was the launch of CRAVE Portland guide. It is so inspiring to be part of a guide that has a group of such amazing women entrepreneurs who are all following their dreams and making it happen! This book is definitely something you need to check out as it is the ultimate guide to Portland women owned businesses.

Here is a sneak peak of some of my favorite quotes from the book!

What tip would you give women who are starting a business?

                “Bury all fears of failure in a bow, lock it up and throw away the key. Any passionate woman can nurture a business into success with focus and determination.”- Jasmine Tran of Essance

What tip would you give women who are starting a business?

                “Be exactly who you are. Clients will resonate with that and come back for more.”- Brandie Kajino of SOHO Solutionist

                “Remember your sisterhood! Reach out for help, and it will be there. Business is not about cutthroat competition anymore. We are most successful when we help each other thrive.”- Juniper Martin of Juniper Martin, MD

Oh and did I mention there are discounts offered from the businesses in the back of the book! : ) No matter what your CRAVING there is something for you. Available at Skin Zen, come pick one up and check out all the awesome women owned businesses!

My Sister! My Friend! My Business Partner….?

  When I tell people I have a business with my sister I hear everything from “That would be my dream to open a business like that with my sisters,” to “I don’t think I could do something like that with my sister!” But business wasn’t always something we did together. As a kid I started many businesses….The Babysitter’s Club, The We Love Kids Club, The Cleaning Club, the list goes on but I’m just now noticing that they always seemed to end with ‘Club!’ They made a decent profit, in fact we once made enough to take the entire company to see the Nutcracker. The ‘entire company’ was always the same: myself as President, my best friend Danielle as Treasurer, my other best friend Brittney as Secretary, and my younger sister Marcy…definitely not ever included! And I think she was totally fine with that, she didn’t seem too interested.

Fast forward about 15 years and here Marcy and I are running Skin Zen Acupuncture and Esthetics (She wouldn’t let me name it The Skin Zen Club J nor was I allowed to be designated ‘President’). How did this all come about? I was in the middle of acupuncture school and Marcy was trying to decide what career path to take. We wanted to find something she would like to do that would fit nicely with acupuncture so we could start a business together. Well, Marcy wasn’t up for Medical school J, insurance billing sounded boring to her, and I couldn’t talk her into massage school either, so finally we found an esthetician program that focused on natural skincare. I’ll admit it, I had to kind of talk her into it, but she jumped in with the vision of combining our skills for one awesome business. Luckily, it turned out she happened to absolutely love learning and practicing natural skincare. Plus, she ended up being completely amazing at the treatments too, if I do say so!

So here we are with our business and we both absolutely love our jobs and being able to make our own decisions, but what’s it really like starting a business with your sister? For us, our personalities and strengths are different enough from each other that it works to our advantage. While we are always respectful of each other and are really drama-free, we can say things to each other that some wouldn’t be able to say to a co-worker or business partner. For example, when I ask what she thinks of the advertising flyer I made, she can just cut right to it and say “That color is so ugly!” And I have no problem nagging her about posting the blog I wrote. Not that we don’t ever get on each other’s nerves, but we aren’t worried about offending each other.

As we continue to build our business together, we push ourselves and each other to provide the best possible care and service to our customers. We are just living our dream of loving our work, and we’re looking forward to adding another sister to the business once she’s old enough…we think we have our youngest sister talked into joining us as a massage therapist once she’s 18!

A sister is both your mirror and your opposite.

You can kid the world, but not your sister.

Why I Love Acupuncture

  Being an acupuncturist, people assume I love acupuncture, but people are constantly asking, “How in the world did you end up doing acupuncture?”  It seems even more unlikely to have happened since I grew up in a very small town that had never had an acupuncturist.  I knew about acupuncture and had even seen it done at a young age because my family had used it to heal a variety of things. But the thought of ever doing acupuncture as a career had never crossed my mind even once. It wasn’t until my second year of college when I wrote a paper about Chinese Medicine that I really became interested in what it had to offer. After three years of studying acupuncture at the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine, the things that intrigued me when I first learned about it are same reasons I still love the medicine today. Here are a just few of the things I love about Oriental Medicine:

·         Nature: Oriental Medicine uses nature to explain and diagnose things going on in the body. For example, a redness of the skin may be ‘heat’ or an involuntary shaking of the body is addressed as ‘wind.’

·         Treating the unexplained: Since it was created thousands of years ago when there weren’t modern diagnoses, Chinese Medicine is designed to treat symptoms or patterns. This means that even if a person’s illness or symptoms can’t be labeled as a specific Western medicine diagnosis, a Chinese Medicine diagnosis can be given and treated with acupuncture, herbs, or other modalities.

·         Considers the entire body and a root cause: A Chinese Medicine diagnosis doesn’t just look at the one issue or symptom the patient is complaining about, but considers everything else going on in the body as well in order to look for a root cause to resolve. For example, if a person has neck pain it is a problem local to that area, but there may also be other internal causes that need to be treated as well.

·         Balance: Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine are all about balance- balance in the body, balance of yin and yang, and overall balance in life. This just makes sense to me because in general too much or too little of anything can be a problem.

·         It works!!: No matter what people may say about acupuncture and whether we know exactly how it works or not, the fact is it does work! While every person responds differently to any treatment, I watch it help and amaze people all the time!

And that is exactly why I love acupuncture and I love sharing it with people every day!

By: Jessica Tatieze, LAc, Skin Zen Acupuncture & Esthetics

The truth about Sun/Sunscreen

 Since we haven’t had much sun this summer, I feel like when it did finally arrive we all ran out to bask in the rays all day. (Including me!)  I myself needed a little reminder about the damages the sun causes when it does arrive. So I turned to The Complete Beauty Bible to remind me to stay in the shade for a little while. These are the top 6 sun truths on my list that remind me to be smart about my sun time.

Truth #1: There is no safe tan! I understand how good it feels to be tan…BUT it is not worth the risks! Either get a spray tan….OR embrace your white but healthy skin J

Truth #2: UVA rays are the sun’s silent killers. Yep that’s right! You cant feel them but they are the main cause of skin cancer and wrinkles! They also penetrate through glass windows.

Truth #3: Damage to your skin from the sun begins within the first minutes your exposed to sunlight…Not when you start feelin the burn!

Truth #4: Not wearing sunscreen because its cloudy or not very hot? Even on a cloudy day the suns rays are causing damage. (Those dang UVA rays)

Truth #5: According to the FDA, a products SPF tells you how long you can stay in the sun while wearing it without getting burned. Not a lot of people are aware of exactly how this works. If it normally takes you 20 minutes in the sun before turning pink, and SPF 15 product will let you stay in the sun for 5 hours without burning. The formula is 20(minutes) X (SPF number) = 300 (minutes). That only applies if you are not swimming or sweating. If you are getting wet, reapply every 60-90 minutes.

Truth #6: Waterproof sunscreens aren’t actually waterproof. The FDA is order manufactures to eliminate such a claim from sunscreen labels. Sunscreen can be water RESISTANT..but not waterproof. Water-resistant sunscreens need to be reapplied every 40-80 minutes if you are swimming.

So don’t let this scare you indoors for the rest of the summer…just remember to be smart…limit your time out in the sun…and apply/reapply your sunscreen!! J