Help! Stop my neck from sagging!

Thanks to our laptops and phones, “tech-neck” is a real thing… but don’t worry, there are ways to protect and rejuvenate the neck and chin!

“Girl, the skin around my neck is starting to sag… is there anything I can do to tighten it that actually works, besides some kinda surgery?” I get this kind of question a lot and the answer is yes! There are several things you can do to protect the skin of your neck as well as enhance the muscle tone of the whole area. Lots of products claim they have a ‘tightening’ effect but even if these do offer any kind of enhancement it is always temporary. Relying on topical treatments is the equivalent of putting a scarf over your skin disguising the issue without getting to the root cause of it. Here are some easy rituals to add to your day to improve muscle tone, stimulate skin regeneration and improve the overall look and feel from your chin down:

• Incorporate a Gua Sha practice into your skin care routine- Gua Sha is an ancient practice that utilizes a smooth stone to stimulate lymph flow, tone muscles and flush the skin with nutrient rich oxygenated blood. You can literally iron out your wrinkles and fine lines with daily use.

• Apply a cold compress to the area every day- The application of a cool/cold compress stimulates an immediate drawing response activating the piloerector muscles improving muscle tone to the area.

• Always bring your skincare down the neck and chest- All those luscious ingredients will benefit and support the skin of your neck and chest as well as your face! And don’t forget the SPF.

Start doing these rituals every day and watch the tone and feel of your skin improve! You got this!

Need more of a custom plan? I’m currently offering one-on-one virtual sessions! Send me a message to schedule yours now.

Need a Gua Sha stone? Check out these in the online shop.

xoxo

Chelsea

Heal: BLUblox Glasses and Your Wellness

One of the easiest/non-toxic ways to boost your overall skin health and wellness is to eliminate exposure to nonnative blue light frequencies after dark. The light that comes from our screens (phone, tablet, computer, tv, car, etc.) has blue and green light frequencies that disrupt our hormone production. When our eyes are exposed to that light, it triggers the release of cortisol and suppresses melatonin since the brain thinks it must be solar noon (since that is the only time when those blue and green colors are visible in natural sunlight). So, let’s say that it’s 8pm and you are sitting down to unwind from a long day by binging a little on Netflix. The blue flickering light from your tv suppresses your melatonin production making it more difficult for you to fall asleep and get quality restful zzzzzs! 

Natural light vs. artificial light:

Blue light is found both naturally and artificially. When you go outside blue light is emitted from the sun which is essential in regulating your sleep and wake cycles and your body clock. Blue light has also been shown to improve alertness, reaction times and create a sense of wellness. Blue light from the sun is essential as it is accompanied by all the other colors from the light spectrum, making it a balanced and healthy light source. In winter months when the sun does not come out we can suffer from Season Affective Disorder (S.A.D) which lowers mood and heightens feelings of depression and anxiety.

The blue light found on our phone screens and led light bulbs at home are not accompanied by the full color spectrum and end up damaging our mitochondrial function in addition to messing up our hormone production. 

Why is melatonin so important?

Not only does melatonin tell your body that it’s time to rest by controlling your circadian rhythms, it is the number one cancer fighting hormone in our body due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. That doesn’t mean you should start downing melatonin supplements (although there is an anti-cancer treatment that involves mega dosing melatonin that some alternative oncology centers use), but you can see why it’s so important to make sure you are supporting your body’s natural production!

Enter my favorite blue light blocking hack: Blublox glasses. These glasses block all the harmful blue and green light frequencies so you can maintain your habits of using electricity and screens after dark without ruining your hormone production. 

BLUblox lenses are manufactured under heavily QC's optics laboratory conditions. They have 3 different lenses listed below:

• The Sleep+ glasses align with the academic literature and block 100% of blue and green light from 400-550nm. They are to be worn post-sunset.

• The SummerGlo glasses block out blue light from 400-450nm, this is the frequencies of light that damage the eyes, cause digital eyestrain and disrupt your hormones. The cleverly designed yellow tint also causes a hormone boost during the day making you feel absolutely great!

• The BluLite Computer glasses filter down blue light by around 40% across the entire blue spectrum between 400-495nm. This allows for less eye strain, headaches and dry eyes

In addition to providing a great product, Blublox has a community initiative as well. Through their partnership with RestoringVision, a non-profit dedicated to providing new, high quality, reading glasses to those who would otherwise not have access, they help to give the gift of sight to people living in impoverished communities around the world. Their mission it to restore hope and the opportunity for a better quality of life in developing countries by restoring their ability to see clearly, work, read, learn, perform daily tasks and provide for themselves and their families. For every pair of BLUblox glasses that are sold, they sponsor a brand new pair of reading glasses to an individual in need, helping them to experience the world differently.

BLUblox has lots of stylish frames and you can even get them in your prescription. I get tons of compliments on mine and I have noticed such a difference in my sleep! Follow the button below to their website and use code WHOLELISTIC for 15% off!

Protect: Ingredients To Avoid In Your Personal Care Products

At this point we have all become aware of how important it is to pay attention to what we put in & on our bodies. Our skin is a direct path to our blood stream so I recommend being extra cautious when choosing personal care products. As “natural” & “clean” skin care has become popular there has also been an increase in “green washing” marketing. Just because something is labeled as organic or natural, doesn’t necessarily mean it is totally free of concerning ingredients. This list of potentially harmful ingredients to avoid in your personal care products was originally put together by Becky Kuehn of Oncology Spa Solutions (where I received my Oncology Esthetics certification). Screen shot this list so you have access to it when considering new products:

Fragrance- top concerns: Allergies, toxicity, skin sensitivity, dermatitis, immune toxicant, neurotoxicity, cancer, endocrine disruption. May also be labeled as: Naticide, Conarom H-3 (a blend of) PPG-2 methylether, piperonal and phenylpropanol, Conarom E (a blend of) PPG-2 methylether, piperonal and phenylethanol, Conarom P (a blend of ) Phenylethanol, caprylyl glycol and trideceth-8, BHT, BHA, DBP, DEP, DMP, Benzyl Alcohol, Citral, Citronellols, Eugenol, Geraniol, Hexyl Salicylate, Isoeugenol, Methylionone, Phenylacetaldehyde, Antioxyne b, Antrancine 1 2, Eec no. e320, Embanox, Nipantiox, 1-f, Protex, Sustane 1-f, Tenox BHA

Phthalates- top concerns: cancer, toxicity, allergies and endocrine disruption. May also be labeled as DBP, BBP, DEHP, 1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid, dibutyl este, dbp, di-n-butylphthalate, dibutyl 1,2-bensenedicarboxylate, dibutyl ester 1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid, dibutyl phthalate, benzene-o-dicarboxylic acid di-n-butyl ester; celluflex.

Triclosan- top concerns: persistence, bio accumulation, organ system toxicity, endocrine disruption, eye, skin and lung irritant. May also be labeled as 5-chlora-2- (2,4-dichlorophenoxy) phenol, 2,4,4’-trichlora-2’-hydroxy diphenyl ether, 5chloro2, trichloro-2’-hydroxydiphenyl ether, ch 3565; irgasan; irgasan dp300; phenol. 

Formaldehyde- top concerns: Cancer, toxicity, immunotoxicity, irritation and endocrine (hormone) disruption, mutagenic. May also be labeled as DMDM Diazolidinyl Urea, Quaternium 15 and Bronopol, formalin, formid aldehyde, merthaldehyde, methanal, methyl aldehyde, oxomethane, oxymethelyne, aldehyd mravenci, aldehyde formique, aldeide formica, bfv, imidazolidinyl urea, DMDM hydantoin, sodium hydroxymethylglycinate, phenylacetyl urea, a-1348, acetylureum, alpha-phenylacetylurea, carbamide, phenylacetate, carbanmide, cetylureum, comitiadone, eferon, epheron, epiclase. 

DEA & TEA- top concerns: Cancer, allergies and immunotoxicity. May also be labeled as Diethanolamine, Triethanolamine, N, N-diethanolamine, 2,2’-dihydroxydiethylamine, 2,2’-iminobisethanol, 2,2’-iminodiethanol, ethanol 2,2iminobis, DEA, 2,2’-dihydroxydiethylamine, 2’(2-hydroxyethyl) amine, 2,2’,2”-Nitrilotris-; 2,2’,2”-Nitrilotris, TEA, TROLAMINE, Nitriloriehanol, Alkanolamine 244, Daltogen, Nitrilo-2,2’,2”, Triethanol, Sterolamide.

Coal Tar Derivitives- top concerns: Cancer, toxicity, allergies, immunotoxicity, endocrine disruption and organ toxicity. 

May also be labeled as Toluene, & BHT, Benzene, methyl, Methylbenzene, Toluol, Antisal 1 a benzene, methyl cp 25, Methacide, Methane, phenul, FD&C or D&C, followed by a color or a number (e.g., FD&C yellow No. 5) allura red, allura red ac, c.i. 16035, c.i. Food red 17. 

Parabens- top concerns: Cancer and endocrine disruption.

May also be labeled as methylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben and ethylparaben.

Propylene Glycol- top concerns: Cancer, toxicity, allergies, hives, eczema, irritaion (eyes, skin or lungs), enhanced skin absorption, dermatitis, sensitizing & organ system toxicity, dryness. 

May also be labeled as 1,2-dihydroxypropane, 2-hydroxypropanol, methylethyl glycol, 1,2-propanedial, propane-1,2-diol, 1,2-propylene glycol, 1,2-propylenglykol, alpha-propyleneglycol, dowfrost, methylethylene glycol, 1,2-propanediol, methyl glycol, and trimethyl glycol, PEG or PPG.

Octoxynols- top concerns: cancer, toxicity, endocrine disruptor, human skin toxicant. 

May also be labeled as Octoxynols with any number behind it, peg-20, PEG-40 octyl phenyl ether, Polyethylene Glycol 2000 Octyl Phenyl Ether, carboxylic acid; polyethylene glycol 1000, polyoxyethylene, nonaethylene glycol octylphenyl ether, antarox a-200, ethoxylated p-tert-octylphenol, hydrol sw, octylphenol polyethoxylate, actylphenoxypolyethoxyethanol, polyethyleneglycol 4- (tert-octyl) phenyl ether, preceptin.

Sodium Laureth Sulfate- top concerns: cancer, allergies and immunotoxicity, 1-4 dioxane contamination. 

May also be labeled as dodecyl sodium sulfate;peg- (1-4) lauryl ether sulfate, polyethylene glycol, poly (oxy-1,2-ethanediyl),a -sulfo-w (dodecyloxy), polyoxyethylene (1-4) lauryl ether sulfate, sodium peg lauryl ether sulfate; sodium polyoxyethylene. 

Ethyl Acetate- top concerns: cancer, neurotoxicity, irritation, organ system toxicity, developmental and reproductive toxicity. 

May also be labeled as Acetic acid, Ethyl ester, Ethyl ester acetic acid, Acetic acid ethyl ester, Acetic ether, Acetidin, Acetoxyethane, Aethylacetat, Essigester, Ethyl acetate (acgih:osha), Ethyl acetic ester, Ethyl ethanoate.

Aluminum- top concerns: cancer, rash, irritation, immunotoxicity, endocrine disruption, impaired kidney function, bone disease and tissue damage and has been found in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients.

May also be labeled as Aluminum zirconium, aluminum zirconium tetrachlorohydrex glycine complex, Aluminum zirconium trichlorohydrex gly.

Mineral Oil/ Petrochemicals- top concerns: Immunotoxicity, Organ system toxicity, alleries and cancer. 

May also be labeled as mineral oil, liquidum paraffinum, paraffin oil, paraffin wax, petrolatum and toluene.

Oxybenxone- top concerns: Developmental and reproductive toxicity, allergies, immunotocixity, endocrine disruption, enhanced absorption, organ system toxicity, ecotoxicology, bio chemical and cellular level changes.

May also be labeled as benzophenone-3, 2-benzoyl-5-methoxyphenol; 2-hydroxy-4methoxybenzophenone; (2-hydroxy-4-methoxyphenyl) phenylmethanone; methanone, phenyl-methanone; benzophenone-3, oxybenzone 6; methanone, b3; durascreen; solaquin.

The good news is that you are in control here. You can choose where you invest your money, energy and time in order to protect yourself and your family. All of the products offered at Wholelistic Esthetics have been researched and curated so you can feel confident in the safety of all treatments.