Jill Bucy Skincare

“Jill Bucy changed my life.”

We have a client who continues to tell us how much Jill has inspired her to change her life. We asked her to write a guest post and were inspired ourselves by her story. Here it is:

Jill Bucy changed my life.

I’m not kidding. She improved my skincare and my complexion, certainly. Anyone who has gone to her can claim the same.

But Jill inspired me to be a healthier person, to improve my appearance from the inside out, to address inflammation in my system. I can’t express what a huge deal this is.

See, I’ve had GI problems for twenty years. I’ve downed barium to figure out why I burp so much. I had an endoscopy to check out ongoing acid reflux. I’ve elevated the head of my bed, I’ve taken two Prilosec a day. The best I’ve been able to do is manage the pain and chalk up my gut issues to stress.

And then, about a year ago, while getting a facial from Jill, we got to talking about inflammation, diet, green powder, and alkalizing the digestive track. Suddenly, a lightbulb went on. Aha, if I clean up my system and start eating better and more mindfully, I might alleviate my problems and improve my skin.

So I started reading, chewing through books like The pH Miracle and Ultraprevention. I asked my GP for certain blood tests to check stuff like my magnesium levels. I started taking digestive enzymes, probiotics, and a boatload of supplements. And I made myself a green-powder smoothie every morning.

I won’t say I was cured after a week. But now, a year later, by following a few guidelines (see below), I’ve lost twenty pounds and get compliments nearly every day about how fantastic I look. Someone told me just today that I look very serene. I think my skin now has a glow, not from the occasional facial (although that helps), but from good living and eating. I don’t diet, but I’ve changed my diet. And my body continues to thank me every day. And I thank Jill for that.

A few tips I’ve incorporated into my life:

• Buy unprocessed, raw, whole food whenever possible
• Add in raw foods, seeds and nuts whenever possible (chop chard or kale and add it to soup, for instance)
• Take Omega-3 fish oil and Omega-6 borage or black current seed oil supplements, as well as other supplements, digestive enzymes, and probiotics
• Try to drink a smoothie with green powder every day
• When traveling, bring fruit, raw almonds, and trail mix to snack on. Airports contain virtually no food that’s unprocessed
• Dry brush your skin vigorously before you shower; it helps to eliminate toxins
• Minimize or eliminate coffee, sugar*, soda, red meat
• If you’re going to eat ice cream, look for a few ingredients as possible (Snoqualmie Gourmet and Hagen Daaz 5, for example)
• Brew a pitcher of iced tea at night and try to drink it the next day (it’s a good way to stay hydrated)
• Chuck all the old salad dressings in your refrigerator door. It’s very easy to make your own dressing
• Stir fries and fajitas are a staple, as they are quick and healthy
• Don’t count calories; focus instead on the quality and kind of food you are putting in your mouth

*When thinking of sugar, remember that any starch—potato, bread, pasta, baked good, etc.—turns into sugar (i.e. glucose) in the body. Try to keep your starch/sugar intake to a minimum at each meal. I sweeten tea with stevia.

How do you stay healthy? What tips have you picked up from Jill?

(photo: live-green-smoothie-diet.com)

Bill Clinton and the alkaline way

We’ve been singing the praises of an alkaline diet, and now Bill Clinton is too! Check out his interview with Wolf Blitzer, where he describes his dramatic weight loss through an alkaline-friendly diet, which has the capacity to heal the body and turn around heart disease.

Have you discovered the wonders of an alkaline diet? Eating foods that alkalize your system like green drinks, raw vegetables, and nuts, and avoiding acid-producing foods like meat, sugar, and processed foods can drastically change your health and your weight. Jill has long been an advocate of an alkaline lifestyle and we carry P. Jentschura products in the studio that will help to alkalize your system. From MorgenStund porridge to Wurzelkraft plant granules to treat your system internally to copper body brushes and AlkaBath to promote elimination of toxins, the products have quickly become key to many of our clients' wellness plans. One client has lost 15 pounds since October by changing her diet and incorporating P. Jentschura into her daily regimen. Come in and see what all the buzz is about!

(photo: vegsource.com)

 

 

 

Celebrating the season

  A good—nay, great—time was had by all during our annual Holiday Benefit and Party. We loved taking a pause out of our busy schedules to mingle with our clients, who sipped on kir royales, munched on some sinfully good cheese, and snapped up armfuls of their favorite products, booked services, and purchased gift certificates during the evening. The energy was high as we drew tickets for gift baskets of our favorite products. And the MarQueen Hotel joined in the festivities, donating two gift certificates for the drawing. They opened up a conference room and guest room just down the hall, and offered hors d'oeuvres to our guests (we were partial to the stuffed dates on endive). 

Thanks to you, we filled three large boxes with food items for Northwest Harvest. We hope our event helped set you on a path of good cheer for the rest of the month. We know we're still buoyed up after spending time with all of you, perhaps the best gift of all.

Joyeux Noël!

Join us for our annual holiday benefit

’Tis the season to celebrate the season of goodwill! Join us in the studio on December 8 for our annual holiday benefit, supporting Northwest Harvest.

And as a thank you to our dear clients, if you book your next appointment at this event, we will offer 20-percent off your next service and on products and gift certificates purchased this evening (jewelry not included).

During the evening, we will also raffle off gift baskets filled with our favorite products and two gift certificates for the MarQueen Hotel's Grand Suite. 

Feel free to invite your friends. We look forward to seeing you!

When: Wed., Dec. 8, 4–8pm

Where: The MarQueen Hotel, 600 Queen Anne Ave. N (unfortunately for this evening, complimentary valet parking will not be available)

Special request: Please bring a non-perishable food item for Northwest Harvest

Please RSVP here. 

(Check out our photos from last year's soiree.)

 

Working the WurzelKraft

We’ve been swapping ideas in the studio about ways to spice up our food with P. Jentschura WurzelKraft. In case you haven’t heard, WurzelKraft is a mix of granules from 100 different plants to give you a broad spectrum of nutrition on a daily basis. Just three teaspoons a day can help alkalize your system and increase your energy.

There are two types of WurzelKraft—a fruity and an aromatic version (with lower fruit content). We have really embraced the fruity and are using it in the following ways:

• Sprinkled on apple slices, applesauce, or pudding
• Sprinkled on oatmeal or MorgenStund
• Added to green drinks and keifer
• Folded into smoothies
• Spread on honey toast

How are you rocking the WurzelKraft?  We’d love to know how you’re incorporating it into your life!

(Photo: p-jentschura.com)

 

P. Jentschura and the alkaline solution

The staff has been hearing Jill rave about P. Jentschura products ever since she got back from Paris. So of course we needed to bring the German-based line to you. We are now carrying various supplements, teas and brushes, and had the pleasure of welcoming P. Jentschura rep Tianne Banerd in the studio. She came down from Canada to train the staff on the products, as well as discuss the importance of an alkaline lifestyle.

Before we start singing the praises of the Alkabath and the MorgenStund, it’s important to talk about how important a balanced pH is. You may have heard Jill discuss this before—she’s passionate about it. And if you’ve used Biologique Recherche products, you already working to create a balanced pH on the surface of your skin.

But let’s talk internally. Our blood is alkaline, and requires a pH-level between 7.35 and 7.45 to flow optimally, nourish cells, and cleanse the body.

Guess what? This usually isn’t the case for most of us. Rather, acids and toxins build up in our bodies because of our lifestyle and diet. Processed foods, meats, sugar, coffee, soda, and stress are just a few of the things that add acidity to our bodies. When our pH level drops (i.e. becomes more acidic), our blood becomes thicker and clotted, and doesn’t provide cells with oxygen and nutrients as well as it should. Acids, toxins, and other harmful substances build up in the body, and hormones, enzymes, and our immune systems can’t function in this acidic environment.  To keep our blood in the proper pH range, the body does all sorts of things to deal with excess acidity, including flushing acids into fat cells or leaching calcium (alkaline) from our bones to neutralize the acids. As you can imagine, this isn’t good. 

Aside from feeling less that great on a daily basis, ongoing excess acidity can lead or contribute to rosacea, weight gain, migraines, arthritis, digestive disorders, aching joints, varicose veins, ulcers, infertility, and diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

Not only are you what you eat, you’re also what your body doesn’t eliminate. Scary thought, right?

That’s where the P. Jentschura products come in. The AlkaBath pulls out toxins through your skin. Brush massages affect blood circulation and the nervous system. Try a dry brushing in the morning and watch your energy soar.  The 7x7 AlkaHerb is chockablock with 49 herbs, seeds, spices, roots, and blossoms to cleanse and flush the body of toxins. We make a big jar of 7x7 iced tea to drink every day. The MorgenStund (which translates to “morning hours”) is a millet and buckwheat porridge packed with fruit and seeds that is as easy as oatmeal to prepare and provides you with energy and power (and it’s gluten-free). We make this, add some berries or banana to it, and sprinkle WurzelKraft on top of it. A blend of fruit, pollen, herbs, and vegetables, the granules pack vitamins B2, B2, B6, C, E, and K1; essential amino acids; biotin, niacin and folic acid; and minerals K, Ca, Na, Mg, Fe, Zn, Se, Cr, and Si. To get the most nutritional benefit from WurzelKraft, take 3 teaspoons each day—sprinkle on yogurt, cereal, or fruit salad, spread onto toast with honey, or mix into a glass of fruit juice. 

These are just a few of the P. Jentschura products we will be introducing into the studio. We are committed to your beauty and wellness, both inside and out, and creating a balanced pH and alkaline environment in your body will be reflected through your skin and appearance. The French approach to skincare takes into account digestion and circulation so this philosophy fits perfectly into the work Jill has been doing for 20-plus years.

Stay tuned for more information on these products and the importance of pH, as well as  testimonials from staff and clients as we see results from using these products and committing to a more alkaline lifestyle. Or come into the studio and check them out yourself!

(pH chart: knol.google.com; AlkaBath photo: beleko.be; P. Jentschura product shot: floressa.de)

How to Create a Skin Log

Just like with a food log or monthly expenses report, we suggest keeping a log for your skin.

When you wake up in the morning, take note of the condition of your skin. Does it look dry, flaky, rashy? Are their any reddened areas? Breakouts? Excessive oil? Write down your findings and take note of where any suspicious activity seems to be happening (chin, left cheek, around the nose, etc.).

Jot down what you eat and drink during the day (even water), including the quantity. In particular, take note of anything that varies from your normal diet. 

It may seem excessive, but we want you to log your activity, be it a long plane flight or a brisk workout, or a day of nonstop phone calls. As with your diet, pay special attention to any unusual activities or events, not to mention if they were unusually strenuous or stressful. If you spent most of the day out of doors in bright sunshine when you are usually behind a desk, write it down. Record the dates of your menstrual cycle as well.

Get the picture? Armed with this information, say after two weeks of logging this valuable information, you’ll be able to see what things in your life might trigger issues with your skin. It makes sense that the wrong food or a surge in monthly hormones can bring on a breakout but other internal and environmental factors can play into the health of your skin as well. Talk over your findings with your esthetician—Jill loves to talk about this and you can play skin detectives together—who just might be able to craft a skincare regime that works beautifully with your lifestyle.

What to log each day:

• Skin: hydration level, flaky, rashy, areas of breakouts
  
• Food: what, how much, when
  
• Activity: what, when, where (outside, airport, office)
  
• Weather: sun exposure, temperature
  
• Period: dates, length, duration
  

 

Countering inflammation

Jill is a big believer that internal inflammation will show up on your skin. Wrinkling, rosacea, and skin rashes, for instance, can be connected to all the disease processes in the body. Who knew? Well, Jill.

“Why you may have a genetic predisposition to inflammation, you can be preventative as possible,” Jill says.

“Inflammation can show up in the form of seborrheic dermatitis, rosacea, and any kind of recurring skin rashes. Breakouts can have to do with inflammation in the body or the breaking down of sugars (sugars can exacerbate acne). When we start working with clients, we recommend they take borage oil, a source of GLA (gamma-linolenic acid), which is excellent for countering free radical damage, lubricating the skin, and reducing inflammation in the body. Evening primrose and black current seed oil can be taken as well,” she explains.

Jill also talks with clients about “alkalining” their system, i.e. creating an alkaline environment internally through diet. “Eating green foods, taking liquid chlorophyll  (which you can get in supplement form at Metropolitan Market and health food stores), consuming green barley drinks, putting that green magma stuff in your water in the morning, adding alkaline drops to your water—all of this creates more neutral, alkaline environment, which in turn reduces inflammation.”

(photo of borage plant: www.vortexhealth.net)

Taryn talks bridal beauty

In honor of Taryn’s weekend nuptials in St. Lucia, we thought we’d pick her brain and get a few beauty tips for brides. 

And believe us, she had a LOT to say.

Skincare: “All planning should start the second you get engaged. I suggest women start getting facials about six months before their wedding (especially if they have never had a facial before) and to start new regimen of skincare products.”

Hair: Taryn also weighed in on the rest of your appearance. “Don’t change your hairdresser and don’t do anything overly drastic that can’t be fixed in the allotted amount of time. You don’t want to shock yourself or someone else.”

Nails: And don’t forget about your nails! Your hands are going to get a lot of attention."Everyone grabs your hand to see your ring, the photographer may want close-ups. Start nail care a month before with a manicure, then follow up with another one two weeks before, and finally the day before your wedding. You can use a mild scrub or P50 (it’s an exfoliant) and then treat with a nail oil. Keep everything soft and moisturize as much as you can. And another thing: don’t paint your nails with red, neon, or dark polish or anything that may stain your nails."

Makeup: You probably already know to do a trial run with makeup. However, when selecting a makeup artist, go to someone who doesn’t’ freak you out with their own makeup. Experiment and play with looks you want to try. Think about the flowers and colors of your wedding and plan accordingly (don’t pick a crazy red lipstick if you are going with ethereal pink flowers). Take photos with your makeup on, taking into account the various lighting you might have on your wedding day and what sort of look your fiancé prefers. “If you are normally a natural girl, this is not the time to try a smoky eye. You want to look like your best self.”

Tan: “Don’t do mystic tan ever. Do a spray-tan trial three to four months before your wedding to make sure you don’t get rashy or blotchy. If you are doing it at home, don’t go for a dark tan right away if you’re really fair. Go for a light or medium lotion and build a tan over a couple of weeks. Before applying, shave and exfoliate thoroughly. Wait an hour or so after a bath or shower (so your pores close) and then moisturize with a regular lotion at your heels, knees, elbows, any place that could stain your skin darker. Avoiding your face, apply the self-tanner in a circular motion to avoid streaks and then following the directions, let the self-tanner dry before getting dressed.”

Next up: how to pack for your destination wedding!

(photo: spaspace.com)

 

Skincare for 20-somethings

While good skincare habits are recommended for any age, we asked Taryn—an esthetician in her 20s who lives in a lively urban setting—for her advice for young professional gals about town. Here’s what she had to say…

“Using SPF is important, as is having a basic routine. Use a great cleanser and wash your face twice a day. So many women my age don’t—they party, come home, and go to bed. I don’t care how tired or drunk you are, wash your hands first (bars are dirty!) and then wash your face. If that’s all you can do, at least do that.

“There’s a misconception that if you have oily skin, you don’t need moisturizer. Moisturizer doesn’t contain oil, it contains water and moisture. It’s hydrating. Oil and water—two totally different things.

“Just because you’re thin doesn’t mean you’re healthy. Look into supplements because many women aren’t getting the right nutrients, especially if we are eating poorly. You will see a difference in your skin when you’re eating right and taking care of your health.

And, “drink lots of water.”

In addition, Taryn raves about Biologique Recherche’s Masque Vivant. “It’s the most amazing mask. It makes me feel so clean: it pulls impurities and calms redness in the skin. Mix with a pinch of baking soda and it really goes to work. It activates the mask and emulsifies the fat in your pores so it goes in deeper and pushes out the gunk in your skin.” And isn’t that what we all want?

(photo: epicself.com)