“HOUSTON: We have a solution!”

In honor of being back in this great Space City, and also for all of you other superb individuals abroad I have created a solution plan for combating the winter skin blues.

The official first day of fall has come and here we are.

FALL.

For some the change in season(s) is welcomed with parties, fluffy robes, champagne in hand and the dusting off of the most exquisite boots to ever be over worn. Let’s not forget the not so amazing boots that we all love to hate; a.k.a. the “moon boot”-we just can’t help but to have a nasty love affair with them.

And for others (myself being the ringleader of this category) any season NOT SUMMER offers up a bit of an emotional backlash. I immediately turn into the “weird, she- takes- a- sweater-everywhere- lady”, and I cry as anxiety washes over me when the sun goes down at 4:45. As we reminisce of summer days gone by we now must call out over the loudspeaker for a “cleanup on aisle 5!” in regards to our approximate 93 days of perpetual sun worship. So not only are we dealing with

• STRIPPED
• DRY
• SUN-DAMAGED
• DEHYDRATED SKIN

We must now off set the chill, chapped, and crepey flake machine we call our skin.

And here are my go to strategies, products and mindsets (mindsets probably leading the pack in importance).

-Peels for sun damage

Now is the time to erase boo boos made with those long hours in summer celebration. The great fact about peels is the technology is constantly changing and you can choose how aggressive or slow and steady you want to go. I use skincare lines that are pretty aggressive with zero downtime. So companies have come along with their formulations and ingredients.

-MORE WATER THAN YOU THINK. DRINK MORE WATER THAN YOU THINK. Going from dry heated rooms to bitter outdoor cold does its best to strip our natural moisture and water reserves. This dangerous combo impairs our skin’s barrier layer. Once cracked or impaired it becomes more difficult to repair damage as winter goes on. So drink up.

-Eat oil rich foods*. Great whole food oils work wonders internally and can’t help but to show externally resulting in supple skin.

• Avocado-Hoooooooooly moly, guacamole! YES, GUAC IS GOOD!
• Salmon*-Not only does it bear a beautiful hue; salmon is packed with life and skin enriching oils.
• Coconut oil*-‘nuff said
• Some good ol’ nut butters are always a great add…in moderation, and Nutella doesn’t count, sorry.

-The Bible had it right when the words in Exodus were spoken, “Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey…” Honey* heals everything!!! Mix a little honey with coffee grounds’ or sugar to make a glorious bath and body scrub. The honey will heal and soothe damaged skin and being a humectant, honey will seal in your skin’s own water helping against winter chapping. Milk* is a naturally acidic agent formally called lactic acid. Milk has a magical way of removing the skin layer that wants to flake off and peel. If you find that you are consistently dry-I suggest buying powdered milk like the one below and pouring a cup or two in a warm (not scolding hot) bath. After swirling and mixing the powder into the tub drop a few drops of chamomile, lavender, and/or natural rose oil. Chamomile and Lavender soothe and are great oils to use at bedtime, and rose oil is a humectant (locks in water for moisture) and rose oil is also a mood enhancer.

 

 

So now that we covered the strategies portions lets swiftly move on to products, you ready? Let’s go!

PRODUCTS! PRODUCTS! PRODUCTS!

I am not going to bombard you with a ton of products. I am just gonna give you a few of my staples that keep me thriving and jiving all winter long.

 

-BIOELEMENTS lip buff

Chapped lips? Oh, no ma’am not a good look. This buffing treatment has sugar cane crystals (exfoliating), vitamin E (water-binding), Shea butter (oil sheathing), jojoba and olive oil (moisturizing) with several essential oils to comfort and cool. Scrub a dub while you’re in the tub.

-IMAGE balancing lip enhancement complex

And if you have fine lip lines this complex helps soften those lines. This balm has a messenger peptide that tells your own collagen to start working better. The lubrication helps protect the extremely fragile barrier layer of the lips with all organic and petrochemical free ingredients. Puh puh pucker up!

-EPICUREN soothing dermal repair balm

This nectar from the gods has single handedly saved my skin the past few winters. This repair balm is so rich yet is formulated to penetrate so you don’t have to deal with that greasy layer that just sits on your skin’s surface not doing the job. In extreme cases you can wear it in the day as your moisturizer or it can be used only at night as your night cream. Easy peezy.

-BIOELEMENTS multi task eye oil

WHAAAAT? An eye oil? YES! This little bullet of power is chocked full of antioxidants and precious GLA oils. Let me just whet your pallet with a few ingredients: Bulgarian rose oil (moisturizing), Evening primrose (smoothing), and GLA-Gamma Linolenic Acid (essential fatty acids for nourishing). You can carry this with you and if you have to brave less than desirable elements just roll and dab, just roll and dab and you will have a protective curtain for the windows to your soul.

-IMAGE tinted moisturizer

This everyday moisturizer happens to be tinted and also happens to be built with broad spectrum UVA/UVB high sun protection at an SPF 30. This moisturizer provides an even skin tone (clap) and healthy glow (clap clap) so you are covering more ground with less steps and effort applied. Next generation blend of anti-oxidants and the lightweight, sheer formula makes this product one of my absolute MUST HAVES. Oh, and did I mention paraben free? Duh.

And last but definitely not least-

-GLYCOLIC 5% or 10% lotion

Glycolic Acid is magic! It is an alpha hydroxy acid that exfoliates the skin by dissolving dead skin cells. It reduces dead, layering, and smothering skin build up that is responsible for a lot of different kinds of common skin problems. Hyaluronic Acid is activated resulting in the skin’s own ability to bind moisture and lock it in. Glycolic Acid enhances the skin overall appearance by feeling and looking smoother, healthier, and more youthful. 


A few pros:

• Eats away at sun damage and discolorations
• Pores look smaller and more refined
• Helps even out and brighten skin tone
• Reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles

So this is it.

This is all I have.

With a few of these tips Fall can be our best season yet. 

Small tweaks –  powerful impact.

Thrive on,

 Natalie.

* I try to use products and ingredients that are as pure as possible and eat foods that are ethically handled. I believe in being kind to our planet and to the other glorious inhabitants we share her with. This is why I choose the specific products in this blog.

_______________________________

 From CBS’s SURVIVOR to skincare, my sister Natalie Bolton has landed at the VANITY LOUNGE in Houston, TX. (Yay, do you know how happy our mom is to have both her girls back in the Great State!!)  Having the opportunity to fulfill her desire to bring beauty, healing and a sense of well being to men and women alike, Natalie has found her calling. As a state-board licensed aesthetician and certified Epicuren specialist, Natalie enhances the appearance and condition of her clients’ skin and their sense of self. Her specialties include rejuvenation and anti-aging. Natalie is also an expert in the areas of acne and problematic skin.

In Natalie’s own words she shares her personal philosophy, “The mandate for my life is not only bringing beauty to people by external means with new technologies, and cutting-edge technique, my goal is to also refresh the spirit. I pray every morning to bring beauty to the spirit of everyone I touch-so they leave feeling more beautiful and at peace after they leave me. I want to live my life like that as well. I want to leave the world more beautiful than when I found it.”

To book your appointment with Nat, call 713-942-9177 or book online.   Vanity Lounge is located at 2800 Kirby Drive #B110
Houston, TX 77098 in the Tootsies shopping center across from Eddie V’s. 

 

 

 

Photos By Cody Bess