Teri, at PrettybyNature has a great post about SpaRitual’s Nail Elixirs - they are Vegan, and also free of DBP, toluene and formaldehyde. I have a renewed interest in these polishes after seeing how well they can perform! Go check out what Teri has to say about them…
Friends of NTS:, Nail Polish Colors, Nail Trends, Spa TreatmentsThere is a video online this morning, from the show, and this accompanying article, focusing on the death of Kimberly Jackson, from an MRSA infected pedicure bath. I think the article is the transcript from the video, in case you can’t see the video - if not, it is very similar.
ABC News: Drug-Resistant Staph Tops Group’s ‘Hit List’
Once again, PLEASE make sure that if you are getting salon pedicures, to make sure your nail tech is not using a tub with plumbing, and make sure that whatever they are using is properly santitized. To learn more about MRSA and antibiotic resistant infections, see my other web sites at MRSA Resources, MRSA Forum, MRSA Blog, and you can read our personal story at MRSA Story.
Also, antibiotic resistant bacteria can be picked up easily from athletic facilities and simply from contact with other people. To protect yourself, follow basic hygiene rules: Wash your hands frequently, do not share personal items, and cover your wounds and avoid contact with other peoples wounds. Also, eat right and get plenty of rest so your immune system stays in tip top shape and visit your doctor regularly for checkups and routine bloodwork that can give you a heads up if you have any immunosuppressant illnesses that will give this bacteria an opportunity to thrive in your body.
Wrap your hands up in a towel to retain the heat for as long as possible, sit back and relax for 15-30 minutes (or as long as you feel like sitting there—the longer the better). When you are ready, just remove the plastic, the paraffin will probably slip right off with it, and throw the whole thing away. Do NOT reuse the paraffin that was on your hands, no matter how tempting it may be—it will be dirty, full of skin cells, bacteria and microbes that LOVE to breed in warmth, and your paraffin pot will be full of nasty bacteria the next time you want to use it.
Now if you want to finish your Spa Manicure, go back up to Step 6 of the Spa Manicure. If you are finished with your hand treatment, you may wash your hands to remove any residual oils and get on with your day!
Dip Method
If your paraffin appliance is big enough, AND IT DOESN’T GET TOO HOT, you can dip your hands in the paraffin. One hand at a time, dip slowly into the paraffin, making SURE it is not too hot. Once your hand is in, down to just past your wrist, pull it out and hold it above the paraffin appliance and let it drip for about 20 seconds, or until it is completely finished dripping, and the paraffin loses its shine. Hold your hand and fingers very still while you are doing this so that the paraffin does not crack.
Repeat this process 3-5 times, until you have a nice thick coating of paraffin on your hand (approximately ¼ inch). If you do not let it dry long enough between coats, it will melt back off of your hand with each dip, and you won’t be able to get a thick coat. If you have trouble getting your coating thick enough, wait longer between dips. Place your paraffin coated hand on the center of one of the sheets of plastic wrap, and with your other hand fold the sheet over to the top of your hand, enclosing the paraffin in the plastic wrap.
Paint-On Method
Now, if your appliance is very small, you will use your paint brush to paint the paraffin onto your hand. This works just as well, although it can be a little messy and it does take a bit more time. This also works if the appliance you are using heats the paraffin a little too much to be comfortable dipping your hand into it. Hold your hand over your warmed paraffin, and dip your brush into the paraffin and paint it onto your hand. Don’t miss any spots. Let the paraffin firm up a bit between coats, and apply several coats, until it is nice and thick on your hand. Now put that hand on the plastic wrap, and with your free hand wrap the plastic around it, to enclose the paraffin.
Whichever method you have chosen to apply your paraffin, one hand is completed. To get paraffin on your other hand, you are going to do the same thing, but you are going to have to either use the hand that already has paraffin on it to hold the brush, or get a helping hand to assist, or if you are not pressed for all, you can do one hand at a time. I have done it many, many times with my paraffined hand, and it works just fine, although your paraffin will crack up a little bit. Work quickly, because once the paraffin cools, it will crack much more and potentially fall off of your working hand.
If you have just done your Spa Manicure, or your facial for the hands, your hands are covered in a nice lotion or moisturizer. If not, then do this right now. Use lots of lotion, rub it in, and add more if it soaks in. Massage your hands until they will not absorb any more, add some more–then you are ready for the paraffin. Your hands will be nice and goopy at this point!
My paraffin instructions are geared towards the DIYer, but there are now lots of options for you to buy a paraffin unit for home use. The one pictured above is the HoMedics ParaSpa Mini Paraffin Bath, with Adjustable Temperature Control PAR100, available at Drugstore.com. You can also easily purchase the HoMedics ParaSpa Paraffin Wax Refills
as well.
Paraffin Treatment, Spa Treatments, Supplies, Tools and ImplementsPut a nice large towel or some newspaper down to cover your workspace. Paraffin doesn’t damage things too much, but it is a pain to scrape off the inevitable droplets. Using whatever appliance you have chosen to warm your paraffin, turn it on, and make sure it is on the lowest setting. Add your block of paraffin if it is not already in there. If you are using a very small crock pot or potpourri warmer, one or two blocks of paraffin should do, but keep in mind, the less paraffin that is in there, the warmer it is going to get. I find it much better to keep the warmer nearly full, adding more when I am finished with my treatment. I have a dedicated crock pot for my paraffin, so it stays in there all of the time, but you can always slip it out after it has hardened (let the paraffin totally harden, then turn it back on for a minute or two, then slip out the block of paraffin), wash your crock pot, and use it for its regular use. Add some oil to your paraffin, but not too much. A ratio of no more
than 1:10 (oil to paraffin) is good. Also add a few drops of your preferred essential oil-again my preference is lavender, but use whatever you like, making sure it is safe to use on your skin. Allow at least a half hour for your paraffin to melt, you will have to determine this by experience. I turn mine on at the beginning of my Spa Manicure, and it is about ready when I am ready to use it. Pull out 2 sheets of plastic wrap, about 2 feet long apiece, and set them to the side.
Once again, a paraffin treatment ideally should be done at Step 5 of the Spa Manicure, but it can be done as a stand alone treatment anytime. Better to do it alone than to not do it at all. Also this can be done at the end of the Facial for the Hands, instead of using the heating pad or mitts, to allow your moisturizers to completely penetrate. Your hands will be left a little oilier after the paraffin than they will be after using the mitts, so keep that in mind when planning your activities after your Spa Manicuring.
If you wish to continue on with your manicure at this point, go on back to Step 6 of the Spa Manicure for instructions. If you are just giving yourself a treatment, then you are finished, let the moisturizers soak in all the way (don’t wash them off) before you get into anything with your hands.
As if you don’t feel like you have enough cream on your hands already, it is time to add some more! A moisturizer is important to combat dryness, which contributes to the “crepe-y” look of older skin. Once again, I use two, the first of which is a Vitamin C cream, and the second is just a good intensive moisturizer. The vitamin C acts as a carrier, bringing the moisturizer into your cells deeper and more effectively. Massage into your hands deeply, and use plenty of product. A good idea here is to get out your heating pad or your heated mitts (or even your paraffin!) and wrap your hands in plastic wrap and put them in the heat. This will open your pores and allow them to really soak up the moisturizer deeply. Let this treatment work for about 15-20 minutes.
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