This quick and easy tip is great for the wintertime and also helpful if you want to learn how to help your dry skin and save some money! I’m going to teach you how to make a mask at home using your moisturizer which may be coming up to its due date! So I have a ton of moisturizers at home, actually I kind of feel funny about how many moisturizers I have, it’s a lot, like I have an abundance of stuff and sometimes you find certain moisturizers are not your favourite. I would recommend that these moisturizers would be a perfect candidate to use in the creation of your at home mask.
I would also recommend not using any moisturizer that has like a glycolic, lactic acid or anything with vitamin C, this is because it would be too potent on the skin. You will want to make your mask using strictly a hydrating moisturizer which is filled with either ceramides, hyaluronic acid or anything else like that aloe.
So what you’re going to do to make the mask is:
Add about 2 tbs of moisturizer onto your hand
Apply to your face leaving a thicker layer (be sure not to rub it in)
Leave it on for 20 minutes
Rinse off with warm water and pat your face with a towel to dry
This simple mask will help to boost your hydration as well as use up your excess products before they expire. This is perfect to use in the winter as our skin can become very dehydrated and dry (which means lack of oil) during the colder months.
Hi! My name is Shawna Patruno and I am the founder of Reawakening Beauty. I have been a vegan for the past 3 years and love making healthy, simple vegan recipes. This blog contains a collection of my favourite 5 Valentine’s Day recipes. All my recipes are Vegan, Gluten Free and are low in Sugar. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!
Reawakening Beauty: Valentine’s Days Recipe #1
Reawakening Beauty: Rose Hot Chocolate for a Healthy Glow
Rose Hot Chocolate for a Healthy Glow
Ingredients:
2 tbs Cacao Powder
1/2 tbs Beet Root Powder
1 /2 tsp Rose Powder
2 drops Stevia
1 cup Water
1/4 cup Unsweetened Almond or Cashew Milk
Toppings
Vegan Coconut Whipped Cream
Editable Rose Pedals (optional)
Instructions
Add 1 cup of water into a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature to low heat and add all ingredients. Whisk occasionally. Remove from stove and pour into a mug. Top with vegan coconut whipped cream and editable rose petals or additional cacao powder and cinnamon.
Benefits:
Cacao powder has been said to aid in healthy skin. Studies have shown that longer term use of cacao powder can contribute to sun protection and improve the surface and texture of your skin. Rose has also been said to have a calming effect.
Follow Reawakening Beauty and Reawakening Beauty Podcast for more skin tips, self care tips and recipes.
**Feel free to message me if you would like to learn more healthy skin tips.
Reawakening Beauty: Vegan Valentine’s Day Recipe #2
Reawakening Beauty: Vegan Rose Glow Elixir Latte for Gorgeous Skin
Vegan Rose Glow Elixir Latte
Ingredients:
3/4 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk or Coconut Milk
1/4 cup Filtered Water
1 tsp Organic Rose Powder
3 tsp Organic Red Beet Crystals
1 tsp Cinnamon
2 drops Stevia
Garnish with Edible Rose Petals for Presentation
Instructions
Add 3/4 cup of Almond Milk to a pot and simmer to just before boiling then reduce heat to lowest temperature. Add into the pot the room temperature filtered water and remaining ingredients. Whisk until blended and remove from the stove. Add to a cup. Optional for presentation lightly sprinkle a pinch of Rose Powder and Red Beet Crystals on top and enjoy!
Benefits: Rose powder is said to be anti aging and calming for the nervous system and is loaded with polyphenols & antioxidants, which is great for good health and gorgeous skin.
Follow Reawakening Beauty and Reawakening Beauty Podcast for more skin tips, self care tips and recipes.
**Feel free to message me if you would like to learn more healthy skin tips.
Reawakening Beauty: Vegan Valentine’s Day Recipe #3
Preheat oven to 320°F. Wash strawberries thoroughly. Mix chocolate ingredients together in an oven safe dish and place in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes stirring at the halfway point. Line a baking sheet or pan with parchment paper. Dip each strawberry or raspberry in the chocolate mix to lightly coat and place on the parchment paper. Put in the fridge to chill for about 60-90 minutes before consuming. Store in fridge for only 3 days.
Benefits: Cacao is known as a “superfood” because of its antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins. It also has been said to bring down inflammation and boost collagen formation.
Follow Reawakening Beauty and Reawakening Beauty Podcast for more skin tips, self care tips and recipes.
**Feel free to message me if you would like to learn more healthy skin tips.
Reawakening Beauty: Vegan Valentine’s Day Recipe #4
Reawakening Beauty: Healthy Glow Vegan Chocolate Fondue for Valentine’s Day
Healthy Glow Vegan Chocolate Fondue for Valentine’s Day
Chocolate Fondue Ingredients
3-4 tbs Organic Virgin Coconut Oil
1 1/2 tbs Cacao Powder
1/4 cup Keto Vegan Chocolate Chips
Optional Dipping Ingredients
Blackberries
Blueberries
Strawberries
Pineapple
Vegan Keto Chocolate Chip Cookies
Instructions
Preheat oven to 320°F. Mix chocolate fondue ingredients together in an oven safe dish and place in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes stirring at the halfway point.
Remove from the oven and dip your favourite fruit into the chocolate fondue and enjoy!
Cacao is known as a “superfood” because of its antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins. It also has been said to bring down inflammation and boost collagen formation.
Follow Reawakening Beauty and Reawakening Beauty Podcast for more skin tips, self care tips and recipes.
**Feel free to message me if you would like to learn more healthy skin tips.
Reawakening Beauty: Vegan Valentine’s Day Recipe #5
1/4 cup Organic Fatso Almond Butter (or Fatso Peanut Butter but only if you aren’t actively breaking out)
1/8 cup Keto Vegan Chocolate Chips (*sweetened with Stevia)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 320°F. Mix ingredients together in an oven safe bowl. Place the bowl in the oven for 10 to 15 mins stirring occasionally. Remove from oven and pour into desired BPA-free food grade chocolate mold, I used hearts for Valentine’s Day! Place in the fridge for 2 hours. Remove from fridge and carefully pop each one out of the holder. Store in the freezer to avoid melting.
Benefits: Cacao powder has been said to aid in healthy skin. Studies have shown that longer term use of cacao powder can contribute to sun protection and improve the surface and texture of your skin & coconut oil is antibacterial and anti microbial.
Follow Reawakening Beauty and Reawakening Beauty Podcast for more skin tips, self care tips and recipes.
**Feel free to message me if you would like to learn more healthy skin tips.
Today we’re going to be talking a little bit about serums! This blog is for anyone who is concerned with their skin, wants to understand how to better take care of their skin, and learn more about what different products are available. I like talking about everything related to mind, body, skin and soul and I’m writing this blog because I think so many people are not educated enough on their products and exactly how they work. A lot of people just end up buying things off the shelf without understanding what it is they are buying, and this can end up significantly hurting their skin. I’m telling you this because I’ve personally done that in the past when I was first starting out and so I’m going to be the person who will walk alongside you so that you can avoid the same problems I experienced.
A serum is essentially a highly packed power punch to your routine. There are so many different serums on the market for all different skin types. There are ones which have vitamin C, these help with brightening, tightening and lightening the skin. There are hydration serums and there are serums that can help with acne. You have to be very careful which picking which serum is right for you because we all have different skin types. You might think, “oh she knows my skin or he has nice skin”, I’ll just use whatever they are using, but it’s important for you to know that it does not mean that product is suited for you. It’s always best to do a consultation and discover what skin type you have before you go buying stuff off the internet. I’ve seen a lot of people make certain mistakes, such as not knowing how certain products can counter indicate each other, and what happens is they end up hurting their own skin in the long term.
There are different types of serums, I personally like a hydration serum as it’s basically just a water texture. Serums penetrate a little bit deeper down into the skin. There are basically three different layers to our skin, we have the epidermis, the dermis, and the hypodermis. Typically commercial skincare is just going work on the top layer but because the molecule structure of a serum is a little bit finer, it actually penetrates deeper within the skin. So, if people are concerned with having an active breakout and they’re using a moisturizer, it’s not really helping to moisturize, that’s because it’s designed to protect the skin barrier from the elements whereas a serum is more corrective. A serum is actually going to give you more of that corrective factor. I always tell people, you’re going to need a basic regime such as a cleanser, and I really do believe in a double cleanse and a serum which is basically the power punch to your routine. So just depending on what you’re trying to target, your skin is going to be different. For myself going into the winter months, I like to use a hydrating serum as this is going to add more water content into the skin because where I live it’s cold and we are constantly going back and forth from the heated indoors and into the frigid weather. This back and forth takes a hit on the skin and basically how your cells are reacting, and if your skin is not properly hydrated, a lot of people don’t know this, but you can’t really do anti-aging. Say you’re going to the gym and you’re doing a workout but you didn’t drink enough water, you’re not really going to do a great workout, your skin cells are kind of the same. Essentially make sure that you’re constantly hydrating your skin. I would recommend looking for products which have hyaluronic acid in them. The one I am using has aloe, hyaluronic acid, a few other ingredients in it.
When you’re applying your serum, what you want to do is press into the skin because the molecule structure is a little finer. I like to actually rub it between my hands and press into my skin. I’m constantly pushing in because I want the molecule structure to go into the deeper layers. I’ll do that my forehead, my face, all over my neck and decolletage. Decolletage is the lower neckline area, and you want to do this because these are all areas that you can see signs of aging, dehydration, acne and so on. You are going to want to use your cleanser and your toner first, then apply your serum and finally your moisturizer. The amount of serum that you’re going to be applying will depend on your face and how far down the neckline you’re going, but I would say about a pump and a half is a good amount. You’re going to rub it between your hands, and then you’re going to start gently pressing it into your skin. Typically, you will apply this on damp skin, especially if you have a hyaluronic acid serum, because the hydronic acid will pull all the moisture from your skin. Afterwards you are going to partner that with a moisturizer. There are different types of serums for acne prone skin but I really wanted to focus this blog on hydration, and if you ask me what is most important thing for your skin, I would say internal hydration and external hydration. So, if you’re going to start off with a serum, just to play it safe and start with hydration. A lot of the times people have dehydration lines and they think it’s aging but it’s actually not, it just means you’re just dehydrated. I would recommend to start drinking eight glasses of water or as much water as you can throughout the day. I believe there is a calculator online based on your weight and your height which will tell you how much water you should be having.
I went out a little bit of a tangent here, but I hope that was helpful. I love sharing all the things related to mind, body, skin and soul and you can find more content on all my platforms. Alright, talk to you later. Bye!
Dry brushing is something that I’ve personally done for about two years now and in this blog, I will be explaining about what dry brushing is, how to properly use it and what are the benefits of dry brushing.
What is Dry Brushing?
Dry brushing is a method of gently brushing your skin using a specialized body brush with bristles made from natural material which range from soft to hard.
How to properly use a Dry Brush?
So, now I’m going to explain exactly how to use my dry brush. This is something you are going to want to do before you shower. Before starting you will want that remove any jewelry or crystals, as I always have crystals on me. Start by brushing towards the heart. The reason why is because you want a blood flow which moves towards your heart. You are also going to want to start with the smallest limb, so typically I like to start with my hands, and brush in short strokes towards the heart. I continue brushing towards my heart and begin to move slowly up my arm. It is also safe to brush on your armpit if you would like too as well. Once I have completed one arm I move to the other and do the same motion there. Once both arms are finished, I like to gently dry brush my neck area, but be sure to brush in a very gentle motion as the skin is more sensitive here. Finally, I move onto my legs. Again, I start with the smallest limb, so my feet, and I brush gently in short even motions towards the heart. Continue brushing up towards the groin area as this is said to help with detoxification by supporting getting your blood flowing. Once one leg is done move onto the other.
What are the benefits of Dry Brushing?
Dry brushing helps with a lot of different benefits including helping to wake up your circulatory system, helping to detoxify the skin, decreasing cellulite, and helping to make your skin more radiant and glowing. It’s also really good for people who have sensitive skin, especially if you have reactions to different products, this is a very natural way to exfoliate the body. Dry brushing also helps with inflammation because you are getting rid of the toxins in your body. Since doing dry brush I have noticed that my skin looks more youthful. Before dry brushing, I used to notice that my elbows were looking a little bit aged as I was getting older, and dry brushing really helped to improve that. But my favorite benefit about dry brushing would be that it helps with waking you up. I love doing this in the wintertime as people tend to be a little bit more tired during winter and this will help to wake you up make you feel great.
What to look for when buying a Dry Brush?
The type of bristle that you have on your actual brush will make a huge difference. There are some in the market which are low quality and can actually scrape your skin, so be sure not to push hard because you can actually injure yourself. You want to go with a softer bristle which is not too hard. There was a store in Burlington that I got my original one from but unfortunately, they closed so I’m currently on the lookout for a new one to recommend (sorry there).
If you guys have any other questions on dry brushing or on other things that I do for myself during the wintertime please reach out to me.
Check out my other platforms for additional information related to all things mind, body, skin and soul.
If you liked this blog, check out my recipes page which contains different recipes to improve your skin.
If you have sensitive skin, these are some things you’re going to definitely want to avoid.
Number 1: Avoid anything that has added fragrance. You’re definitely going to want to shelf these while your skin is rebounding to allow for good healing.
Number 2: Avoid anything that’s super stimulating for your skin. You might want to avoid retinol, AHA’s, and Vitamin C, essentially anything that’s going to overly stimulate the skin. Look for products that have calming and soothing ingredients such as green tea, tiger grass, aloe or probiotics.
Number 3: Avoid extreme hot or cold temperatures when washing your face, just use lukewarm temperatures.
Number 4: Avoid dirty brushes, that’s kind of like a given for all skin types, but make sure you’re washing your makeup brushes regularly.
Number 5: Use singular ingredients or products with a very limited amount of ingredients. When you’re looking on your packaging, ensure it has a small number of ingredients that way you are less likely to react. Also, look into getting allergy tested as often your skin is a reflection of your gut.
So if you have sensitive skin keep in mind that you should avoid these five things to ensure you maintain beautiful, healthy and glowing skin.
We are going to be talking about some really easy tips that you can do to find good skincare, protect your skin in every season and kind of some basic tips that you might be overlooking. So we’re going to start off with something that is highly important when you’re buying your products. Do not store them in a warm place that gets too hot. This is something that a lot of people do, they often want to keep their products in the bathroom where the temperature is changing from hot to cold, but because of the shower humidity it tends to get hot. It actually sometimes can oxidize certain products, especially if you’re opening up the jars and stuff like that. So I personally don’t like to leave my skincare in the bathroom, which is funny that a lot of people actually do. Tip number two, which is often kind of overlooked and something that I would highly recommend, is the expiration dates on your product. So every product will have an expiration date on it. So you want to look, it’s sometimes on the bottom, and it could also be on the top of your products. You want to make sure that you’re looking at the expiration dates and not using your products past the expirations dates. So there’s a few natural skincare products, and it’s great if you’re using natural products, but if these products have natural acids in them, what happens is if the acids expire, I’ve actually heard of it burning people’s skin. So you want to be really careful when you’re using certain products that it won’t do that. It’s not the brand that I work with, but it’s another brand so be mindful of the expiration dates. There’s a reason why there is an expiration and DIN number on each product, and that’s to just keep your skin is happy and healthy. Tip number three to avoid acne, and it’s so basic. And by this way, this is from cupping. Don’t touch your skin. I had a really bad habit and I still do sometimes, you’ll see in my videos that I’m actually just touching my face. So you don’t want to be touching your skin. Especially right now in the times that we’re living in with COVID and all of that, you’re touching things that have bacteria and dirt and oil and then you’re putting it on your skin. It’s not beneficial. It can cause acne, it can cause other irritations. You don’t want to be transmitting bacteria and that kind of thing towards the skin.
Reawakening Beauty Podcast
Listen below to hear the entire Reawakening Beauty episode.
In the latest episode of the Reawakening Beauty podcast, Meg and I sat down to talk about the foods we eat and how they could be impacting our stress levels. Below is a brief little clip from that episode.
Model: Shawna Patruno Photographer: Margaritaua Photography Agency: Orange Models All Rights Reserved
Retinol, also known as Retina A, is such a hot topic for its anti aging properties, keeping pores at bay and helping you keep a clear, blemish free glowing complexion.
Dermatologists talk about it being the gold standard of anti aging ingredients. Retinol helps boost your cell turnover. It helps produce collagen, it’s important as we age to keep our collagen in tact so we can look youthful longer. Collagen depreciates for everybody at about the age of 25. In order to trick the hands of time we can add retinol into our skin care routine and encourage rapid cell turnover so your skin acts younger.
If you are using retinol you’ll need to be using a minimum SPF 30 (the higher the better up to SPF 60) be sure to apply every 3 to 4 hours to protect your new cells and prevent photo-aging (a.k.a dark spots).
Do not apply a retinol in the day time. In all my research and trainings I was told that is a big “no no”. Instead apply at night and allow it work while you sleep. Trust me you will thank me for this tip alone.
Another major tip is to start slow. Start once a week to avoid massive peeling and thinning of the skin. Less is more until you build up.
The seasons and the weather also need to be considered with retinol use. Do not start the use of retinol in the summer months to avoid unneeded sun exposure. Trust me I learned this the hard way. This simple mistake will cost you hundreds of dollars in corrective measures.
Make sure you are using the right moisturizer, you may need to switch for the duration of your retinol routine. Also you’ll need to use a great exfoliator in tandem.
Keep the basics such as a cleanser, toner, moisturizer with SPF 30 to 60 and exfoliator. It’s important to note that retinol is an added tool, not a replacement.
Be careful when applying it and avoid the eye area. The skin around your eye is way too thin and sensitive for this concentration of retinol.
Check with your doctor if you are on any medication that could make your skin thin or sensitive to burning and tell your skin advisor if you have any illness that impacts your skin.
Lastly, create a plan with a professional, don’t go in blind! Most likely you will get pink and when you increase your usage you will peel, this is completely normal.
My most recent beauty find was the OxyGeneo Facial at Allure Medical Spa in Hamilton Ontario. This is a three-in-one facial in which Allure uses medical grade ingredients to ensure you achieve the best results.
Facial Assessment
When I first arrived at Allure I was treated to a skin assessment and cleansing. This process was completed to ensure they found the best beauty treatment for me. They assessed my skin under six different lighting settings allowing them to assess skin damage in all forms including; photoaging, inflammation, texture pigmentation, redness, and fine line wrinkles.
Skin Assessment from Allure Medical Aesthetics
OxyGeneo Facial
An OxyGeneo Facial is a treatment that uses 3 steps to renew and anti age the skin using exfoliation, infusion and adding oxygen into the skin resulting in a beautiful glow.
The ingredients in the facial are said to be vegan, natural and paraben free, which I am a large advocate for. For those who don’t know, parabens can disrupt your hormones and lead to health issues.
The best part about this facial is that it is customizable to suit your individual needs such as balancing, brightening or revitalization (this is the one that I did). It uses red algae to help reduce fine lines, improve texture and give you refreshed hydrated skin. They come in individualized pucks with unique benefits.
Facial Process
The facial is completed in three different steps which are detailed below:
Step 1: Exfoliate
This process removes the topical layer of dead skin. It reminded me of wet microdermabrasion with a bit of a kick. It felt kind of spicy, almost like a chemical peel, which I personally do love. While it was being performed I did however wonder if I would end up looking like a tomato afterwards as I am very prone to redness. Surprisingly I did not!
Step 2: Oxygenate
This uses something called the bohr effect which results in a natural body process that oxygenates blood cells. This process will help your cells to function younger and healthier resulting in a more youthful appearance.
Step 3: Infusion of Serum
During this process things like hyaluronic acid are added for hydration, vitamin C for brightening or anti-aging ingredients like peptides to help increase collagen production.
Facial Results
The Oxygeneo Facial will produce immediate results making your skin baby soft and glowy. As time passes you will begin to see improved texture in your skin and will notice that your products work more effectively. This is the part that I loved the most as normally my skin looks best immediately after a facial, but with the Oxygeneo Facial my skin continued to improve even two weeks after the treatment.
I would recommend booking an appointment with Allure and having them personally assess your skin, and if you choose to do the OxyGeneo Facial ….. Get ready for the ultimate facial experience!
Hi, in case you are new to Reawakening Beauty my name is Shawna Patruno. I review the best skin and body treatments so that you don’t end up wasting your money. I provide you with health hacks to look beautiful, have healthy skin, boost your brain health and feel confident from head to toe.
A while back I was very stressed and so I took a vacation to Blue Mountain. While there I had the opportunity to visit the famous Scandinavian Spa where I got a massage and did the circuit of the baths including; hot tub, cold plunge, sitting by the fire and back into the pool. My amazing friend joined me and I am so glad she did because we rocked the cold baths so much that a man asked if we were training to become a Navy Seal. I told him we weren’t, we were just seeing how far we could push our mind and body into submission. The answer for me was five minutes sitting in a tub filled with freezing cold water.
At this moment you’re probably thinking, that sounds completely unenjoyable, but I assure you after five rounds of doing the circuit your body is forced to relax and you’re submerged into the present moment. The only thing I didn’t love was the locker size and the fact that you had to be completely silent.
“Scandinavian Baths and Hydrotherapy circuits have many benefits including cleansing the body, stimulating blood circulation and releasing of endorphins.”
