Author Archives: Veronica Barton Schwartz

Maintaining Healthy, Beautiful Skin

When we hear the word hydration, we immediately think of water. While water is key to hydration, drinking water isn’t enough to maintaining healthy, beautiful skin. Limiting our skincare regimen to topical solutions is not the only secret to youthful looking skin, you need to incorporate other practices in your daily routine.

Our skin works constantly as an outer protective barrier to the potentially hostile environment around us by regulating the body’s temperature and hydration, and protecting it from the outside air (central heating and air-conditioning included). Just like every other part of the body, our skin needs a good balance of nutrients to help it stay in peak condition.

The surface layer of the skin (epidermis) is formed from layers of flattened cells packed with a substance called keratin. This outer keratin layer needs to be well hydrated to keep their structure intact and work effectively. Oils produced by the skin help to trap water in this layer, and if this fails, the skin can rapidly dry out. As the body ages, the sebaceous glands in the skin, which produces the oils, become less efficient. Skin becomes thinner and the oil glands become less active, which leaves the skin susceptible to lines and wrinkles.

Always maintaning a hydrated skin is important. This not only delays aging and helps prevent wrinkles, but it also keeps the skin healthy and functional. Here are some tips on how to keep your skin hydrated.

Paris

1. Eat foods that nourish the body

Eat a balanced diet, rich in antioxidants as those found in fruits and vegetables. Juicing is a good way to get more fruits and vegetable into your daily diet. Eating avocados and fish can keep your skin hydrated, making it smooth and soft. Omega 3’s (Nordic Naturals) fish oil helps with the moisture level of your skin, and enhances hormonal balance while improving your mood.

2. Stay hydrated

Drinking plenty of fluids not only plumps up the skin, but it helps your immune system. Limit consumption of fluids with diuretic properties like coffee and alcohol. Smoking damages skin and can make the blood vessels narrow, depletes the skin of nutrients, oxygen, and decreases blood flow to the skin. This condition damages collagen and elastin, which are responsible for the skin’s elasticity and strength.

3. Sun exposure and environment

According to the Mayo Clinic, the most important thing a person can do to keep skin looking youthful is to protect it from the sun. Too much sun exposure causes damage to the skin and increases the risk of developing cancer. When exposed to the sun, always wear sunscreen, a four inch brimmed hat, and UV sunglasses.

4. Limit use of dehydrating products

Overuse of soaps and harsh perfumes, or bathing in very hot water too frequently can remove the skin’s natural lubrication, leading to a drying and damaging effect on the skin.

5. Cleanse and exfoliate

The best beauty ritual begins with effective cleansing. Only when there is no trace of dirt particles or makeup on the skin can skin care ingredients deliver their full effect and help the skin. Use cleansers that deep cleanse without stripping skin’s natural oils.

6. Regenerate and revitalize

Choosing the right skin care line is important in maintaining healthy skin. Selecting the right age prevention or anti-aging skincare is critical to achieving the best results. Once you have established your beauty goals, take the time to research the products and ingredients.

Getting a proper skin analysis from a licensed esthetician or dermatologist can helps you to determine what kind of skin you have.

I hope this helps you embrace you skincare routine and stay hydrated!

With Love,
Veronica

“The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mode, but the true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows. The beauty of a woman grows with the passing of years.” – Audrey Hepburn

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There will be a GIVEAWAY and a chance to win these exclusive skin care products (worth $171) on ExtraTV.com after the airing.

Happy Mother’s Day Mom!

I love Mother’s Day.

Being a mother of two beautiful children—Anthony and Lisa—I love taking the time to pause, reflect and celebrate the most important job there is—motherhood. My children have taught me more than I have taught them. They have taught me a depth of love and understanding I never imagined possible. To me motherhood is a spiritual journey. Now my children are grown and have their own children. I’m amazed and grateful for every moment I get to be with them.

My father died when I was very young, so I was brought up without a father. My mother (Renee) pulled double duty to make sure we had everything she could possibly give us. Part of my fascination with skincare was inspired by my mother. Renee taught me about good grooming at a very young age. My mother is 93, and I’m still amazed how she puts herself together everyday.

Veronica and Renee

I was a sun worshiper from the age of 12. I loved the sun and the ocean, and those were the early days of surfing and Bain de Soliel. My mother tried to tell me about the harmful rays of the sun back then, but the beach was calling me. Renee couldn’t believe how tanned I got, and cringed when she saw me. I was proud of my tan…what did I know, I was young and a surfer girl! She’s the one that started my love affair with hats, lotions and french perfumes. Her dresser was always displayed with beautiful perfume bottles and her favorite creams.

After getting my license in skincare and becoming certified in aromatherapy, I tried to reverse the damage of sun exposure to my own skin. Because of the advanced technology in skincare, we’re lucky to have active ingredients in products that really work. These products can help strengthen skin. In my next blog I’ll share with you tips on helping repair sun damage and maintaining healthy skin.

I feel fortunate to be in the spa and wellness industry, where I can explore and research products and treatments and their impact on our physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing.

And more importantly, how fortunate we are to be mothers, have mothers, or have figures in our lives to inspire us and gently guide us.

Happy Mother’s Day!

With Love,
Veronica

The most beautiful necklace a mother can wear is not pearls or gems, but her child’s arms around her neck.

April in Paris – Part 3

I couldn’t wait to show Kendall the Guinot Skin Care headquarters in Paris. I studied and visited with Rene Guinot in the beginning of my career in skin care.

The founder of Rene Guinot was a chemical engineer, and a well known chemist who began working with skin care products in the late 1920’s.

Guinot’s chemistry background allowed him to approach the skin and beauty care market from a scientific viewpoint. In 1930, Guinot achieved his first breakthrough by recognizing that deep cleansing the skin allowed the active ingredients in skin care products to penetrate more deeply. He was one of the first pioneers in skincare to add active ingredients in his products. Over the next several decades, Guinot built up a list of more than 55 biologically active ingredients that could be used to treat various skin types. Guinot also began experimenting with the use of electricity as a means of stimulating the action of the different substances incorporated into his gels and creams.

These innovations were supplied to his wife, who was an esthetician. She used them in her own Parisian SkinCare Salon. By the early 1960’s Guinot’s formulas had begun to attract interest from other spas in Paris.

Rene Guinot

The Rene Guinot Company was started with 22 salons in France. In 1965, Guinot had succeeded in his first breakthrough treatment, which he called “Hydradermie”. The use of special gels applied with the aid of roller electrodes. This is the same treatment used today all over the world at exclusive spas. I’ve been doing this special treatment for 35 years, and it’s still one of the most gentle, thorough, hydrating and effective treatments in the world. It is the most popular treatment before plane travel or vacations.

Of course, we couldn’t leave France without visiting Eperney, Reims and the Champagne Region. I wanted Kendall to see Chagall’s beautiful stained glass windows, and show her how Champagne was made. Remembering my experience on visiting this region in the 80’s was fascinating and I wanted her to see that part of France. I also wanted to give her that first sip of champagne. One of my favorite artists is Chagall and in Reims, France is the beautiful Notre-Dame Cathedral. In 1974, Marc Chagall created three stained glass windows for the axial chapel of the Cathedral, they are beautiful. Those windows inspired me to learn the art of stained glass and it became a hobby of mine.

Paris

We toured Verve Clicquot. We learned about the fascinating blend of winemaking, and biography of the remarkable woman, Madame Clicquot Ponsardin, who transformed champagne into a global industry back in the 19th century.

We toured Moet & Chandon, and Kendall’s first sip of Champagne was Don Perignon! Even with one week, we barely scratched the surface of Paris. It’s a huge city that takes a lifetime to really see. Our trip ended with lunch at Laduree, a bakery that opened in 1862 by Louis Ernest Laduree. The Parisian cafe and pastry shop was one of the first tea rooms in Paris. After looking at all the beautiful colors of the macaroons, we scooped up a few dozen for our trip home.

macaroons

Oh, and a quick stop at Reppetto, to pick out a pair of french ballet slippers for my girl…she chose red!

To take Kendall to Paris and watch her skip from one Parisian sight to another, and see the city through her innocent eyes was a dream come true, and one I will cherish forever. Our week in Paris was sunny and perfect, an hour before we left it started raining. It was magical.

Avec Amour,
Veronica

True beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It’s the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows and the beauty of a woman only grows with passing years. – Audrey Hepburn

This is the spirit that I always follow and hope that you nurture your beauty within.
Love, Veronica

April in Paris – Part 2

Paris in the month of April dances with fragrance and flowers. The glorious colors of tulips, daffodils, cherry and apple blossoms among other varieties of flowers are everywhere.

All we wanted to do was relax and enjoy each fleeting moment, holding on to the unique ambiance for as long as it would last, but we had too much to do and see.

On our first morning we walked down the Champs-Elysees and through the Jardin Des Tuileries. We visited Notre Dame and its Bell Tower.

We had so much to do in such a short time, and we could feel the energy of Paris combined with our excitement.

Paris

First on our list was showing Kendall the Louvre Museum, the central landmark of Paris, France.

It’s one of the worlds largest museums and a historic monument. Showing her the Louvre, watching her admiring the masters and sharing which ones she liked the most was wonderful.

With over a million pieces of art, you could spend a month in the Louvre and still not see everything.

We had a wonderful tour guide who showed us the main works of art, such as the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, Winged Victory of Samothrace, Davids’s Coronation of Napoleon, and much more. We saw the Louvres’s incredible collection of Egyptian art and Greek Sculpture.

A tour of Napoleon lll’s private apartments was a perfect way to end our tour. It gave us a rare insight itno the privileged lives of the emperor and empresses who ruled France over a period of 23 years.

We visited the Musee D’Orsay and she loved the great artists Degas, Monet, Manet, and Van Gogh.

A trip to the Palace of Versailles, located outside the city was something I certainly wanted Kendall to experience. We spent a whole day exploring the palace, learning about the gardens and Marie Antoinettes’s Estate.

Versailles is probably the most famous example of architectural bling in history, and the elaborate gardens that surround the palace are masterpieces of design: flowerbeds with precision cut hedges in the form of flor-de-lys, manicured lawns, trees pruned and contorted into seamless geometrical shapes, and golden cascading fountains. These are just a fraction of the startling things to be seen at the Palace of Versailles.

I’ll share with you my love of french skin care (and champagne) in my next blog.

Avec amour,
Veronica

April in Paris puts the spirit of youth in everything

April in Paris

My love of Paris started as a young girl.

My maternal great-grandmother was born there, my first facial was by a French esthetician (Bernadette), who cleared my skin with one treatment, after battling with acne for years.

The first skincare line that I choose to retail and incorporate into my business was the French skin care line of Rene Guinot from France. In the 70’s it was the most respected and complete skincare line used in the top spas around the world. At that time the market wasn’t saturated with skin care products the way it is today.

My love of French fashion, music, art, food, skincare and the city of lights, has had a big influence in my life.

When Carl (my husband) and I made the decision to take each of our grandchildren somewhere special in the world when they turned 13, we took our first grandchild (Kendall) to Paris.

April in Paris was a song I remember my mother singing, and now I know why. We took Kendall to Paris in April, and spent a week celebrating her 13th birthday.

I couldn’t wait to show Kendall Paris, and take her to some of the places that I had visited as a young girl. There are a few things I always noticed about Paris: there’s a boulagerie on just about every block, great pharmacies on every other block, and upscale boutiques displaying beautiful unique wares as commonly as a baguette.

Aromatherapy Facial

We choose the George V Hotel, and I must say it is one of the most beautiful hotels I’ve ever seen. It is just steps away from the Champs-Elysees, and we had our own private terrace overlooking all of Paris. The hotel and spa, if you have never been, is truly a must.

The staff is warm, and friendly, and the atmosphere so very elegant. The attention to detail is exquisite. We walked into the hotel and Kendall was given one of the most beautiful Easter Baskets I’ve ever seen with french chocolate eggs and colorful Laduree macaroons.

Being a spa girl, I was enthralled with our hotel’s incredible spa. Kendall and I visited the spa almost every morning. One morning I noticed that Kendall had been in the gym for 45 minutes, we were supposed to meet in the jacuzzi in 30 minutes. I put my robe on to go and check on her, she was on the treadmill having an in-depth conversion with Hugh Jackman… no wonder she forgot about me in the jacuzzi!

I’ll write more about our adventure in beautiful Paris in my next blog!

Avec amour,
Veronica

When you look through the eyes of a child, the world becomes a better place.

Happy Valentine’s Day With Love & Gratitude!

Everyone wants to look perfect on Valentine’s Day, but during this time of the year our skin is suffering from dry air and lack of Vitamin D. We could all use a little pick me up! Aromatherapy will not only help your skin, it lifts your spirit!

Being passionate about health and skincare, I’m constantly reading, exploring, and researching new ways to bring wellness and longevity into my life. As a woman, mother and grandmother, my passion for health and well-being has only accelerated.

What I’ve learned in wellness is that there is no one formula. Living a healthy lifestyle can be complicated, and is different for everyone.

For me, a healthy lifestyle means certain things that I do everyday: diet, exercise, meditation (yoga), water and skin health.

Being a certified Aromatherapist since 1986 has served me well. Aromatherapists usually have a unique story as to why they got involved in the business. Life experiences often play a big part in how you get interested in learning more and studying aromatherapy, which leads to a desire to pass that information onto others.

Aromatherapy Massage

Essential Oils and Massage are necessary for your good health. Massage therapy, for instance, helps make you more alert and lessen symptoms of depression, fatigue and irritability, according to the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami School of Medicine. The healing power of touch extends across ones life span.

Aromatherapy is the use of essential oils from flowers, leaves, fruits, barks and roots to affect physical and mental health. The scent from these oils can have a powerful influence on mood and have also been studied as treatment for some medical conditions. While the pleasant, uplifting effects of some odors have been known for centuries, modern, condition specific aromatherapy based on essential oils usually is traced back to the work of French chemist Rene-Maurice Gattefosse in the late 1920’s. Today, in France, England and Japan, medical aromatherapy is an established field that treats medical conditions. In the United States, aromatherapy is mainly associated with the spa and skincare industries, although it also is used as supportive care in and effort to improve quality of life and reduce stress and anxiety. Aromatherapy is also combined with other complementary treatments such as massage therapy and acupuncture.

Aromatherapy Facial

My own professional aromatherapy career started with a trip to England in the 80’s. Aromatherapy Facials were very popular in England and I wondered why they weren’t in America. I visited several skincare spas in London and loved the way my skin looked after an aromatherapy facial treatment and the way I felt.

I trained first with Eve Taylor, completing a course of theoretical and practical training in Aromatherapy Skin Care and the use of Essential Oils.

Eve Taylor is 81, and still happily blending aromatherapy oils and running a successful business in Peterborough, England.

In 1988, on a trip to Egypt I had the opportunity to meet and study with a family that had been distilling essential oils for over a century. They helped develop some of the essential oils for Chanel No.5. I’m so grateful that I got to visit Egypt during that time!

Aromatic medicine itself emerged from the temples in Egypt-the birthplace of medicine, perfumery, and pharmacy – more than six thousand years ago. The Egyptians also practiced the art of massage, and were famous specialists in skin care and cosmetology. Their products were renowned all over the civilized world. The use of essential oils spread from Egypt to Israel, Greece, Rome, and the whole Mediterranean world. Every culture and civilization, from the most primitive to the most sophisticated, developed its own practice of perfumery and cosmetics. India is probably the only place in the world where the tradition was never lost. With over 10.000 years of continuous practice, Ayurvedic medicine is the oldest continuous form of medical practice with essential oils.

With the country reporting frigid temperatures, there’s no question winter has arrived. Winterizing your skin is about layering your products. Using a serum, moisturizer and sun protection during the winter months helps keep delicate skin healthy and strong.

For bathing during cold winter nights or after a busy day, use magnesium-rich mineral salts and pure essential oils in your bath. The essential oils will penetrate your skin and diffuse in the tissues. Relax and enjoy.

Be sure to gently pat dry and apply a nourishing body lotion while skin is still slightly damp to seal in moisture. You’ll sleep like a baby and your skin will thank you in the morning.

We use essential oils and aromatherapy in all of our facial and massage treatments for mind, body, beautiful skin and spirit!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

With love and gratitude,
Veronica