You’re not imagining it: The dreariness of February isn’t just impacting our moods. With a few months of winter already under our belts and another couple to go, the lackluster outdoors are seeping into our bodies, stealing our skin’s glow and our hair’s shine.
But short of dropping big bucks on a spa weekend, what are we to do to combat winter’s icy fingers and bring back our luminous looks? We spoke with four lake-area beauty experts to get their take on how to fight back against the dry, cold weather and create a soothing, relaxing at-home spa ritual that can be repeated as often as necessary.
Nicole Tang, Donna Duffy, Angie Hashemi-Rad, and Jan Hendricks. Photos courtesy of Nicole TAng, Katie Hancock, Angie Hashemi-Rad and Williams Publications, Inc.
The Experts:
Nicole Tang, expert esthetician at Salon Lili in Minnetonka, has been treating skin for more than 20 years, and has been a beauty industry veteran for more than 25 years. Tang trained at a small beauty school in St. Paul called the Avante School of Cosmetology, and she now specializes in waxing, with an emphasis on Brazilian wax for women.
Donna Duffy, owner of Fusion Lifespa in Wayzata, has been in the skin care industry for 28 years. She trained in France and England, as well as New York, Boston and Philadelphia, and her specialty is anti-aging. She holds certificates in para-medical skin care, aromatherapy, massage therapy, macrobiotics, laser light therapy and reflexology.
Angie Hashemi-Rad, former salon director and current educator in Sanctuary Salon Spa’s training program, graduated from the Aveda Institute in Minneapolis in 1999. She’s been with Sanctuary for nine years, the last seven at the Excelsior location. She specializes in creating natural and youthful looks with luxurious hair color, and has studied advanced color theory and its effects on hair structure.
Jan Hendricks, co-owner of Beauphoria in Wayzata and a hair stylist for 26 years, opened Beauphoria in February 2004. After moving to Minnesota from Montana (where she studied hair care) in 1987, Hendricks worked in local salons and built relationships with other stylists, many of whom now work alongside her at Beauphoria. Their specialty is hair—Beauphoria offers no other services—so each stylist brings a wealth of expertise to their job.
For Healthy Skin and Hair
Winter may bring with it skin- and hair-wrecking weather, but you can fight back with easy routines designed to boost your beauty from the inside out.
- Drink a glass of warm lemon water first thing daily. The vitamin C in the lemon boosts your immune system and helps your body detox, bringing a glow back to your skin, says Duffy.
- Get a monthly facial. Says Tang, “Our skin sheds every 28 days, but as we age, it slows down and needs a little more help.” When we don’t help it out, she says, shed skin can pile up, resulting in dull, lifeless skin.
- Exfoliate at home. You can help your skin regenerate at home with gentle exfoliation. But find a scrub that only uses jojoba beads, and never use abrasive brushes or scrubs with any sort of kernel that can scratch your skin, says Duffy.
- Hydrate your skin with weekly at-home masks. “You can get regular facials, but if you don’t take care of your skin at home, then the salon results are temporary,” Tang says.
- Increase your intake of healthy fats. Adding coconut oil, avocados and fish oils to your diet helps skin and hair repair itself, says Duffy.
- Sleep on a satin or silk pillowcase. It decreases the likelihood of hair breakage overnight, says Hashemi-Rad.
- Don’t wash your hair every day. As we age, says Hendricks, our bodies don’t produce as much oil, and hair can dry out faster. Try shampooing every other day or even less frequently. If you need a boost, Hendricks recommends filling a spray bottle with distilled water and a few drops of lavender and eucalyptus essential oils. Spritz on hair for a pick-me-up without drying out hair.
- Use a humidifier in your bedroom. Keeping moisture in the air, especially overnight, while your body is repairing itself, helps hydrate skin and hair, says Hendricks.
- Avoid excessive heat styling. Take a break from those flat irons and curling wands, says Hashemi-Rad. Too much heat dries out hair, causing breakage.
Creating an At-Home Spa Ritual
The key to creating a relaxing at-home spa experience isn’t just about mixing good-for-your-skin concoctions. It’s also about building an atmosphere of self-care. Duffy recommends lots of candles, your favorite music, essential oils, a soft cozy robe—and sending the kids to Grandma’s for an hour or two!
Set the tone of your ritual with a foot soak. Fill your bathtub with warm water. Add 10 drops of a calming essential oil, like lavender, and a cup of Epsom salts. Soak your feet for 10 minutes before engaging in the rest of your spa ritual. “This will ground you and set the tone,” says Duffy.
For hair, start with a deep cleanse and a hair mask. Choose a mask that best fits your hair type and apply it right after you wash, allowing your hair to absorb the treatment while you proceed with your other spa recipes.
Baking Soda Detox
For a quick home hair detox, use a kitchen staple: baking soda. “The mild abrasiveness removes buildup and opens the hair’s cuticle,” says Hashemi-Rad.
Ingredients:
1 tsp. baking soda
Your regular shampoo
Directions:
Add baking soda to your normal amount of shampoo. Wash as you regularly would and apply your hair mask immediately afterward for the best moisture absorption.
Hydrating Mask
Moisturizing hair is key when winter weather can dry out tresses. Before you apply your mask, says Hendricks, give your hair a gentle but thorough brushing to distribute natural oils from your scalp to your ends. Once you’ve applied your mask and let your hair marinate, rinse it out in the shower, where the extra heat opens up the hair follicle and the oils can moisturize more deeply.
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. coconut oil (for coarser, thicker hair) or sesame oil (for fine hair)
2 drops rosemary essential oil (stimulates hair growth)
2 drops tea tree essential oil (anti-bacterial and treats scalp conditions like dryness, flakiness or dandruff)
Directions:
Mix oil and essential oil and apply from roots to ends, focusing more on dry ends. Gently rub the mixture into roots, giving yourself a relaxing head massage in the process. Twist hair into a bun and secure, to avoid dripping. Leave mask on for at least 20 minutes before gently shampooing out.
Now that you’ve gotten in the spa mindset and applied your hair mask, treat your skin with ingredients you have in your kitchen.
Anti-Aging and Blemish-Fighting Mask
A honey mask is a simple solution for both anti-aging and acne, says Tang. “It’s antibacterial, moisturizing and prevents breakouts.”
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. of raw, organic honey
1 drop tea tree essential oil (optional)
Directions:
Apply a thin layer of honey on your face. Leave on for 10 to 15 minutes. Use warm water to remove. Skin will appear soft and radiant. Bonus acne-buster: Mix a dab of honey with a drop of tea tree essential oil as a spot treatment for blemishes.
Pumpkin Pick-Me-Up Mask
It might be February, but some of the best at-home skin care ingredients are reminiscent of the holiday season. “Fresh pumpkin brightens the complexion and sloughs off dead skin cells with fruit enzymes,” says Duffy. She recommends pairing it with coconut milk, which softens and hydrates, and contains calcium, iron, protein and vitamins A and C, all essential for helping skin glow.
Ingredients:
Several large scoops of puréed pumpkin
¼ can full-fat coconut milk
Directions:
Blend the two ingredients. Cleanse skin and apply mask to face. Leave on for 15 to 20 minutes. Rinse with warm water.
You’ve taken care of your hair and face, but don’t forget about the rest of your body. Hydrate it and improve circulation with a homemade body scrub.
Homemade Body Scrub
“A lot of times,” says Tang, “I feel the body scrubs I can buy aren’t gritty enough. White sugar is amazing for an all-over scrub.”
Ingredients:
1 cup white sugar (its grittiness stimulates lymphatic drainage, which can help prevent colds and infections)
3 Tbsp. olive oil (moisturizes and has anti-aging antioxidants)
Directions:
Combine ingredients in a plastic cup and apply in the shower after washing. Rub it on in small circles (doing this regularly will help prevent and treat cellulite, as it stimulates blood flow and increases circulation). After you’re done showering, you don’t need a body lotion because the olive oil will leave a light moisturizer behind. “Your skin will never feel softer or smoother,” says Tang.
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Fusion Lifespa
18142 Minnetonka Blvd., Wayzata
952.345.3335
Beauphoria
17633 Minnetonka Blvd., Deephaven
952.475.8245
Salon Lili Minnetonka
5757 Sanibel Dr. #1, Minnetonka
952.935.5000
Sanctuary Salon Spa
5615 Manitou Rd., Excelsior
952.474.4412
