lisa ann skincare blog

Smelling like a Rose!

 

I can't wait for my shrub rose bushes to come into bloom this summer. They really took a beating with our harsh winter this year and I cut them back quite a bit to rejuvinate them. They're are filling in nicely and will be beautiful. In the meantime I have created a new lotion to remind me of those wonderful roses. It is Rose Body Lotion and has a gentle but fragrant scent. I've added Rosewater Concentrate and it's heavenly.

I am introducing a full bottle (8 oz) for an introductory price of only $15 - normally it's $19 (still a bargain). Along with our other lotions it has Fair Trade Shea Butter and aloe added and of course is paraben free, not tested on animals etc etc..

Hope you try it soon and come up smelling like roses! You can find it HERE!

Lisa

Emeril and I

I had the pleasure of meeting Emeril Lagasse (you know the famous chef?) yesterday at a book signing at RJ Julia Bookseller's here in Madison, Ct. He was gracious and friendly. His new book, Emeril at the Grill is filled with gorgeous pictures and delicious looking recipes. You can order a copy here: It makes a great Father's Day gift and it's a paperback!

Scientific Studies Back up Shea Butter!

You may have heard the claims both large and small companies have made regarding the moisturizing properties of shea butter. If you have ever doubted what you have heard then please read below. Scientific studies have been recently done to study the effects of shea and I'm not surprised with the results. That's why we use Shea in so many of our products : Body Butters, Lotions, Scrubs, Soaps, and Lip Balms.

Enjoy the below article and I'd love to hear your shea butter experiences! 

Moisturising power of shea butter highlighted by scientific studies

By Katie Bird, 12-May-2009

Related topics: Formulation & Science, Skin Care

Swedish company AAK says it has confirmed the moisturising power of shea butter, which is often claimed but has never been tested.

Shea butter is a common moisturising ingredient but AAK’s Jari Alander claims that its efficacy has never been properly tested.

“As one of the biggest buyers of shea kernels from Africa today we thought we would scientifically test the ingredient,” he told CosmeticsDesign.

Unlike active ingredients, emollients are not usually tested for efficacy.

However, according to Alander, the industry is becoming increasingly strict on the data needed to back up efficacy claims, and companies have less freedom to make statements that have not been proven.

Soft shea butter

The company’s research investigated the Sheasoft ingredient, which combines a high melting point with a soft consistency at room temperature and focused on the short term moisturising effect.

Skin care manufacturers need to provide short term effects as daily showering can remove skin lipids and put skin under stress, explained Alander.

AAK’s researchers stimulated daily washing by treating the skin of volunteers with ethanol causing an increase in trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL). They then applied the Sheasoft and compared its moisturising properties to a mineral oil equivalent.

According to Alander, the TEWL rapidly recovered after the application of Sheasoft and after two hours returned to basement levels. After three and four hours the barrier properties of the skin were improved on pre-treatment levels.

With the mineral oil, there was a slower recovery and starting values were not recovered, he said.

AAK also investigated the moisture levels deeper in the skin using a corneometer, finding that the sheasoft led to a consistent increase over four hours. The mineral oil also led to an increase in moisture levels as measured by the corneometer. However, this increase was not as marked as that of the shea butter, according to Alander.

Free Salon and Spa Success Secrets from Henry Paul Baker

Hi. I came across the article below and had to share it with you. It offers practical tips on internet marketing for your spa or salon. Let me know your thoughts!

 

10 Ways to Swamp Your Salon or Spa Website with Perfect Visitors

By Henry Paul Baker

Ok... Internet marketing for salons and spas is becoming more and more important and possible. Long gone are the days when visitors could only be generated nationwide. You can now easily attract exactly the type of visitors you want to your salon or spa website.

Here are just 10 (and there are tons more) ways to do it...

#1: Articles - write short, informative articles about how YOU and your salon or spa can SOLVE people's problems and help look great and feel even better. The submit them to the top article directories (ezinearticles, articelbase, goarticles and more).

#2: Press releases - YEP! Press releases are great for generating online traffic (and if you know what you're doing, a LOT of FREE publicity offline too). Submit them to the top press release distribution site (NOTE: you need to find purely online distribution sites like prweb AND others which have a closer relationship with journalists).

#3: BLOGGING - you need a salon/spa blog! No time to go into depth here - but trust me...

#4: Pay per click advertising - e.g. Google AdWords... To my knowledge there is NO faster way to generate bundles of ready to go, targeted traffic to your salon or spa website than pay per click. Only downside is it COSTS MONEY. And you MUST know what you're doing or you WILL waste a LOT of money.

#5: Joint Ventures - Overlooked by most because they THINK they are hard to setup. Yes, you need to know who you are partnering with is trustworthy but they're easier than you think to make work. The premise is simple. Someone other than you owns a list of customers and prospects in a complementary market to you. You mail an offer to their list and they take a slice of the profits (there are a lot of other ways to cut the deal too)...

#6: Videos - YouTube, Viddler, Google Video and hundreds more video sites are frequented by the people who buy from you... Video marketing is POWERFUL...

#7: Podcasts - This one sounds a little technical. In essence you created an audio track about your topic and publish it to iTunes and more, people find it, listen to it, trust you (if the content is good) and go to your salon/spa sites... For a local salon/spa this may be a little bit of 'overkill'. BUT, if you are looking to build a national or international business, this is 'genius'...

#8: Social Bookmarking - Like just bookmarking a webpage on your browser BUT, millions of other people can see what has been bookmarked and therefore see what is popular... If they see something they are looking for that has been social bookmarked by someone else then they'll have a peek and often head to your site...

#9: OFFLINE - Ahh! I hear you cry... Well don't! Offline is an awesome way to drive online traffic. Everything from making sure your salon/spa website is on your flyers, postcards, business cards, brochures etc to dedicated offline campaigns to generate online traffic.

#10: Social Networking - Ummmm have you got a LONG time? No time to digress here but I've yet to find anyone who has made any real money using social networking (other than people selling info on how to make money from social networking). YES, there are applications for social networking which can be useful and yes, it can drive traffic. BUT, by golly it can take a LOT of your time (and there are in my opinion better ways to spend your time).

There's 10...I've got over a hundred more up my sleeve...

Let me ask you a question...

How many of just those 10 salon and spa website traffic pullers do you use?

Look, WHATEVER type of salon business or spa you have, you CAN use the internet to significantly increase demand for your treatments, products and services, referrals and repeat spend.

Dedicated to multiplying your salon/spa profits.

Henry Baker.

Copyright Henry Baker 2009

Henry Baker helps beauty salon, nail salon and spa owners all over the world attract more clients, get them spending more, returning more often and referring more people. For a FREE report "How to Double Your Salon or Spa Profits in 117 Days or Less -- Even In Recession" head to http://www.magneticsalons.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Henry_Paul_Baker

Monday's Quick Tip! Creating Memorable Experiences!

Welcome to Monday's Quick Tip - my new blog feature for day spas is designed to offer one or two tips to help bring in new business. This feature will be every Monday so sign up to get emailed tips!

In this economy it's important to differentiate yourself from the competition. That translates to offering your customers something unique to make the spa experience a pleasantly memorable one that ultimately keeps them coming back and spreading a good word about you.

Here are some suggestions:

* Offer a special selection of teas such as Harney and Sons tea in a silk sachet.

* A local chocolate treat made locally when the customer is about to leave makes a nice impression. You may be able to ask the chocolatier for a donation or deep discount of their best sellers as an advertising tool.

* Don't gab away in massage or facial sessions. This seems obvious but many people have told me they've had a "chatty" therapist.

* Follow up with a hand written thank you note and include a 10% discount to their next appointment. Mail the note within 24-48 hrs of the service.

It's usually the small tokens that make a lasting positive impression.

If you want to share or add your own here please do!!

Project a positive image!!

Mobile post sent by lisakennally using Utterli.  Replies.  mp3

Tip for a quick at home facial!

 

It's the start of the Holiday weekend and many of you will be visiting family and friends and just did not have time to get a facial at your favorite spa. Nothing beats the relaxation and the expertise of a trained estitician but if you need a quick "pick me up" here is an at home recipe. You can vary it by adding pureed fruit.

Mix together to form a paste.

1 TBSP Honey

1 TBSP Yogurt

The contents of 1 teabag - any type will do. - This provides gentle exfoliation.

Using a pastry brush apply gently to your entire face -avoiding the eye area and let it sit for approximately 10 minutes. Rinse off with warm water.

Enjoy and Happy Holidays to all!

Step out and Meet Someone!

This past weekend I attended the Women's Health Conference in Mystic, Ct and have to say I really enjoyed it. There were many other things I could have done with my Sunday and I thought long and hard about attending this conference which was going to take me away from the family, chores etc. Two friends of mine were attending and were strongly encouraging me to go so I said "yes".

What this conference did for me was allow me to take a day for myself, enlighten my mind with new information, meet new people while also seeing some familiar faces, and just get out to do something different.

I encourage all of you to step a bit out of your comfort zone, do something out of the ordinary and attend a conference you think would be fun and enlightening. It's good for your mind and your business!

Lotions, Cremes and Body Butters - 101

Lotions, Crèmes, and Butters – Differences and Applications

Basically our skin loses moisture for a variety of reasons and needs to be replenished to look and feel its best. Most of us are familiar with skin moisturizing products on the market but there may be some confusion as to what the differences are between traditional lotions, crèmes and body butters and how to use them.  

Essentially they all have the same purpose and it just comes down to how dry your skin is and what your preference is for texture and feel of each product.

It is most effective to put on moisturizers within a few minutes after showing or washing.

Lotions tend to have a lighter consistency followed by crèmes then butters.  Lotions are a wonderful, all purpose, all over treatment for the face and body. They are perfect for using any time of the day or at bedtime after removing make up.

Crèmes are a bit thicker because butters or other thickening agents are added. They are designed for those who have moderately dry skin because they will stay on the skin longer.

Body butters are usually very thick and only a pea sized amount is needed to be the “ultimate” moisturizer. They are a luxurious blend of 80-90% of either shea, olive or avocado butters or oils. Body butters are perfect for sealing in moisture for longer periods or for extra dry areas such as heals, elbows, etc. Rub some into your skin every day and you will feel so much smoother!

In conclusion the main difference between lotions, crèmes and butters is the texture, consistency and effectiveness. The choice to use any of these depends on what you prefer and to what degree your skin needs extra nourishment.

What works best for you? Leave your comment here!

Magazine Feature!

 

 

It's always amazing and exciting when we are featured in a blog or magazine so I am proud to say lisa lisa ann skincare is in the March issue of Nine By Zero Fashion and Beauty magazine. They are based in Milan, Italy and I'm sure my ancestors would be proud too!

Here is the link for your viewing pleasure! We are featured as the "Green Beauty" segment.

http://tinyurl.com/agnzvx

 

NineByZero is a Beauty Magazine featuring international fashion, beauty products, art and lifestyle articles, editorials, reviews, makeup artists, interviews and much more. NineByZero is Also a Beauty Blog about beauty tips, skin care, hair care, decor and city life news: quick updates natural beauty products, latest trends and reports for up-to-the-minute information.