Two weeks ago, our new laser technician - Cindy - talked me into the trademark procedure called Skintyte by Sciton.  If you previously had any laser treatments you know how effective they are but NOT comfortable........to say the least.  As I always like to say, "Beauty Hurts!". 

I reluctantly complied and was pleasantly surprised that this treatment is absolutely painless and believe it or not, I am noticing results already!  To get the best results, the recommended treatment is 3 sessions 4 weeks apart.  I'm so excited about my results already that I can't wait for my next treatment.  I am sharing my current before/after photos after only 2 weeks and will keep logging my progress.

Being a research "nut", I found this great video where the same procedure was featured on the TV show The Drs last year and I truly believe the results after experiencing this myself.  Check out the video!  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdfR8ygUyVA

As always, consultations are FREE.  Call for pricing and an appointment.  651-342-1532.

Thanks,

Mary

When Amy & I started Stillwater Skin, we had a lot to learn about products, ingredients and formulations.  As we became more aware of the prevalence of toxic chemicals in skincare products (yes....97% of skincare products contain known toxins) and we realized the power of Cranberry Seed Oil being a highly absorbent skin oil, we adopted a company standard of "do no harm".  To us that means, we couldn't in good conscience put a nasty chemical additive with our wonderful Cranberry Seed Oil.  It just seems logical that we would only be "helping" you absorb that toxin much faster!

Although we are committed to being toxin free in our products, we know it is very difficult as consumers to be aware of all the harmful ingredients.  We searched for an organization that we would refer our friends, family and clients to in order to better understand this issue.  We immediately realized that the Breast Cancer Fund had just such a mission and the information to help.  When we created our February Chocolate Line - we wanted to make sure it was a product with a purpose - "LOVE" your skin by learning how to avoid environmental toxins that attack your skin every day.  We specifically wanted to bring awareness to the Breast Cancer Fund and back that support with donations as well. 

We have all become very aware of the need to cure Breast Cancer but there is a lot more to it than just buying "pink".  The St Paul Pioneer Press ran a front page story on the issues behind "pink washing" and the marketing juggernaut that "PINK" has become.  I also encourage you to read this article because it is so well written that you might be inspired to find more effective ways to fight this horrible disease.

http://www.twincities.com/ci_16221831?source=most_viewed&nclick_check=1

This year, Breast Cancer became more personal than ever for us.  A good friend "D" was diagnosed with Breast Cancer - her first mammogram at 45 years old and the "cure" was a double mastectomy.  Well let me tell you, as a close friend, I've been pretty angry at how unfair this disease is and yet, inspired to fight.  That is the best word I can think of for something like this.  While having Breast Cancer hit close to home, Amy and I were really feeling the pressure of just turning 40 and knowing it was recommended that we get annual mammograms.  With only catastrophic health coverage and no preventative coverage, we both chose to "skip" this testing and "hope" for the best.  Until our dear friend and client Sue (a mammographer herself) made us aware of a great program available in Minnesota called Sage.  Ladies - if you find yourself in the same boat as Amy and I......please, please please research this program and see if you qualify.  Do not put yourself at risk - ignorance is NOT bliss.  Here is a link to help you out:

http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/hpcd/ccs/mbcccp.htm

Well I hope we have given you enough to ponder in this "pink" month.  But just in case you are craving more, let me suggest a great book to snuggle up with on cold fall nights - Not Just a Pretty Face.

This book will make you want to start thinking "peach" instead of "pink" - a much better fall color anyway!

Amy & I get asked all the time, "Why don't you have a booth at the State Fair?"  Well first of all, we probably aren't ready for the state fair although spending 10 days with the entire state of Minnesota is right up our alley!  Amy and I would have a blast.......I have no doubt about that.  And yes of course, we would have Skincare on a Stick!  (Somehow....Someway!)

But the reality is I'm just not sure the state fair is the venue to talk about Healthy Skincare.  Seriously, I don't want anyone making me feel guilty when I'm enjoying my day of indulgence so I also don't want to impose that on anyone else.

But the real reason I'm writing about this is because I actually paid attention to the aftermath of all that greasy food I consumed.  My skin is horrible this week - broken out and greasy......and I NEVER have greasy skin.  So now I'm thinking, I need to start my "state fair skin training" for the weeks before, during and after my annual pilgrimage and minimize the effects of my 4290 calorie day.

Here's my plan - use the Daily Clarifying Formula (faithfully) morning and night and add the Facial Scrub every 3 days (I'm usually once a week).  The Clarisonic brush is a must and possibly schedule a clinical facial for the week following my Fair Fun.  Yup.....that ought to do it!  Yes of course I could try to use some restraint with my food intake that day but what fun is that?

I'll let you know how this works out for me.  I sure hope you are not experiencing the same State Fair side effects but if so, at least you know you are not alone!

Mary & Amy

Well I will be the first to admit that I was poorly educated on Botox.  My impression of it was frozen faced actors on TV.  What I learned is that Botox has a long history of important medical applications from relieving migraine headaches, diminishing muscle spasms, foot pain relief, hyper-hydrosis and more.

So let's get personal.....shall we?  Amy has had an eye disease since birth where the dominate muscle continues to rotate the pupil up into the socket.  Having had several painful surgeries in her life to correct this, she was facing the need to have yet another surgery in the near future.  Botox has allowed her a new alternative by allowing the dominate muscle to be paralyzed (in the short term) and strengthening the minor muscles.  For the first time in her life, she is able to wink her eye!  So if she's winking at you, don't take it as anything more than her showing off her new skill.  She is pretty happy about the wrinkle free side effects as well!

I have a condition known as hyper-hydrosis which means, I sweat an unusually large amount from my armpits.  (I'm really having fun sharing all of this with you right now......slight blush.)  Dr. Dave graciously allowed me to be his trial for this treatment and let me tell you, it's amazing.  For the first time in my life, I can wear a silk blouse!

I personally like wrinkles......not a lot of them but I feel like they are well earned and a few soft wrinkles are just fine.  However, over time our skin loses its ability to "unwrinkle" from all the habitual expressions we put it through.  I am also a big advocate of, "If you don't like it, fix it!"  In other words, if you look in the mirror everyday and can't stand to see that one wrinkle, I think that has far more harmful effects on your health and well being than a minimally invasive procedure.

No matter what your interest in Botox (wanting it or hating it), I encourage you to be open minded and seek out a doctor or clinic that uses only the highest quality needles and equipment.  This is one thing I love about Dr. Dave.......he only goes for the best in quality.

Thanks for indulging my thoughts on this subject.

Mary

This is an inspiring place to watch the race.  You can tell every runner has a different motivation and different goal.  For the most part, the runners are still feeling pretty good at this point in the race and welcome a little cheering and music to give them a boost.  The runners show their gratitude for our over enthusiastic cheering in so many ways; a little smile, a wave, a high five, a "pump it up" and some just a small thumbs up.  I love watching the reactions of all the runners when they realize, we may not know them personally but we still want to cheer them on and be a part of their race. 

This year we added to the entertainment by having our small group of 12 year old dancers perform the Michael Jackson Thriller routine a few times.  You can't believe how many runners found the extra energy to show us their own Michael Jackson moves.  One runner even looked at me and said, "I love Michael Jackson.  You answered my prayers." 

We hope everyone that ran or watched had a great time.  I can't finish this blog without a small apology to the homeowners near the corner of 6th and Burlington - I know the music starts a little early.  We truly hope it wasn't too inconvenient.  We also hope you will consider joining us next year!  We appreciate you allowing us to have our cheer tent so close to your homes.

Take care,

Mary & Amy

Although we would never claim to be experts on fish oil, we do know quite a bit about Omegas because Cranberry Seed Oil is a quality source of Omega's 3-6-9 in a 1 to 1 ratio which is very important to how are systems process these essential fatty acids.  However, plant based Omegas are different than animal based Omegas (often referred to as "active" omegas).  The well documented studies of the benefits of Omegas are almost all based on the animal sourced Omegas.  (Just a statement of fact!)

The reason I'm even talking about fish oil today is because this has been a daily topic of conversation for us over the past week.  Ironically, neither of us is able to take fish oil - even high quality fish oil - without a negative impact on our skin.  Amy and Mary have VERY different skin types and yet we both tend to get oil cysts from taking straight fish oil.  However, Krill Oil does not effect our skin in this way. 

We are simply passing along experience based information to you with no claim of clinical studies or anything "official".  If you are trying to follow doctor's orders and increase your daily intake of active Omega's you too may be experiencing a similar issue with your skin.  If it helps, ask your doctor about Krill Oil and see if that can work for you too.

Take care,

Mary & Amy

Symptoms can include:

- Swollen lips; stingy sensation of the lips; rawness of the lips; tendor skin around the lip area.

As it turns out, this allergic reaction occurs when certain raw fruits and/or vegetable come into contact with your lips.  The same fruits/vegetables when cooked cause no reaction.  For example, in Emma's case, she can't eat any apples but apple sauce or apple juice are just fine.  Quite honestly, I always just figured this was a ploy to avoid eating fruits and vegetables because for Emma, the symptoms are not visible......at least not yet. 

In our friends case, she had a similar condition as a child which subsided but then re-appeared with a vengence after pregnancy.  She had all the worst symptoms that were very visible.

Two weeks ago, we met a lovely young ladie at Girls Going Places and she approached us desperate for help with her lips.  We immediately suspected Oral Allergy Symptom and tried to point her to the right information for a long term solution.

I'm happy to report that as a short term remedy to her symptoms, our Skin Relief Serum (with 95% Cranberry Seed Oil) gave her relief and repair for her condition.

This very specific allergy demonstrates that our lips are quite different from other skin areas and are highly sensitive.  Clearly a natural defense mechanism helping us to avoid ingesting things that may harm us.  However, our lips are subject to environmental issues as well and may need treatments that are different from the rest of our skin. 

A few highlights: 

- Kowalski's is a wonderful company.  Family owned and they take your business personal.  Everytime I call on a store, they go out of their way to talk to me and make me feel valued both as a customer and a vendor.  Even the employees that check us in at the loading dock are wonderful.  (Hi Mike at OPH, Tom & Steve at Woodbury, Stacy at WBL.)

- Sassafass in White Bear Lake - to walk into a store and work directly with the owner is always a pleasure.  Paula is informative and helpful.  I had the pleasure of being in the store when a few "regulars" came in - she greeted them by name and invited me into an engaging conversation with these health conscious women.

- Golden Fig on Grand Ave in St Paul - very similar experience to Sassafras although a completely different focus.  They cater to the "foodie" in every way!  Lori (the owner) was also one of our first retail accounts and has allowed us to come in for several events.  We are lucky to be a part of such a service oriented store.

- Abe's Market - our online natural products account - they work so hard to keep vendors and customers constantly informed.  They host webinars to help vendors learn more about retailing in the natural products sector with interesting speakers and technology to hold your interest.  Everytime I visit their website, I get lost in exploration with all the great information they provide.  We are so excited about Abe's that we plan to change all of our online shopping over to their store.  This will streamline the ordering process and expose our online clients to a line of unique products they may be interested in.

We look foward to telling you more about our various retail locations as we move forward!

Enjoy a wonderful spring!

Mary & Amy

2/25/2010 - dew point 12

3/5/2010   - dew point 25

3/11/2010 - dew point 44

Now I will never claim to be a weather expert but what I know about your skin is that it is the largest organ of your body and one of its main purposes is to protect you from the environment.  Look at how extreme those dew points are over a 2 week period.  Basically, the dew point is the saturation point of moisture in the air so the higher the dew point, the more moisture.  2 weeks ago your skin was screaming for moisture!  Trust me, you couldn't get enough.  Now, the dew point (while still relatively low) has changed dramatically and anything you were doing to compensate for the dryness is exaggerated by the change in moisture in the environment.  So what should you have done differently?  Well, nothing.

In short, now that the dew point is on our side, we have the opportunity to boost our skin moisture; like boosting our immune system with a good dose of vitamin C, zinc and chicken noodle soup.  However, you will notice your skin reacting differently.  Just expect the change.

Those of you who don't live near beautiful Stillwater, MN, please do not let this information go to waste.  You should consider your own local conditions and think about the impacts to your skin.  If you are having more dryness, boost your serum and hydration products.  More moisture, lay off the heavy moisture sources and stick with a solid regimen; you might need to even try some clarifying products to help balance your skin.

Bottom line:  you have to adjust your skincare to your environment and that is where we are here to help.  Feel free to email or blog your questions and comments!

Mary & Amy

I also believe that moderate sun exposure is a very good thing!  The amazing organ known as our skin can produce plenty of Vitamin D which helps us metabolize calcium among other important functions.  This is the best natural supplement you could ever have.

You do however need to avoid burning.  If you do burn - even a slight pink - make sure you get a cooling product with Aloe on your skin immediately and often until your skin looks and feels normal again.

Also, be very careful of using any product with Alpha Hyrdroxy Acids (AHA - like our Rejuvenating formulas).  These products are sun sensitive and have a sunburn alert.

Most of all, enjoy this fabulous weather!  It feels good to be warm again.

Mary & Amy